{"id":14985,"date":"2021-03-30T17:28:35","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T16:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firedbydesign.com\/?p=14985"},"modified":"2021-03-30T18:01:54","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T17:01:54","slug":"voltaku-primes-killtopia-animated-series-developed-with-unreal-engine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firedbydesign.com\/?p=14985","title":{"rendered":"Unreal-powered animation Killtopia primed by Voltaku"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A forthcoming cyberpunk animated series from startup Voltaku<\/a>, Killtopia is based on the award-winning, indie graphic novel series created by Dave Cook and Craig Paton. Described as \u201cBlade Runner<\/em> meets Battle Royale<\/em> for the Fortnite<\/em> generation,\u201d Killtopia<\/em> follows a bounty hunter and his robot sidekick through a futuristic megacity as they fight brutal thugs, augmented mercenaries and android assassins in a race to save the bounty hunter\u2019s sister \u2014 and the world \u2014 from a deadly nano plague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The series will consist of eight 20-minute episodes, completely developed using Unreal Engine and virtual production techniques. Squarely aimed at ‘otaku’, the Japanese term for people obsessed with anime, manga and gaming, it will follow two siblings pitted against yakuza, plagues and mechs in a futuristic megacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The series is also the launching pad for Voltaku\u2019s hybrid studio, which has already optioned two other sci-fi\/ fantasy projects for cross-platform development. Based in Los Angeles, the studio describes its content being “nestled deep in the worlds of anime, manga and gaming, bringing a new level of epic worldbuilding and character-driven stories to the growing otaku market”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGame engines are giving studios a flexibility we\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d said Charles Borland, Voltaku CEO and co-founder. \u201cWhen we option a project, it doesn\u2019t have to stop with a movie or a TV series anymore. We can take our 3D production assets and build a game, VR\/AR experiences, marketing materials, digital goods, basically anything we want, at Lion King or Avatar<\/em>-like production levels. And that\u2019s exactly what \u2018otaku\u2019 are looking for \u2014 more ways to engage with the worlds they love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The series will be written by TV, film and game veteran Phil Gelatt<\/a> (Love Death & Robots<\/em>,Europa Report<\/em>, Rise of the Tomb Raider<\/em>), with concept art provided by David Levy<\/a> and Pitch Dev Studios<\/a> (Avatar <\/em>sequels, Tron: Legacy<\/em>, Prometheus<\/em>). It will be helmed by Oscar-nominated director Ruairi Robinson<\/a> (Fifty Percent Grey<\/em>, The Leviathan<\/em>, The Last Days on Mars).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To get the project off the ground, Voltaku received an Epic MegaGrant<\/a> from Epic Games, which will be used to develop its completely Unreal-powered pipeline. The Epic MegaGrants program is designed to support game developers, enterprise professionals, media and entertainment creators, students, educators and tool developers working with Unreal Engine or enhancing open-source capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhen Killtopia <\/em>launches, it\u2019s going to look like nothing that\u2019s been seen on TV before,\u201d said Dave Cook, creator of Killtopia<\/em>. \u201cOur world is garish and vibrant, where hype, fandom and pop culture rule the day, which is the perfect launching pad for big stories. I\u2019ve always wanted to see something so colorful and abstract depicted in a 3D world. With Voltaku\u2019s help, I think we\u2019re going to blow people away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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