Thundercats Ho! Movie News

[Xorn]

Still really early... But unlike He-man I'm hoping this gets done... I really liked these guys back in the 80's....

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=41795&type=0

[GogglesPizanno]

I have never understood the love that people have for the Thundercats....
The idea of this as a live action movie just makes me cringe.

[Uncle Yuan]

I think this could make a great live action movie, providing you either got rid of Snarf or Kat and Kit.  Preferably Snarf - strikes me as being way to Jar Jarish.  The twins should be more than adequate for comic relief.

And Panthro - Micheal Clarke Duncan, without a doubt.

[MJB]

Live action? I would love to see a new animated Thundercats movie. No CGI just some traditional animation.

-MJB

[BentonGrey]

I think, of the various 80's toons other than Transformers and GI JOE, this series would do best as live action.  However, what I'd really like to see is the same as MJB, a new animated movie.  This was really a great show, incredibly creative and with a really well fleshed out world.  It should be pretty easy to tell an epic tale with these characters.

[detourne_me]

if any 1980's franchise needs a movie now....   it would have to be M.A.S.K.  or Battle Beasts or Insectaurs or Dino-Riders,  but please not Thundercats!!!!

unless of course it was traditionally animated, and classically campy in every way

[GogglesPizanno]

I missed this on my first glance of the article.

From the Sci Fi Article (*Emphasis added):

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.

Its gonna be Lion-O, Tha Anakin Years....
I'm cringing even more.

[Ajax]

I missed this on my first glance of the article.

From the Sci Fi Article (*Emphasis added):

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.

Its gonna be Lion-O, Tha Anakin Years....
I'm cringing even more.

First of all they have to start with a orgin-esque story for those who didn't grow up in the 80's watching this. Since the target audience for 99.9% of all movies is teenagers that means most of the audience knows little about the Thundercats beyond T-Shirts. Second it will probably come off as more of a Luke Skywalker story with his fater playing an Obi-Wan-esque role. That is if you want to stick to a Star Wars motif, which last time I checked didn't have claim to "coming of age hero quest stories". Plus even the series starts out with Lion-O learning how to be the leader of the Thundercats going from kid to adult on a mental/intellectual level (since his physical form jumped ahead of him a decade or so).

[GogglesPizanno]

Since the target audience for 99.9% of all movies is teenagers...

I think if you are targeting a Teen market. Teens are more interested is seeing Die Hard 4, or spider-man 3. Teens dont wanna see Bridge to Teribethia. I sorta see the movie age rule is that your story should be one age group above your target. Little kids wanna see tweens (or 3d animation). Tweens wanna see teens. Teens wanna see Young Adults etc...

...last time I checked didn't have claim to "coming of age hero quest stories"

You are absolutely right, and I wasn't trying to imply that it did.

"Coming of Age" in todays movies implies to me young teen. I was actually making a joke that when you make Kids or Teens the hero in an action/adventure movie in todays world, more times than not you end up with dumbed down type of stories that treat the audience as 5 year olds (ala Anakin "Yippeee" Skywalker).

This doesn't mean that a good script couldn't overcome what I see as a problem with making it younger in tone...Batman Begins did the childhood origin pretty effectively in a couple of flash back scenes. I realize Batmans origin is a bit easier to do than a humanoid cat on another planet, but I dont think you need to devote a whole movie to it.

Now Im biased in that I think a live action Thundercats movie is a bad idea.
I'll agree with others though that IF your gonna do one, animated is the way to go.

[the_ultimate_evil]

Still really early... But unlike He-man I'm hoping this gets done... I really liked these guys back in the 80's....

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=41795&type=0

jerk :P

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The thing it, the earlier episodes of Thundercats really were about Lion-O's coming of age, so any movie would have to focus on that theme as well.

But like most remakes of 80's products, they should ideally target the 20-30 year olds who watched it growing up and their kids.  The movies that do this tend to be successful.  The ones that do not fail.

That was one of the big mistakes of the Thunderbirds movie.  They targeted it solely at kids.  Kids didn't know what this was, and didn't care.   Adults who watched it as kids were interested, and that movie had nothing for them.

Transformers, on the other hand, is looking like they did it right.  They are targeting it at adult audiences, their old fans grown up, but are keeping the rating purposefully low enough that they can take their kids along.

