Thundercats is a property that might seem obscure to a lot of people today, given that it only had a short-lived revival in 2011 before the show was turned into something like Teen Titans Go in the form of Thundercats Roar. However, for those who remember the original 80’s animated series, or even its 2011 revival, Thundercats holds a special place in their heart. And now, it seems a Thundercats live-action film might finally see the light of day.
Adam Wingard, whose film Godzilla X Kong: A New Empire is due to hit theatres at the end of the month, opened up to Collider about the possibility of his next film being a Thundercats live-action adaptation. The filmmaker claimed that would like to keep as close to the source material as possible.
A Thundercats film is currently in active development
A Thundercats film is currently in development. with the script being penned. The film is going to adapt the animated series, which revolves around the prince of Third Earth, Lion-O, and his companions. The director said:
“We’re actively working on a draft right now, and it’s cruising forward. It’s super awesome. I’m really excited about it.”
Speaking with Collider, when probed about the film a little more, Wingard revealed what the vibe of the film might be like:
“Well, I think you have to have a little bit of both. You gotta take it seriously. In the cartoon, even though it was definitely for kids, the characters were in a fair amount of danger. I’m definitely still scarred from that one episode where Lion-O’s getting wrapped up in the mummy, the rope, and he’s in the temple. That really messed me up as a kid. But yeah, I think any good adaptation these days is you’ve got to say as true to the source material as possible.”
While this inspires a lot of hope for the project, it also probes a conversation that has been a long time brewing in Hollywood: do animated properties need live-action adaptation at all?
While a live-action offering in any franchise draws more crowds than an animated version of it, it is often the animation medium that facilitates the telling of a good story. While rare pieces like Netflix’s One Piece do well, more often than not, they fall apart.
Thundercats influenced Godzilla x Kong
While speaking with Collider, Adam Wingard talked about how, despite Thundercats being a future project, the film might have influenced the next offering in the Monsterverse. He said:
“If you look at the shot, for instance, in the trailer where Kong is blocking Shimo’s breath with the ax, that’s like a direct reference to the opening credit sequence where Lion-O jumps in the frame and holds the sword in front of him.”
It seems that 80s cartoons have a lot of influence on the film, given the color palette of the movie, which takes direct inspiration from Thundercats and Masters of the Universe. The color palate is shown in the film’s trailer, which easily looks like something right of a Saturday Morning cartoon (given how seriously the ridiculous idea is taken).
