Netflix continues its ongoing expansion of its animated TV catalog.
Deadline reported yesterday that the streaming service picked up four new shows. Two of them, in particular, are action-adventure shows (while the other two are aimed at a preschool audience).
First off, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan and Jane will come from 41 Entertainment and executive producer Avi Arad (under his Arad Animation banner). The show is described as a modern day reimagining of the original stories written by Burroughs.
Read the official synopsis here:
16-year-old Tarzan returns from the African jungle to a London boarding school where he is a fish-out-of-water and challenges conformity. There he meets Jane, Tarzan’s ultimate partner, who helps him solve environmental injustice, crimes and mysteries.
Kulipari: An Army of Frogs comes from Splash Entertainment and Outlook Company. The show is based on a trilogy of children’s fantasy books by NFL football star Trevor Pryce (inspired by his childhood fear of frogs).
The series is essentially a kid-friendly Game of Thrones, where three separate armies (frogs, spiders, and scorpions) fight to ensure the survival of their worlds.
Tarzan and Jane will premiere during the second half of 2016, with Kulipari also set for a 2016 premiere window. The former’s first season will consist of eight episodes, while the latter will have thirteen episodes for its first season.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with such a diverse group of creative talent on these new Netflix series for kids,” says Erik Barmack, Netflix VP of Global Independent Content. “The flexibility of our platform allows us to continually bring the best TV shows from around the world to our members, and these titles compliment and extend what we currently offer – particularly for preschoolers and grade school adventure fans.”
Tarzan and Jane and Kulipari join a growing number of upcoming animated shows on Netflix that are produced outside DreamWorks Animation’s current programming deal with the streaming service. These shows include a 26-episode remake of The Magic School Bus, Kong – King of the Apes (a futuristic take on King Kong that is also produced by 41 Entertainment and Avi Arad) and, announced just recently, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham (set to be “most expensive animated program ever produced for television.”).
What do you think? Are you looking forward to any of these shows?
Edited by: Hannah Wilkes
