iShowSpeed has already been a game show host, a soccer pundit, and a pro wrestler. Now, he’s becoming an animated character.
The record-setting streamer (whose real name is Darren Watkins, Jr.) is set to star as the leading voice actor in a newly announced series from Brian Robbins‘ Big Shot Pictures. Showrunner Matt Owens, who is best known for helming the first two seasons of Netflix‘s live-action adaptation of the popular anime One Piece, will write the series.
Variety noted that plot details about the show haven’t yet been revealed, but Speed will lend his likeness to the animated protagonist and will also voice that character. “I’ve always loved anime, so being able to create something like this is a dream come true for me,” Speed said in a statement. “The team behind this project is incredibly talented, and I can’t wait for my fans around the world to see what we’re building together.”
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As he prepares to embark on one of his most ambitious narrative projects to date, Speed is teaming up with an executive who knows a thing or two about creator-led entertainment. Robbins, the former Co-CEO of Paramount, also co-founded the pioneering digital network AwesomenessTV. With Big Shot, which he launched earlier this year, Robbins is looking to develop multi-platform animated and live-action franchises that will be centered around YouTube and its creator community.
Speed, who is still only 21 years old, is exactly the sort of youth culture icon Robbins is eager to build around. In a statement, the longtime TV, film, and digital exec called Speed “a one-of-a-kind creative force whose ability to connect with audiences transcends borders and platforms.”
As Robbins looks to further expand Speed’s already-immense influence, he is bringing in some Hollywood heavy-hitters. One of the producers for the upcoming series is Harmony Korine, a noted filmmaker who believes that Speed represents the next generation of entertainment. In a 2024 interview, Korine described Speed and his buddy Kai Cenat as the auteurs of the future. He called Speed “the next Tarkovsky,” a reference to the groundbreaking Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky.
With the anime-style series, Robbins, Korine, and Owens will get a chance to show us just how much potential Speed possesses. If Big Shot’s big bet ends up paying off, the project’s stars will know exactly what they need to do to celebrate.
