Entertainment
Taylor Sheridan’s Greatest Western Series Is Getting a Sci-Fi Reinvention for Netflix
Taylor Sheridan gained a reputation for bringing the Western back to TV, most notably through Yellowstone and its fleet of spinoffs. However, he did produce another Western that follows a real-life figure in Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Starring David Oyelowo in the title role, Lawmen: Bass Reeves chronicles Reeves’ career as a deputy U.S. Marshal who holds a staggering record of 3,000 arrests. It’s one of Sheridan’s more underrated projects, but worth a watch for Western fans and history buffs alike. Later this year, Netflix is bringing a wildly different take on Bass Reeves’s story to life with a new anime series.
The series, titled Bass X Machina, stars Brian Tyree Henry (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as Reeves, and will also cover his career as a lawman. However, that’s where the similarities end, since Bass X Machina is taking a sci-fi approach to Reeves’ story, according to its official logline.
“In a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines, and supernatural terrors, a father is forced to become judge, jury, and executioner — knowing that every act of justice meant to protect his family may ultimately cost him the very people he’s fighting to save.”
In addition to facing off against massive steam-powered robots and fighting on floating trains, Bass X Machina also features Reeves packing a cybernetic arm with a collection of guns built into it. Bass X Machina might be an unorthodox approach to such a legendary figure, but it definitely stands out from what Oyelowo and Sheridan brought to the table.
A Legendary Animation Studio Is Bringing ‘Bass X Machina’ to Life
Based on the exclusive sneak peekNetflix shared with Collider, Bass X Machina is going to be a gorgeous-looking anime. Everything from Reeves’ movements to the mechanical monstrosities he fights immediately draws the eye, thanks to fluid motion and a unique design that keeps the Western aesthetic intact. Studio Mir handles the animation for Bass X Machina; if that name sounds familiar, it’s because this studio has produced some of the biggest hits in modern animation. Studio Mir rose to prominence with Avatar: The Last Airbender and has continued to work on other projects like X-Men ’97 and My Adventures with Superman. It’s also maintained a steady relationship with Netflix after animating Devil May Cry, which features the same over-the-top elements as Bass X Machina.
Bass X Machina also features the creative talents of LeSean Thomas, who developed the series and serves as its executive producer alongside Brian Tyree Henry. If Taylor Sheridan has become synonymous with bringing Westerns to television, then Thomas is synonymous with working on anime and anime-influenced products. His prior work includes The Legend of Korra and The Boondocks, and he also created original anime like Cannon Busters for Netflix. This pedigree means that Bass X Machina will stand out among Netflix’s anime offerings.
Before ‘Bass X Machina,’ Netflix Delivered Another Anime Based on a Historical Figure
Ironically, Bass X Machina won’t be the first time that LeSean Thomas filtered a historical figure’s story through the lens of anime. In 2021, Thomas brought Yasuke to the streamer, teaming with legendary anime studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan) in the process. Like Bass X Machina, Yasuke tells the real-life story of the titular Black samurai; it also weaves supernatural elements into its narrative as Yasuke (voiced by LaKeith Stanfield) faces off against a legion of demons and steampunk warriors. Thomas’ approach to Black history may be unorthodox, but it adds real variety to the types of Black stories told on screen.
The life of Bass Reeves has inspired many forms of pop culture, including the Lone Ranger. Bass X Machina is the latest attempt, and it looks like Netflix is pulling out all the stops to make this a series worth watching.
Bass X Machina premieres on Netflix on November 3. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
- Release Date
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2023 – 2023-00-00
- Network
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Paramount+
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