Anime streaming company Crunchyroll is partnering with actor Zoe Saldana and her production company, Cinestar Pictures, to develop a brand new space opera, Dark Star Squadron.
Dark Star Squadron is being penned by Voltron: Legendary Defender's Todd Ludy. Zoe Saldana, best known for her roles as Gamora in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and for portraying Uhura in Star Trek's Kelvin timeline, will serve as executive producer on the project, alongside Cisely Saldana and Mariel Saldana. Sonia A. Gambaro and Maytal Gilboa from Pollinate Entertainment are also producing.
"The tremendous growth of our streaming service is indicative of the growing love for anime and its deserved spotlight in popular culture," said Joanne Waage, the general manager of Crunchyroll, which recently surpassed over 5 million subscribers. "Zoe and her team are bringing their own anime fandom to their storytelling and we’re excited to be a part of it," Waage continued. "As true animation and anime fans ourselves, we are so excited for the opportunity to partner with Crunchyroll to bring ‘Dark Star Squadron’ to a wide audience," said Cinestar’s Zoe, Cisely and Mariel Saldana. "We can’t wait for everyone to meet the crew and follow the journey of our unlikely heroes."
Crunchyroll describes Dark Star Squadron as:
"Dark Star Squadron" follows the journey of four failing cadets who return from a joyride with a stolen starship to find their academy in ruins and everyone vanished. Now on their own, the ill-equipped heroes embark for the far side of the galaxy to find the missing and prove their worth.
No other details about the series, including its cast, crew or release date, have been announced at this time.
“We’re elated to be working with such a talented creative team on the development of ‘Dark Star Squadron,’ a new fantasy adventure series,” said Sarah Victor, Crunchyroll's Head of Development. “We love working with creators who are passionate about telling stories through anime and we can’t wait to bring this interstellar epic to fans across the galaxy.”
While Crunchyroll is still best known for its licensed anime series from Japan, the streaming company has started to produce its own original series. The latest Crunchyroll Original, Fena: Pirate Princess, will premiere on Adult Swim on Aug. 14 and will be available on Crunchyroll's streaming service the following day.
Source: Crunchyroll