In a surprise move that was probably inspired by the success of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Syfy announced earlier this year that they’re bringing back the characters from Hanna-Barbera’s variety program “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” for… a horror movie. And not just any horror movie, but a hardcore rated “R” horror movie.

This week the MPAA has given The Banana Splits an R rating for “horror violence and gore“!

Recently reported by Deadline, kid-friendly (originally, at least) animal characters Bingo, Fleegle, Drooper and Snorky will return in the original movie that’s set to “premiere this year from Blue Ribbon Content, Warner Bros Television Group’s digital studio, via a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release that will be followed by the television debut on Syfy.”

In the upcoming horror thriller, “A boy named Harley and his family (brother Austin, mother Beth, and father Mitch) attend a taping of The Banana Splits TV show, which is supposed to be a fun-filled birthday for young Harley and business as usual for Rebecca, the producer of the series. But things take an unexpected turn — and the body count quickly rises. Can Harley, his mom and their new pals safely escape?”

The film stars Dani Kind (Wyonna Earp), Finlay Wojtak-Hissong (The Kindness of Strangers), Romeo Carere, Steve Lund (Schitt’s Creek) and Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries).

Danishka Esterhazy (Level 16) is directing from a script by Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas.

Thirty one episodes of “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” aired between 1968 and 1970. Sid and Marty Krofft designed the animal costumes as well as the sets for the series.