Following the financial and critical success of Godzilla vs. Kong earlier this year, director Adam Wingard was announced to be developing a live-action adaptation of the ’80s animated series ThunderCats, but whatever fans might be anticipating, it likely won’t live up to whatever Wingard is planning, according to writer Simon Barrett. While it’s not entirely a surprise that a director who manages to deliver a successful entry into a beloved franchise would be tapped to invest in another franchise, this is clearly more of a passion project for Wingard than just another filmmaking opportunity. Barrett’s latest film, Seance, debuts in theaters, On Demand, and on Digital HD on May 21st.
“I will say this, our ThunderCats adaptation is going to be really, really cool. I don’t think people are at all prepared for how long Adam Wingard has spent thinking about ThunderCats,” Barrett confirmed with ComicBook.com. “They are not ready for Adam’s ThunderCats movie. It is going to destroy.”
The original ThunderCats series was one of many ’80s properties that gained immense popularity not only from their animated adventures, but also through their tie-in action figures. The series followed the fantastical exploits of the feline-humanoid aliens, whose adventures would also be seen in comics, movies, and various subsequent animated series.
“ThunderCats is a dream project for me,” Wingard told Deadline when the project was announced. “When I was in high school, I was obsessed with it. You’d think at that point, I was a little too old, that my years of obsession with ThunderCats would be when I was six years old. My real obsession with ThunderCats came in high school, the pinnacle of me deciding I wanted to be a filmmaker, and pushing in that direction…I actually spent most of my 10th-grade year, I completely blew it. I didn’t pay attention in school, made terrible grades. And the reason? I was writing my ThunderCats screenplay through my entire 10th-grade year. And I was handwriting it. The screenplay itself ended up being 272 pages long. I still have it.”
Barrett and Wingard have previously collaborated on films like You’re Next, The Guest, and Blair Witch.
In Barrett’s Seance, which he both wrote and directed, Camille Meadows is the new girl at the prestigious Edelvine Academy for Girls. Soon after her arrival, six girls invite her to join them in a late-night ritual, calling forth the spirit of a dead former student who reportedly haunts their halls. But before morning, one of the girls is dead, leaving the others wondering what they may have awakened.
Stay tuned for details on the ThunderCats movie. Seance hits theaters, On Demand, and Digital HD on May 21st.
Are you looking forward to the ThunderCats movie? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!