Heard on the net that Benjamin McKenzie of “OC” fame has been cast as the voice of Lion-O. 
Hope it’s false.
I (we) want Larry Kenney!
EDIT: I just want to clarify this is a RUMOR. There has been no substantial evidence to prove this piece of info is true.
It’s still very early in the preproduction period, so this may be just a rumor. But a guy from “The OC”? Holy crap, I hope not! 
Let’s just hope it’s a rumor. We should still try to get some more names for that petition list, I don’t want to sound negative but I don’t think 421 (last I checked) is going to weigh too much in Hollywood.
I am a big fan of The O.C., but Benjamin McKenzie nor any other actor can do justice to the character of Lion-O. Eventually I don’t think the petition is going to grab the attention of the decision makers at WB studios.
Manny, you and rest of the staff of TCL and even fans need to approach the studio directly. Post letters (not only emails) to the studio, producers and to the executive producers telling them that we fans want Larry Kenney to voice the character of Lion-O and also mention that it is most desired by fans to see the entire original voice cast return to reprise their roles.
All I can say is this: 
Regardless of who voices what character, I don’t think fans will ever be satisfied. I know a lot of fans want Larry to voice Lion-O, but the reality is WB needs some way to jumpstart this franchise. If that means getting high-profile voice actors, they’ll probably do it to get more than just us fans interested. You have to understand that ThundeCats hasn’t been in the mainstream since the late 80s…or mid 90s if you count the airing on Toonami. Unlike Transformers which has had toyline after toyline since it’s intial conception in the 1980s, the mainstream audience has absolutely no idea that a ThunderCats movie is in the works. The license has had no new cartoon, no new toyline in the last 20 years.
I made the FAQs thread simply because I kept getting emails asking if a live-action film was really in the works. We need to be realistic with what is going to happen with the movie.
No one knew Tobey McGuire until Spiderman…and now, most would say he was the perfect fit. I know people had issues with Cam Clarke as the new Prince Adam/He-Man in the MYP series, but I thought he was great at it.
WB is aware of our site and the petition, that much can be said. If you guys openly discuss your ideas and comments, I’m sure someone influential will read it and take it into consideration.
They are aware of the site and the petition? Huh, that’s news to me. I didn’t think they knew or cared about either.:?
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Lord of the ThunderCats about the petition. Despite all my earlier, cheery optimism and pro-Larry Kenney pom-pom waving on this site and EOT, 425 signatures (the current amount) would be meager to an industry where thousands of petitions and an equal number of signatures would carry far more weight. The most realistic outlook is that Warner Brothers will not use Larry at all in the movie, and it’s a certainty that they will not use the other surviving cast members of the cartoon show. Voice-over artists, unless they are big-name, bankable movies stars, don’t cut the mustard in Hollywood; like their New York counterparts, they’re usually regulated to TV/radio commercials, cartoon shows, and the occasional stageplay. And frankly, I’ve been starting to have my doubts about Larry reprising Lion-O for the ThunderCats movie for a while now. I still bump the petition at EOT, but I’m starting to run out of gas about doing it since I seem to be the only one doing it. And that’s disappointing to me personally.
Why would it be surprising and why wouldn’t they care? I KNOW they care. Sometimes I don’t get hardcore fans. It seems like there is only ONE choice.
“Oh, Larry’s not going to be in the movie, WB doesn’t care about the fans.” Is that how you guys feel? Really???
If that’s the case, then I think you guys should just totally ignore the movie from now on because there is no way you’re going to be happy.
I understand that Larry correlates with the fans…but come on. No offense to Larry…he’s awesome…but he ISN’T the be all and end all for the franchise.
I’m at the point where I want them to not have any of the original voice actors in a major role and rather as a cameo role. That I believe is much more believable.
Darn, I´d want to hear Larry aswell, but what can we do but sign the petition. Say is there any chance to intigrate the petition to www.planetthundera.de aswell, in order to get more votes for Larry ?
Yours
KoC
I think that we need to realize that although we all love Thundercats, and too us it is a huge thing, in reality Thundercats does not have the same fan base as say Transformers, or GI Goe. I think Voltron might even have a larger fan base.
Case in point, Voltron got the complete works when it came time for the series to be put on DVD. Media Blasters did an excellent job all the way around. From the audio/video re mastering, to the packaging/art and special features.
