METAL MEN Gearing Up As Animated Movie From SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY And THE LITTLE MERMAID Writers

There have been discussions of a Metal Men movie for nearly a decade now, but the project finally appears to have gained some traction...just not in live-action. According to The Hollywood Reporter, animation legends Ron Clements and John Musker, the duo behind Disney classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, are teaming with Celeste Ballard to adapt the DC Comics property.

Ballard is best known for writing Space Jam: A New Legacy, and the movie is being developed by the Warner Animation Group (meaning it won't be one of those direct-to-DVD projects). 

Clements and Musker wrote the initial treatment and hope to direct. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the Metal Men, they were created by a scientist called Dr. William Magnus. Each of the six robots was built from a single chemical element with qualities that are reflected in their personalities, abilities, and names. They've been reinvented on multiple occasions in recent years, so there's lots the filmmakers can pull from the comics for inspiration. 

Earlier this year, we spoke to Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld about his Metal Men plans, and he revealed: "I am developing Metal Men with Warner Bros. We’re actively working on a treatment for that. It’s not specifically, necessarily superhero, but even in Metal Men, that I am developing, it’s going to be a very specific kind of world," Sonnenfeld continued. "It’s a real-world because I always like things to be reality-based, but slightly with a tilt to that."

Something tells us that Metal Men movie has probably fallen by the wayside now, which is a shame as it's been in development for a long time. There's a chance it could still happen, of course, but it does appear the studio is now focusing on this animated version (that we're guessing will lean heavily into the team's comedic nature given Ballard's involvement).

Keep checking back here for updates on Metal Men!