‘The Electric State' Prequel Video Game Set From Russo Brothers, Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)
Set in the aftermath of a robot uprising in an alternate version of the '90s, 'The Electric State' follows orphaned teenager Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) who ventures across the American West with cartoon-inspired robot Cosmo, low-rent smuggler Keats (Chris Pratt) and his wisecracking robot sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie) in search of her younger brother, Chris.
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A prequel to 'The Electric State,' the mobile game 'The Electric State: Kid Cosmo' is described as a 'bite-sized adventure puzzle game' that focuses on Michelle and Chris. Per Netflix and the Russos' media company AGBO, 'This narrative-driven game takes place before the events of the movie and spans five years, blending gameplay with emotional storytelling to create an immersive experience.'
'The Electric State: Kid Cosmo' will launch March 18 on iOS and Android. The game is free to play but available only to Netflix subscribers.
Watch the trailer for 'The Electric State' video game via the video above.
Based on the graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag with a screenplay written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, 'The Electric State' stars Brown, Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci, as well as Woody Harrelson, Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo and Alan Tudyk in voice roles.
The Russos, who direct the film and produce, helped Netflix develop the 'Electric State' mobile game through their media company AGBO, which is expanding its digital experiences and gaming slate amid the recent hire of Nifty Games vet Pete Wanat as president of interactive technology.
Their plans include at least three large-scale transmedia projects based on original ideas, but they aren't going to say no to the idea of developing games tied to their upcoming Marvel films, 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars,' or their ongoing Amazon TV franchise, 'Citadel.'
'We would definitely be open to it,' Joe Russo said in an interview with Variety alongside his brother and business partner Anthony Russo. 'Right now, what we're doing is creating new IP. At AGBO, we want to tell new stories. We want to tell new stories with new characters and new worlds that people haven't seen before. So Anthony and I and Donald are working together to build out new worlds. And we have three that we're currently working on that the intention is, for every world we build to have the scale and depth of a 'Star Wars' universe, but in a different genre. And then we'll build materials around those new worlds. We'll tell stories in different ways using different media in those worlds.'
Here, the Russos speak with Variety about 'The Electric State: Kid Cosmos,' their growing gaming business and upcoming Marvel and Netflix projects.
Anthony Russo: We have an amazing team here at AGBO that is very tuned in to gaming, and they sort of played lead on the development of the game. So by the time that Joe and I entered the picture on the game, it was an already quite settled, in terms of concept. They had such a compelling, cool concept that there we didn't really get into issues of, what else could we do?
Anthony Russo: It does expand upon the relationship that the lead characters have in the movie, Michelle and her brother Chris. So it does get into a part of their relationship that we don't follow in the film, that kind of predates the film, but also post-dates the film as well. And the game is able to explore the relationship in more depth. We certainly explore the relationship very thoroughly in the movie, but there's just a limit in a two-hour medium to how much ground you can cover, in terms of story. So the game does hold something very special in terms of like, who these people are, what their relationship is to one another, and how it evolves and grows over time. And I think people will find it very relatable. It's a wonderful, complicated brother-sister relationship in everything that that entails.
Anthony Russo: We don't have anything planned right now, but we love an evolving narrative with gaming. So it's something we're always open to and something we're always considering. But the fact that 'The Electric State' can be explored through different medium — the type of story that it is and the type of experience that it is, can be explored in different ways — that's something very important to us as storytellers, because it represents how we like to engage with our favorite material and our favorite stories. So we are exploring many new ways of bringing the experience of 'The Electric State' to audiences and gamers.
Anthony Russo: My default is, I can't tease any — but it is a very important part of our agenda here, moving forward, and a lot of our new storytelling is going to be working hand in hand with our gaming efforts. I can say that.
Anthony Russo: It's the same way we approach our filmmaking. We always call ourselves sort of film agnostic, which is, basically, we value all the different forms you can express yourself in linear cinema storytelling. Same is true with games. Every idea has a different way that it can best be explored and best be brought to audiences or gamers for an experience. So we really like to tailor everything to the creative idea that we're exploring, evolving and building upon, in terms of how we find an expression for it.
It's a good question, because one of our beliefs, in terms of how we craft a relationship between these two different mediums, is that you can enter it from either direction. So we try to make it, if you've entered through the movie, you have something additive as you start to explore the game. And if you enter through the game, you have something additive in the other direction, as well. So I don't want to get into any specifics, but there's definitely new experiences to be had, depending on which direction you flow into it.
Joe Russo: We have a new partner at the company who is one of the greatest game developers in history, Donald Mustard, he's the creator of 'Fortnite,' and he's come in now to work with us on building out what we think the future of storytelling could be, which is, some hybrid between linear and virtual and gaming. And we're really interested in new ways to tell stories using technology. And so the three of us together are trying to explore and ideate around what opportunities there could be over the next decade using new tools and new technology to tell stories and can we make it can we make it true transmedia, where the same assets that we're using for CG in movies is also the same assets that are in the game, that are also the same assets in a virtual experience. And that's the mission of AGBO currently, at the moment.
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Netflix codes for award-winning movies and shows Netflix secret codes are exactly that -- secret. There's no official directory, and it's hard to get a full list, as categories will go empty as movies and shows move on and off Netflix. The names of categories will also change often as well so you'll want to be vigilant when you go searching for what you want to watch. To make it easier for you, there are even categories that you can use to find all the award-winning movies and shows to be discovered on the streamer. Award-winning movies: 89844 Award-winning TV programs: 89814 Award-winning documentaries: 93108 How do I find more Netflix codes? If you're not comfortable with editing Netflix URLs, you can use a browser extension to access the secret menus. The Better Browse for Netflix extension for Chrome is a great choice. Here's how to use it: 1. Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for "Better Browse for Netflix." (Note that this extension is unavailable for Firefox users.) 2. Click Add to Chrome. 3. Click Add Extension. 4. Log into your Netflix account in a new tab. If the extension is installed, you'll see a Browse All option at the top of your Netflix home screen next to My List. Click it to scroll through the subgenres or to search through specific categories. Adding the Better Browse for Netflix extension to Chrome gives you a drop-down menu with Netflix categories. Screenshot by CNET Alternatively, you can use the FindFlix: Netflix Secret Category Finder browser extension for Chrome or Firefox. This add-on will create a drop-down menu complete with Netflix categories for your browser that you can scroll through by clicking on the FF icon that will appear on the top right of your screen. There's no need to scroll Netflix natively with this add-on and it features 7,500 categories alphabetized for your convenience. A third way is through the Netflix Codes website. Here's how: 1. Visit in any PC or mobile browser. 2. Find the genre or subgenre you want to explore. 3. Tap the code next to the genre or subgenre you want. 4. If you're on a device that has the Netflix app installed, the app should open and take you directly to the genre or subgenre you chose. If you don't have the app installed, it'll open Netflix through the browser and you can view the specific movies and shows available. 5. Tap the title you want to watch and it'll start playing. Finally, if you're comfortable with creating custom URLs, you can use Netflix codes manually in your browser. Here's how: 1. Visit on any PC or mobile browser. 2. Find the genre or subgenre you want to explore. 3. In another tab, type in but replace INSERTNUMBER with the specific genre or subgenre code. For instance, will take you to "90-Minute Movies." 4. If done correctly, you'll be taken to Netflix to peruse the titles available in that section. Simply repeat this process the next time you find a code for a Netflix category you'd like to explore. 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