The Big Picture
- CBS Studios gives fans a first look at the upcoming Among Us animated series based on the popular video game.
- The show will follow the game’s plot, with players onboard a spaceship trying to find the imposter among them.
- Among Us gained popularity during the pandemic, leading to physical game releases and a virtual reality version.
It will soon be time to solve a colorful murder mystery. CBS Studios has released a first look at Among Us, the upcoming animated series that will be based on the smash-hit video game of the same name. While a release window has not yet been set, the first look gives fans a glimpse into what to expect when the show from creator Owen Dennis finally hits television screens.
The first look image was shared on Instagram by CBS TV Studios and Innersloth, the studio that developed the original game. The image depicts what appears to be a pizza party aboard a doomed spaceship, mirroring the original setting of the game. A banner for the party aptly reads “We’re Dead” and is splattered with blood. “Patient Crewmates are rewarded with a pizza party (totally safe) (not a trap),” Innersloth captioned the post. “Work on the #AmongUsAnimated show is progressing nicely!!!“
While most plot details remain slim, the Among Us game puts players into the roles of different-colored crew members aboard a spaceship. Inspired by the classic party game Mafia, one of the players is designated as the imposter and must go around killing the other crew members whose job is to complete different tasks. The crew members must then try and deduce who the imposter is and vote them out of the ship, while the imposter must work to kill the other players while also convincing them of their innocence.
It seems that the series will mostly follow these guidelines, as the show’s logline from CBS states, “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.” In addition to being the show’s creator, Dennis will executive produce alongside Forest Willard, Marcus Bromander, and Carl Neisser for Innersloth, and Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina for Titmouse. CBS Eye Animation Productions is also producing.
‘Among Us’ Has Become a Cult Classic
The Among Us game was first released for mobile in 2018 before expanding to Windows and consoles over the following years. However, it was mostly stagnant until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, at which point the game became a welcomed way to pass the time. It shot up in popularity, and at its peak that year had more than 500 million online users.
Innersloth capitalized on Among Us’ popularity to promote a trio of physical releases of the game in 2022, which included a variety of bonus content. A virtual reality version of the game was also announced and released in 2022, with a Playstation version being released in 2023. CBS’ development of the animated series was announced in June 2023 and is the latest in a long line of video game series and films in the works.
No release window for Among Us has been announced. The first look can be seen below: