Hulu has released the first trailer and poster for the upcoming dystopian series ‘Utopia Falls’ and… well, I’ve never seen anything like it. The series is set 300 years in the future, in New Babyl, the last living colony on Earth. Young people are trained to perform to honor Gaia, the founder of this society, in an annual competition called the Exemplar.
But then, some of the teens receive mysterious invitations to a lost archive curated by the voice of Snoop Dogg. No, I’m being serious. They discover a lost artform which they have never seen or heard before — hip hop. Specifically, they are greeted by a Busta Rhymes music video, “Gimme Some Mo,” and the kids marvel at just how fast he raps. The teens soon discover that this trove contains more than just music, but art, literature and other artifacts from the past, but it has all been hidden away. Now they want to know why.
But when they attempt to incorporate these ancient artforms into their Exemplar performances, one adult demands “What is the meaning of these acts of defiance?” while one of the teens stresses, “They don’t want you to know the truth… but it’s too late to stop us.” It all seems very high-stakes. Except this is about dancing and hip hop music. Is this Utopian society going to be destroyed by a Drake video? (The answer, apparently, is yes, as it is called ‘Utopia Falls‘.)
This is bonkers. It’s like a cross between ‘Divergent’, ‘Equilibrium’, ‘The Giver’, ‘Footloose’, and ‘Centerstage’.
Check out the craziness for yourself:
I honestly don’t know who this show is for. It’s too teen- and music-focused for hard sci-fi fans. And it might be too future-y and strange for fans of shows like ‘Bunheads’ or ‘Step Up: High Water’.
At any rate, EW has provided this look at the show’s official poster:
Here is Hulu’s official synopsis (via Den of Geek):
Set in the not-too-distant future, amidst the charred ruins of Earth, Utopia Falls follows a group of teens chosen to compete in the prestigious Exemplar performing arts competition in the seemingly idyllic colony of New Babyl. When they stumble upon a hidden archive of cultural relics, they are forced to question everything they have been taught, ultimately using the power of music to ignite change and expose the truth. Showcasing a variety of musical genres and dance styles (Hip Hop, Pop, Latin, House, Classical, Indigenous, among others), and featuring themes of afrofuturism, youth activism, and eco-awareness, Utopia Falls is the first ever performance-based sci-fi series for culturally diverse and socially and politically minded young audiences.
‘Utopia Falls’ was created by R.T. Thorne (‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’, ‘Degrassi: Next Class’… oh, so Drake WILL cause the end of society in this). Thorne acts as executive producer, director, and co-writer. Joseph Mallozzi acts as showrunner. Mallozzi formerly acted as EP on ‘Dark Matter’, ‘Stargate Universe’, Stargate: Atlantis’, and ‘Stargate: SG-1’.
One actor from ‘Dark Matter’ returns here, Jeff Teravainen who plays Gerald. The cast also includes Robyn Alomar, Kate Drummond, Humberly Gonzalez, Robbie Graham-Kuntz, Akiel Julien, Phillip Lewitski, Huse Madhavji, Dwain Murphy, and Mickeey Nguyen. And of course, ‘Utopia Falls’ features the voice of Snoop Dogg as the Archive.
If you’re ready for this mish-mash of genres, ‘Utopia Falls’ premiers on Hulu on February 14.
