It seems Warner Bros. Discovery Japan is pleased by what they've seen from Suicide Squad Isekai so far as WBD president of Asia-Pacific James Gibbons has revealed that the WBD subdivision will ramp up its output in the coming years.
Speaking to Variety, Gibbons stated, "We have a Japanese anime studio, which has been producing five or ten anime series per year, over the last few years. We’ve approved expansion to take that to more than ten series per year."
He went on to explain, "We’ve sold them to third parties. That has been one of the metrics. And they are doing very well. And, so, because we see the appeal of the category, we are expanding it. Anime is one of the best ways to reach the 18 to 30-year-old audience, which is incredibly elusive. Globally, albeit not in every market, but certainly in the U.S., parts of Europe and Latin America, we’ve got strong anime audiences."
And it seems the increase in output in the near future will tie into the company's exploration of various DC Comics IPs.
"There is Japanese anime that comes from original IP. But there’s also anime that comes from elsewhere. And we’ve looked at our DC universe and said, ‘Can we take these characters and reinvent them in world of world of anime,’ which is not straightforward because you have to do it the right way. You have to work with the right studios to make it happen and to build your fan base,” said Gibbons.
Eri Osasda will be directing the Suicide Squad Isekai series for WIT, which features a screenplay written by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara, character designs from Akira Amano and Naoto Hasodo, and music from Kenchiro Suehiro.
The voice cast features Anna Nagase as Harley Quinn, Yuuichirou Umehara as the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi as Deadshot, Jun Fukuyama as Clayface, Taku Yashiro as Rick Flag and Kujira as the voice of Amanda Waller.
The series will premiere this July.
Suicide Isekai Official Synopsis: In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!
With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure!