Quinta Brunson Brings Betty Boop to Life in Bold New Origin Film

Quinta Brunson is stepping into cartoon history. The Abbott Elementary creator and star is set to portray Betty Boop in a feature film that flips the script on how we’ve always understood the iconic character. Rather than a straightforward biopic or origin story about Betty herself, this adaptation centers on the relationship between animator Max Fleischer and his most famous creation—exploring how an artist’s vision takes on a life of its own.

It’s a refreshingly unconventional angle. The film will examine the creative and commercial pressures Fleischer faced while building one of the world’s first animated icons, all while Betty begins to transcend her creator’s original intentions. Brunson, alongside her Fifth Chance Productions company, partnered with Mark Fleischer—Max’s grandson—and Fleischer Studios to bring this concept to life. In a statement, Brunson explained that while Betty Boop remains“pleasantly niche”in the cultural conversation, she’s had“a quiet but undeniable impact on culture for nearly a century.”The deeper story, she said, could be explored“in a way that feels refreshing, subversive, and timeless, much like Betty herself.”

Mark Fleischer echoed that enthusiasm, noting that Brunson“so embodies Betty’s love of life, intelligence, humor, sassiness and compassion.”It’s an inspired casting choice. Brunson has built her reputation on playing Janine Teagues in Abbott Elementary, a show she named after her real-life 6th-grade teacher Joyce Abbott. The series has been a critical and commercial juggernaut—Brunson herself has been nominated for 12 Emmys and won two, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023 and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2022. At the 2025 Emmys, she earned nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Lead Actress once again.

Abbott Elementary wrapped its fifth season this past April, but ABC has already announced a sixth season renewal, so Brunson’s schedule will remain packed. Still, this Betty Boop project signals her ambitions beyond television—a move into prestige film that repositions a 1930s cartoon legend through a distinctly modern, thoughtful lens. The project stands as a testament to Brunson’s creative vision and her ability to attract collaborators who trust her instincts about how to reimagine beloved cultural touchstones.

What makes this adaptation particularly intriguing is its willingness to ask harder questions: Who owns a character once it enters the world? What does it mean when your creation becomes bigger than you imagined? These are questions that feel surprisingly relevant to Brunson herself, whose own creation, Janine Teagues, has become a cultural phenomenon she no longer fully controls. Maybe that’s why she’s the perfect person to tell Max Fleischer’s story.