Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 4:25AM Sony Pictures Traps Itself a 'Manimal'
Hollywood must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel now. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Sony Pictures Animation has snared the rights to the failed ’80s television series Manimal. The short lived series ran for a little under three months back in 1983.
Apparently, original series producer Glen A. Larson is on board for the project. Larson is best known for his run of successful shows back in the day, which included Night Rider and the original Battlestar Galactica. Manimal was not a high point in Larson’s career.
The series told the adventures of the wealthy Dr. Jonathan Chase, played by Simon MacCorkindale. By day he saved lives and by night he morphed into various animals, fighting crime and making puns. Can you just imagine how they originally pitched this thing?
Even though it only lasted for a mere eight episodes, the series managed to garner a rather ardent cult following. Largely thanks to veering into “so bad it’s good” territory. Also, it was oddly successful in the international market, so there is some kind of audience for it. Besides, Smurfs far exceeded everyone’s expectations, financially speaking.
No word as of yet on any kind production schedule as Sony is currently looking for writers on the project.
As a final note of caution, be wary of doing a Google image search for “Manimal.” What’s been seen cannot be unseen.
Reader Comments (2)
I wonder if this is a substitute for the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot that was more in line with the tone of the old show that he was involved with.
I hope not. I'd love to see a Battlestar Galactica movie, especially if it will be based off of the newer series.