Heathcliff Will Also Get The Live-Action / CG Hybrid Feature Treatment
By Angie Han/Oct. 18, 2012 11:20 am EST
Cartoonist and rights holder Peter Gallagher (not that one) had this to say about the deal:
[Waterman’s] track record is impeccable. Casper, Stuart Little and Alvin and the Chipmunks are examples of incorporating elements that past audiences loved and adding a contemporary flair that makes these properties endure with a whole new generation. That is exactly what I was looking to achieve with Heathcliff. We want our existing fans to identify with the characters they know while introducing him to an entirely new audience. As a creator I know that they will be attentive to our lasting vision for the brand and welcome our input, which is very important to me.
Heathcliff made his debut in a comic strip by George Gately in 1973. (That’s five years before Garfield, if anyone’s counting.) The cartoonist passed away in 2001, but his nephew Gallagher took over the duties and the rights and runs the strip to this day. Over the decades, Heathcliff has also made the leap into a comic book series, two separate animated TV shows, and a low-budget feature, all in the 1980s.
