You may not recognize the Waterman Entertainment name, but you’re pretty well guaranteed to be aware of some of their film properties. The company has been responsible for some pretty big hits, including titles from Casper, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Stuart Little.
Today Cooper Waterman, Head of Development for the company, proudly announced that he had acquired the feature rights for iconic cat Heathcliff directly from the current holder, Actor Peter Gallagher.
Gallagher sounded pretty excited about the announcement as well, stating “Their track record is impeccable. Casper, Stuart Little and Alvin are examples of incorporating elements that past audiences loved and adding a contemporary flair that makes these properties endure with a whole new generation. That is exactly what I was looking to achieve with Heathcliff. We want our existing fans to identify with the characters they know while introducing him to an entirely new audience. As a creator I know that they will be attentive to our lasting vision for the brand and welcome our input, which is very important to me”.
Waterman entertainment has also recently acquired some other big properties, including the children’s classic The Brave Little Toaster and Mr. Ed. These films, as well as Heathcliff are planned to be mixtures of live action and CGI.
Now, today is the first time I’ve ever heard of this particular cat (who Garfield looks strangely similar to), but I hear from older fans that this is pretty big news. Heathcliff debuted in comic strip for, in the early 1970’s, and had a quite successful TV series that ended in 1988 (two years before I was born).
What do you think of the news? Are you excited? What if it ends up just like Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel?
