It's been decades since we've seen this rambunctious bird on the big screen and now, a brand new generation will have the pleasure of watching 90 minutes of an animated bird wreak havoc on some wood (take that however you'd like; I'm sure it will be the most tame pun on the page).
According to THR, Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment will be bringing Woody Woodpecker to the big screen. This is the same powerhouse that is behind the hugely popular
Despicable Me, which currently has a sequel in the works, as well as next year's anticipated
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who were the scribes on the Will Ferrell and John Heder film
Blades of Glory have been brought on to write the script.
One can assume that due to the popularity of properties like
Alvin & The Chipmunks and
The Smurfs that the crimson-colored toon will likely follow the same pattern. The character first appeared in a short in 1940 and was co-created by Walt Lantz and Mel Blanc, who also voiced the character in the early stages. Woody began as an obnoxious and fun-loving character during the WWII era, but once the 50's hit, he was toned down and was even given a love interest and regular foe in Ben Buzzard. He quickly moved from shorts to regular syndication in the 1950's. Universal purchased the rights to the character from Lantz in 1985. The studio will obviously modernize the character and look to launch a new franchise as well.