Netflix announces new series
Later this year, an animated Adaptation based upon the best-selling video game franchise "Castlevania" will be headed to the streaming provider. As per the announcement, Netflix (Netflix Media Center, 2017) revealed that season one will be a four part journey with each part being approximately thirty minutes in length, and it will be "following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan" in the battle against Dracula himself. They did leave out an exact premiere date, only hinting at a date later in 2017.
IGN gathered more clues about the upcoming adaptation directly from a producer on the project, Adi Shankar, about what may or may not be ahead for this new venture.
What is known thus far
Shankar explained that the short series is going to be based on and adapted from "Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse," the 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System chapter of the franchise which has now spread to Wii via Virtual Console and more. However, beyond that, the only other detail is that the series is going to be R-rated, and that it will be done in the same vein as "Game of Thrones." This means that the show is not going to be meant for a younger audience, so parents and users beware.
Concerns of adapting
There is a bit of trepidation when it comes to the idea of transitioning video games to television or movie format.
The history of adaptations hasn't been the greatest -- ranging from bad, cheesy cult classics such as "Super Mario Bros" and "Mortal Kombat 1 & 2," to those that have done a bit better such as "Tomb Raider." Shankar has made a big promise to the viewers and gamers of the world, (Nordic Business Insider, 2017): "The goal is to make this adaptation the best that the west has seen to date, breaking the chain of bad luck when it comes to video game adaptations in Hollywood and entertainment in general."
Even with the likes of Shankar, Warren Ellis and Frederator Studios -- the studio behind a little show called "Adventure Time" -- behind the project, there are sill some big shoes to fill. Even so, this may just be the adaptation gamers have been waiting for.
Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
