Earthworm Jim animated series in the works with new characters inbound

Alright, who had the words “Earthworm Jim animated series” on their 2021 bingo card? What year is it? Okay, Steve, calm down. It’s not like an obscure video game character from your childhood is coming back into the fold. Oh, wait a minute. That’s precisely what’s going on, and I don’t know how I feel about it.

According to Variety, a new Earthworm Jim animated TV series is in development. Interplay Entertainment Corp. is in charge of the project, and they’re partnering with APA to make it happen.

Per Variety’s exclusive report, the Earthworm Jim animated series “would follow the adventures of the titular Jim, a worm in a futuristic robotic suit who fights evildoers. The series will also bring in new characters as they navigate the galaxy, where each planet is home to a race of anthropomorphic animals. Jim’s ultimate quest is to find his true home among the stars: a near-mythical planet called Earth.”

Michel K. Parandi will lead the project with Aaron Billet producing. The animation will be handled by Passion Pictures, with animation producer Marc Bodin-Joyeux taking point.

“I remember loving ‘Earthworm Jim’ as a kid,” Parandi says. “And there’s so much potential in this story universe: a galaxy full of animals battling for power.  Jim is an earthworm in a universe where Earth is nothing more than a myth. His struggle to find meaning is surreal and comical, but it’s also relatable.”

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to create a show for an iconic character that we grew up both playing on Genesis, and watching on TV,” Billet added. “The fans have matured and deserve a current take as we bring in new audiences.”

You can check out the first-look image from the Earthworm Jim animated series below:

Who among you can recall when the first Earthworm Jim video game was released on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994? Do you remember how weird that game was? It had characters like Bob the Killer Goldfish, Evil the Cat, Peter Puppy, Billy the Bin, Psy-Crow, Princess What’s-Her-Name, and more! I remember Earthworm Jim as a strange and experimental video game property that took action platforming to parts unknown with some truly wacky characters and locales. If you ask me, that sounds like the perfect recipe for an animated series. Speaking of which, there was also a WB cartoon series based on the games that ran for two seasons in 1995. Dan Castellaneta of The Simpsons fame voiced the Earthworm Jim character.

I could see Earthworm Jim doing really well in today’s animation space. There’s room for lots of strange animated projects out there, and Earthworm Jim is as weird as they come.