Netflix released a teaser trailer for The Cuphead Show, an upcoming animated series based on the beloved, eye-catching indie video game.
The show was originally announced last year, and the clip provides a few seconds of animation as well as information about who’s playing the main characters.
“The character-driven comedy follows the unique misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious but easily swayed brother Mugman,” Netflix said when it announced the show. “Through their many misadventures across their surreal home of the Inkwell Isles, they’ve always got one another’s backs.”
Take an inside peek at the intricate, nostalgic design of The Cuphead Show! pic.twitter.com/EF0kpAi973
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) June 26, 2020
The trailer shows off Cuphead and his brother Mugman walking through colorful landscapes that look just like the game, as well as sketches and art concepts. The game’s high-energy, throwback style is evident throughout the trailer. The game was influenced by early 20th-century Fleischer Studios cartoons, and executive producer C.J. Kettler said, “Reimagining the Fleischer style with these incredibly relatable siblings is gonna be pretty fresh and new.”
Familiar faces from the game make a smattering of appearances in the short clip, including King Dice, the mustachioed villain who acts as the devil’s assistant in the game, and of course the devil himself. Voice actor Tru Valentino, from animated shows like Hot Streets and Fast & Furious Spy Racers, will voice Cuphead. Frank Todaro, of Transformers: War for Cybertron fame, will play Mugman.
“It’s going to bring you back to, like, [the] wonder of childhood,” the show’s art director, Andrea Fernandez, said.
The trailer didn’t provide a release date for the show, only saying that it is coming soon. It’s produced by Netflix, King Features Syndicate, and Studio MDHR, which developed for the game.
Cuphead was released in 2017 and immediately caused a huge splash with its 1930s throwback animation and music, receiving glowing reviews and selling millions of copies. The game was so popular, the soundtrack hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart in September of last year, the first video game soundtrack to reach that milestone.
The show follows in the footsteps of other successful video game adaptations produced by Netflix, like animated series Castlevania, which has three seasons under its belt, and a show based on The Witcher novels, featuring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
