Caffeinated Clint
As a bushy-haired space-smuggler once said, “I have a bad feeling about this…”
“Manimal”, the irrefutably cheesy ‘80s series that starred Simon MacCorkindale as a “master of the secrets that divide man from animal”, is getting the big screen treatment – by no less than Will Ferrell (whose “Land of the Lost” transfer worked out so well. Hmm), says Deadline.
Though it only lasted 8 episodes, “Manimal” has gone on to be somewhat of a nerd favourite.
Ferrell’s regular producing troupe – along with Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions and Jimmy Miller’s Mosaic – have announced plans to bring Jonathan Chase’s animal-transforming hero to the big screen, with a Sony Pictures Animation emblem in tow.
As the attached distributor would suggest, plans are afoot for a CGI/live-action hybrid – a’la “Zookeeper”.
No word on whether Ferrell will play the title role but I’d say there’s a fair chance it’s being developed with the strong possibility that captain frizzy-hair would headline (personally, I think it’d work better with a Paul Rudd or Adam Scott type in the lead). It’s definitely one of those high-concept laffer templates Ferrell goes gaga for.
Jay Martel and Ian Roberts are on script duties for the flick, which will apparently showcase state-of-the-art effects… much like, er, the original..
