Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds are set for a 2015 return to ITV, courtesy of The Lord Of The Rings' Weta workshop...
Almost two years ago to the day, we first heard talk of Gerry Anderson's plan to revive Thunderbirds for ITV, and now comes confirmation that the project is pushing ahead. Six weeks after Anderson passed away, ITV has officially announced pre-production on Thunderbirds Are Go! (a working title, but a good'un).
Anderson's promise that the revival would use "all mod-cons" is being kept to, thanks to the involvement of New Zealand's Weta Workshop, which is to collaborate with ITV Studios to produce the twenty-six-episode series. The Tracy brothers will be brought back to life using a combination of live-action models and CGI animation, in an alternative to the CGI and motion-capture techniques used to produce New Captain Scarlet. So that'll be super-hyper-marionation then?
ITV's Thunderbirds Are Go! press release has plenty of respectful references to retaining heritage and paying tribute to legacy while bringing the much-loved property to a new audience (of toy-buying tweens and nostalgic adults).
Just as long as the new take is miles from the 2004 live-action film, we'll be happy to see its return.
