Vin Diesel has picked up a new gig as president of creative convergence for the video game developer Studio Wildcard, and the first order of business for theFast & Furiousstar is to spearhead anArkvideo game sequel and animated series adaptation. In addition to serving as an executive producer for both theArk IIgame and cartoon series, Diesel will lend his voice and likeness to Santiago, the hero character that will appear in both iterations.
“I’m having a lot of fun playingArkand also really excited to join the Studio Wildcard team to develop the story both in game and in the new animated series,” Diesel said in a statement.
Doug Kennedy, CEO of Studio Wildcard, also said, “An immensely talented actor and producer,Vin Dieselis also an accomplished gamer who has played 1000’s of hours ofArk: Survival Evolved. He understands the game intimately and is providing direct feedback to the development process. With last night’s reveal of theArksequel and animated TV series, Vin will be involved with each as we look to expand theArkfranchise even further, now and into the future.”
The news of Diesel stepping into theArkfranchise was first revealed atThe Game Awardson Thursday. A lengthy trailer was also released forArk: The Animated Series, which provides an excellent look at the animation style along with the characters. Directed by Jay Oliva (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), the cartoon series also brings in a star-studded cast alongside Diesel to voice other characters, including Elliot Page, Cissy Jones, Alan Tudyk, Gerard Butler, David Tennant, Russell Crowe, Michelle Yeoh, Karl Urban, Jeffrey Wright, and Malcolm McDowell.
Ark: The Animated Serieswill consist of fourteen 30-minute episodes. The series will chronicle the origin story of “a mysterious land populated bydinosaursand other extinct creatures, and people from throughout history who have been resurrected. When 21st century Australian paleontologist Helena Walker awakes on the ARK after tragedy, she must learn to survive and find new allies, or die again at the hands of ruthless warlords – all while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world.”
“WithArk, we’ve always looked for new ways to tell the story,” Studio Wildcard co-founder Jesse Rapczak said. “The animated series brings together some of the most talented directors, actors, and animators out there to finally depict on-screen this franchise’s epic narrative.”
The firstvideo gamein theArkfranchise was published by Studio Wildcard in 2017. An action-adventure survival game,Arkis set on an island filled with roaming dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Players have the ability to tame and ride dinosaurs, form tribes, and build bases. Some sneak peek footage ofArk IIwith Diesel stepping into the new lead role was revealed at The Game Awards, and the footage has since made its way to the event’s official YouTube page.
Release dates haven’t yet been revealed for eitherArk IIthe video game orArk: The Animated Series. This news comes to us fromThe Game Awards.
