Hailey van Braam
The Greek gods have long been perceived as one of the most powerful beings in the world back in its time. Whether they existed or not, their presence manifests in all generations of the world. Through series, films, and even video games, Greek gods have seen themselves exist in different avenues. However, it has never seen something quite like this.
Dan Harmon, yes, the same Dan Harmon who’s responsible for the genius of cult comedies Community and most especially Rick and Morty, has his eyes set on his next comedy––3,000 years ago, more precisely.
Reportedly, Mounty Olympus has sent news that Harmon’s first project under his deal alongside Fox is an animated series rooted within the depths of ancient Greek mythology. What’s long been the mysterious history of humans, belief, and power has motivated more cultural cornerstones of not just the world, but also entertainment. From Disney’s Hercules, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, and Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, it’s as if Zeus existed in Midgard.
Apparently Dan Harmon is going to create a brand new cartoon, this time being about Greek mythology and those sorts of stories. Seeing him dealing with magic now as opposed to sci-fi technology will be an interesting change of pace.
— Ace Spinellius (@farcialities) February 8, 2021
Since the aforementioned works, the use of Greek mythology in entertainment has slowly been dying. With the evolution of technology and animation, who knows where Harmon can take the series? Eyeing a premiere in 2022, the show doesn’t really have much going for it. There’s yet to be a title, but it did say that the series would be emphasizing “a flawed family of humans, gods, and monsters that tries to run one of the world’s first cities without killing each other.”
“Leave it to Dan Harmon to turn the mythos of early Greek civilization into remarkably sharp commentary on today’s politics, celebrity and pop culture,” President of Entertainment for Fox Entertainment, Michael Thorn, said in a statement published by Variety.
“This project is an incredibly irreverent family comedy as told by one of the town’s most inventive storytellers. We are proud to be partnered with Dan on this series, which strengthens our hold on the animation space and, as we continue to build Fox Entertainment, marks an important first step for us with our first fully-owned scripted property.”
Nothing harder to compete with than facts. Harmon might just be the guy for a project of this stature––one that deals with sensitive cultural mammoths––and make it a hit. Harmon did co-create Rick and Morty alongside Adult Swim’s Justin Roiland. However, the famous duo will most likely be going their own separate ways as they work on different projects for different platforms. Take, for example, Roiland who teamed up with writer and producer for Rick and Morty, McMahan, for Hulu’s Solar Opposites. The thing is, Harmon and Roiland’s relationship is as solid as stone as they will continuously be feeding their sci-fi Frankenstein that boasted of excellent reviews and a strong cult following.
Before everything and everyone went wild for Rick and Morty, Harmon was perfecting his craft through NBC sitcom Community. It was a feel-good, college study group show that represented different personalities that branched out to different genres of entertainment––from sci-fi to horrific tales. It was a weird show, but it somehow raised awareness for different kinds of people. From the old to the young, skin color, and personalities––everybody has their place.
“Before joining the network ranks, I was an independent producer who had the opportunity to work with Dan on one of my very first projects. His singular voice, tenor, and conviction to always deliver the unexpected in the stories he tells, let me know right away that he was a special talent,” Thorn stated about Harmon’s Fox deal last summer. “As one of the most prolific creators working in the business today … there’s no better creative partner to have than Dan Harmon.“
