Following in the footsteps of ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ and ‘The Smurfs,’ Hanna Barbera’s classic animated sitcom ‘The Jetsons’ looks to be soaring into movie theaters, but unlike those other two, it will be as a completely animated movie.
‘The Jetsons’ originally aired from 1962 until 1963, in prime time and was intended as a complimentary series for the other major prime time cartoon of the era, ‘The Flintstones’ (which was previously adapted into two live action movies in the 90s). Like ‘The Flintstones,’ ‘The Jetsons’ continued to air pretty much nonstop in syndication for decades after its initial production. ‘The Jetsons’ was also revived in the 80s, with brand new episodes being produced.
The series focused on a classic 60s style nuclear family living in the year 2062 (which is frighteningly closer to the present than when ‘The Jetsons’ first aired) consisting of patriarch George, housewife Jane, groovy teenage daughter Judy and wide-eyed boy genius Elroy, not to mention their dog Astro and robot maid Rosie. Also a major factor was George’s short and grouchy boss Mister Spacely. ‘The Jetsons’ has already once been adapted as an animated feature in 1990 and featured pop singer Tiffany as Judy (she also provided the theme song), but the movie bombed.
A live action movie has been rumored for over a decade, but so far only ‘The Flintstones’ and ‘Scooby Doo’ have made the leap from Hanna Barbera’s vaults onto the big screen. Talks heated up in 2012, when Kanye West signed on as artistic director for a new live action film and he continued to discuss it into 2013, but along the way, it seems things fell apart (maybe it was Kim Kardashian’s fault) and Warner Brothers switched gears and has decided to make an animated movie instead, tossing out the old script and hiring Matt Lieberman to pen a new one.
Lieberman previously worked an a script for a reboot of the ‘Scooby Doo’ franchise for Warner Brothers and has three scripts with directors attached, ‘Short Circuit’, ‘The Pet’ and ‘Mister Toad’s Wild Ride’, and three more completed scripts floating around, ’12/24′ at 1492 Pictures, ‘Giant Monsters Attack Tokyo’ at Paramount and ‘Evil Genius’ for Disney.
Do you think ‘The Jetsons’ can win over modern families? Are you excited to see this classic animated property revived? Comment below!
Sources: Screen Rant, Cinema Blend
