Back in the summer of 2012, Sony Pictures Animation had announced that they were going to make a live action/animation hybrid based on the 1980s television series Manimal. The series in question didn’t last too long, being cancelled 8 episodes in, but it did garner a cult following. Now, the project has writers and producers attached, which implies that it’s in some form of pre-production and is really going to move forward soon.
The show focused on the life of Dr. Jonathan Chase (who was portrayed by Death on the Nile‘s Simon MacCorkindale), who could morph into any animal he wanted to. With that, he helps the police solve crime. Sounds like an interesting concept, and it could work as a feature film since the TV show never really got the chance to take off.
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman, screenwriter on Ant-Man) will produce the film, Key & Peele executive producers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts will pen the script. Another producer has also been added, Jimmy Miller of Mosaic Media Group. That seems like a strong line-up, and with Sony Animation’s shift towards projects with lots of potential (such as the films Genndy Tartakovsky and Lauren Faust are directing), Manimal could be an unexpected surprise.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
