List of unproduced DreamWorks Animation projects

This is a list of unmade and unreleased animated projects by DreamWorks Animation. Some of these films were, or still are, in development limbo. These also include the co-productions the studio collaborated with in the past (i.e Oriental DreamWorks, Aardman Animations, etc.)

Antz II
There were plans to make a sequel to the 1998 film Antz. The film was to be produced by Pacific Data Images, the visual effects team that did the animation on the original, and was scheduled for either as direct-to-video release or as a theatrical release. The film was inevitably cancelled for unknown reasons.

Tusker
In December 1998, DreamWorks and PDI announced their third CG project (following Shrek) called Tuskers. It would've been an original story chronicling a herd of elephants crossing southeast Asia. In their travels, they encounter a wide variety of dangers, including a band of marauding poachers. The film was going to be directed by Tim Johnson and Brad Lewis, the respected co-director and producer of Antz. The project was cancelled to make way for Shrek 2 and Madagascar. But in 2008, Hong Kong animation studio Imagi Animation Studios bought the rights to make the movie. Imagi's version would've been produced by Brooke Breton and written by Ted Tally, with a release date set for the first half of 2011. But following Imagi's closure in early 2010, the film was cancelled.

Rockumentary
In 1998, DreamWorks and PDI had started development on this film without being formally announced as a parody of The Beatles in a most likely animated mockumentary of there rise and fall to fame, which featured a Beatles-esque penguin rock band. The idea was scrapped, but after production on Madagascar started, director Eric Darnell decided to revive the penguins, but make them a commando unit instead of a rock band.

The Wanderer
A traditional animated feature film that was going to be directed by the Brizzi Brothers and Simon Wells of the story of a stray bear who joins a group of circus bears and changes their lives. The film's production was canceled when Simon went to direct The Time Machine and studio changes. As of 2012, some concept art was shown online of what the film's characters would be.

Bee Movie 2
While not announced by the studio, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, producer, writer, and star of the 2007 DWA film Bee Movie, said that he has no interest to make a sequel to Bee Movie. During a Reddit AMA in June 2016, a fan asked if a Bee Movie 2 would happen. Seinfeld had this to say,


 * "I considered it this spring for a solid six hours. There’s a fantastic energy now for some reason, on the internet particularly. Tumblr, people brought my attention to. I actually did consider it, but then I realized it would make Bee Movie 1 less iconic. But my kids want me to do it, a lot of people want me to do it. A lot of people that don’t know what animation is want me to do it. If you have any idea what animation is, you’d never do it."

The Book of Life
DreamWorks initially optioned to make The Book of Life back in 2007. They decided not to continue with the project due to "creative differences" with the director. The film was eventually made at Reel FX Creative Studios and was released Fall 2014 to critical praise.

Crood Awakening
As part of Aardman Animation's "five-picture deal" with DreamWorks Animation, an animated film called Crood Awakening was in the early works at Aardman. Written by John Cleese and Kirk DeMicco, it would've been loosely based on the Roald Dahl book The Twits but set in the stone age. The film was cancelled due to Aardman and DreamWorks' separation in 2007 following the release of Flushed Away. Ultimately, both studios would end up making an animated movie set in the stone age: DreamWorks in 2013 with The Croods (where Cleese and DeMicco were heavily involved) and Aardman in 2018 with Early Man.

Gullible's Travels
DreamWorks bought a script in 2007 titled Gullible's Travels which would've been about a man who travels through time via a porta potty to find the woman he loves. It was written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman (Open Season, Chicken Little).

InterWorld
On June 16, 2007, author Neil Gaiman reported in his journal that DWA optioned his book, InterWorld, to be made into an animated feature film. But they decided not to get the film rights.

Punk Farm
In April 2006, DreamWorks Animation had the rights to develop a computer animated film adaptation of the children's book of the same name by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons, and was eventually picked up by MGM Animation. but it was later cancelled

The Road to El Dorado 2
There were talks about doing a sequel to The Road to El Dorado, where it would've continued the adventures of Miguel, Folio, and Chel going to find more rich land. But after the movie bombed, all plans for the sequels were cancelled.