IMHO, WB completely crapped on the Thundercats DVD release. Some of the episodes I recorded off Cartoon Network are in better shape. This is a sad reminder that WB does not hold the Tcats franchise up so high.
Realistically speaking I don’t think that WB is going to invest a whole lot into something that they don’t think is going to generate a ton of money. I would not be surprised if the movie was a straight to DVD release. Also, I don’t think they have “pleasing old fan base” high up on their agenda, as we are so small a group in comparison to other fan bases, that it wouldn’t be logical.
Believe me, I am one of the biggest Thundercats fans on the planet, but I have to accept that my beloved Thundercats are not in the same league as Transformers. Sad but true.
Still, I am looking forward to the new Movie with a very open mind. And remember, whatever they do with this new movie will have zero impact on the original cartoons, which is how we all became fans.:slythe:
I never watched the OC, so I have no clue who this guy is. As Catspat pointed out, it’s still early in production, so I don’t see this as being true. Also, I really don’t think that this guys a big enough name to headline the movie. If they don’t go with Larry(which I hope they do)I think they’re going to put a REALLY big name in place for Lion-O. It’s really common for big name stars to do voices for animated films right now, and I don’t see this guy as a huge box office draw.
You might have a point there. In Transformers it was Hugo Weaving who replaced Frank Welker to provide the voice for Megatron and not some unknown person so we might also see something like that with the Thundercats movie. I’m still hoping for Larry but you never know.
I don’t agree at all. ThunderCats was just as popular as Transformers was back in the 80s. To dismiss the ThunderCats as not in the same league as MOTU, GI Joe, or Transformers is dismissing the cult phenomenon that was the ThunderCats.
I know I said the license hasn’t had an update in nearly 20 years (with the exception of the comics), but it doesn’t mean people are not aware of the license altogether.
I see tons of people wearing shirts with the ThunderCats insignia. Then we had ThunderCats back on CN in the 90s where, let’s face it…without the ThunderCats…Toonami would never have aired Sailor Moon or DBZ. The show always aired in the most pivotal timeslot on Toonami whether it was 4PM or 5PM.
Then we had the cartoon released on DVD. Whatever opinions we have of the DVDs, we do know one thing: it sold well…well enough to release the entire series. I mean, WHV has a history of canceling shows that were already on DVD. Jetsons…Everwood…7th Heaven…just to name a few.
The fact that the series was released entirely on DVD meant there was a demand for the show…a demand WB did NOT expect.
In other words, if the license was updated frequently or at least once in the last 20 years, it would be just as popular as MOTU and TF is today. The fact that all we’ve had were re-airings of the original show on CN and the release of the DVD and people still remember it is a very important thing that WB is fully aware of. 
Still, I am looking forward to the new Movie with a very open mind. And remember, whatever they do with this new movie will have zero impact on the original cartoons, which is how we all became fans.:slythe:
And that’s what we all should be doing. Keeping an open mind made me like the Transformers. A new movie, new series, or new toyline will never tarnish what the original license did.
If anything, an updated version will continue to keep the license alive…and I think personally, that’s more important than getting the original voice actors.
I’d be more afraid of the character designs than the voices…
It’s surprising to me because Warner Brothers can be cold as ice to anyone’s opinion but their own. It’s a common behavior with movie studios, and there have been enough butchered properties in the past for me to know this. I also know that they can’t please everyone all the time, but they can at least lend an ear to what’s being said and strike the best happy medium that they can.
And, hey, even if Larry doesn’t reprise Lion-O for the film, you can’t really blame us fans for trying to support him, now can you? As for no hardcore fan being happy with who voices Lion-O, some fans are more hardcore than others. Those are the ones who won’t be happy with the film no matter who’s in it or how it’s done. I’ll wager that most long-time fans will at least give the film a decent hearing and then decide for themselves. I’ll probably be one of them, as I’ve always loved the cartoon but not so much that my entire existence revolves around it. A true fan of anything balances their main passion with something else to keep from falling into the trap of obsession.
If the petition fails and Warners goes with a high-profile movie star like George Clooney or Brad Pitt or Daniel Day Lewis, then at least we tried. And when it comes down to brass tacks, it’s about all you can say.
Here’s a pic I found on google with regards to that. Personally I don’t like the new design by this guy at all but it does reflect current cartoons.
That was for a now-defunct animated series pitched to WB around 2001.
The rock band concept was the most recent series pitched.
That said, the movie has no connections to these ill-fated concepts.
