Now being of that generation of cartoons like Transformers and GIJoe, there was one other cartoon that really pushed the limits of my “age to be watching cartoons” and that was Thundercats. Right after school if I got home early enough I could see Thundercats just before GIJoe and Transformers.
Well Tyrese Gibson has slipped suggesting he might be headed towards playing a part in a Thundercats movie.
Tyrese said that he’s been very involved in the attempt to bring the classic ’80s cartoon series to the big screen and seemed to hint that a deal is very nearly complete. We asked him what character he’d be playing and he just smiled and said that there’s a number of options on the table.
Personally I think Gibson is simply the only choice for Panthro. Aside from the fact that Panthro was blue his voice supplied by African actor Earle Hyman, as well as his physique is similarily drawn to Tyrese’s build. So as much as Tyrese is saying there are a number of options open, I really hope if he is signed that he is doing Panthro.
Unlike some of the other 80s tv adaptations, I think Thundercats might have a decent chance at an update. The style of the show implied that it was futuristic, and with some tweaks could easily be stylized with less cheesy costumes and make for an incredible fantasy-scifi adventure film.
Thundercats was probably more important to me than GI Joe so it falls in a #2 spot for me in my late 80s cartoon consumption. I have all the released seasons on DVD.
Dare I say that if Jolie was to put on some curves again I would have her pegged for Cheetara in a heartbeat. Then get Miley Cyrus and some other cute Disney kid to play the Thunderkittens. (I jest)
Uh, Earle Hyman is “”African-American” not simply “African.” He was born in North Carolina. At any rate, I think Tyrese is a good choice for Panthro. They should also consider model/actor Tyson Beckford for the role. He has an inherantly cat-like face. (I mean that with the best of intentions)
First live action can easily be done. That has been proved over and over again by recent movies. The special effects are there. Now getting a solid art direction down that pays homage to the toon but udates it for a serious look that will be challenging.
As for “There aren’t any humans in the THUNDERCAT-world anyway.”
Hatchiman the Samuri.
The whole tribe of Amazons in the jungle.
Safari Joe
The Ninja same episode as Hatchiman
There were others but I would have to go back and watch and I can’t do that till I get them.
@The Cat… DelToro only directed ONE Blade movie.
And though a director IS important, cast is just as important. One without the other is doom for a movie. Shitty direction with good actors is just as bad as good director with shitty actors. The movie will still suffer.
There are lots of directors out there that can take on this type of movie. Del Toro is good, but he isnt the ONLY person who can do this.
.. i think …. from the start that the director is the first thing .. not the actors.. tttake a look at hellboy dudes!!.. that was a badass movie!….they can use some cgi effects like they do in this kind of movies but only when have to do something that nobody wantsto.. like jumping a building or a battle .. .. “del toro ” is the person that i think has to make this movie chek out– Blade (trilogy)-hellboy-the panns labirynth- … thinking about the actors is being closed to new choices..
This is the one movie that I hope they get right. I can live with a horrible masters of the universe, a different yet good transformers, but Thundercats has to be just right.
Ooooo, this is juicy. I used to watch this cartoon all the time as a kid – I would be very keen to see what they do as an adaptation for this. Having said that, it was so long ago that I would have to refresh my memory with a few things.
It’s only a matter of time before they create a movie out of the genius which was Mysterious Cities of Gold … I can feel it :)
didnt say that…because I didnt enjoy transformers I have little hope for the other ones…..
come on now im not asking for an epic oscar caliber movie, i wanted a decent movie that felt like the original source material…not something completely different that happens to share the same name…
So because YOU didn’t like Transformers the rest of them are doomed to be shit?
As far as I am concerned if any of these adaptations are as good as Transformers I am happy.
“cornball dialogue” and all.
at first i was gonna rant when i read the article….but i thought about it, there must be a hollywood spy who’s sole purpose is to sodomize my dreams and memories. first they shit out transformers, then the ejaculate on gi joe, then there molest dragon ball, THEN they announce cowboy bebop, and now finally thundercats….bravo u bastards….bravo
i agree the story and stuff can be great for a movie…i would love a GOOD thundercats movie….just like i wouldve loved a GOOD transformers movie…but instead i get cornball dialogue, a story that was needlessly fucked up, and shakey cam bullshit….and now thundercats…we’ll see how bad they fuck this one up
Oh snap..I’m all about a live action thunder cats…
Tyrese as Panthro…that would rock…
I say kate Beckinsale as Cheetara
Hugh Jack man as Lion-O
David Borenaz as Tigra
Dakota Fanning as Wiley kit
Haley Joel Osmett as Wiley kat
Wilem Dafoe as Mumra
and as Snarf get Frank Welker to do his voice.
I agree with Rodney here, revamp it for live action, it could definitly work. I think that, yes, it would be very easy to screw it up, but to say that its imossible to pull this off live-action seems a bit naive considering what has been done as of late.
And Tyrese would only work if it was live-action, cause he certainly looks the part, but for cgi I dont think so, as his voice is not necessarily a big strong hulk cat.
My sight beyond sight predicts that a live action film is a bad idea.
im shure tyrese would do a great cheetara too!
im with mozzerino on this ,go cg animated,no mistake!
live action whitout a reeeaaaalllly reeeeaaalllyyy good director and a perfect production ?
tottall disaster!
and imagine tyreses voice in panthro…
“yoohww im houngry!!”
hummm not that good.
And there was at least one verified human in Thundercats – Lion-O rescude Brodo and Jaga from the Astral Prison in an episode conveniently called “the Astral Prison”
Just sayin.
Everything sounds stupid when you say it like that.
It sounds ridiculous to see real people dressed up like dwarves and elves fighting trolls on dino-elephants with magic. That was a pretty awesome movie though.
But it could work well provided they don’t make them look hokey. They have to update the outfits to be more realistic. Like the fan art I found and put in the post, that Panthro looks a lot more impressive and martial than the spikey armoured one peice bdsm suit Panthro had on in the toon.
Make them hint of cats instead of so blatantly half cat like they were in the show. And tone down the JarJar factor of Snarf.
And Mumm-Ra was a badass villain. I wouldn’t change a thing about him. They do have to make the mutants more menacing though. They were bumbling comic relief for the kids show, but they could be imposing effective combatants to give a PG version of a live action movie some validation.
Sounds like a winner that way.
I loved THUNDERCATS as a kid and I agree, the concept could really work in an updated version.
BUT ONLY IF THEY DO IT AS AN ANIMATED FILM!
Nothing in the history of mankind would be more ridiculous than real people dressing up like alien cats and fight an evil mummy and it’s animal-like henchmen. It sounds awful and it would look awful.
Tyrese can voice Panthros, I’d be down with that, but to make this into a live-action movie would be the biggest mistake they could make. It would look like CATS: THE MOVIE.
Animation is so advanced these days, it don’t say the point in doing it any other way.
There aren’t any humans in the THUNDERCAT-world anyway.