When it was announced Matt Groening was developing an animated series for Netflix, The Simpsons and Futurama fans of the world's ears perked up. Those ears have since drooped somewhat due to a lack of updates but shot right back up recently when Groening released three close-up shots of the show's characters. Fans didn't have to wait much longer for more images as today the Disenchantment Twitter released the first good looks at Princess Bean, her elf companion Elfo, and her demon Luci along with the announcement the series will premiere on Netflix Friday, August 17:
As expected, Disenchantment's art style looks very similar to that of Futurama and The Simpsons. Bean's pale complexion definitely makes her lean more towards looking like an extra in a Futurama scene, and very different looking compared to her voice actress and Broad City star Abbi Jacobson. Of course, that's nothing entirely new as Groening has never been one to draw fictional characters similar to their real-life counterparts. Bean is seen above in her princess outfit and a healthy portion of ale, which makes sense as past descriptions have mentioned she's very fond of drinking.
Bean definitely has the Futurama vibe going with her look, but it's hard to say the same for voice actor Nat Faxon's Elfo. Bean's elf companion is definitely giving off some heavy Springfield vibes with his look, as his shirt and shorts combo look like a slightly darker variant of what Bart Simpson wears on The Simpsons. Elfo is also about the same height as Bart, although his spiky hair appears to be longer and he's got a lip overhang similar to that of Moe Szyslak. Both Bean and Elfo seem able and ready to fight at a moments notice, given that two-thirds of these new images feature them with weapons:
Bean and Elfo's looks are rather easy to spot for Futurama and Simpsons fans; the inspiration for Luci is a bit more of a mystery. The creature doesn't look like something that belongs in either of those shows. He does look like something that would've appeared in Matt Groening's Life In Hell comic series that predates both of those animated shows. This is fitting considering Luci is an actual demon, although it's worth mentioning Groening's comic was about his life in L.A. and not the actual underworld. Luci is voiced by the always off-the-wall and entertaining Eric Andre, which definitely makes him a character audiences interested in Disenchanted should be excited about.
Variety reports the premiere date of Disenchantment on August 17 will bring the first 10 episodes of Season 1 to Netflix, with the remaining 10 episodes to be released at a later date. The project has a lot of recognizable names attached for voice work who Matt Groening has worked with on The Simpsons or Futurama in the past. Billy West, John Dimaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, and David Herman will all return to work with Groening, and the same company that did the animation for Futurama (Rough Draft Studios) is handling Disenchantment as well.
Matt Groening fans will get their chance to dive into the first 10 episodes of Disenchantment when the series arrives on Netflix Friday, August 17 at 12:01 PST. For a look at what else is headed to Netflix in the near future, visit our Netflix premiere guide. Those more interested in what's coming to television in general these coming months can visit our summer premiere guide.
