San Francisco Chronicle Live-Action Movie Notes

Taken from the Hollywood Reporter, the following appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. The citation is Hollywood Reporter (1994-04-25). "Live-Action `Johnny Quest' in the Works". The San Francisco Chronicle p. E3.

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Tribeca Productions and Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions will be bringing a live-action version of ``The Adventures of Jonny Quest to the big screen for Turner Pictures and Hanna-Barbera. Production on the film will begin in 1995, the same time Hanna-Barbera is expected to produce a new ``Johnny Quest animated series. Created by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and Doug Wildey, ``Jonny Quest was launched in September 1964 on ABC as Hanna-Barbera's fourth prime-time series and the first cartoon to depict realistic human characters in an action-adventure format.

"As a young man growing up, it was one of my favorites," Turner Pictures president Dennis Miller said of the 1960s educational action-adventure cartoon. "I think it's one of the most requested properties in the Hanna-Barbera library and we've been looking for some time to put the right production team on this."

Miller credited Hanna-Barbera Cartoons president Fred Siebert with a multipronged initiative to get the characters Jonny Quest, Hadji, Dr. Benton Quest, Race Bannon and Bandit the dog out in the market.

"It's a companywide initiative to relaunch the character," he said. "That will include a TV movie on TNT and the relaunch of the animated series for TBS. It's not simply a development deal."

Production on the film will begin in 1995, the same time Hanna-Barbera is expected to produce the new animated series.

Created by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and Doug Wildey, "Jonny Quest" launched in September 1964 on ABC as Hanna-Barbera's fourth primetime series and the first cartoon to depict realistic human characters in an action-adventure format. It aired on CBS in 1967, ABC returned with it in 1970 and after a six-year hiatus, NBC brought the show back in 1978 for a two-year Saturday morning run. New episodes followed in 1987.

"Lauren Shuler-Donner and Tribeca's Jane Rosenthal exhibited a lot of passion for the project and they were virtually the earliest people to express interest in the property since Turner bought Hanna-Barbera," Siebert said. "I think it's the ultimate science fact show. Every adventure the Quest team gets in and out of is based on things we all know are real. It takes the current advances in technology and facts and spins them into a wonderful drama."

Tribeca Prods. is comprised of the producing team of Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro and Rosenthal. Recent productions include "Thunderheart," "Mistress" and "Night and the City."

Donner/Shuler-Donner produced the upcoming Mel Gibson-Jodie Foster starrer "Maverick"; "Dave," nominated for a best original screenplay Oscar (Gary Ross, screenwriter); and boxoffice hit "Free Willy."

Since 1957, Hanna-Barbera has pioneered television cartoons including "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," "Scooby-Doo," "Yogi Bear" and "Huckleberry Hound."

Hanna-Barbera's "The Flintstones" initiative this year includes the major live-action motion picture for Universal, set for a Memorial Day release; remastered "Flintstones" episodes released by Turner Home Video; "Flint-stones" books via Turner Publishing's specially created Bedrock Press; and more than 500 licensing and merchandising deals.

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