Axis Studios, Jason Lust and Ranger 7 Films will produce a ground-breaking animated horror series Gods and Monsters Chapter One: The Death of Victor Frankenstein.
Pete Candeland, the acclaimed animation director behind the iconic Gorillaz music videos and The Beatles: Rock Band video game cinematic, is collaborating with screenwriters Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Saw series, The Collector series, Pacific Rim) and Axis Studios (Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, Love Death & Robots, Happy!) on a new animated horror series, Gods And Monsters Chapter One: The Death of Victor Frankenstein. Together with graphic novelist Gris Grimly, whose book inspired Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, the new animated horror series promises to break new ground for horror in animation.
The series will be executive produced by Jason Lust of Soluble Fish Productions, Executive Producer on 2023’s Academy Award-winning Best Animated Feature Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Mike Callaghan and Reuben Liber of Ranger 7 Films, and Axis Studios.
Set against a visually fantastical European backdrop and inspired by Gris Grimly’s punk rock re-imagining of famous monsters, Gods And Monsters Chapter One: The Death of Victor Frankenstein will present a fresh take on the manipulative relationship between Victor Frankenstein, his partner in crime Elizabeth, their famously monstrous creation, as well as other re-imagined monster horror icons.
Introducing a bold new modern monster universe, Gods And Monsters will use cutting edge animation to deliver horror in a way that has never been seen before. Paired with Pete Candeland cool visuals and wit, weaving together modern-day themes of the dangers of technology, materialism, and alienation, and featuring music that blends atmospheric horror with contemporary rock and roll, Gods And Monsters promises to be a feast for all the senses that will delight horror and animation fans the world round.
Axis is a studio of proud genre nerds and ultra fans. We see first hand the global appetite for elevated, mould-smashing, high-end animated shows. As attitudes to animation shift, our work seeks to take people to more unusual, surprising and often darker places. So we’re thrilled to be part of this opportunity to create a horror monster-verse with a dream cast of creatives – cannot wait to share it with the world!
Andrew Pearce, Executive Producer at Axis Studios
Animation works best in extremes. It has been gradually growing a broader audience, moving like No-Face from Spirited Away, gathering fans with cutting-edge music videos, iconic games and breakthrough shows like Arcane and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Next: HORROR. I want the gamers to put down their controllers, music lovers to see the potential of sound and vision in a frightening new way, and horror fans to shout why haven’t we seen this before? I want all of us on the edge of our seats, consumed by the thrill-ride that is Gods And Monsters.
Pete Candeland, Director of Gods And Monsters
Working with Gris on launching and sculpting and helping produce Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio was a career defining moment for Gris and myself and we felt compelled to follow up that result with one of Gris’ most coveted and post-modern retellings yet. And when you add the direction of Pete Candeland with the writing of Patrick and Marcus along with Axis, the highly talented VFX and Animation house, we’re destined to break some new ground with this show, much like Pinocchio did. So, I couldn’t be more excited to begin executing this undeniable vision with this team.
Jason Lust, Soluble Fish Productions
As a life-long fan of horror and animation, Gods And Monsters is the show I’ve been waiting for. Building out a new monster horror universe the way we envision is a true fan’s dream (or nightmare) come true, and with this creative team, it will surely be as scary as it is visually jaw-dropping.
Mike Callaghan, Ranger 7 Films
