UK-based CAKE Entertainment teams up with Los Angeles-based Atomic Toybox Entertainment, led by four-time Emmy nominee Michael Polis (Yo Gabba Gabba!), to bring the classic 1960s action figure brand Captain Action to television. The deal marks the first time that Captain Action and his arch nemesis Dr. Evil will head to the small screen. Aimed at kids ages 6 to 11, the planned 52, 11-minute episodes will pair live-action footage of kids in the real world with Captain Action and other action figures presented in CGI.
John Derevlany (LEGO: Legends of Chima, Nexo Knights, Endangered Species) is on board as head writer as discussions with studios and potential toy partners take place. New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures has a first-look agreement with Atomic Toybox on kids’ television properties and is a front-runner on the studio side.
Captain Action was first released as a 12-inch action figure in 1966 by Ideal Toy Company. Positioned as a competitor to Hasbro’s G.I. Joe, both figures shared the same creator — Stan Weston.
According to CAKE Entertainment, in the new series, “Captain Action is reactivated after almost 50 years when a young boy discovers him packed away in his attic. At only 12 inches tall and still stuck in the analog world of the 1960s, the impassioned, duty-bound operative is intent on training a reluctant Kyle to become the next generation of action hero in this coming-of-age tale of small heroes and big adventures.”
Over the years, Captain Action has appeared in comics from DC and Dynamite, and toys have been re-issued by Playing Mantis and Round 2. Unique crossover deals allowed Captain Action to wear “costumes” of other licensed characters, including Iron Man, The Lone Ranger, and The Green Hornet, among others.
