Interplay Entertainment, the publisher governing the rights to the Earthworm Jim franchise, revealed earlier this year that a brand new entry in the series is in the works for Intellivision's upcoming Amico console. Now, we have something else to look forward to.
Interplay has announced a new animated series called Earthworm Jim: Beyond the Groovy. According to Variety, who exclusively reported on the matter ahead of Interplay's announcement, it'll follow the title character, an earthworm that wears a futuristic robotic suit, as he fights baddies in search of the best dirt in the solar system.
Well this is just groovy...
--- Interplay (@InterplayGames) November 18, 2021
PREPARE TO LAUNCH THE COW because Earthworm Jim has a new tv series COMING SOON!
Visit https://t.co/us2NcqQI2m for more info!#Interplay #EarthwormJim #EWJ #BeyondTheGroovy pic.twitter.com/2T7QErAwu1
According to Variety, the series is being produced by Aaron Billet along with help from animation studio Passion Pictures. Michel K. Parandi, who leads Interplay's TV and film studio division, said he remembers loving Earthworm Jim as a kid.
"And there's so much potential in this story universe: a galaxy full of animals battling for power. Jim is an earthworm in a universe where Earth is nothing more than a myth. His struggle to find meaning is surreal and comical, but it's also relatable," Parandi added.
The original Earthworm Jim debuted in 1994 as a 2D sidescrolling platformer, eventually spawning a handful of sequels across a range of home consoles. The last game in the mainline series came in 1999, but there was also an HD remake that dropped digitally in 2010 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Sega also added the original game to its Genesis Mini lineup in 2019, and there was even an Earthworm Jim animated series in the mid-90s that ran for two seasons on the Kids' WB.
No word yet on when the new series will premiere or what platform(s) it'll appear on. In a pitch for the show, we do learn that it'll be for both kids and adults.