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Posted on Wednesday, September 5th, 2018 by Ben Pearson
The actor even starts out by praising Wormy TV 's fan-made ThunderCats movie trailer which cast Brad Pitt as Lion-O, Vin Diesel as Panthro, Hugh Jackman as Tygra, Gigi Edgley as Cheetara, and Richard Cetrone as Mummra, among others.
Update: Writer Rhett Reese has shot down this rumor on Twitter. Our original article continues with an update at the bottom of the post.
Director Michael Bay has spent more than a decade working on Transformers movies with only a few scattered non-Transformers projects in between. But now a new rumor says Bay is working on a live-action adaptation of a different 1980s cartoon.
IGN claims Bay is at the helm of a secret Thundercats movie for Netflix with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds in a lead role – and the film is in production right now. Read more about today’s wackiest film-related rumor below.
![Thundercats movie trailer vin diesel Thundercats movie trailer vin diesel](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126639948/724316627.jpg)
What We Know
Here’s what we know for sure: Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds have teamed up to make a movie (a co-production between Netflix and Skydance Productions), and it’s filming right now with a script from Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. We also know the film is Netflix’s most expensive original movie yet. All signs point to the movie being called Six Underground, which was reported to be about “six billionaires who fake their own deaths and form an elite team to take down bad guys.”
The Rumor
But now a new report has come along to claim that Six Underground is actually a secret Thundercats movie. Yes, the same Thundercats from the 1980s animated series about cat-human aliens. Here’s the intro of the old show:
The report comes from IGN Middle East, which says that “while the action flick is said to be a war movie, IGN Middle East has learned that the film – which will be shot in Abu Dhabi, UAE in November of this year – is actually an adaptation of Thundercats, the hugely popular cartoon series from the 80s.” Their source is someone who’s working with the Abu Dhabi production unit, the same person who told them that Simon Pegg would appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which also filmed there). IGN claims Six Underground is merely a codename used to avoid leaks and divert attention from the project.
The Case Against
IGN’s article linked to a different outlet’s piece from 2012 that listed Bay as a producer on a Thundercats movie. That linked article turned out to be a fake that was written on April Fools Day, so IGN has since updated their report with a link to a different article which also lists Bay as a producer. But that article doesn’t cite any sources for the claim and is most likely based on the information that appeared in that same fake April Fools Day piece.
Setting that aside, would Bay really want to jump from Transformers right into another geek-friendly ’80s property? It seems like that’s the type of movie he’s trying to get away from, not embrace.
Former /Film writer and friend of the site Germain Lussier is currently on vacation in Florence, Italy and came across Bay filming Six Underground. You can check out his whole thread, but there’s no Lion-O, Cheetara, or Snarf to be seen.
So, Michael Bay is filming his Netflix movie outside of my hotel in Florence today. That’s him in the middle. pic.twitter.com/Wz54yUKXBE
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) August 31, 2018
WAIT! Finally. Here’s some Bayhem at magic hour here in Florence. ~Fin~ pic.twitter.com/n7i3sk4rTh
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) August 31, 2018
Looks an awful lot like a regular ‘ol action movie to me.
And then there’s the new animated Thundercats TV series, Thundercats Roar, which seems to imply that the franchise is moving in a more kid-friendly direction. A Michael Bay-directed action movie starring the guy who plays a foul-mouthed superhero doesn’t exactly seem like it’s on the same wavelength as this new show.
The Case For
As the surprise release of The Cloverfield Paradox showed, Netflix clearly loves the attention that comes with dropping an unexpected project for its subscribers. Can you imagine the hype if this ended up being true?
As much as I’m on board with seeing Bay step back into the kind of high-octane action thrillers of his early filmography, I’d be lying if I said that I had no interest in seeing how in the hell this seemingly modern action film might also be a Thundercats movie. If Ryan Reynolds’ character’s name is John Lyono, and Melanie Laurent is playing someone named Chi Tara, does that technically count as a fresh take on a Thundercats movie?
