Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Anime Series Is Finally Happening
Scott Pilgrim has some unfinished business, and he’s returning to Netflix after a decade sabbatical.The streaming service is converting Bryan Lee O’Malley’s endlessly quotable Scott Pilgrim graphic novels into an eight-part anime series, and the cast of Edgar Wright’s live-action version, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, is also returning. Michael Cera reprises his role as Scott, a slacker trying to win the girl of his dreams. Among those joining him are Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Kulkin, Brie Larson, and Chris Evans.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off might be an exciting fresh take on the story for fans of the Scott Pilgrim universe, especially with O’Malley and Wright working together behind the scenes. Science SARU, the Japanese studio behind Inu-Oh and two short films for Star Wars: Visions, is behind the series. So far, it’s shaping up to be a stunning tribute to O’Malley’s original artwork while still stretching the bounds of what he could achieve on the page. Watch the official teaser below.
Fans have been clamouring for a live-action sequel to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for years, but it has never materialised. “I knew a live-action sequel was unlikely,” Wright recently told Tudum, “but I would usually defer by suggesting that perhaps an anime adaptation would be an interesting way to go.” When Netflix approached him about making that anime a reality, O’Malley was on board with “an idea that was way more adventurous than just a straight adaptation of the original books.”
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off appears to be able to explore considerably more than Wright’s 2010 feature. While the film did an excellent job of adapting O’Malley’s novels, some things had to be deleted or adjusted. As a result, some of the film’s female characters, including Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), Roxie Richter (Mae Whitman), and Envy Adams (Brie Larson), came out as flat. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has the potential to correct this by allowing the original cast to expand on their roles.That is unlikely to be the only change in the new series. Both Wright and O’Malley have teased a few alterations for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, so a 1:1 adaptation is unlikely. “There might be a few surprises along the way,” O’Malley said in March to Tudum. Let’s hoping they expand on both the personalities and the world.
