Since 2010 when Netflix shifted focus from its DVD-by-mail business to streaming services, it has always been the go-to platform to enjoy the best from the TV industry. Fans of the sci-fi genre should rejoice. Because in 2022, Netflix is bringing in some new promising series to your screen. Check out some of the most anticipated new sci-fi tv series Netflix.
Archive 81
Every now and then a TV series comes up with and delivers an outlandish distraction from the real world with all its contradictions. The show, “Archive 81,” is a prime example. As it’s filled with conspiracy theories, cultish perspectives, bewildering nonsensical trains-of-thoughts, figures coming back from the dead, and just overall plain bizarre unrealism. And thanks to smart sound effect selections, the supernatural sci-fi show brings enough jump scares, too.
The series is based on a podcast also called “Archive 81″. Which tells the story of Dan (a movie restorer, portrayed by Mamoudou Athie) at his job to digitize some destroyed old video tapes. As the story goes, the tapes apparently hide secret horrors waiting to be discovered. If the combination of hallucinations, melodrama, and great performances is what you’re after, look no further than Archive 81.
Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas
Just last year, Netflix released “Army of the Dead.” Which turned out to be one of the platform’s most surprising titles in the catalogue. Not only was it an oddly satisfying show to watch. But it also laid the groundwork for an entirely unexpected yet welcomed fresh cinematic universe. Although the premise is as old as time in which main characters are trapped in a post-apocalyptic world full of the undead, the excitement of killing zombies (or rather watching it happen on TV) never gets boring.
The upcoming series, “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas,” acts as a prequel to the movie. Zack Snyder (the man behind the movie and other popular titles such as 300 and Justice League), will also direct some episodes. Release date is not yet confirmed, but it is coming in 2022 to Netflix.
The Cuphead Show
First things first. Cuphead was a video game released in 2017. Relying on the artistic touches of hand-drawn animations and all their imperfections, everyone was unimpressed. Even if you liked how it looked and sounded, the gameplay itself was exceedingly difficult. The only things that have kept Cuphead circulating in the discussion forums were the characters. Despite the gaming frustration, the characters were simply loveable.
The producers figured there must be some other way to capitalize on the characters. Hence, “The Cuphead Show” animated series. Unlike the game where the adventures and playfulness depend solely on the players, the upcoming show allows everyone to just sit back and enjoy. The main characters, Cuphead and Mugman (a differently colored Cuphead), always find themselves in some sort of gambling-related misadventures.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
In case anybody is wondering why no one has ever run out of what to watch on Netflix, the simple answer is the platform comes with a massive appetite for every source of material there is. Some series are based on novels, short stories, existing movies, plays, true crimes, and histories. However, Netflix also has a strong inclination to adopt and develop shows based on video games.
Another upcoming series of a sci-fi genre built on the idea of a popular game is “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.” Details remain scarce at this point. Although there have been hints that the story takes place in Night City – just like the game. That said, the series will introduce new characters. “Edgerunners” is the adventure of a street boy trying to survive in a future world full of technology and robotic creatures.
First Kill
A devoted fan of modern sci-fi fantasy and horror novels should be familiar with author Victoria Schwab. Who thus far has released several critically acclaimed works such as The Archived, Everyday Angel, Vicious, and more recently Bridge of Souls. In the anthology Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite, Schwab is a contributing writer with her “First Kill” short story.
An upcoming series on Netflix also titled “First Kill” is based on that work of Schwab’s. Felicia D. Henderson, who has worked on “The Punisher,” will be credited as executive producer and writer on the new series. Rumors have it that Schwab will remain in control of the story development and adaptation. “First Kill” is about a female vampire who is yet to earn her rightful position in the family until she takes her first victim. Things get complicated when her target is a member of a vampire hunter group.
Magic: The Gathering
According to the official Twitter account of “Magic: The Gathering,” the new show on Netflix will bring in many familiar characters but in a new storyline. In case you’re wondering what it’s all about, “Magic: The Gathering” is a card game. Much like other card games, there is now a digital version as well played by at least 35 million people worldwide. The new story takes place in Ravnica, a cityscape patched with ancient ruins, grand halls, and slums around the dark corners.
Netflix has announced that Brandon Routh will fill the voice for Gideon Jura, the hero of the show. Not much else is known about the upcoming series. But the game publisher Wizards of the Coast says it’s now in full production. The show is scheduled to deliver the first episode in late 2022.
The Midnight Club
At least for the first season, the new Netflix’s supernatural sci-fi horror “The Midnight Club” will have ten episodes. It’s based on a 1994 novel of the same title authored by Christopher Pike. The new show is likely to adapt stories from other Pike novels too. It is about a group of teenagers. All terminally-ill and living together in a hospice facility known as Rotterdam Home.
To make their last days or months of life more exciting, they gather every night to share horror stories with each other. Someone has an idea of making a promise that whoever among them dies first, the spirit must make every attempt to contact the living from the afterlife. A generic start maybe, but a good one nonetheless.
Resident Evil
If there is one title that binds gamers, movie goers, and now TV lovers together, it is going to be “Resident Evil.” For more than two decades, Capcom has managed to tie the storyline in a tidy twisted knot to keep everything synchronized between the gameplay and movie scripts. Now, the “Resident Evil” TV series is coming to your home entertainment thanks to Netflix.
You can think of it as both prequel and sequel to the existing film series. There are two timelines depicted in the new show. First, Jade and Billie Wesker were still kids exploring their new neighborhood in the Raccoon City. Second, a 30-year-old Jade is on her way to save the world from T-virus outbreak.
Returning Series
Two highly anticipated returning series are coming soon:
Stranger Things, Season 4
The Duffer Brothers have repeatedly promised to bring back “Stranger Things” to our world. It has been three years since it began. And finally a new season of “Stranger Things” is happening. Filming for the new seasons resumed while the world was still in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Which means any hints about what might happen in Season 4 have all been well-concealed.
You can expect familiar characters and probably some answers to the unbearably lingering questions during the last several years. The new season is likely to unveil what happened to Hopper. And whether any new creatures will appear from unfamiliar places. The pleasant tension between Tammy Thompson and Robin may reveal some happy conclusion too.
Alice in Borderland, Season 2
In December 2020, Netflix aired “Alice in Borderland,” a new series based on a manga by Haro Aso. The last episode of the series gave more questions than answers, leaving fans wondering if anything would ever be revealed on screen.
In the abandoned part of Tokyo, the main characters – Arisu and Usagi – find themselves in a dire circumstance where they must play a dangerous game of life and death. Winners end up alive, whereas losing is punishable by death. For the upcoming season, director Shinsuke Sato has promised to take things a bit further making them more complicated with a new mysterious world and an unexpected storyline.
