If you'd asked anyone if they'd thought The Lego Movie would have sparked an animated renaissance for Warner Bros, they probably would have laughed. Yet here we are, as the film has spurred not only the LEGO brand into spawning a couple more films, but it also may have given form to another feature film adaptation. Get ready, folks, because it looks like Adventure Time is coming to the big screen in the near future!
Deadline has a report that Pendleton Ward's highly successful Cartoon Network series is going to Warner Bros for a full length feature film. The reason The Lego Movie may figure so importantly into Adventure Time's feature film treatment is that Chris McKay, one of the executive producers of the Lord and Miller hit, is co-producing the Cartoon Network film. McKay is an experienced hand when it comes to animation at both Warner Bros and Cartoon Network, as he's worked on Robot Chicken and is about to direct The Lego Batman Movie for the studio as well.
Adventure Time is an undeniable hit, with almost five whole years under its belt at the Cartoon Network. Considering how good of a relationship the network has always had with Warner Bros, in no small part thanks to the good relationship owner Ted Turner has with the studio as well, this project could have very easily been nothing more than a typical direct to DVD release that would please the fans, while at the same time giving them a little more time with Finn, Jake, and the rest of the Land of Ooo's well known residents. But given that The Lego Movie managed to make some decent summer money in a February release date last year, as well as take the world by storm in the ensuing months, it looks like Warner Bros has gotten its cartoon mojo back.
And just in time too, as Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Studios' success with The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water is as good a case as any in proving how a basic cable series can translate into healthy box office dollars. Even more telling is the fact that Spongebob has done this not only once, but twice – and through the course of a decade. You can bet that with Spongebob sitting pretty at the movies for the past month, Warner Bros is going to move mountains to make sure this film happens as soon as possible. While their live action division has taken some hits in the past year, the animation division of Warner Bros looks to be making a comeback on the shoulders of the animation world. Maybe there's hope for the Looney Tunes after all!
Adventure Time: The Movie is only in the developmental stages as of this moment, but don't be surprised if there's some rapid movement on this title in the coming year. Good thing to keep in mind while crafting your Jake/Fiona costume for opening night.
