Netflix Announces a Castlevania TV Series

[RJ 17]

Well, at least it sounds like they're not going to shit all over it by setting it in present day...that was my biggest concern when reading this headline.

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

Actually sounds pretty interesting, hopefully they'll be able to handle it with some taste.

"This is very much Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones,"

............................

For those worried that the show will be toned down for younger audiences, Shankar assured us that it is "going to be R-rated as f***."

And, like that, they've lost me.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Actually sounds pretty interesting, hopefully they'll be able to handle it with some taste.

"This is very much Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones,"

............................

For those worried that the show will be toned down for younger audiences, Shankar assured us that it is "going to be R-rated as f***."

And, like that, they've lost me.

What do you want from a Castlevania tv series?

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Well Netflix originals do tend to be rather good, Konami proved with Silent Hills that all the stars can align in their favor and they can still find a way to fuck it up. Cautiously optimistic that they're kept far enough away from this to get something good out of this.

Because it was too expensive to be worth it.

 

[Zydrate]

Well, it's probably going to be good.

Problem is, I know nothing about the Castelvania franchise.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

I hope they've got an editor with a strong hand for Ellis.

Man can go way off the rails if left to his own devices.

 

[Erttheking]

Well Netflix originals do tend to be rather good, Konami proved with Silent Hills that all the stars can align in their favor and they can still find a way to fuck it up. Cautiously optimistic that they're kept far enough away from this to get something good out of this.

Because it was too expensive to be worth it.

That's a generous way to say "Konami lost their fucking minds and threw a spiteful temper tantrum."

 

[jklinders]

Well I already know what I want for the opening credits theme song.



Serious talk. I don't fucking know about this. I'll file it under L for I will consider it later. If it looks like it won't be a complete turn i will watch an episode as a trial and it's good I'll keep at it. I'm already smelling low quality fromage and it hasn't even been filmed yet.

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

Actually sounds pretty interesting, hopefully they'll be able to handle it with some taste.

"This is very much Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones,"

............................

For those worried that the show will be toned down for younger audiences, Shankar assured us that it is "going to be R-rated as f***."

And, like that, they've lost me.

What do you want from a Castlevania tv series?

A bit of lightheartedness and camp, coupled with a serious plot. I wouldn't want it to be Berserk or Game of Thrones levels of dark.

 

[jklinders]

Actually sounds pretty interesting, hopefully they'll be able to handle it with some taste.

"This is very much Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones,"

............................

For those worried that the show will be toned down for younger audiences, Shankar assured us that it is "going to be R-rated as f***."

And, like that, they've lost me.

What do you want from a Castlevania tv series?

A bit of lightheartedness and camp, coupled with a serious plot. I wouldn't want it to be Berserk or Game of Thrones levels of dark.

Here here. We're talking a game series that had it's roots in a guy killing vampires with a whip. Some dark elements sure but we are also talking pretty fucking camp.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Actually sounds pretty interesting, hopefully they'll be able to handle it with some taste.

"This is very much Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones,"

............................

For those worried that the show will be toned down for younger audiences, Shankar assured us that it is "going to be R-rated as f***."

And, like that, they've lost me.

What do you want from a Castlevania tv series?

A bit of lightheartedness and camp, coupled with a serious plot. I wouldn't want it to be Berserk or Game of Thrones levels of dark.

Basically the opposite of what they are trying to do.

And I dislike it, Let Castlevania become as grimdark as Dark Souls, Beserk, and Game of Thrones because that is awesome.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Well Netflix originals do tend to be rather good, Konami proved with Silent Hills that all the stars can align in their favor and they can still find a way to fuck it up. Cautiously optimistic that they're kept far enough away from this to get something good out of this.

Because it was too expensive to be worth it.

That's a generous way to say "Konami lost their fucking minds and threw a spiteful temper tantrum."

Well here is the reason Silent Hills was too expensive an endeavor for Konami to handle:

1. Kojima, notorious for being very hard to work with.

2. Gulliermo Del Toro, a Hollywood Celebrity, and notorious for presenting things that will not have universal mainstream value.

3. Norman Reedus, another Hollywood Celebrity of Walking Dead fame, any actor of that level is now expensive.

4. A brand new game engine built from scratch.

5. They want to make a Surival Horror in the most un-mainstream proven way as possible.

6. And lastly Konami was never as big and rich as western developers like EA and Ubisoft.

 

[Kyrian007]

"Castlevania on Netflix."

Ohh, kind of interested.

"Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones"

Oops, nevermind.

