So, thank you, Netflix, for letting us screen these episodes early tonight.
I didn’t grow up in America.
So, I modeled it after that, so this was actually super gratifying watching it in a theater.
Image Via The WB
What does it mean to you to have such a positive reaction and to finally have this coming out?
SHANKAR: I don’t really have words.
It’s kind of surreal and overwhelming.
Image via Netflix
So, we finally started production onDevil May Cryin December [2021].
So, hey, man!
JOHNNY YONG BOSCH: Who are you again?
TAYLOR-COMPTON: The one that’s going to kick your ass.
BOSCH: Yeah, that is wild, actually.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: We just met today for the first time.
Image via 20th Century Studios
Adi, the first season is eight episodes.
How did you decide on eight?
Was it ever going to be six?
Image via Netflix
Was it ever going to be 10?
How did it get figured out?
TAYLOR-COMPTON: His outline.
Image via Netflix
SHANKAR: Yeah, the outline was just eight.
But if you want to do more episodes, you still have $5.
So, there’s that element of how many do you want to make.
Image via Netflix
BOSCH: Well, we got $8.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: You got $8?!
Again, I want to point out the $5 was a made-up number.
Image via Bryson Roatch
SHANKAR: I don’t think that was made up, bro.
I think there’s some trauma it’s crucial that you unpack.
We’ll unpack it with you right here.
What’s wrong, bro?
I got a lot of issues, but too much for tonight.
SHANKAR: You know I’m here for you.
This is an offline conversation, but, yes, I need hugs.
SHANKAR: I feel like it’s a podcast conversation.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: This is great.
But was it ever going to be another number?
SHANKAR: No, I just went like, Its eight.
I just make decisions and go with it.
That’s the power of being a showrunner.
SHANKAR: But I did stuff like that before I was a showrunner.
I just kind of make decisions, and…
TAYLOR-COMPTON: People listen.
But I want to ask about Netflix.
What were they like as a partner?
Do they give a lot of notes?
Were the notes they gave like really good?
SHANKAR: They’re amazing as a partner.
I’m not just saying that because we’re here and theyre watching.
We just need a new word.
I agree with you.
Adult animation sounds like you’re making heavy metal or something, something with adults.
SHANKAR: Yeah, I feel a little judged by myself, which is the worst kind of judgment.
Sorry, what was the question?
Netflix, and what they were like.
SHANKAR: They’re amazing!
This entire adult animation thing purely exists because of Netflix.
SHANKAR: You were asking about if they give you notes.
The way the process works is I just emailed them all the scripts, and I was curious.
Then they were like, Wait, what?
They were like, You just did it all?
I’m like, Yeah.
And they’re like, Well, what if we don’t like it?
And I’m like, Then we can talk about it.
Then I got a call a week later, like, No, no, this is really good!
Im like, Okay, cool, and then I actually asked for notes.
I actively ask for notes because I want notes.
I want to make it better.
Then I told…
BOSCH: Screw your notes!
And he’s like, Dude, don’t ask the studio for notes.
And I’m like, No, I think these are just great notes, bro.
I’m gonna keep asking for notes.
Devil May Cryhas been around since 2001, and there have been a lot of video games, comics.
There’s been a lot of material.
How did you decide what you wanted to focus on in the first eight episodes?
So, any answer I’m giving is me intellectualizing and reverse engineering a purely intuitive process.
I just kind of want to preface that.
So the first game,Devil May Cryin 2001: You have five mainline games.
So, every time a new game came out, it was a retcon.
I got to cosmic edit.
At the end of the day, Dante is still Dante, Lady is still Lady.
So, I’m not reallychanginganything.
Johnny, I have an individual question for you that doesn’t have to do withDevil May Cry.
Your resume is crazy.
BOSCH: No, the first wasTrigunVash.
BOSCH: Yes, I did, and it was scary, but also really cool.
It was one of those things that I did know it, I had seen it.
That was back when it was called Japanimation.
I just remember it was something so different and unique.
I was really just drawn to it, the animation, the style, and I just loved it.
I was super excited to be a part of it.
I remember doing an interview for the DVD, and I was like, Oh, I loved it.
I had so much energy that that’s all they showed of my interview.
Because the rest of it sucked.
It was just me just being so amped up for it.
I just loved being a part of that.
Are you purposely trying to conserve your voice?
Are you drinking a lot of tea with honey?
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Going to a con, drinking a beer.
No, there’s not really any prep for me anyway.
BOSCH: I did prep for this.
Again, there’s so much material, so I went through a ton of it.
I even redubbed DMC 3 on my own just to kind of play with different versions.
I imitated, then I adjusted, like, three or four different ways.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: I didn’t want to get in my head, man.
I didn’t want to go and look up Lady and look at the games.
I’ve already kind of been in that world, so I didn’t want to compare myself.
BOSCH: I think it’s a good choice, though.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Oh, thanks!
BOSCH: Those of you who are familiar with the games, Lady changes.
So, it’s better that you gave this real raw, just what was on the pages.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Yeah, it was really from Adisamazingwork on the script.
I mean, I got her instantly.
I truly felt her just reading it, like so emotional, so raw, so strong.
SHANKAR: This version of the character was developed with you in mind.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Every time you say that, it makes me emotional.
