Benjamin McKenzie Cast as Voice of Lion-O

Cartoons ThunderCats (2011)
21

Please watch your language. Thanks. – Manny

Before I begin, I’m giving you all a fair warning. What I’m about to say will no doubt upset/piss off alot of people with how blantant it is. So, I’m apologizing for any hurt feelings from the get go. But, in all seriousness, reading the past posts in this thread has just left a bitter taste in my mouth with how some fans are seeing this whole upcoming movie thing in such an unrealistic manner that I simply cannot stay quiet, or sugar coat things so as to avoid upsetting anyone any longer.

So, with that out of the way, here is my POV on the whole thing…

In all honesty, I feel that I (along with Fuzzy) are the only ones seeming to be living in the world of reality when it comes to this whole Tcats movie and the franchise itself.

Thundercats are on the same popularity level as Transformers, MOTU and G.I Joe? Since when? If they were as popular as all that, we would have seen the similar amount of toylines/cartoons/comics/etc as the other three series have had.

And do we? No! We got a ****** revival a few years back that fizzled out within a year and a DVD series that was largely half assed in comparison to other re-released cartoons on DVD.

So yeah, as much as I know some would disgree, you’ll have face facts - Thundercats ARE NOT on the same popularity level as Transformers, MOTU and G.I. Joe. If you had to compare the frnachise’s popularity with another cartoon, Thundercats would more likely be on the same popularity level as shows like Jem and Smurfs (both having had their respective series released on DVD, and the latter with a movie of its own in the works).

Now, as far as the movie goes - Fuzzy and I are some of the few who have preferred a new cast of voices from the get go. Not that we hold anything against the original voice cast - but considering a number of them are dead, and the ones remaining lack the talent/range that is expected of today’s voice actors (especially when it comes to movies), it would have been a poor choice to cast the original voice cast into their former roles for this movie.

Yeah, yeah - I know the likes of Larry Kenny and Lynn Lipton have done some work for Family Guy/Robot Chicken - but consider the shows and how much work they did. A few lines in a couple of low brow TV comedy shows in comparison to a box office movie - far more is expected in the latter, of which - taking the more recent work these two voice actors have done - would not have met with the higher expectations of Hollywood.

As far as the petition goes…I know I’ve mentioned this before and the majorty here would disagree with me, but…it is pointless and in the long run, you all are wasting your time with the delussional belief that you’ll somehow be making a difference (and, in the off chance that you continue with this petition and it somehow meets with success, I will be the first to happily make a public apology for my outburst and admit that I was wrong).

So you have roughly 500 signatures…and? Do you think WB would care? Have any of you any concept of how many signatures you’ll need in order to get the production company to even bat an eye at the petiton? Considerng the fanbase for this movie - you’d need at least a few thousand, realistically.

Take the show Jerico as an example - in order for that last season to be shot and aired, it took the fans dropping off 50,000 lbs of peanuts on CBS’ doorstep, as well as tens of thousands of emails and phone calls to get them to re-instate the show for one last season. That is the kind of things studios notice.

In the end, Thundercats is nothing more than a cash cow for WB to milk dry. To see it any other way would be simply foollish.

So, there’s my little wake up call to you all. Don’t like it? Sorry. The majority of us Tcats fans are in our late 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and older. It’s time to wake up and acknowledge how the real world works.

22

Hi Mitts…while I agree with some of things you said, let’s remember to keep the discussion on a level head. People are allowed to voice their opinions even if you don’t agree with them. :slight_smile:

I’d like to mention firstly that every license is considered a cash cow. You don’t think that a Transformers movie was made so that Hasbro could make a new toyline? That’s the movie business. Movie studios saw the success of TF and want to ride the wave. It’s why we’re seeing Speed Racer, Smurfs, a new MOTU, and Voltron. The hot ticket 8 years ago was comic book licenses. Recently it’s 80s fever. It’s business. Anything that will make money is fair game.

It’s not exclusive to ThunderCats.

Secondly, I do believe that ThunderCats is on the same level as TF and MOTU. Let’s discuss it this way: I personally believe that ThunderCats is a license that is just as relevant as TF and MOTU. It may have been in hiberation for the past two decades with some interest here and there, but the interest has never fizzled…which is the key.

Everyone keeps bringing up the DVDs. I don’t EVER remember TF getting amazing treatment on DVD. Yeah, it was remastered, but I have those DVDs and I’d rather it not have been touched. The so called remastered sound was horrible. And the TF DVDs didn’t even have any special features. ThunderCats had some crappy stuff, but you can’t say they didn’t try.

Jem didn’t even come out on DVD entirely. It was canceled and if you think about it…Jem had less than 130 episodes and it still couldn’t finish the series on DVD. Jem is not on the same level as ThunderCats.

As for the petition…you guys can push it aside and say it’s pointless…but at least ONE person who is working on the movie is aware of the petition and is reading our posts. I know that for certain. Whether it does anything will remain to be seen; but it has been noted that there is some interest in retaining Larry. :slight_smile:

We’re not going to stop taking signatures, but we’re also not promising anything will come out of it. If anything, it just shows that the community does have a voice and that was one of our goals: to allow the community to show support for Larry who has been so amazing to us.

