According to Deadline, the long-awaited Captain Planet and the Planeteers‘ live-action adaptation is getting a big push, and a major twist. Netflix has landed Captain Planet for development, a live-action series that is based on the cult animated show, after a competitive situation. It comes from Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, Greg Berlanti (Life as We Know It, Love, Simon)’s Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television, where Berlanti Productions is based.

Tara Hernandez (Young Sheldon, Mrs. Davis) will be writing the adaptation of this 1990 environmental superhero animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which previously ran on TBS for six seasons, Deadline adds. 

Appian Way previously led a live-action feature Captain Planet take. It was originally set up at Paramount Pictures in 2016 with Glen Powell (Anyone But You, Twisters) potentially starring and co-writing with Jono Matt (Above the Line, Foster the Snowman), but the project never came to fruition. The rights eventually reverted to Warner Bros. Discovery, yet Powell has remained passionate about it as he rose fast after Top Gun: Maverick. Representatives for Netflix have declined comment, Deadline notes. 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers is about five teenagers who take on environmental disasters with help from superhero Captain Planet. The series is created by founder of CNN, Ted Turner (WCW Monday Nitro, Angels in the Outfield), and it was produced by DIC Enterprises (Seasons One-Three) and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons (Seasons Four-Six), Deadline states. 

Deadline learned that Berlanti built an expansive DC universe at the CW, marking the company’s second high-profile live-action series adaptation of a treasured WBD animated property for Netflix. It joins the upcoming Scooby-Doo origin series. Furthermore, Berlanti Prods. co-created the popular thriller drama You.  

The current slate at Berlanti Prods.’ includes CW’s All American and NBC’s Brilliant Minds. Their pipeline also has mystery Foster Dade, currently in the works at Hulu; horror thriller Stillwater, based on the Skybound comics which also has a series order at Amazon with Berlanti and Carly Wray (Mad Men, Watchmen) adapting; a family drama at HBO Max; and Dilettante, starring Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, The Newsroom), set up at Apple, Deadline mentions. 

Appian Way’s documentary slate has been very interested in environmental causes, with projects including the Emmy-winning The Path Of the Panther, Virunga, Fin, We Are Guardians, And We Go Green, Ice on Fire, The Loneliest Whale, and kids animated series Ozi: Voice of the Forest, Deadline says. 

After 10 years of writing and producing The Big Bang Theory and spinoff Young Sheldon, Hernandez served as an executive producer, showrunner, and co-creator alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) on Peacock’s AI-themed limited series Mrs. Davis. She is represented by WME. Appian Way is repped by LBI; Berlanti Prods. by CAA, Deadline finally notes.