Following his success with Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, Richard Williams and Warner Bros. negotiated a funding and a distribution deal for his long in-development feature, which included a $25 million marketing budget.[1] The film was not finished by a 1991 deadline that Warner Bros. originally imposed upon Williams, and after a rough screening of the film in May 1992, the studio backed out of production entirely.[2] The Completion Bond Company seized control of the film afterwards, where it would be overhauled and released under the title The Princess and the Cobbler in 1993.[3]
In 1993, Brad Bird had sketched an idea of a family of superheroes during an uncertain point in his film career.[5] During this time, Bird had signed a production deal with Warner Bros. Feature Animation and was in the process of directing his first feature, The Iron Giant and had pitched his idea for The Incredibles during production. However, after the box office failure of The Iron Giant, Bird gravitated toward his superhero story and pitched it to Pixar instead, and the film was released on November 5, 2004.
Modern Family writer Stephen Lloyd along with Jonathan Ehrlich (who would go to work on Hi Opie!) and Ann Carli of Crossroads and Fast Food Nation pitched an idea for an animated film version of the famous Roman folktale of Androcles with new songs by Michael Jackson for Warner Bros., but due to production problems going on at Warner Bros. Feature Animation, the film's production was shut down.[6][failed verification]
King Tut
In 1994, Bill Kroyer, along with his studio Kroyer Films, was asked to co-produce Warner Bros. Animation's animated musical film of the early times of famous kid EgyptianPharaohTutankhamun (also known as King Tut) with new songs by Prince, but nothing came through and the production was likely cancelled due to some arguments between Kroyer and Warner Bros. However, a few of the concepts later went into Jay Stephens' animated TV show version of his comic Tutenstein, and the rest would be used for the Warner Bros. Spanish animated movie Moomios.[6]
Marco Polo
Warner Bros. Feature Animation had plans to make an animated epic movie based on and inspired by the life and times of famous explorer Marco Polo. However the film's production was canceled due to high production costs.[7]
Warner Bros. Animation originally considered producing an animated television series based on the Marv Wolfman, George Pérez and Arnold Drake comic book of the same name, but plans for it were cancelled, and an animated series unrelated to the DC animated universe was produced instead and aired simultaneously on Cartoon Network and Kids' WB from 2003 to 2006.
Feature film
The Snow Queen
Another animated film that was going to be directed by Bill Kroyer and produced by Kroyer Films for Warner Bros. Animation was in the works, this film was going to be based on The Snow Queen, but after heated arguments between Kroyer and Warner Bros. and Kroyer being fired from directing Quest for Camelot, production for The Snow Queen, along with King Tut and Arrow (an animated film fully made by Kroyer Films and distributed by Warner Bros.), was forced to be shut down.[6][failed verification]
In 1995, there were plans for an animated musical film centered around the Mexican Holiday of the same name with art work by Milton Knight and would predate famous Day of the Dead animated films like The Book of Life and Coco. The film was scrapped most likely due to the tragic death of Selena, whom the filmmakers and songwriters really wanted to be one of the voices in the movie before production even started.[8]
Shangri-La
According to animator Michel Gagné's website. Warner Bros. Feature Animation had plans for an animated movie about a group of friends going on a quest to find the city of Shangri-La, after finding a map to it. However the film's production was shut down for unknown reasons.[9]
In 1995, Storyopolis announced it was co-producing a musical animated film adaptation of the children's book Nicholas Cricket by Joyce Maxner and William Joyce with Warner Bros.[11] In 1999, it was announced that Sandra Bullock's production company Fortis Films had extended its production deal with Warner Bros with Nicholas Cricket as one of its projects, and Karey Kirkpatrick was attached as screenwriter.[12]
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Along with a series of announced projects, Storyopolis announced they were adapting the children's novel The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Nancy Willard. In January 1997, Geena Davis was cast to voice the female apprentice Sylvia and her production company, the Forge, was co-producing the film. Bill Marsilli was also attached to serve as the project's screenwriter.[11]
The Jester
