New Gumball Spinoff Revives Fan-Favorite Animated Universe
Another season on the life of the Watterson family family is about to be given another round as a sequel of The Amazing World of Gumball, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball is set to make its debut this coming summer on Hulu in the United States. The franchise will be aired as well at a later date in other countries such as Cartoon network and HBO Max this October 6. Consisting of 40 short episodes the new show is a revisit into the strange world of Elmore bringing in the same humour along with the experimental animation.
This spinoff developed by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe is not merely an extension of its predecessor as it is a new way of doing it that has borrowed elements of the previous work, but also tries new methods of style and organization. The producers opted to come up with a different format, where instead of a new season, they came up with a package of shorter shorts. It is meant to provide a similar rush, frantic quality to the fans who enjoyed the original series and that same feel is achieved, but in new plots and with new graphics.
The series also revives most of the main characters such as Gumball, Darwin, Ana, Richard, and Nicole Watterson, whereas maintaining the same style of animation of the original, which is a combination of 2D, 3D, CGI, puppetry, and live-action. Production in Studio Soi in Germany continues to occupy a key place in the animation production establishing the international character of the show and assuring visual integrity.
The original creator, Ben Bocquelet, comes back to the project as a collaborator. Whereas he used to do most of the creative work himself before, the new series sees him doing it in collaboration with Matt Layzell and Erik Fountain, sharing the roles of director and production. This has brought a change that has brought new things in story telling and enabled a more diverse input on the story.
Talking about the evolution of the show, Layzell said that they split the episodes into three types, personal stories about childhood, satirical nature of contemporary society and episodes where they experimented with visuals and tried to create stories about individual characters. Such a structure allowed equal amounts of humor, emotional appeal, and aesthetics.
Bocquelet also pointed out that despite the fact that the Gumball movie originally planned was not to be created, nonetheless, the staff had tried to incorporate the continuity in a carefully selected manner. The new episodes have incorporated elements of the general plot in order to make them narrative.
Quality and the creative integrity by the production team was emphasized a great deal. Fountain mentioned that the Studio Soi team was extremely committed. Unlike most outsource animation projects that lack any form of art connection, the animators and the designers in this case were stated to be very passionate about what they are doing. Fountain which explains such involvement makes the storytelling through images even more spectacular and helps keep the unsteadiness and forwardness the show is characterized by.
Another bright creative brain behind the appearance of the new series is the London-based art director Joe Sparrow. The role of being an ipp member is not limited to traditional roles as outlined by the producers. He usually works as an animator and makes sure that the ambitious sequences are achieved without being shut down.
Although the animation business has produced several pretenders, creators of The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball believe that their show is quite unique. According to Layzell, it was like being in a whole new creative world when they were working in Gumball because they needed freshness on all levels. The spinoff has the space to develop new plots and not lose its roots, as there are already more than six seasons of the characters and world-building.
The new Gumball cartoon is not only a nostalgic journey but a bigger universe of the cartoon that was first broadcasted in 2011. With humor rooted in real-life experiences, satirical insights, and constantly evolving visual techniques, the series aims to appeal to both loyal fans and a new generation of viewers.
Release Details:
- U.S. Premiere: July 28 on Hulu (and Hulu on Disney+)
International Rollout: October 6 on Cartoon Network and HBO Max (outside the U.S.)
WE GOT A DATE!!! The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball coming July 28. Only on @Hulu and with #HuluOnDisneyPlus#WWWOG #TAWOG #gumball #amazingworldofgumball #gumballanddarwin pic.twitter.com/TPqJw0OlvP
— Cartoon Network (@cartoonnetwork) June 17, 2025
