Are you a creaky Hollywood studio that ran out of ideas sometime in the last century? No worries, just find an idea that’s been made…and made again – and then make it again.
MGM has announced that it will produce a cg animated reboot of The Addams Family, a property that’s almost as old as MGM itself.
The morbid Addams clan will turn 80 years old next year. They were the creation of cartoonist Charles Addams, who introduced them in 1938 in a series of single-panel cartoons in The New Yorker.
The characters went on to star in two live-action tv series (1964, 1999), two animated series (1973, 1992), and two live-action theatrical movies (1991, 1993), in addition to appearing in other formats like made-for-tv movies and video games.
If there’s any silver lining to the project, it’s that the talented Conrad Vernon has climbed aboard to direct the film. It’s being animated by Cinesite Studios in Vancouver, which is the new name of the former Nitrogen Studios, where Vernon co-directed last year’s surprisingly tasty treat, Sausage Party.
Vernon, who also co-directed Madagascar 3, and Monsters vs. Aliens, has recently been attached to other projects, including the development of a Jetsons cg feature and an Amazon Studios series Amberville, based on Tim Davys’ “Mollisan Town” novel series.
Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride, 9, Monster House) wrote the new Addams screenplay, with revisions/polish by Matt Lieberman (Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief, upcoming Scooby).
Vernon will produce the film with Alex Schwartz and The Jackal Groups’s Gail Berman. Andrew Mittman and Kevin Miserocchi will exec produce, and MGM exec Tabitha Shick is overseeing for the studio.
No release date has been set for the film.
