First Scooby-Doo, now the “Modern Stone Age Family,” ‘The Flintstones’ are getting an animated reboot. An even more modern take on this classic prime time animated sitcom is in development from Warner Bros. Animation and Elizabeth Banks’ Brownstone Productions. Banks signed an overall development deal with Warner Bros. in 2018.
‘The Flintstones’ was the first animated prime time series and served as inspiration for ‘The Simpsons’ which inspired ‘The Family Guy’, and nowadays, there is adult-targeted animation everywhere!
PHOTO: Chiabella James/Sony
In fact, ‘Family Guy’ creator Seth McFarlane attempted to reboot ‘The Flintstones’ in 2011 and received a straight-to-series order, but FOX executives weren’t impressed with McFarlane’s treatment and the project died.
The vague description of the show is “an adult animated series and based on an original idea featuring Flintstones characters.” The show is in the earliest stages of development, and it doesn’t have an outlet attached.
On the TV front, Banks executive produced the acclaimed Hulu comedy ‘Shrill’, and the FOX pilot ‘Patty’s Auto’. Beyond that, she produced/executive produced the ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies, in which she also appeared, and the anticipated big screen reboot of ‘Charlie’s Angels’.
The original ‘Flintstones’ aired in primetime from 1960-66 and went into syndication after that. There have been multiple additional animated series and movies based on the characters, and in 1994, a live-action theatrical film was released, followed by a sequel in 2000.
A new cartoon for kids, ‘Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs’ is slated to premiere on the Boomerang app in 2020.
In its original format, ‘The Flintstones’ drew inspiration from the live-action sitcom ‘The Honeymooners’, and centered on Fred Flintstone, a pudgy blue-collar everyman with a bad temper, with a beautiful but naggy wife, Wilma. THAT format has been the inspiration for roughly half the sitcoms that have ever existed. The Flintstones were accompanied on their exploits by their next-door neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble. The Flintstones had a pet Dino, a dog-like dinosaur, and eventually a baby, Pebbles. The Rubbles were blessed with a magical infant, Bam-Bam who appeared out of nowhere and had superhuman strength. Unlike most cartoon kids, Pebbles and Bam-Bam actually aged and eventually grew up, got married and had their own kids.
Are you looking forward to a new take on ‘The Flintstones’?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
