Entergalactic | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Based on | Entergalactic by Kid Cudi |
Written by |
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Story by | Scott Mescudi |
Directed by | Fletcher Moules |
Voices of |
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Music by |
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Country of origin |
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Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Editor | Carole Kravetz Aykanian |
Running time | 92 minutes |
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Original release | |
Network | Netflix |
Release | September 30, 2022 |
Entergalactic (stylized in all caps) is a 2022 adult animated music television special created by American musician and actor Kid Cudi, that serves as a visual companion piece to the album of the same name. Initially announced as a television series, in August 2022, Entergalactic was then redeveloped as a TV special. [1] The special premiered on September 30, 2022, exclusively on Netflix, simultaneously with the album. [2]
Directed by Fletcher Moules, it is based on the album, which Cudi recorded before storyboarding the TV special. Alongside Cudi, it stars the voices of Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla Sign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Teyana Taylor, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Arturo Castro, and Macaulay Culkin.
A romantic comedy, Entergalactic uses an art style inspired by that of I Lost My Body (2019) and When Harry Met Sally... (1989). Billed as a "television event", it received critical acclaim for its animation, visual style, music, and story. Entergalactic is dedicated to Cudi's deceased friend, American fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who served as a costume designer on the project before his death, [3] with the release date coinciding with Abloh's birth date. [4] [5]
Jabari is a charming, streetwear-clad artist on the cusp of real success. Mr. Rager, the character represented in his graffiti art across the city has been selected to be turned into a comic. After a chance run-in with his cool new photographer neighbor, Meadow, Jabari has to figure out whether he can make space for love in his life.
On July 23, 2019, Netflix announced that Kid Cudi and Ian Edelman would write and produce what was originally going to be an animated music TV series adaptation of Cudi's album Entergalactic . Cudi had previously collaborated with Edelman in 2010, on the HBO series How to Make It in America and Cudi starred as William in the 2018 film The After Party, which Edelman directed. Cudi serves as an executive producer alongside Kenya Barris, through their respective production companies Mad Solar and Khalabo Ink Society. [6]
Kid Cudi originally planned for Entergalactic to be a live-action series, before Kenya Barris convinced him to make it an animated series. [7] In a November 2019 interview, when speaking on the dual projects, Barris said, "The idea of there's never been an album and a series dropped at the same time, so each song will have a 30-minute narrative that kind of explains what that song is about and it's a love story . . . It's a youthful love story told through Cudi's music." [8]
In September 2021, Cudi took to Twitter to thank the team that helped bring the project to fruition, and reassured fans they wouldn't be disappointed: "Wait til y'all hear and see Entergalactic. [You] have no idea. I really wanna thank Kenya Barris, Mike Moon, Elizabeth Porter and the whole team for believing in my vision and helping bring it to life. Everything about this show is next level. Ull[ sic ] see." [9] [10]
In an August 2022 interview with Esquire , Cudi revealed he recorded the music first—"a suite of songs on the beauty of being freed by love"—and worked backward to storyboard the narrative before hiring a writing team to script it. [11]
On August 25, 2022, it was announced in a press release Entergalactic would instead be released as a television special. [1] On October 1, Cudi clarified on Twitter: "Its a series but done in a very unique way broken up into chapters not episodes designed for binging! So, it feels like a movie [because] its an hour and a half and can be seen in one sitting but this is a series. Hope that makes sense. The goal is for more seasons." [12]
In July 2019, Cudi was cast in the series. [6] In June 2022, Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla Sign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Teyana Taylor, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Arturo Castro, and Macaulay Culkin were revealed to be the rest of the cast. [13] On June 8, Cudi revealed his real-life older sister, Maisha, would voice his on-screen older sister Ellie, among other voices. [14]
The animation was handled by DNEG Animation in London, which also co-produced the special. A 3D map of New York was downloaded and rebuilt in the pipeline. Influences for the film's design were I Lost My Body (2019) and When Harry Met Sally... (1989). [15]
Entergalactic (Original Score) | ||||
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Film score by | ||||
Released | October 14, 2022 | |||
Genre | Film score | |||
Length | 37:00 | |||
Label | Netflix Music, LLC | |||
Producer | Dot da Genius and Plain Pat | |||
Dot da Genius chronology | ||||
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Plain Pat chronology | ||||
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Kid Cudi's eighth solo album Entergalactic doubles as a soundtrack for the TV special. The album consists of original songs performed by Cudi, of which the TV special is based on.
