Family Matters Animated Reboot In WBTV’s Hands But No Movement Despite Entire Cast Behind It
An animated reboot of the beloved sitcom Family Matters is still a possibility, according to star Bryton James, who played Richie Crawford on the show. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, James revealed he has a plan to bring the show back to life as an animated series, and he has already received interest from the original cast, including Jaleel White (Steve Urkel).
James’s idea is to “take the old episodes and modernize them and kind of start from scratch for the new generation.” He believes that the show’s often fantastical storylines, particularly those involving Urkel’s inventions, lend themselves well to animation. This format would also allow the cast to voice their characters without needing to be in the same city for production, and it would mean Jaleel White wouldn’t have to wear the iconic Urkel outfit.
According to James, the project “got pretty far along,” with a production company lined up for financing and the original cast on board. However, the plan is currently “sitting in Warner Bros.’ hands,” and a source at Warner Bros. Animation confirmed that while they are aware of James’s interest, the project has not moved forward.
This isn’t the first time a Family Matters reboot has been considered. Jaleel White previously revealed in his 2024 memoir, Growing Up Urkel, that he had turned down a different reboot pitch from a producer, which would have focused on Urkel and Laura as parents. Instead, White had proposed a semi-autobiographical series about his experience growing up as the actor who played Steve Urkel.
"There are also other characters that come and go (also owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate media company)."
Huh. Is that just referring to other characters from the show itself, or is this implying that the new season is going to have cameos from other WBD IPs