A Thundercats live action movie? I think this has always been the Holy Grail to adapt a fan favorite cartoon to the big screen. Adam Wingard is currently developing a Thundercats film. The animated show was created by Tobin Wolf and ran from 1985 to 1989. There was a later series reboot by Ethan Spaulding and Michael Jelenic. The Cartoon Network series ran from 2011 to 2012. Cartoon Network had another series with Victor Courtright and Marly Halpern-Graser. ThunderCats Roar (2020) lasted only one season. The two shows are currently streaming on Disney+. The franchise is still popular, continuing today with Super 7 action figures and comic books from Dynamite Entertainment. If the Thundercats are realized through computer graphics you get the movie, Cats (2019).
The movie had a budget of $95M and a live action Thundercats would need a cost effective budget to bring the story to the screen. The answer actually was the musical Cats. It debuted in 1981 with the animated series on television four years later. The musical used make-up, hair, and costume to create the characters. Tygra looks almost exactly like Rum Tum Tugger. Cheetarah has patches on her face like Cats makeup with Demeter and wears workout tights like Victoria. The same with Lion-O. So it looks like the animation was highly influenced by the musical. So this could easier for the actors, practical and cheaper, not the ridiculous Cgi look from the Cats movie. The next challenge would be the Thundercats’ enemies, the Mutants, they would have to be able to fight and have the look of the characters. I thought of the Jim Henson Creature Shop’s work on the live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) film. They realized the Turtles and their master, the rat-like Splinter.
The budget was $13.5 million. The costumes and animatronics could bring the Mutants to the screen. Lastly, is the comic relief of the Thundercats, Snarf. Again, the animatronic suit would be fine, but I’m thinking more in line with a large puppet. This would be like Rygel in the sci fi series, Farscape. Snarf would be similar to Grogu in The Mandalorian. There could be use of miniatures and the computer generated effects could be used to enhance characters, sets, and scenes, but not the majority of effects. The film could have a retro vibe, perfect for the material, as long as it saves on costs. This proposal keeps the Thundercats escape from Thundera simliar to baby Kal-El from Krypton’s destruction. The difference besides a group escaping the doomed planet is that there were survivors. Also, a hint of Mumm-ra’s appearance while he is still on Third Earth. We see the planet Thundera (seen in text) in its last death throes; brownish, but mostly dark with bright red cracks across its surface.
Closer to its atmosphere as we hear rumbles and cracking noise. Several ships escape the planet flashing past camera. Cut to: planet’s surface, at the starship docks, the Thunderian citizens rush to board ships, they are cat-like people that is realized through make-up and costume. They wear hooded cloaks and breath masks. Behind them, geyers of lava burst upwards, ash falls. A building block is about to fall on some citizens, but it is bashed aside by a muscular Panthro, grey skin, large, pointed ears, with spiked suspenders and blue shorts like a wrestler. Panthro, “Cheetara!, move the citizens to Platform B!” Cheetara is a female with pale skin, spotted, blond hair, curved patches around her eyes like a disco singer, orange leotard like a ballet dancer. She is busy moving the crowd along. Cheetara, “I’ve just evacuated Wily Kit and Wily Kat from the capital!” She is a blur as she runs to the platform.
A citizen stops to question Panthro. Citizen, “What happened to the Council of Nine?” Panthro, “They were lost in the first eruption. Head to the ships now.”A boom as a docked ship explodes hit by several lava bombs. Tygra rushes up, he has striped hair that is orange like his skin, patches around white like the ends of his hair, and blue and grey armor. Tygra, “Panthro, this is the last of the citizens, we need to get to the reserve ships.” Panthro, “Where is the heir of Thundera?” Cut to: an underground tunnel. There are three shadowy figures, the Mutants, who are in animatronic suits. There is the bulky, reptillian Slithe, toad-like with fan-like ears, the furry Jackalman with jackal head, fanged teeth, he wears a bandolier and lioncloth, and Monkian, bulky, white beard and fur on his shoulders, helmet with an orange tunic. Close-up of Slithe. Slithe, “We are here as you have commanded. The planet is destroyed.”
A reddish glow shows the closeup of reddish eyes and grey face beneath red robes of Mumm-ra. Mumm-ra, “Did you find the Eye of Thundera? It is the only thing that will save your planet.” Slithe, “It was lost when Ratilla went with the Sword of Plun-Darr. The sword was lost when Thundera’s eruptions started.” Monkian, “After our bombs struck the planet! (laughs). The evacuation of the planet is almost finished.”Mumm-ra, “Never mind the others. Find the heir, Lion-O!” The outskirts of the Thundera capital. Young Lion-o, about 12 years old, tan skin, flowing, red hair and eyes, he wears a purple suit, leads the way through the ruins. Jaga (off-screen), “Lion-O! Keep close!” Jaga catches up to Lion-O, he is an elderly Thunderian with white beard, flowing hair, pointed ears with purple cloak attached to a red Thundercat insignia, armor and helmet. He carries a staff to help move through the rubble. Lion-O turns. Scrambling up to them is Snarf, Lion-O’s nursemaid and protector.
