According to The Hollywood Reporter, 80s animatronic bear Teddy Ruxpin is set for a return to the screen, with DJ2 Entertainment acquiring the rights to the IP with plans for both a movie and new animated television series.
DJ2 – the company behind the video game adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog – are currently meeting with potential writers, and plan to re-introduce the character with a Sonic-style live-action/CG-animated hybrid movie before expanding into an animated series.
“I’m no hunter, but I’ve been tracking this bear for at least seven years,” said DJ2 founder and CEO Dmitri M. Johnson. “It’s no exaggeration to say that the time I spent enraptured by the stories Teddy Rux told me is a large part of why I chose a career in entertainment. So, thanks Teddy — and, of course, thanks, mom.”
“Teddy encourages two things the world always needs: connection and imagination,” added Jan Forsse, president of Alchemy. “We’re very pleased to be working with DJ2, and so gratified that people like Dmitri and his team retain their passion for, and connection to, our Teddy. Like us, they want to continue sharing him with the children of the world.”
Created by Ken Forsee, Teddy Ruxpin was the bestselling toy of 1985 and 1986, and spawned the syndicated animated series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, which ran between 1986 and 1987.