Adventure Time Movie and Two New Spinoff Series in Development (2024)

Cartoon Network Studios is expanding the Adventure Time universe once again. Revealed at the Annecy Animation Festival during the Warner Bros. Animation studio focus panel, the franchise is branching out with a feature film and two new television series.

According to Variety, the feature film, which is currently under development, has yet to reveal its full story details. However, it boasts a strong creative team. Rebecca Sugar, celebrated creator of Steven Universe; Patrick McHale, the mind behind Over the Garden Wall; and Adam Muto, the showrunner of Adventure Time, are all set to lend their expertise. This trio of animation veterans brings a long history of involvement with Adventure Time, ensuring the film stays true to the heart and creativity of the original series.

Alongside the movie, Cartoon Network Studios has also greenlit Adventure Time: Side Quests. This new series seeks to fascinate children by revisiting the youthful days of Finn and his loyal companion, Jake the Dog, as they go on fantastical adventures. Unlike its predecessors which has complex narratives over multiple episodes, "Side Quests" will focus on standalone stories featuring younger versions of characters like The Ice King. Nate Cash, a seasoned Adventure Time artist and two-time Emmy winner, will also join the project.

For the preschool audience, Adventure Time: Heyo BMO introduces the adorable gaming console BMO, who finds a new home and friends in a neighboring community. This series is designed to tackle simpler, age-appropriate challenges that appeal with younger viewers. Adam Muto returns to oversee this project alongside storyboard artist Ashlyn Anstee, ensuring the series maintains the whimsical and heartwarming tone that fans expect.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Gets Second Season Amid Plans for Expanded Universe

Max has officially greenlit a second season of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, the popular spinoff from the original Adventure Time series. The series picks up with Fionna and Cake facing a formidable new enemy. This antagonist forces the duo to seek assistance from Simon Petrikov, the character formerly known as the Ice King, portrayed by Tom Kenny.

The show remains a reunion of sorts, featuring characters from the original series, including Marshall Lee (Donald Glover), Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson), Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch), and Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada). The expansive cast also welcomes Andrew Rannells as Gary Prince, Sean Rohani as Prismo, and Kayleigh McKee as the Scarab.

This renewal comes after some uncertainty about the show's future, as shared by showrunner Adam Muto with Variety. Muto expressed hopes that the success of the first season would justify continued investment in the Adventure Time universe, whether through more seasons of "Fionna and Cake" or potentially exploring other characters in an anthology format. He said:

“My hope is that this series did well enough that they feel like they can invest in future seasons. What shape that takes, if that’s a ‘Fionna and Cake’ Season 2 or it’s more of an anthology kind of approach and we focus on another character, is still kind of up in the air … There’s a running list of what we think could work as a series, what we think could work as a miniseries or a special.”

Muto, who also serves as executive producer alongside Fred Seibert and Sam Register, celebrated the renewal, acknowledging the crucial support from the original series' creator, Pendleton Ward, and the dedicated team at Max. Suzanna Makkos, executive vice president at Max and Adult Swim, praised the series for enhancing the narrative of the Adventure Time world.

Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation, also commended Muto and his team for expanding the Adventure Time franchise into new multiverses and delivering entertaining, heartfelt stories.