List of unproduced Universal Pictures animated projects

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This is a list of unmade and unreleased animated projects by Universal Pictures. Some of these projects were, or still are, in development limbo. These also include the co-productions the studio collaborated with in the past (i.e. Amblimation, Universal Animation Studios, Illumination, and DreamWorks Animation) as well as sequels to their franchises.

1941

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmAladdin and His LampIn 1941, after hearing the success of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Universal's first animation studio Walter Lantz Productions was given $750,000 to produce their first feature film called Aladdin and His Lamp, which was based on the famous tales of Aladdin. It was set to star the voices of comedy duo Abbott and Costello, and Frank Churchill was set to compose the musical score. However, Walter Lantz cancelled the project in light of the cut-off of the overseas market and the financial risk that came shortly after the Fleischer Studios' film Mr. Bug Goes to Town failed at the box office.[1][2]

1990s

1991

SeriesTitleDescription
ShrekShrekIn 1991, Steven Spielberg purchased the rights to William Steig's 1990 children's book Shrek!. Spielberg originally envisioned his adaptation as a traditionally animated film through his animation studio Amblimation, with Bill Murray as the voice of the titular character and Steve Martin as the voice of Donkey. Despite co-founding DreamWorks Animation—the eventual owner of the Shrek franchise—in 1994, three years before Amblimation ceased operations, Spielberg moved on to other projects. This film is starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz and turned into a CGI film when it was completed and released in 2001.[3][4]
Feature film and television seriesThe Adventures of MC Skat Kat and the Stray MobFollowing the release of the album of the same name, Virgin Music and Universal Pictures briefly discussed producing a live-action/animation feature film featuring MC Skat Kat, but nothing ever materialized. Singer Paula Abdul had even pitched the idea of a live-action/animation series starring Skat Kat to air on Fox Kids, but it failed to materialize due to the poor reviews and sales of the album.[5]

1993

SeriesTitleDescription
Jurassic ParkEscape from Jurassic ParkIn June 1993, after the theatrical release of Jurassic Park, spokesmen for Amblin and MCA confirmed that an animated series based on the film was in development and awaiting Steven Spielberg's final approval.[6] The series, titled Escape from Jurassic Park,[7] would have consisted of 23 episodes for its first season. The series would have centered on John Hammond's attempts to finish Jurassic Park and open it to the public, while InGen's corporate rival Biosyn is simultaneously planning to open their own dinosaur theme park in Brazil, which ultimately ends with their dinosaurs escaping into the jungles.[8][9][10]

1996

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmCatsBy October 1996, an animated adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats was in development at Amblimation. Phil Nibbelink and Dick Zondag were attached to direct while Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow were brought on to rework an earlier script from Tom Stoppard.[11] The film was turned into the critical and commercial failure version of the same name with Tom Hooper directing.
Casper the Friendly GhostCasper 2Following the release of Casper, Simon Wells co-wrote a screenplay for Casper 2, in which he was set to direct, but in July 2000, Universal Pictures cancelled the sequel due to the disappointing sales from the direct-to-video Casper films and the hesitation of Christina Ricci.[12][13]
Feature filmInterWorldThe idea of InterWorld surged in 1996, when Michael Raeves was developing an animated series for DreamWorks. Suggesting to Gaiman an idea for a possible animated television series, they collaborated on the story and unsuccessfully tried to sell it to various studios, including DreamWorks, which was not interested. The InterWorld idea ended up as a novel that was not released until 2007. In June of that same year, author Neil Gaiman reported in his journal that he had pitched the idea of InterWorld to DreamWorks back in 1996, but the executives were confused on the concept. Along with Michael Raeves, they later published their work into the novel, in which DreamWorks Animation had optioned into producing an animated film.[14][15] Nothing came of it until June 2016, when the plans to make InterWorld as television series were revived by Universal Cable Productions, in association with Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller and his partner Flody Suarez,[16] but with no further updates since.
Scooby-DooScooby-DooThe film was planned to be an origin story of Scooby, Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. gang. It was written by Craig Titley who later went on to write the 2002 film of the same name. The film was scrapped when Warner Bros. bought the rights to Hanna-Barbera by buying Turner in 1996. The script for this version of the film was leaked in 2014.[17][better source needed]

1997

SeriesTitleDescription
Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksIn June 1997, director Robert Zemeckis was slated to direct a live-action adaptation of Alvin and the Chipmunks,[18] but in September 2000, the estate of Ross Bagdasarian Sr. filed suit against Universal Pictures for which development on the film was cancelled.[19] A live-action/CGI film was ultimately released by 20th Century Fox in 2007.
Feature filmJust So StoriesThis project from Amblimation and Universal back in the 1990s was Just So Stories based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. Amblimation did only 3 films such as An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), and Balto (1995) but never released Just So Stories and the animated musical adaptation of Cats as the studio closed its doors in 1997 and everyone involved moved on to DreamWorks.[20] The other animation studios of Just So Stories are Soyuzmultfilm, Marble Arch/Interama/Strengholt Films, Bevanfield Films, Les Films de l'Arlequin and Je Suis Bien Content.
Jurassic ParkJurassic Park: Chaos EffectPart three of the four-part comic adaptation of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, published by Topps Comics in July 1997, confirmed to readers that a cartoon series based on the film was in development. The animated series was commissioned by Steven Spielberg and was to be developed by DreamWorks Animation under the supervision of Steve Lyons.[21][22] The cartoon was to be accompanied by Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect, a series of dinosaur toys produced by Kenner and based on a premise that scientists had created dinosaur hybrids consisting of DNA from different creatures.[23][24] The new toys were based on the then-upcoming cartoon.[23] The cartoon was scheduled for release date of March 1998, as a mid-season replacement.[23] The Chaos Effect toyline was released in June 1998,[24] but the animated series was never produced, for unknown reasons.[25][26]

