The plannedClueanimated TV show has seemingly been cancelled, according to a recent update from the writer. Based on the hit board game of the same name, a movie adaptation ofCluewas released in 1985 that performed poorly at the box office, but has since gone on to become a cult film. A remake with Ryan Reynolds was in the works, but was cancelled after the rights toCluechanged hands. Now, aClueanimated series that was announced in 2022 has reportedly been scrapped.
In an interview withThe Direct’s Russ Milheim, writer Dewayne Perkins corrects confusion caused by an IMDb credit showing him as the writer of anotherCluemovie. He reveals that he was not the writer of the movie, but was, instead, a writer on the animatedClueTV series. However,when asked whether the show was still happening, Perkins reveals it is not, but didn’t elaborate on his comments any further. Check out the exchange below:
Milheim:I want to pivot real quick and ask about another project. You are writing the Clue movie. Can you tease anything about what people can expect from the story of that movie?
Perkins:Uh, I can’t, because that is not correct. And that’s, on IMDb they just wrote it wrong. Yeah, I was working on a Clue television show. An animated show, and they somehow they got conflated. So I can’t tell you the plot of the movie, cause I didn’t come up with it.
Milheim:Is the show still happening?
Perkins:Um, no. (laughs)
What This Means For The Future Of The Clue Franchise
The Show’s Cancelation Could Be Due To Licensing Rights Changing Hands
While Perkins did not go into detail, or elaborate on why the show is no longer moving forward, there is agood chance it could be as a result of licensing rights. The animated show was in development at Fox, but has now been acquired by Sony after Hasbro closed a deal with TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television. This could have resulted in Sony scrapping development and wanting to start again with a fresh team they put in place, which could explain Perkins' curt answer, and lack of elaboration.
There is no doubt that the prospect of developing moreCluestories is an appealing one, and with the success of movies likeKnives Out, there is an audience appetite for murder mysteries.Cluewas packed full of smart characters, and reimagining these for TV is a long-term process, and one Sony will have its own ideas about. Theswitch to Sony will most likely have ended any previous adaptations ofCluemovies or TV shows, and a fresh adaptation could well be underway, but this may take some time to come to fruition.
Our Take On A Clue TV Show
It Could Work, But Will Have To Learn From The Movie’s Mistakes
While it is unclear at this stage when (or if) aClueTV series might see the light of day, there is every chance it could be a success when it does. The show will need to learn from the mistakes of the movie, such as the fact thatCluehad multiple endings, and thus felt incomplete as a whole spectacle. If the show can channel what worked with the movie, as well as update the material for modern times, and find a clever mystery angle, there is every chance that aClueTV adaptation could be successful.
Clue
Cast
Based on the classic board game, Clue features an ensemble cast that includes Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren. In the film, six strangers, each with a dark secret, are lured to a mansion by a mysterious blackmailer who is then killed when everyone has arrived. The group, accompanied by the butler and the maid, must work together to determine who the murderer is before it’s too late.
