Last week it was revealed that Netflix’s League of Legends animated series, Arcane, is the most expensive animated series ever produced. It reportedly cost $250 million for the 18 episodes.
As I said before, you see all of that money on the screen when you watch the series with its strong storytelling and stunning visuals.
Showrunner Christian Linke recently talked about the high budget and explained it, telling GamesRadar+: “First of all, the number is not exactly right. That number does include marketing costs associated with the release, which is not part of the budget of Arcane.”
Linke goes on to defend the budget, saying “Arcane is a really expensive animated series – which was the point. Our dream was to create an animated series that has the fidelity of what you see in animated movies.”
Showrunner Alex Yee went on to say that Arcane is “the length of several movies. If you compare us to animated movies, we are dirt cheap.”
They also reveal what the money was used for, which includes talent and quality. Lee said: “You have voice actors, where we really tried to find great talent.
“You have artists who we wanted to have time to really be able to put in their touches and to have so many different disciplines in this really be able to do their best and show what they could do. In a lot of ways, the money is just a reflection of the amount of effort that was put into this.”
Production designer Jason Schrier also talked about the cost of the show, saying: “Let this be the example for the standard if you want artistry and quality. Perfection takes time, and it takes resources.
“Every frame in Arcane is truly a painting, and nuanced at a level I feel our viewership deserves. Using the animation medium to be expressive, and to tell incredible larger than life stories.”
It’s great that this creative team has put in the time effort and money to develop a top-notch animated series that fans and audiences will appreciate and enjoy.
The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2 are now on Netflix. Act Two debuts on November 16th, and Act Three, the final act, will be released on November 23rd.