May as well have just said, "hey, we wanna make a grimdark 'mature' series with bewbs and sex stuff that also has swords and blood and junk... who's that video game publisher that hates its own IP?"

...Castlevania has always had a grimdark vibe to it, and it showed off bewbs before. (Looks at Succubus concept art)

And that's exactly the big problem I was getting at. I'm very afraid that that's exactly why they chose Castlevania. Not because they have a really great Castlevania story they want to tell, But because there's a grim and gritty IP that the owners don't really care about. So they can just crap out broody grimdark stuff that emoey teenagers eat up regardless of quality because they are obsessed with seeming "mature." The nudity... same reason. That's not to say that dark stuff can't be good, and I really enjoy it when it is. Hell, when I was a teenager I was in that goth (it wasn't emo yet) demographic. But I grew up... I realized that Spawn wasn't actually very good, it was mostly just pandering to my demographic.

The big problem? This has all the signs of a project that is shooting at reaching a demographic, as opposed to having the goal of creating an excellent show. It could be as dark and brooding and miserable as it wants and be really good... if it is written well. A Game of Thrones is starting with a template of a well written book series. It can be pretty dark at times, but there is a reason and time for its seriousness... and its lighter moments. Castlevania... isn't starting at the same jumping off point. Its starting with a story written by an 8-bit era Konami, who chose a Gothic Horror setting because of its iconic monsters that they could use as enemies. As opposed to choosing it to (like the best gothic horror writers did) explore fear and terror and what triggers it in any individual and humankind as a species.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

"Castlevania on Netflix."

Ohh, kind of interested.

"Castlevania done in the vein of Game of Thrones"

Oops, nevermind.

May as well have just said, "hey, we wanna make a grimdark 'mature' series with bewbs and sex stuff that also has swords and blood and junk... who's that video game publisher that hates its own IP?"

...Castlevania has always had a grimdark vibe to it, and it showed off bewbs before. (Looks at Succubus concept art)

And that's exactly the big problem I was getting at. I'm very afraid that that's exactly why they chose Castlevania. Not because they have a really great Castlevania story they want to tell, But because there's a grim and gritty IP that the owners don't really care about. So they can just crap out broody grimdark stuff that emoey teenagers eat up regardless of quality because they are obsessed with seeming "mature." The nudity... same reason. That's not to say that dark stuff can't be good, and I really enjoy it when it is. Hell, when I was a teenager I was in that goth (it wasn't emo yet) demographic. But I grew up... I realized that Spawn wasn't actually very good, it was mostly just pandering to my demographic.

The big problem? This has all the signs of a project that is shooting at reaching a demographic, as opposed to having the goal of creating an excellent show. It could be as dark and brooding and miserable as it wants and be really good... if it is written well. A Game of Thrones is starting with a template of a well written book series. It can be pretty dark at times, but there is a reason and time for its seriousness... and its lighter moments. Castlevania... isn't starting at the same jumping off point. Its starting with a story written by an 8-bit era Konami, who chose a Gothic Horror setting because of its iconic monsters that they could use as enemies. As opposed to choosing it to (like the best gothic horror writers did) explore fear and terror and what triggers it in any individual and humankind as a species.

For all I know the movie is gonna be pretty much like the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta animated series:



Or even more clear, its gonna be like the Lords of Shadow game:


But jeez the reaction people gets for Castlevania of all games. Also its kinda painting a broad brush to say Emoey Teenagers will eat it up regardless of quality.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

...Castlevania has always had a grimdark vibe to it, and it showed off bewbs before. (Looks at Succubus concept art)

NOT GRIMDARK. Gothic touches.

I refuse to let the infection of 'grimdark' go beyond a reasonably good RPG turned into a bad tabletop game because of said infection.

People need to be the vaccination of the bad ideas others have had...

OT: Tentatively thrilled? But the whole apeing of GoT really killed it for me. Can't we just have an action tv series with self-contained intrigue?

The whole point of the battle between the Belmonts and Drac is a personal recurring skirmish with overwhelming darkness that plays out for generations. It's about confronting the evil at the heart of the world and the eternal vigilance required. It's not taking a holistic anatomy tour of all evil, everywhere.

It doesn't need a cast of 7 million and span continents.

The money you save on not doing a myriad of set pieces and a swollen cast, can you just refrain it to a handful, with gorgeous scenery and aesthetics and some high intensity monster hunting?

Think Ash vs. The Evil Dead.

Core group, some recurring, big bad character arcs, minimal lateral expansion on the effects William's curse has wrought on all humanity, they merely focus on him and his relationship to evil... and the show is awesome for it.