Tortoise Vs. Hare
Another project that was cancelled at Aardman was a film adaptation of the Aesop table, The Tortoise and the Hare. The project was put to a halt due to script concerns. It would've starred Bob Hoskins, Orlando Jones, Brenda Blethyn, and Lee Evans. It would have been written by Karey Kirkpatrick and Mark Burton, executive produced by Peter Lord and Nick Park, and directed by Richard Goleszowski. It would've been released in 2003, but was moved to 2004 for Aardman to make room for their first film, Chicken Run.

Truckers
A film based on The Nome Trilogy books was in the works from 2001 to 2011. They acquired the film rights in 2001, and announced plans to combine all three books into a single film. It was to be directed by Andrew Adamson. In late 2008, Danny Boyle was attached to direct Truckers, but the project fell apart as "a victim of this economic crisis." The following year, the Slumdog Millionaire ' s Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy was hired to work on the project. Plans to move forward with DreamWorks' adaptation resurfaced in 2010 with the announcement that Legend of the Guardians screenwriter John Orloff would pen the script for director Anand Tucker. Tucker was later announced to direct another DWA film Trolls, which was planned to be partially based on a Pratchett novel, before he was replaced by Mike Mitchell. As of June 2018 no updates have surfaced.

2010s
In the 2010 decade, several films were announced to be made that were to be released in the next 3–4 years following their announcements. Some of these films were eventually cancelled while others are claimed to be in development and waiting for a release. Most of these films were cancelled due to massive layoffs, creative differences, shake ups around the studio, and Comcast eventually buying DreamWorks in 2016.

Alma
A film based on the animated short Alma was in the works in October 2010. The short's director Rodrigo Blaas is again set to direct the feature, with Guillermo del Toro executive producing it. In November 2011, it was reported that the studio has hired Megan Holley, a writer of Sunshine Cleaning, to write a script. Del Toro, who is also helping with the story and the design work, said in June 2012 that the film was in visual development. As of June 2018 however, there have been no recent developments regarding the film's production.

An untitled Blue-footed Booby film
Writer/director Karey Kirkpatrick was developing an animated film about the blue-footed booby birds. The basic idea would've been about a dim-witted blue-footed booby who learns that it "isn't the size of your brain, but the size of your heart that counts." As of June 2018, no other news emerge following that announcement.

B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations
An animated film based on ghosts was in the works in mid-2010 that would've starred Seth Rogen, Matt Bomer, Melissa McCarthy, Bill Murray, Octavia Spencer, Rashida Jones, and Jennifer Coolidge. It was to be directed by Tony Leondis and written by Tom Wheeler from a story by Leondis. It was about two bumbling apparitions who find themselves in an extraordinary after-life adventure when they join the Bureau of Otherworldly Operations (B.O.O.) – the ghost world’s elite counter-haunting unit – and ultimately must face off against the planet’s greatest haunter. It was to be released on June 5, 2015, but was pulled from its release to avoid competition with Disney•Pixar's Inside Out. As of 2018, no updates have emerged from the project. Some speculate that the project is cancelled, while others believe it's finished, but just waiting for a release. But in 2015, Leondis has moved from DreamWorks to Sony Pictures Animation to develop his next film, The Emoji Movie.

Flawed Dogs
A movie based on Berkeley Breathed's book Flawed Dogs was in the works to be written and directed by Noah Baumbach. As of June 2018 No news have emerged since 2013.

Gil's All Fright Diner
In December 2009, it was reported that the studio had set screenwriters Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris to write a film adaptation of the book, Gil's All Fright Diner, with Barry Sonnenfeld attached to direct it. In 2011, Martinez wrote on his blog that he was working with DreamWorks on a project based on an original idea, and not on Gil's All Fright Diner. In March 2013, Martinez expressed uncertainty for any film adaptation: "Your guess is as good as mine. It's all a matter of convincing someone with the clout necessary to make it happen."

