"I have the power"

Prepare for much magical sword lifting on the big screen in the next few years. The CGI TMNT did very well, and even though Transformers hasn't yet achieved its guaranteed $100 million opening weekend, already film studios are jumping on the "Let's resurrect 80's cartoons" bandwagon, with assorted live action and animated movies in development.

Tintin and Speed Racer are coming in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

A few weeks ago, it was reported that a new live-action He-Man had been greenlit.


Here's an extract from the Variety article, to refresh your memory about the character:

He-Man was born as a Mattel action figure, and the toymaker created an animated series in hopes of selling dolls. The series became a cult favorite, but the brand was hardly helped by its first bigscreen incarnation, the campy 1987 flop "Masters of the Universe" that starred Dolph Lundgren as the title character and Frank Langella as his nemesis Skeletor.

The toymaker, which now licenses "He-Man" for high-end merchandise sold to hardcore collectors, has been wary of going Hollywood again. An attempt by Fox 2000 to make another movie, this time with director John Woo, ended in futility as the toymaker didn't spark to the screen plans.

For Mattel, the stakes are potentially high as success could mean an entire relaunch of a toy line.

The franchise has been reimagined by the producer and the writers and pitched to Mattel as a classic good vs. evil battle, using the kind of visual effects strategy employed in "300." A warrior is touted as the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being ravaged by technology and the evil Skeletor.

Many of the characters in the Middle Earth-like universe will be informed by the mythology created in the four different cartoon series done since the 1980s.


Anyway, now it's been announced that Thundercats has also been optioned as a live-action film by Warner Brothers.


From the Variety article:

Thundercats revolves around a group of humanoid cats (with feline names like Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara) who must flee their planet of Thundera after it's destroyed. Once crash-landing on another planet, Third Earth, they must thwart Mumm-Ra, an evil sorcerer, bent on killing them off.

Sopocy has written the script as an origin story expanding on the major heroes and villains from the animated series, with the plot focusing on Lion-O coming of age as the leader of the Thundercats.


I'm now waiting for Bravestarr, starring The Rock. Think Walker Texas Ranger with a sci-fi, superhero angle. "Eyes of the Hawk:, Ears of the Wolf, Strength of the Bear, Speed of the Puma..."


The Age of the Comic Book Adaptation is over. Welcome to the Era of 80's Cartoon Nostalgia!

Comments

Dante said…
WOW! someone else that wants a bravestar movie.... YAY! thought i was the only one that loved this little gem. Wish i can get the eps somewhere. You remember the origan movie? Ah... Childhood...

O and i see your up to volume eight. Nice.

Popular posts from this blog

Is the rebooted Lara Croft gay? Evidence for and against...

Weekend report-back: beach, board games and books

Movies today, SA!