A dynamite sneak peek at Exploding Kittens was among the highlights of Netflix's Geeked Week, which prompted the reveal of a minute-long teaser and first-look photos for the upcoming adult animated comedy.
Tom Ellis is GODCAT. Based on the best-selling game, Exploding Kittens premieres 2024 ? #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/qDDtaUWblS
— Netflix (@netflix) November 11, 2023
Based on a table-top card game of the same name, Exploding Kittens follows the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell that escalates when God and the Devil are sent to the mortal realm in the bodies of chubby house cats.
"An adventure of ungodly proportions begins meow," is the tagline that reels viewers in to the chaotic, fantasy-fueled trailer for the series. We're then immediately introduced to Godcat, voiced by Lucifer star Tom Ellis, who can be seen exploring the subtle luxuries of life on Earth (like Whac-A-Mole) in between supernatural battles of epic proportions.
Other voice cast members confirmed for the series are Abraham Lim, Lucy Liu, Mark Proksch, Ally Maki and Sasheer Zamata. The full cast list, along with a release date, have yet to be announced.
Before the Exploding Kittens franchise became a commercial hit, the game received funding through a Kickstarter campaign started by creators Elan Lee and Matthew Inman. As of August 2023, Explosive Kittens remains the most-backed Kickstarter project in history, having generated over $8.7 million in funding.
The campaign's unprecedented success resulted in the release of the card game, which later was adapted for mobile gaming and the Nintendo Switch. Now, the franchise is eager to stake its domain in the television industry; and Netflix is equally happy to welcome fans of the card game and mobile app to the streaming service.
“Our goal is to offer our members great entertainment they’ll love in whatever format they may enjoy — whether it be a game or an animated series,” said Leanne Loombe, head of external games at Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “As we expand our mobile games catalog, we’re excited to partner with the Exploding Kittens digital team to bring this enjoyable game to all age groups, including a few exciting updates exclusively for our members.”
Inman agrees: “Netflix is the only service that could bring Exploding Kittens to life in both a series and a game,” he said in The Hollywood Reporter. "The new series and game will give our fans new ways to connect and interact with the franchise.”
Shane Kosakowski is showrunning the series with Inman, who is also an executive producer with Lee. Other executive producers attached to the project include King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as well as Dustin Davis from Bandera Entertainment; and Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment Group.
Check out a slideshow of stills from Explosive Kittens below for an inside look at the upcoming series:
