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Weta Workshop has landed its next gig: a remake of classic 1960s series Thunderbirds for the UK's ITV.
The Wellington special effects and production house will work on the re-make in partnership with Sir Richard Taylor's Pukeko Pictures.
The series is in pre-production, and will screen in 2015, fifty years after the debut of the original.
Gerry and Sylvia's version of the Thunderbirds featured "supermarionation" - dodgy but endearing puppetry that gained it a cult following down the years.
Where to now?
"This re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic series will be produced using a unique mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets. Showcasing Pukeko Pictures’ and Weta Workshop’s ground-breaking creative and technical excellence, it will deliver a whole new level of action-adventure animation for today’s audience, whilst also affectionately paying tribute to the legacy of model locations from the classic series," Pukeko Pictures says in a statement.
Thunderbirds fans will be hoping it has a bit more character than an earlier Weta remake, the slick but charmless Adventures of Tintin.
Weta Workshop (a separate operation from Weta Digital) has previously worked on Sir Peter Jackson's King Kong remake, and James Cameron's Avatar.
Sir Peter holds stakes across Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, while Sir Richard's financial interest is in Weta Workshop only.
The two knights are directors across both companies.
NBR staff
Tue, 05 Feb 2013
Tue, 05 Feb 2013
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Thunderbirds are Go for Weta
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