Studio MDHR's indie darling
Cuphead is coming to Netflix. Released in 2017, the run-and-gun side-scroller was a smash hit with many praising not only its challenging gameplay but its unique art style, which was inspired by the rubber hose style of animation used in cartoons from the 1930s. That style will now serve as the basis for a new
Cuphead animated series coming to Netflix.
Officially titled
The Cuphead Show!, the series will follow the comedic adventures of Cuphead and Mugman across Inkwell Isle. Like the game, the show will feature 1930's-style animation and will be hand drawn, though "not entirely to paper this time, and not by Studio MDHR themselves" IGN
notes. Insead,
The Cuphead Shown! will be developed by Netflix Animation, the streaming giant's own in-house animation studio.
“We are not going to be animating this [ourselves] because it would never be finished,” Cuphead co-creator Chad Moldenhauer told IGN. “
The current goal is to stay as far away from [computer-assisted] puppeteer animation as possible." Referring to the process as "Tradigital," he explained that every frame will be hand-drawn be hand-drawn but digitally, not on paper.
The Cuphead Show! is still in the "beginning processes," and therefore does not have a release date. But we do have a synopsis for the series:
The character-driven comedy follows the unique misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious but easily swayed brother Mugman. Through their many misadventures across their surreal home of the Inkwell Isles, they’ve always got one another’s backs.”
The Cuphead Show! is being written so that it's appropriate for children but also enjoyable for adults.
“It’s safe for kids, but written so there are also things that adults find funny and appeals to a wider audience," said Moldenhauer.
"It’s not a toddler show or a little kids cartoon. It’s safe to say that [the showrunners are] aiming for the same kind of vibe that the game hints at. They’ll be taking that idea and expanding it.”
While the plot details have not quite been ironed out yet,
The Cuphead Show! isn't expected to be a re-telling of the game or tie directly into the game.
"I see it in a Mickey Mouse [cartoon] manner,” Jared explained.
“In any given episode, Mickey Mouse could’ve been a pilot, or selling hot dogs, or a musician. There’s not this intention that the two must mesh and fit together."