The Avengers Animated

[Borgus Weems]

Assuming there isn't one yet -

Why not?

I think a well animated film could be of great interest to fans of the series AND do well at the box office. Here's why:

1) Most of the original cast could return. We could have Steed. Peel. Gale. King. Purdy. In fact, any other character could come back too if the actor wants to do it - Mother, Dr. Keel, Venus Smith, Cybernauts, etc. And how could would it be to get all the Avengers on a case - and what case could be large enough that it would need everybody? (Though to be fair - I don't know if the actors would want to at this point, though voice over is still something reasonable to do even in old age - some of the last work Vincent Price did was voice over well after he wouldn't consider being on set for a film).

2) The Avengers is known the world over. Not the movie per-se, but the show has a solid fan following, and I think an animated film could look good and make more than it's money back (think the Marvel & DC comics films they have made recently, all for a few million - the Avengers brought back by the real people (as much as possible) would be really popular.

3) Many of the original creators could craft the story. Brian Clemens is still working as an writer, Mr. Marshall is still around and if willing/wanted to, he might be able to pitch some ideas.

4) As an animated film, the adventure could have a scope limited only by imagination... which may not be great, but they could use it to create a series-capping tale of wit and charm and action.

5) They've done a few animated Doctor Who adventures to great acclaim (well, how about they weren't totally awful?), so it has been done before.

What do ya'll think - could an animated film by the old gang be great? or do you think it would blow chunks?

[kim]

Could it be done? Of course it could be, but the real question is, could it be done well? On the off chance that you had the perfect artists, perfect writers, and perfect story lines, anything is possible.

Would the original actors agree to doing voice overs? That, I think, is not likely to happen. Patrick Macnee is not in the best of health, I just can't picture Diana Rigg agreeing to it, though I can see Linda Thorson and Joanna Lumely doing it for a laugh.

It's well known that I was sadly dissapointed in the movie. In my opinion it could have been done a hundred times better. If they didn't take the time to create what could have been a block buster, I can't see anyone taking the time or inititive to do an animated Avengers series right, though there is a person or two here on our own forum who have done some great comic book style stories..

Yes an animated version could be done, but it would have to be done very, very well if you want to obtain and maintain a good fan base.

[Timeless A-Peel]

An animated version would be great fun, and it neatly sidesteps all the aging issues as has been previously mentioned. But like Kim said, I doubt many of the actors would return to their roles, although I too could see Joanna doing it, or Gareth if he were still alive.

An alternate idea would be a radio play of the Dirk Gently/Hitchhiker's/Doctor Who/Sapphire and Steel variety, all of which have done quite well in recent years. The first thing I thought when I heard about those unmade TNA scripts was how much fun it would have been to get Patrick, Joanna, and Gareth to voice them for an audio story, but of course that's impossible now.

[Avengerholic]

Patricks voice is virtually unrecognisable now, and I doubt that any of the surviving cast would want to be involved in any new feature at this stage. The best idea would be an audio CD series with a new cast. Big Finish would do an amazing job I'm sure, they have with the new Sapphire & Steel audios anyway.

[Philippa]

It's not a bad idea in itself, and I think up until a few years ago it could have been done.
But with Patrick's health, and since Gareth's passed away, it seems impossible to me. Plus I couldn't see Diana agree to do it either.
I could however see Joanna and Linda agree to it, and perhaps Honor as well, but still I don't think it would be realistic at this stage.

[Borgus Weems]

If Patrick isn't up to it, then it does seem kinda moot to go all out with an animated movie... though the idea of a Big Finish audio with anybody who is interested, along with voice actors who could do good versions of the existing characters, would be nice.

[ricardomartins]

Though I probably wouldn't watch an animated series, I think the idea would be great, as a way of captivating the young people's attention to the original series when they grew up (I began watching Bond movies very much because I watched James Bond Jr cartoons when I was a kid)

[Borgus Weems]

I can't remember a James Bond Jr cartoon - wild! Was this recent, or pre Dr. No?

[ricardomartins]

James Bond Jr. cartoon was a big influence to the kids of my generation - it aired on TV in the early 90's. I bought lots of toys of it.

Of course it wasn't as great as the original Bond movies, but it was great fun for kids.

Here's a link to the intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWexi-D ... re=related

[Timeless A-Peel]

James Bond Jr. cartoon was a big influence to the kids of my generation - it aired on TV in the early 90's. I bought lots of toys of it.

Of course it wasn't as great as the original Bond movies, but it was great fun for kids.

Here's a link to the intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWexi-D ... re=related

I remember this being on when I was young, though I never watched it (despite the fact that I was--and still am--very into cartoons from the late eighties and early nineties, as well as a truckload of Hanna-Barbera and Rocky & Bullwinkle. Those were the days!). The animation's very much in the Inspector Gadget mode.