Bootleg Universe

Bootleg Universe
Formerly
  • Adi Shankar Productions
  • The Adi Shankar Brand
  • The Bootleg Universe
TypePrivately held company
IndustryFilm and television, animation, gaming, comic books
Founded2012 (2012)
FounderAdi Shankar
Headquarters,
Key peopleAdi Shankar
Divisions
  • Adi Shankar Animation
  • Adi Shankar Productions
  • Adi Shankar Presents
  • Bootleg Software (Gaming)
Subsidiaries
  • The Angry Metal Company
  • 1984 Private Defense Contractors
Websitehttps://adishankar.com

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.

Notable animation projects include the series Castlevania, The Guardians of Justice, and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Notable feature film projects include Dredd, The Voices, and The Grey.

Divisions, subsidiaries, labels, and holdings

Divisions

Subsidiaries

Labels

Holdings

List of short films

'One-Shot' short films

Popular Culture Satires Released Under 'The Bootleg Universe.'

List of television works

Television series

Series produced under 'Adi Shankar Animation'

  • Castlevania (2017–2021)
    • 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 magician Sypha 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. The first season of four 30-minute episodes was released on July 7, 2017. The eight-episode second season was released on October 26, 2018, the ten-episode third season was released on March 5, 2020 and the ten-episode fourth and final season released on May 13, 2021.
  • Castlevania: Nocturne (2023–2025)
    • On May 11, 2021, Netflix announced that a new series set in the Castlevania universe with a different cast of characters was being planned. The series focuses on Richter Belmont, a descendant of Trevor and Sypha, alongside Maria Renard during the French Revolution. The eight-episode first season was released on Netflix on September 28, 2023, and the eight-episode second and final season was released on January 15, 2025.
  • Devil May Cry (2025–present)

Series produced under 'Bootleg Universe'

  • The Guardians of Justice (2022)
    • 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.
  • Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix (2023)
    • 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. The series was released on October 19, 2023 on Netflix.

List of film works

Feature films

Films produced under '1984 Private Defense Contractors'

Films produced under 'Bootleg Universe'

Films produced under 'Adi Shankar Productions'

Films produced under 'Adi Shankar Presents'

List of music video works

Produced under 'The Angry Metal Company'

Produced under 'Adi Shankar Productions'

List of literary works

Published under 'Bootleg Universe'

List of music works

Produced under 'Adi Shankar Productions'

List of gaming works

Produced under 'The Angry Metal Company'

