Sci-Fi 'Animorphs' movie in development

[smallville fan]

Maybe an animated series might be the way to go? Hard PG-13, cover it in a couple of seasons, given it's animated you could convey the bigger stuff more cheaply? *Shrugs*

I've heard this before regarding wanting an animated series and I agree. But, I feel regarding both Applegate and Grant's feelings toward the Nickelodeon Animorphs live action series and how it turned out in the end, they're going to try and top it and do better than what they got 20 years ago.

I also think a Animorphs Telltale game series would kick ass as well especially after re-reading the Alternamorphs book. It'll be like the Alternamorphs books bought to life. And Telltale doesn't hold back either.

 

[Aximili86]

Never really got all the hate for the old Nick show. I mean, it sucked, but what did anyone expect from a dirt-budget Nick show shot in Canada with a bunch of 30 year olds playing 8th graders? *Shrugs* It was a cheap cash-in, happened all the time with everything back in the day.

It was fun enough. I remember thinking their Andalite design was pretty cool for what it was, their lack of resources. Pretty funny how you basically only ever saw them from the waist up though, they didn't even bother with the quadruped stuff for the most part.

 

[#root]

Oh I remember these books. Such great times. If this does ever come to fruition, I hope they make the transformations a little bit gruesome like in the books. A bit of a horror aspect would actually suit this really well.

 

[Breogan]

As for the Stranger Things thing, ehh. That's got more in common with E.T. and IT and Goonies anyway. Animorphs shares some of that, absolutely,

What it somewhat shares with Stranger Things; is the kids are the focus and heroes, suburban world pulled into the sci-fi / supernatural, the tone, all speak to how Netflix could approach it as a series, not sure why you think it's impossible for Netflix, and out of their realm or budget?
Also like Stranger Things with some nostalgia both adults and young adults watch, bringing in older and a new audience, which would seem key for this franchise.

] but it's also a hell of a lot larger in scope. TV suits it better from a narrative structure perspective, but you're not going to be able to pull off the larger setpieces & stuff on TV

While of course there is more to it, there is nothing that couldn't be developed, and handled in a Netflix ongoing series.

Oh I remember these books. Such great times. If this does ever come to fruition, I hope they make the transformations a little bit gruesome like in the books. A bit of a horror aspect would actually suit this really well.

Oh yeah, with modern CG, the transforms would look great! Also you could get some great transitional moments where they are still half human half animal.

 

[smallville fan]

Never really got all the hate for the old Nick show. I mean, it sucked, but what did anyone expect from a dirt-budget Nick show shot in Canada with a bunch of 30 year olds playing 8th graders? *Shrugs* It was a cheap cash-in, happened all the time with everything back in the day.

It was fun enough. I remember thinking their Andalite design was pretty cool for what it was, their lack of resources. Pretty funny how you basically only ever saw them from the waist up though, they didn't even bother with the quadruped stuff for the most part.

Apart from the low budget which more or less could be hand-waved to what sci-fi tv was in the 90's vs now, the issue was that the show while still having the same premise, it didn't best represent what the creators themselves saw Animorphs as. Animorphs was more or less a darker deconstruction of that whole "Young people get selected to save the world from a higher fantastical threat" genre, that show didn't embody that.

Stranger Things imo, nailed that and Animorphs fans want the same thing.

 

[Aximili86]

Well, yeah, but can we blame Nick for that? They got a license from Scholastic books for what was basicaly tied with Goosebumps at the time as the biggest kid's series out there (until Potter came on the scene). They obviously couldn't do it accurately to the books, both rating-wise and from a budget perspective, so they just sort of did something palatable & acceptable & cheap with the same basic concept.

*Shrugs* Not sure why anyone would expect anything more of it. A Nick show in 1998 or whatever it was.

 

[Silvermoth]

Seriously though how expensive would it be doing a tv show with kids turning into bears and tigers and giant squid etc. Way more than any budget could handle I reckon.

Unless it was animated

 

[Breogan]

...they just sort of did something palatable & acceptable & cheap with the same basic concept.

