Thundercats Movie Director Shares Promising Update on ’80s Cartoon Classic Revival
Adam Wingard, director of Godzilla vs. Kong, has given an update on his long-delayed live-action ThunderCats film, confirming the project is still alive despite more than five years passing since it was first announced. Speaking to Polygon while promoting his new film Onslaught, Wingard said the adaptation remains on his development slate but has repeatedly been sidelined by other commitments, meaning fans hoping for a swift revival of the 1980s cartoon should not expect news imminently.
Wingard and Warner Bros. first announced the ThunderCats project in 2021, with the director working alongside writer Simon Barrett on a "hybrid CGI" film intended to stay faithful to the cartoon's retro aesthetic rather than going fully live-action. He revealed a new script draft was completed earlier this year before work was paused for Onslaught. Separately, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation announced its own distinct ThunderCats film at June's Annecy festival, though no creative details have emerged, and it remains unclear how it might relate to Wingard's version.
- Adam Wingard confirms his live-action ThunderCats film is still in development
- A new script draft was finished earlier in 2026 before being paused
- Warner Bros. is separately developing an unrelated animated ThunderCats film