The desire to turn every recognizable property into a film franchise is still strong in Hollywood. Now the Eye of Sauron-alike gaze of the entertainment industry has turned once again to Betty Boop, the 1930s cartoon icon.

Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment has entered a partnership with Animal Logic Entertainment – the animation company behind Happy Feet’s dancing penguins and The Lego Movie’s bricktacular comedy – to nab the rights from Fleischer Studios for what is described in Variety’s report as a "music-driven hybrid animated comedy".

Betty has been around since 1930, appearing in numerous Talkartoons from Max Fleischer and then her own cartoon series. An animated superstar, she’s since shown up in a wealth of shorts and other shows and has become a licensing goldmine, flogging everything from Chupa Chups to NASCAR in her time. On the big screen, she made a cameo in 1988’s ‘toon-laden Who Framed Roger Rabbit, proving that she still had it and casting a slightly wary eye at Jessica Rabbit.

“Betty is an icon, and one of the biggest stars in the world – I’m thrilled to be working with her,” Cowell said in a statement. “Betty, I’ve worked with some serious divas but I think you could be the biggest of them all!” Hahahaha! It’s funny because…. It’s not funny.

No director or writer is attached for now, and given its ‘toon status, we don’t expect Betty to be dancing back on screens for a couple of years at least.