Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Captain Planet' Movie Will Focus on Earth's Grim Fate

Planeteers, unite! The 1990s environmental cartoon "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" may be revamped as a film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions and film studio Paramount are in talks for the rights to the cartoon series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

DiCaprio has long been an outspoken environmentalist. His climate change documentary "Before The Flood," which was screened at President Barack Obama's South By South Lawn festival, centered on humanity's grim fate if climate change is left unchecked. Captain Planet may offer a more hopeful view for the future of the planet, as the cartoon environmental hero was "Earth's greatest champion." [The Reality of Climate Change: 10 Myths Busted]

In the original series, the green-haired environmentalist superhero worked with a group of five teenagers to fight environmental evils. Each teen represented a different power (earth, fire, wind, water and heart) and a different continent, and to summon Captain Planet, the so-called Planeteers would activate their powers. The film will supposedly take place years after the events of the cartoon, focusing on a washed-up Captain Planet who now needs the help of the kids he had previously recruited in his environmentalist mission.

The cartoon was previously pitched as a film by Sony Pictures, but the studio did not produce the film before its claim on the rights to the cartoon lifted, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Original article on Live Science.

TOPICS

Kacey Deamer is a journalist for Live Science, covering planet earth and innovation. She has previously reported for Mother Jones, the Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press, Neon Tommy and more. After completing her undergraduate degree in journalism and environmental studies at Ithaca College, Kacey pursued her master's in Specialized Journalism: Climate Change at USC Annenberg. Follow Kacey on Twitter.