‘Skylanders’ Expands To Netflix This Fall With ‘Skylanders Academy’
The growing Netflix original television show juggernaut has now crossed paths with Activision, the publisher of the Skylanders series of “toys-to-life” games. The two companies announced the animated Skylanders Academy will be released to the movie and TV streaming service this fall.
Skylanders Academy comes from the new Activision Blizzard Studios created in November 2015, as previously covered by the Inquisitr. Former Disney executive Nick van Dyke was selected to co-head a new Activision film and television studio devoted to creating original content based on the publisher’s extensive library of properties, such as Skylanders and Call of Duty. Skylanders Academy is the first production and will launch with 13 episodes this fall, with a second season planned for late 2017.
The show follows the adventures of the Skylanders team as they use their elemental skills to protect the Skylands universe from Kaos and other bad guys. They are also in charge of training a new cadre of Academy cadets on how to things the “Skylander way.”
And if there is any question on if this is a show squarely aimed at kids: “They achieve victory by setting aside their egos, learning to trust one another and fighting as one to maintain harmony and balance in the land.”
The only thing better than Skylanders is more Skylanders. Get ready, Skylanders Academy is landing on @netflix! pic.twitter.com/DYtvUEaPQK
— Skylanders (@Skylanders) June 16, 2016
Former Futurama writer Eric Rogers will serve as the showrunner for Skylanders Academy, which will feature an impressive voice cast. It will star Justin Long (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Ask Me Anything) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (Phineas and Ferb, High School Musical) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) as Eruptor, and Norm Macdonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks. Harland Williams (Jake and the Never Land Pirates) and the voice of Kaos himself, Richard Horvitz, will also be part of the cast along with celebrities like the Diamond Minecart, Susan Sarandon, Daniel Wu, Parker Posey, James Hetfield, Catherine O’Hara, Bobcat Goldthwait, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Jonny Rees.
“Over the last five years, millions of families around the world have welcomed Skylanders characters into their homes. Now, they’ll be able to watch their favorite characters come to life on Netflix,” said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard, in a press release. “We couldn’t have found a better home for ‘Skylanders Academy’ and look forward to sharing our extraordinary characters with Netflix audiences around the world.”
“‘Skylanders Academy’ gives us the opportunity to approach narrative storytelling with the same level of quality and excellence that millions of Skylanders fans have come to expect from the game,” said Activision Blizzard Studios Co-President Stacey Sher. “We’re inspired by our fans’ excitement for these characters and have worked hard to bring these characters to life with stories our fans will love.”
Activision also has Skylanders Imaginators coming to the PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii U consoles owners on October 16. It will allow players to create their own Skylanders called Imaginators using the Creation Crystal toy. Players will be able to choose different heads, chests, arms, legs, and even tails to customize the look of their characters. This includes the ability to change the color and size of each individual part. More parts and customization options can be earned through gameplay and by purchasing the new physical characters.
As for future original programming endeavors, Activision Blizzard Studios wants to create a series of Call of Duty feature films and possibly some television adaptation as well. Additional details have not yet been provided on this front, but there’s a wealth of material to mine from Modern Warfare, Black Ops, Advanced Warfare, and now Infinite Warfare game entries.
What do you think of Activision Blizzard Studios bringing a Skylanders Academy television series to Netflix this fall? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image via Twitter]
