The Freak Brothers Animated Series Moving Ahead With Lionsgate

The latest effort to revive cult comic The Freak Brothers as an animated series is moving ahead [...]

By Russ Burlingame

The latest effort to revive cult comic The Freak Brothers as an animated series is moving ahead with Lionsgate on board and a star-studded cast that includes Woody Harrelson, John Coodman, Pete Davidson, and Tiffany Haddish. The series is based on The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, a 1960s undergroudn comic created by Gilbert Shelton. The comic followed a trio of stoner brothers who get shunted from 1969 to 2020 after smoking a magical strain of marijuana. With 2020 now in the past, it changes the comedy a bit from a speculative, quasi-psychadelic future to a current day/recent-past story that will theoretically allow for a different kind of humor.

According to Deadline, who reported on the involvement of Lionsgate, the series would star Harrelson as laid-back Freewheelin' Franklin Freek, Goodman as man-child Fat Freddy Freekowtski, and Davidson as paranoid Phineas T. Phreakers. Haddish also features as Kitty, and the cast will also include Adam Devine and Blake Anderson, who play Chuck and Charlie, "a couple of weed savants always looking for the next side-hustle with hearts of gold hidden beneath their unwashed exteriors," and new cast additions Andrea Savage and La La Anthony.

"We're thrilled to partner with some of the best writers and producers in adult animation and the perfect cast to recapture the subversive underground vibe of the original '60s comic series with characters and story lines that are just as funny, relevant and watchable today," said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television Distribution Jim Packer. "Just as the comics resonated with readers around the world, audiences will want to tune into the wild, boundary-pushing adventures of this group of remarkably human misfits time after time."

Savage will play Harper, a no-nonsense tech badass who undoubtedly wears the pants in her household, while Anthony voices Gretchen, a social-advocate lawyer who is the more idealistic and compassionate younger sister of Harper. Rapper ScHoolboy Q voices an animated version of himself, and Futurama's Phil LaMarr will round out the main cast.

"I have been into cartoons and animation for as long as I can remember and have dreamed of having the opportunity to voice an animated series," Anthony said. "And to share the screen with some of the greatest comedians of our time is amazing. I'm excited to be a part of this project and can't wait for fans to see the show."

According to Goodman, he started reading The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers in the late '60s, and has never forgotten the comic -- or the long nights he spent reading them instead of sleeping.

The animated series will, necessarily, update some elements of the original. Key art released for the show includes lookas at the Freak Brothers animated versions of Elon Musk and Donald Trump, among others.

"This show is really funny, it's pure entertainment," said Harrelson in a statement. "If you're a stoner, it's probably a little funnier, but either way it's a great ride."

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