Watch A Sneak Peek At Tom Hanks’ Electric City Animated Web Series

By Rudie Obias | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Actor Tom Hanks isn’t really known for his sci-fi appeal so he’d be the last person you’d think of to create a sci-fi web series about a dystopian future. Electric City is a 12 episode animated web series that will premiere exclusively on Yahoo.com starting on July 17th.

The animated series was created and will star Tom Hanks in the lead role and will also feature the voices of Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holland Taylor, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Antoon, Chris Parnell, and Paul Scheer. It’s a series about a dystopian future where citizens live in fear of secret police, government corruption and environmental depletion. The series also appears to have elements of mystery and crime and punishment with leanings of global awareness.

Here’s your first look at Electric City

Electric City looks like something out of the Animatrix series from 2003 as part of the Wachowski’s Matrix universe, with a hard-boiled edge that mirrors the tone of the anime Noir.

Official Synopsis From Yahoo!:

The world as we know it has ended and out of the rubble, the Electric City stands as a symbol of peace and security. Yet under the veneer of order lies a world full of secrets and violence. Secret police, back-alley dealings, daring chases, and murder all find a home in the “Electric City.” Through the lens of a functioning, yet dystopian metropolis, “Electric City” touches upon relevant global issues and themes including energy consumption, freedom of information, crime and punishment and more. The story unfolds gradually, layering mystery upon mystery, inviting viewers to interact with the content and each other. Metaphors and symbols are woven throughout, creating a perfect environment for puzzle-solving and community interaction. Like good science fiction, “Electric City” raises provocative questions about our own way of life and value systems. Short-form connecting storylines combined with vivid animation and a compelling score will keep audiences watching, while metaphors and a range of subject lines will keep them guessing—and reflecting.

The first ten 5-7 minute episodes of Electric City will be available exclusively on Yahoo.com starting July 17th. The remaining episodes will be released on July 18th and 19th.

Yahoo! will also offer a full online interaction supplement to the animated web series, complete with 3D interactive maps, behind-the-scenes footage and games that will take players to the Electric City. It’s good to have an interactive series like this during the summer when its core audience will be home from school. It also gives people a reason to go to Yahoo.com. Because seriously, when was the last time you purposely went there?