He has a tiny cat body, blond hair that goes into a red furred body with plates down his chest and tail, white beard and pointed ears. Snarf says, “Lion-O, be careful!, Snarf Snarf.” Lion-O, “We must get to the Royal Flagship.” Jaga, “Yes, but let’s not be hasty, there are Mutants here.” Slithe appears with the other Mutants. Slithe, “You are right old one.” Jaga holds his staff defensively. Jaga, “Get behind me, Lion-O.” Monkian leaps towards Jaga with his chained mace, it is blocked by the Thunderian, Jaga swings his staff knocking the Mutant back. Jackalman corners Lion-O. Jackalman, “Are you the heir of Thundera, little cub?” Snarf leaps at Jackalman, but is struck away. The Mutants close in on Jaga and Lion-O. Slithe turns. He is struck by another staff. It is wielded by Cheetara who moves in a blur! Jackalman starts to withdraw, he is swatted by the nunchuks of Panthro!, Jackalman gives out a startled yip and runs. Tygra appears and snaps his bolo whip at Slithe before he sounds the retreat. The Thundercats also head to the Royal Flagship.
They hurry into the ship as dock starts to be broken with cracks and the land around it is a sea of lava. Three dark figures of other Thunderans run up to the ship as the landing beams send it upwards! (We later find that they are Pumyra, Lynx-o, and Bengali who also survived the destruction). Jaga searches for a planet to find their new home. The ship escapes Thundera. On board the ship, we see the twins, Willy Kit and Willy Kat, she has flowing hair with a single black stripe, he has short hair that is white and orange like his sister, Wily Kit has a blue and pink tunic, he has a brown and orange tunic, both have belts with their weapons. This is the events of the first episode, “Exodus” written by Leonard Star. Jaga has Lion-O witness the destruction of Thundera with the other Thundercats. He takes Lion-O to a chamber and has him repeat the Code of Thundera also joined by all of the Thundercats; “Justice, Truth, Honor, Loyalty.” The Royal Flagship is struck by several ships flown by the Mutants.
The Mutants use grappling rays, crackling rays, and a boarding tube to enter the Thundercat ship through tears on its hull. The Thundercats fight off groups of Mutants. Slithe tells Jackalman he has seen the Eye of Thundera. They enter a chamber with Lion-O struggling to life the Sword of Omens. Snarf The Eye of Thundera glows as does Lion-O’s eyes. The Thundercats signal fills the room and Slithe and Jackalman retreat. The Mutant ship blasts away. Panthro finds out that the ship is damaged and they can’t reach their destination, another galaxy. Jaga finds a habitable that is light years away so they will need to get into suspension capsules. Jaga says he will stay behind to help guide the ship.
They say farewell to Jaga. He is weakened by the long journey. Lion-O’s capsule starts to crack and he emerges as an adult. Lion-O goes to see Jaga who is slumped at the controls. They speak about Lion-O taking leadership of the Thundercats. He tells Lion-O to take the controls. Jaga starts to walk away and says that he will always be with him. The red symbol on his gauntlet flashes and Jaga fades away. Lion-O turns to tell Jaga that they are on course. He sees Jaga’s cape and gauntlets and continues to pilot the ship. He starts to sleep as they reach the edge of the solar system. The ship crashes on Third Earth. Lion-O had woken up in the capsules on Third Earth, but how has he aged and not the Wily Twins? Also, there is a chance for Lion-O take up leadership from Jaga and lead the Thundercats to Third Earth.
This all leads to Mumm-ra whom we first see as a gaunt creature wrapped up in strips of linen with a red cloak. He has reddish eyes and a grey-green face. Mumm-ra can call on ancient spirits to transform, Hulk-like, to a younger, muscular form. He wears a dark crown of two serpents like Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian. It has red and black tassles. The symbol of the crown is on a red circlet on his chest. Mumm-ra wears a skirt-like shendyt. If Mumm-ra is rendered in CGi, it will be the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001) again. Make-up effects will work. He was trapped in the Black Pyramid while Third Earth was abandoned. The Mutants in the Mutant Mothership were guided to the planet by Mumm-ra, but he caused them to crash in the desert near the pyramid. He wants the Mutants as minions and to set them against the Thundercats. A Thundercats movie is possible just using computer enhancements to characters, but make-up effects and costumes will give the movie a good budget and retro vibes!
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