The premium cable channel has picked up the animated series, created by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano, following the screening of the first two episodes at Sundance.
- May 30, 2015
AceShowbiz - HBO has picked up an animated series from the Duplass brothers, "Animals". The cable network ordered not just one, but two seasons of the new show, which generated buzz after the first two episodes were screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
"Animals" is created by New York-based advertising creatives Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano. It debuted as animated shorts in 2012, including several installments titled "Pigeons", "Rats" and "Horses".
It centers on the downtrodden creatures that call the Earth's least habitable environment - New York City - home. Whether it's lovelorn rats, gender confused pigeons or aging bedbugs in midlife crises, the awkward small talk, moral ambiguity and existential woes of these entities prove strangely similar to those of humans.
The upcoming TV series is executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass. Matarese and Luciano, who are are writing and directing the half-hour series, will voice many of the characters, while Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton and Nick Kroll are among the guest voices.
"Going from having made 'Animals' in the supply closet at our day job to making 'Animals' in a supply closet at HBO headquarters is an unfathomable dream come true," Matarese and Luciano said.
Mark Duplass also stated, "Jay and I have been excited about bringing the principles of indie film to the TV space, and to have our first real experiment land at a place like HBO for two seasons is beyond what we could have imagined."
The new series is slated to debut in 2016.
