Video game veteran Jerry O’Flaherty will direct Warner Bros.’ CG-animated Thundercats feature, based on the popular ’80s cartoon series, comic book and toy line.
The project marks the first feature directing gig for O’Flaherty, who served as an art director on such bestselling games as “Gears of War” and “Unreal Tournament 3” for Epic Games and the “Command and Conquer” series from Westwood Studios.
“It feels like a natural thing for me to step into,” O’Flaherty said. “Games have come so far now. The last four years of my life have been about bringing the energy of filmmaking into the video game experience.”
O’Flaherty will now work with screenwriter Paul Sopocy on the script.
Warner-based Paula Weinstein will produce through her Spring Creek Productions, along with Dick Robertson and Lew Korman.
The origin story expands on the major heroes and villains from the animated series, with the plot focusing on Lion-O coming of age as the leader of the Thundercats.
The property revolves around a group of humanoid cats who must flee the planet of Thundera, which is destroyed. Once crash-landing on another planet, Third Earth, they must thwart Mumm-Ra, an evil sorcerer bent on killing them off.
