Maya and the Three
Maya and the Three (Spanish title: Maya y los tres) is a computer-animated fantasy streaming television miniseries created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and produced by Tangent Animation. The nine-episode series premiered on Netflix on October 22, 2021. Premise. Set in a world based on pre-colonial Mesoamerica and other indigenous cultures, Maya, a warrior princess, is celebrating her fifteenth birthday, but when the underworld gods appear and announce she must pay for her family's misdeeds, everything changes. If she refuses to go along, the world itself will be ravaged by the gods, so  she embarks on a quest to fulfill a prophecy that says that three warriors will appear who will help her defeat these gods and save humanity itself from destruction. Production. Development. In November 2018, it was reported that Netflix is developing an animated television miniseries about a Mesoamerican warrior. The series has Jorge Gutiérrez as the director, creator and executive producer, while Tim Yoon is a producer, Silvia Olivas and Jeff Ranjo are co-executive producers. Gutiérrez, Olvas, Doug Langdale and Candie Kelty Langdale are writers, and Ranjo is the storytelling head for the series. The series was described by  Gutiérrez, in October 2018, as equivalent to a Mexican version of the "Lord of the Rings", "but hilarious." On September 15, 2021, Gutiérrez described an exclusive clip from the series, saying the scene was inspired by "Street Fighter 2", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Kill Bill", "Ninja Scroll" and a "chola fight" he saw in Tijuana, Mexico. He told Skwigly said that the series is "deeply inspired by the glorious Mesoamerican art" and Museo Nacional de Antropologia exhibits. He noted that the show's protagonist, Maya, is inspired by his mother, wife, and sister, and hinted that it would have similarities  to his previous works, "" and "The Book of Life". The series closed the Guadalajara Film Festival, on October 9, 2021, with the airing of two of the show's episodes at a special event. The series was created using the open source Blender 3D animation software. Release. The series was released on Netflix on October 22, 2021. Netflix described it as an "animated event told in nine epic chapters." Each episode in the limited series is 30 minutes long, comprising a total of 4 and half hours. Reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 100% based  on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Jorge R. Gutiérrez's joyous fantasy "Maya and the Three" excels thanks to a blockbuster-caliber voice cast and striking animation, delivering an adventure that will enrapture adults and kids alike." Lovia Gyarkye, writing for "The Hollywood Reporter", called every scene a "feast for the eyes" (...) adding that it " is an engaging and twisting adventure, rooted in the rich history of indigenous cultures and led by Maya, who is seeking answers about her past and trying to save her kingdom", concluding that "each episode offers  opportunities to deepen our understanding of this fantastical world and to relish the visual depth of Gutiérrez’s adeptly constructed and absolutely stunning series." Cristina Escobar of Remezcla described the show as "decidedly Mexican," noted that the series is "the brainchild of Mexican/Mexican Americans," and pointed out ways that the series "honors Mexican culture," especially on ideas about death, intense imagery, tying one's love to sacrifice, the language, and uplifting indigenous people.