Robert Rodriguez has signed on to direct JONNY QUEST for Warner Bros, his first major studio film in over a decade. The film is the latest attempt in a long development history for the classic animated series about a teenage adventurer. Rodriguez, best known for his adult fare, has also made a steady stream of family-oriented movies via his Troublemaker Studios. Both the SPY KIDS franchise and THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVA GIRL have toyed with 3D and other technology but have lacked the budget a major studio could provide.
JONNY QUEST will be re-written by Rodriguez along with PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN scribe Terry Rossio. They will revise a Black List-nominated draft by Dan Mazeau. While the plot details are unknown, it is expected to follow the storyline of the original cartoon.
Dr. Benton Quest is a research scientist who is frequently called upon for missions that require his scientific and technical expertise. He is usually accompanied by his son Jonny, his tutor/bodyguard Race Bannon, their bulldog with the distinctive mask-like eye markings named Bandit, and Hadji, an Indian orphan who has special abilities of his own. Together, they investigate mysteries, perform rescues and battle nefarious villains around the world, most notably Dr. Zin.
There have been multiple animated updates to JONNY QUEST but a live action film has never materialized. The last version was rumored in 2009 to star Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. Whether the Robert Rodriguez version will cast a teen in the lead role or a younger actor is unknown, but Rodriguez does have a history of working well with children.
If anything, I hope this take on JONNY QUEST will veer towards THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and tell a more serious adventure story rather than the more comedic SPY KIDS films. It also will be our first glimpse at what Robert Rodriguez can do with a massive budget.
There is currently no production or release date set for JONNY QUEST.
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