Warner Bros. taps Lego Batman writer to helm Super Pets animated film

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

I suspect that both animal lovers and comic book fans are wagging their tails, right now, as it's recently been announced that Warner Bros. has tapped Jared Stern, the writer of THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE and THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE, to write and direct a new animated film featuring DC's SUPER PETS. The furry crime-fighting friends of heroes like Batman, Supergirl, Aquaman and more, made their Super-Pets team debut in 1962, in the pages of Adventure Comics #293. Since that time, characters like Krypto the Super-Dog, Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey and Comet the Super-Horse have appeared from time to time to lend a helping paw (or hoof) in the on-going battle against evil. While some of the pets have had their own comic series throughout the years, several have been lost amidst DC's never-ending array of world-changing events, reboots, and mission to establish a more serious multiverse. However, that hasn't stopped the publisher from every now and then introducing fans to Damian Wayne's dog Titus, Aquaman's seahorse Storm, Flexi the Plastic Bird, Clay Critter (R.I.P.), and my personal favorite, Bat-Cow. In my experience, these characters have always brought a sense of joy to DC's dark comic book landscape, and a new animated film featuring these super-powered pets might brighten another otherwise dark and stormy night in Gotham.

In what we've learned so far from Collider's report, who broke the news late last night, is that it's unclear as to whether Stern will use DC’s Legion of Super-Pets or the Cartoon Network series as the basis for the script. Of course, there's always the chance that new characters will be created for the film as well. In looking back at Stern's early days as a contributor to the animation medium, you'd find that he had a hand in presenting films like BOLT, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, and WRECK-IT RALPH, before trying his pen at live-action comedies such as MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS starring Jim Carrey, THE WATCH, and THE INTERNSHIP. He's also served as an executive producer on projects like STORKS for Warner Bros, as well as the upcoming SMALLFOOT. While SUPER PETS will be marked as his first directing gig, Stern has already proven himself to be a swiss army knife of talent in the movie making industry.

Okay, let's get into some real talk for a moment about this project. If Bat-Cow and Streaky the Super-Cat make their way to the silver screen, I'm going to freak out. I love these characters, and after seeing the success of animated films like THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, BOLT, RANGO, and ZOOTOPIA, whose to say that SUPER PETS won't make for some genuine smiles at the theater? Here's hoping that Stern has what it takes to bring these characters to the masses in a very big way.