Vivienne Medrano’s SpindleHorse studio, the creative force behind the hit animated series Hazbin Hotel, is officially expanding its universe with a new project. The studio recently announced that it is developing an animated pilot for the beloved cult webcomic, Homestuck, with the pilot set to premiere on Medrano’s Vivziepop YouTube channel this September.
The announcement was made during a live-streamed panel at GalaxyCon’s Animate! Orlando event, confirming long-standing fan speculation. This new pilot is being produced under SpindleHorse’s new Australian-based label, SpindleRoo, and represents an exciting new venture for the studio known for its vibrant and distinctive animation style.
For those unfamiliar, Homestuck is an internet fiction series created by Andrew Hussie that originally ran from 2009 to 2016. Known for its unique mixed-media storytelling, the webcomic used a combination of text, static images, animated Flash segments, and browser games to tell its story. The narrative follows a group of teenagers who accidentally trigger the end of the world while playing a mysterious game called Sburb, and must work together to create a new universe.
The SpindleHorse pilot will be the first major animated adaptation of the source material. While it’s currently a pilot with no broadcast or streaming outlet attached, fans are hopeful. Medrano’s previous projects, including Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, gained massive followings on YouTube before being picked up by Prime Video for full series orders.
The creative talent assembled for the project is a blend of new and familiar faces. Vivienne Medrano will serve as an executive producer, with Hazbin Hotel veteran Skye Henwood taking on the roles of director and writer. The pilot also features an impressive voice cast, including video game developer and composer Toby “Radiation” Fox (known for Undertale) as John Egbert, Cherami Leigh as Rose Lalonde, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Jade Harley, Adam McArthurs as Dave Strider, and Brandon Winckler as Karkat Vantas. Veteran voice actor Richard Horvitz, who voices Moxxie in Helluva Boss, is the voice director for the project.
With the pilot trailer already released and the full episode arriving in September, the announcement has created a buzz of excitement across both the Homestuck and SpindleHorse fan communities.