'The Amazing World Of Gumball' Revival Gets Title, Bypasses Cartoon Network For Hulu
Things have gotten Wonderfully Weird, but also dire for Cartoon Network
Okay things have turned really weird when checking the life signs for Cartoon Network. In 2021, it would be announced that the network's beloved series The Anazing World of Gumball, which had to many’s surprise ended a 6-season, 240 episode run in 2019, would be getting a movie to pick up on the finale’s ominous cliffhanger. By the end of that year it would be announced that there would be a follow-up series for Cartoon Network and HBO Max much in the same way, produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. In August 2022, HBO Max dropped the film alongside projects like Merry Little Batman, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, Batman: Caped Crusader, and more. This caused the spinoff, considered a seventh season, to be pushed in front of it because it was still being kept and thus faced no such delays. As of last year, the movie’s being rewritten thanks to being kicked out of its originally-intended position. Over the weekend it was being teased that there would be a big Gumball announcement and boy was there a surprise Monday morning: the season is called The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, and it’s not even airing on Cartoon Network in the United States, it’s a Hulu exclusive, and accessible on Disney+ through the Hulu integration. A premiere date hasn’t been set but it’s apparently soon.
Created by original series creator Created and executive produced by Ben Bocquelet, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball boasts its eclectic mix of media styles including 2D & 3D animation, CGI, puppetry, photorealism and live action, into a “wildly imaginative world defined by its vibrant visual style and sharp meta humor”. The logline reads “Welcome back to Elmore, where the laws of reality are a joke, and family life is anything but ordinary. Whether he’s battling an evil fast-food empire, facing off against a sentient AI in love with his mom, or trying to stop Banana Joe from wearing pants — Gumball Watterson drags his brother Darwin, sister Anais, and the rest of the town of Elmore along for the ride. With even wilder stories, bigger twists, and surreal humor, the show is so amazing that they had to rename it!” At the very least it’s so self aware that they formatted the last line as well as they did.
New 'Regular Show' Series Revealed, 'Foster’s Home’ Preschool Series Gets Title At Annecy Unveiling
It’s an IP-heavy time for Cartoon Network as the Zas demands, and after much of a lull, a full production slate was on hand for Warner Bros. Animation’s studio focus panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The previously reported trio of
Of course, for a show that recast Gumball and Darwin at least three times for the show and beyond, a several year hiatus made retaining the last voices basically impossible. So now we have Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’s Alkaio Thiele as Gumball, Hero Hunter as Darwin, and Kinza Syed Khan as younger sister Anais, in what is seemingly the character’s first recast, and the returns of Teresa Gallagher as his mother Nicole, and Dan Russell as his father Richard. Matt Layzell and Erik Fountain serve as executive producers and series directors. The composer for the series is Xav Clarke and Joe Sparrow serves as Art Director. Bocquelet, Layzell and Fountain say: “What an amazing opportunity to play with these characters again! Fans can look forward to plenty more antics and misadventures in Elmore because Gumball and Darwin haven’t grown up much since we last saw them…we haven’t either.” Jacob Hopkins, Gumball’s second voice from 2014 to 2017 quote tweeted Cartoon Network’s posting of the trailer to say “Once again, the mantle is passed on! Good luck to the new duo, they sound amazing so far.”
Vanessa Brookman, Warner Bros. Discovery’s GM of International Kids, Animation and Franchise says: “We thought it was about time that Gumball and the rest of the gang woke up from their catnap, to do what they do best, and delight more fans with distinctive humour, visual inventiveness and wild adventures. Guided by the immense talents of Ben, Matt, Erik and team, the new series continues Gumball’s legacy as one of the most iconic, groundbreaking and beloved Cartoon Network shows of all time.”
HBO Max’s shift away from even trying with kids anymore is well documented, as even when writeoffs aren’t involved they’re more willing than ever to let their animation library go. Cartoon Network’s biggest hitters of the 2010s, Adventure Time, Regular Show, the entirety of Steven Universe, and We Bare Bears have all remained on Hulu. Gumball in particular has been paired with Bluey to sell the Disney+ and Hulu bundle. There’s even Chowder, Uncle Grandpa, Over the Garden Wall, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, all of which may have contributed to why Max/HBO Max did so poorly with kids. HBO Max original Adventure Time: Distant Lands somehow made it to Hulu too. Watch the teaser below. You’re getting the Hulu upload for the weirdness.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong To Star As New Slayer In 'Buffy' Follow-Up
Ever since I got into Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2017, I always felt it would be cool to follow one of the Slayers awakened by Willow’s spell during the events of the 2003 series finale, what at the time would’ve been 15 years on, even if they hadn’t trained right away they’d be seasoned veterans. However nothing like that progressed. What has intrigue…
Source: Press release