Millennials have recently had the emotional experience of watching Arthur – a beloved animated children’s character who has been around for 25 years – grow up in a satisfyingly bittersweet finale. Now, Arthur creator Marc Brown has been speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the future of the character and show.
Brown says that his son Tolon, who has been a producer on the show almost since it started, “had this idea several years ago about wouldn’t it be interesting to do a live-action version of Arthur. I couldn’t wrap my head around it completely, but it’s an intriguing thought.”
Brown continued; “There might be a feature film in the works soon, too, about Arthur. I’m so excited. We’ve got a great idea. I think it’s going to be intriguing for kids. It’s going to be helpful to kids. The subject matter is very timely, and maybe there is even a really interesting person involved… I mean, if I could pick one person I would love to be a part of this project, it might be John Legend.”
John Legend has been called Arthur for years on social media, something he takes in his usual good-humoured stride. So, him playing Arthur in a spin-off movie would be perfect casting.
As well as this movie idea, there are a plans for a podcast, video shorts and digital games afoot – so Arthur isn’t really disappearing forever. Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer, GBH Kids said; “We’re excited about Arthur’s next chapter – sharing the stories and experiences of Arthur and his Elwood City community to the media platforms where the next generation of kids and families will connect with them for years to come.”
While we wait for the various Arthur spin-offs to happen, check out our guide to the best animated series and the best kids’ movies.