At this point, Netflix might want to consider having a conversation with Reese and Wernick to see if they can retroactively make this a Thundercats movie even if it isn’t one. (Not really. That was a joke, and Six Underground is almost certainly not a Thundercats movie.)
Besides, The Onion wrote about Bay directing a Thundercats movie in 2009, so this would be pretty ridiculous if it ended up actually happening. We’ve reached out to Netflix about this and will update this article if we hear back.
Update: Writer Rhett Reese has gone on the record to deny this, and we’ve heard from a separate source close to the production that IGN’s report is not accurate. We’ll update again if we hear an official response from Netflix.
No.
— Rhett Reese (@RhettReese) September 5, 2018
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ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin-Bass Animated Entertainment and Leisure Concepts debuting in 1985, based on the characters created by Tobin 'Ted' Wolf. The series, for which Leonard Starr was the head writer, follows the adventures of a group of catlike humanoid aliens. The animation for the episodes was provided by the Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation, with Masaki Iizuka as production manager. The studio was acquired in 1989 to form Walt Disney Animation Japan. Season 1 of the show aired in 1985 (65 episodes), followed by a TV movie entitled ThunderCats – HO! Seasons 2, 3, and 4 followed a new format of twenty episodes each, starting with a five-part story.The series was originally distributed by Rankin-Bass Productions' then-parent company Telepictures Corporation, which would later merge with Lorimar Productions in 1986.
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In 1989, Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by and folded into Warner Bros., whose television syndication arm would eventually assume distribution of the show; Warner Bros. Have had the rights to the series (and all Lorimar-Telepictures programming) from that point on. Leisure Concepts which helped co-develop the show acted as a licensing agent for the series.There were also several comic book series produced: Marvel Comics' version (currently owned by Warner Bros.
Rival Disney), 1984 to 1988; and five series by Wildstorm, an imprint of DC Comics (Warner Bros.' Corporate sibling), beginning in 2003.
Items of clothing featuring the ThunderCats logo and DVD boxsets of the original series have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years as nostalgia for the former children's favorite has grown.It was announced on June 7, 2007, that Aurelio Jaro is making a CGI-animated feature film of ThunderCats, based on a script written by Paul Sopocy. In October 2007, Variety magazine revealed that Jerry O'Flaherty, veteran video game art director, had signed on to direct. The film is being produced by Spring Creek Productions. It was originally set for a summer 2010 release, but it has since been reported that the movie is on hold. Concept art for the film has also been leaked online. ThunderCats logoGenre/Created byDeveloped byWritten byDirected byVoices ofOpening themeThundercats byComposer(s)Country of originUnited StatesNo. Contents.PlotThunderCats follows the adventures of the eponymous team of heroes, catlike humanoid aliens on a planet called Third Earth.
The series plot begins with the dying planet Thundera thun.DAIR.uh meeting its end, forcing the ThunderCats (a sort of Thunderean ) to flee their homeworld. The fleet is attacked by the Thundereans's enemies, the, who destroy most of the starships in the 'ThunderFleet,' but spare the flagship hoping to capture the legendary mystic Sword of Omens they believe is on board. The sword holds the Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats's power, which is embedded in the hilt. Though the Mutants damage the flagship, the power of the Eye drives them back. The damage to the ship means the journey to their original destination is not possible, instead having to journey to 'Third Earth;' which will take much longer than they had anticipated.
The eldest of the ThunderCats, Jaga, volunteers to pilot the ship while the others sleep in capsules; however, he dies of old age in the process, but not before ensuring they will reach their destination safely. The flagship contains the young Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O, as well as the ThunderCats Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf.When the ThunderCats awake from their suspended animation on Third Earth after ten 'galacto-years,' Lion-O discovers that his suspension capsule has slowed, rather than stopped, his aging. He has now become essentially a child in the body of an adult. (He has thus grown in size without actually growing up, and has missed out on the first-hand life experiences which confer maturity.) Together, the ThunderCats and the friendly natives of Third Earth construct the 'Cat's Lair,' their new home and headquarters, but before long, the Mutants have tracked them down to Third Earth. The intrusion of these two alien races upon the world does not go unnoticed, however, as a demonic, mummified sorcerer calling himself recruits the Mutants to aid him in his campaign to acquire the Eye of Thundera and destroy the ThunderCats so that his evil may continue to hold sway over Third Earth.
