Gorillaz: The Movie? Sounds like it is on the way. Alternative band Gorillaz are finally set to produce an animated movie, and it looks like the project is heading to Netflix. The news was revealed by Damon Albarn, who heads up the band. While specific details largely remain elusive for the moment, the musician did tease that the movie will be abstract.
Gorillaz recently released Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez. The album is set to be the first in a new series from the band. During a recent interview, Damon Albarn revealed that the plan is to make a Gorillaz animated movie while making Song Machine: Season Two. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“Well, we are supposed to be making a film while we’re doing season two (of ‘Song Machine’). We signed contracts, we’ve begun scripts and stuff. Making an animated film that’s kind of abstract is quite a big risk for a movie studio because they’re very expensive. If you’re telling a slightly obtuse story that only sometimes makes any sense, it’s quite difficult. That’s what we’ve discovered. We will do it, we are doing it. I see a lot of people doing animated videos these days but I don’t think they really touch the quality of ours.”
Gorillaz started life as a “virtual band” and the group’s fictional members, Russel Hobbs, Murdoc Niccals, 2-D and Noodle, existed in the animated space. So the idea of doing a movie isn’t a big stretch. But who would pony up the dough for such an abstract project? In a separate interview with the Chilean publication La Tercera, Damon Albarn suggested the answer to that question is Netflix.
“We have an agreement to make a movie with Netflix. I guess we will have to finish the second season and there will be time to finally be able to release the Gorillaz movie. I cross my fingers.”
This is not the first time that the band has attempted to make the jump to Hollywood. In 2003, Gorillaz was working on a movie titled Celebrity Harvest two years after the success of their self-titled debut album. But the project was ultimately scrapped over creative differences. The band also announced plans to produce an animated series in 2017. The show has yet to materialize. Perhaps if this deal with Netflix goes well they could also look to get that going on the streaming service. Netflix does, after all, have very deep pockets.
Gorillaz broke onto the scene with their hit song Clint Eastwood in 2001. Damon Albarn, known for his work in the band Blur, founded the band in 1998 with artist Jamie Hewlett. The group further exploded into the mainstream with its 2005 album Demon Days, which spawned the massive single Feel Good Inc. To date, the band has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide. They are also recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s “Most Successful Virtual Band.” We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the movie are made available. This news comes to us via Radio.com.
