Classic Heathcliff Property Gets Modern Revival

NEW YORK, January 8:
Fitzroy Media has signed Renegade Animation to design and produce a number of
animated projects around the classic Heathcliff character to bring the property
into the 21st century.

Preproduction will start
this month on 50 2-minute interstitials, with animation director Darrell Van
Citters, who leads Renegade's creative team, on board to develop an updated
look. Targeting an adult and tween audience, the new Heathcliff will focus on comedy, set against a hip,
club-music sound.

"Heathcliff is a
fantastic character that has delighted millions of people worldwide—and
we are among his biggest fans," Van Citters said. "We are thrilled to
have the opportunity to rekindle the magic and introduce this loveable cat to a
new generation of fans."

"Renegade's track
record for producing animation that hits the mark with today's audiences,
coupled with Darrell Van Citters' proven sensibility for maintaining an
evergreen character's intrinsic qualities as it evolves in the 21st century, is
certain to be a formula for success with Heathcliff, a classic character who
has earned his stripes—black, orange and otherwise—as a permanent
fixture in popular culture," added Fitzroy Media's CEO, Hamp Hampton.

A new Heathcliff DVD special is the first project to be greenlit by
Fitzroy under an agreement with cartoonist Peter Gallagher, who writes and
draws the Heathcliff comic
strip created in 1973 by his uncle, George Gately. Under the agreement, Fitzroy
Media will develop animated feature films, direct-to-DVD releases and
location-based entertainment projects, in addition to reaching out to the
licensing and merchandising community with opportunities to develop additional
products based on the Heathcliff character.

"We're going to dust
off this classic kitty, throw him in the tub, scrub behind his ears and get rid
of those old fleas," said Gallagher. "Heathcliff's many loyal fans
are going to be thrilled and he is certain to find an even wider audience with
all-new shenanigans in the 21st century."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski