A feature-length adaptation of the classic comic strip B.C. is currently in development by Parallax Media Ventures and John Hart Studios. B.C. – Back to Civilization, as the film is currently titled, is aiming for release in 2021.
B.C. by Johnny Hart is a comic strip that began in 1958, which is still running to this day. It is currently being drawn by Hart’s grandchildren, brothers Mason and Mick Mastroianni, while Hart’s daughter Perri is the colorist and letterer. The comic follows the adventures of a group of cavemen and various creatures, which can include anything from dinosaurs to anteaters.
Parallax Media Ventures is a relatively new studio, but they already have several properties in development. If you’re anything like me, and have never heard of them before, you can find out more at their website, www.parallaxmedia.ventures.
Parallax was founded in 2015 by Kevin Richardson, a former executive and senior producer at Nickelodeon, Electronic Arts, and Mattel Interactive. He has also worked on projects for Lucasfilm, Hyperion, and several others, with his most recent being Studio Climb Malaysia.
“B.C. is an American classic like apple pie and baseball,” says Richardson. “Sixty years strong, the daily strip runs in over 800 North American newspapers – newspapers with a reach of 64.4 million readers. This gives us a tremendous connection to the fans, and allows us to expand B.C. to an on-screen and off-screen experience…Thanks to the time-tested and quirky ensemble, there’s no shortage of fun material to work with.”
Parallax is currently looking for a distributor for the film, and will be at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas next week, to show the pitch reel and concept art to potential studios. They have released some of the art to the press, which you can find throughout this article.
If the artwork that we’ve seen so far is any indication, we could be in for a real treat with this film. So far everything looks lush and gorgeous, and the characters look amazing. Just like the ones we’ve come to know in the comic strips, but beautifully rendered in a way that the comic page is usually unable to capture. I know that early concept art isn’t always the best predictor of what the finished film will look like, but for now, I will be looking forward to this project with great interest.
