First Look: Concept Art For ‘ThunderCats’
Here’s a little nugget that I missed last week when 2009 San Diego Comic Con was in full swing … Movieline managed to get their paws on the first concept art promo images for the upcoming Warner Bros. production of the big screen adaptation of ThunderCats. Fans of the 80’s cartoon series recall that the show revolved around group of cat people heroes called ThunderCats (among them Lion-O, Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, Wily Kit, Wily Kat and Snarf) who escaped their planet of Thundara and landed on Third Earth (presumably in the future) to battle the evil forces of Mum-Ra. Now, like much of the hallowed TV series out our collective youth, the story is being brought to the big screen. Here is our first look at the concept art for the ThunderCat leader Lion-O in all his glory:
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.
HMMM … I’m comforted by the fact that the movie will be a CGI film but considering how crappy the CGI movie based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turned out … well, I think we have cause for concern. After the jump, check out other artist renderings for the film including Mum-Ra’s pyramid and Third Earth …
Cautiously optimistic … that’s what I’ll be until I see otherwise. I do love ThunderCats, very much … I just hope they don’t eff it up :(
[Source]
Tags: 'Thundercats'
RSS
Feedburner
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I feel like the Thundercat’s costumes were always more sexual than this. I want to see more skin, more muscles and less pleather.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Truthfully, I am not a huge fan of CGI but I do LOVE LOVE then Thundercats. I really hope this turns out to be fan-fucking-tastic and that they make many more to come. Please, oh lord above let two things happen in the future; marriage equality and a great Thundercat movie!!
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
@ Mr. Gyllenhall: lol!
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I hope this turns out well. I loved the ThunderCats when I was a kid!!! Did anybody see that fake live-action Thundercats trailer that came out a while back? It was pretty cool, actually.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Thundercats
Thundercats
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
The hair needs to be more flowing and I agree with barto
August 4th, 2009 at 5:30 am
didn’t lion-o look more human than this? i dont want this to be planet of the apes-ish. I can’t watch love scenes with these faces.
August 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
thundercats hoooooooooooooo lets see this one!!!