Unmade Animated Films: Tusker, The Legend of Tembo, and More

Studio Closures and Industry Shifts

• 💔 Blue Sky Studios officially closed its doors, resulting in 450 job losses, with their final film, "Neimona," unfinished.
• 💰 A significant factor in Blue Sky's closure may have been the discovery of $49 million in improper Connecticut state tax credits, potentially involving double collection on animation and live-action production incentives.
• 📉 The Arclight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres chain were taken out by COVID-19, leading to the closure of iconic venues like the Hollywood Arclight and the Cinerama Dome.

The El Capitan Theatre's Future

• ❓ The closure of Pacific Theatres raised questions about the future of the El Capitan Theatre, which Pacific Theatres previously operated.
• 🏛️ Disney invested over $14 million in a museum-quality restoration of the El Capitan in the late 1980s, reopening it in 1991 with "The Rocketeer."
• 🎬 Despite past sales listings, Disney continues to operate the El Capitan, using it for premieres and currently showing films like "Raya and the Last Dragon" and "Soul."

Unproduced Elephant Animated Features

• 🐘 "Tusker" was a planned DreamWorks Animation feature about a herd of elephants in Southeast Asia, facing dangers like poachers, with a star-studded voice cast including Morgan Freeman and Jodie Foster.
• ⏳ "Tusker" faced numerous delays and story problems, eventually being put on hold and later picked up by Imagi International, but ultimately cancelled when Imagi closed in 2010.
• 🐘 "The Legend of Tembo" was an ambitious animated feature from Digital Domain, set to tell the story of an Indian elephant pressed into military service, potentially linked to Hannibal's crossing of the Alps.
• 🦀 "The Legend of Tembo" was also cancelled due to the studio's financial troubles and eventual closure, despite being a month away from production start, with talented artists like Betsy Bower involved.
• 🌍 The story of "Tusker" shifted from India to China after Imagi received funding from China, altering the historical context of the film.

Animation Industry News and Trends

• 🏆 Pixar's "Soul" won the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, solidifying its position as a strong contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
• 🎬 The trailer for "Space Jam: A New Legacy" dropped, showcasing a multiverse of Warner Bros. properties, including unexpected inclusions like "A Clockwork Orange" droogs.
• 🗣️ Zendaya was announced as the new voice of Lola Bunny in "Space Jam: A New Legacy," drawing comparisons to casting decisions in "The Jetsons Movie."
• 🏨 The new Hotel Transylvania film, "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania," is confirmed as the fourth and final installment of the series.
• 🏞️ A new water park in Thailand, Sony Pictures Animation Aquaverse, will feature IP from Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures, including "Hotel Transylvania," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," and "Surf's Up."