Top 10 Cancelled DreamWorks Projects We Never Got to See
#10: Squashed Sequels
In the early 90s, Pacific Data Images pitched a film about robotic insect-like creatures called “Bugs: Lights Out.” Upon teaming with DreamWorks, PDI instead produced “Antz,” which was intended to get a direct-to-video sequel at one point. That’s just one of the many sequels that DreamWorks scrapped. “The Road to El Dorado” was seen as a potential franchise until it underperformed financially. Hopes for a “Rise of the Guardians” sequel were also dashed by disappointing box office numbers. Even films that did spawn franchises had their limits. “Madagascar 4” was announced only to be removed from DreamWorks’ schedule with its future in limbo. Plans for “Shrek 5” were also dropped amid the fourth movie’s production, but a return to Far, Far Away is appearing increasingly likely.
#9: “Crood Awakening”
Aardman initially had a five-picture deal with DreamWorks, but only three were produced. Before parting ways, Aardman had plans to develop a fresh spin on “The Tortoise and the Hare” for DreamWorks. Also in the works was a cavepeople comedy written by John Cleese and Kirk DeMicco, who previously collaborated on an unproduced adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Twits.” The Aardman/DreamWorks collaboration was to be entitled “Crood Awakening.” While that film went unevolved, there’s a reason why it sounds so familiar. DreamWorks reworked the project into a CG animated feature you might’ve heard of, “The Croods.” DeMicco remained on as a co-writer and co-director, teaming with Chris Sanders. Aardman, meanwhile, would produce a stop-motion Stone Age comedy called “Early Man.”
#8: Shelved Book Adaptations
For every “Shrek,” there’s a book that DreamWorks leaves on the shelf, even when major talent is involved. Barry Sonnenfeld was attached to bring his quirky edge to adaptations of “The Pig Scrolls” and “Gil’s All Fright Diner.” Jason Reitman was set to make the leap to animation with an adaptation of “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.” Danny Boyle was involved in “Truckers,” which would’ve been based on “The Nome Trilogy.” Noah Baumbach reportedly worked on the screenplay for a “Flawed Dogs” adaptation. From children’s books like “Punk Farm,” to junior novels like “Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians,” to comics like “Maintenance,” to Chinese novels like “The Tibet Code,” to the “Rumblewick” series, Dreamworks has lost a lot of projects in adaptation.
#7: “Alma”
In 2009, former Pixar animator Rodrigo Blaas released a CG short entitled “Alma,” in which a little girl stumbles upon a doll who looks exactly like herself. Think “Toy Story” meets “The Twilight Zone.” A year later, it was announced that Blaas would direct a feature adaptation of the short for DreamWorks. The project assembled several other established creative figures. Megan Holley of the indie dramedy “Sunshine Cleaning” was slated to write the screenplay. Guillermo del Toro would not only serve as an executive producer, but work on the story and visuals too. Over a decade later, the project remains as motionless as a doll. Blaas and del Toro have since collaborated on multiple DreamWorks projects, though, winning a Daytime Emmy for “Trollhunters.”
#6: “Spooky Jack”
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Like “Alma,” “Spooky Jack” seemed to have all the makings of a creepy classic. First announced in 2017, this original concept would’ve been a joint effort between DreamWorks and Blumhouse Productions. With Jason Blum himself as an executive producer, “Spooky Jack” appeared to be DreamWorks’ foray into straight-up horror. The premise was crawling with potential as well, following three siblings who move into an unsettling house where supposedly fictional creatures are proven to be quite real. The lineup would’ve included leprechauns, Big Foot, and a Boogeyman with a shy side. Although concept art for the film was unveiled, its spot on the release schedule was substituted with “The Bad Guys.” With no further reports, “Spooky Jack” has seemingly vanished into the darkness.
