Brothers and co-creators, Jared and Chad Moldenhauer, delved into the indie game world after quitting their jobs and remortgaging their home to support their dreams. Launched in 2017 by Studio MDHR and King Features, Cuphead has taken the video game world by storm when its popularity was recognized with over four million copies sold.
The brothers continued to reap the benefits of their success when Netflix announced that they would be adapting the game as an animated comedy series called The Cuphead Show! The show features characters Cuphead and his brother Mugman as they repay their debt to the devil in a challenging journey.
Chad Moldenhauer trusts Netflix to handle the show with the care and dedication that the brothers had when creating the game.
“As the team that’s been steeped in this world and these characters for so long, we’re here to help guide the folks at Netflix in bringing the characters of Cuphead to life in a way that feels as authentic as possible,” said Moldenhauer. “With that said, the creative team at Netflix Animation on this show — led by Dave Wasson and Cosmo Segurson — are spectacular. We can’t wait to see the depth and nuance they bring to the Inkwell Isles, and are thrilled with what we’ve seen so far.”
Not many details are being shared for the series which is to be expected, but the question of animation had to be addressed. Cuphead is much talked about for its visual hand-drawn animations that were inspired by the 1930s Fleischer cartoons.
“Right now we aren’t sharing any specific details on the show’s visual style,” explained Moldenhauer. “For more news as it becomes available, stay tuned to our social channels, Netflix’s social channels, or the new Cuphead Show Twitter feed. With that said, we’re keen to stay as far away from computer-assisted puppeteer animation as possible and are proud to be working with a creative team that really believes in the value of hand animation.”
The collaboration with Netflix expands upon the Cuphead universe where more people will find its way to the game as well.
“I feel like everyone grew up watching shows that still stick with them today,” said Moldenhauer. “For Jared and I, this was classic 1930s cartoons, but everyone I know has fond memories of sitting in front of the TV with friends and family. In many ways, this is what Netflix is for people today, a place they can come to see amazing stories and find the classics that resonate with them. So the idea of our little animated adventure getting to sit alongside some of the amazing original programming that’s already on the platform is surreal, and a real ‘full circle’ moment for us. In terms of the way this came about, that was very much a product of hard work on the part of our licensing partner King Features. Since Cuphead’s release, they have been our partners for merchandising, and they approached us with the idea of bringing Cuphead to other forms of entertainment. We didn’t have any specific hopes or expectations about what this meant, and when we heard there was interest from Netflix as a creative partner, we were blown away.”
Cuphead caught the eyes of Elon Musk who will have the game ready to go for his Model 3, Model S, and Model X Tesla cars.
“It’s a cool game,” said Musk. “It’s insanely difficult. It’s sadistically difficult. It’s a twisted plot. It’s dark. It looks like some cute little Disney thing and you’re like, ‘This plot is very dark’.”
As for any exciting expansions for the video game, fans are going to have to wait till next year for Cuphead‘s new gameplay.
“Right now, as a studio, our full energies are dedicated to development of Cuphead‘s DLC expansion, The Delicious Last Course, which we recently announced is being shifted to a 2020 release window so that we can give it the care and attention we feel it deserves,” said Moldenhauer.