Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichirō Watanabe and MAPPA to Produce New Adult Swim Series
Shinichirō Watanabe will work with Studio MAPPA on a new anime called Lazarus, making this a series fans will definitely have to watch out for.
Shinichirō Watanabe, the director behind the critically-acclaimed anime Cowboy Bebop, will reunite with Studio MAPPA on a new anime.
As per Variety, Shinichirō Watanabe will helm a new animated series at Adult Swim called Lazarus. Animated by Studio MAPPA (Yuri!!! on Ice and Attack on Titan: The Final Season), Lazarus will not only have Watanabe as the director, but it will also welcome Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick franchise and stunt coordinator, who designed the action sequences. Saxophonist Kamasi Washington, producer and musician Floating Points and producer and musician Bonobo will supply the musical score, described as “jazz and electronic.”
In the announcement statement, Watanabe revealed he saw Lazarus as the pinnacle of his career. “As I embark on this creative journey, I can’t help but feel that this project will serve as a culmination of my career so far,” he said.
Jason DeMarco, the SVP and head of anime and action series at Adult Swim, expressed his excitement at the collaboration. “Shinichirō Watanabe is simply one of the greatest living artists, and it’s a dream come true to be able to collaborate with him on a new original series. Like all of his work, Lazarus is packed with big ideas, incredible characters and a ton of heart. We can’t wait for anime fans to see this world.”
Taking place in 2052, Lazarus follows a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist named Dr. Skinner who has created a drug called Hapuna that is supposed to act as a cure-all. Soon after developing this miracle drug, Dr. Skinner disappears and returns three years later with ominous news: those who took Hapuna three years ago will die very soon. As a result, a special task force called “Lazarus” has been assembled to stop Dr. Skinner and develop a vaccine that will save humanity.
This will be the first time since 2014 that Watanabe will work with MAPPA. Watanabe directed MAPPA’s very first anime series Kids on the Slope and directed the studio’s very first original anime Terror in Resonance in 2014. Watanabe is known for directing Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy. His works can be characterized by his creative and compelling use of music and incorporation of mature themes.
There is currently no release date for Lazarus although San Diego Comic-Con fans can catch a sneak peek at the Adult Swim Festival on Saturday at 5:15pm.
Source: Variety
