We are Empire Online and we’re here to bring you news about films and make you feel good and stuff! 1-2-3-4! And if you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan in particular, there are fresh developments sure to give you a major XP boost (and maybe lower your pee bar too). A while back, it was reported that an anime show based around the Edgar Wright film – adapted from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novels – was being explored, returning to the Toronto-based world of evil exes, battling bands, and what it means to unlock the power of love, video-game style. But it’s been all quiet on the Pilgrim front for a while now – not an indication that the project went away, but more a loading bar. Because as Wright has just confirmed on Twitter, the show is real, it is “imminent”, and it’ll feature the whole film cast too, returning to lend their voices to the characters. Yeah, yeah!
In case you need a refresher, that means Michael Cera is coming back as bass-playing slacker Scott, with Ellen Wong as his unceremoniously dumped ex Knives Chau, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Scott’s new beau Ramona Flowers. Except, dating Ramona means that Scott now has to fight her seven evil ex-partners: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), Roxie Richter (Mae Whitman), the Katayanagi Twins (it’s unclear whether Shota Saito and Keita Saito will be back), and Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).
All that, plus Kieran Culkin is back as Scott’s roommate Wallace Wells; Anna Kendrick as Scott’s sister Stacey; Brie Larson as Scott’s ex Envy Adams; Aubrey Plaza as mean girl Julie Powers; and Alison Pill, Mark Webber, and Johnny Simmons, as bandmate pals Kim Pine, Stephen Stills and Young Neil, respectively. It’s an astonishing cast, and incredible news that they’re all back.
As for what the series, coming to Netflix, has in store? That remains to be seen – but it sounds like it won’t just be a straight re-tread of Wright’s movie. As the director notes, it “doesn’t just expand the universe, but also… well, just watch it.” Could it be incorporating more bits from the books that didn’t make the movie? Or moving beyond the end of the story to continue the characters’ journeys? Will Beck be writing brand new Sex Bob-Omb songs? (Please say yes!) One thing’s for sure: we’ll be bingeing it day one. Now, does anyone know the website for Netflix.ca?