Netflix announced the return of Carmen Sandiego in the form of a new animated series.
The popular Carmen Sandiego series will receive a new animated series, consisting of 20 episodes. Produced by Hougton Mifflin Harcourt and DHX Media, the show runner will be Duane Capizzi, the writer for the animated series The Batman. Alongside him, American Author Caroline Fraser and CJ Kettler, executive producer on the 1996 animated series, The Tick, will work on the new series as executive producers. The new Carmen Sandiego series will delve into Carmen’s past, exploring her origins as she continues her international capers. Carmen Sandiego will be voiced by Gina Rodriguez, best known for her role on CW’s Jane the Virgin. The Player, an unseen live-action character from the original series will be played by Finn Wolfhard, known for his work on the Netflix original series, Stranger Things.
The Carmen Sandiego franchise first began as educational video game series in 1985 under the title Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?. The goal of the game is to track down and arrest Carmen, along with her villains. Players visit different countries where crimes have taken place, gathering hints from various sources until the thief is found. The game was wildly popular, selling over four million copies by 1995. Multiple sequels to the game were released, taking Carmen Sandiego on adventures to different locations, even through time and space. The series latest release was a mobile game developed in 2015 for PC and iOS, titled Carmen Sandiego Returns.
In 1994, Fox aired the animated series, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?. 40 episodes aired, following a premise similar to the game’s plot. Carmen Sandiego and her organization plot to steal items around the world and must be stopped by young ACME agents under the guidance of the Chief. At the beginning and ending of each episode, a live action character is seen from behind a computer screen in order to create the idea that each episode is the game being played.
The new Netflix Carmen Sandiego series is planned to debut in 2019.
