Till now the League of Legends’ ocean of content has not materialized into a Cinematic Universe, but with the late 2020 release of Arcane, that’s all set to change.
It is no secret that Riot Games has for a long time planned the expansion of their world-famous gaming franchise into a League of Legends cinematic universe. In 2019, on the10th anniversary of the game, Riot announced that it had big plans for 2020, which involved new versions of the gaming phenomenon, new cinematic trailers, a new TV series and a future movie.
League of Legends has big plans for 2020 – new games, new cinematic trailers, a new TV series and a future movie.
Riot had also released a teaser video that sheds a few details on its plans to expand the universe. League of Legends has over a hundred iconic champions. They all have backstories and specific interpersonal relationships with each other. However, till now the ocean of content has not materialized into any TV shows, movies, or anime apart from the video games. But with Arcane that’s all set to change.
How far is Arcane from release?
So, as part of the cinematic universe plans, Riot is now ready to test waters with an animated TV series. Arcane will be the game’s first script to go on a screen. The TV series is an internal development project by Riot. Paris-based Fortiche Productions, having animated League of Legends trailers in the past, will handle the animation for Arcane.
As per reports, the company has already hired and a creative team that is based out of Los Angeles to create a Hollywood like studio, Riot’s Jarred Kennedy who heads the IP businesses revealed. The team boasts of talent that’s worked on “major” TV shows. Riot is also independently financing the project that should be out sometime in the second half of 2020.
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What do we know about the series till now?
Arcane will cater to 14+” audience but unlike the League of Legends gaming universe. The TV show will have a heavy influence of ‘adult subject matter’, as per Riot’s Creative Development head Greg Street. As per Street, Arcane will not be a ‘light-hearted show.’ Riot wants to explore ‘some serious themes’ and therefore will not be banking on kids to tune in and make the show a success.
Riot wants to explore ‘some serious themes’ with Arcane which will not be a ‘light-hearted show’.
Furthermore, the recent cinematic trailer from Riot which runs of Imagine Dragons’ 2014 song Warriors gives us concrete insights into project Arcane. The trailer shows familiar characters that are a part of the Runeterra universe. These include Garen, Kai’Sa, Urgot, and Galio. The trailer also shows an epic clash between the heroes and the villains.
So, we can expect an all-out war at some point in Arcane. The trailers graphics which details the characters’ faces, expressions and gait are also much improved. We expect to see a similar level of rendition in Arcane.
LoL Arcane – The Characters and The Story
The trailer also helps us determine the main star cast for Arcane. The core characters are expected to be Jinx and also her blood-related rival Vi. In fact, the story is expected to revolve around the origins of Jinx and Vi. The setting will be Piltover, the stunning central city of Valoran. The series will run high on steampunk-driven aesthetic of Runeterrra, the hextech technology, and also giant airships.
The core characters of Arcane will be Jinx and maybe her blood-related rival Vi.
Likewise, the other major location will be Zaun, the other face of development, an undercity to Piltover. The theme at Zaun is that of the vices of the industrial revolution – smog, chemicals, and black markets. Zaun is closer to Gotham city on the survival index. So, that will be the place where the villains rise.
However, while the trailer doesn’t reveal much in itself, League of Legends fans have come up with a list of champions connecter to the two cities – Camille, Caitlyn, Ezreal, Jayce, Orianna, Heimerdinger, Ekko, Twitch, Blitzcrank, Dr Mundo, Janna, Singed, Urgot, Viktor, Warwick, Zac and Ziggs.
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Future expansion of the League of Legends Cinematic Universe
So, the 2019 doc released of Netflix, League of Legends Origins is the foundation stone for a future LOLCU. Arcane will then be the first stepping stone into the cinematic future of the popular franchise.
Arcane’s release will then be the first stepping stone into the cinematic future of the popular League of Legends franchise.
Riot’s top brass has a firm belief that Arcane will also help them kickstart an entire League of Legends cinematic universe on similar lines to DCEU, MCU and smaller ones like Harry Potter and LOTR. Creative head Street has even mentioned Marvel, Star Wars and Harry Potter in interviews when questioned about Riot’s vision for the LOLCU.
More news to get you excited is that Riot has also associated with several third-party developers for the LOLCU as it looks to expand the horizons for its 100 million monthly players. The plans are already in place and Arcane’s success after the late 2020 release will further help ascertain the Hollywood scope for League of Legends as a franchise.
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