Inside Arcane, Netflixs animated prequel show that builds on League of Legends' lore

Date:
Sun, 07 Nov 2021 13:00:47 +0000

Description:
TechRadar sits down with Arcanes cast and crew to find out how the League of Legends animated show builds on the game series mythology.

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How do you tell a prequel story in the League of Legends (LoL) universe? Riot Games iconic game series only turned 12 on October 27, 2021, but there arent many franchises that can match its 180 million monthly user base (per PC
Gamer ).

Given LoLs rich, established lore and a fervent fanbase that knows it inside out is it possible to craft a meaningful tale that explores the origins of some of LoLs most beloved champions? After all, players are already well
aware of the foundational backstories for fan favorites including Vi, Jinx
and Jayce.

For Riot Games creative director Christian Linke, making an LoL animated prequel series afforded the game company the opportunity to dig into their characters origins. The result is Arcane, a three-part TV event series, developed in collaboration with Netflix, that builds on LoLs familiar mythology. These are the best Netflix TV shows to watch right now Or check
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For us, it started less with this idea of, Were gonna make a big animated series, Linke tells TechRadar. Instead, as LoL players ourselves, we thought, Weve never had the chance to do something like this. And everything is
already out there to make Arcane but nobody has. It felt like someone had to do it, so why not us?

Ahead of Arcanes November 6 launch, TechRadar sat down with its cast and crew to find out how the show was developed for newcomers and established fans alike. We also discuss how the cast brought these iconic characters to life and the process behind the shows beautiful art style. A link to the past (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games)

Based on League of Legends mythos, Arcane tells the tale of sisters Vi
(Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Mia Sinclair Jenness) before the duo become
the iconic champions that they are today. The series also follows soon-to-be champions including Jayce (Kevin Alejandro), Caitlyn (Katie Leung) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd), who become pawns in the bitter power struggle between the idyllic, progressive city of Piltover and Zaun, Piltovers polluted and criminal sibling.

Eager as Riots creative team was to develop an animated LoL series, the first steps in the process were deciding on its plot and characters. With almost
160 champions to choose from, whittling that number down to eight key individuals was no easy feat. The total number of champions could even inch higher, with fans speculating that some characters, who appear to have been specifically created for Arcane, will become iconic LoL champions as the series progresses.

It wasnt long, however, before Riot settled on which heroes and villains to focus on. And, as Linke reveals, two specific choices were obvious
inclusions.

There was a desire to develop a genuinely good and moving story, he says. We really tried to chase that down and work out the central questions we have
for our characters, especially for Vi and Jinx. [We focused] on this
difficult relationship between two sisters, and that question of whether or not they can make it work is a key part of Arcanes plot. (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games)

Despite Arcanes obvious ties to LoLs universe, Riot also didnt want their Netflix series to be inextricably linked to the games it's based on. As Riot creative designer Alex Yee explains, this was vital for Arcane to be accessible to franchise newcomers. That, combined with Arcane being a prequel series, means that viewers dont need to be LoL superfans to enjoy the show.

We asked ourselves, Is it right to kick off the show where everyone already knows that these characters will become champions? Yee says. When we develop new champions [for our games], there are lots of stories bandied around,
which become headcanon. But there were questions outside of those that we wanted to answer in the show. We came to the conclusion that this show should be enjoyable for people who havent played LoL, as well as those who know
about it.

We didn't want Arcane to be purely fanservice, Linke adds. These days, we see a lot of studios say, just do what people want to make fans smile. We wanted Arcane to take a deep dive into these characters from games weve loved for over 10 years. We wanted to explore the subtleties and drama of these individuals with quality animation. Painting a picture (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games)

That quality animation that Linke alludes to is part of Arcanes appeal. Riot wanted its animated series to have a distinct art style that was neither cartoonish or realistic. After a lengthy search, Riot chose Fortiche Productions, a small Paris-based studio who specializes in creating animated projects with a unique blend of 2D and 3D art. The result is a visually striking, painterly style that sets Arcane apart from other animated shows.

We wanted something that felt boutique but also cinematic, Linke reveals. We couldve gone with a bigger studio, but I dont think you can teach what Fortiche created. That visual style, married with a human touch, gives you a real feeling that people have crafted this. You get a sense that theres someone there filming with a handheld camera, which gives Arcane an imperfect human aesthetic. Its fascinating to me that 14 people could pull off this unique style and we immediately fell in love with it.

We didn't want Arcane to be purely fanservice Christian Linke, Riot creative director

An animated show like Arcane can be stunning to look at but, unless its populated with interesting, morally complex characters, it may feel one dimensional. Even then, justice may not be done to its eclectic mix of characters without the right voice actors.

So its satisfying that Arcanes cast feels like the right fit for their characters. Steinfeld brings an intensity thats befitting of Vis persona, while Ella Purnells performance as Jinx is suitably chaotic for such an explosive individual. (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games)

But stepping into the shoes of these beloved champions was something of a pressure situation for some of Arcanes cast. Unsurprisingly, LoL fans are
very protective of the series characters, so putting a new spin on its champions had the capacity to alienate them and potentially lead to
criticism of each actors portrayal. As Purnell explains, though, Riots
backing of its cast gave them the confidence to bring something novel to
their performances.

Theres so much stuff about Jinx online, Purnell says. People love this character, so it was interesting to read all these conspiracy theories about her past. And its mildly terrifying to step into her shoes as everybody has
an idea of what you should do or sound like. But the shows creators were great. They made these characters, so we had plenty of extensive
conversations about my approach to Jinx.

You know theres gonna be pressure, Katie Leung, who plays Caitlyn, adds. People have preconceived notions of who Caitlyn is but, if you try to please everybody, thats a recipe for disaster. Before I recorded my lines, Christian and Alex explained her huge backstory to me, which helped me get into character. I felt super supported as an actor and, as long as theyre happy, thats the main thing. Leaving a legacy (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games)

As Riot Games maiden non-game project, theres plenty riding on Arcanes possible success. If it resonates with LoLs fanbase, theres the potential for similar productions based on other Riot properties, including Valorant and Legends of Runeterra to receive similar movie or TV treatments.

Theres no guarantee, however, that Arcane will wow audiences. The Netflix series has been split into three distinct parts, with Act 1s three-episode
arc the only one to be released so far. Act 2s three episodes will arrive on Netflix on November 12, before Act 3s final three entries land on November
19.

So itll be another two weeks before fans of Riots multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title can offer their definitive verdict on Arcane. Should it prove to be successful, it could leave a legacy thats as lasting as LoL itself, but itll be a fortnight before Riot and LoL fans will know for sure.

Still, Linke and Yee are hopeful that Arcane will be well received. Its expansion on LoLs source material, coupled with its prequel story, means that it doesnt step on lore thats already established in the MOBA. And, with Riot at its helm, Arcane doesnt diverge too much from whats made League of Legends such a beloved series.

Theres a lot of lore and story thats been created for League of Legends, even beyond what you can see in their character biographies, Yee says. It was a goal of ours to make this show, create a new story, build on the identity of these characters and make them relatable. There are core aspects of our champions that people dont know, and now I think weve done justice to that side of them.

These are games that weve loved for 12 years, Linke adds. Wed wanted to tell this story for a while, but it took us a while to have the guts to do it. It was a question of whether we could make this work, and I think we have done [that].

Arcane Part 1 is out now on Netflix. Parts 2 and 3 will launch on the streaming service on November 12 and November 19 respectively. The Umbrella Academy season 3 : everything we know so far



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/inside-arcane-netflixs-animated-prequel-show-th at-builds-on-league-of-legends-lore/


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