Lastly, I’m glad we are all very passionate about this topic. I’m happy that we all have an opinion on the matter. At the same time, let’s respect everyone’s opinions whether we agree or disagree with it.

Thanks. :slight_smile:

23

Please watch your language. Thanks. – Manny

Hm, an interesting debate.

I sort of understand why there would be new voice actors/actresses to take over the parts of Thundercats - the whole idea of the movie is to attract a new audience and to present the cartoon in a new movie. That means new animation, new movies, new everything.

On the other hand, changing the idea completely is a ridiculous concept. That would be like changing Tom and Jerry to talk and sing and… oh, wait. They already did that. And it tanked - it was a horrible idea and it performed horribly. That movie was the drizzling *****. If your going to do a movie, you should keep some originality to the movie but still change some of it’s presentation. Whether that be through voice actors or animation, it doesn’t matter. But, in my opinion, nobody else does Lion-O justice except Larry Kenney.

Larry Kenney was, and still is, (I’ve seen many things he’s done since Thundercats including impersonations and he’s very good) a wonderful voice actor. He’s the one person you connect with Lion-O - his loud, adventerous voice but also full of naive and immaturity absolutely makes for the voice. From what I know also, Earle Hyman is retired and so probably won’t do Panthro. That’s okay - I can think of a number of people to do Panthro. I still think Larry Kenney should definately be Lion-O along with another voice actor but the rest can still be changed without being a major dent in the film. Look at it like this - you didn’t see Adam West doing the new Batman films. And those films were pretty good.

This all depends on how much attention Warner Bros. puts into this - if they make it a low budget piece of ****, it’s going to be nothing and it will disgrace the cartoons. However, if it’s got the same effort put into it as Transformers or TMNJ, you’ll have an excellent film. Top range voice actors, good storyline.. it’ll all be there.

But, it was suggested earlier that Thundercats is on the level of Transformers and, well, that’s false. People do know what Thundercats - adults and teenagers alike. Transformers probably edges it out slightly because it was such a huge cartoon at the time but Thundercats is, definately, just as big of a name as Transformers. So there’s definately a market for it.

24

Now I love Tcats as much as everyone else here but I’m in the minority…I want new voice actors for the movie.

I love Larry but his voice changed through the years…his voice sounds too old for Lion-O, and not to mention that the other voice actors are too old and are starting to die or retire.

Personally I rather have the original voice actors for the orginal show and new actors for the new movie.

That’s my two cents.

25

I dont think thier age matters when it comes to this. As long as thier vocal cords are fine its all good! :smiley:

26

I fall into this category. :slight_smile:

What if there are other requirements in order to get the part? For example, Andy Serkis from Lord of the Rings had to not only be the voice, but also was used to capture the movement of Golum in the movie. You need to realize that there is more to just recording voices nowadays, especially with the type of technology the ThunderCats movie has been confirmed to be using.

This isn’t just a 2D animated film or a low budget movie. If I am to go with what I know, the technology being used is suppose to be the first of its kind for a CGI movie.

Just keep an open mind. :slight_smile:

27

Regardless of how we each feel individually on the voice acting issue, I think we could all agree that it is very exciting that the Thundercats movie will be one of the first films done in this “first of it’s kind” CGI.

Imagine if the CGI is haled as “ground breaking” by the animation world. That would really put a lot of much deserved attention into Thundercats.

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I hope WB can pull it off. They aren’t exactly known for their animated prowess on the big screen. Having something this ambitious is more of Pixar territory rather than WB. So if they can pull it off, more power to them.

On the other hand, we’ve seen other studios try to pull something revolutionary only to have it fall flat on its feet.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within ring a bell? :wink:

Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out like that.

I’m optimistic though. For everyone who says ThunderCats isn’t on the same level as Transformers and MOTU, you’re going to be very surprised. :slight_smile:

It also depends when WB decides to release the movie. If it’s considered a summer movie, then it’ll bank in the dough.

But that’s an entirely different topic. :slight_smile:

29

I just don’t really know how “groundbreaking” you can get with cgi right now. When I look at Beuwulf (sp?) with Angelina Jolie, that’s kind of what I figurred the cgi T-Cat movie might look like. But obviously with cooler feline characters.

30

Call me crazy, but I honestly didn’t like the CGI used in Beuwulf. If your going to make it look that close to reality, you should just do a live action film. IMHO, CGI, albeit very high tech, should keep a “fantasy” feel about things.

As far as groundbreaking, I am thinking in terms of the way it is coded, the graphics engine, etc… If it is something other animators look at and say “that is a great way to do CGI”. Obviously like Manny already pointed out, were talking about WB, not Dreamworks or Pixar, but I am hoping for the best.

For me, the story, plot, character development, etc… is where I am hoping they come through for us.

