A live-action adaptation of The Jetsons cartoon show does not technically count as a reboot/remake, but it may as well be one, given the pronounced negative reaction it’s prompted so far. A whole generation of people grew up watching the original Hanna-Barbera futuristic animated sitcom (which aired from 1962-1988) – and while there are definitely those who are not against the idea of a big-budget treatment of the classic cartoon, most folk seem perfectly content to let this particular piece of nostalgic entertainment remain a fond memory.
Warner Bros. isn’t giving up on the project yet, though, and has recruited Evan Susser and Van Robichaux to pound out a new script draft for The Jetsons. The two are taking over screenwriting duties from Fanboys and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz scribe Adam F. Goldberg, who was the last writing talent to try his hand at penning this flick.
Susser and Robichaux are essentially newcomers, but they’ve been attracting interest of late for their Black Listed spec script titled Chewie, a tale about the making of the original Star Wars, as told from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew’s perspective. Whether or not that’s enough to suggest the pair could pen a decent live-action movie based around stereotypical (albeit, Space Age) family members George, Jane, Judy, and Elroy Jetson, we’ll leave to you to decide.
Producers Donald De Line and Denise Di Novi have spent years attempting to bring The Jetsons to life in flesh-and-blood form, with filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez (the Spy Kids franchise) and Peter Segal (Get Smart, 50 First Dates) having been tapped to direct, at different points in time. De Line and Di Novi continue to insist that this project is a good idea that’ll prove worthy of all the stalled attempts and effort; then again, they have also recently been involved with flicks like Yogi Bear and Green Lantern, so De Line and Di Novi’s stamp of approval doesn’t always guarantee quality.
To be fair, the Jetson production team’s recent decision to approach Kanye West about serving as (basically) an art department supervisor on the project suggests they have something more in mind than a slapdash, CGI-heavy comedy that’s primarily for the juice box crowd. A classic cartoon adaptation which doesn’t go that route (a la Yogi Bear, The Smurfs, etc.) would be more welcome, if nothing else.
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We will continue to keep you updated on the status of The Jetsons as more information is released.