*Shrugs* Not sure why anyone would expect anything more of it. A Nick show in 1998 or whatever it was.

They could have at least combined it with some cheap old Japanese Super Sentai footage and given us the-

Mighty AniMorphin Power Rangers:

• Jake - Red Rabit
• Rachel - Pink Platypus
• Cassie - Yellow Echidna
• Marco - Black Capybara
• Tobias - Hawk
• Ax-Isthill (in a giant tube)

Don't ask me where their legs and arms go when they combine?

Kidding, the show was fine for the ere and network, and terrific for what it was.
It wasn't trying to be all slick and flashy, or trying to sell toys, but books.
oh wait....

Another difference from novel to TV, was their clothes would not transform with them, but be destroyed or abandoned when they transformed, and when they go back to human they'd find themselves naked.

 

[Aximili86]

The fact I actually remember those toys is hilarious. t: We're so old.

 

[smallville fan]

Seriously though how expensive would it be doing a tv show with kids turning into bears and tigers and giant squid etc. Way more than any budget could handle I reckon.

Unless it was animated

Oh I definitely see them reusing the same animals and limiting morphs to a handful of essentials. I see Giant Squids as a one time thing to be used in a Season finale.

I think they should do a series in terms of budget, close to Falling Skies. They even had similar aliens.

 

[Aximili86]

Falling Skies is about best case scenario, yeah. Still wouldn't be entirely satisfied with even production values that high though, just feel like TV isn't quite enough for this. At least if it's live-action.

 

[smallville fan]

Falling Skies is about best case scenario, yeah. Still wouldn't be entirely satisfied with even production values that high though, just feel like TV isn't quite enough for this. At least if it's live-action.

I can agree with that.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

The fact I actually remember those toys is hilarious. t: We're so old.

I had one that was 3 kids that combined into a T-Rex. As a kid it was awesome. As an adult, the logistics baffle me.

 

[Primal Slayer]

If the Power Rangers movie underperformed the way it did, I can't see this becoming a thing. Plus, I was a kid in the '90s so I remember Animorphs very well. I even read the first couple of books in the series. The concept was cool, but the following for it wasn't THAT big. It was nowhere near the popularity level of Goosebumps or even The Babysitters Club. A film version of this would most likely tank.

Power Rangers underperformed because it was fairly basic. Don't call a movie Power Rangers with barely any Power Rangers, it'd be like Animorphs finally becoming animorphs in the last 20mins of the movie.

 

[Silvermoth]

Yeah I must admit the reviews are what killed power rangers. I think they had some good ideas but it got very silly towards the end. And it was a bit melodramatic

 

[Drizzle]

Regardless of the actual quality of the film, Power Rangers was a much more massive property in the '90s than Animorphs was. Because of its underperformance, studios may not be willing to take a risk on something like Animorphs unless it's a made-for-TV movie on Nickelodeon or something.

 

[Silvermoth]

I don’t think they would think like that. It would be like shutting down comic book movies because of Batman versus superman or the amazing Spider-Man 2

 

[Drizzle]

Apples and oranges.

 

[Aximili86]

I also kind of feel like you'd want to separate this from all of this flood of YA adaptations that have been all the rage since Potter, y'know? Most them the just get kind of lost in the chaos and nobody really cares. A few exceptions of course, but ehh.

 

[smallville fan]

This is why Netflix should be the ones making Animorphs.

 

[Breogan]

This fan art is pretty sweet too.

Lots of charming, fun fan-art out there
Nice to see Animorphs has an active fanbase......

 

[Breogan]

[/IMG]

This is why Netflix should be the ones making Animorphs.

That would be great!

 

[smallville fan]

It seems that any adaptation right now is on ice.

https://***********/MichaelGrantBks/status/1027238120675147776

Telltale Games should hit them up. An Animorphs Telltale Game would be sweet.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

It seems that any adaptation right now is on ice.

https://***********/MichaelGrantBks/status/1027238120675147776

Telltale Games should hit them up. An Animorphs Telltale Game would be sweet.

Shame because if done right Animorphs has major potential.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Netflix come save this project!