Variety is reporting that videogame veteran Jerry O'Flaherty will direct a computer animated version of the Thundercats for Warner Bros. (see 'Thundercats Pounce Again').  The new film is based on the 1980s Rankin-Bass animated series that was animated in part by the Japanese studio Topcraft, whose members formed the core of the initial Studio Ghibli team.  Warners has a number of other projects steeped in Reagan-era nostalgia in the works including a live action Speed Racer film from the Wachowski brothers and a potential He-Man movie from producer Joel Silver.

Like most of the popular 1980s cartoon series Thundercats spawned a variety of merchandise including toys and comic books.  Marvel published a Thundercats comic from 1985-1988 and DC's Wildstorm produced two series of Thundercats comics during the wave of nostalgia for the 80s that swept the comic book industry during 2002-2003.