Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina have made a deal with Crunchyroll to develop an animated sci-fi thriller with the working title Dantai.
Crunchyroll, in the process of being sold to Sony’s Funimation Global Group by AT&T for $1.175 billion, said it now has more than 4 million subscribers, up 1 million in the past six months.
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The Elba's will serve as executive producers for Dantai, in conjunction with their production companies, Green Door Pictures and Pink Towel Pictures.
“We’re really excited to be announcing this deal on our first anime," they said. “We’re both fans of the genre and see a huge opportunity to create something unique for a powerhouse like Crunchyroll. The story of Dantai is our first collaboration as producers together and is one that is close to our hearts.”
Dantai is described as an Afro-futuristic science-fiction series set in a city where biotechnology has created a widening gap between the haves and have nots.
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“Through anime and anime-inspired originals, Crunchyroll has been leading the charge for the popularization of adult dramatic animation for more than a decade and we are fast becoming the epicenter for the next generation of animation fans, as is evidenced by incredible growth in registered users and subscribers” said Joanne Waage, general manager of Crunchyroll. “Gens Y and Z have experienced superhero fatigue and are hungry for the new stories and ideas that our creators tell. This development deal with Sabrina and Idris Elba is another example of how we’re working with best-in-class partners to bring in new audiences and tell fresh and compelling stories through a medium that transcends genres and generations.”
Also Read: Crunchyroll Sets Slate of Original Anime Series
Crunchyroll is adding originals to its library of more than 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, which are available to fans in 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll currently has more than 100 million registered users and more than 50 million followers across social media, in addition to its 4 million subscribers.
