3 Minutes
New anime‑inspired sci‑fi arrives with a high‑profile cast
Jeron Braxton, a Sundance prize winning animator making his feature directorial debut, has assembled an impressive voice cast around Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi for Slime, an animated, anime‑inspired sci‑fi monster film. The project pairs rising star Willow Smith as the lead with established talents including Teyana Taylor, Anna Sawai, John Cho and John Boyega, signaling a bold, genre‑blending entry into pre‑apocalyptic speculative cinema.
Plot and tone
Set in a too‑near future, Slime centers on Muna, an optimistic but cash‑strapped young woman who enrolls in a paid clinical trial and is injected with a mysterious creature slime that grants destructive and uncontrollable powers. On the run, Muna abducts Glenn, the lab tech who administered the injection, and together they embark on a perilous odyssey across a crumbling, dystopian landscape in search of refuge and a cure. The story teases a moral tension: is Muna becoming humanity s worst nightmare or its unlikely savior?
The film is described as anime‑inspired with retro video‑game aesthetics, a fusion that evokes the kinetic energy of cult anime classics and the tactile pixel sensibility of vintage gaming. Expect a visual language that blends stylized character animation with modern VFX, courtesy of Folks VFX.
Cast, music and creative team
Willow Smith will voice Muna, with voice sessions reportedly due to begin soon. Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi is attached not only as a performer but also as composer and soundtrack creator, promising an original score that ties into the film s atmosphere. The script comes from Brian Ash, and production is financed by Hammerstone Studios with Script 2 Screen, Mad Solar and Capstone Pictures among the producing partners. Producers on the project include Alex Lebovici, Kid Cudi, Karina Manashil, Willow Smith and Aaron Bergman.
Context, influences and industry relevance
Slime arrives amid growing cross‑pollination between Western animation and anime aesthetics. Recent years have seen auteurs and studios borrow anime techniques to tell adult‑oriented, high‑concept stories, from hybrid projects like Spider‑Verse to original anime features that cross international markets. Jeron Braxton s move from acclaimed short animation to a feature with an A‑list cast follows a path trodden by other animators turned filmmakers and highlights how festival success can unlock larger studio backing.
Fans of anime monster lore and pre‑apocalyptic cinema might find echoes of works like Akira in the film s body horror elements, while the music‑led sensibility recalls other singer‑composers turning soundtracks into narrative drivers. Behind the scenes, the involvement of Mad Solar, Kid Cudi s creative company, and Folks VFX suggests an integrated approach to music and visuals.
Slime promises a distinct blend of music, animation and speculative storytelling. For fans of smart, genre‑bending animation, it s a title to watch as production ramps up and further character details are released.
Source: deadline
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