Scavengers Reign

''Scavengers Reign'' is an American science fiction adult animated television series created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for the streaming service Max, based on their 2016 short film ''Scavengers''. Max announced the series in June 2022, and it premiered on October 19, 2023. Since the show's release, it has received critical acclaim, praising the acting, plot, animation and atmosphere.

In May 2024, the series was canceled by Max after one season.

Synopsis

The series follows the survivors of the damaged interstellar cargo ship ''Demeter 227'' who are stranded on Vesta, an alien planet bustling with flora and fauna but filled with dangers. Initially the survivors are separated into three groups: Azi and her robot companion Levi, Sam and Ursula, and the isolated Kamen, who travels with a telepathic creature named Hollow. Local life displays unusual complexity, symbiotic levels and extraordinary life cycles. Usual borders between plants, animal, intelligence and highly organized life are unclear. Over time, the survivors' paths converge towards the crash-landed ''Demeter''.

Voice cast and characters

Main

* Sunita Mani as Ursula, a crewmember in the ''Demeter''s horticulture lab; stranded on Vesta with Sam.
* Wunmi Mosaku as Azi, a cargo specialist on the ''Demeter''; stranded on Vesta with Levi.
* Alia Shawkat as Levi, a robot from the ''Demeter''; stranded on Vesta with Azi.
** Shawkat also plays Fiona, the ''Demeter''s robotics engineer, who is Kamen's estranged wife.
* Bob Stephenson as Sam, commander of the ''Demeter''; stranded on Vesta with Ursula.
* Ted Travelstead as Kamen, a crewmember on the ''Demeter'' who is struggling in his career and in his marriage with his wife Fiona; while stranded on Vesta he forms a bond with Hollow, a telepathic and telekinetic creature. Co-creator Bennett stated that Kamen's presence has "introduced human greed and gluttony into this animal kingdom," which causes Hollow to become more sinister.

Guest

* Sepideh Moafi as Mia, a passenger on the ''Demeter'' who forms a romantic connection with Azi.
* Skyler Gisondo as Charlie, a passenger in cryofreeze on the ''Demeter''.
* Pollyanna McIntosh as Kris, the leader of a scavenger group from another planet; intends to loot the ''Demeter''.
* Freddy Rodriguez as Terrence, a member of Kris's scavenger group.
* Dash Williams as Barry, the youngest and least experienced member of Kris's scavenger group.
* Masha King as Mascha, a healer that Ursula and Sam meet in their travels on Vesta; part of a group that was stranded on Vesta many years prior.
* James Kyson as John, a member of Mascha's group.

Episodes

Production

Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner created the original 2016 ''Scavengers'' short film for Adult Swim, where it aired as part of the Toonami block. The eight-minute animated short contains no dialog and depicts a pair of humans engaging in an intricate series of interactions with alien creatures. From 2018 to 2019, Bennett and Huettner expanded the concept into a series pilot that did not go forward at Adult Swim, though the show was later picked up by HBO Max. The twelve-episode series was produced over two years by Titmouse, Inc. and Green Street Pictures with a crew including international animators working remotely from locations including Mexico, Spain, Portugal and France.

In May 2024, the series was canceled by Max. However, Netflix acquired the first season and were reported to be considering renewing the series with a decision to be made after its debut on the platform. In November 2024, Bennett confirmed that Netflix had decided not to renew the series for a second season.

Release

The series premiered on October 19, 2023, with three episodes released weekly until November 9, 2023. In May 2024, the series was acquired by Netflix and released on May 31 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Reception

The series has received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 100% approval score with an average rating of 8.7/10, based on 22 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Disturbing and wondrous, ''Scavengers Reign'' presents a vividly realized world that beckons exploration by its marooned characters and television viewers alike." James Poniewozik of ''The New York Times'' called it "a lush, magnificent, hypnotic story of human survival in a place that feels, in a way that sci-fi planets only occasionally manage, truly otherworldly." Andrew Webster of ''The Verge'' deemed it to be "equal parts beautiful and brutal, and it might be the most original piece of science fiction of the year", and compared the art style to Jean “Moebius” Giraud."

For the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the series was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program and won an Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for background design.

References

External links

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{{Max (streaming service)

2020s American adult animated television series
2020s American science fiction television series
2023 American television series debuts
2023 American television series endings
American adult animated adventure television series
American adult animated drama television series
American adult animated science fiction television series
American English-language television shows
American anime-influenced animated television series
LGBTQ speculative fiction television series
HBO Max original programming
Television series set on fictional planets