A full trailer for 3Below – the next installment in Guillermo del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia from DreamWorks Animation Television – dropped today ahead of its Netflix release next week. The animated series is a sequel of sorts to Trollhunters, focusing on new characters but still set within the town of Arcadia Oaks. Both 3Below and Trollhunters are part of the wider Tales of Arcadia trilogy, with a future series, Wizards, planned as the final installment.
Each series in Tales of Arcadia is set in Arcadia Oaks and centers on the strange, supernatural things that happen there. The first series, Trollhunters, follows high school student, Jim, as he discovers a secret world of trolls hidden below the surface and becomes the first human Trollhunter. As the Trollhunter, Jim – along with his friends, Toby and Claire – must safeguard Arcadia Oaks against those trolls who wish to destroy the human world. The series was a big hit, and even before the final season aired, the two follow-up series were announced.
Related: Netflix Announces Original Anime Aggretsuko Christmas Special
3Below follows three aliens – two displaced royals, Prince Krel Arikidion and Princess Aja Arikidion, and their bodyguard, Commander Varvatos Vex – who flee their home planet after its taken over by an evil dictator. Crash-landing in Arcadia Oaks, the three do their best to blend in among the humans while they fix their spaceship so they can one day return home. Check out the full trailer, poster, as well as new images, below:
Both Krel and Aja were actually first introduced during the final season of Trollhunters, appearing as a couple of odd classmates to Jim, Toby, and Claire. Judging by the trailer, 3Below will first rewind the story in order to explain how it is they came to Arcadia Oaks. The series will also include crossover episodes that will bridge the events of 3Below and Trollhunters season 3, and will see the return of Jim, Toby, Claire, and other characters from Trollhunters.
Trollhunters wove together magic and medieval imagery – not to mention Del Toro’s imagination with the computer animation of DreamWorks – into an a wildly original adventure that was full of humor, friendship, and important lessons. 3Below appears to be more sci-fi than fantasy, swapping out the sorcery for science, but being from the same creative team, it’s sure to be just as heartfelt and funny of a series. And there will likely be lessons for both Krel and Aja to learn as they adjust to life on Earth and learn how to become stronger, more effective leaders for when they return home to reclaim their throne.
Lending their voices to the new characters of 3Below are Diego Luna (Rogue One, Narcos) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as Krel and Aja; Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as Vex; Glenn Close (The Wife) as the Mothership, Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Mom, and Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob SquarePants) as Dad. 3Below season 1 will have 13 episodes, including the crossover episodes with Trollhunters, all of which will be available on Netflix the day of release.
Next: Trollhunters Comes To An End, But Tales Of Arcadia Is Only Beginning
3Below season 1 releases Friday, December 21st on Netflix.
