“Steven Universe” lives on.
The Peabody-winning series, created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network Studios, is returning with “Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars.” The spinoff is currently in development for Prime Video.
The new show hails from executive producers Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey and “explores the past, present and future of the ‘Steven Universe’ universe,” according to the official release. It is being described as a “sequel series” that follows “Lars Barriga, eternal teenager and space outlaw, as he and his pirate crew smuggle contraband, evade the authorities and uncover the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire.” We’re in.
“Steven Universe” debuted on Cartoon Network back in November 2013 and ran until January 2019, amassing 160 episodes and inspiring a follow-up television movie, the excellent “Steven Universe: The Movie,” in 2019. A limited series, which served as an epilogue to the main show, “Steven Universe Future,” then aired in 2019 and 2020. The cartoon was known for its gorgeous animation, wonderful music, deeply empathetic characters, rich mythology and a willingness to explore topics that would have probably been deemed taboo just a few years earlier. “Steven Universe” is one of the most deeply felt animated series ever and it’s great that Sugar is returning to the realm that made her one of the most beloved figures in modern animation.
TheWrap spoke to Sugar just a few hours before the announcement was made. She was able to spill the beans and talk about the new show to us.
When asked if she would ever be drawn back to “Steven Universe,” Sugar said, “Those characters and that world are really, really important to me. It’s something that I really hope to do.” When it was revealed, in the room, that she would indeed be coming back, Sugar opened up a little bit more. “I’m thrilled,” Sugar said. “The biggest part to me is that I’m co-creating it with Ian Jones-Quartey and we developed the original ‘Steven Universe’ together at the very beginning. And now we’re back together again, developing this. And that’s all I want to do, is make cartoons with him.” Sugar, it should be noted, is also married to Jones-Quartey. Talk about an animation power couple.
What’s interesting is that Cartoon Network Studios is still very much a part of the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, but this hotly anticipated new series is going to Prime Video — not Max or the Cartoon Network linear channel. It at least shows Cartoon Network Studios’ commitment to creating new programming and finding the best possible home for it, even if it is outside of the corporate mainframe.
Why Adult Animation Might Be Saving TV