EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Bad Robot are teaming to develop Emily the Strange, a full-length animated feature based on the beloved character from artist Rob Reger and his company Cosmic Debris.
Set to pen the script is Pamela Ribon, the writer behind titles like Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Nimona, who earned an Oscar nomination for her memorably titled 2022 animated short My Year of Dicks. Bad Robot is producing alongside Reger, who exec produces alongside Trevor Duke-Moretz.
View a graphic teasing the Warner Bros film below.
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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.
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Along with two Art of Emily the Strange volumes, there are four novels published by HarperCollins, four graphic novellas published by Chronicle Books, and a 27-issue Emily the Strange comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics, which was a New York Times Bestseller.
In a statement to Deadline on the feature project, Reger shared that “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.'”
The creator of the character acknowledged that “Emily celebrates all that is weird and different, which in turn makes the strange and unusual in all of us, feel a little less alone. Bringing to life Emily’s universe and many mythologies we have created over the years is truly one of Emily’s best nightmares come true.”
Stated Bill Damaschke, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, “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.”
Added John Agbaje, SVP of Animation, Bad Robot, “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.”
Ribon is represented by CAA, Atlas Literary, and Goodman Genow Schenkman. Cosmic Debris and Reger are repped by Verve and attorney Roger Armstrong, with Emily the Strange licensing by Striker. Duke-Moretz is with Knol Hanly.
