John Krasinski
Project 77 (voice)
Overview
A friendship with a top-secret robot turns a lonely girl's life into a thrilling adventure as they take on bullies, evil bots and a scheming madman.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Robot Who Remembered How to Be Human
I’ve seen this story before—a lonely kid, a shiny new friend, a villain who wants to turn the world into a machine. It’s E.T. meets Big Hero 6, with a dash of Astro Boy thrown in for good measure. So when Next Gen opens with Mai Su, a sullen pre-teen in a neon-lit future city, kicking a can down an alley while her mother flirts with a holographic dating app, I braced myself for another paint-by-numbers adventure about friendship conquering all.
But then the robot showed up. And the robot remembered.
Not in the way you’d expect. 7723, the top-secret android voiced by John Krasinski, isn’t some blank-slate Pinocchio yearning for a soul. He’s a weapon first, a companion second—a sleek, silver killing machine with a memory bank that gets wiped after every mission. The first time we see him, he’s mid-assault, his eyes glowing red as he dismantles a squad of enemy bots with the cold efficiency of a Roomba devouring dust.
Then Mai, in a fit of rage after being humiliated by her school’s queen bee, stumbles into his underground lab. She doesn’t just activate him; she reboots him. And in that moment, something strange happens: 7723 doesn’t just meet her.
He remembers her. Not from a previous mission, but from a future that hasn’t happened yet. It’s a small detail, easy to miss, but it’s the key to the whole film.
This isn’t a story about a machine learning to be human. It’s about a machine unlearning what it means to be a weapon—and a girl unlearning what it means to be alone.
The film’s directors, Joe Ksander and Kevin R. Adams, adapted Next Gen from the Chinese manhua 7723, and you can feel the influence of that source material in the way the story balances its emotional core with its action set pieces. There’s a lightness to the animation—a kind of digital sketchiness—that keeps the film from feeling too slick or corporate.
The city Mai lives in is a sprawling, vertical metropolis, all towering skyscrapers and floating billboards, but it’s also lived-in. Laundry hangs from fire escapes, graffiti tags flicker on holographic walls, and the streets are crowded with a mix of humans and robots going about their mundane, messy lives. It’s a world that feels used, not just designed, and that texture grounds the film’s more fantastical elements.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.1/10
"A visually energetic animated sci-fi with heart, but held back by predictable storytelling and uneven humor."
Viewers appreciate the vibrant animation and the emotional core of the friendship between the young protagonist and the robot, which adds genuine warmth to the action-packed plot. latestnetflix.com's read is that however, the story feels overly familiar, recycling tropes from other animated films, and the humor often falls flat, leaving some moments feeling forced or juvenile.
What viewers praise
- Vibrant animation The visual style and action sequences are praised for their energy and creativity, making the sci-fi world engaging.
- Heartfelt friendship The bond between the girl and the robot resonates emotionally, providing a strong and relatable core to the story.
- Strong voice cast The performances, particularly from John Krasinski and Constance Wu, add depth and charm to their characters.
- Family-friendly appeal The movie is seen as a fun and accessible option for younger audiences and families.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows well-worn animated film tropes, making it feel unoriginal and lacking in surprises.
- Uneven humor The jokes often miss the mark, with some viewers finding the humor forced or too juvenile for older audiences.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting characters, including some voiced by well-known actors, lack depth and feel like missed opportunities.
- Mixed pacing Some scenes drag while others rush, leading to an inconsistent viewing experience.
Recommended for
Animation fans Family movie nights Sci-fi adventure lovers John Krasinski fans Younger audiences Robot friendship stories
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsHow Next Gen (2018) Blended Chinese Sci-Fi Roots with Hollywood Star Power
Next Gen, the 2018 animated sci-fi adventure, arrived on Netflix with a surprising pedigree: a Chinese webcomic turned into a Hollywood-backed film, directed by relative newcomers and packed with A-list voice talent. latestnetflix.com's view is that Behind its glossy animation and action-packed plot lies a story of cross-cultural collaboration, last-minute casting changes, and a production journey that almost didn’t happen.
From Webcomic to Netflix: A Long Road to the Screen
The film’s origins trace back to 7723, a popular Chinese manhua (webcomic) by artist Wang Nima. The original story followed Mai Su, a lonely teen who befriends a secret robot in a world overrun by sentient machines. When producers Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander—both veterans of visual effects and animation—optioned the rights, they reworked the narrative to fit a Western audience while keeping its core themes of loneliness and rebellion 
.
The project faced early hurdles. Initially developed as a theatrical release, Next Gen struggled to secure a distributor. Netflix stepped in at the last minute, snagging global rights and giving the film a September 2018 debut . The streaming giant’s involvement likely saved the movie from obscurity, though it also meant bypassing a traditional box office run.
A-List Cast, Last-Minute Swaps, and a Standout Debut
The voice cast reads like a who’s-who of comedy and drama talent, but not all roles were locked in early. John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) and Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) lent their star power to the project, but the most intriguing casting was Charlyne Yi, who voiced the lead robot, 7723. Yi, best known for Knocked Up and Steven Universe, was a late addition after the original actor for the role—reportedly Lo Mutuc 
—departed. (Mutuc’s name still appears in some cast lists, suggesting a recast or shared credit.)
Other standout performances came from Michael Peña (Ant-Man), David Cross (Arrested Development), and Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), who played Mai Su’s overworked mother. The film also marked an early role for Kiana Ledé (Scream VI), who voiced the teenage protagonist .
**Animation, Influences, and a Big Hero 6 Comparison**
Visually, Next Gen drew comparisons to Disney’s Big Hero 6, thanks to its sleek robot designs and futuristic cityscapes. The film’s animation was handled by Tangent Animation, a studio with roots in both China and Canada, which helped bridge the cultural divide between the original manhua and the Western adaptation .
Critics noted the movie’s fast-paced action and emotional core, though some found its humor uneven. With a 6.1/10 rating on SensCritique and a modest reception on Rotten Tomatoes , Next Gen didn’t break out as a major hit—but its Netflix release ensured a long shelf life, especially among younger audiences.
**What’s Next for Next Gen?**
Despite its cult following, Next Gen hasn’t spawned a sequel or spin-off—at least, not yet. The film’s unique blend of Chinese sci-fi and Hollywood polish remains its biggest selling point, but with no confirmed follow-up, it’s a one-off experiment in cross-cultural animation.
For now, Next Gen stands as a curious footnote: a movie that almost didn’t get made, saved by Netflix, and carried by a cast that outshone its modest budget. Whether it’s remembered as a hidden gem or a missed opportunity may depend on whether anyone revisits Wang Nima’s original 7723 story.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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