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Oh, what could have been...but maybe it was for the best

Would You Watch These Canceled Animated Films?

Me & My Shadow was a film in development from Dreamworks (best known for Shrek, Kung Fu Panda & How to Train Your Dragon). The film's plot follows Daniel Grubb, a timid guy with an aversion to adventure. Dan's shadow, on the other hand, yearns for a more exciting life. releases the once secret world of shadows and their human counterparts. When a crime in the shadow world puts both of their lives in danger, Shadow Dan is forced to take control of Daniel. They go on a madcap adventure to investigate the crime and stop a shadow villain from leading a rebellion where shadows take over their human counterparts and human world. The film would have been a blend of 2D and 3D animation, featuring Josh Gad, Bill Hader & Tom Hiddleston. It was set to have been released in 2014 before being presumed canceled due to Dreamworks' poor performance in the box office at the time.

Me and My Shadow

Billion Brick Race was set to be the third spinoff for The Lego Movie franchise, following The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie. Though little is known regarding the film's plot, it was revealed that the film was to be heavily inspired by the racing movie genre with an 80s/90s flare. The film would have not had centered around existing properties, but a new cast of characters (much like the The Lego Movie). It was set to release in 2019, only a few months after The Lego Movie 2. However, due to the disappointing performance of The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Lego Movie 2 at the box office, the project was canceled. Since then, the Lego franchise has been acquired by Universal, but little is known if they will revive the film or concept.

Billion Brick Race (Lego Movie Spin-off)

Before Space Jam: A New Legacy, there was the idea for Skate Jam. The film was intended to be a sequel to the beloved Space Jam, only this time featuring 2000s skateboarding icon, Tony Hawk. Little is known about the film's plot other than that it would feature the classic Looney Tunes characters along side Hawk. The film was set to begin production in 2003, but was immediately canceled after the box office bomb that was Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Given the upcoming sequel, it's safe to say the film will remained canceled along with other rejected Space Jam projects, including Spy Jam with Jackie Chan & Race Jam with Jeff Gordon.

Skate Jam (Space Jam Sequel)

Nimona was a film in production by the now dead Blue Sky Studios (now under Disney). The film was based on the popular fantasy graphic novel of the same name. The plot of the film was said to be similar to the novel, following the adventures of supervillain Ballister Blackheart and his shapeshifter sidekick, Nimona, as they fight the evil Institution. The film would have also featured a same-sex kiss, the first for an animated Disney film. Originally set to release in 2022, the film was around 75% complete before Blue Sky Studios shut down. Since then, the project has been presumed abandoned, but it is still possible another studio may complete and distribute the film.

Nimona

Wild Life, or Club Wildlife, was a CGI Disney film started in the late 1990s. The film's plot was loosely based on the 1913 play, Pygmalion, as it involves characters Red and Kitty-Glitter trying to find a new star for Club Wild Life as Kitty-Glitter, has dwindled in popularity. The two find their new star in Ella, a talking elephant they found in the zoo. Ella is reluctant to be a new star for Club Wild Life, but after an accident on the stage, she instantly transforms into a singing diva, much to Red and Kitty's delight. However, Ella soon gets tired of her new lifestyle and wishes to return to the zoo, which eventually causes complications for Red, Kitty, and Ella. The film was intended to have adult humor and a mature feel, however this didn't go over well as Roy Disney, vice chairman of the board at the time, was appalled and ordered the film to be shut down shortly after.

Wild Life/Club Wildlife

Zodiac was a CGI animated film in production by Dreamworks Animation and Oriental Dreamworks (now Studio Pearl). The film's plot would have revolved around the classic story of the Chinese zodiac, following a cat in an anthropomorphic world as he attempts to become the first cat on the zodiac. However, in his journey he discovers a sinister conspiracy. The film was set to have been released in 2014, but was canceled due to unknown issues within Oriental Dreamworks. Zodiac would have been Oriental Dreamworks' first film, but that later became Abominable in 2019.

Zodiac

The Shadow King was a collaboration between Disney and Henry Selick, the mastermind behind The Nightmare Before Christmas & James and the Giant Peach. The film's plot would have followed Hap, a New York orphan with incredibly long fingers. Hap discovers his talent for making shadow puppets, except these shadows are special, coming to life to fight off the shadow monsters that threaten to destroy the city. The project was officially stopped in 2012 when Disney backed out, leaving Selick the ability to find the movie a new home. He reached out to Laika, a popular stop-motion company known for movies such as Coraline & The Boxtrolls, but the studio passed, with nothing being noted for the film since.

The Shadow King

Pluto was a collaboration film between Illumination Entertainment (best known for the Despicable Me franchise) and Tezuka Productions (a Japanese animation company known for their work in adapting series such as Astro Boy). The film was to be based on the Japanese manga series, Pluto, which follows robot detective Gesicht in his attempts to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths around the world where all the victims have objects shoved into or positioned by their heads, imitating horns. The film would have been a live-action/CG hybrid, a first for Illumination. However, after the film's announcement in 2010, little was ever released after, leaving the film to be presumed cancelled.

Pluto

<p>Hopefully you didn't get too excited about any of these films. Let me know if you would like to see more!</p>

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Would You Watch These Canceled Animated Films?

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