Netflix has given a series order to an updated version of the 1980s animated action series She-Ra, the streaming video service announced Tuesday.
For those who have yet to come across She-Ra in all her rainbow-hued glory, she’s the twin sister of Prince Adam of Eternia, a.k.a. He-Man. Introduced in the animated movie The Secret of the Sword as a foe for He-Man, she soon found out she was his secret sister and became a part of the greater He-Man world. Holding aloft her Sword of Protection, Princess Adora gained the power to transform into the heroic She-Ra! Together with a group called The Rebellion (which features everything from a Ranger, to an imp, a forgetful Witch, fairies and more) She-Ra battles against the forces of Hordak, a Tyrannical despot with a bunch of monster henchmen and a legion of robot soldiers that have already taken over She-Ra’s home realm of Etheria.
Noelle Stevenson will executive-produce the cartoon’s reboot, which is described as “a modern take on the ’80s girl-power icon for a new generation of young fans” that will be “led by a warrior princess tailor-made for today.” Stevenson is the Eisner Award-winning creator behind some of the biggest comics phenomenons of the past decade. BOOM! Studios’ Lumberjanes is the tale of a group of young girls at a magical summer camp, and Nimona explores the path of a young shapeshifter who just happens to have a penchant for villainy. Both books gained a huge cult following and are currently being adapted for the big screen. Stevenson is an inspired choice for this project. Not only did Nimona put a subversive spin on the techno barbarian genre which is also home to He-Man and She-Ra, but her storytelling often focuses on the struggles of young women coming of age and learning how to deal with burgeoning powers.
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Since Stevenson’s work often deals with sexuality, friendship, and personal growth, this could be the She-Ra show for the modern age. Though Stevenson made her name in comics, she’s in no way a new hand in the world of TV and has worked on a number of great shows like Bravest Warriors, Tangled: The Series, Lego Star Wars: Freemakers, and the fantastically popular Ducktales reboot.
She-Ra will debut in 2018. If you want to go through some amazing 80’s cheese, you can check out the original series on Netflix right now, or free Officially on Youtube.
Dreamworks Animation Television will produce all of the series. Given how well Dreamworks Animation has handled the reboot of Voltron: Legendary Defender for 4 great seasons, it does give a bit of good faith in taking a huge risk in creating a She-Ra solo series with no He-Man in sight given how badly some other female-centric movies have done in recent years. However, there have been some great additions and stories around She-Ra in recent years, including changing her origin as Hordak’s Captain of the Guard in the 2012 DC Comic book series.
Netflix also announced other series to debut in 2018, including: Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, which will begin streaming on Jan. 19; Boss Baby: Back in Business; Harvey Street Kids; Trollhunters Part 3; and 3 Below, the second installment of Guillermo del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia trilogy.
