At Wednesday’s Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Upfront presentation at Madison Square Garden, Chairman and CEO of U.S. Networks Kathleen Finch underscored the group’s focus on expanding its global franchises and developing new shows that are platform-agnostic, with the ability to both drive linear ratings and engage audiences on WBD’s streaming platform Max. The group is emphasizing a number of categories, including adult animation as well as true crime, food/home and other unscripted content.
With more than 3,000 hours of original content created annually, WBD’s networks, including TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, OWN, ID, TNT, TBS and Adult Swim, make more hours of cable television than any other portfolio. In 2023, its networks accounted for nine of the top 10 freshman shows in cable, including the top new show of the year in cable.
Finch’s presentation spotlighted Rick and Morty: The Anime, the new animated spin-off series to Adult Swim’s Emmy-winning hit Rick and Morty. Created and developed by Takashi Sano (Rick and Morty vs. Genocider, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)) and produced by Studio Deen, Sola Entertainment and Telecom Animation for Adult Swim, the show’s key plot points were revealed:
Rick relaxes in a pseudo-world between multiverses, Summer helps Space Beth fight the evil Galactic Federation, and Morty falls in love with a mysterious girl who happens to be an atemporal being.
Fans have been blessed with two new First Look videos from the series in the last couple of weeks. These have confirmed that the 10-episode series will debut on Adult Swim and Max “sometime this year.”
In the first preview, subtitled “Entropy Bomb,” Summer checks in with her grandpa Rick from home base. Rick explains the actual effects of his latest controversial invention, and we see Morty absorbed in a Sanchez original VR game which may have real-life consequences.
The most recent clip catches up with Morty watching the defeated crash of a beetle-like spaceship and being lauded as a savior of this alien planet.
Yohei Tadano and Keisuke Chiba reprise their roles as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith from the Japanese dub of the original show, created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.
