Warner Bros. Announces ‘Flintstones’ Animated Film

Yesterday, two dates were picked and secured for two future Warner Animation Group projects: February 10, 2017 and February 9, 2018.

In January 2013, Warner Bros. assembled a group (calling them a “think tank”) to produce new animated features after years of blunders. From 1990 to 2006, Warner Bros.’ only real animated feature successes were 1996’s Space Jam and 2006’s Happy Feet. Everything else either flopped or didn’t live up to expectations: Thumbelina, A Troll in Central Park, Quest for Camelot, The King and I, Osmosis Jones, Legend of the Guardians, the list goes on… To say nothing of how they handled Brad Bird’s wonderful The Iron Giant!

Last year, it was announced that two original projects would come from this group: Storks and Smallfoot, the former will be directed by ex-Pixar animator/director Doug Sweetland and the latter will be directed by Despicable Me originator and former Disney animator Sergio Pablos. Then we heard about an all-animated theatrical Scooby-Doo movie last summer, and then after the success of The Lego Movie a few months back, a sequel to that film was announced.

Now, Warner Animation Group will bring us an animated movie based on The Flintstones. This choice makes sense, considering the fact that they are making an animated Scooby-Doo film and the fact that they have a whole mine of classic Hanna-Barbera shows at their disposal. The Flintstones and the multiple Scooby-Doo shows were among Hanna-Barbera’s most successful shows (who doesn’t know what The Flintstones is? Who doesn’t know who Scooby-Doo is?), and both spawned theatrical live action movies in the 1990s and 2000s. Not much else was announced about the film, but The Other Guys and The Campaign writer Chris Henchy is set to pen the script. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will executive produce.

That all being said, will The Flintstones be the 2017 release or 2018 release? It could be on one of those, but the two original projects in WAG’s pipeline have directors attached, so they may come first. Or maybe not! Maybe they’d get around to finishing the film based on a well-known property first. Who knows!

Are you excited about an animated ‘Flintstones’ movie? Or not? Do you think we’ll see it soon? Or do you think Warner Bros. will focus on the original projects they have in the pipeline first? Sound off below!

(via Coming Soon)