Imaginary Enemies
In 2010, DreamWorks Animation announced they were going to make their first live-action/animated project. The project was to be told from the point of view of the imaginary friends who had long been used as scapegoats by unscrupulous children looking for someone else to blame for their misdeeds. Eventually fed up, those imaginary people come looking for some payback when the kids are grown up. Screenwriter Joe Syracuse and Lisa Addario wrote the script. But as of March 2018, no other updates have been announced.

Larrikins
Larrikins was an animated film that was in development between 2010 and 2017. It was an animated musical that was to be directed by Tim Minchin (which would've been his directorial debut) and Chris Miller from a script by Harry Cripps. The project was about a desert-dwelling bilby who leaves his home under a rock to go on a roadtrip with a music band that would've starred Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, and other Australian talent, with songs written by Minchin. While DreamWorks didn't confirm its cancellation, several crew member revealed its cancellation on their personal blogs, this includes character designer Peter de Seve. Minchin wrote on his blog,


 * "I’ve recently been working in 3 different continents, missing my kids a lot, sleeping too little and not playing piano enough. And then a couple of days ago, the animated film to which I’ve dedicated the last 4 years of my life was shut down by the new studio execs. The only way I know how to deal with my impotent fury and sadness is to subject members of the public to the spectacle of me getting drunk and playing ballads."

Lidsville
A 3D musical film adaptation of the Lidsville TV series was in the works. It was going to be directed by Conrad Vernon and scored by Alan Menken, who would also be writing the songs with Glenn Slater. Menken stated that, "The songs will be an homage to '60s psychedelic concept-album rock." But Lidsville creator Sid Krofft said in a June 2016 interview with The Wall Street Journal that, "It was going to be like Hair or Tommy, a full-blown musical. But they went in a strange direction and it just didn't work."

Maintenance
Going with a comic book direction, the company bought the film rights to the comic book series Maintenance from Oni Press. The film rights were first required by Warner Bros. as a McG film, but DreamWorks then got rights after WB dropped out. But as of June 2018, the company has yet to do anything with the comic rights.

Me and My Shadow/ Edgar Wrights' Shadows
On December 10, 2010, DreamWorks Animation announced a project titled Me and My Shadow was scheduled for a March 2013 release date. The plot involved Shadow Stan who serves a shadow to Stanley Grubb, the world's most boring human. Wanting to live a more exciting life, he escapes the "Shadow World" and takes control of Stanley. With Mark Dindal slated as the film's director, the film was meant to combine traditional and CGI animation. In January 2012, Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, and Josh Gad had joined the voice cast. Additionally, Alessandro Carloni had replaced Dindal as director and the release date was pushed back to November 2013.

However, in June 2012, its release date was pushed back to March 7, 2014 with Mr. Peabody & Sherman taking its November 2013 release. In February 2013, Me and My Shadow went back into development with Mr. Peabody & Sherman re-assuming its original March 2014 release.

On November 19, 2015, Edgar Wright had signed to direct and co-write an animated feature for DreamWorks, in which the story was described as a "new take on a previously developed concept about shadows." In an interview with Collider published in June 2017, Wright explained that he and David Walliams had wrote three drafts, but the project is in limbo due to management changes at DreamWorks Animation.

Mumbai Musical
Former Disney animator and director Kevin Lima pitched to DreamWorks a Bollywood-styled musical based on The Ramayana, but told through the point of view of its monkeys. It would've follow two common monkeys who become unlikely heroes in a last ditch effort to stop an ancient, thought-to-be-mythical demon from conquering the world. Going through multiple titles, Monkeys of Bollywood, Monkeys on Mumbai, and Bollywood Superstar Monkey, the film was to feature music by Stephen Schwartz and A. R. Rahman, who's also the film's composers, with the script written by David Sussman. The film was originally planned for a release in December 19, 2015, the release dates kept getting pushed back to the point of being put back into DreamWorks Animation films that are in development. Lima revealed that DreamWorks quietly cancelled the film. In an interview with Den of Geeks UK, he said,


