Entergalactic (TV special)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Entergalactic
EntergalacticSeries.png
Promotional poster
Created by
Written by
  • Ian Edelman
  • Maurice Williams
Story byScott Mescudi
Directed byFletcher Moules
Starring
  • Scott Mescudi
  • Jessica Williams
  • Tyrone Griffin Jr.
  • Timothée Chalamet
  • Laura Harrier
  • Vanessa Hudgens
Music by
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Kenya Barris
  • Scott Mescudi
  • Karina Manashil
  • Maurice Williams
  • Ian Edelman
  • Fletcher Moules
  • Dennis Cummings
Producers
  • Michael Penketh
  • Mike Moon
EditorCarole Kravetz Aykanian
Running time92 minutes
Production companies
DistributorNetflix
Release
Original releaseSeptember 30, 2022 (2022-09-30)

Entergalactic (stylized in all caps) is an adult animated music television special created by American musician and actor Kid Cudi, that serves as a visual companion piece to the album of the same name. Initially announced as a television series, in August 2022, Entergalactic was revealed to be released as a TV special.[1] The special premiered on September 30, 2022, on Netflix, alongside the album.[2]

A romantic comedy, Entergalactic is dedicated to Cudi's deceased friend, American fashion designer Virgil Abloh, with the release date sharing the birth date of Abloh.[3] It received critical acclaim for its animation, visual style, music, and story.

Plot[]

Jabari is a charming, streetwear-clad artist on the cusp of real success. After a chance run-in with his cool new photographer neighbor, Meadow, Jabari has to figure out whether he can make space for love in his life.

Voice cast[]

Kid Cudi in 2010
  • Scott Mescudi as Jabari
  • Jessica Williams as Meadow, Jabari's love-interest
  • Timothée Chalamet as Jimmy, Jabari's best friend and drug dealer
  • Tyrone Griffin Jr. as Ky
  • Laura Harrier as Carmen, Jabari's ex-girlfriend
  • Vanessa Hudgens as Karina, Meadow's pregnant best friend
  • Christopher Abbott as Reed, an art dealer
  • Daniella Balbuena as Nadia
  • Jaden Smith as Jordan
  • Keith David as Mr. Rager
  • Teyana Taylor as Boxing Coach, Meadow and Karina's boxing instructor
  • Arturo Castro as Len, Jabari's co-worker
  • Macaulay Culkin as Downtown Pat
  • Maisha Mescudi as Ellie, Jabari's older sister
  • Francesca Reale as Sydnie
  • Luis Guzmán as Huge Mover

Production[]

Development[]

On July 23, 2019, Netflix announced that Kid Cudi and Ian Edelman would write and produce what was originally going to be an adult animated music TV series adaptation of Cudi's album Entergalactic. Cudi had previously collaborated with Edelman in 2010, on the HBO series How to Make It in America. Cudi serves as an executive producer alongside Kenya Barris, through their respective production companies Mad Solar and Khalabo Ink Society.[4]

In September 2021, Cudi took to Twitter to thank the team that helped bring the project to fruition, and reassured fans they wouldn't be disappointed: "Wait til y'all hear and see Entergalactic. [You] have no idea. I really wanna thank Kenya Barris, Mike Moon, Elizabeth Porter and the whole team for believing in my vision and helping bring it to life. Everything about this show is next level. Ull [sic] see."[5][6]

In a August 2022 interview with Esquire, Cudi revealed he recorded the music first—“a suite of songs on the beauty of being freed by love”—and worked backward to storyboard the narrative before hiring a writing team to script it.[7]

On August 25, 2022, it was announced in a press release Entergalactic would instead be released as a television special.[8] On October 1, Cudi clarified on Twitter: “Its a series but done in a very unique way broken up into chapters not episodes designed for binging! So it feels like a movie [because] its an hour and a half and can be seen in one sitting but this is a series. Hope that makes sense. The goal is for more seasons.”[9]

Casting[]

In July 2019, Cudi was cast in the series.[4] In June 2022, Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Teyana Taylor, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Arturo Castro, and Macaulay Culkin were revealed to be the rest of the cast.[10] On June 8, Cudi revealed his real-life older sister, Maisha, would voice his on-screen older sister Ellie, among other voices.[11]

Animation, design, and influences[]

The animation was handled by DNEG Animation in London, which also co-produced the special. A 3D map of New York was downloaded and rebuilt in the pipeline. Influences for the film's design were I Lost My Body and When Harry Met Sally....[12]

Release[]

On September 15, 2021, Cudi revealed that the series, and the album, is set to premiere in 2022.[13] In September 2021, Cudi released a short trailer in promotion for the Netflix series, which revealed the music would be produced by his longtime collaborators Dot da Genius and Plain Pat.[14][15]

On April 24, 2022, Cudi took to Twitter to write "Entergalactic is gonna be something really fucking special. Minds will melt. This cast?? The MUSIC?? Listen. [You] heard it here first. Remember this tweet. Stay tuned for more news in June!"[16] On June 8, Netflix unveiled the "first look" at Entergalactic, in a trailer that also revealed the cast.[17]