Main article: Season 1The basic plot above holds strong for the first season of the show, and served as the basis for a vast array of stories that freely mixed elements of and into a traditional good-versus-evil tale that steadily introduced more and more recurring allies and villains into the world of the ThunderCats. Futuristic technology is just as central to the series as magic and myth, but even in the midst of all this action, the series never underemphasizes the importance of moral values in solving problems.
Each episode would normally include a short, featuring the characters recuperating after the events of the story and taking the time to single out a personal value or wholesome approach that helped save the day, or could have done so if they had seen it.The first half of Season 1 featured a gentle continuity, with early episodes following on from one another and establishing recurring concepts, although this became less common as the season transitioned into its second half, which comprised mostly incidental one-shot adventures. Tying the second half of season one together was the overarching five-part adventure written by series head writer, 'Lion-O's Annointment,' in which an unarmed Lion-O faced off against first each of the other ThunderCats, and then Mumm-Ra, so he could truly earn his title as Lord of the ThunderCats. The five parts were:.
'Day One: The Trial Of Strength' – Lion-O had to out-do Panthro in a strength contest. 'Day Two: The Trial Of Speed' – Lion-O had to beat Cheetara in a race. 'Day Three: The Trial Of Cunning' – Lion-O had to outwit both of the 'ThunderKittens,' WilyKat and WilyKit, in an underground location. 'Day Four: The Trial Of Mind-Power' – Lion-O was pitted against Tygra in a mind-based challenge. 'Last Day: The Trial Of Evil' – Lion-O had to defeat Mumm-Ra. In his 'Trial Of Evil,' Lion-O discovered that Mumm-Ra was highly dependent on the inside which he had been mummified.On all four days except the last, the Mutants tried to interfere with Lion-O's trials so that they could force the ThunderCats to remain leaderless.
The other ThunderCats were each then forced to involve themselves in the conflict specifically to foil the Mutants's interferences—all while trying to avoid assisting Lion-O in his anointment trials.Although intended to be viewed consecutively (as the adventures depicted occurred one day after the other), the five parts of the mini-series were erroneously aired (and released on DVD) with multiple other episodes between each installment.ThunderCats – Ho!The 1986 TV movie 'ThunderCats - Ho!' Featured the first major shake-up to the status quo of the series, introducing three new Thundereans (whom Lion-O later anointed as ThunderCats) who had also survived the destruction of Thundera. A massive cast of returning heroes and villains were incorporated into the story and concluded with the apparent destruction of Mumm-Ra. Wrote the story for this TV movie.
Season 2When the series returned in 1986, however, it was revealed that the evil wizard Mumm-Ra had survived. 'Mumm-Ra Lives!' Set the pattern for the following three seasons, which each began with a five-part mini-series, again written by, that established the new characters and concepts that would go on to influence the rest of the season. In the case of 'Mumm-Ra Lives!' , these concepts included the debut of the villainous, who became a third faction that existed for the rest of the series, and the new team of ThunderCats from ThunderCats - Ho!
Being given their own headquarters, vehicles and so forth.Season 3The 1988 season began with the Peter Lawrence-scripted 'ThunderCubs,' which, though named for its plot about the ThunderCats being transformed into children, was principally about Mumm-Ra reconstructing Thundera in order to retrieve both the weapon that had originally destroyed it (the Sword of Plun-Darr) and the legendary Treasure of Thundera. In the course of the adventure, the treasure—containing the Book of Omens, a tome holding all the secrets of the ThunderCats, and many other mystical items—was scattered across the New Thundera, ushering in a new concept for the series: a season with an actual story arc.