 * "It came very close. We were just going into production, we were just starting animation. I’d been working on it for two and a half years. All the songs were written. Stephen Schwartz and A.R. Rahman. We were just ready to start. I have to say that it’s one of the great disappointments of my film career not seeing that one move forward. It had nothing to do with the movie, and everything to do with the politics of selling the studio. Seven of us I think lost movies at that moment in time. With the studio having written it off on their taxes, it means the only way to get it back would be to invest that kind of money again. And it’s tens of millions of dollars. I tried. I really tried. Stephen Schwartz and I took it around town, but when the price tag was revealed, everyone gasped. Ultimately, we couldn’t find a buyer."

The Pig Scrolls
On April 8, 2010, Pajiba.com reported that the studio was developing an animated feature film based on The Pig Scrolls. As a possible directing job, Barry Sonnenfeld was tasked to develop the film, while Kirk DeMicco wrote the most recent script revision.

Rumblewick
Another movie based on a book that was in the works at the studio was the book My Unwilling Witch (The Rumblewick Letters) that would've been simply titled Rumblewick. It was to be directed by Tim Johnson and written by Jim Herzfeld.

Sequels to Shark Tale, Monsters vs. Aliens, Megamind, Rise of the Guardians, and Puss in Boots
In April 2011, Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that there's currently no plans to make sequels to their parody films, this would include Shark Tale, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Megamind. He went on, saying that these films "all shared an approach and tone and idea of parody, and did not travel well internationally. We don't have anything like that coming on our schedule now."

With Rise of the Guardians, the creators expressed hope that the strong A- Cinemascore average for the film and an enthusiastic word-of-mouth would gather support for the "chance to make a sequel or two." This includes co-producer and author of the book it was based on, The Guardians of Childhood by William Joyce, said he was in talks with the studio. He recalled, "There is something that we are proposing that we hope they will want to do." Although no other info has been revealed since 2013.

With Puss in Boots back in November 2012, several drafts for a sequel were already completed as confirmed by executive producer Guillermo del Toro, with original director Chris Miller wanting to take Puss onto an exotic adventure. By April 2014, Antonio Banderas confirmed that a sequel had entered into production and was later revealed two months later as Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves, slated to be released on November 2, 2018. In August 2014, the release date was pushed back a month later (December 21, 2018). But by January 2015, following the massive restructuring at DreamWorks Animation, several films were pulled off their scheduled release dates; this included Puss in Boots, along with releasing only two films a year as opposed to three or four. Banderas revealed in March 2015 that the script itself was under restructuring as well, and mentioned that Shrek might appear in the film. As of June 2018, no new updates have popped up following the restructuring in 2015.

The Tibet Code
When DreamWorks Animation made its then-newest division called Oriental DreamWorks in China, a film was in the works that was based on the famous Chinese novel The Tibet Code. Where story elements of The Da Vinci Code and the Indiana Jones films meet with the fun and adventures of DuckTales and Johnny Quest. However like Zodiac, its production was shut down due to some problems at Oriental DreamWorks and the company could not come to terms with the producer who owned the rights to the book.

Vivo
In 2010, DreamWorks began production on Vivo. Based off a concept by Peter Barsocchini, the film centered on a monkey obsessed with music who embarks on a dangerous adventure from Havana, Cuba, to Miami, Florida. The film was cancelled by DreamWorks, but in 2016, the film was revived by Sony Pictures Animation with Kirk DeMicco as the director, and a November 6, 2020 release date.

Zodiac
Another animated feature film that was going to be made by Oriental DreamWorks, their first animated feature was going to be called Zodiac about a anthropomorphic kitty in a modern society with anthropomorphic animals trying to make sure he becomes the first cat on the Chinese zodiac while also discovering a sinister conspiracy, set to be released in 2014. However while the film's storyboards were released online, the film's production was canceled due to some problems at Oriental DreamWorks.