After four failed attempts to bring the 1990s environmental cartoon series to the big screen, news has emerged that Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has taken an interest in developing Captain Planet for Paramount Pictures. DiCaprio, a well-known environmentalist and conservationist is hoping to turn the cartoon series into a feature film as part of his production company, Appian Way.
Captain Planet & the Planeteers debuted on American television in 1990, running for a total of 113 episodes across six seasons. The series revolved around five diverse teenagers from across the world, each gifted with a ring that could help them control natural elements in the battle against pollution. The team, when needed, could also combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a superhero who aided them in the quest.
While Captain Planet was originally intended to be voiced by Tom Cruise, eventually dropping out of the project. Across its run, the show still managed to attract many celebrities interested in environmentalism to lend their voices to characters, including Neil Patrick Harris, Elizabeth Taylor, Helen Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Meg Ryan, Jeff Goldblum, Martin Sheen, and Sting.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount is close to signing a deal for the rights to the show, with Appian Way in talks with Glen Powell, the recent star of Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some, to pen the screenplay. The film will see Captain Planet as a washed-up hero who needs the planeteers more than they need him.
Attempts have been made to adapt Captain Planet for the big screen for 20 years, with at least four different production teams announcing plans. Though Leonardo DiCaprio is the biggest name yet to be attached to the project, he is listed only as a producer and the rights deal is yet to be completed.
