The Thunderbirds show may seem silly to a lot of people today, but they were a huge inspiration to a generation of children who grew up and created their own fantastic visions. Peter Jackson certainly comes to mind in this respect, and now Thunderbirds are coming back for another go round.
Early this year it was announced that Thunderbirds would be back, via ITV Studios in the United Kingdom, with the help of Peter Jackson’s FX house Weta animating the ‘Birds crew. While the original Thunderbirds were marionettes, Deadline reported that the new school Thunderbirds will be “a unique mix of CGI animation and live action model sets.”
Now Variety tells us that upcoming British actress Rosamund Pike will voice Lady Penelope. Pike is starring in David Fincher’s next film, the adaptation of best-seller Gone Girl. Pike has also starred in Jack Reacher, and Wrath of the Titans.
Pike told The Guardian, “The scripts are very modern, very fresh and very funny. We’re all eagerly anticipating our next stint in the recording studio.” The new Thunderbirds are slated to finally make their debut in 2015, which will be the 50th anniversary of the original show.
Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson passed away in 2012 at the age of 83. His son Jamie told the Associated Press that his father “forever changed the direction of sci-fi entertainment,” and as Peter Jackson told ABC, “I loved Thunderbirds…[It] was probably my first influence.”
