Netflix has announced new adult animated comedy, and it’s all about the King of Rock n’ Roll. According to the streaming giant, Agent King will see Elvis Presley become a covert government agent in service of his country while keeping up appearances as a famous rock star. The show’s announcement comes on the 42nd anniversary of Elvis’s death and at the tail end of Elvis Week at Graceland.
The show is the brainchild of Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s former wife and head of Elvis Presley Enterprises, and rock singer John Eddie. Per Deadline, Priscilla had this to say of the upcoming series: “From the time Elvis was a young boy he always dreamed of being the superhero fighting crime and saving the world! Agent King lets him do just that. My co-creator John Eddie and I are so excited to be working with Netflix and Sony Animation on this amazing project and getting the chance to show the world an Elvis they haven’t seen before.”
Mike Arnold, a writer for FXX’s spy comedy Archer, will serve as showrunner, executive producer, and writer for Agent King. Jamie Salter, known for producing Elvis Presley: The Searcher for HBO, will join him as an executive producer. The show has also tapped Corey Slater, producer of NBC’s Elvis All-Star Tribute, and Marc Rosen, executive producer of Netflix’s Sense8, as co-EPs. Elvis’s wardrobe will be designed entirely by renowned fashion designer John Varvatos, who will also serve as a consulting producer.
Agent King is the latest animated show from Netflix aimed at mature audiences. The streaming service has had success along similar lines with shows like Bojack Horseman and Big Mouth. By contrast, Sony Pictures Animation (SPA), which is producing the series, is making departure from its typical demographic. To date, SPA has primarily focused on young audiences with films like Hotel Transylvania and Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. Its expansion to older viewers with Agent King marks the opening of new front for the studio. The move is mirrored by a number of upcoming projects, including a reboot of Adult Swim’s The Boondocks and Hungry Ghosts, a horror series based on a graphic novel by the late Anthony Bourdain.
Joining SPA to produce Agent King are Sony Pictures Television and Authentic Brands Group. Netflix has yet to specify a release date for the series.