Upcoming projects

Adi Shankar Animation

Bootleg Universe

Bootleg Software

References

  1. ↑ Gilman, Greg (August 8, 2013). "How 'Dredd' Producer Adi Shankar's Marvel Bootlegs Are Building a Buzzy Fanboy Brand". The Wrap. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ Eisenberg, Eric (2012). "Thomas Jane Returns As Frank Castle In Short Film Punisher: Dirty Laundry". Cinema Blend. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  3. ↑ CHITWOOD, ADAM (27 October 2014). "Watch the Entire JUDGE DREDD: SUPERFIEND Miniseries Online Now". Collider.
  4. ↑ Conover, Stuart (12 September 2018). "Adi Shankar Reminisces About Why He Made His 'Power Rangers' Fan Film". sciencefiction.com.
  5. ↑ NEMIROFF, PERRI (3 March 2015). "Producer Adi Shankar Unveils Animated Bootleg Short JAMES BOND: IN SERVICE OF NOTHING". Collider.
  6. ↑ Price, Jason (20 March 2018). "Mr Rogers a War Hero Adi Shankar Unleashes a New Chapter in His Bootleg Universe".
  7. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (19 June 2019). "Castlevania producer's 'Bootleg Universe' reimagines Pokémon as dark, ugly, and violent". Polygon.
  8. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (August 2, 2017). "The Animation Studio That Made Castlevania Explains Why It Was a Dream Project". io9. Gizmodo. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  9. ↑ Hill, Jacob (8 February 2017). "Netflix Quietly Announces Castlevania Series For 2017". CBR.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. ↑ Pereira, Chris (May 24, 2017). "Watch The First Trailer For Netflix's Castlevania Show; Release Date Announced". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  11. ↑ Elfring, Matt (March 5, 2020). "Here's What's New to Netflix in March 2020: Castlevania Season 3, More Movies, TV Shows, and Originals". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "Netflix Announces Castlevania Season 4". Anime. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  13. ↑ Frye, Patrick (May 11, 2021). "Castlevania 'Season 5' sequel confirmed by Netflix, Warren Ellis' involvement discussed in new interview". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Netflix Unveils Castlevania Animated Show's Spinoff Series Castlevania: Nocturne". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  15. ↑ Wolinsky, David (July 26, 2023). "Netflix's Castlevania: Nocturne Premieres September 28, Teaser Trailer Coming July 27". GameSpot. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ Squires, John (September 16, 2024). "Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Teaser from Netflix Announces 2025 Premiere". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  17. ↑ Griffin, David (November 16, 2018). "Devil May Cry Series Joins Castlevania In New Multiverse From Adi Shankar". IGN. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  18. ↑ Valentine, Evan (November 5, 2021). "Netflix's Devil May Cry Anime Will Be "Multiple Seasons". ComicBook.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (November 11, 2023). "Netflix shows off its new Devil May Cry anime at Geeked Week". Polygon. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  20. ↑ Rayna, Leo (September 19, 2024). "Netflix Reveals Explosive Debut Teaser Trailer for Capcom's New Devil May Cry Anime Series". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  21. ↑ Cacciatore, Francesco (2025-12-12). "Dante and Vergil return in season 2 of Devil May Cry, coming in 2026". Polygon.com. Retrieved 2026-05-17.
  22. ↑ Otterson, Joe (June 4, 2026). "Devil May Cry Renewed for Third and Final Season at Netflix". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Adi Shankar and The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!) from Normal Television". pastemagazine.com. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  24. ↑ "Adi Shankar's 'The Guardians of Justice': Coming to Netflix in March 2022". What's on Netflix. February 8, 2022.
  25. ↑ Shanley, Patrick (2019-10-10). "Ubisoft Planning Animated TV Adaptations of Popular Game Franchises (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  26. ↑ "Netflix Announces Far Cry Blood Dragon Spinoff Animated Series". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  27. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (September 27, 2023). "Netflix Slates 'Devil May Cry' Anime, Teases 'Blue Eye Samurai,' 'Captain Laserhawk' & 'Sonic Prime' S3". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Exclusive: Chris Cornell Talks Writing Music for MACHINE GUN PREACHER, His Career, Soundgarden, Touring, Johnny Cash, Video Games and Much More". Collider.com. September 30, 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  29. ↑ "Broken City". Time Out. 26 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021.
  30. 1 2 3 "Watch: Liam Neeson Takes 'A Walk Among The Tombstones' In Trailer For Action Thriller". IndieWire. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  31. ↑ "A Walk Among the Tombstones – Movie Page". UPHE. March 8, 2015. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Why Liam Neeson Movies Are A Guaranteed Success At The Box Office". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. ↑ "A Walk Among the Tombstones". Fandango. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  34. ↑ "'You can never tell a film will become a cult while filming it". dtnext.in. July 9, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  35. ↑ "The 100 best films of the 21st century". theguardian.com. September 13, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  36. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (July 5, 2017). "ASSASSIN'S CREED ANIME ANNOUNCED BY CASTLEVANIA NETFLIX PRODUCER". IGN. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  37. ↑ Ankers-Range, Adele (20 July 2021). "Castlevania TV Producer Making a PUBG Animated Show". IGN. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  38. ↑ Patches, Matt (March 28, 2019). "Hyper Light Drifter TV series in the works from creator Alx Preston and Castlevania's Adi Shankar". Polygon. Retrieved April 9, 2019.