Along with a series of announced projects, Storyopolis announced they were co-producing an animated film about a Jester going on a quest to save his kingdom and win the love of his life.[13]
The Iguana Brothers
Along with a series of announced projects, Storyopolis announced they were adapting the children's book The Iguana Brothers by Tony Johnston and Marc Teague. The story was to tell a road trip featuring two iguanas who travel to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival.[11][14] The film was later moved to Blue Sky Studios only for that to be canceled as well.[15]
Along with a series of announced projects, Storyopolis announced they were adapting the children's book, Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed, into a live-action/animated hybrid film.[11][14]
Wagstaffe the Wind-Up Boy
An animated adaption of Wagstaffe the Wind-Up Boy by Jan Needle, the story of a boy born with a wind-up key in his back, was in the works at Warner Bros. Animation, but was cancelled when the next project that was announced was The Iron Giant.[6][failed verification]
In 1996, an animated feature film adaptation of Blue Moose by children's book author Daniel Pinkwater of a cook named Mr. Breton (set to be voiced by Fred Melamed) gets help from a rare blue moose (set to be voiced by Rick Moranis) to make his restaurant even better was in the works at Warner Bros. Dan Aykroyd was also set to voice Mr. Bobowicz the game warden and Christopher Plummer was set to voice Dave the friendly, but shy forest hermit. However, it was cancelled when Warner Bros. decided to make Quest for Camelot as their next movie instead.[6]
Haunted Holiday
In 1996, animator Ralph Eggleston was set to direct his first animated feature film at Warner Bros. that was based on the famous ghost story Bluebeard called Haunted Holiday with Tim Curry as the voice of Baron Azuro, a character that was modeled after him. However the production was shut down after the failure of Quest for Camelot and Warner Bros. putting their money on The Iron Giant. After that, Ralph Eggleston left Warner Bros. Animation to return to Pixar in which he won an Academy Award for his short For the Birds.[20]
Untitled Mr. Limpet remake
In 1996, a live-action/animated hybrid remake of The Incredible Mr. Limpet was in development with a screenplay written by Space Jam writers Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti.[21] By 1997, Jim Carrey entered negotiations to star in the title role,[22] and was confirmed in February 1998 with Steve Oedekerk hired as the writer and director.[23][24] The star of the original film Don Knotts was aware of plans for the remake, which he wrote about in his autobiography, and offered his support. Roughly $10 million was spent on animation tests to digitally map Carrey's motion-captured human face onto a fish's body, which produced disastrous results.[25] By March 1999, Oedekerk left the project following creative differences,[26] while Carrey followed suit in July.[27] In April 2000, Warner Bros. hired Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill creator Mike Judge as director and co-writer, with Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, and Adam Sandler in consideration for the lead role. Filming was set to begin early 2001,[26][28] but the project did not materialize for undisclosed reasons. In June 2009, it was announced that Enchanted director Kevin Lima was attached to direct.[29] In 2010, it was reported that Zach Galifianakis was in talks for the lead role.[30] In March 2011, Richard Linklater entered negotiations to helm the project,[31] and was announced as the director in January 2014.[32] That same month, Femke Wolting and Tommy Pallotta had begun working on the design and animation on the project while Galifianakis would reportedly play the lead character.[33] On July 8, 2014, it was announced that Jon Hamm, Danny McBride, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele had entered talks for various roles in the film.[34] On August 4, Linklater left the project to concentrate on his next film That's What I'm Talking About (released in 2016 as Everybody Wants Some!!).[35]
After the success of Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero,Warner Bros. greenlighted the production of a third installment, entitled Batman: Arkham. Boyd Kirkland, the director of this film, was attached to write and direct. The film would have Batman and Robin facing off against a collection of Arkham Asylum escapees, in addition to Batman finding himself falling in love with a new love interest, planned to be voiced by Angie Harmon. The main cast of Batman: The Animated Series was attached to reprise their roles. Steven E. Gordon also drew some art concept for the film. However, the film was cancelled in favor of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (which also featured Harmon),[4] while Batman: Arkham eventually became a successful video game series by Rocksteady.
