Animaniacs Actor Confirms Pinky and the Brain Are Returning

Warner Brothers Animation is looking to bring back the classic animated shows of yesteryear, [...]

Warner Brothers Animation is looking to bring back the classic animated shows of yesteryear, starting with one of the most popular Saturday morning cartoons to ever hit the airwaves. Presumably sometime later this year, a fresh new Animaniacs reboot will hit Hulu after the streamer ordered two seasons of the Amblin-produced classic. Even 27 years after it first hit televisions, the entire voice cast is returning including Rob Paulsen (Yakko), Jess Harnell (Wakko), and Tress MacNeille (Dot). On top of that, Paulsen says, Pinky and the Brain are all returning to the series this time around with Paulsen reprising his role as Pinky while Maurice LaMarche will be back as the Brain.

"It's impossible to quantify what a compliment that is," Paulsen tells us about being asked to return to the show. "Moreover, to be able to do that again, with Maurice, with Tress, with Jess. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are back and so are Pinky and the Brain. Moreover is that in this era of celebrities doing a lot of animated characters — and I get why the producers do it. I totally get it — but I also know that just having a movie star do the talking chicken doesn't mean that the show's going to be a hit. You've got to have a good script, great characters, and terrific actors, whether they're celebrities or not."

Since the show first ended in the late 90s, Paulsen, Harnell, MacNeille, and LaMarche have been traveling the world with composer Randy Rogel for Animaniacs in Concert, something the actor tells us was integral in helping fuel the fire for the show's eventual return to form.

He adds, "He [prdoucer Steven Spielberg] sees the fact that Randy and I have been traveling around the country, doing Animaniacs in Concert. He sees Maurice and I when we're at a comedy festival, doing "Who's On First "as Pinky and the Brain or are doing a Q&A with 3000 people, and he's asking me, 'Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?', and I say, [switches to Pinky voice] 'I think so, Brain. But me and Pippi Longstocking? What would the children look like? Narf.'"

It's been speculated Animaniacs will return to Hulu later this Fall but an official date as yet to be set. The original series and all its spinoffs, including Pinky and the Brain, are now available on the service.

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