Jonny Quest film and spin-offs!

It appears the Jonny Quest film is moving forward!

Jonny Quest is one of the all-time great action-adventure characters, launched as a hit primetime animated series by Hanna-Barbera back in 1964 and continuing in multiple incarnations on television, in comics, and via video games every decade since. A live-action Jonny Quest feature film has been in development for a long time, and recently the project took a big leap forward when Dan Mazeau’s Jonny Quest screenplay was rewritten by Robert Rodriguez and Terry Rossio. Well, I’ve read their draft of the screenplay, and I can confirm it’s the Jonny Quest big-screen adaptation fans have been waiting for, and a potential tentpole picture capable of spinning off a whole expanded universe of franchises for Warner Bros (which owns Hanna-Barbera). So I’ve got you my review of the script, word on which directors could be in the mix for the film, and a look at what makes Jonny Quest a perfect choice for a new movie franchise. 

First, some quick background is in order. The original Jonny Quest series enjoyed strong viewership among kids and adults, as well as critical acclaim. It has lived on in syndication while occasionally getting rebooted — first in the 1980s with The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, and later as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest in the 1990s. The ’80s series spun off two animated TV movies, Jonny’s Golden Quest and Jonny Quest vs. The Cyber Insects. Comics based on Jonny Quest were published in the 1960s and 1980s, and the characters later appeared in Scooby-Doo’s 2015 comic series. Video games were also created during the 1990s to expand the Quest brand’s multimedia footprint.

DC Comics’ 2016 release of the comic book series Future Quest had high sales numbers, with June’s #1 issue outselling Batman’s Detective Comics title and Superman’s Action Comics to take the #30 spot among comics sold in North America. Reactions have been quite positive, with the series garnering good reviews from fan sites and readers, and it has revived interest in Hanna-Barbera generally but especially in a few key properties, most notably Jonny Quest.

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And that's not all. The phrase 'cinematic universe' was mentioned. Which means there might be even more! I'm hoping for some Jezebel Jade (I think Race is too)!

The upcoming Jonny Quest movie from Warner Bros. looks like it won't just be a one-and-done. According to a new report from Forbes, the film is being setup for a whole franchise worth of films. A new script by Robert Rodriguez and Terry Rossio specifically sets the film up with potential for spinoffs, the report says. 

The report also gives some possible directors, or at least directors that Warner Bros. are interested in. Joe Cornish, who wrote and directed Attack the Block, Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond), and Doctor Strange's Scott Derrickson have all been in some level of consideration, though there's no word on if any have shown interest back. There also hasn't been any casting, but Warner Bros. would reportedly like it to go into production this year if possible. 

The report describes Jonny's position in the film as "Harry Potter inside an Indiana Jones movie," and says the film could even setup not just more Quest movies, but even a Hanna-Barbera - you guessed it, here comes the buzzphrase of the year - cinematic universe. 

With no creative team or actors attached, there's no target release date, either. The film has been in some level of development on a Jonny Quest live-action movie for the last nine years.

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