‘Laurel & Hardy’ Return to Toon Form
Those bowler-hatted buffoons Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are set to return to our TV screens, with a little help from animation.
The misadventures of comedy duo Laurel & Hardy were originally immortalised by Hanna-Barbera in a TV series that aired from 1966-67. Now, half a century later, Gaumont Animation have acquired the rights to reboot the Laurel and Hardy animated series from Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation. The reboot will consist of 78 x 7 minute shorts, aimed at children 5-8 years of age.
Laurel & Hardy are without a doubt two of the worlds’ best-known icons. To be given the opportunity to re-launch this unique iconic property has been a dream of mine for many years. We want to bring the world a totally new series with an updated look, design and feel while maintaining the slapstick humor that made this twosome world famous.
Pierre Belaïsch, Managing Director of Gaumont Animation
Gaumont also plans to support the series with licensing and merchandising campaigns. Larry Harmon first gained the rights to reinvent Laurel and Hardy as animated characters in 1961 and went to Laurel and Mrs Hardy to sign off the idea. It was unfortunate that Laurel passed away a year before Hanna-Barbera made the series. Larry Harmon also still holds onto the rights of Bozo the Clown.
Gaumont Animation (changed from Alphanim in 2013) are currently working on and finishing the remake of Noddy in CGI with Dreamworks, a series of 52×11′ for which the rights were acquired in 2013, so it might be a few years till we get to witness the remake!
Let’s see if this new animation works or if the famous duo find themselves in another fine mess!