We first started hearing about a Thundercats movie this past summer, just when the buzz for Michael Bay’s Transformers was really starting to peak. Initially people laughed at how silly a live action movie would be with the characters all dressed up to look like felines; then it was announced that the movie would be animated. At that point it made a bit more sense, but I still had my doubts about whether or not a studio would actually go through with a feature length Thundercats movie. Well this week, the project just moved one step closer to becoming a reality, as Warner Brothers have reeled in a director by the name of Jerry O’Flaherty.

Who? It turns out you probably haven’t heard of the guy because he’s coming from the video game industry, not film. That’s right, he served as art director on games like Unreal Tournament 2 and 3 and Gears of War, and now apparently he is the captain of the ship on a Thundercats CG feature. I hope this doesn’t mean that all of the characters are going to be built like 250 pound wrestlers… oh wait, they already are! I won’t necessarily say that he doesn’t have the proper experience, assuming he was one of the main people responsible for directing in-game cut scenes at Epic. At the same time, a 90 minute movie created for the big screen is quite a different beast. Something tells me this won’t be the first time we see game industry talent make the jump to Hollywood. According to O’Flaherty: “It feels like a natural thing for me to step into… Games have come so far now. The last four years of my life have been about bringing the energy of filmmaking into the video game experience.” So, do you think this guy has what it takes to make your ideal Thundercats film?

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