Animated 'Trollhunters' series gets a trailer and release date

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The animated, family series DreamWorks' Trollhunters is to debut via Netflix on Dec. 23.

The announcement was made Saturday at New York Comic Con where thousands of fans gathered at Madison Square Garden to watch the first two episodes of the show and meet the creative team behind it.

On hand for the panel discussion were creator and executive producer Guillermo del Toro; voice talent Kelsey Grammer, Ron Perlman, Steven Yeun and Charlie Saxton; and executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Rodrigo Blaas.

The show also features Anton Yelchin in one of his final roles. The 27-year-old actor was killed in a freak accident when he got out of his car in the driveway at his home and the vehicle rolled over him.

"When ordinary teenager Jim Lake Jr. stumbles upon a mystical amulet on his way to school one morning, he inadvertently discovers an extraordinary secret civilization of mighty trolls beneath his small town of Arcadia," a synopsis said. "Strong-willed and seeking adventure, but wholly unprepared for the responsibilities thrust upon him, Jim is forced to take on the exalted mantle of Trollhunter, sworn to protect the good trolls from powerful enemies bent on revenge. The first human ever to hold the honor, Jim abruptly goes from fighting his way through the daily mayhem of high school to joining a war that has raged for centuries, a conflict that now threatens all of mankind and troll-kind alike. Accompanied by his closest human friends and a few key troll allies, the courageous 15-year-old must plunge headlong into a fantastical world of astonishing creatures, glorious cities, and fierce enemies desperate to destroy him. Suddenly destined to play a crucial role in an ancient battle of good and evil with stakes that couldn't be higher, Jim is determined to save the world -- right after gym class."