Superhero Kindergarten
Superhero Kindergarten | |
---|---|
Genre | Superhero |
Created by | Fabian Nicieza |
Based on | Superhero Kindergarten by Stan Lee |
Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Running time | 24–25 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Release | April 23, 2021 present | –
Superhero Kindergarten (also known as Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten), is a 2021 American superhero streaming television series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The series was created and executive produced by Fabian Nicieza. Superhero Kindergarten premiered on April 23, 2021 on Genius Brands' streaming service Kartoon Channel.[1][2][3]
Premise
A gym coach acquires incredible superpowers from a mysterious comet and becomes Captain Courage, one of the earth's greatest protectors. He works 'undercover' as a kindergarten teacher to raise a new generation of super-powered kids.[4]
Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Arnold Armstrong / Captain Courage[5]
Production and development
In May 2019, production began on the series, after Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast in the lead role as Arnold Armstrong / Captain Courage.[6] He served as a co-executive producer with Paul Wachter, CEO of Main Street Advisors and Fabian Nicieza, who was also the lead writer.[4] On June 15, 2020, Prime Video acquired the series.[7][2] On June 20, 2020, John Landis signed on to direct and executive produce all of the episodes.[8] The season will consist of 52 episodes.[9] In July 2020, Genius Brands and Archie Comics published the late Stan Lee's comic book Superhero Kindergarten, in a multi-year partnership agreement.[10] As with other adaptations of his works, Lee made several cameo appearances in the series.[1][11][12] The series was the last project Lee personally worked on.[13]
Discussing his work on the series, lead actor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "Superhero Kindergarten is near and dear to my heart, the greatest superhero to ever live. What an honor it was to collaborate with Stan Lee on the creation of the series, and I am absolutely thrilled that our new series has resonated so strongly with audiences right out of the gate".[1] In 2021, Steven Banks was revealed to have served as a head writer on the series.[14] During an April 2021 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Schwarzenegger stated that the idea behind the making of Superhero Kindergarten came from his desire "to do a sequel to Kindergarten Cop".[15]
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by [8] | Written by | Original release date [4] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The First Day of School" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | April 23, 2021 | |
One of the earth's greatest protectors, Captain Courage, ends up expelling his powers to win a final battle with his nemesis Dr. Superior. Five years later, when it is revealed that a group of unsuspecting toddlers in the vicinity of the fight were exposed to super-energy particles, he must become a kindergarten teacher to the now super-powered kids to train them as a new generation of young heroes. | |||||
2 | "Art of the Steal" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | April 23, 2021 | |
The Super K's take a field trip to an art museum and must stop thieves from making off with the prize art. | |||||
3 | "Hammy" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | April 30, 2021 | |
The class gains a pet, Hammy the hamster, and learn about taking care of a pet who also has superpowers. | |||||
4 | "Super K's vs. The Fearsome Foursome" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | May 7, 2021 | |
The Super K's encounter academic and villainous rivals from the Academy for Superior Children, led by the former Dr. Superior. | |||||
5 | "Call Me Hugzilla" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | May 14, 2021 | |
6 | "One Dark Night" | John Landis | Fabian Nicieza | May 21, 2021 |
Release
The first two episodes of Superhero Kindergarten were released on the Kartoon Channel on April 23, 2021, with subsequent episodes to be released weekly.[1][16][17] The first episode premiered on January 29, 2021, which included an introduction from series star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.[18][19]
Reception
Critical response
Alessia Santoro, of PopSugar, gave a positive review, saying "it's the perfect show for superhero-loving parents and their kids to enjoy together".[20] WBOC-TV also gave a positive review, saying the series is "fun for the whole family, opening up the superhero genre for a whole new demographic and draws kids in with action and comedy, while parents can appreciate the quality of content synonymous with Stan Lee".[21]
Ratings
The first two episodes were watched by over 2 million viewers.[14] By May 3, 2021, the first three episodes surpassed 9 million views.[22][23] Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO of Genius Brands, discussed the episodes' ratings, by saying "this breaks every record for us on the channel and goes beyond our wildest expectation for the series weekend debut. In the new world of streaming media, it's hard to compare apples to oranges, but if Superhero Kindergarten were a feature movie, we would be doing cartwheels with this 'opening weekend box office'".[1][24]
References
- ^ a b c d e Zogbi, Emily (April 26, 2021). "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten Debuts to Over 2 Million Viewers". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (April 22, 2020). "'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten' to Arrive on Amazon in Spring 2021". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ Jennings, Collier (January 28, 2021). "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten Trailer Introduces Schwarzenegger's Captain Fantastic". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c Couch, Aaron (May 29, 2019). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Lending Voice to Stan Lee's 'Superhero Kindergarten'". The Hollywood Reporter. Valence Media. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim (May 29, 2019). "Arnold Schwarzenegger to Star in 'Superhero Kindergarten' Series From Stan Lee". TheWrap. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (May 29, 2019). "Arnold Schwarzenegger to Star in Animated Series 'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten'". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (June 15, 2020). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Invests In Genius Brands As Producer, Star Of Its Animated Kids Series 'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Jennings, Collier (June 20, 2020). "John Landis to Direct Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten Starring Schwarzenegger". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ White, Peter (October 14, 2019). "China's Youku To Co-Produce Arnold Schwarzenegger's Kids' Series 'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten' – Mipcom". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 15, 2020). "Archie Comics to Launch Comic Books Based on Stan Lee Superheroes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (May 29, 2019). "Stan Lee's Final Project Is an Animated Superhero Show for Kids Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger". IndieWire. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Tuchow, Ryan (July 6, 2020). "Genius Brands acquires Stan Lee's likeness, IPs". Kidscreen. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Genius Brands to launch Stan Lee's "Superhero Kindergarten" featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger
- ^ a b "Weekend Premiere of Genius Brands' "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten," Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel! Delivers Massive Success With Over 2 Million Views". Globe News Wire. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Chand, Neeraj (May 1, 2021). "How Stan Lee Made Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'Kindergarten Cop 2' Wish Come True". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Cranswick, Amie (April 21, 2021). "Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in trailer for Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten". Flickering Myth. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ LiteraryJoe (April 20, 2021). "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten: Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars In New Animated Series Premiering This Week". Comic Book Movie. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "Sneak Peek Weekend: 'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten' Episode 1 Premiere". Animation World Network. January 26, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (January 25, 2021). "'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten' Gets Sneak-Peek Weekend with Arnold". Animation Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Santoro, Alessia (April 26, 2021). "Where to Watch Superhero Kindergarten, One of Stan Lee's Final Creations Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger". PopSugar. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "Stunning Growth Continues... "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten" Garners Over 4 Million Views Since Premiere This Last Weekend on Kartoon Channel!". WBOC-TV. April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Genius Brands' "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten" Surpasses 9 Million Views on Kartoon Channel!". Yahoo! Finance. May 3, 2021. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Genius Brands' "Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten" Surpasses 9 Million Views on Kartoon Channel!". Associated Press. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Burlingame, Russ (April 30, 2021). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How Stan Lee Came Up With Idea For Superhero Kindergarten". Comicbook.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
External links
- 2020s American animated television series
- 2021 American television series debuts
- Amazon Prime Video original programming
- American children's animated adventure television series
- American children's animated comedy television series
- American children's animated fantasy television series
- American children's animated superhero television series
- Animated television series about children
- Cultural depictions of Arnold Schwarzenegger
- English-language television shows
- Television series about educators
- Television shows based on Archie Comics
- Television shows based on works by Stan Lee