FOX tried twice to make ‘The Tick’ happen. Ben Edlund’s superhero parody comic book was first adapted by the network in a 1994 animated series, which was probably too sophisticated for a child audience (and therefore didn’t sell enough action figures) and then again in a short-lived live action series in 2001, with ‘Seinfeld’ vet Patrick Warburton as the title character, and David Burke as his sidekick Arthur, Nestor Carbonell as Batmauel (Die Fledermaus in the comics and cartoon) and Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty (American Maid in the originals).
Now Amazon is trying again. Edlund is on board as an executive producer of the new ‘Tick’ and will also serve as an episode writer. Barry Josephson, who also served as an executive producer of the live-action show, will also be back for this new version. Wally Pfister, director of photography on the ‘Dark Knight’ movies, is in negotiations to direct. Pfister has also directed the Will Arnett-starring Netflix series ‘Flaked’.
The part of ‘The Tick’ has not been cast, but the actor who portrayed him previously, Warburton, is involved and will also serve as an executive producer.
Griffin Newman has signed on to play Arthur while Valorie Curry will portray his sister Dot Everest.
Arthur is said to be considered a schizophrenic because he believed that the forces of evil are seeking to take over their city. When The Tick, himself suffering from memory loss, appears, it seems to validate his claims.
Beyond ‘The Tick’, Edlund has works as a producer on other shows, such as ‘Gotham‘, ‘Revolution’, Firefly’ and ‘Supernatural‘.
The animated ‘Tick’ cartoon lasted for three seasons. The previous live action version only lasted nine episodes but has attained cult status since its initial run.
Were you a fan of either the cartoon or live action versions of ‘The Tick’? Are you excited that Amazon is reviving this concept?
Source: Deadline