Continuity between episodes became tighter as the ThunderCats, Mutants, Lunataks and Mumm-Ra alternated their adventures between Third Earth and New Thundera, searching for the treasure and exploiting its powers. The season also featured the running theme of the Ancient Spirits of Evil having to take a more active hand in pushing Mumm-Ra into action, culminating in another unique feature of the season—an actual finale episode, 'The Last Day,' in which the Ancient Spirits of Evil give Mumm-Ra one last chance to destroy the ThunderCats by sunset. Besides demonstrating their threat by making Ma-Mutt disappear, the Ancient Spirits of Evil stated that Mumm-Ra's failure will also have the Mutants and the Lunataks removed from Third Earth as well. Ultimately, Mumm-Ra failed and the Ancient Spirits of Evil exiled him to the farthest corner of the Universe.Season 4In the opening miniseries, Peter Lawrence's 'Return to Thundera!' , the ThunderCats returned to New Thundera to rebuild their society, but before departing, they destroyed Mumm-Ra's pyramid.
This enraged the Ancient Spirits of Evil to the point that they brought Mumm-Ra back and installed him within a new pyramid on New Thundera. The season proved to be quite divorced from what had gone before, with adventures consigned almost entirely to New Thundera, and most villainous opposition coming from either Mumm-Ra or assorted new villains. The Mutants, Lunataks, and Captain Cracker all returned for one episode each, however. In the series finale, several conclusions are reached:. Mumm-Ra stands up to and successfully asserts himself over the Ancient Spirits of Evil.
The mystery of the Book of Omens was at last solved. The tumultuous and terrifying environment of Thundera was at last rendered peaceful and pristine.Characters. Main article: CastDespite its large cast of characters, ThunderCats featured a rather small circle of, with only six actors providing voices for the entire first season. Every actor provided multiple voices, although the distinctive baritone of Earle Hyman (Panthro) left the actor providing only very occasional guest voices in comparison with his fellow performers. In particular, as the first season's only female actor, Lynne Lipton (Cheetara and WilyKit) provided voices for every single female character that appeared in the season. Above all others, however, actor Bob McFadden would most regularly provide the voices of guest characters, with his two diametrically-opposed main roles: the timid, high-pitched Snarf and the rumbling, sibilant Slithe.Despite introducing a large number of new regular characters, the show's second season brought in only two new actors. Main article:There were also several comic book series produced.
A series based on the animated series was originally published by through its imprint in 1985, lasting for 3 years and 24 issues. During this time, a new series was published by consisting of 129 issues and was also published for three years. Beginning in 2002 ThunderCats titles were published by, an imprint of (Warner Bros.' ), and included 5 non-canon and several. Broadcast US history. (23 January 1985 – 29 September 1989).
(17 March 1997 – 31 May 2002; 2011). (17 March 1997 – 31 May 2002)Broadcast UK history. (2 January 1987 – 14 December 1994).
(1986–1995)Video gamesTwo video games based on the franchise exist:, a 1987 side-scrolling video game; and, a 2012 game based on the show's.ReceptionIn January 2009, named ThunderCats as the 49th-best show in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows. FilmsIn 1987 a VHS called 'Thundercats Ho!'
Was released in the UK, the film was submitted to the BBFC, who recorded it being 90m 31s excluding 5 seconds cut for a Universal rating. It was actually the first five episodes of season 2 sloppily edited (some frames of the episode title cards remain) to look like a feature length movie. Season 2 never aired in the UK.
This VHS may have been shown on American TV by stations without access to the individual episodes.In 2008–09, Warner Bros. Was in the process of creating a animated film based on ThunderCats. It was rumored to be an original story expanding on the events of the first episode and the film's concept artwork (released in July 2009) contained the main character Lion-O and three locations. A two-minute test scene was filmed and presented to Warner Brothers, however the movie has been put on indefinite hold, perhaps due to the critical and commercial failure of the 2008 movie (another Warner Brothers CGI project).2011 series. Main article:A new ThunderCats animated series produced by began airing on from July 2011. Animation production was provided by Japanese animation studio. Was the executive producer and was joined by Michael Jelenic and as the producers for the series.
