American Ninja Warrior has basically perfected the absurd obstacle course competition genre over the many seasons its athletes have tried to climb warped walls, and now it seems that Netflix hopes to up the ante with very fast cars. Thursday brought the trailer for Hyperdrive, which the streaming service is billing as a brand new sport that pits drivers against a challenging obstacle course drivers will try to survive for our enjoyment.
Hyperdrive comes from executive producer Charlize Theron and has stunt drivers putting cars through the paces of some crazy courses. The show transformed an industrial park in Rochester, New York, into an obstacle course for drivers to tackle with 10 major challenges, including this six-story road to nowhere called THE LEVELER.
And much like Ninja Warrior, it also looks to include some emotional interview packages so you become emotionally attached to these typecast drivers who will try to survive all the events Theron and company throw at them. According to an Entertainment Weekly interview with Theron, the show is a stunt driver’s dream.
“Our go-to pitch is American Ninja Warrior meets Fast and Furious, which I think nails it on the head,” says Theron. “But beyond that this show takes you on a wild ride – one minute you’re on the edge of your seat watching a car balance on a giant teeter-totter a hundred feet in the air, and the next you’re about to bawl your eyes out hearing these competitors’ incredible backstories.
Hyperdrive drops on Netflix on August 21.