The Mighty Morphin Story of How Adi Shankar Cast Devil May Cry
Im a frog.
I was wondering how you picked the voice cast.
SHANKAR: Story time.
So, in 2015, I dropped a really violent, R-rated Power Rangers short film.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: It blew up the internet.
And he goes, Yeah, no.
You’re on your own, bro.
Im like, What the fuck?
So, I’m freaking out.
I just wouldn’t leave if I were you.
I’m like, What?
So, I’m tripping out.
I’m like, What is about to happen?
Everything I said that day was stupid.
And as we were talking, he morphed into Dante, and then I knew.
BOSCH: A guy shows upsunglasses suit, briefcaseand I’m like, What is going on here?
SHANKAR: I have a flair for the theatrics, or I did.
I got very good reviews, by the way, as an actor.
Just wanted to point that out.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: [Laughs] You did great!
SHANKAR: But I was miserable the whole time.
I’m like, What am I doing here?
I’m with serious actors.
I’m a let’s use voice actors person.
Look, we’ve got amazingly talented voice actors.
Let’s use amazingly talented voice actors, not non-voice actors.
That’s my M.O..
Immediately, it was just like, Yeah.
We’ll worry about Season 2 if we get to make it?
It’s just length.
I mean, I get it, but I also don’t get it.
So, it just kind of exists, and there are a lot of stories there.
Does that make sense?
What do you guys want to tease about Episodes 3 through 8 without spoilers?
BOSCH: More action.
I am shocked by that answer.
BOSCH: More Lady and Dante.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Yeah, baby!
BOSCH: More White Rabbit, more demons.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: It also gets emotional, guys.
There’s a lot of heart in this show.
That was very attractive to me when I read the material, especially with Lady.
They’re going through their own journey and then they go through their own journey together.
So, without spoiling anything…
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Our favorite episode as a unit is Episode 6.
SHANKAR: Yeah, Episode 6.
BOSCH: Yeah, it’s six.
SHANKAR: Im just excited to share the rest of it with you.
I’m sad we had to cut it off at two.
Honestly, no BS, if I could watch more episodes on a movie screen, I would.
It looks so good.
I actually want to ask you about Studio Mir, who animated.
Talk a little bit about working with them because they did such a good job with this.
SHANKAR: Fabulous, fabulous.
First of all, their body of work before this is amazing.
They don’t really need an introduction, I feel.
But the stuff Id done before felt like indie movies, very bespoke indie movies.
Did that make sense?
I had to quickly adjust to this speed and scaleveryquickly.
Just the turnaround because the train is moving so freaking fast, that took a little getting used to.
What does that actually mean?
Does that mean you better constantly be delivering scripts or approvals?
SHANKAR: Everything, because everything is a decision.
So, it’s not just approvals.
It’s literally decisions.
I’ll just give you an example.
We have these little flashes of young Dante.
I made a choice to have them bereallyfreaking cute, the kids.
When you’re in adult mode, you’re fine.
When you’re a kid, really cute, and you have, like, huge eyes and cartoony.
Now, as an adult, you are trying to regain what you lost as a kid.
So, that’s one expression of that idea.
The kid is cute, the kid is innocent.
For people who don’t realize, Kevin Conroy does a voice in this.
It’s one of his last things, and he voices VP Baines.
Can you talk a little bit about getting to work with Kevin?
I’m also curious, Kevin passed in November of 2022.
When did he record the voice?
SHANKAR: He recorded it right before he passed.
So, he was done, and then I woke up to a text message.
It was pretty jarring.
I mean, there’s nothing I can really say other than he is a legend.
He is a giant.
Not just as a voice actor, as an actor-actor.
SHANKAR: Well, it was also his eyes.
It felt like he was seeing through me.
Like, Oh no, he’s seeing through me.
If someone has never played Devil May Cry, what is the game they should start with?
SHANKAR: Way to tell me you’ve never played Devil May Cry.
Listen, unless it involves the buttons A and B, I have not played it.
SHANKAR: So Frosty doesn’t believe in video games.
That is an absolute lie.
The other problem is, like, I give credit to anyone who can put in 100 hours.
I just don’t have that bandwidth.
I like the old Mario or Zelda.
I’m a very simple video game player.
SHANKAR: Angry Birds.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: Yeah, I was going to say that!
I was going to actually say Animal Crossing, but go on.
If you want to immerse yourself in where the franchise began, Devil May Cry 1 PS2.
And for you, Frosty, I will personally mail you a manga and a light novel.
Johnny, which one do you do you want to recommend if you’ve never played Devil May Cry?
You’re very involved in the video games?
BOSCH: I’d say [Devil May Cry] 4 and 5.
I like the guy Nero.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: I wonder why.
I definitely want to touch on Limp Bizkit for the opening song.
How did that come about?
SHANKAR: I’ve wanted to use Rollin for many, many years.
In 2011, I was trying to make an action movie, live-action.
But yeah, I’m just really into nu metal.
So, that was the music I was listening to.
It was baked into the script, right at the outset.
BOSCH: Yeah, it was written in.
TAYLOR-COMPTON: And the bands are equally as excited being a part of it.
They were talking about the trailer drop and everything.
And Evanescence, they’re equally as stoked.
SHANKAR: Yeah, Amy Lees super stoked.
Devil May CrySeason 1 is available to stream on Netflix now.
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