J.J. Abrams Producing Animated ‘Emily the Strange’ Movie

Dark Horse Entertainment has been developing the character Emily the Strange as a movie project since way back in 2008, and it looks like it’s now finally happening here in 2024.

Warner Bros. Pictures has officially announced today that Emily the Strange is coming to life in an all-new animated adventure from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Bad Robot.

The project is set to be a full-length animated feature film, with J.J. Abrams producing.

Pamela Ribon (Moana) is on board to write the screenplay.

Deadline recaps, “First introduced in the early 1990s, Emily the Strange began her life as an image on skateboards, stickers, and t-shirts, before seeing her brand expand into a multimillion-dollar universe of characters, books, comics, games, clothing and merchandise.

“With her striking black, white and red aesthetic and witty observations about society, Emily and her four black cats represent a raw, punk rock, independent spirit that has resonated with millions of fans around the world. The mischievous and sharp-witted Emily subscribes to the D.I.Y. philosophy of “think for yourself, do it yourself, be yourself,” and encourages her many followers to be all they can’t be, get lost in imagination, and stay strange.”

Creator Rob Reger tells the outlet, “both the creative and executive teams we have in place for the movie are incredible. Everyone shows up with a keen perspective along with an understanding and respect for the unique connection Emily the Strange has with our ‘real world.'”

Bill Damaschke, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, said in his own statement, “Emily is an enduring pop-culture icon of individuality and empowerment, and Pamela Ribon has a singular and iconic voice. What an honor it is for us as Warner Bros. Pictures Animation to partner with Bad Robot, Rob [Reger] and Trevor [Duke-Moretz] in bringing Emily the Strange to the big screen.”

John Agbaje, SVP of Animation, Bad Robot, adds, “At Bad Robot, we are looking to push the boundaries of what’s possible in animation. Emily, a character who refuses to be defined by others, is the perfect opportunity to do just that. We’re thrilled to add her world to our feature animation slate. The team assembled has so much passion for Emily the Strange, what she’s represented so far, and what she will mean to future generations.”

Learn more about Emily the Strange here and watch the WB announcement video below.