Netflix has revealed the first footage of its upcoming animated series based on Studio MDHR's side-scrolling 2D platformer Cuphead. The show, which is simply titled The Cuphead Show, brings to life the world of MDHR's modern-classic platformer. Cuphead, for the uninitiated, became iconic in its utilization of traditional pen-and-paper hand drawn animation in the style of 1930s animated short films.
In the teaser released by Netflix earlier today, key figures from the show's production staff such as executive producers Dave Wasson and CJ Kettler very briefly discuss the show's production, while short clips of animation and storyboards are also showcased, giving viewers an impression of how the show will be animated compared to the video game.
Also revealed in the short teaser is that Cuphead and Mugman will be voiced by Tru Valentino and Frank Todaro, respectively. Valentino is most known for voicing multiple characters in Netflix's Fast and Furious Spy Racers series while Todaro is best known for voicing Starscream in various Transformers TV series. The trailer also briefly features a voiced storyboard of Dice King, although his voice actor has not yet been revealed.
The Cuphead Show is being created in collaboration with King Features Syndicate, the print syndication company behind characters such as Popeye, Betty Boop and Felix the Cat, many of which inspired the visual style of Cuphead. This could possibly mean that there are plans to include characters from King Features Syndicate's history in The Cuphead Show.
Cuphead was originally released in 2017 as an Xbox One and PC title by Studio MDHR, but later made its way to Nintendo Switch in April 2019. The title launched to critical acclaim and has one of the most popular indie games of the past generation. Studio MDHR is currently developing Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, a DLC expansion to the original game with new levels and bosses, set to release later this year. While there has been no update on the DLC since E3 2019, Chad and Jared Moldenhauer are executive producing Netflix's The Cuphead Show.