‘Inspector Gadget’ Live-Action Reboot In Development at Disney

Move over Matthew Broderick because there is a new Inspector Gadget in town. Disney is reportedly developing another live-action movie based on the beloved 1980s animated series about a cyborg police inspector. The new project will be overseen by Aladdin producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be written by Saturday Night Live writers Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. Lin and Eirich will produce under their Rideback banner.

The original Inspector Gadget series was a U.S.-Canadian co-production by DiC Audiovisuel, Cuckoo’s Nest Studios and LBS. Its 86 episodes aired over three years, from 1982 to 1986. DiC also produced a 1992 Christmas special, Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas. In 2015, DHC Media produced a sequel series, Inspector Gadget, which aired on Universal Kids in the U.S.

Disney picked up the live-action film rights to the project, producing a 1999 live-action film with Broderick in the lead role and Rupert Everett as the villainous Claw. The studio made a poorly-received 2003 direct-to-video sequel starring 3rd Rock from the Sun actor French Stewart as Inspector Gadget.

In the original series, Inspector Gadget was an Inspector Clouseau-style police detective whose body was made of a never-ending number of gadgets. His biggest enemy was the unseen Dr. Claw, who famously had a cat to pet and was the leader of M.A.D. (“Mean And Dirty”). Other characters on the show included Gadget’s niece Penny, who usually kept Gadget from ruining missions, and their dog Brain. Get Smart star Don Adams voiced Gadget.

Although the original Inspector Gadget episodes were only produced over a limited time, the series became a staple of children’s television throughout the 1990s. According to BoxOfficeMojo, the Broderick-starring film grossed $134.4 million worldwide when it was released in July 1999.

Day and Seidell are also working with Disney on a Home Alone reboot, which will be available on Disney+. Day also appears onscreen in SNL, joining the series in 2016.

Lin and Eirich were producers on the live-action Aladdin, which grossed $1.05 billion worldwide. Lin’s other credits include It: Chapter Two, The LEGO Movie and The Suicide Squad. Eirich was an executive producer on 2017’s Death Note.

There is no target for Inspector Gadget‘s release date. Disney has three more releases for 2019 – Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Oct. 18, Frozen 2 on Nov. 22 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Dec. 20. In 2020, the studio will release Onward, Black Widow, Artemis Fowl, Soul, Jungle Cruise, The One and Only Ivan, The Eternals and Raya and the Last Dragon.

Photo credit: YouTube