1998

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmFrankensteinIn October 1998, Universal Pictures and Industrial Light & Magic jointly announced to produce a computer-animated film featuring Frankenstein. S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock were attached to write the script under the condition that it would not be a family-oriented film. Tom Bertino was attached to direct the film. It was intended to be released by Halloween 2000.[27][28][29]

2000s

2001

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmWhere the Wild Things AreUniversal acquired rights to the book's adaptation in 2001 and initially attempted to develop a computer-animated adaptation with Disney animator Eric Goldberg, but in 2003 the animated concept was replaced with a live-action one, and Goldberg was replaced with Spike Jonze.[30] The film was originally set for release from Universal, and a teaser of the film was attached to the studio's 2000 adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.[31] Disagreements between Universal and Sendak over Jonze's approach to the story led to a turnaround arrangement where the film's production was transferred to Warner Bros., resulting in the live-action adaptation released in October 2009.[32]

2006

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature film Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure When Laika Entertainment opened, they announced their first projects, the stop-motion film Coraline, and the CGI animated film Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure.[33] The studio laid off a significant portion of its staff in 2008, when its second planned feature was cancelled.[34]

2007

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmThe Legend of Spyro 3DBy September 2007, the film rights for Spyro the Dragon were purchased by The Animation Picture Company.[35] Daniel and Steven Altiere wrote the script, which was going to be based on the recently released The Legend of Spyro trilogy. The film was going to be titled The Legend of Spyro 3D and was planned to be made from Los Angeles, California, with animation by a South Korean Animation studio, Wonderworld Studios, alongside Universal Animation Studios. The film was planned to be produced by John Davis, Dan Chuba, Mark A.Z. Dippé, Brian Manis and Ash Shah, and distributed and advertised by Velvet Octopus along with Universal Studios. Mark Dippe was going to direct the film, which would have made it the first theatrical film Dippe directed since Spawn. This film was originally planned for release in theaters on Christmas 2009 in the United States and Canada, but was delayed to April 10, 2010, for its North American release. It was later confirmed by Daniel Altiere himself that the film had been officially cancelled due to decisions made by Activision to go in a different direction,[36] which was later revealed to be in the form of Skylanders.

2008

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmEmily the StrangeSince 2000, Rob Reger has been trying to make a feature film adaptation of Emily. In 2005, Fox Animation went to make a live action/animated feature film,[37] with Chris Meledandri and John Cohen producing it.[38] Mike Richardson, of Dark Horse Entertainment, came on board as a producer in 2008.[39] The same year it was unofficially reported that the film moved to Universal Studios' owned Illumination Entertainment, along with the studio's founders, Meledandri and Cohen.[40] In September 2010, Universal Studios acquired the rights to the comic, and the actress Chloë Grace Moretz was cast in the role of Emily.[41] Melisa Wallack, who wrote the script for Mirror Mirror, was hired to write the adaptation in the following year in August.[42] Two months later it was confirmed that the film was indeed in the works at Illumination Entertainment.[43] Kealan O'Rourke was brought to rewrite the film's script.[44] By December 2016, Universal abandoned the project, and Dark Horse Entertainment and Amazon Studios were in negotiations to make an animated film.[45]

2009

SeriesTitleDescription
Feature filmFlanimalsAn animated feature film based on the Flanimals book series was in production at Illumination by April 2009. Series creator Ricky Gervais was set to be the executive producer and also lend his voice to the lead character, while The Simpsons writer Matt Selman wrote the script,[46] but the project was later removed from the development schedule.[47]
Where's Waldo? Where's Waldo? In June 2009, Universal and Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights to turn Where's Waldo? into a live-action film, was to be produced by Chris Meledandri with Classic Media's (now DreamWorks Classics) executive producer Eric Ellenbogen,[48] but the project was then scrapped.[49]
Feature filmCryptozoology movieIn December 2009, Illumination Entertainment was producing an animated film based on a pitch by actor-comedian Jack Black and Jason Micallef on cryptozoology, which is the study of legendary creatures whose existence has never been confirmed (i.e. the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot). Jack Black had intended to produce the film alongside Ben Cooley and Chris Meledandri through his production company Electric Dynamite. Additionally, he had no intention to voice any character as he did with DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda franchise.[50]

2010s

2020s

References

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