Formed back in 1998 by Blur-frontman Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the man behind the Tank Girl comic, Gorillaz were ahead of their time. A fictional, cartoon band as the front for a diverse music project that paired Albarn with producers, rappers, and instrumentalists, the Gorillaz entered public consciousness in 2001 with the release of their self-titled album and a spate of videos showing of their unique style. Since then, Albarn and Hewlett have continued churning out music along with books and short videos detailing the life and adventures of the band.
They’ve also brought the characters to life thanks to a number of performances and tours that utilize projections and holograms to create the band members. While their website, music videos, and performances have provided audiences with a taste of the cartoon side of the music project, there have long been plans to make a movie or TV show out of Gorillaz. Green Day recently began plans to turn their concept album American Idiot into a movie on HBO, so a project from Gorillaz seems like a no brainer.
While speaking with Q Magazine (via CBR), Albarn and Hewlett mentioned briefly that a 10-episode animated series was currently being developed around the band. While no other details were given, this will likely excite fans. Across nearly two decades, a wealth of images, concepts, and lore have been built up around the band, taking a sizable chunk of work out of the process of making a TV show. Hopefully, we’ll hear more soon on the matter.
The musicians also revealed that the plans they once had for a movie have fallen through. Originally, they were set to work with DreamWorks, but the studio weren’t keen on spending the money required to make such a dark and non-kid-friendly film. Still, if Albarn and Hewlett are invested in the project, we could still see it happen. Nowadays, animation has a number of venues to bring stories to audiences. If the animated series is a hit, perhaps a Gorillaz film will finally be able to become a reality.
For now, the band are promoting their upcoming album. It’s been a few years, but Humanz will drop at the end of the month. Gorillaz also have a number of live performances coming up in Brooklyn, Berlin, and Amsterdam, giving fans a taste of what to expect with their latest narrative.
Source: Q Magazine (via CBR)
