Matt Groening’s ‘Disenchantment’: Everything You Need to Know About the Netflix Animated Series
Zack Sharf
The internet is abuzz now that Matt Groening has confirmed he’s in production on “Disenchantment,” his third animated television series after such legendary shows as “The Simpsons” and “Futurama.” The former will be heading into its 29th season this fall, while the latter wrapped up its beloved seven-season run in 2013. But now we have a brand new Groening series to look forward to, one that will be highly bingeworthy given that Netflix is involved.
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Considering that both of Groening’s series had no problem exceeding the 100-episode mark (“The Simpsons” is currently sitting high with 618 episodes under its belt), it’s safe to assume he’ll be in business with Netflix for quite some time. While more details are bound to arrive between now and the series’ premiere date, here’s everything we know about Groening’s new animated offering right now.
It’s Completely Different From ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Futurama’
“Disenchantment” is going to bare Groening’s trademark animation style as seen on his two previous series, but the plot couldn’t be more different from them. Groening will go back to the past for what is being described as a medieval comedy set in the kingdom of Dreamland. Each episode will follow the misadventures of a hard-drinking young princess named Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo, and her personal demon Luci as they encounter everything from ogres to sprites, imps, trolls, walruses and much more.
Groening Has Been Developing the Series At Netflix For Over A Year
One of the biggest news bits from the announcement of Groening’s new series is that it will officially call Netflix its home. “Disenchantment” joins the streaming giant’s growing original animated slate, which includes “BoJack Horseman,” “F is for Family,” and an upcoming adaptation of “Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs And Ham.” Groening partnering with Netflix was actually first reported over a year and a half ago in January 2016, when it was rumored he would be writing and directing a new animated series for Netflix. Because creating animated series is so time consuming, Netflix most likely needed to wait to see a pilot before committing to episodes.
The Voice Cast is Unbelievably Amazing (and “Futurama” Heavy)
Both “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” featured relatively unknown voice actors when they premiered (aside from Katy Segal in the latter), but “Disenchantment” is gearing up to be Groening’s most star-studded effort from the very beginning. “Broad City” favorite Abbi Jacobson is set to lend her voice to our hard-drinking princess protagonist, while Nat Faxon and Eric Andre have signed on to voice the elf and demon, respectively. Faxon is best known for co-writing Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants,” for which he won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, but he’s also a comedian who starred in the short-lived sitcoms “Ben and Kate” and “Married.” Andre has a huge cult following after four seasons as host of “The Eric Andre Show” on Adult Swim.
The voice cast will be rounded out by “Futurama” veterans John DiMaggio (Bender), Billy West (Philip J. Fry), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker), Tress MacNeille (Mom), and David Herman (Scruffy the Janitor and more). Other cast members are Matt Berry, Jeny Batten, Rich Fulcher, Noel Fielding, and Lucy Montgomery.
Two Seasons Have Already Been Ordered
Netflix announced it was picking up “Disenchantment” for two seasons. The order was for 20 episodes, so each season will run 10 episodes. The season length is shorter than “BoJack Horseman,” which has run 12 episodes for all of its first three seasons. “F is For Family” started with a six-episode first season, before expanding to 16 episodes for its second one.
But We’ll Have to Wait Until 2018 to See It
The bad news is that Netflix won’t premiere the first season of “Disenchantment” until 2018. That means the Groening series is joining the likes of the “Lost in Space” reboot, South Korean original series “Kingdom,” and Scandinavian thriller “The Rain” as new Netflix television offerings next year. Shows like “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “One Day At A Time” will be returning for second seasons by then, too.
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