Hey Beavis, check this out. Mike Judge, director and creator of King of the Hill, Silicon Valley and, most distinguished of all, Beavis and Butt-Head, has reportedly informed Paramount of his intention to reclaim the rights to the two beloved morons. Contractually, it appears the Hollywood monolith may be unable to stop him.
As reported by Puck News, Judge sent Paramount a legal letter expressing the intention to terminate Paramount’s rights over Beavis and Butt-Head. While it would be shocking to separate MTV from their two most iconic nincompoops, it seems US copyright law gives the studio little say in the matter. Creators are given an opportunity to reclaim intellectual property after a 35 year period, similar to Richard “Lord British” Garriott’s recent claim over Ultima underneath Electronic Arts. While the series began in 1993, Beavis and Butt-Head technically made their MTV debut in a 1992 episode of Liquid Television, which would make 2027 the layup for their rights.
While the harshest critics would have never expected a long-term lease necessary for the animated degenerates, Paramount recently approved a 12th season for the series. The Beavis and Butt-Head revival has been a major comeback for fans, bouncing between the juvenile delinquents and decrepit adult versions of the pair. Having the two attempt to navigate an escape room is just good, clean fun, and while the second feature film was tame compared to the first, it contained the last joke about white privilege we’ll ever need from a major studio.
Having total control doesn’t mean Beavis and Butt-Head will vanish from Paramount, but it gives Judge significantly more say over where the two end up next. Judge is also enjoying the success of the King of the Hill revival over at Disney+, where Bobby Hill’s shockingly healthy adulthood continued in a 15th season this year. The development comes amid plenty other turbulence at Paramount, where David Ellison’s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. hits more stumbling blocks than anticipated. While favor from President Donald Trump once promised fewer interceptions for Ellison, his ability to survive the upcoming mid-terms could determine the fate of SpongeBob SquarePants. Among other things.