31

I wonder if they will use real actors in the CGI Thundercats movie kind of like Beowulf.But with that said,who will WB choose to cast the movie?

32

I think the power of the voices of the fandom for these cartoon shows should not be easily dismissed.

When Transformers the movie rumors came out and the voice actor Dreamworks was kicking the idea of having do the voice around the fans screamed for Peter Cullen. Dreamworks and Michael Bay listened and it was the right decision.

Cullen’s voice lent so much power to the character Optimus Prime and I think like a lot of people do that Larry K. should do the voice of Lion-O. Franky I’d like to see all of the original voice actors form the cartoon reprise their roles as our heroes (Except Panthro and Mumm-Ra’s actor God bless his soul)

I know its unrealistic to hope that, but Lion-O should be voiced by Larry, its only right.

But really I’m just grateful that there is a movie in the works at all! I’ll watch and support anything with the black cat head in the red circle.

And as far as the movie maybe not being good…

Everybody also said that the Transformers movie was terrible and it was the biggest hit of last summer.

People were sending Michael Bay threatening letters if he made the movie now the same people are sending him threatening letters if he doesn’t make a sequel. :yikes:

I think that the Thundercats movie will be equally great! It will probably touch all of us who have kept its memory sacred in our hearts and serve to do nothing more than quicken the love we all have for this property if possible.

Even better this show and characters through the movie will reach an all new fanbase it might not have in any other media and herald in another wonderful renaissance for our shared passion. We may have to concede some of the aspects of our beloved show to assure its continued presence.

Good Lord I love Thundercats!

33

Ben’s not the only one in the running to be the voice of Lion-O, he’s just the one heavily rumored to have gone in for more than just lending his voice. :wink:

I’ve heard a few other names who also auditioned…one of which was the main character from the series “Roswell.”

I think the sooner we know who is voicing Lion-O, the sooner the community will accept him. It won’t be a pretty scene, but finding out sooner rather than later will give fans enough time to heal their hurt feelings. :wink:

34

I agree.

I for one have already gotten myself into the mindset that none of the original voice cast will reprise their roles. “No expectations, no disappointments”. If any of them do, or at least get some kind of a cameo, then its just a bonus.

Honestly I am more eager to see a sample of the CGI that will be used then anything else. But I am sure we will get that kind of info a lot later on.

35

Ill take Scarlett Johanson as Cheetara…actually I think Angelina Jolie she’d make a good Pumyra

36

I think if WB is going to do this movie right, known actors/actress would be the best option in a CGI form(to grab new audience attention not to mention with the potentially eye catching visuals seen in future trailers). I just don’t want to see this movie have high expectations and not do well in the box office.

37

Not going to happen. This movie will not carry any AAA celebrities nor does it mean this movie will not succeed without the big names. We have to be realistic with our expectations. The movie probably won’t look like Beowulf either so there is not point in getting these expensive actors.

38

I love Angelina Jolie, I’ve seen most of her movies, and I don’t think she would make a good Pumyra. Normally when they choose a voice actor, they use one that has similar characteristics of the character that they are voicing.

Pumyra is very quiet and reserved. Angelina Jolie usually always takes the role of a bold, out spoken, dominating sexy woman. Angelina is very sexy, Pumyra is not…no offense to all you Pumyra fans out there. I’m not saying that Pumyra can’t be sexy, but it’s not in her nature and character to be.

Also for the record, I’m pretty sure that only the original Thundercats will be in the movie, I doubt of the new Thundercats will be in it. Now if the movie is a success and they eventually do a sequel, then maybe.

39

Just had to firmly chime in here, to any of the Powers that Be.

I do NOT want big name celebrities to be voicing the characters. We don’t need Jack Nicholson as Mumm-Ra. Parents really don’t care about celebrities in animated movies. If it looks like fun, they’ll go see it with the kiddies, if not, I bet alot just send the kids off in groups with one adult to suffer through it with them :).

Especially with Thundercats. Most Older fans that grew up with the series ARE parents now…so they don’t need big name celebrities and are probably more interested in your average voice actor. Save your money on effects :slight_smile: and sell the characters, not the actors :).

If there is a new TV series due to the success of the movie, THEN I think Larry Kenny would be fit for the role of Lion-O :). Bring back Tygra’s VA, who’s name escapes me now, and get the rest of the cast brand new. Those are the only two guys left who I couldn’t live without in a new show.

Also, Take a look at AlexofThundera’s Animated Gif. IF you could forgoe the realistic look, and make it look THAT detailed, cool, and fluid in CG, it probably would make a lot of old school fans happy and introduce young fans to GOOD looking animated properties :). Not Stylized crap like the TMNT:Fast Forward or a bunch of other similar shows :).

The End :wink:

40

To Shredder: Peter Newman voiced Tygra. He also voiced WilyKat, Bengali, Hachiman, Monkian, Malcar, the Shadowmaster, and several Bolkins. :slight_smile:

Angelina Jolie would be a good Cheetara. :slight_smile: