Go-go-Gadget remake! Disney is working on a new live-action version of the popular 1980s cartoon Inspector Gadget, with Aladdin producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich on board along with Saturday Night Live writers Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell, who’ll tackle the script.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news.
Besides the excellent cartoon that children of the 1980s and 90s grew up with, Gadget has seen a bunch of other reincarnations. There was the 1999 film starring Matthew Broderick, multiple TV reinventions, and most recently, a computer-animated series that ran four seasons on Netflix.
Of course, the show follows a sweet but not-so-smart inspector, geared up with the finest technology, who attempts to battle the evil crime lord, Dr. Claw. And though he never, ever, gets anything right, his genius niece Penny and her dog, Brain, are there to make it all better.
Certainly, those bare-bones elements would have to be in any kind of live-action reboot, but technology has gotten much better since the Broderick film. With all those potential upgrades, it’s easy to see how bringing Gadget back in modern times could work.
The bigger question, though, is if the brand is still viable enough to excite audiences, or if it would just be a nostalgia play for parents to bring their little kids to. Either way, Disney sees something in the take. Now we’ll see if it comes to fruition.