The Anime First Look Unveiled

Our first look at Rick and Morty: The Anime has been revealed. A collaboration between Adult Swim and Telecom Animation Film, the anime series is in the works at HBO Max, the streaming service set to be rebranded as Max upon its merger with the Discovery+ streamer. On Wednesday, HBO unveiled tons of new looks at various projects coming to the cabler along with its Max streaming service, and among them is an image of Rick and Morty: The Anime, showcasing the anime versions of Rick Sanchez and his timid nephew Morty. You can view the image below, via Cartoon Crave.

Max

Rick and Morty: The Anime was ordered to series at Adult Swim and HBO Max last year. It was noted at the time that the anime adaptation will serve as a standalone series, as it won’t be directly connected to the ongoing plotlines of its parent series, though it will use similar themes and humor. The series order also came after there first had been anime shorts (Rick and Morty vs. Genocider, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil) which had been a hit with fans of the show. Director Takashi Sano (Tower of God) returns for the series after directing the shorts.

Sano noted in a statement at the time, “The multiverse-straddling exploits of Rick and the gang pose challenges to the family bond, but they always rise to the occasion. It’s such a life-affirming sight, and Jerry is no exception. I am honored to have been given an opportunity to tell a new story about this amazing family. I hope you enjoy their adventures!”

For an idea of what Rick and Morty: The Anime will be like, you can check out Sano’s shorts below.

Related: Rick & Morty’s Justin Roiland Cleared of Domestic Violence Charges

Rick and Morty Is Still Moving Forward Despite Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil

Adult Swim.

Over on Adult Swim, Rick and Morty is still set to be moving forward as well, suggesting that the franchise isn’t going anywhere despite some turbulence that happened with co-creator Justin Roiland. Following reports of Roiland getting charged with domestic violence, Roiland was dropped completely from the series, both for his behind-the-scenes duties as well as voicing the titular characters. The voices of Rick and Morty will be recast but a successor hasn’t yet been named. Roiland has since had the charges against him dropped, but there’s been no indication of a potential return to the franchise in any capacity.

Fortunately for the team behind Rick and Morty: The Anime, that wasn’t something they needed to worry about. The original anime shorts featured Japanese voice acting with English captions without the need for Roiland’s voiceover work, so it’s unlikely that he would have voiced the characters in the anime series, even before his booting from the franchise.

Rick and Morty: The Anime doesn’t yet have a premiere date, but is expected to arrive sometime in 2023.

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