In our IRL pandemic, millions of people died and a bunch of movies got postponed. In the graphic novel series Sweet Tooth? A global pandemic results in the births of animal-human Hybrids, who will be hunted across the vast apocalyptic wasteland the world has become since “The Great Crumble”.
Coming soon to Netflix and produced by Robert Downey Jr, Sweet Tooth has been adapted into a sweeping epic TV series, all eight episodes arriving on June 4. Deery me.
Pitched as “Mad Max meets Bambi“, Jeff Lemire’s comic book series concluded in 2013 after a hugely satisfying 46-issue arc. Its initial episodes introduced us to Gus, a nine-year-old boy like any other except for the antlers and huge ears sprouting from his head.
The hybrids. The single greatest mystery of our lifetime. pic.twitter.com/6Jlx7OtZRg
— Sweet Tooth (@SweetTooth) April 30, 2021
When his protective father (played in the series by comedian Will Forte) dies of a mysterious illness, Gus has to go forth on his own, quickly bumping into the stern drifter Jeppard (Nonso Anonzie).
The unlikely pair’s journey to find a safe haven for Hybrids, known as “The Preserve”, will see them confront cruel militias, gangs of rebel outsiders, and the dark past of the plague that tore apart what was once America. But as show-runner Jeff Mickle and Downey Jr point out in the below video, Netflix‘s Sweet Tooth will be somewhat less dark than the original comic, focusing more on the hopefulness of the series’ “North star” protagonist Gus.
With all the teaser’s talk of whole families watching Sweet Tooth together snuggled up on the couch, it seems that Netflix is going for that niche they nailed with Stranger Things; making something rich and expansive enough for adult fans, but without too much disturbing grit.
If you like a little misery, check out Jeff Lemire’s original comic book series before diving into the more ‘storybook dystopia’ of the Netflix adaptation. For everyone else, Sweet Tooth will be sweetening up your homepage from June 4, with all eight episodes of the first season arriving on the same day.
