As nostalgia-inspired cartoon reboots continue to dominate the streaming landscape, Nacelle has entered the conversation by announcing the development of SilverHawks, a reboot of the 80s’ sci-fi series that never quite had its moment in the spotlight. Deadline described the series as “a sort of space-themed ThunderCats from the mid-eighties,” as it came from the ThunderCats and TigerSharks team of Rankin/Bass at the time.
So far, Nacelle has only operated in the space of nonfiction series, finding great success with Netflix series The Movies That Made Us, The Toys That Made Us and Down To Earth with Zac Efron. Their newest Disney+ docuseries, Behind the Attraction, just received its first trailer today. Screen Rant points out that Nacelle’s presence across streaming platforms indicates that the SilverHawks series could find a home just about anywhere at this juncture.
As Nacelle’s The Toys That Made Us taught audiences, television shows of the 80s and 90s functioned as a vehicle to sell toys and collectables to viewers. The impetus behind SilverHawks reboot is not any different today, as Nacelle has teamed up with Super7 to create a new line of toys based on the franchise.
With SilverHawks and TigerSharks existing in relative obscurity, in comparison to their predecessor ThunderCats, Polygon posits that this new series brims with potential. SilverHawks existed in an experimental sci-fi setting known as the Galaxy of Limbo, where the winged and metallic SilverHawks faced off against mobster Mon*Star and his goonies. These sporadic sci-fi concepts may come across as silly to a modern audience, but could certainly be shaped into the mold of modern-day sci-fi storytelling and aesthetics to find an adequate home on streaming.
“SilverHawks is a beloved franchise that has been overlooked for far too long,” Deadline quoted Super7 Founder Brian Flynn about the series. “We are super excited to be working with Nacelle to bring SilverHawks back into the limelight for the die-hard fans as well as new generation of fans to experience the magic of SilverHawks for the first time” (Deadline).
Reimagined 80s’ series such as Voltron: Legendary Defenders and She-Ra and the Princess of Power have found a whole new audience on Netflix, and SilverHawks is hoping for the same success. As the series’ development was just announced Tuesday, there is no news yet as to the creative team championing SilverHawks’ foray into the 21st century.