Upcoming ThunderCats Live-Action Movie Can Make Up For The Franchise’s Biggest Mistake Over A Decade Later

The upcoming ThunderCats movie could give the franchise the perfect chance to make up for the biggest mistake it made with its most critically acclaimed entry. Debuting in 1985, ThunderCats fit in perfectly alongside other shows of the era like He-Man. Focusing on Lion-O and his fellow ThunderCats, the show centered around their adventures on Third Earth and their battles with the evil sorcerer, Mumm-Ra. The show quickly became a favorite for kids of the era, and has inspired two very different ThunderCats reboots in the 21st century — 2011’s dramatic ThunderCats, and the more cartoonish 2020 series ThunderCats Roar.

There have been several attempts to make a live-action adaptation of ThunderCats, with one of the directors of the MonsterVerse currently attached to the project. Any attempt to bring Lion-O and the other ThunderCats characters to the big screen needs to learn from ThunderCat‘s past shows, however. Specifically, the premature cancelation of the 2011 series serves as an important lesson for any new take on the franchise, especially as a reminder of what the film should focus on above all else.

A Live-Action ThunderCats Movie Can Make Up For ThunderCats (2011)’s Cancelation

The Biggest Problem With 2011’s ThunderCats, Explained

The upcoming live-action adaptation of ThunderCats needs to avoid the mistake of the 2011 adaption, which over-committed to a grand overarching story. The 2011 adaptation of ThunderCats was a largely dramatic take on the franchise. Whereas the original show blended a corny brand of comedy with action and the subsequent 2020 series ThunderCats Roar fully embraced a silly approach to the concept, 2011’s ThunderCats treated the material as a far more serious affair. 2011’s ThunderCats was a more anime-inspired take on the concept, featuring more complex character relationships compared to other takes on the franchise.

Lion-O’s main arc focused on his efforts to become a worthy ruler to his remaining subjects, facing off with the ancient evil Mumm-Ra. The series was initially planned for a 52-episode story, spread out across two seasons. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after only 26 episodes had been produced, resulting in the lingering plot threads at the end of season 1 never being resolved. A new take on the concept could utilize a similar tone to the 2011 ThunderCats, playing the concept for drama and with the kind of action that was seen in the 2011 version of the series.

ThunderCats Live-Action Film Can Be The Modern Take On The Show ThunderCats (2011) Couldn’t

The Most Important Lesson Of 2011’s Thundercats Needs To Impact The Live-Action Film

The cancelation of the 2011 ThunderCats left a hole in some fan’s hearts, generating an ultimately failed campaign to spur on a revival. The 2011 ThunderCats was ultimately canceled mid-story, leaving fans anxious for a conclusion that will never come. Any live-action version of the franchise should learn from the cancelation of ThunderCats and avoid building out a massive story that it potentially can’t finish. Instead, the live-action version could replicate the character drama and action of the 2011 series while still telling a complete story. A live-action ThunderCats should be a more self-contained affair.

If the live-action/CGI hybrid ThunderCats is successful, then it can expand the universe and story. The 2011 series was critically appreciated for the changes it made to the original story, adding a sense of character depth and story logic that was absent in the more straightforward original version of the show. A prospective ThunderCats film could bring elements of this complexity over while avoiding the larger-scale story that might not come to fruition.

Don’t Expect The ThunderCats Movie To Be Like The 2011 Show

The Live-Action ThunderCats Will Likely Be More Inspired By The Original Cartoon

Despite the passion some fans have for the 2011 version of ThunderCats, it’s been made clear that a new cinematic approach to the franchise would be more indebted to the original animated show. ThunderCats reboot director Adam Wingard has openly discussed how the original 1985 ThunderCats would be the primary inspiration for his take on the franchise. Describing the proposed film as a “passion project” he’s had in mind since high school, Wingard told Screen Rant during an interview that his version of ThunderCats would reflect his love for the original series over the anime-inspired 2011 version.

This suggests the film will be more action-oriented, leaning into a bombastic approach that’s a far cry from the personal dramas and relationships of the 2011 ThunderCats. That doesn’t mean the film couldn’t take some inspiration from the anime-inspired take on the series. Wingard revealed he’d also seen the new series, and would be smart to bring the show’s character depth to his take on the series. Ideally, a new ThunderCats film can pull from all previous versions of the franchise to create something that feels familiar to fans but unique enough to stand on its own.

Source: Screen Rant