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The Boondocks is one of those series that really was a big hit for its time, and has unfortunately failed at making a potential return due to some real world losses. But at the same time, one of the writers behind the original series has shared some bad news that seems to further indicate that a revival won’t be happening any time soon either. The Boondocks is a rather tragic case of a classic series attempting a comeback, but it not working out behind the scenes. Making matters even more heartbreaking was the tragic loss of John Witherspoon, who lost his life in the midst of the revival’s development.
The Boondocks originally ended its run on Adult Swim after four seasons back in 2014, and announced that it was developing a new revival series back in 2019. Although that didn’t work out there are some fans who were still hoping to see it return in some form. But series writer Rodney Barnes told AllHipHop that a revival for the series is not, not possible but is more complicated due to the nature of a satirical series like it, “Never say never,” Barnes stated. “But it’s a different time.”
The Boondocks Writer Shuts Down Revival
The Boondocks had a revival in the works with Sony Pictures Animation for a release with Adult Swim and HBO Max, but was cancelled back in 2022 following some major changes behind the scenes. It was never explicitly stated as why the project was being shelved, but the loss of central star John Witherspoon around the time had likely played a role in the decision. Rodney Barnes, who served as executive producer and head writer on The Boondockswas asked about its potential revival following its cancellation by AllHipHop and noted how complicated of an endeavor a new series would actually be.
“Never say never,” Barnes stated. “But it’s a different time. When we were writing The Boondocks back in the early 2000s, social media wasn’t what it is now. These days, as soon as you offend someone, it’s all over X [formerly Twitter]. Corporations don’t like that.” While not addressing the cancelled revival version of the series directly, Barnes alluded to the fact that something about it didn’t connect fully, “There’s not a lot of satire now. People don’t always see that the joke is saying something bigger than what it’s literally saying,” Barnes explained. “It’s just a different time.”
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Will The Boondocks Ever Return?
With such a notable attempt at bringing back The Boondocks failing to make it to screen, it’s unlikely that the franchise will be returning in full any time soon. That failed revival project brought back much of the original creative team and voice cast, and any other version or attempt without those people being involved just wouldn’t be the same. And even if it got off the ground, as Barnes mentions the state of the world has changed so much that a show like The Boondocks would be a tough sell.
This unfortunately might be one of those situations where the time for a potential revival for The Boondocks has passed, and fans won’t get to see what new episodes of the series could look like. A revival isn’t impossible for the franchise, but it’s just very, very, very unlikely as of now. But thankfully, you can still find the original four seasons of The Boondocks now streaming with HBO Max. Much of the series is still timeless and hilariously is more apt in ways than ever before.
HT – AllHipHop
