Adi Shankar's Bootleg Universe Media Group is a media company founded in 2012 by Indian-American producer & television show creator Adi Shankar.
Bootleg Universe began as a series of YouTube parody fan films of established media properties, including Marvel's The Punisher in The Punisher: Dirty Laundry, a speculative Pokémon finale titled The End of Pokémon, and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers satire Power/Rangers. It has since evolved into a comprehensive entertainment entity, producing a diverse range of content spanning live-action, animation, film, television series, documentaries, and video games.
Bootleg Universe – This brand focuses on reimagining and remixing popular culture, often blending different genres and styles to create a unique, alternative take on familiar characters, formats, and settings. Projects include Guardians of Justice and Captain Laserhawk.
Adi Shankar Animation – The brand focuses on adaptations of established franchises featuring mature themes and complex narratives. Projects include Castlevania and Devil May Cry.
Subsidiaries
The Angry Metal Company – This studio, based in Gijón, Spain and specializing in adult-oriented animation and gaming, was founded in 2014 by Shankar, Luis Junquera, and Enol Junquera. Key projects include the short film Judge Dredd: Superfiend, the Gunship music video Dark All Day., and the video game Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch.
1984 Private Defense Contractors – A feature film production and financing operation founded by Shankar, Spencer Silna, and Douglas Saylor. The company focuses on producing and financing elevated action and thriller genre titles from auteurs. Key projects include Joe Carnahan’s The Grey and Marjane Satrapi’s The Voices.
Heavy Metal Magazine – An American science fantasy comics magazine, first published in 1977. The magazine is known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk comics.
Thomas Jane reprises his role as Marvel's anti-hero Frank Castle / Punisher from the 2004 film The Punisher.
Jon Bernthal has stated that the "Dirty Laundry" short film, served as an inspiration for his own portrayal of Frank Castle in the Punisher Netflix series.
In a black and white homage to cult Belgian black comedy Man Bites Dog and set in the late 1980s, Ryan Kwanten stars as Spider-Man's nemesis Eddie Brock.
Loosely adapted from various Judge Dredd storylines such as The Return of Rico and Boyhood of a Superfiend. Originally as a 6-episode web series published on October 27, 2014, it was later published as a "Director's Cut" short film on January 4, 2016.
An animated short film in the style of a film animatic, where after 30 years in the agency, James Bond is no longer required for his services leading to his retirement as he tries to adjust himself to a new life in the present.
An animated fake trailer for a dark afterward to the Pokémon series in which Ash Ketchum tries to end Pokémon battles after the apparent death of his Pikachu.
When his wife is burned at the stake after being falsely accused of witchcraft, the vampire Count Dracula declares all the people of Wallachia will pay with their lives. He summons an army of demons which overruns the country, causing the people to live lives of fear and distrust. To combat this, the outcast monster hunter Trevor Belmont takes up arms against Dracula's forces, aided by the magicianSypha Belnades and Dracula's dhampir son Alucard.
The series is based on the video game series by Konami, and is written by Warren Ellis and produced by Frederator Studios, Powerhouse Animation Studios, Shankar Animation, Project 51 Productions and Mua Film.[8] The first season of four 30-minute episodes was released on July 7, 2017.[9] The second season is eight episodes long and was released on October 26, 2018.[10] The ten-episode third season was released on March 5, 2020.[11] The series ended with the release of its fourth season on May 13, 2021.[12]
On May 11, 2021, Netflix announced that a new series with a new cast of characters, set in the Castlevania universe, is being planned.[13] The series focuses on Richter Belmont, a descendant of Trevor and Sypha, alongside Maria Renard during the French Revolution.[14]
Castlevania: Nocturne premiered on Netflix on September 28, 2023. The series received critical acclaim, with praise for its animation, directing, writing, themes, and voice cast, while its pacing and character development drew some criticism. The series focuses on Richter Belmont, Trevor and Sypha's descendant, and Maria Renard, and is set during the French Revolution.
A seven episode live-action/animated superhero television series that satirizes DC Comics and the Justice League. The series was released on Netflix on March 1, 2022.[19][20]
In an alternate history 1992 where the United States has become the dystopian technocracy Eden, supersoldier fugitive Dolph Laserhawk leads a covert operations group called the Ghosts under supervision from Supermaxx.
The series was announced in June 2021. It is inspired by Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon while featuring remixed versions of several prominent Ubisoft properties.[21][22] The first season was released on October 19, 2023 on Netflix.[23]
List of film works
Feature films
Films produced under '1984 Private Defense Contractors'
A Walk Among the Tombstones grossed $26 million in the United States and Canada, and $36.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total gross of $62.1 million, against its $28 million budget.[citation needed]
Karl Urban stars as Judge Dredd, a law enforcer given the power of judge, jury and executioner in a vast, dystopic metropolis called Mega-City One that lies in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Dredd and his rookie partner, Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), are forced to bring order to a 200-storey high-rise block of apartments and deal with its resident drug lord, Ma-Ma (Lena Headey).
The film stars Calum Worthy as Adam, a graduate student who becomes a competitive battle rapper after becoming immersed in the scene while working on his graduate thesis on the subject.[26]
Has gained a large cult following over the years due to its dark humor, experimental soundtrack, and its raw and realistic filmmaking style, considered a first for a Bollywood film.[30]
In 2019, The Guardian listed it 59th on the 100 greatest movies of the 21st century.[31]
Captain Laserhawk: Mega City Blues (November 8, 2023)
A prequel to the Netflix original animated series.
The comic book one-shot was supervised by Adi Shankar, written by Faouz.b, with art by Grelin, and published by Glénat Éditions.
Captain Laserhawk: Crushing Love (March 12, 2024)
A prequel to Captain Laserhawk, the Netflix original animated series created by Adi Shankar featuring reimagined characters from Ubisoft's vast library of IP.
The manga published by Tokyopop was supervised by Adi Shankar, written by GLAAD Media Award nominated writer Ben Kahn, with art by Bayou Kun.
Based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series Rugrats, which originally aired in the 1990s. The game follows the cast of the TV series through their imaginations after they are inspired by a commercial for a new, in-universe video game featuring the character Reptar.
The game features puzzle-platforming elements that combines NES era gameplay with contemporary design. The game offers a cooperative gameplay element where players can team up in two-player mode.
The game was produced in partnership with The MIX Games and Wallride, and published by Limited Run Games, the game was released in 2024 across multiple platforms including the NES, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
While promoting Captain Laserhawk, in an interview with Collider, Adi Shankar revealed that he was creative directing a video-game based on an iconic gaming intellectual property.[citation needed]
