Netflix just released the first teaser for their next animated fantasy, Maya and the Three. Though it’ll arrive in nine 30-minute chapters, writer-director Jorge R. Gutiérrez (The Book of Life) has said it’s less a TV series than “this giant movie broken up in chunks.” The giant movie combines Aztec, Inca, and Maya mythology to tell a story about a girl, a prophecy, and a quest.
The official summary with the trailer is very brief:
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In a mythical world, where magic is real and four kingdoms rule, there lives a brave and rebellious warrior princess named Maya. Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy but can she defeat the gods and save humankind?
But Deadline has a bit more detail, explaining: “Maya and the Three tells the story of a rebellious warrior princess named Maya who is about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and her coronation when everything abruptly changes as the gods of the underworld make a shocking revelation. Maya’s life is forfeit to the god of war — a price she must pay for her family’s secret past. But if she refuses, the whole world will suffer including her family and friends. So she embarks on a quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy that foretells the coming of three great warriors who will help her defeat the gods and save humankind, according to the streamer.”
The movie has an outstanding voice cast, including Zoe Saldaña as Maya, Diego Luna as Zatz, Gael García Bernal as the Jaguar Triplets, Stephanie Beatriz as Chimi, Alfred Molina as the God of War, Gabriel Iglesias as Picchu, Danny Trejo as the God of Earthquakes, Cheech Marin as the Gods of Wind & Storm, Rosie Perez as the Goddess of Gators, Queen Latifah as Gran Bruja, and Wyclef Jean as Gran Brujo. (There are also gods and goddesses of bats, tattoos, dark magic, and jungle animals.)
Gutiérrez’s world and setting look stunning and rich from the very first frames of the trailer (the light! the butterflies!), but the focus on how Maya needs to prove herself feels frustratingly dated. The film’s longer summary, though, suggests this is only the beginning of her story; hopefully we’ll see more as later teasers and trailers are released.
Maya and the Three comes to Netflix this fall, but no premiere date has been announced.
