One of the most highly anticipated movies coming in the next few months is definitely Godzilla vs. Kong, which released its bonkers and action-packed first trailer this past week ahead of its simultaneous debut on theaters and on HBO Max. Guess what, though? That's not the only place fans will be able to see King Kong on the streaming side of things, as Netflix has announced a new anime series set in that universe, dubbed Skull Island. Additionally, Netflix also revealed it's bringing Lara Croft to TV with an anime-style Tomb Raider series.
Let's break down each of those projects separately. Not that anyone is going to mistake King Kong for Lara Croft, even in the most visually challenging circumstances.
Skull Island
The new series Skull Island will take viewers back to the source of King Kong's existence, as well as those of other mysterious and dangerous monsters. This new chapter will center on a group of shipwrecked characters who are eagerly attempting to find a way off of the island by any means necessary. Something tells me these characters are heading for a series of fairly disturbing experiences.
Fans can probably expect for Skull Island to look and feel like some of Netflix's other anime hits. The studio Powerhouse Animation, which was also behind Castlevania (opens in new tab) and Blood of Zeus, will be bringing Kong's latest adventure to the small screen. Serving as the head writer and executive producer will be Brian Duffield, who wrote and directed 2020's Spontaneous, starring Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer, and also penned last year's Love and Monsters, starring Dylan O'Brien and Jessica Henwick.
To note, while the Skull Island series is indeed part of Legendary and WB's Monsterverse, it's not entirely clear if or how this will directly connect to any of the live-action movies. It seems most likely that the anime would be tethered to Jordan Vogt-Roberts' 2017 feature Kong: Skull Island, but that remains to be seen. here's hoping the TV show finds a way to work some voice-acting cameos into the action. Perhaps if Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson aren't too busy filming MCU shows for Disney+, they could reprise their Kong-related roles.
Tomb Raider
On the heels of the recent news that Lovecraft Country's TV creator Misha Green is penning the follow-up to Alicia Vikander's 2018 flick Tomb Raider, Netflix has revealed that it's gearing up for its own anime series centering on the dextrous adventurer Lara Croft. At this time, no one has yet been cast to voice the globetrotting heroine, but there are a ton of talented voice actresses that could easily make that role an instant classic.
Unlike Skull Island, the anime take on Tomb Raider will not be directly connected to live-action adaptations, and will exclusively tie back into the best-selling and consistently acclaimed video game series. Specifically, Netflix reported that the new series will take place after the events of 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which capped off the rebooted trilogy of games. To be expected, Lara Croft's first TV series will feature what will potentially be her greatest adventure yet.
While no animation studio was announced just yet, we do know that Tom Raider will be written and executive produced by Tasha Huo, who served as a writer for Netflix's upcoming The Witcher: Blood Origin live-action spinoff. The streaming service clearly likes to draft new creative teams from other projects it has produced or distributed. We're here for it, either way.
While waiting for more information about when these two shows will hit the TV schedule, let us know in the poll below if you're more excited for Skull Island or Tomb Raider.
