The Flintstones Take to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

 In 1977, a little independent movie would be released into theatres, and change Hollywood practically overnight. For those who've never heard of it, it was something called Star Wars. At least, I think that was the name. Regardless, with the movie's immense success, legions of copycats were quick to appear, and if there was anything the top brass at Hanna-Barbera liked, it was chasing trends. That led them to ask a question nobody asked before, and nobody has asked since: What if we crossed Star Wars with The Flintstones? 

Above is a piece of art commissioned for such a pitch. This comes from an old Heritage Auctions listing, but information about the concept is sparse apart from the fact it was created in the late seventies. I cannot say for certain, but I believe this was drawn by Iwao Takamoto, who did a lot of the art for Hanna-Barbera's pitches. Had this been greenlit, it looks like it would've followed Fred and Barney going on Star Wars-esque adventures in space, battling against a prehistoric-styled Darth Vader. In the end, the pitch didn't go anywhere, and Hanna-Barbera went instead with Yogi's Space Race as their attempt to cash in on the sci-fi craze of the time. If you'd like to know more about that series, check out Michael Lyons' piece on it on Cartoon Research. Maybe I'll discuss that show some other time, but until then, may the fourth be with you!