Additionally, a film score composed entirely by American record producers Dot da Genius and Plain Pat, was released on October 14, 2022, by Netflix Music, LLC. [16]
Other songs featured in the TV special include "By Design" by Kid Cudi featuring André 3000, "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton, "In My Bed (So So Def Mix)" by Dru Hill and "Feudal Castle" by Derek Fiechter and Brandon Fiechter. [17]
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On September 15, 2021, Cudi revealed that the series, and the album, is set to premiere in 2022. [18] In September 2021, Cudi released a short trailer in promotion for the Netflix series, which revealed the music would be produced by his longtime collaborators Dot da Genius and Plain Pat. [19] [20]
On April 24, 2022, Cudi wrote on Twitter: "Entergalactic is gonna be something really fucking special. Minds will melt. This cast?? The MUSIC?? Listen. [You] heard it here first. Remember this tweet. Stay tuned for more news in June!" [21] On June 8, Netflix unveiled the "first look" at Entergalactic, in a trailer that also revealed the cast. [22]
On June 10, the first original song created for the series, titled "Do What I Want", was issued on streaming platforms as the album's first official single. On July 12, Cudi revealed on Twitter, the official trailer for the show will premiere in August, featuring two new songs, with one of the songs set to be released as the second single. [23] On September 12, Netflix unveiled a new trailer for Entergalactic, which included the aforementioned single, "Willing to Trust". [24]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 97% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.30/10. [25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 10 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [26]
Rendy Jones of Paste wrote, "Entergalactic is as sweet a romantic comedy as it is an ethereal animated odyssey. It's a stylish, colorful love letter to animation and the simplicity of Black love in the modern age. It feels like the lovechild between When Harry Met Sally and Spider-Verse for a Black demographic, who deserve stories like this no matter what medium they're presented in." [27] Chase Hutchinson of Collider wrote, "A rare gem of an animated work, Kid Cudi guides us on a sublime journey that explores the bond between two people drawn together by love." [28]
Justin Charity of The Ringer wrote, "It's saucy and cute, which is to say, it's a sharp attitude adjustment for such a dreary rapper and refreshingly effective as such. Netflix's Entergalactic is a feature-length promotional complement to his latest album, but it's also a creative breakthrough in its own right." [29] Rachel Ho of Exclaim! gave it a 8/10 rating, stating that "the story of Jabari and Meadow may be one we all know very well, but it's the world of Entergalactic that captures the imagination, sonically and visually." [30]
Joshua Alston of Variety concluded with "what's available of Entergalactic is frequently intoxicating. Director Fletcher Moules doesn't miss a single opportunity to add beautifully animated flourishes to the script written by Mescudi, Ian Edelman, and Maurice Williams. There are sublime musical numbers, for lack of a better term, that let Mescudi's music breathe and crank the visuals to 11. But the shifts between Entergalactic's spacy elements and its grounded moments aren't always smooth, another consequence of the series-to-special evolution. There's much to love about Mescudi's love story, except the fact that there isn't more of it to love." [31]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Original Song – TV Movie Streamed | "Willing to Trust" written by Kid Cudi, Ty Dolla Sign, Dot da Genius, Evan Mast, Rami Eadeh and Lenzo | Won | [32] |
Critics Choice Celebration of Black Cinema and Television | December 5, 2022 | Groundbreaker Award | Scott Mescudi for Entergalactic | Won | [33] |
NAACP Image Awards | February 22, 2023 | Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special | Scott Mescudi, Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams | Won | [34] |
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album | Entergalactic | Nominated | |||
Annie Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Aziz Kocanaogullari | Nominated | [35] |
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Meybis Ruiz Cruz | Nominated | |||
Black Reel Television Awards | June 15, 2023 | Outstanding Television Movie or Limited Series | Entergalactic | Nominated | [36] |
Outstanding Musical Score | Dot Da Genius and Plain Pat | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Original Song | "Angel" written by Kid Cudi, Jean Baptiste, Sadpony and Justin Raisen | Nominated | |||
Primetime Emmy Awards | January 10, 2024 | Outstanding Animated Program | Entergalactic | Nominated | [37] [38] |
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Meybis Ruiz Cruz | Won |
On October 1, 2022, Kid Cudi revealed via Twitter that while Entergalactic was "like a movie", its purpose was closer to that of a television pilot, revealing that he intended to produce "more seasons" ("hour and a half"-long films) making up an Entergalactic series, per the project's original announcement as being a television series. [12] In December 2022, Cudi revealed that although Entergalactic is a standalone special, he is working on a new animated project. [39]
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, also known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite". Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.
