WIRE Buzz: Russo's Battle of the Planets not a direct adaptation; 16-bit WALL-E for Earth Day; more

Cool future TV projects, assemble! While Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo remain in constant contact with the head honchos at Marvel Studios, they’re also at work on other fun projects. Brother Joe has given Collider some details on the non-MCU projects he and Anthony announced at San Diego Comic-Con last year, including adapting the Grimjack comic book series for Amazon, a live-action adaptation of the 1978 series Battle of the Planets, and an animated series based on Magic: The Gathering for Netflix.

The big thing that Joe revealed about their upcoming Battle of the Planets is that it’s “not going to be a direct adaptation of the series” (which itself was an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman). In fact, it’s going to be an original story, with a “new mythology.” 

“It’s going to be our own story that we tell surrounding a group of genetically altered kids who are involved in a space war,” he said.

Alas, the Russos are currently only “in the bible phase for Battle of the Planets,” and Joe said it will “take months of gestating and trying to figure out what the new mythology is.” And once they commit their new mythology to a bible, from there they’ll create some concept art, and once they’ve created some artwork they like, then they’ll commit to a script. So don’t hold your breath to see what this new vision for the old series will be, since it’s going to take a while.

Fortunately, the other two projects are further along in their processes, with Grimjack and Magic: The Gathering both currently in their script phases (with the Grimjack script having been submitted to Amazon for notes). Granted, Magic: The Gathering is an animated show and will need more prep time, but still, the wheels for their projects are in motion, even as they make and release feature films starring Avengers, like Chris Hemsworth's Extraction and Tom Holland's Cherry.

Meanwhile, with Earth Day now upon us, it's a good time to think of ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and make our world a better place. It's also a great time to watch 16-bit bite-sized versions of our favorite movies from years past.

In honor of Earth Day, Pixar tweeted a 16-bit version of its 2008 film WALL-E. The mini remake, which clocks in at a little over two minutes, tells the story of the diligent and isolated last robot on Earth, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) as he spends his days tidying up the planet that’s become uninhabitable due to being overrun with garbage.

WALL-E then meets EVE, a probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission, and the two go on an off-world mission, where they both fall in love and reveal to humanity that it’s not too late.

Check out the “pixel-perfect” (Pixar’s words … and also our words as well now) SEGA Genesis graphics below.

WALL-E, the feature film directed by Andrew Stanton, is currently streaming on Disney+. 

And finally, speaking of bite-sized entertainment and a scary and dangerous world on the brink of becoming uninhabitable (yeesh, this got dark fast), Quibi, the new streaming platform that offers bite-sized original content, has confirmed a report from Variety that it is developing a psychological anthology series by Evan Daugherty, of Divergent and Tomb Raider fame.

The series, Horror Accidental, will be written and directed by Daugherty, and follow in the footsteps of the Japanese TV series of the same name produced by Fuji Television Network. It will highlight everyday situations that normal people find themselves in, and the horrific possibilities that lurk around every corner in our modern world — as if the modern world didn't already create enough tension or anxiety for us every day.

The original series was written by Koichiro Miki, Mitsuaki Imura, and Kenta Ihara. Horror Accidental is being produced by Gunpowder & Sky’s horror brand, Alter, and Scoop Productions.