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Warner Bros.' Live Action Thundercats Surfaces

posted 16 years ago by kdmccaskill
10 replies | jump to latest

http://www.movieline.com/_/assets_c/2009/07/LIONO-ABOVEFOLD-thumb-585x auto-3074.jpg

Everyone has their own ’80s cartoon franchise that meant something to them, and mine was ThunderCats: The Rankin/Bass series followed of a race of humanoid felines from the planet Thundera, forced to evacuate after their home comes under siege by the fearsome Mutants of Plun-Darr

(who looked a bit like reptilian Ernest Borgnines.) Yes, I still hold a fond place in my heart for Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, Snarf and the rest, and so Warner Bros.’ announcement a while back of a Thundercats movie filled me with the warm, fuzzy feelings one typically associates with watching Saturday morning TV while eating peanut-butter-and-grape-jelly sandwiches. The script, written by Paul Sopocy,

was to follow Lion-O’s origin myth from young cub to his anointment as Lord of the ThunderCats, and was to be directed by veteran art director Jerry O’Flaherty.

In conjunction with our coverage of Comic-Con 2009, Movieline has obtained O’Flaherty’s never-before-seen Thundercats concept art, demonstrating just how gorgeous and ambitious his vision for this production is. After the jump, you’ll see Thundercats renderings of Lion-O, The Pyramid, Third Earth, and Mutant Attack.

http://www.movieline.com/images/MOVIELINE-LIONO.jpg
http://www.movieline.com/images/MOVIELINETHUNDERCATS2.jpg
http://www.movieline.com/images/MOVIELINETHUNDERCATS1.jpg
http://www.movieline.com/images/MOVIELINETHUNDERCATS3.jpg

http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/movieilne-presents-the-never-before-s een-concept-art-for-warner-bros-thundercats.php

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/thundercats-concept-art-surfaces-7588

[–] ja_kitty_71 16 years ago

I saw conceptual art, and I thought it was excellant! I can't see to the film! ThunderCats is my favorite series from my favorite animation studio - Rankin/Bass
--
*nya* *purr*

[–] Mr_Garak 16 years ago

Holy crap, Mumm-ra's pyramid looks awesome.

I just hope if it comes out it is actually good, not like the stinkers Transformers 2007, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. The Rise of Cobra were.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Misaria 15 years ago

I saw the artwork, of Lion-O and the ship and planet, not long ago..

I have to say that I don't like it.
I want to like it.. but no..

The "new" Lion-O looks cool, but looks more like Akuma (Streetfighter).. not Lion-O..
Thundercats is Thundercats.. Sure they can update some things.. But the 80's version is the real deal..
I'd rather see that any day..
I hoped I'd get to see that version updated.. Not a totally different take..

Like I said.. I want to like it.. But..
Can you imagine this character swinging the sword of omens yelling; Thunder! Thunder! THUNDERCATS! HOOOOOO!

I can't..

[–] Timstuff 15 years ago

Those concept images are amazing! I think it's a good mix of recognizeability and modernization, which is what the movie will need. I mean, no disrespect to the original, but the blue leotard look on Lion O is a little-- '80s. The new version looks like hardcore Sci-Fi for the 21st century.

I hope that if this movie ever gets made, they use CG with performance capture and don't try to pull it off with prosthetic makeup. The latter would be possible, but I don't think it would look quite right. The characters have to look like they're actually part cat, not just cat makeup with human faces underneath, so I think the Avatar route would be the way to go. It'd be an expensive movie, but all these toy movies are pretty expensive anyway.

[–] velvoofell 15 years ago

I think James Cameron, with blue, leonine-faced creatures dominating, in his movie 'Avatar', would elbow a production like this out of the way.

[–] eddypatrick187 15 years ago

Good point. I was thinking Avatar when I saw that Lion-O image.

It has to be live action. It can be done.

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