The AMC network announced the creation of their first animated series Pantheon under creator Craig Silverstein, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The network has found critical and commercial success in dramas like Mad Men, Breaking Bad (and its prequel series Better Call Saul), and The Walking Dead. However, this will be the network’s first interaction with developing an animated series for a television run. Silverstein (Turn: Washington’s Spies and Nikita) will be tasked with being the showrunner and writer for the series.
Pantheon adapts a collection of Ken Liu’s (The Dandelion Dynasty) short stories and is renowned for his sci-fi writing skills. The series will revolve around teenage Maddie who is suffering from bullying. However, Maddie receives tips from an anonymous individual online who is soon to be revealed as her recently deceased father. The animated series will follow David’s consciousness in the Cloud as this alters how the world views technology and warfare. The existence of Maddie’s father will be considered “Uploaded Intelligence” and has the capability of countries’ going to war over novelty technology. The series will center around themes of personal relationships, family, as well as life’s boundaries with the introduction of David’s consciousness. Currently, there has been no word on the voice casting for any of the series’ characters.
Despite Pantheon lacking a cast and a premiere date at this juncture, the series does have Silverstein and Liu attached to the producing and writing departments. Additionally, the series has already been announced for two seasons under AMC Network, suggesting network confidence in the sci-fi animation. The series will have hour-long episodes, rare for an animated drama, and will supplement the rest of AMC’s lineup, albeit with a different presentation and visual style than live-action provides.