Disney has been working through its entire back catalogue of animated classics for the ever-growing slate of live-action remakes, but the Mouse House may also be expanding its coverage to include lesser-known cartoons from its vast library.
The animated Gargoyles series ran for three seasons from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997, and although it did fly under the radar at the time, it has since developed a cult following and a loyal fanbase who are holding out hope that the show will eventually be revived for a fourth season.
The voice cast included Keith David (They Live) as Gargoyle leader Goliath, the late Ed Asner (Up) as his right-hand man Hudson, and Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as villainous billionaire David Xanatos.
Though the show was a family-friendly affair for the most part, it could get pretty dark and dramatic at times (especially for what was generally viewed as a "children's" cartoon), and back in 1995, Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat) showed interest in developing a "grisly" R-rated live action take.
The project never saw the light of day (obviously), but it did get far enough into development that the legendary Rick Baker created some character designs, and it sounds like Disney might now be looking to revisit the property.
A new rumor doing the rounds online is claiming that Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Murder on the Orient Express) has been tapped to helm a new live-action Gargoyles adaptation.
Giant Freakin Robot shared the original rumor (the site has posted some nonsense "scoops" in their time, but it is also worth noting that they have also beaten the trades to some pretty major news) last week, but The Belfast Telegraph has now backed-up the initial report, so this should definitely be worth keeping an eye on.
"One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles," reads the animated series' synopsis. "Stone by day, warriors by night, We were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again! We are defenders of the night! We are gargoyles!"
Were you a fan of the show? Drop us a comment in the usual place, and check out some of Baker's concept sketches below.