Disney’s “Gargoyles” are coming back, TheWrap has learned.
The beloved animated series, which ran in syndication on weekday afternoons for three seasons from 1995 to 1997, is set to return, this time as a live-action series for Disney+ from James Wan’s Atomic Monster, writer Gary Dauberman (who wrote all three “Annabelle” movies) and Disney Branded Television. Dauberman is attached as writer, executive producer and showrunner on the new series.
“Gargoyles,” which centered on a band of monstrous warriors who, long ago, were encased in stone and cursed to stay that way unless they were lifted above the clouds, find themselves awoken in modern day Manhattan after a billionaire zealot placed them atop his latest towering skyscraper. (They remain stone during the day but become flesh-and-blood at night.) The Gargoyles then have to figure out what life in the contemporary world is like, while also attempting to rid New York City of some of its crime.
It was a mature, serialized animated show that brought gravitas to Disney’s afternoon syndicated programming block, which was also the home to “DuckTales,” “TaleSpin” and “Darkwing Duck.” It was also clearly inspired by the success of “Batman: The Animated Series” on the competing Fox Kids’ afternoon programming block.
Disney has been contemplating a live-action take on the material since at least the show was on the air. In 1998 it got fairly close, with a draft of a script written by Jim Kouf and featuring creature designs by the legendary Rick Baker, although this draft was super dark and would have been unfathomably expensive. In 2011. new writers (David Elliot and Paul Lovett, who had worked on “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”) were brought in for a live-action feature. And sometime in 2018 Jordan Peele pitched his take on a live-action feature for Disney — but they were not impressed.
Wan and his Atomic Monster partner Michael Clear will be executive producers. Wan and Dauberman have worked closely together, not only on the “Annabelle” movies but on “The Nun” and even a “Swamp Thing” streaming series that ran on DC Universe, the pre-HBO Max DC streaming platform. Dauberman also has a new adaptation of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” awaiting release from Warner Bros.
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news.