On June 10, the first original song created for the series, titled "Do What I Want", was issued on streaming platforms as the album’s first official single. On July 12, Cudi revealed on Twitter, the official trailer for the show will premiere in August, featuring two new songs, with one of the songs set to be released as the second single.[18] On September 12, Netflix unveiled a new trailer for Entergalactic.[19]

Reception[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10.[20] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, Entergalactic has received a score of 77 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

Rendy Jones of Paste wrote "Entergalactic is as sweet a romantic comedy as it is an ethereal animated odyssey. It’s a stylish, colorful love letter to animation and the simplicity of Black love in the modern age. It feels like the lovechild between When Harry Met Sally and Spider-Verse for a Black demographic, who deserve stories like this no matter what medium they’re presented in."[22] Chase Hutchinson of Collider wrote “A rare gem of an animated work for adults, Kid Cudi guides us on a sublime journey that explores the bond between two people drawn together by love.”[23]

Justin Charity of The Ringer wrote “It’s saucy and cute, which is to say, it’s a sharp attitude adjustment for such a dreary rapper and refreshingly effective as such. Netflix’s Entergalactic is a feature-length promotional complement to his latest album, but it’s also a creative breakthrough in its own right.”[24] Rachel Ho of Exclaim! gave it a 8/10 rating, stating “the story of Jabari and Meadow may be one we all know very well, but it's the world of Entergalactic that captures the imagination, sonically and visually.”[25]

Joshua Alston of Variety concluded with “what’s available of Entergalactic is frequently intoxicating. Director Fletcher Moules doesn’t miss a single opportunity to add beautifully animated flourishes to the script written by Mescudi, Ian Edelman, and Maurice Williams. There are sublime musical numbers, for lack of a better term, that let Mescudi’s music breathe and crank the visuals to 11. But the shifts between Entergalactic’s spacy elements and its grounded moments aren’t always smooth, another consequence of the series-to-special evolution. There’s much to love about Mescudi’s love story, except the fact that there isn’t more of it to love.[26]

References[]

  1. ^ "Netflix Unveils September Highlights, Plus 'Dragon Prince' S4 Key Art". 24 August 2022.
  2. ^ Petski, Denise (June 15, 2022). "'Entergalactic': Kid Cudi & Kenya Barris Animated Series Gets Netflix Premiere Date". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  3. ^ https://twitter.com/KiDCuDi/status/1573406882861285376[bare URL]
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kenya Barris and Kid Cudi to Bring His Next Album to Life in First of Its Kind Adult Animated Music Series Entergalactic". Netflix Media Center (Press release). July 23, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "MySpace Inspires Kid Cudi Reflection on Pre-Success Goals: "I Had That Fire Burnin in Me"". 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Kid Cudi Teases 'Entergalactic' and 'MOTM3' Tour, Says 'Next Level Sh*t' Takes Time". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  7. ^ "Kid Cudi is All Right". 17 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Netflix Unveils September Highlights, Plus 'Dragon Prince' S4 Key Art". 24 August 2022.
  9. ^ https://twitter.com/KiDCuDi/status/1576117849327775745[bare URL]
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (2022-06-08). "'Entergalactic': Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Hudgens, Macaulay Culkin & More Join Kid Cudi In Voice Cast Of Netflix Animated Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  11. ^ "My real life big sister Maisha plays my big sister Ellie in Entergalactic. She did some other voices too it was unreal. im so so fuckin proud of her". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  12. ^ Lang, Jamie (September 30, 2022). "How Google Maps And 'When Harry Met Sally' Helped Create The World Of 'Entergalactic'". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Cudi, Kid (September 15, 2021). "First taste of Entergalactic!!! Music produced by Dot Da Genius and Plain Pat. 2022 only on NETFLIX". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "Kid Cudi Shares First Look at Netflix Series & Album "Entergalactic"". HNHH. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  15. ^ "Kid Cudi releases teaser for his upcoming Netflix show 'Entergalactic'". 16 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  16. ^ @KidCudi (24 April 2022). "Entergalactic is gonna be something really fucking special. Minds will melt. This cast?? The MUSIC?? Listen. U…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ "ENTERGALACTIC | First Look | Netflix". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  18. ^ "First real trailer for Entergalactic comin next month and will feature a taste of two new songs from the series. Ill drop one of the songs after. So yea, 2nd single comin soon baby". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  19. ^ "Netflix Shares Trailer for Kid Cudi's "Entergalactic"". HNHH. 12 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Entergalactic". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "Entergalactic - TV Show Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  22. ^ "Kid Cudi's Stylish Entergalactic on Netflix is a Win for Black Rom-Com Representation". 30 September 2022.
  23. ^ "'Entergalactic' Review: Kid Cudi Melds His Music with a Vibrant Animated Experience About Finding Love". Collider. 30 September 2022.
  24. ^ "'Entergalactic' is a Creative Breakthrough for Kid Cudi".
  25. ^ "Kid Cudi's Vibey 'Entergalactic' Film Stands Alone Directed by Fletcher Moules".
  26. ^ "Kid Cudi's 'Entergalactic' Blends Edgy Adult Animation with Conventional Romantic Comedy: TV Review". 30 September 2022.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""