Superheroes have been such a hit for Netflix with Marvel shows such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones that it stands to reason Amazon would also want to get in that game with their streaming content. No Marvel or DC heroes for Amazon, however. They’re taking a different angle, reviving The Tick for an all-new pilot.
Based on a 1980s comic book created by Ben Edlund that became a 1990s animated series and eventually a short-lived live-action series on Fox, The Tick features a hulking, buffoonish hero dressed in blue tights with a mask sporting antenna that was intended as a superhero spoof. The sitcom ran for only nine episodes but became a cult hit, with Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld) playing the lead. His dim oafishness and imposing physique was perfect for the character, though his face wasn’t covered by a mask as it was in the comic books and cartoons.
Warburton had already said that he would not play the character again for Amazon’s pilot, but is on board as a producer (along with Barry Josephson, who produced the Fox series). That left open the question as to who would play the big blue hero.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that Peter Serafinowicz was cast as the title character. In recent years, the British actor and comedian is probably best known as Nova Corps officer Denarian Saal in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. His “What a bunch of a-holes” was one of the best lines of the movie. Is he big enough to fill that Tick suit? Well, either he’s going to work out or that costume will have some significant padding (which could make it funnier).
According to Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, the Amazon pilot will portray The Tick as someone who’s experienced memory loss (no word as to whether or not he begins as the costumed hero, though he never had a secret civilian identity in the comic book or cartoon) and teams back up with Arthur (Griffin Newman, Vinyl), who warns of an evil scheme by villains to take over The City. Arthur’s sister, Dot (Valorie Curry, The Following), is also part of the cast. As of yet, it’s not known whether heroes like Batmanuel and Captain Liberty from the previous series will be part of this revival.
The animated series ran for three seasons from 1994 to 1996 with Fox’s Saturday morning cartoons, with a cast featuring the title character and his sidekick Arthur (outfitted as a moth), with fellow heroes Die Fledermaus (a Batman parody) and American Maid (sort of a combined spoof of Wonder Woman and Captain America). It was a hilarious cartoon that’s worth seeking out on DVD. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be currently streaming anywhere.
The Amazon pilot will be directed by Wally Pfister (Transcendence), best known as the cinematographer for several Christopher Nolan films, including all three of his Batman movies.
[Deadline]
