mxdwn had an amazing opportunity to attend an early screening of Prime Video’s Secret Level on October 11 at the Amazon MGM Studios. The upcoming series consists of fifteen episodes inspired by the world of well-known video games. The episode, “New World: Aeternum,” was a dark fantasy with an engaging plot, close-knit characters, and amazing cinematography. Along with the screening, a Q&A panel discussion with show creators Tim Miller (Terminator: Dark Fate, Deadpool), Dave Wilson (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bloodshot), and Robert Chestney (Star Wars: The Old Republic, Wizard 101) followed.

“New World: Aeternum” follows a protagonist’s crash landing after a terrible storm and discovering the world of Aeternum, where whoever stays continues to live after death. His journey revolves around themes of human connection and immortality.

The panel discussed what inspired the series, including the different video games, and Christian, mythological, and supernatural themes. Miller touched on similarities in Love Death + Robots and how he pulled inspiration from the show into Secret Level.

The process of the show kicked off with pitching the idea to Amazon MGM Studios, resulting in a greenlight, pitching and paying writers, and the development began. The creators mentioned everyone coming together in the creative process and how extraordinary it was to make their ideas come to life. Blur Studios designed the CGI and animation for the anthology series.

Other discourse included easter eggs for future episodes, Wilson explaining how they created 15 different shows at once, and Chestney illustrating how the episodes are not a fantasy, but a supernatural and grim dark genre.

Miller expressed how he wanted to introduce new fans to the world of Secret Level by using comedy and emotion before getting into the gore.

The forum ended with Chestney discussing how he was in charge of the emotional aspects of the show – including how he uses different belief systems to portray the show and the concept of dying multiple times in the 16th century.

Secret Level will debut on December 10, 2024, in more than 240 countries worldwide only on Prime Video. The series will appear at this week’s New York Comic Con.