One of the things that I love about animation is, when I see something really dynamic and exciting, it immediately draws me in. That's one of the reasons I love that Netflix puts a spotlight on animation during Geeked Week so showcase some great titles that otherwise may have gotten lost in the library. When I saw the first look at Entergalactic from Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris, I was hooked instantly. Before I go on, see the teaser trailer for yourself.
I don't know about you, but that animation style definitely gave me Into The Spiderverse vibes. It certainly worked our pretty well for that movie. This is quite different story wise, and blends a lot of different elements. You have Kid Cudi, who is accomplished in the music world and certainly brings that flavor to the trailer. Then you have Kenya Barris, who you might know as the creator of Black-ish, bringing strong storytelling skills to the table. Blend those two things together, and you get Entergalactic.
Here is the official synopsis: "Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Kenya Barris join forces to present Entergalactic, an original, animated story about a young artist named Jabari — voiced by Mescudi — as he attempts to balance love and success. Finding the latter brings Jabari a step closer to the former, when moving into his dream apartment introduces him to his new neighbor, photographer it-girl, Meadow — voiced by Jessica Williams. An explosion of art, music, and fashion, Entergalactic takes place in the only city that can handle all three: New York."
The cast list is quite impressive too, and we even get character descriptions to go along with them:
- Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi (previously announced) as Jabari: A charming, creative visionary with a splash of goofball, Jabari is effortlessly cool. Dressed head-to-toe in the holiest of streetwear grails, Jabari is just one of those kids you can’t help but love. At a first time crossroads of career success and the perfect apartment, he is about to find the final piece of adulthood: true love.
- Jessica Williams (Love Life, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3)as Meadow: An on-the-rise photographer who is Jabari’s new neighbor, Meadow is not only the coolest girl at the party, she’s the realest.
- Timothée Chalamet (Dune, Call Me by Your Name) as Jimmy: Jimmy is Jabari’s best friend and... weed dealer, though with the new drug laws he’s now focusing on crypto and new inventions. An oxymoronic, laid back conspiracy theorist, Jimmy is never without a blunt and a book.
- Ty Dolla $ign as Ky: Jabari’s irreverent, and at times, inappropriate road dog. Ky is always there for Jabari, even though his support can sometimes come in interesting packages.
- Laura Harrier (Hollywood, BlacKkKlansman) as Carmen: Jabari’s recent ex-girlfriend. Stylish and confident, Carmen is the girl you’re supposed to marry.
- Vanessa Hudgens (Tick, Tick…Boom!) as Karina: Meadow’s best friend who is trustworthy, grounded and adorably pregnant.
- Christopher Abbott (Kraven the Hunter, On the Count of Three) as Reed: A well-dressed shark with a heart and art dealer representing Meadow’s photography. Reed has the kind of chin that is sharp enough to cut glass but not strong enough to take a punch.
- 070 Shake as Nadia: Meadow’s associate from the art scene. Born and raised in New York City, Nadia is an in-your-face sculptor whose voice could only be drowned out by the brashness of her own work.
- Jaden Smith (After Earth) as Jordan: An adolescent BMX superstar, Jordan’s talent earns a pass to kick it with Jabari and Jimmy. Jordan sees the dating landscape in New York City just a bit different than Jabari.
- Keith David (From Scratch, 21 Bridges) as Mr. Rager: Jabari’s superhero creation.
- Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America, The Trap) as Boxing Coach: Meadow and Karina’s hard-nose boxing instructor at Rumble NYC.
- Arturo Castro (Yes Day, Broad City) as Len: An upwardly mobile professional, Len is Jabrari’s co-worker at Cosmic Comics. He wears hard-bottom shoes and a newsboy cap. He’s super smart AND super annoying.
- Macaulay Culkin (American Horror Story, The Righteous Gemstones) as Downtown Pat: Downtown legend and life-long, city-wide delinquent. Despite his gritty exterior, Pat has a very romantic heart and wise words to give.
This is not the kind of animation project, visually or story wise, that you often see. I think this one has a chance to be special, but only time will tell. Entergalactic will be streaming on Netflix this Fall. There should be plenty more trailer and first looks to come before that, so we'll keep you updated.
Photo Credit: Netflix