After a successful crowdfunding campaign and receiving the financial support of an angel investor, Olan Rogers has finally released a full-length animated pilot Godspeed, the long-awaited “spiritual successor” to his immensely popular Final Space sci-fi drama-comedy. Godspeed follows Iris (Bryce Charles) on a dangerous quest across the surface of a decimated Earth toward possible salvation.
Accompanied by her faithful robot companion Bowie (Olan Rogers), Iris searches for food and resources through a desolate landscape filled with lightning as an ominous stellar object approaches in the sky. She alone clings to the hope of salvation promised to her by her uncle Ryan (Troy Baker).
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Fans will find the story very familiar due to its apocalyptic setting, how it reveals the story partially through recorded messages, and the selflessness of the protagonist. A suspiciously familiar—but totally original—character also appears in the last few moments of the pilot. Comedic elements are toned back from what audiences might have expected, however.
After the untimely cancellation of Olan Rogers’ passion project, and a lot of effort put into attempting to revive the animated sci-fi drama-comedy, the actor-comedian eventually turned his attention towards Godspeed, a new project for which he would completely retain the rights. In June of 2022, Rogers announced a crowdfunding campaign for the new project, which reached its “Fully Funded” status within two hours.
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Rogers has already launched another crowdfunding effort to continue the story of Godspeed. Within two days of going live, the project has already reached 25% of its first “stretch goal,” the full production of a short second episode.
To ensure the economical production of Godspeed and other projects, Olan Rogers created his own animation studio, Lightfold, a company where all employees work remotely.
This crowdfunded approach to TV production represents a significant departure from the norm, freeing creative talent from the restrictions placed upon them by large production companies. Consequently, creators are freer to bring their visions to life without being forced to push the political agendas of big business.
Over its three-season run, Final Space attracted a legion of fans, who were drawn not only to its comedic elements but also to the epic drama that began to unfold and the unparalleled voice-acting talents of David Tennant (Dr Who), Keith David (Halo 2), and Coty Galloway. The animated sci-fi drama-comedy portrayed strong, virtuous father figures and dealt seriously with the themes of repentance and redemption.
In May of 2023, Rogers announced that he had successfully negotiated with Warner Bros. to complete the Final Space saga in the form of a self-published graphic novel, which he believes may end up being 500+ pages. Due to licensing restrictions, the graphic novel will only be available at FinalSpaceEnds.com. Rogers initially stated that the comic would be limited to 10,000 copies due to logistical limitations, but that limit has subsequently been increased. Currently, 28,000+ copies have been pre-ordered.
Rogers uploads periodic videos to his YouTube channel (with 1.03 M subscribers), providing impassioned updates on his projects to his legions of fans.
What do you think of the Godspeed animated pilot? Leave a comment and let us know.
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