Jan 19, 2015

First Look: "Thunderbirds" CGI remake

Fifty years after the original's debut, the CG reboot of the British marionette series "Thunderbirds" is now available for the first time.

The Tracy brothers from behind:

... And from the front:

"Thunderbirds Are Go," produced by ITV Studios and New Zealand's Pukeko Pictures in collaboration with Weta Workshop (Avatar and Lord of the Rings)! [working title], mixes computer-animated characters with live-action model sets.

The new series will air on the CITV channel in the UK starting this year, with at least two seasons and a total of 52 half-hour episodes already commissioned. Other broadcasters that have picked up the show include TVNZ (New Zealand), Nine Network (Australia), Noga (Israel), and MBC (pan-Arab). No U.S. broadcasters have signed on yet.

The series director is David Scott ("LEGO Star Wars") and the episode director is Theo Bainton ("The WotWots"). The script was written by Rob Hogie ("Storm Hawks," "Teen Titans"), who also wrote the pilot for "Nico and the Sword of Light."

A teaser without characters was also released last month: