The sometimes deep, sometimes crude Netflix animated epic fantasy series The Dragon Prince ended its seven-season run in December, but co-creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond want to continue the story. After debuting the idea for The Dragon King at San Diego Comic-Con, they’ve turned to fans for help with a Kickstarter campaign.
The project has already earned double its original $250,000 goal, with backers pledging more than $570,000. The new storyline would kick off seven years after the events of The Dragon Prince and follow the ascension of the Dragon Prince Zym. As he establishes a fragile peace in the magical land of Xadia, Zym finds his rule threatened by the return of an exile with a claim to the throne.
Ehasz, who previously worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Richmond will helm the new series along with regular The Dragon Prince director Villads Spangsberg. Returning characters voiced by their original actors include the wizard Prince Callum (Jack De Sena), the elf assassin Rayla (Paula Burrows), and the dark mage Claudia (Racquel Belmonte). Dante Basco, who played Prince Zuko on Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced Zym in The Dragon Prince finale – the young dragon just made animalistic noises throughout most of the series – and he’ll have a much larger role in The Dragon King. They will be joined by Critical Role’s Liam O’Brien playing a new character named Luna Devorans.
Backers will get a variety of perks including access to a Discord and special swag like a patch depicting Zym or a plushie version of Callum’s pet glow toad bait. At the highest levels, they can even earn producer credits, minor speaking roles, and a studio tour. The money will be used to fund the creation of teasers that can be used to pitch the show in Hollywood. If the Kickstarter earns $1 million, O’Brien and some of the show’s other stars will appear in an actual play one-shot using Tales of Xadia, the show’s official tabletop role-playing game published by Dire Wolf Digital.