In the fast moving world of film journalism this is relatively ‘old’ news yet it still bears covering, as none other than Jim Carrey might be tackling yet another classic franchise, but instead of an adaptation of a beloved video game franchise such as Sonic the Hedgehog – in which he plays the zany villain Dr. Robotnik – he’s in talks to star in a live action rendition of The Jetsons.
In 2022, Carrey unexpectedly suggested that he was “fairly serious” about retiring, before elaborating, “It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road.” It didn’t take Carrey long to change his tune, though, as that apparent script written in gold came in the form of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which released in 2024 and received a great deal of praise from fans and critics alike.
Now, Carrey says, with his usual tinge of humour, “You can’t be definite about these things. I said I’d like to retire but I think I was talking more about power resting,” yet his is putting his money where his mouth is as he considers a role in the upcoming adaptation of The Jetsons.
A staple of many childhoods, including my own, The Jetsons first aired in 1962 and ran three seasons for a total of 75 episodes while reruns continue to this day. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, best known for the likes of Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones, this particular series is set in the fictional Orbit City, a futuristic (but, by today’s standards, retro-futuristic) city built high above the ground so as to avoid the pollution below, which was an incredibly prescient aspect of the show, indicative of its overtly sharp satire for a show of that time, especially one for children.
The titular Jetsons, then, are a family consisting of parents George and Jane, their children Jane and Elroy, in addition to their housekeeping robot, Rosie, and their dog, Astro, who’s unquestionably modelled after Scooby-Doo, not least because he starts every word with an “R”. Much like The Flintstones, the show centres on the daily lives of the titular family and how they navigate their particular setting.
This will mark the third Hanna-Barbera cartoon to be adapted into a live action feature, with the first being 1994’s The Flintstones, which featured John Goodman and Canadian legend Rick Moranis in leading roles. Then, there was 2002’s Scooby-Doo, which, intriguingly, was written by none other than James Gunn, director of the recently released Superman, who, alongside Peter Safran, runs the recently rebooted cinematic DC Universe.
This adaptation of The Jetsons is still in the early stages of development, as Jim Carrey has yet to sign on officially, though it’s fair to speculate that, despite being 63, he is surely being cast as George Jetson, considering he is actor is a long-proven bankable leading man who bears a resemblance with the Jetson patriarch.
Meanwhile, Colin Trevorrow, best known for Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World, and Jurassic World Dominion, is similarly in talks to co-write and direct.