The animated series Gargoyles: On the Wings of Justice begins with the mighty, flying, dragon-like gargoyles, who live only at night and are stone figures by day, fighting alongside humans in Scotland in the year 994. But they are tricked, many of them die . The last six survivors seem to turn to stone forever. But in the present, they wake up in New York, where wealthy industrial magnate David Xanatos wants to use them for his sinister schemes. When they learn that they are only being used by their supposed liberator, they and policewoman Elisa fight for the good, but must navigate a world with modern weapons.
Gargoyles: On the Wings of Justice is a rather unique 1990s series. What many may at first glance dismiss as children’s entertainment is surprisingly grown-up. This is not only reflected in the rather hard action, but especially in a complex story that has several twists and turns over three seasons. In Germany, however, this was not always the case. At the time, RTL wildly mixed up the order of the episodes when they were broadcast. On Disney+, you can now watch the series in a nice chronological order – and you’ll soon see that “Gargoyles” is the coolest series Disney came up with in the 90s – and damn good at it.
Incidentally, well-known voices such as Keith David, Salli Richardson, the “Star Trek” legends Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner, Ed Asner or John Rhys-Davies can be heard in the original version.
“Gargoyles” movie: Is Kenneth Branagh doing it now?
Again and again there were plans for a “Gargoyles” movie. Now-Mortal Kombat producer Todd Garner was said to have been working on a live-action, clearly adult-oriented, big-screen adaptation when the animated series aired. Screenwriter Jim Kouf (“Rush Hour”) even wrote a script at the time. Ultimately, the project was dropped because it just didn’t seem feasible with the technology at the time.
A few years ago, “Get Out” director Jordan Peele made headlines. Word got around that he had approached Disney of his own accord to pitch a potential Gargoyles movie. While Peele’s approach clearly didn’t resonate with the Mouse House, it seems to have revived the idea of a Gargoyles movie. Reported now , That Kenneth Branagh to do this.
Kenneth Branagh – no stranger to Disney
Branagh has a very close relationship with Disney – even if his film adaptation of “Artemis Fowl” flopped. He directed the Marvel movie Thor and the live-action adaptation of Cinderella, among others. He has also made three Hercule Poirot movies in which he also stars – “A Haunting in Venice” is scheduled for release on September 14, 2023.
Of course, a few question marks remain. The project appears to be in its very early stages, so (as has happened several times over the last 25 years or so) it may fall by the wayside again. In addition have repeatedly obtained exclusive information and report that these are very reliable sources – but the magazine has sometimes been seriously wrong. But first of all, fans of “Gargoyles” can cautiously rejoice – and until then, maybe watch the series again on Disney+.