One of Rooster Teeth’s most well-loved titles is getting its swan song following the news earlier this month that Warner Bros. Discovery would close the Austin, Texas-based animation company. Red vs. Blue: Restoration, the 19th season of the web series, will be released as a feature film in May.
Red vs. Blue takes place in the world of the iconic Halo video game franchise, where two teams, Red and Blue, are perpetually at odds in a desolate canyon. Through a mix of humor and sci-fi, the soldiers navigate absurd situations and misunderstandings led by the bumbling Sarge and the cynical Church.
As a sneak peek of the movie, fans got an enticing teaser alongside an official synopsis: “When the universe’s greatest villain returns in a terrifying new form, old adversaries, the Reds and Blues of Blood Gulch, will have to set aside their differences to save the galaxy one last time.”
The final chapter of Red vs. Blue was written by renowned co-creator Burnie Burns, who reunited with director Matt Hullum after a four-year hiatus. “I’m thrilled to return for Red vs. Blue: Restoration and to conclude this incredible twenty-one-year journey with our longtime fans,” Burns said in a press release. “Red vs. Blue has been a cornerstone of Rooster Teeth’s legacy, and we’re immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” added Hullum.
With its debut in 2003, the web series has gained a passionate and dedicated cult following. In addition to revolutionizing online content creation, the show paved the way for other creators to explore similar avenues by using machinima, the art of animating video games using video game engines.
After 21 years, Rooster Teeth, the production company behind the animated series Red vs. Blue and RWBY, announced its closure on March 6. Rooster Teeth Productions was founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman before being acquired by Fullscreen in 2014. Warner Bros. Discovery acquired Rooster Teeth in 2014 and retained its control until 2022, when Discovery, Inc., merged with WarnerMedia to become Warner Bros. Discovery.
Upon its debut, Red vs. Blue was an instant success for the company. Rooster Teeth expanded its media footprint beyond animated shows and podcasts by producing Let’s Plays, video game development programming, live-action shows, and even feature films, including Lazer Team, its debut film, a sci-fi comedy.
There was also controversy surrounding Rooster Teeth, most notably accusations of its toxic work environment, including low pay and unpaid overtime, a crunch culture, and former employees speaking out about bigotry and harassment they had experienced at the company.
Red vs. Blue: Restoration can be purchased on May 7 from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. It will be available for digital rental on May 21.