Why it matters: Netflix on Wednesday said it is working on anime adaptations of two well-known franchises and confirmed its commitment to a previously announced series. The two new series will join a host of other similar material already on the platform, further bolstering its appeal to fans of animated content.
Tomb Raider's Lara Croft will make her anime debut in a new series that picks up after the events of the game's recent trilogy reboot. It'll be written and executive produced by Tasha Huo (The Witcher: Blood Origin, Red Sonja) alongside Dmitri M. Johnson (Sonic the Hedgehog), Stephan Bugaj and Howard Bliss.
Tomb Raider's staying power has been nothing short of amazing. The first entry debuted in 1996 and went on to become one of the top-selling games on the original PlayStation with over seven million copies sold. Protagonist Lara Croft has since been featured in numerous sequels and is one of gaming's most recognizable characters, right up there with the likes of Mario and Sonic. In 2018, the game was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Netflix is also working with Legendary Television on an anime adaptation of Skull Island. It'll be a "thrilling animated adventure series that follows shipwrecked characters desperate to escape the most dangerous place on Earth---a mysterious island home to prehistoric monsters, including the greatest titan of them all, Kong."
The streaming giant further noted that the previously announced anime series Pacific Rim: The Black is still in production. A premiere date for the show hasn't yet been revealed.
Netflix has a busy schedule ahead, having promised to release at least one new movie each week in 2021. We also know that they are working on a CGI series based on Resident Evil and are planning the fourth and final season of the animated Castlevania series.