Quinta Brunson is stepping into the world’s most famous flapper.
The “Abbott Elementary” creator and Emmy winner will develop and star as Betty Boop in a feature film adaptation of the nearly century-old animated icon, Variety has learned exclusively. Brunson’s company, Fifth Chance Productions, has partnered with Mark Fleischer, grandson of Betty Boop creator Max Fleischer, and Fleischer Studios on the project, which is currently in development and overseen by Fifth Chance’s head of creative affairs, Erin Wehrenberg.
The film will trace the origin and evolution of Betty Boop through the perspective of her creator, Max Fleischer, examining the relationship between the artist and his creation as he navigates the creative and commercial pressures of building one of the world’s first animated icons, particularly as that icon begins to take on a life of its own.
It marks Betty Boop’s first theatrical motion picture appearance in a starring role since the 1930s, when she emerged from Fleischer Studios’ groundbreaking “Talkartoons” series to become the first and only animated independent female movie superstar of her era.
“Betty Boop is one of our nation’s most beloved cartoon characters, yet somehow still remains pleasantly niche,” Brunson wrote in a statement. “She has had a quiet but undeniable impact on culture for nearly a century. After Erin and I met with Mark and learned more about his grandfather’s creation of Betty, I realized there was a much deeper story to tell. One that could be explored in a way that feels refreshing, subversive, and timeless, much like Betty herself.”
