Cross The Boondocks off your list of upcoming television revivals. According to Deadline, HBO Max’s planned reboot of the animated series has been officially been canceled.
Showrunner Aaron McGruder and Sony Pictures Animation first announced a Boondocks revival in 2019, and the show was supposed to premiere in Fall 2020 with a 50-minute special. Back then, McGruder said the two-season reboot would see Huey, Riley, and Granddad Freeman navigate an upper class Maryland community.
Per usual, what seemed idyllic and harmonious would prove toxic and dangerous, as the tyrannical Uncle Ruckus would have imparted a neo-fascist regime on the suburban town. While it’s unclear why production stalled on the project, Sony is reportedly evaluating other options for the series.
Cedric Yarbrough, who voiced Tom DuBois and Colonel H. Stinkmeaner on the show, spoke about the reboot’s cancellation in a recent interview with the Geekset Podcast. “I hate to say this… right now the show is not coming back,” Yardbrough said. “We’ve been wanting to do the show and Sony and [they] decided they’re going to pull the plug. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to revisit it… I wish the show was coming back.” Watch Yarbrough discuss the reboot below.
Despite earning McGruder a Peabody Award in 2006, The Boondocks has seen more than one setback in recent years. In 2020, Adult Swim pulled several episodes of the show, as well as episodes of the series Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Shivering Truth, from the network, citing “cultural sensitivities.”
