The cult-classic video gameGolden Axeis being adapted into an animated series forComedy Central. Thegame series, developed by SEGA, first debuted in 1989. Since then, there have been 7 installments in the franchise, with the most recent releasing in 2008. The beat ‘em up side-scroller took place in the fantasy world of Yuria, in which the player had to battle the Death Adder to recover the titular Golden Axe and save the kingdom.
Deadlinehas confirmed that a 10-episode animated series has been greenlit, and will air on Comedy Central.Golden Axefeatures a strong cast, which includes Matthew Rhys, Danny Pudi, Lisa Gilroy, Liam McIntyre, and Carl Tart. The series will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Mike McMahan andAmerican Dad!’s Joe Chandler are attached to executive-produce the show, with Chandler acting as showrunner for the series.
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Some character details have been revealed. Matthew Rhys will voice the filthy ‘battle dwarf’ Gilius Thunderhead, who has appeared in most entries in the franchise. Danny Pudi is tapped to play Hampton Squib, a naive adventure rookie, who hopes ‘his can-do attitude can make up for his inability to actually do stuff.’ Lisa Gilroy voices Tyris Flare, a battle sorceress who fought alongside Gilius in the video games. Liam McIntyre is voicing Ax Battler, another iconic character from the games, described as a ‘barbarian warrior with a strict code of honor and sweet golden retriever demeanor.’ Finally, Carl Tart plays Chronos “Evil” Lait, a humanoid panther who’s “uncomfortably cheesy and can’t read a room.”
As well as Comedy Central’s animated series, a new game in theGolden Axefranchise is also on the way. The new installment was announced at the 2023 Game Awards. The reboot comes alongside new installments and reboots ofSEGA’s most popular games, includingStreets of RageandShinobi.
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Golden Axeis the latest in an increasing number of video games being greenlit for feature film and series adaptations. Prime Video recently debuted theirFalloutseries to rave reviews. 2023 also saw the release of HBO’sThe Last of UsandThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Long gone are the days of the ‘Video Game Curse’, the title given to the terrible run of video game adaptations that started with 1993’sThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
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UnlikeFalloutandThe Last of Us, Comedy Central’sGolden Axeis taking the animated approach. Netflix’sCastlevaniahas already proven that beloved 80s and 90s video games can successfully be adapted into animated series.Castlevaniais still one of the most successful video game adaptations of all time. The original show ran for four spectacular seasons, and asequel series,Castlevania: Nocturne, debuted last year, with a second season on the way. Netflix has also adapted the immensely popularLeague of Legendsinto the 4x Emmy Winning seriesArcane.
Other plot details about Comedy Central’sGolden Axeare being kept tightly under wraps. More casting announcements, along with the show’s official release date will be revealed in the future.