In short, if Thundercats does a more serious look at the concept, it can do very well.  I too am thinking this isn't the best material for a live action movie though.  It could work, but the amount of prosthetics and makeup used would be incredible.  But if they targeted it so that both those who grew up with it and their kids could enjoy it together, it could work.

[Revenant]

I remember watching Thundercats as a kid and liking it... and my dad and uncle marvelling at how well-done it was.  So adults back then were interested in it, also.

I think it is a major mistake to try and package it for today's kids.  They have their own childhood icons and heroes that they want to go see. 

Comic book characters can be molded more easily to fit different generations.. but Thundercats are kind of rooted in the 80's, if you ask me.  The name "Thundercats" alone just screams 80's.

[GogglesPizanno]

My personal Preferences for the cartoon aside...

I think Cat really nails the inherent problem in this as a live action film.

The plot and action and all that stuff adults want to see (and as he said they really are the target demographic) has to overcome the fact that its gonna be a bunch of talking humanoid cats cats doing it. Those fond memories of the cartoon people have are based on their memories of being a kid watching talking animated humanoid cats battle a mummy. As much as we might want to reclaim that part of our youth, our adult brains are gonna have a hard time processing a live action version of talking humanoid cats battling a mummy.

I think that few outside of a kid could really relate to the idea of a talking humanoid cat as the sole type of characters grounding the film (as much as we may want to). I think there would be a lot of people thinking it was cool idea on paper but the execution....

You make it an animated film and it resonates with that child part of us that relates to it as a cartoon. Put out a new movie on DVD ala The Timmverse stuff, and I think it could find an audience.

You make it live action and suddenly it has to relate to us on a different more adult way that i dont think it can do.

But hey I've been wrong in the past.... If this thing continues forward, we'll all get to judge.

[Camma]

Ancient Spirits of Evil,
Transform this decayed animated form,
Into the ever living Live Action Mumra!!! Bwahahahaha!

Well in all actuality if the movie is gonna be centered on Lion-o coming into his own as the leader, then Mumra shouldnt show up since when the show started they mainly only tangled with Slithe and his cronies.  Wait are they even gonna be on New Thundara or still back on their home planet pre-exodus?

And Panthro - Micheal Clarke Duncan, without a doubt.

I always said M.C.D. was created in Panthro's image  :P

[Xorn]

... has to overcome the fact that its gonna be a bunch of talking humanoid cats doing it. Those fond memories of the cartoon people have are based on their memories of being a kid watching talking animated humanoid cats battle a mummy. As much as we might want to reclaim that part of our youth, our adult brains are gonna have a hard time processing a live action version of talking humanoid cats battling a mummy.

So, a movie about huge talking robots that change into cars and airplanes and battle each other over glowing cubes seems more realistic?

hmmmm.... I wonder what they were thinking when they made that movie... ;)

I think if done right it can be as good as Transformers looks to be, but for now it's too early to say either way. We shall see...

jerk :P

Sorry I just think the ThunderCats story is much better and compelling... He-man is a bit 1D....

[gengoro]

*imagines live action cheetarah*


*drools*

[Ares_God_of_War]

I agree with the setiments about targeting these movies to adults rather thank kids. I think of how they reimagined Battlestar Galactica on the sci-fi channel as a good example of this. When I was a wee one I used to watch that campy space adventure and enjoyed it alot. Now with the reimagining Battlestar has basically grown up with me. I also think Transformers is doing about the same thing. Instead of the whole "quest for energon" its about robots who want to commit genocide againt the human race and the small group who wish to stop it. If they could do the same things for He-man and Thundercats I think it would be awesome.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Actually, you're wrong there.  The movie is about both sides fighting for the Allspark, which in the movie is how new Transformers are created.  One side just finds it more convenient to wipe out the little people in the way.

[BentonGrey]

Yep.......completely throw out the whole 'noble' autobots thing....

[Mr. Hamrick]

Yep.......completely throw out the whole 'noble' autobots thing....

I don't see where you get that idea from.

Anyway, speaking of Cheetara (however you spell it), I know the perfect person to do the part . . . her name is Bekki Buelow.  I met her at the Atlanta Film Festival this past year.  I say she is perfect mostly because she already has tattoo work of a "cheetah's spots" over much of her body.  She is not an actress, though (well, not professionally).