Hold on to your hats, folks! The Jetsons, that futuristic family we all know and love, are apparently about to get a live-action makeover – again! But before you get too excited (or groan too loudly), you need to hear about the almost live-action sitcom that nearly graced our screens before Jim Carrey was even in the picture.
Yes, you read that right. While the news is buzzing about Colin Trevorrow (of Jurassic World fame) potentially directing a live-action Jetsons movie starring Jim Carrey for Warner Bros., it's crucial to remember this isn't the first time Hollywood has attempted to bring Orbit City to life. We've already had Jetsons: The Movie back in 1990, which served as a finale to the animated series' 80s revival and even featured Tiffany as the voice of Judy Jetson.
But here's where it gets controversial... Trevorrow's involvement has some fans worried. After all, he directed two of the Jurassic World films that didn't exactly set the world on fire critically. And who would Carrey even play? George Jetson? Mr. Spacely? The possibilities are... interesting, to say the least.
And this is the part most people miss... Before all this talk of big-budget movies, there was a serious attempt to bring the Jetsons to television as a live-action sitcom. Back in 2017, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Robert Zemeckis (yes, the Robert Zemeckis of Back to the Future fame) and Jack Rapke were signed on to develop a live-action Jetsons sitcom for ABC. The writing duties were to be handled by Gary Janetti, a veteran of shows like Family Guy and Will & Grace. Imagine: the director of a sci-fi classic bringing his vision to this futuristic family! It sounded like a match made in Orbit City heaven!
Zemeckis was no stranger to television, having executive produced a whopping 93 episodes of Tales From the Crypt, and later, shows like Manifest. This Jetsons project felt like a sure thing, a guaranteed hit. The idea was to give the show a modern spin, making it relatable to today's audiences. Channing Dungey, the then-President of ABC Entertainment, even expressed her excitement about Zemeckis' involvement in 2018, even though she hadn't seen any scripts yet.
But here's the million-dollar question: Could a live-action Jetsons truly thrive on a network television budget? Orbit City, with its flying cars and futuristic gadgets, demands a certain level of visual spectacle. While not impossible, it feels like the Jetsons might be better suited for the big screen, where the budget can truly bring that world to life. After all, The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera's prehistoric counterpart, made the leap to live-action in 1994 with a $46 million budget.
Interestingly, the quest to bring the Jetsons to live-action has been a long and winding road, filled with strange twists and turns. Before Universal even acquired the rights for the animated movie, Paramount Pictures announced a Jetsons film way back in the day, with Star Trek III executive producer Gary Nardino attached. And then there were the rumors in 2012 about Kanye West becoming the creative director for a Jetsons feature – a claim that producer Denise DiNovi has since debunked, saying it never progressed beyond a single meeting. Other directors like Adam Shankman, Robert Rodriguez, and Rob Minkoff were also considered for animated revivals.
Zemeckis's abandoned pilot remains the most recent attempt to give the Jetsons a three-dimensional makeover before Trevorrow stepped in. Will Trevorrow manage to create another billion-dollar blockbuster? Only time will tell.
Now, I want to hear from you: Do you think the Jetsons are better suited for a big-budget movie or a network sitcom? And what do you think of Colin Trevorrow directing? Are you excited, skeptical, or somewhere in between? Let's get the discussion going in the comments below!
