Kenneth Branagh to direct ‘Gargoyles’ live-action movie

Sir Kenneth Branagh attends the “Oppenheimer” UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 13, 2023, in London, England.
| Photo Credit: GARETH CATTERMOLE

Actor-director Kenneth Branagh has been roped in to helm Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular 90’s animated series Gargoyles.

The Belfast Telegraph reported that there is no other information available about the project except for Branagh’s onboarding, adding that we may not get more updates at least until the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which Branagh is also reported to have joined.

The original 90’s series featured a 10th-century clan of Gargoyles that end up being frozen for 1000 years only to wake up in modern-day Manhattan. Featuring Keith David, Jonathan Frakes, Ed Asner, Salli Richardson, Marina Sirtis, and Bill Faggerbakke, the original series ran from 1994 to 1997.

There have been many attempts to develop a live-action movie on Gargoyles – according to reports, screenwriters David Elliot and Paul Lovett as well as filmmaker Jordan Peele were among the many who attempted to make it. However, none of those attempts materialised.

Meanwhile, Branagh’s upcoming directorial is A Haunting in Venice, in which he also reprises his role as Hercule Poirot from the Agatha Christie movie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. As an actor, Branagh will be seen this week in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.