Yet another classic television series is slated to get the big screen treatment. This time it’s the animated adventure series Jonny Quest. Though young Jonny has traveled across the world and into outer space, this will be the first time he’s visited the “real world.”
The Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Jonny Quest debuted in 1964 on ABC. The show followed the exploits of young Jonny, his scientist father, bodyguard/assistant “Race” Bannon, mystical pal Hadji and scrappy bulldog Bandit, as they journeyed across the world on scientific explorations and adventures.
Quest was one of the first animated series to run in primetime, following in the footsteps of The Flintstones and The Jetsons. The series was a ratings success but was cancelled after only one season because it was too expensive to produce. Jonny Quest was later rerun on both NBC and CBS on Saturday mornings. The show has attracted a cult following and the characters’ adventures have continued in two subsequent series, TV movies and comic books.
Warner Bros. (who now owns the characters) has plans to release the first live-action version of the series to movie theater screens. There have been several unsuccessful attempts to bring Quest to the big-screen in the past, including one by Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner in partnership with Tribeca Productions in 1994.
The current project is being overseen by Warner’s Dan Lin and Matt Reilly who are also overseeing another classic cartoon adaptation, Speed Racer. Dan Mazeau has been signed to write the script after recently selling an original fantasy adventure script to Nickelodeon Films.
Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter are slated to produce the Jonny Quest movie. No stranger to big-screen adaptations, Askarieh and Alter are producing the video game-based Hitman movie that will come to theaters in October. Askarieh is reportedly a longtime fan of Quest and is hoping to create the next family-friendly adventure franchise. A projected release date hasn’t been announced as yet. Stay tuned!
So is this going to be a Johnny Quest musical? It was the best show Hanna-Barbera ever made. The best Johnny quest is a 10 year old. You know…that age when your bullet proof, cocky, and more interested in what your not supposed to do than girls. Race is more the navy seal, secret service type not the bulky, “I can crush a beer can on my head”, wrestler “Rock” type. I’m certain that Dwayne Johnson is a very intellegent man but the characters he protrays tend to substitute brawn for brains. Looks like there trying to use star labling… Read more »