#5: “The Wanderer”
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Before going all-in on CG, DreamWorks produced three theatrical traditionally drawn features: “The Prince of Egypt,” “El Dorado,” and “Sinbad.” We almost got a fourth entitled “The Wanderer,” which was announced in 1998. With a voice cast featuring Ellen Greene and James Gandolfini, the story followed a wild bear who crosses paths with a pack of circus bears. The directing team consisted of Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, who worked on various Disney films, and Simon Wells, who co-directed “Prince of Egypt.” The project was left in indefinite hibernation when Wells departed to direct 2002’s “The Time Machine.” If that wasn’t enough to kill the project, diminishing returns from traditionally animated features did. Some concept art aside, “The Wanderer” was left without a trace.
#4: “Larrikins”
In development as far back as 2013, “Larrikins” would’ve centered on a bilby named Perry leaving his burrow and setting off on an Australian road trip. The cast assembled several Australian natives, including Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, and Rose Byrne. “Larrikins” would’ve been among DreamWorks’ rare musicals with songs and a score by Tim Minchin, who was to also direct with Chris Miller. According to Minchin, he worked on “Larrikins” for four years when a change of management pulled the plug. Although much talent was squandered, the Australian backdrop and some characters were recycled for the 2018 short “Bilby,” which premiered at Annecy and was shortlisted for Oscar consideration. It still wasn’t the happiest ending for people like Minchin, but at least something came from “Larrikins.”
#3: “Monkeys of Mumbai”
From one canceled musical to another, this DreamWorks film drew inspiration from the Sanskrit epic, “Ramayana.” The story revolved around two orphaned monkeys who rise up as scrappy heroes to stop a demon bent on world domination. With a Bollywood sound, Stephen Schwartz and A. R. Rahman teamed up to write the songs. Kevin Lima of “A Goofy Movie,” “Tarzan,” and “Enchanted” was enlisted to direct with a cast including Lea Michele and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Several years after its announcement, Lima confirmed that “Monkeys of Mumbai” had been canceled, despite having all the songs completed. Although Lima hoped that the project might find life elsewhere, the decision to write it off for tax purposes made “Monkeys of Mumbai” too expensive for another studio to acquire.
#2: “B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations”
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In an alternate reality, Tony Leondis would’ve directed this supernatural comedy instead of the infamous “Emoji Movie.” Leondis developed the film’s premise, which possessed echoes of “Ghostbusters.” In a twist, though, the agency protecting humans from haunting entities are actually ghosts themselves. Seth Rogen, Melissa McCarthy, and Jennifer Coolidge were just some of the names attached to “B.O.O.,” which was slated to release in 2015. Dreamworks pulled “B.O.O” to steer clear of Pixar’s “Inside Out” and, amid several box office flops, never got around to locking down a new release date. With Leondis moving on, “B.O.O” appeared dead as a doornail, although an anonymous member of the crew claims that it was “pretty much towards the end of production.” Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Rockumentary” A Parody of The Beatles with Penguins That Later Inspired “Madagascar” “Tusker” A “Great Escape”-Esque Story About Elephants in Southeast Asia “Lidsville” An Adaptation of the TV Series With Songs by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater “InterWorld” Neil Gaiman & Michael Reaves Got it Written as a Book, But a Movie Never Moved Forward “Imaginary Enemies” A Live-Action/Animated Hybrid About Imaginary Friends Rebelling
#1: “Me and My Shadow”
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“Me and My Shadow” would’ve returned DreamWorks to traditional animation. Well, kind of, as the film was intended to combine traditional techniques with CG. This merging of styles sounded well-suited for the story about the boring Stanley Grubb, whose world is turned upside down by the mischievous Shadow Stan. Mark Dindal of “The Emperor’s New Groove” was supposed to direct early in development. After Jeffrey Katzenberg supposedly fell asleep during a screening, though, he didn’t think it could gross $200 million. Keep in mind Katzenberg also called “Part of Your World” boring, but in any case, Edgar Wright was later recruited to take the film in a new direction. After multiple rewrites and leadership changes, though, this scrapped project casts a shadow of squandered possibilities.
