ProducerAdi Shankar(Power/Rangers) announced on his Facebook page yesterday that he is producing an animated miniseries based on the popular video game seriesCastlevania. The project was described as “super-violent,' withAdi Shankarworking alongside Fred Seibert (Adventure Time) andKevin Klonde. The producer added that the show will be dark and satirical in his initial post, but wouldn’t offer any further details.Colliderreached out toAdi Shankarfor more info, the the producer revealing that the animation company Frederator (Adventure Time,The Fairly OddParents) acquired the rights to the video game. Here’s what he had to say about the level of violence present in this miniseries.
“There will be a lot. The goal is to bring hard hitting anime to America and be America’s first animated series for adults.”
Adi Shankarhas produced a number of prominent feature films, such asDredd 3D,Killing Them Softly,Lone Survivorand this year’sThe Voices, but he has also become well known for producing a number of controversial short films in what he calls the Bootleg Universe. The producer released two of these films this year,Power/Rangersand theJames Bondfan filmIn Service of Nothing. When asked whatanimated showshave influenced this project, the producer had this to say.
“Akira, Ghost in the Shell,Ninja Scroll,Young Justiceaka the best series ever and it shouldn’t have been canceled wtf.”
He also confirmed that theminiserieswill be based on the gameCastlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. That game, which was released in the late 1980s/early 1990s, centered on Trevor Belmont, who wielded his family’s legendary whip that kills vampires. The game also introduced three new characters, a sorceress named Sypha Belnades, the pirate Grant Danasty, and Alucard, the son of Dracula who could shoot fireballs and turn into a bat. It seems likely these characters will be included in the miniseries, but that has yet to be confirmed. The producer also revealed there will be plenty of Easter Eggs for fans of the video games, and discussed his approach to the show’s music.
“The first thing I thought about was music and how we needed to avoid the traditional sword-and-sandal orchestra cliche and use the heavy metal electro guitar vibe found in the early games.”
TheCastlevania III: Dracula’s Cursemusic is as legendary as thevideo gameitself, but we’ll have to wait and see howAdi Shankarand his team craft the music for this series. Do you think a miniseries based onCastlevaniais a great idea, or a horrible idea? While we wait for more details, check out a video that showcases the opening theme forCastlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, along with a live orchestral version fromVideo Games Live.
