Netflix is developing a slew of new projects as the company plans to expands its library of anime shows, including the previously announcedPacific Rim: The Black, based on the Legendary Pictures filmPacific Rimby director Guillermo del Toro. Now, Netflix and Legendary Television have announced the development of two more anime shows based on Legendary’sKong: Skull Islandand Square Enix’sTomb Raider.
Released in 2017 as the second installment ofLegendary’s MonsterVerse franchise,Kong: Skull Islandfollowed a team of scientists and soldiers who venture to the eponymous and uncharted island in 1973. There they encounter several terrifying beasts such as the mighty Kong, a giant ape who also happens to be the last of his species. TheTomb Raiderfranchise, on the other hand, launched with the first video game in 1996 and was rebooted in 2013 with a trilogy of games from Square Enix that reimagined the origin of adventurer Lara Croft.
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Netflix’sKong: Skull Islandanime series will be written and executive produced by Brian Duffield with Powerhouse Animation attached to the project. Netflix describes theKong: Skull Islandanime show as a thrilling animated adventure series centered on a group of shipwrecked characters who are desperate to escape the dangerous and mysterious Skull Island, home of the titan Kong. Meanwhile, Netflix’sTomb Raideranimeseries will be set after the events of Square Enix’s reboot trilogy and follows Lara Croft on her “greatest” adventure.The Witcher: Blood Originwriter Tasha Huo will write and executive produce theTomb Raideranime series with dj2 Entertainment Founder and CEO Dmitri M. Johnson, Stephan Bugaj, and Howard Bliss on board as executive producers as well. Jacob Robinson will serve as an executive producer on both projects under his company Tractor Pants.
Beforehand, Kong will return to the MonsterVerse franchise in the Legendary’sGodzilla vs. Kong.Set after the events ofGodzilla: King of the Monsters, in which the eponymous kaiju claimed his title as the ruler of all titans, the film finds Kong being transported away from his home island in order to combat a seemingly rogue and deadly Godzilla. Warner Bros. recently announcedGodzilla vs. Kongwill be released on August 03, 2025, in the United States on both HBO Max and in select theaters.
TheTomb Raiderfilm franchise, in the meantime, will continue with a sequel to the 2018 reboot movie starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. MGM recently hiredLovecraft Countrycreator and director Misha Green to write and helmthe nextTomb Raiderfilm.
What the future holds for either film franchise may depend on the financial results of their upcoming entries. While not without their fans, both Vikander’sTomb RaiderandGodzilla: King of the Monsterdisappointed at the office.
Tomb Raider 2is in development at MGM.
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