Scavengers Reign

Scavengers Reign is an American adult animated science fiction drama television series created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for Max, based on their 2016 short film Scavengers. HBO Max announced the series in June 2022, and it premiered on October 19, 2023. Since the show's release, it has received critical acclaim, praising the acting, plot, animation and atmosphere.

In May 2024, the series was canceled by Max; however, Netflix acquired the first season and a decision will be made about a possible second season after the first season's debut on the platform.

Synopsis
The series follows the survivors of the damaged interstellar cargo ship Demeter 227 who are stranded on Vesta, an alien planet bustling with flora and fauna but filled with dangers. Initially the survivors are separated into three groups: Azi and her robot companion Levi, Sam and Ursula, and the isolated Kamen, who travels with a telepathic creature named Hollow. Over time all their paths converge towards the crash-landed Demeter.

Main

 * Sunita Mani as Ursula, a crewmember in the Demeter's horticulture lab; stranded on Vesta with Sam.
 * Wunmi Mosaku as Azi, a cargo specialist on the Demeter; stranded on Vesta with Levi.
 * Alia Shawkat as Levi, a robot from the Demeter; stranded on Vesta with Azi.
 * Bob Stephenson as Sam, commander of the Demeter; stranded on Vesta with Ursula.
 * Ted Travelstead as Kamen, a crewmember on the Demeter who is struggling in his career and in his marriage with wife Fiona; while stranded on Vesta he forms a bond with Hollow, a telepathic and telekinetic creature. Co-creator Bennett stated that Kamen's presence has "introduced human greed and gluttony into this animal kingdom," which causes Hollow to become more sinister.

Guest

 * Alia Shawkat as Fiona, the Demeter's robotics engineer; and Kamen's estranged wife.
 * Sepideh Moafi as Mia, a passenger on the Demeter who forms a romantic connection with Azi.
 * Skyler Gisondo as Charlie, a passenger in cryofreeze on the Demeter.
 * Pollyanna McIntosh as Kris, the leader of a scavenger group from another planet; intends to loot the Demeter.
 * Freddy Rodriguez as Terrence, a member of Kris's scavenger group.
 * Dash Williams as Barry, the youngest and least experienced member of Kris's scavenger group.
 * Masha King as Mascha, a healer that Ursula and Sam meet in their travels on Vesta; part of a group that was stranded on Vesta many years prior.
 * James Kyson as John, a member of Mascha's group.

Production
Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner created the original 2016 Scavengers short film for Adult Swim, where it aired as part of the Toonami block. The eight-minute animated short contains no dialog and depicts a pair of humans engaging in an intricate series of interactions with alien creatures. From 2018 to 2019, Bennett and Huettner expanded the concept into a series pilot that did not go forward at Adult Swim, though the show was later picked up by HBO Max. The twelve-episode series was produced over two years by Titmouse, Inc. and Green Street Pictures with a crew including international animators working remotely from locations including Mexico, Spain, Portugal and France.

In May 2024, the series was canceled by Max. However, Netflix acquired the first season and a decision will be made about a possible second season after the first season's debut on the platform.

Release
The series premiered on October 19, 2023, with three episodes released weekly until November 9, 2023. In May 2024, the series was acquired by Netflix and released on May 31 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Reception
The series has received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 100% approval score with an average rating of 8.7/10, based on 22 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Disturbing and wondrous, Scavengers Reign presents a vividly realized world that beckons exploration by its marooned characters and television viewers alike." James Poniewozik of The New York Times called it "a lush, magnificent, hypnotic story of human survival in a place that feels, in a way that sci-fi planets only occasionally manage, truly otherworldly." Andrew Webster of The Verge deemed it to be "equal parts beautiful and brutal, and it might be the most original piece of science fiction of the year."

For the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the series received a nomination for Outstanding Animated Program.