The Umbrella Academy got its best reveal yet at Netflix’s Friday panel during New York Comic-Con.
NetflixThe Umbrella Academy family of superheroes will debut Feb. 15, 2019 on Netflix.
The debut date was announced Friday during the Netflix and Chills panel during New York Comic-Con 2018, during which the show’s first trailer was screened to the audience and the cast took the stage.
While the trailer itself isn’t on the internet yet, it opens with the adoption of each of the seven children of The Umbrella Academy. Fast forward 17 years later and their father is dead. Some of the children appear to be dancing, perhaps celebrating the death of their father, but others look upset by his passing. While the family do each have superpowers, they are only glimpsed in the trailer. Fans that couldn’t make it to Comic-Con can see photos of the show that Netflix posted online late Friday.
(L to R) The cast of The Umbrella Academy includes Ellen Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castañeda, Tom Hopper, Aidan Gallagher, Robert Sheehan, Mary J Blige and Cameron Britton.
Mike Sorrentino/CNETThe show, which is based on popular comics and graphic novels published by Dark Horse Comics, will focus on the family as they attempt to solve the mystery of their father’s death while dealing with each other’s difficult personalities.
The Umbrella Academy’s first season will consist of 11 episodes. The show stars Ellen Page as Vanya Hargreeves, Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves, Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves, Emmy Traver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves, Daved Castañeda as Diego Hargreeves, Aidan Gallagher as Number Five, Cameron Britton as Hazel and Mary J. Blige as Cha-Cha.
Mary J. Blige as Cha-Cha and Cameron Britton as Hazel.
NetflixPage said during the panel that while her character dons the moniker of “The White Violin,” she gives credit to anyone who regularly plays the instrument.
“Kudos to the people who play the violin, because holy f*ckin sh*t,” Page said regarding having to learn to use it for her role.
Gallagher, who is 15, is playing a character that is actually a 58-year-old man trapped in a youthful body. In developing his character, he found himself drawing on a mentality based on the character’s traits.
Ellen Page plays Vanya Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET“I try to convey that mentality through a 58-year-old’s mindset,” Gallagher said. Side note brought up at the panel: He’s apparently a UN ambassador in real life.
Tom Hopper meanwhile teased big things for his character, like literal big things based on how his character’s power is super strength.
“There’s no way I could have gymmed enough, or taken enough steroids, legal or illegal, to get to where I needed to,” Hopper said to laughs from the Comic-Con crowd.
Mary J. Blige said that her antagonist character is “evil, evil, evil… and empty,” adding that she always wanted to beocme either a superhero or villain, and in this case the latter came true.
First published Oct. 5, 2018 at 5:14 p.m. PT.
Update 8:24 p.m. PT: Adds further quotes and details.
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