During Adult Swim's “Toonami on the Green” event, held at Comic-Con International, the trailer for “Lazarus” (Lazaro in Japanese), Toonami's new original anime in collaboration with Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy), was presented for the first time.
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Therefore, the animation is from the MAPPA studio (Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan The Final Season).
Watanabe, who was personally present at the event, also presented the project's character designs and concept art. The team stated that they aimed to complete the project by 2024, but did not commit to a release date.
Jason DeMarco, Senior Vice President and Head of Anime and Action Series at Adult Swim, confirmed that Watanabe will direct each episode. Chad Stahelski (stuntman and director of John Wick) is responsible for the action sequences in the sci-fi anime. The soundtrack is by jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, along with producers, DJs, and musicians Floating Points and Bonobo. Sola Entertainment is producing the anime.
Lazarus Synopsis
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity reigns throughout the world. The reason for this: humanity has been freed from disease and pain. Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner then developed a miracle drug called Hapuna, which has no apparent side effects. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, shortly after Hapuna's official introduction, Dr. Skinner disappears.
Finally, Watanabe has directed notable anime productions such as Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, Carole & Tuesday, and Terror in Resonance. He also directed the anime short "Blade Runner: Black Out 2022." Watanabe screened his short film "A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot" at the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada, in July 2022.
Source: Adult Swim
