Dana Gould to Pen Live-Action Sigmund and the Sea Monsters Feature

Posted by dominie in Films, News on September 12th, 2008

Variety reported that Universal Studios has sealed the deal to mount their next Sid and Marty Krofft feature.  The studio has acquired writer-producer Dana Gould of The Simpsons to pen the live-action film based on the Krofft brothers’1970’s kidshow Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

Sigmund will be the studio’s third movie treatment for the Krofft brothers. The first being Land of the Lost (budgeted at $100 million) which stars Will Ferrell now delayed for release until June 2009, and the second is a live-action H.R. Pufnstuff currently in pre-production with director Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2) in talks to helm the film.  Similar to the first two features, the Krofft brothers will produce the project alongside Jimmy Miller under his Mosaic banner.

For those unfamiliar with Sigmund, the original kidshow ran Saturday mornings on NBC from 1973-1975 about a timid sea monster whose nasty brothers disowned him for not wanting to scare humans.  Forced to leave his home, Sigmund (Billy Barty) is befriended by two boys Johnny and Scott Stuart (Family Affair’s Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden) who hide him in their clubhouse.  Their friendship grows in this on-going tale that spanned 29 episodes in two seasons and became a hit rerun choice on local TV stations for the remainder of the decade.

The growing interest on these current properties leaves high hopes for owners Sid and Marty who told Variety they would love to see their remaining properties (Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Lidsville, The Bugaloos, Dr. Shrinker, Bigfoot and Wildboy, and Wonderbug) originated as well.