Fans of “The Boondocks” officially have something to celebrate. WarnerMedia’s new streaming service HBO Max has ordered two seasons of the reboot for the beloved animated series by Aaron McGruder, Deadline reported.
In June, Sony Pictures Animation announced it was working on a “complete re-imagining” of the popular series that followed the life of “self-proclaimed Civil Rights legend” Robert Jebediah “Granddad” Freeman and his grandsons, Huey and Riley. Now that it has a home, the reboot is set to debut in Fall 2020 with a 50-minute special and include 24-episodes.
McGruder – who won a Peabody Award for the series – will return as showrunner and one of the executive producers. He said he is excited about the opportunity to have The Freemans address today’s issues.
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“There’s a unique opportunity to revisit the world of The Boondocks and do it over again for today,” said McGruder, “It’s crazy how different the times we live in are now – both politically and culturally – more than a decade past the original series and two decades past the original newspaper comic. There’s a lot to say and it should be fun.”
According to HBO Max, the reboot will pick up on The Freemans’ story as they navigate life in their new suburban Maryland neighborhood, while dealing with “tyrannical Uncle Ruckus and his bizarre neo-fascist regime.”
McGruder debuted the original comic strip, which the show is based on, in 1996. It was printed for 10 years, then premiered on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim channel in 2005, according to The Root. It ran for four seasons before ending.
In the original series, Grandad was voiced by John Witherspoon and Huey and Riley were voiced by Regina King. While it is unclear whether the original cast will return, Witherspoon seemed open to the idea in an interview in May.
Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max and president of TBS, TNT and truTV spoke about why they ordered the reboot.
“‘The Boondocks’ was a revolutionary series that sparked conversations on hot button issues and brought dark subjects into the light with episodes like ‘The Trial of Robert Kelly’, ‘The Fundraiser’ and ‘The Story of Gangstalicious’,” Reilly said. “Aaron is a gifted visionary whose unique style of storytelling is a welcome voice and we are elated The Freemans are making their ‘thugnificent’ comeback on HBO Max.”
Fans who’ve missed the Freemans can get ready to restart their love affair with their favorite characters. Fans who must’ve been living under a rock for 20 years, will get a chance to meet the hilarious, yet conscious trio. All 55-episodes of the original series will also be available when the reboot launches.
