Crunchyroll, the world’s most popular anime brand, on 2 February 2021 revealed the production of its Afro-futuristic science fiction animated series Dantai in California. The deal was announced with Idris and Sabrina Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Pink Towel Pictures respectively, to develop the dark fantasy animated series.
Crunchyroll has a global anime audience of over 100 million registered users. Idris and Sabrina Elba will serve as executive producers. Crunchyroll has also announced that the global brand has surpassed the four million subscriber milestone in January, mere six months after breaking the three million subscriber benchmark.
Crunchyroll general manager Joanne Waage said, “For more than a decade, through anime and anime-inspired Originals, Crunchyroll has been leading the charge for the popularization of adult dramatic animation and we are fast becoming the epicenter for the next generation of animation fans, as is evidenced by our incredible growth in registered users and subscribers.” She further explained how “Gens Y and Z have experienced superhero fatigue and are hungry for the new stories and ideas that our creators tell. This development deal with Sabrina and Idris Elba is another example of how we’re working with best-in-class partners to bring in new audiences and tell fresh and compelling stories through a medium that transcends genres and generations.”
The dark fantasy animated series is under development. It’ll be set in a city where the rise of biotechnology has created an ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots. Two rising stars from either side of this divide are pitted against each other in a story that will ultimately explore equality and kinship within a corrupt society.
“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Idris and Sabrina to develop this anime-inspired sci-fi epic,” said Crunchyroll head of development Sarah Victor. “It is a privilege to work with such talented, creative partners and we look forward to bringing this exciting project to life,” she continued.
The Elbas commented, “We’re really excited to be announcing this deal on our first anime. We’re both fans of the genre and see a huge opportunity to create something unique for a powerhouse like Crunchyroll. The story of ‘Dantai’ is our first collaboration as producers together and is one that is close to our hearts.”
This project would be yet another gem added to Crunchyroll’s existing robust library of over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, available to fans in more than 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll currently has more than 100 million registered users, four million subscribers, and more than 50 million followers across social media.