Adult Swim announced a new Rick and Morty anime series.
Appropriately named Rick and Morty: The Anime, the new ten-episode series will be helmed by Takeshi Sano, who is best known for directing Tower of God and worked as a storyboard artist on shows such as Psycho-Pass and Shenmue: The Animation, the latter of which was also co-produced by Adult Swim. Sano previously directed two anime-style shorts for the popular sci-fi comedy series, Rick and Morty vs. Genocider and Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), which generated a combined total of over 10 million views on Adult Swim's digital platforms. A teaser image for the new show was released, which shows images from Sano's previous shorts behind the silhouettes of the series' titular duo.
"The multiverse-straddling exploits of Rick and the gang pose challenges to the family bond, but they always rise to the occasion," Sano said of the new series. "It’s such a life affirming sight, and Jerry is no exception." Sano, who is described by Adult Swim as a "Rick and Morty superfan," stated “I am honored to have been given an opportunity to tell a new story about this amazing family. I hope you enjoy their adventures!"
The new show will be animated by Telecom Animation Film, the studio behind Tower of God and Shenmue: the Animation. Adult Swim did not announce any other additional cast or crew for the new spinoff.
Rick and Morty: The Anime was announced alongside Ninja Kamui, a new action series from Jujutsu Kaisen director Sunghoo Park. The show will tell the story of a former ninja-assassin who moves to America to escape his violent past, but is forced back into his old ways when his clan tracks him down. The new show is being produced by E&H Production and Sola Entertainment, who previously worked with Adult Swim on 2021's Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
"Toonami helped introduce anime to a U.S. audience 25 years ago, and is creating new, dynamic originals for the next generation of anime fans," said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim. "These two series build on the legacy of those recent originals such as Fena: Pirate Princess, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Shenmue the Animation, with Uzumaki and Housing Complex C, premiering later this year."
Both new shows will premiere on Adult Swim on HBO Max and currently have no release date.