Netflix orders new shows, film from Asian American creators

All three animated kids projects, including feature film The Monkey King and a new series from BOOM! Studios, are set to launch in 2023.
May 20, 2021

Netflix is expanding its lineup of animated kids content from Asian American creators with two new series and a feature film. All three projects target kids ages six to 11 and are set for a 2023 release.

Action-comedy movie The Monkey King (pictured) is about a primate and a magical stick who fight monsters together. Stephen Chow (Mermaid) is attached as executive producer, with Pelin Chou (Over the Moon) and Kendra Haaland (How to Train Your Dragon 2) producing, and Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls) directing.

The SVOD is also developing a new CG-animated series with LA-based comic publisher BOOM! Studios. Mech Cadets is based on BOOM!’s Mech Cadet Yu comic series, written by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa. The series will focus on a class of students who must work together to pilot giant robots and defend Earth from an alien invasion. It’s executive produced by BOOM! and Japanese studio Polygon Pictures, with Aaron Lam on board as a writer and EP.

Netflix signed a first-look deal with BOOM! last year, though the in-demand publisher also has series deals in place with Disney+ and HBO Max.

On the comedy front, Netflix has greenlit Boons and Curses, a 2D-animated adventure series that revolves around a hero who was turned into a chunk of butter, but won’t let that stop him from fighting against evil forces. Jaydeep Hasrajani created the show and will co-executive produce it with Jake Goldman.

Jane Lee, manager of original animation at Netflix, will oversee both series for the SVOD. No additional  details have been announced for any of the projects.

About The Author
News editor for Kidscreen. Ryan covers tech, talent and general kids entertainment news, with a passion for kids rap content and video games. Have a story that's of interest to Kidscreen readers? Contact Ryan at rtuchow@brunico.com

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