Back in July, a rumor did the rounds online that Kenneth Branagh (Thor, A Haunting in Venice) had been tapped to helm a new live-action Gargoyles adaptation for Disney. Since the source was more than a little sketchy, we didn't put too much stock into it at the time, but it turns out a live-action take on the classic animated series is in development - for the small screen!
THR reports that Gary Dauberman and James Wan’s Atomic Monster banner, who previously collaborated on the Annabelle horror movies, have teamed up to adapt the cult '90s fantasy/sci-fi adventure series for Disney+.
Dauberman will write, executive produce and showrun the series.
Gargoyles, which aired under the Walt Disney Television Animation banner, ran for three seasons from 1994 to 1997. The premise focused on a group of gargoyle statues that were moved from a castle in Scotland to modern day New York, where they awakened from a thousand-year-old spell and made it their mission to protect the city.
The voice cast included Keith David (They Live) as Gargoyle leader Goliath, the late Ed Asner (Up) as his right-hand man Hudson, and Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as villainous billionaire David Xanatos.
Though Gargoyles was a family-friendly affair for the most part, it could bet pretty dark and dramatic at times, and back in 1995, Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat) was interested in developing a "grisly" R-rated live action take. The project never saw the light of day (obviously), but it did get far enough into development that the legendary Rick Baker created some character designs (see below).
"One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles," reads the animated series' synopsis. "Stone by day, warriors by night, We were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again! We are defenders of the night! We are gargoyles!"
What do you make of this news? Were you a fan of the show? Drop us a comment in the usual place, and check out some of Baker's concept sketches below.