HBO Max has today picked up a reimagining of the original animated comedy series The Boondocks with a two-season order of 24 episodes. The new version will launch in fall 2020 with a 50-minute special. All 55 episodes of the original The Boondocks - which aired on Adult Swim from 2005-14 - will be available on the streaming service at launch.
Based on the comic strip created by Aaron McGruder, the satirical series follows the adventures of self-proclaimed "Civil Rights Legend" Robert "Granddad" Freeman, and his two rambunctious grandsons Huey and Riley. The family has recently moved to an idyllic community in suburban Maryland only to see it taken over by the tyrannical Uncle Ruckus and his bizarre neo-fascist regime. Life under Ruckus turns out to be an everyday struggle to survive.
McGruder will return as showrunner for the new season. He will executive produce with Norm Aladjem, Seung Kim and Meghann Collins Robertson. Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Television and Mainstay Entertainment will produce.
"The Boondocks was a revolutionary series that sparked conversations on hot button issues and brought dark subjects into the light with episodes like 'The Trial of Robert Kelly,' 'The Fundraiser' and 'The Story of Gangstalicious,'" said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max. "Aaron is a gifted visionary whose unique style of storytelling is a welcome voice and we are elated The Freemans are making their thugnificent comeback on HBO Max."
"There's a unique opportunity to revisit the world of The Boondocks and do it over again for today," added McGruder. "It's crazy how different the times we live in are now - both politically and culturally - more than a decade past the original series and two decades past the original newspaper comic. There's a lot to say and it should be fun."
