Arcane made it to the living rooms in 2021, League of Legends. The animated series introduced the world of Runeterra to many people who don’t even play the game. Now, Season 2 is already on the verge of release. A movie was apparently once planned. According to a report, they even brought in the Avengers directors for it. But that never happened.
What is it about? In 2021, Arcane was released as the first series project in the League of Legends universe. The animated series tells the story of Vi and Jinx, who live in the underground city of Zhaun. Above Zhaun lies the futuristic city of Piltover. This causes not only societal problems but also personal ones. On November 9, 2024, Season 2 will be released.
For many viewers, Arcane was the first point of contact with the world of League of Legends. Before the series was released, a movie by the Avengers directors was apparently planned. At least, that’s what a report from Variety suggests.
If you want to get in the mood just before the release of Season 2, you can watch the trailer here:
A LoL movie from the Avengers directors?
What does the Variety report say? A recent report by Variety discusses Riot Games’ efforts to build an entertainment division outside of gaming. The video game company brought in several top people from media companies, such as Netflix, HBO Max, or Paramount.
Interestingly, apart from Arcane, there has been no other movie or series from the LoL universe. However, Variety quotes Marc Merrill, the co-founder of Riot, who confirmed via email that they still want to expand in that area.
The report also mentions a movie that was apparently in an early planning phase. They report from sources that in 2020, Riot commissioned the Russo brothers to create a LoL movie. They are known primarily as directors of the Avengers films.
However, the report also speaks of creative differences with the direction of the then-movie. This led to a separation between Riot and the Russo brothers. Due to contractual obligations, Riot reportedly had to pay the Russo brothers 5 million dollars – approximately over 4.6 million euros.
Both Riot and the Russo brothers’ company, AGBO, did not want to confirm the insider reports, according to Variety.
The report reveals the budget of Arcane
The report from Variety also shows how expensive the series reportedly was. The production and advertising costs are estimated to be around 250 million dollars. That would make Arcane the most expensive animated series of all time. Although Arcane ends with Season 2, that is not expected to be the last LoL project. Nowadays, animated series are no longer produced solely for children. Another Netflix animated series has also been a success: This new Netflix series is currently impressing critics and fans – “One of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time”
