There's a CGI animated series in the works at Netflix based on comic creator Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo. Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles was announced jointly today by the streamer and French film studio Gaumont.
According to the announcement, the series takes place in the far future, set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, on his epic quest to become a true samurai. But he isn’t alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes – including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard – as he battles depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!
Sakai will serve as Executive Producer, along with Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee for Gaumont, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue for Dark Horse Entertainment (who have long published the comic), and James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett Atomic Monster. Candie and Doug Langdale (The Book of Life, Niko and the Sword of Life) are attached as executive producers and showrunners. Ben Jones (Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is Supervising Producer while Khang Le (Big Hero 6: The Series) will serve as Art Director on the series. Mumbai-based 88 Pictures (Trollhunters) has been appointed as the CGI animation studio.
“It is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix. I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into," said Sakai in the announcement. "It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people. I am working with an awesome team and I’m looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen! I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35+ years."
The samurai rabbit has never been the primary subject of an animted series, but he has appeared in episodes of both the early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series as well as the 2003 update.
