New Heathcliff Content in Development

FitzRoy Media and Magic Lantern Entertainment have forged a joint venture to bring Heathcliff, the mischievous feline star of the long-running comic panel, to movies, TV and direct-to-DVD.

Heathcliff was created in 1973 by cartoonist George Gately, and has run in newspapers ever since. The strip is currently being written and drawn by Peter Gallagher, Gately’s nephew, who took over the strip in 1998.

‘This new agreement demonstrates the growing momentum in the entertainment marketplace for a proven franchise that is positively ripe for exploitation in the 21st century,’ said FitzRoy Media CEO Hamp Hampton. ‘Heathcliff has been a permanent fixture in popular culture for decades and we see enormous potential for this delightfully adventurous character across all platforms.’

The joint venture’s first planned project is a new Heathcliff animated DVD special for 2011.