Everything We Know So Far About Netflix's Scott Pilgrim Anime
Guess who's drunk — er, starring in his own animated show? More than a decade after hitting theaters in 2010, Edgar Wright's commercial failure turned cult classic "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is getting an official continuation in the form of an anime series. The original movie, which adapts Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" comic books, centers on the eponymous Mr. Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a 22-year-old under-achieving Toronto musician who falls head over heels for the enigmatic Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The only catch? To date Ramona, Scott must first battle her seven "evil" exes, who range from egotistical film stars to bassists with vegan superpowers.
One could call "Scott Pilgrim" the "Short Term 12" of comic book films in that it features many actors (Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Kiernan Culkin, Anna Kendrick) who've gone on to become far bigger names since its release ... including, amusingly enough, the star of "Short Term 12" itself, Brie Larson. It's also the perfect example of why the box office isn't the beginning and end of a movie's shelf life, with Wright's adaptation having only grown its fanbase over the last 13 years. So, while we're taking a quick break from thinking about death and getting sad and stuff, let's run down everything we know about the "Scott Pilgrim" anime so far.
When and where to watch the Scott Pilgrim anime
Edgar Wright took to Twitter to confirm the "Scott Pilgrim" anime series is not only a real thing, but it's currently moving steadily along at Netflix. The streaming giant has spent the last several years rapidly expanding its library of exclusive anime titles, ranging from fresh takes on iconic properties like "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045," to originals like the well-reviewed period piece "Yasuke." Netflix seems to have found its particular niche in anime shows inspired by live-action blockbusters, producing series like "Pacific Rim: The Black" and the upcoming MonsterVerse anime adaptation "Skull Island." In that regard, a "Scott Pilgrim" anime makes perfect sense for the streamer.
As for when, exactly, the show will arrive? Wright has teased the series is "IMMINENT," which could point to a release as soon as the second half of 2023, depending on just how far along production actually is at this stage. Failing that, we may be looking at the early going of 2024.
What will the Scott Pilgrim anime be about?
By the sound of it, the "Scott Pilgrim" anime won't be a direct re-imagining of the original film's plot. Rather, Edgar Wright hinted on Twitter that it "doesn't just expand the universe, but also ... well, just watch it."
Is Wright hinting the show will adapt elements of Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic books that didn't make it into his movie? There's certainly a whole lot of material that got left on the cutting room floor, including threads about Scott landing a steady paying job, Knives' dad hunting down Mr. Pilgrim when he finds out he's been dating his daughter, and, perhaps most notably, Scott's Sex Bob-omb bandmate Stephen Stills getting a boyfriend. What's more, O'Malley's graphic novels take place over a far longer period of time than Wright's film, during which Scott and Ramona actually move in together. Even something like Nega Scott, which amounts to a one-off gag in the movie, is part of a whole subplot about Scott's inability to learn from his bad behavior in the comics.
The point is, by incorporating these storylines or a modified version of them, the "Scott Pilgrim" anime series could address one of the longstanding criticisms of Wright's film — most of its characters are insufferable 20-something jerk-wads who barely evolve over the course of the story, if at all. The anime show could also serve as a correction to the film's homophobia and fatphobia, among other disconcerting elements and tropes the movie recycles without really critiquing or examining. (There's a reason we here at /Film have dubbed Wright's adaptation a pretty accurate social time capsule of the world circa 2010, for both good and bad.)
The Scott Pilgrim anime cast and crew
Bryan Lee O'Malley and Edgar Wright are serving as executive producers on the "Scott Pilgrim" anime along with writer BenDavid Grabinski, who also wrote and directed the 2021 comedy-thriller film "Happily" and co-created the 2019 limited series revival of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" The show's animation is being handled by Science Saru Inc., the Japanese studio that previously worked on animated films like "Inu-Oh" and shows such as "Space Dandy," as well as the acclaimed, highly stylized "Food Chain" episode of "Adventure Time." Given their previous work, they sound like a strong match to animate the fantastical "Scott Pilgrim" universe — a place where characters frequently engage in anime-styled hyper-real one-on-one battles, and life itself is seemingly governed by arcade video game mechanics.
On the voice acting side, much of the "Scott Pilgrim" movie cast is confirmed to be reprising their roles for the anime. That includes Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Scott and Ramona, Satya Bhabha as Matthew Patel, Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells, Chris Evans as Lucas Lee, Anna Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim, Brie Larson as Envy Adams, Alison Pill as Kim Pine, Aubrey Plaza as Julie Powers, Brandon Routh as Todd Ingram, Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Graves, Johnny Simmons as Young Neil, Mark Webber as Stephen Stills, Mae Whitman as Roxy Richter, and Ellen Wong as Knives Chau. Whatever the show has planned story-wise, the return of the film's cast suggests it should share some degree of continuity with the events of Wright's movie.