Larrikins

Larrikins was a cancelled American 3D computer animated musical comedy film directed by Tim Minchin and Chris Miller and starring Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman, from a script by Harry Cripps. Film was intended to be produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was scheduled for a February 16, 2018 release, before Minchin announced film cancellation on March 5, 2017.

Had been released, it would have been 1 DreamWorks Animation SKG film to be distributed by Universal Pictures, who parent company NBCUniversal acquired DWA in 2016. However, it was later reworked into short film call Bilby.

Plot
When an uptight bilby gets kick out of his sheltered life of his family burrow, he ventures out and finds himself launched on a musical adventure across mystical Australian outback.

Cast

 * Margot Robbie as Dingo
 * Hugh Jackman
 * Naomi Watts
 * Rose Byrne
 * Ben Mendelsohn
 * Jacki Weaver
 * Josh Lawson
 * Damon Herriman
 * Ewen Leslie

Production
Larrikins is based on an original idea by Australian screenplay writer, Harry Cripps. He started working on script in 2011, after DreamWorks Animation SKG decided to make a film with an Australian story. Announced in 2013, Tim Minchin was initially only set to write music and lyrics for film, with possibility to have additional creative role at film. Minchin, who liked classical Disney animated musicals Beauty And Beast and Aladdin, had made a deal with DreamWorks Animation SKG, after he had complained to Will Davies, 1 of writers of How To Train Your Dragon, that no 1 had been doing such animated musical anymore. Waiting for almost 4 years for right screenplay, DWA gave him Cripps script, which got Minchin attention it a bit Star Wars, a bit Gods Must Be Crazy, a big road journey It really funny and cheeky and Australian, without being parochially, nationalistically Australian. Minchin and Cripps then reworked story with songs, successfully setting project in motion. By 2014, Minchin role expanded to directing the film, with Chris Miller joining him by 2016.

In 2014, 20 Century Fox announced that film would be released on February 16, 2018. Following NBCUniversal acquisition of DreamWorks Animation SKG in 2016, Universal Pictures took over distribution rights for film.

On March 5, 2017, Minchin announced that film had been canceled a couple of days ago, animated film to which you dedicated last 4 years of your life was shut down by new studio execs. According to Deadline, reason for cancellation was that creatively it just was work out well.

Gallery
Peter De Seve, designer of Ice Age franchise, was hired as 1 designer on film and made concept art for film.

Trivia

 * This would have been 1 DreamWorks Animation SKG film to be released in February.
 * It would have also been Universal Pictures 2 animated theatrical film released in February, after Curious George (2006).
 * This would have been Dreamworks Animation SKG 4 musical after Prince Of Egypt, Road To El Dorado, and Trolls.
 * Title it, Larrikins, was an Australian slang word for maverick or rebel.