Marvel masterminds Joe and Anthony Russo turn their attentions to another comic book adaptation in this upcoming sci-fi drama.
How to watch The Electric State in New Zealand
The Electric State is streaming in New Zealand exclusively on Netflix from March 14, 2025.
What is The Electric State about?
Based on the 2018 dystopian science fiction illustrated novel (look, it’s still a comic to us) by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State sees teenage orphan Michelle travelling across a post-apocalyptic USA circa 1997 with her robot buddy, Skip, to find her long-lost brother, Christopher. Meanwhile, a federal agent is also on her brother’s trail for reasons that get revealed a little down the track. That, at least, is the plot of the source material. But the Bros Russo have confirmed that they’ve taken considerable liberties with the book, which explains why the publicity material so far has none of the haunting, elegiac tone of Stålenhag’s work.
The cast of The Electric State
Pretty good cast! Millie Bobby Brown is Michelle; Chris Pratt is Keats, whoever he may turn out to be; Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan is Dr. Amherst and the voice of P.C. (which we think is the film version of Skip); Stanley Tucci is Ethan Skate; Woody Norman is Christopher, Michelle’s brother; Giancarlo Esposito is Colonel Marshall Bradbury; Jason Alexander is Ted; Martin Klebba is Herman; and Marin Hinkle is Ms. Sablinsky.
Meanwhile, lending their vocal cords to various robotic characters, we have Woody Harrelson as Mr. Peanut; Anthony Mackie as Herman; Brian Cox as Popfly; Jenny Slate as Penny Pal; Alan Tudyk as Cosmo; Hank Azaria as Perplexo; Colman Domingo as Wolfe; Rob Gronkowski as Blitz; Billy Gardell as Garbage Bot; Susan Leslie as Mrs. Scissors; and Jordan Black as Clem.
The Electric State trailer
Why we’re excited about The Electric State
Eh…I don’t know, fam. The best case scenario here seems to be “terrible adaptation, but a good film in its own right” but that trailer is so far from the original book in terms of…well, pretty much everything…that it’s hard to fathom why it’s an adaptation at all. Should be a decent time-passer for a quiet Friday night, though.
