HBO Max has ordered a new sci-fi animated series, Scavengers Reign, about a crew from a stranded Deep Space freighter struggling to survive on an unforgiving planet. The series, set to premiere in 2023, looks beautifully animated and resembles a Studio Ghibli favorite, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
This new series looks to blend aspects of traditional sci-fi horror with the beauty that can be found in Hayao Miyazaki's works. From the synopsis, it seems that on their exploration of this planet, the stranded crew soon realizes that this beautiful place is more than what it seems, and now they have to survive long enough to be rescued. It is based on a short animated film called Scavengers, and the original clearly influenced the show's style, with it now having a new crew, ship, and mission. The trailer for the new series is also out, and the animation gives off serious Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind vibes.
The trailer starts with images of a destroyed ship, the Demeter, floating in space. Escape pods get ejected, and crew members land on a strange but beautiful planet. This concept is also similar to that of the upcoming film Strange World but appears to be far less whimsical. As they explore, they come across the dead bodies left over from the ship's destruction. In a voiceover, someone asks Levi, one of the crew, what they are doing on the planet, and she answers that their goal is to create a sustainable life where they can survive and thrive until their return home.
As the name of the series suggests, they have likely had to scavenge their way to survival and are now looking for ways to extend this by going onto the planet. Upon inspection, the planet has its own strange landscapes, alien wildlife, and overgrown fungal plants. The horror aspects begin to creep in with elements of body horror as these plants are sprouting out of the deceased crew members. The imagery and the interaction with a hostile environment make it appear as if it would belong in Studio Ghibli's acclaimed Nausicaa of The Valley of the Wind.
In Nausicaa, the world has become uninhabitable as it is covered by plants that poison the air and gigantic insect-like creatures that roam the land. The last of humanity is struggling to survive and has to fight over the last remaining resources. A young girl called Nausicaa looks to change all of this by proving that it is, in fact, the soil and not the wildlife and plants that are destroying the breathable air. The movie, like other Studio Ghibli films, such as Princess Mononoke, is known for evoking messages hinged on environmental sustainability.
Scavengers Reign's animation strongly resembles the designs of the creatures and the wildlife from Nausicaa. It also appears to tackle similar topics to the film along the lines of trying to not only survive in an unforgiving environment but actually thrive. It then deviates from this by also delving into the sci-fi horror genre, as the show suggests that something sinister is involved with the planet and that the crew will have to discover what is going on. While Scavengers Reign is set to premiere next year on HBO Max, this appears to be an animated series worth waiting for.