The show explained Lion-O's ascension to the Thunderean throne with a more original feel and darker style than the 1980s series. The new series made it clear in the very beginning, however, that they are not adhering to the original story line. In the original series the Thunder Cats leave Thundera, as the last of their race, to eventually arrive on the 3rd earth. In the new series the very first line states that the Thundereans are already on the 3rd earth.
As the first few episodes progress the new writers seem to use Thundera but it isn't clear if they are referring to a planet or kingdom. Former Lion-O voice actor returned to play the role Lion-O's father Claudus in the opening two-part episode of the new series.In January 2011, a promotional poster featuring re-imagined designs for Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, and Tygra as well as design for the Sword of Omens and vehicles were shown at the London Toy Fair. Aired an 80-second trailer during the After Party Special of the 'Hall of Game Awards' sports award show (on February 25, 2011), giving the viewers peeks at all the previously confirmed characters: as well as Jaga, Wilykit/Wilykat, and King Claudus. On 2 April 2011, Cartoon Network aired another 80-second trailer of the new series.
The series began airing on Cartoon Network on July 29, 2011 with an hour-long premiere. The new series of ThunderCats premiered in the UK on Cartoon Network on 10 September 2011.Despite an early positive response (with the animation in particular receiving heavy praise from critics), the series failed to make any real impact and viewing figures slowly declined after the first episode, with blame falling on a relatively dark and complicated storyline considering the show was aimed at 6-12 year olds. Merchandise struggled to sell, and as a result the show was cancelled after only one season.DVD releases Volumes.
Main article:released the entire ThunderCats series in the US over a number of volumes in the following order:DVD nameEp #release daterelease dateAdditional informationSeason 1, Volume 133August 9, 2005January 15, 2007. 'Feel the Magic, Hear the Roar: ThunderCats Fans Speak Out': an interview featurette in which (of ) and other loyal fans give their memories and support to this animation classicSeason 1, Volume 232August 9, 2005August 13, 2007. ThunderCats Ho!
The Making of a Pop Culture Phenomenon: Executive Producer Arthur Rankin Jr. Shares Secrets from the ShowSeason 2, Volume 134April 18, 2006April 14, 2008. Featurette on the series' composer,. Music video of the show's theme song performed bySeason 2, Volume 231November 28, 2006June 2, 2008.
Features ThunderCats Ultimate Adventure Challenge on Disc 12Season 1, Part 113July 12, 2011Season 2, Part 213March 24, 2012Complete Serieshave released the entire ThunderCats series in the UK in the following order:DVD nameEp #release daterelease dateAdditional informationSeason 165TBA18 February 2008N/ASeason 265TBA18 August 2008N/ASeason 1 & 2130TBA3 November 2008N/A. Norma Odom Pecora. Retrieved August 18, 2016. ^. September 29, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2016. Archived from on December 1, 2006.
Retrieved 2015-01-26. Boyer, Peter J. New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-10. Lippman, John (August 16, 1999).
Retrieved August 18, 2016. Millman, Nancy (July 29, 1986). Retrieved August 18, 2016. Teresa, Salas (August 1, 1988). Retrieved August 18, 2016. Graser, Marc (June 5, 2007). Retrieved 2007-06-06.
Retrieved 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2010-03-03. Roberts, Katie (4 June 2010). Retrieved 1 November 2010.
Retrieved 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2015-09-11. at ThunderCats.org; Accessed Sept 11, 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
Retrieved 2015-09-12., MTV.com. Woerner, Meredith (January 25, 2011). Retrieved February 4, 2011. Cartoon Network. Retrieved 16 August 2011. Retrieved 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
Retrieved 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2008-05-07. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
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