George Jetson may soon be getting ready for his big-screen close-up. The Hollywood Reporter recently unveiled the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Jetsons may be getting big-screen adaptation. The project – in development at Warner Animation Group – has recently courted Conrad Vernon, animation veteran and recent co-director of the raunchy, R-rated animated hit Sausage Party, who has come aboard to help develop the animated film. He may direct the project.
The animated classic, which began in 1962 and became a classic thanks to success in syndication, has been long-desired for a film adaptation. Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal have all expressed interest in a live-action adaptation (with directors from the likes of Adam Shankman and Robert Rodriguez eyed at certain points) since the 1990s. That desire was likely goaded by the box office success of The Flintstones (1994), another Hanna-Barbera animated series turned live-action film. Reportedly, Warner Bros. has had rights to The Jetsons since at least the late 1990s.
The series which burst on the scene in the midst of the Space Age, followed a family – George, Jane and children Judy and Elroy- from the future. Much of the humor came from the inventive appliances and gadgets at the family’s disposal, including Rosie the Robot who served as the sassy maid to the family. While not quite the zeitgeist hit of The Flintstones at the time nor perhaps in retrospect, the two animated classics shared multiple traits with one another and define Hanna-Barbera brand.
Aside from Sausage Party, Vernon has multiple animated pictures under his belt from his tenure at DreamWorks Animation. He has co-directed Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.
We shall stay tuned to the latest on The Jetsons.
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