Netflix announces new series, including anime Pacific Rim

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Netflix has announced several new shows, "part of the global streaming giant's push to expand significantly its original content operations in Asia"  The announcement was at a 2-day event, See What's Next, Asia, in early November 2018, hosted by Netflix in Singapore.   'The beauty of Netflix is that we can take never seen-before stories from South Korea, Thailand, Japan, India, Taiwan or elsewhere, and easily connect them to people all over Asia and the world.' [Reed] Hastings said."  One of the shows, from Craig Kyle (Thor: Ragnarok) and Greg Johnson (X-Men: Evolution), is an anime series based on the two Pacific Rim movies,  It "follows two siblings - an idealistic teenage boy and his naive younger sister - who are forced to pilot an abandoned Jaeger across a hostile landscape in a desperate attempt to find their missing parents."

"Another news show is 'Yasuke,' an anime set in a war-torn feudal Japan of mechs and magic, and where a retired ronin must take up his sword in order to transport a mysterious child."  The series is produced at animation studio MAPPA, and "is created, directed and executive produced by LeSean Thomas (The Boondocks)."  "The series comes from a graphic novel, but is based on the true story of Yasuke, a samurai of African origin."

"A Japanese anime version of 'Altered Carbon' was also announced... The series is set in the same universe as the Netflix live-action sci-fi series... 'Altered Carbon' is written by Dai Sato ('Cowboy Bebop,' 'Samurai Champloo') and Tsukasa Kondo and produced at animation studio Anima." 

Japanese studio Gonzo is working on a post-apocalyptic anime series, "Kagaster of an Insect Cage', based on a manga where people turn into insects.  A fifth animated series, Trese, is a "Philippines-set alien impostor series... from Shanty Harmayn's Base Entertainment". 

Other announced Netflix shows include a "survival adventure 'The Stranded,' from Thailand's GMM and H2L Media"; a "spooky Thai tale 'Shimmers,' by directors Wisit Sasanatieng (Tears of the Black Tiger) and Sittisiri Mongkolsiri"; and a second season of the "Korean period mystery action series 'Kingdom' ".  Another series, Triad Princess, is  set in Taiwan.  "Triad Princess... directed by Neil Wu, sees a woman defy her family to become an undercover bodyguard for a famous actress at an agency, where she must navigate the unfamiliar world of glitz, glamour and love.  The cast is headed by Eugenie Liu [Mon Mon Mon Monsters] and Jasper Liu [Take Me to the Moon].  Production is by Singapore's MM2 Entertainment and Goodfilms Workshop.'  The Netflix news is from https://variety.com/2018/digital/asia/pacific-rim-anime-series-netflix-originals-slate-in-asia-1203022633/  and https://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-is-making-pacific-rim-and-altered-carbon-anime-1830299816    

More announcements at the Netflix event in Singapore - "Typewriter [is] the latest series addition to its growing slate of Indian original content.  The series is a haunted house story set in Goa.  Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, ... the series is about a haunted house and a haunted book that stir the imagination of a group of young, wannabe ghost hunters.  When a new family and their attractive daughter move into the haunted home, the crew finds it difficult to balance the demands of school and chores with the renewed urgency of capturing the neighborhood ghost before it is too late... [Netflix] is also preparing a series adaptation of the 'Baahubali' film and book franchise, and female empowerment story 'Leila'.  Emraan Hashmi is set as the lead of 'Bard of Blood,' a political thriller produced by Red Chillies Entertainment."  Info at https://variety.com/2018/digital/asia/netflix-typewriter-indian-original-series-1203024156/ 

Zombies have been added to the mix in medieval Korea in the second season of the Netflix' series, Kingdom, as shown in a Netflix teaser.  News at https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/kingdom-the-dead-rise-in-joseon-for-the-new-action-horror-series-this-january/