A Kid Named Cudi is the debut mixtape by American rapper Kid Cudi, released on July 17, 2008, by New York City streetwear brand 10.Deep, in conjunction with independent record label Fool's Gold Records. Considered his breakout project, the mixtape marked Cudi's first official release, issued prior to his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009).
"Mr. Rager" is a song recorded by American rapper Kid Cudi, taken from his second studio album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). The song was officially released via digital download, on October 25, 2010, as the album's second single. The semi-autobiographical lyrics were written by Cudi, while the composition was written by his frequent collaborator, Emile Haynie, who also served as the song's producer.
WZRD is an American alternative rock band and record production team composed of longtime friends and frequent collaborators Dot da Genius and Kid Cudi. Formed in New York City in 2010, Cudi originally named the band Wizard, inspired by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath's song of the same name. However, Cudi renamed the band on two occasions, the first being in April 2011 to 2 Be Continuum, explaining: "I needed something more original, something different...". The second time occurred in November 2011, to the band's current namesake. The eponymous debut album, WZRD, was released in February 2012, peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was supported by the lead singles, "Brake" and "Teleport 2 Me, Jamie".
Indicud is the third studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on April 16, 2013, by GOOD Music, Wicked Awesome Records, and Republic Records. It was the first album of Cudi's solo career to not be an installment of his Man on the Moon series. The album's cover artwork was designed by Kid Cudi himself, who also served as an executive producer of Indicud. It was Cudi's goal to make more uptempo and positive music with the album. He described it as a completely new format compared to his previous albums.
"King Wizard" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kid Cudi, taken from his third studio album Indicud (2013). The song was officially released on December 18, 2012 as the album's second official single, along with its accompanying music video, which was directed by Cudi himself.
Timothée Hal Chalamet is an American and French actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Film Awards.
Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven is the fifth studio album by American musician Kid Cudi. The album was released on December 4, 2015, through Republic Records and Cudi's Wicked Awesome Records imprint. The album is a complete departure from his previous projects, excluding WZRD, a 2012 collaborative effort which was his first venture into rock music. Inspired by the 1990s indie music scene, Cudi included commissioned skits featuring Mike Judge voicing the titular characters of his '90s animated sitcom, Beavis and Butt-Head.
Kids See Ghosts was an American hip hop superduo composed of rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed during West's 2018 Wyoming sessions, the duo's eponymous debut album was released in June of that year by Def Jam Recordings, along with their respective label imprints, GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome Records. Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The duo disbanded in 2022 due to personal disagreements, although they reconciled the following year.
Entergalactic may refer to:
Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin is an American actor and musician. Considered one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, Culkin rose to prominence for his role as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen is the seventh studio album by American musician Kid Cudi, released on December 11, 2020 by Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records. It is the final installment of Cudi's Man on the Moon trilogy of albums.
Kid Cudi is an American actor, producer, film composer, music video director and musician.
Entergalactic is the eighth studio album by American musician Kid Cudi. The album was issued on September 30, 2022, by Republic Records and Cudi's Wicked Awesome imprint. The album was released alongside its visual component, an adult animated special of the same name, starring Cudi, exclusively on Netflix. This album features guest vocals from Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, Steve Aoki and Don Toliver.
The To the Moon World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American musician Kid Cudi. The excursion, which was his first tour in five years, also served as his first arena tour. The tour began in Portland on August 18, 2022 and concluded in Milan on November 22, 2022. The tour dates included 26 cities, on three continents.
The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1 is the first greatest hits album by American musician Kid Cudi. It was released on July 8, 2022, by Republic Records and Cudi's Wicked Awesome imprint. The compilation includes tracks from seven of his previous studio albums: Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009), Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010), Indicud (2013), Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014), Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (2015), Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' (2016) and Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (2020). Also included are songs from his rock band, WZRD's eponymously titled debut album (2012). The album concludes with a re-mastered version of his 2015 non-album song "Love", as a bonus track. The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1 anthologizes songs by Cudi since his major-label debut, including those released during his joint deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music and major-label Republic.
"Willing to Trust" is a song by American musicians Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on September 23, 2022, as the second single from Cudi’s eighth studio album, Entergalactic (2022). The lyrics were handled by Cudi and Ty Dolla Sign, while the music was written and produced by Cudi, alongside Dot da Genius, E. Vax and Ramii.
Insano is the ninth studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on January 12, 2024, via Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records. Kid Cudi had initially announced this would be his last contractual album with Republic, the major-label he had been with since his commercial debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009). The album follows his 2022 effort Entergalactic, which was accompanied by its visual component, an award-winning TV special of the same name.