Paramount+ has unveiled the first six episodes of Ark: The Animated Series, which are now streaming on the service as of today. But the first season won’t be limited to just this batch, as a second part to the season will host seven more episodes, although the release date for those has yet to be announced.
While I haven’t played the source video game (Ark: Survival Evolved), the voice cast for Ark: The Animated Series definitely piques interest, as it hosts Oscar winners, fan favorites and even Doctors…The partial cast list includes Madeleine Madden, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Crowe, Gerard Butler, Jeffrey Wright, David Tennant, Elliot Page, Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, and more.
While that is a seriously impressive cast, perhaps the biggest draw for some is that Ark will be scored by the game’s composer Gareth Coker, who also provided the gorgeous music for Ori and the Blind Forest / Will of the Wisps.
Ark: The Animated Series has the following plot: “In a sweeping story that spans eons of human & world history, 21st century paleontologist Helena Walker finds herself resurrected on a mysterious primeval land after tragedy. There she must learn to survive and find new allies, or die again at the hands of ruthless warlords — all while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world. Ark: The Animated Series will release on a to-be-announced platform in 2023. Join us then for an ageless adventure beyond life & death itself!”
Ark: The Animated Series – which was announced back in 2020 – has a selection of episodes written by Survival Evolved creators Jesse Rapczak and Jeremy Stieglitz, in addition to Marguerite Bennett, who has a history as writer for DC, Marvel and more. Directing credits are listed for Stieglitz, Jay Oliva (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), David Hartman (Phantasm: Ravager) and Sebastian Montes (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
Survival Evolved has been quite popular on its available platforms, with Steam downloads hitting more than one million in its early access phase. There is also a sequel planned, with Diesel part of that voice cast as well.
While Ark: The Animated Series is currently available to stream in the U.S. and Canada, it won’t hit international markets until Friday, April 19th.
Will you be checking out Ark: The Animated Series on Paramount+? Do you play the video game? Let us know in the comments section below.