Adventure Time: Distant Lands

Lore & Background

The series at large follows the adventures of Finn (a human boy) and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with magical powers to change shape and size at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where they interact with other main characters including Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and BMO. Distant Lands focuses on new and returning characters in previously unexplored areas of the Adventure Time universe.

The Distant Lands specials originated after the original series concluded with its planned finale in 2018. Because Adventure Time had success with specials and miniseries in the past (such as Stakes and Elements), writers began pitching stories for longer formats. Two big ideas that came up were a story about BMO in space and one focusing on Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship. When HBO and Cartoon Network decided to revive the series for HBO Max, the writers returned to these old ideas and eventually created the four Distant Lands specials.

Reader's Guide

Adventure Time: Distant Lands extended the Adventure Time franchise after the original series ended in 2018, providing four hour-long specials that explored new settings and deepened character relationships. The specials were produced for HBO Max, marking a shift from Cartoon Network's traditional broadcast model. Reception varied among the specials: 'BMO' received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising its blend of dream logic and social commentary on tech capitalism, though some found its pacing rushed. 'Obsidian' was widely praised for exploring Marceline's childhood trauma and her romantic history with Princess Bubblegum, making clear that romantic subtext in the original show had always been straight-up text. The episode was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2021 for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming. The series as a whole allowed the creative team to revisit story ideas that had been shelved when the original series ended, and it introduced new characters while giving closure to long-running character arcs. The specials collectively represent a significant expansion of the Adventure Time universe, maintaining the original show's tone while adapting to a streaming platform.

Did You Know?

• The series consists of four hour-long streaming television specials, with the first premiering on June 25, 2020, and the last on September 2, 2021.
• The specials originated from story ideas pitched during the production of the show's tenth season, which were later revived for HBO Max.
• The airing sequence of 'Wizard City' and 'Together Again' was switched, with 'Together Again' airing first after HBO Max announced the change on April 21, 2021.
• The end credits of 'Together Again' feature a dedication to four deceased members of the show's cast and crew: Polly Lou Livingston, Miguel Ferrer, Michel Lyman, and Maureen Mlynarczyk.

From Cancellation to Revival: The Production Journey

The Distant Lands specials trace their roots to a creative limbo. During the production of Adventure Time's tenth season, writers began pitching longer-format stories, building on the show's earlier success with specials like Stakes and Elements. Two ambitious concepts emerged—one centering on BMO's adventures in space, another exploring the deep bond between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. When Cartoon Network cancelled the series in late 2016, with the final script pitched in November and voice recording wrapping by January 2017, those projects were shelved. Years later, HBO and Cartoon Network partnered to revive the franchise for the HBO Max streaming platform. The writing team returned to those dormant ideas and expanded them into four hour-long episodes. Adam Muto, who had served as executive producer on the original run, came back to helm the production. Notably, only three specials were initially ordered; "Wizard City" was added later and became the final special produced, prompting HBO Max to swap the broadcast order of the last two episodes in April 2021.

Voices, Crew, and a Final Dedication

The voice cast reunited much of the original ensemble. Jeremy Shada returned as Finn, John DiMaggio as Jake, Niki Yang as BMO, Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum, Olivia Olson as Marceline, and Steve Little as Peppermint Butler. The specials also introduced new voices: Glory Curda as the robot Y5 and Simone Giertz as CGO, both of whom were longtime fans of the franchise before landing their roles. A wide array of guest voices added texture, including Maria Bamford, Ashly Burch, Ron Perlman, Randall Park, Stephen Root, John Hodgman, Bill Hader, Julia Butters, Patti Harrison, Anthony Head, and many others. Behind the scenes, the writing staff included Jack Pendarvis, Anthony Burch, Jesse Moynihan, Christina Catucci, Charley Feldman, and Kate Tsang, while storyboard artists like Ashlyn Anstee, Jim Campbell, and Serena Wu shaped the visual storytelling. Miki Brewster oversaw direction. The final special, "Together Again," carries a dedication to four deceased members of the original cast and crew: Polly Lou Livingston, Miguel Ferrer, Michel Lyman, and Maureen Mlynarczyk.

Expanding the World of Ooo

Distant Lands reimagines the familiar world of Ooo through an anthology lens, offering four standalone hour-long episodes rather than a traditional serialized season. Finn the Human and his shape-shifting canine companion Jake remain the emotional anchors, but each special ventures into corners of the post-apocalyptic landscape that the original series never fully explored. One episode sends BMO hurtling into outer space, while another delves into the complicated, decades-long relationship between Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum. The format allowed writers to treat each story as a self-contained adventure, blending the show's signature mix of whimsy, danger, and emotional depth. The series was produced by Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network Studios for the HBO Max platform, premiering on June 25, 2020, with subsequent episodes arriving in November 2020, May 2021, and September 2021. By stretching the narrative across full hours, the specials gave characters like BMO, Marceline, and Bubblegum room to breathe in ways that twenty-two-minute episodes rarely permitted.

Critical Response and Thematic Depth

Critics responded to Distant Lands with a mix of enthusiasm and measured critique. The "BMO" special drew particular praise for its blend of dream logic, comedy, and what reviewers called surreal heroism. Polygon's Petrana Radulovic noted the episode shared the same melancholy undercurrent as the parent series, while Comic Book's Rollin Bishop highlighted BMO's unique combination of innocence and misadventure as the special's greatest strength. However, not all reviews were warm: Vulture's Grace Z. Li found the episode disappointing despite praising the character work, and Collider's Dave Trumbore felt the pacing rushed through key story beats. Beyond entertainment, the specials sparked discussion about their thematic layers. Glory Curda, who voices Y5, described the character's arc as a metaphor for coming into one's identity and defining oneself on one's own terms. These conversations, layered over the show's familiar post-apocalyptic backdrop, gave Distant Lands a reflective quality that resonated with longtime fans mourning the end of the original run.

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