After the multi-platform release of Godzilla vs. Kong this week, director Adam Wingard has already lined up his next project for Warner Bros. Wingard will be bringing the famous 1980s animated series ThunderCats to the big screen along with his frequent writing partner Simon Barrett.
Wingard has worked with Barrett in the past on both the slasher horror film You’re Next and the Dan Stevens thriller The Guest. The director is also known for his work on Netflix’s live-action Death Note adaptation and for the found footage film Blair Witch, which served as a direct sequel to the original horror film The Blair Witch Project. Roy Lin and Dan Lee, who produced Wingard's Death Note, will also serve as producers for the ThunderCats movie.
Wingard is a self-professed super fan of the ThunderCats and shared his excitement for the project in an interview with Deadline. The director even admitted that he’s dreamed of making a movie adaptation since his high school years, which was when he first knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. He goes on to say that he was teased by his fellow classmates for his obsession with the '80s children’s cartoon and even wrote a 272-page screenplay by hand during his sophomore year.
ThunderCats was an American animated TV series that ran from 1985-1989. It told the story of a group of humanoid cat-like aliens who are forced to flee their homeworld of Thundera after its destruction and now resided on a planet known as Third Earth. The show is considered a staple of 1980s children’s television with its recognizable sci-fi aesthetic. Warner Bros. obtained the rights to the series in 1989 and in the years since its debut, ThunderCats has spawned a franchise that has featured comic books, action figures, clothing, and other merchandise. There was also a recent reboot/sequel tv series in 2011, but it was canceled after one season.
Wingard discussed his desire to uphold the show's trademark style. “I want to do a Thundercats film that takes you back to that ‘80s aesthetic. I don’t want to reinvent the way they look; I want them to look like Thundercats.” The director further elaborated on whether or not the film would be live-action or animation, saying, “I don’t want it to look like Cats, I don’t want those kinds of issues, no disrespect to that director whom I don’t mean to throw under the bus any more than everyone else has. I want to do a movie you’ve never seen before. A hybrid CGI film that has a hyperreal look and somehow bridges the gap between cartoon and CGI.”
Wingard was one of several filmmakers who was initially upset with Warner Bros.' unilateral decision to release several of their recent films simultaneously in theatres and on their streaming platform HBO Max. This included Wingard’s most recent film, Godzilla vs. Kong, but the director seems to have buried the hatchet, as he seems eager to work with the company in the future, especially after the relative success of Godzilla vs. Kong, which has brought in over $123 million overseas and is receiving generally favorable reviews.
Godzilla vs. Kong will be available to stream on HBO Max on March 31, 2021.
Source: Deadline