Netflix’s unstoppable quest to conquer the entire film and television sphere was always going to see the company leaning harder in the direction of animation eventually, and 2021 is shaping up to be a banner year for the platform in that regard.
Admittedly, the streamer’s three major animated features released so far were acquired from Sony Pictures Animation instead of being developed and produced in-house, but The Mitchells vs. the Machines instantly became a front-runner for next year’s Best Animated Feature Academy Award, while Vivo and Wish Dragon both spent a lot of time in the Top 10 most-watched list.
Next up is nine-episode series Maya and the Three, which hails from The Book of Life‘s Jorge R. Gutiérrez. The show follows the titular rebellious princess, who’s about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and coronation as queen when the rulers of the underworld return to the surface and reveal her family forfeited her life to the god of war, and if she refuses the entire world will suffer. Setting off on a quest to fulfill and ancient prophecy, Maya needs to defeat the gods with the help of three warriors and save the planet.
It’s a neat setup that promises plenty of action, adventure and intrigue, without even mentioning the stacked ensemble. Maya and the Three features the vocal talents of Zoe Saldana as the lead, with support from Gabriel Iglesias, Stephanie Beatriz, Diego Luna, Alfred Molina, Danny Trejo, Queen Latifah, Wyclef John, Isabela Merced, Rita Moreno and more. There’s no official premiere date locked in as of yet, but if the trailer is any indication we’re in for a real treat whenever it arrives.