Listen up, Planeteers! For the better part of a decade, several studios have tried to get a Captain Planet movie into production. Warner Bros opted to scrap the project late last decade, and then Sony tried adapting the character approximately three years ago, but nothing surfaced from that either. Well, now it looks like those Funny or Die! sketches starring Don Cheadle won't be the only live action Captain Planet material out there anymore, as Paramount is now taking charge of bringing the environmental hero to the big screen.
According to THR, Paramount is partnering with Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way Productions to tackle a Captain Planet movie. If they can secure the rights to the 1990s animated series, they're eyeing Jono Matt and Scream Queens actor Glen Powell to pen the script, although there's no word yet on whether the latter would star in the movie. The report also included a brief synopsis provided by sources. Supposedly Matt and Powell's Captain Planet movie would pick up years after the original TV show, with the eponymous protagonist now a "washed-up has-been" who needs the kids more than they need him. So rather than be a full reboot, it would function more as a sequel, though it's unclear whether that would mean it's family-friendly or somewhere closer to PG-13 territory.
While Leonardo DiCaprio being involved with a Captain Planet movie sounds unusual at first, it actually makes sense given his environmental activism. If he has an opportunity to use a superhero to promote eco-awareness, why not take advantage by producing such a project? Ideally this attempt will turn out better than the previous ones. It's been over two decades since Captain Planet was at the height of his popularity, so a movie is just the thing to get a new generation invested him while also providing a green-friendly message.
The original Captain Planet and the Planeteers animated series aired from 1990 to 1992, while a sequel series, The New Adventures of Captain Planet, aired from 1993 to 1996 on the same network. Gaia, the spirit of Earth, sent five rings to five kids across the globe that channeled the elemental powers of fire, earth, wind, water and heart. The rings were powerful enough on their own, but when a situation proved too difficult for them, the kids could combine the abilities of their rings to summon Captain Planet, defender of our world and enemy of pollution. Needless to say, the bad guys they usually fought were usually those who keen on harming the environment.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the most relevant updates surrounding the Captain Planet movie, and make sure to let us know in the comments section what you'd like to see from this adaptation.
