Rosa Salazar & Bob Odenkirk star in a tripped-out trailer for Undone

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Back in the early 2000s, filmmaker Richard Linklater re-introduced animation fans to the art of rotoscoping with both WAKING LIFE (2001) and A SCANNER DARKLY, an adaptation based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick starring Keanu Reeves. For those of you who're unfamiliar with the method, rotoscoping is a technique used in physical animation. To complete the look, artists trace drawings frame by frame, allowing for a sense of realism that is seldom seen in today's CGI-driven era. If you're looking to skirt the horizon of the Uncanny Valley, rotoscoping is your weapon of choice.

Today Amazon Prime has unveiled a trailer for UNDONE, an upcoming animated television series from Kate Purdy & Raphael Bob-Waksberg of BOJACK HORSEMAN fame. The series follows a young woman who travels across space and time while ripping holes in her reality as she struggles to uncover the truth behind her father's mysterious death. The ambitious project hails from Amazon Studios and Tornante Productions.

Here's a more in-depth description of the series, as detailed by Deadline:

Alma Winograd-Diaz takes her mundane life one day at a time until a near fatal accident induces visions of her late-father, Jacob. Through these persistent visions he urges her to tap into a mysterious ability that allows her to travel through space and time with the hopes of preventing his untimely death. This quest challenges Alma’s relationships and brings into question her mental wellbeing with those closest to her.

Starring as Alma Winograd-Diaz for UNDONE is ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL actress Rosa Salazar, with BETTER CALL SAUL alum Bob Odenkirk playing the role of Alma's father, Jacob. Siddharth Dhanajay, Angelique Cabral, and Constance Marie also star.

In addition to being a visual marvel, UNDONE also marks the first time that rotoscoping will be used to create an episodic television project. Contributors to the series' creation include Amsterdam-based animation studio Submarine, who unleashed their team of painters and artists on the uniquely-animated endeavor. Word has it that the team used oil paints to complete the look, a material rarely used when developing contemporary animations for a CGI-obssesed industry.

All of the animation was overseen by Hisko Hulsing (MONTAGE OF HECK) with rotoscope methods being handled by Minnow Mountain, the same Austin-based studio that delivered A SCANNER DARKLY.

It's been a long time since anyone has seen rotoscoping of this magnitude. With that in mind, I'll be curious to hear how viewers react to the look and feel of UNDONE. For me, I'm all about giving animation methods outside of CGI a shot. Don't get me wrong, I love a gorgeous CGI animated film as much as the next person, but I'm a firm believer in there being room in the industry for innovation.

UNDONE will land on Amazon Prime come September 13.