It’s been virtually nothing but radio silence on director Adam Wingard’s live-action ThunderCats movie since it was first announced back in 2021, right around the time Godzilla vs. Kong hit screens.
But with his latest thriller, Onslaught, now out, fans and journalists alike are once again wondering if the director is finally ready to bring Lion-O and company to life.
In a new interview, Wingard gave an honest update on the project, stating, "My career’s kind of bouncing around, so different things have taken precedence. But [ThunderCats is] still kicking around. I think it’s just a matter of finding time to really re-concentrate and re-engage with it."
"We did a new draft at the beginning of this year. It wasn’t too long ago, and then things got put on hold for this movie [Onslaught]. So I don’t really have any exciting updates. But it’s not dead. It lives. It’s just not the number one [thing] I’m working on right now."
ThunderCats has enjoyed a strong fan following ever since the animated series debuted in 1985 and has undergone several reboots, including a modernized 2011 reimagining from Cartoon Network that still resonates with fans to this day.
However, in his previous update on the project, Wingard confirmed that his take would be based on the '80s version, commenting, "My version is going to be 100% the ’80’s version. I’ve seen the rebooted anime one, but if I’m honest, the 80’s one that’s what Thundercats is to me, and that’s what I’d be creating."
Still, if Wingard’s latest comments are any indication, Lion-O, Cheetara, and the rest of the gang will likely have to wait as it doesn't sound like Wingard is journeying to Third Earth anytime soon.
To make matters trickier, Warner Bros. is holding the keys to the franchise.
With their massive merger with Paramount currently bogged down in legal limbo, the studio isn't exactly in a position to take a massive financial gamble on a nostalgic, high-budget risk.
It certainly doesn't help that another '80s action cartoon staple, Masters of the Universe, recently received its own live-action reimagining, which bombed big time for Amazon Prime Studios in theaters.
The film reportedly cost between $170-$200 million and only grossed $113.8 million worldwide - a huge loss for any major movie studio.
However, the live-action He-Man movie is reportedly performing very well on streaming. It's still the #1 movie on Prime Video after several weeks and that comes after Nielsen streaming data reported that the the film racked up 1.17 billion minutes of watch time in its very first week.
More recently, it was confirmed that Amazon Prime Video's upcoming live-action Voltron movie starrring Henry Cavill would be skipping theaters altogether, as will Sydney Sweeney's Gundam movie.
Looking at how things are playing out, if Warner Bros. also wants to hedge their bets on an animated '80s icon, releasing a live-action ThunderCats movie on HBO Max might actually be the smarter play over a risky theatrical run.
In other ThunderCats movie news, Warner Bros. recently teased the existence of an animated adaptation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this past June, which sounds like it's a totally separate project from what Wingard is developing.