The weekend’s WonderCon fan convention in San Francisco, Calif. brought attendees — among many other things — their first look at the upcoming ThunderCats TV series revival, which is coming to Cartoon Network this summer from Warner Bros. Animation. Fortunately for those of us who couldn’t make the trek out west, WB has been kind enough to post that debut footage online.
It was first revealed during a weekend panel featuring producers Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) and Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender), art director Dan Norton and Larry Kenney, the voice of the original Lion-O as well as the same character’s father in the upcoming series. In addition to the footage, the panel also brought some information on the story’s basic layout.
This new ThunderCats will be set entirely on the planet of Third Earth, and the story will open with the city of Thundera whole and safe. Not for long though; it will eventually be destroyed and our heroes will be forced to resettle in the wilds of the planet. Robin Atkins Downes was announced as the voice of Mumm-Ra and Clancy Brown will voice Grune. It also appears that the lovable(?) Snarf won’t have any voice at all, instead making only animal noises, presumably to the tune of “snarf.”
There are 26 episodes of the show ready to go now, but the producers have double that number planned should it be well-received. The trailer, which you can check out below or on The WB’s website feels like an equal mix of old and new. The character designs look largely faithful, albeit with a Japanese anime flavor, but there are mechs and missiles and lasers that give everything more of a sci-fi feel. Check it out and let us know what you think!