Thank God! I found another website yesterday that was talking about the Rock Band concept but it didn’t have any dates or years on it so I was going to ask over here if anybody knew about it, but I couldn’t find the website again. Anyway thanks for clearing that for me and restoring hope 
Just to throw my two cents in here. I fully support having all the available VAs to come back to their original roles. I don’t think its likely that will totally happen though. The best we can proably hope for are cameos. I see several of you talking about the decisions the studio may or may not make. Its true the studio does have some influence in making the movie but most if not all of the casting and design of the characters, locations, etc are made by the director and exec. producers. The petition may have more impact if it is sent directly to them.
I don’t think we should count the petition out just yet. I feel that it’s a good thing to be doing that WB could get in their heads about, but I also agree that we need some more signatures on it… King of Crows should get the link so we could get some more sig.'s, and maybe that might help a bit… also, we should try to get as many people possible to sign it. That will take all of us telling people about it, not just one or two (no matter what we feel about the petition)… that’s what I think about that. I, too, would like to get all the original voice actors to come back, but it’s still up to the studio. My hopes are held high, and even though I KNOW it won’t be everything I want it to be, I think it just might work out. I was wary about Transformers the movie at first, but I was quite pleasantly surprised. If WB would do the same, maybe us fans will be happy… and the truth is we still will have the originals.
I agree to the fact aswell that TC are definetly the same league as are MotU and TF. Considering myself as “the german outpost”, I can say that even though the series wasn´t as popular here than in the UK or US, there still are many fans even in germany that love the series as much as do we. So even though they never re-loaded TC as they did with TF or He-Man doesn´t mean anything. The only thing that worries me is the attitude Warner might have. Thinking of MotU for exsample the series was revamped not with the fans on mind yet the money. It´s all not about honoring something considered a phenomenon or for having a huge fanbase yet about the producers having just another gimick to make easy money with. So I´m more scared it´s gonna end up MotU 200X like. Aimed for fast money without any regards to the fandom or roots of the series. We´ll have to face that fact aswell. They wouldn´t have done TF if there wouldn´t be an enormous profit in it
Yet still I do wish for TC to become something we can live with and like as we did with the original and when it comes to the original voicecast what is Warner about to losse if they´d cast Larry ? If they do want a famous face for one or two of he characters there still are enough characters left. I´d say Mumm-Ra would make something to make an imprsssion with also.
Anyhoo, regarding the petition. I bet there will be quit a few peeps in germany that´d sign it, for the german dubbing is not as apretciated as you might think. Most fans round here like the original cast more than the german voiceovers. So if TCL aprooves we might get some votes from germany aswell and may move Warner the 2right way"
Yours KoC
[QUOTE=AlexofThundera]
Believe me, I am one of the biggest Thundercats fans on the planet, but I have to accept that my beloved Thundercats are not in the same league as Transformers.
[/QUOTE]
I’m sorry if this statement sounded like I was putting down the Thundercats, I would never do that. I simply meant that I don’t feel that WB feels like they are holding as huge a license in their hands as Dreamworks felt with TF.
With TF, Dreamworks went all out, even getting Spielberg. And they knew how important it was to all the TF die hards that they get the original voice actor for Optimus Prime. The movie stayed true (for the most part) to the original series. IMHO they did the TF fans justice. They updated the “look” of TF, but stayed mostly true to all things TF.
WB on the other hand I don’t have as much faith in. I would rather the TC license be in the hands of a different company.
This is exactly the point I was trying to make earlier in the thread about facing the facts. WB may simply see TC as another way to make money. Just look at the over inflated price tag on the US DVD sets. $60+ dollars!! That is highway robbery and IMHO you don’t get $60 worth of stuff in those DVD sets. They know how much we love Thundercats and are counting on that!
Sorry if I am being a negative nancy, I love Tcats, and I would be the first to say I was wrong about WB’s handling of TC, but seeing how they handled the DVD sets left a bad taste in my mouth.
As I stated before, I am looking forward to the new movie, and hopefully a new line of figures, but I just think that we would all be setting ourselves up for a massive disappointment expecting WB to produce a new TC movie and not making changes, such as new voice actors, new character designs, etc… I would love for Larry to voice Lion-o (I can’t see it any other way), and I am hoping for a nice surprise from WB, but I also accept the fact that WB is going to do this movie however they feel its best to make money, and that may be a very different TC movie then what I would like to see.