Yogi Bear Gets the Big Screen Treatment -- No, I'm Not Kidding.
Filed under: Action, Deals, Warner Brothers, Scripts, Family Films
Sometimes I oooh over talk of re-energizing an old franchise; sometimes I cringe and sometimes, like today, my brow is so damned furrowed that I probably have about 20 new wrinkles. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Warner Bros. is going back to Yogi Bear and
Oh yes, the Hanna-Barbera classic is getting developed into a big-screen feature by the pens of Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia, with Ash Brannon attached to direct. That means a mixture of That 70's Show exec producers and the co-writer and director of Surf's Up. It will be live-action with a CG Yogi and Boo Boo.
Now sure, the chipmunks made a comeback, but at least they have an uber popular Christmas song that keeps them in the memory banks. Something like Speed Racer had the effects going for it. Will kids go wild for a character from the '50s that gets into good-natured fun at a park? And who would voice them? Better yet, simply: WHY? Maybe I'm in the minority, but this doesn't seem like the best idea.
What do you think? Weigh in below ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2008 @ 5:09PM
Scott Weinberg said...
Stunned it took 'em this long to do it.
And nah, I don't think it's a great idea, but who knows at this early stage? Might be a pleasant surprise.
No, what I want is a live-action JETSONS movie.
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10-02-2008 @ 11:02PM
cough said...
I was going to say exactly THAT!
There were a few flinstones flicks, yet no jetson in sight.
10-03-2008 @ 1:58PM
rlv said...
Why am I picturing, Yogi, Boo Boo, Cindy and the Ranger puff puff passing around a "pic-a-nick" table somewhere?
Sigh.
Can't they just leave this one alone? Please?
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10-02-2008 @ 5:37PM
Parker said...
Isn't Yogi from Jellystone Park?
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10-02-2008 @ 5:54PM
Kurt said...
Actually, I think that if you really want to sell this on nostalgia--go completely old-school and give it the 2-D hand-drawn treatment.
The CGI/live-action is going to make even these familiar characters completely unrecognizable.
Seriously, remember that horrible movie version of The Jetsons form the 80's with Tiffany doing the voice of Judy? It was just like the TV show only bigger, better-looking, and with a few songs. Do that.
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10-03-2008 @ 3:27PM
Herff said...
Kurt, I totally agree. I don't understand why we've given up on classic animation. I see my child hood cartoons continually being turned into crappy cgi and it makes me so sad. My toddler gets just as much if not more out of the classic animated shows and movies.
Monika, To answer the question, no it doesn't seem like a great idea. But they are plenty of worse ideas being produced, so like everyone else, not really surprised they're doing it.
10-02-2008 @ 6:14PM
Riley Freeman said...
Monika I must say I dont know why your surprised. They made beverly hills chihuahua. They let let jason friedberg and aaron seltzer continue to do movies even though they all suck. i really dont know why anyone is surprised by this. and i like yogi bear a movie? that will eb a rental at best. even speed racer had no business being made into a movie. it was too absurd the way they did it. it wasnt a terrible movie it was okay but did not need to be made.
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10-02-2008 @ 6:23PM
Donovan said...
Yeah dude, Jellystone Park. I used to work there.
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10-04-2008 @ 12:55AM
Jim said...
Well, I think Jetsons: The Movie was from the 90s (a decade ago) under the universal pictures banner many years before the jetsons and other hanna barbera properties were now owned by warner bros.
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10-06-2008 @ 8:49AM
please said...
Maybe Someday, Warner will make it in traditional animation.
Maybe someday, Warner just will leave it alone.
Maybe someday, the film will be make by skillful animator, director, storyboard, score editor.
Maybe someday, the film is just right for all to watch.
I miss the old day style cartoon. There were funny, powerful, vibrant, enchanted and motional.
These are the creater i known - Hanna Barbera ,Don Bluth ,Disney and other.
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