A couple of years ago, Sony picked up the movie rights to a short-lived ’80s TV show that had been all but forgotten. The brilliantly named Manimal starred Simon MacCorkindale as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a man trained in ancient African techniques that allowed him to take the form of various animals in order to help solve crimes. Unfortunately, even the impressive transformation sequences by Academy Award-winning SFX artist Stan Winston couldn’t save the show… it was cancelled after just eight episodes. Thirty years later, it looks like Manimal is finally ready for a comeback as Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have just signed on to produce a live-action / CG hybrid film. Here’s what McKay had to say about it:

“Like The Catcher In The Rye or The Sound And The Fury, Manimal has always been one of those elusive projects every producer dreams of taking to the silver screen. I know the movie will be funny and entertaining, but will it be the first film to win a Pulitzer? We’ll just have to see… I think it’s right down our alley, it’s what we do. It’s tongue-in-cheek and has an action component, but overall it’s a comedy.”

Well, that answers the previous question about whether or not the movie will take itself seriously. The script is being written by Jay Martel and Ian Roberts (Key and Peele, Get Hard) and it does not appear that Adam McKay will direct. At the moment, it is unclear if Will Ferrell might be considering taking on the lead role himself. Either way, this sounds like a perfect fit for their sensibilities and I can’t wait to see what comes of it. Hopefully they can throw in cameos for a couple of other Glen A. Larson characters that had crossover episodes with Manimal, the ridiculous Automan and Night Man. Are you pumped for the return of Manimal?