King Aelstrom – Where Raw Power Meets Inner Transformation

For the New World: Aeternum episode in Prime Video’s Secret Level anthology, Unit Image had the honor of bringing to life one of the most emotionally charged characters in the series: King Aelstrom.

From the first storyboard to the final pixel, this ambitious project was entirely executed in-house, in close creative partnership with our longtime collaborators at Blur Studio. It represents over 40,000 hours of work and the dedication of more than 100 passionate artists.

More Than a Technical Showcase – A Story of Emotion
Voiced by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, Aelstrom is a character that defies expectations: a king whose imposing physical presence gives way to emotional vulnerability and growth.

Our focus was clear — to match the subtlety of Arnold’s performance with precision-crafted facial animation. The result is a character whose journey resonates not just through action, but through expression and emotion.

To achieve this, we pushed the limits of our technology with:

High-resolution facial expression systems

Advanced muscular and skin simulation, including blood flow

A new system for dynamic wet cloth behavior

Technology in Service of Storytelling
At Unit Image, we believe that innovation should serve the story. In The Once and Future King, tech and narrative met in perfect harmony — not to impress, but to move.

We are grateful for the continued trust of Blur Studio, and for the support of Amazon Games and Prime Video, who made this collaboration possible.