Feature film
Sho and the Demons of the Deep
In 1998, Warner Bros. Animation pitched an idea for an animated film based on Sho and the Demons of the Deep by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko about a story set in ancient Japan of how kites came to be. However the project was cancelled after no news came and problems at Warner Bros. Feature Animation.[6][failed verification]
According to animator Alex Williams, Warner Bros. Feature Animation had plans to do an animated anthology film called The Zoo about the days, lives and shenanigans of the animals living in the same zoo. However, it was canceled after Quest for Camelot did not do to well at the box office.[38]
Sequels to Quest for Camelot that were based on the books The Green Knight and King Arthur's Daughter by Vera Chapman were in the works at Warner Bros. However, after Quest for Camelot became a commercial and critical failure, the sequels' productions were shut down immediately.[10][failed verification]
In 2003, Warner Bros. had approached professional skater Tony Hawk to star in a live action/animated hybrid film with the Looney Tunes, the project was shelved after the failure of Looney Tunes Back in Action.[41][42] However, in 2021, Warner Bros later released a sequel titled Space Jam: A New Legacy starring NBA athlete LeBron James.
Looney Tunes theatrical shorts
In 2003, Warner Bros. Animation had plans to return to making Looney Tunes shorts, produced by Larry Doyle. But the box office failure of Looney Tunes: Back in Action, prevented several short projects from happening, despite the film’s positive reception.
In the mid-2000s, producer James Tucker wanted to make a traditional animated television adaptation of Batman: No Man's Land with designs by Coran Stone, but its production was shut down when Warner Bros. Animation found it too dark for television.[4] Later, a second attempt to make a television adaptation was in the works during the late 2000s, but with CGI. However, like their earlier attempt, Warner Bros. found it too dark and violent for television.[4]
In March 2005, it was announced that Warner Bros. had closed a deal to produce an animated film based on Neopets.[45] In February 2006, it was announced that Rob Lieber was hired to write the screenplay. Jimmy Neutron creator John A. Davis was attached as director along with Dylan Seller as producer.[46] However, the project was later cancelled.
A second movie of The Batman titled The Batman vs. Hush that featured Hush as the main villain along with the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman and Clayface was planned for a long time. However, the film ended up being scrapped.[47] Before its cancellation, producer Alan Burnett had hopes of making one or two more DTV movies based on The Batman.[48] However, a film based on Batman: Hush ultimately came out in 2019 as part of the DC Animated Movie Universe.
In June 2006, during an interview about Superman: Brainiac Attacks, writer Duane Capizzi mentioned a Superman series set in the same universe of The Batman, a possibility supported by Superman's revealed existence during the show's fifth season.[49]
Tom Ruegger pitched an idea for a TV show where the Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters have crossovers together in different stories and parodies, but the series was scrapped when the executives found it too disorienting combining both franchises together.[51]
In 2009, an animated series that re-imagined the Batman characters as high school students was in development. But was scrapped for unknown reasons.[52]
Hanna-Barbera
Hong Kong Phooey
On July 12, 2009, it was announced that David A. Goodman had been hired to write the screenplay for a live-action/animated Hong Kong Phooey film to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures.[53]Alex Zamm was slated to direct, and Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Brett Ratner, and Jay Stern were identified as producers.[54] According to the announcement, Alcon Entertainment would back the film.[55] It was announced on August 10, 2011, that Eddie Murphy would be voicing Hong Kong Phooey in the film.[55] On December 28, 2012, test footage of the film was leaked, showing a computer-generated character in live-action scenery.[56] As of April 2025[update], no further information has been revealed since, and the film has likely been cancelled.
An animated film based on Aquaman was first mentioned by Bruce Timm in 2010, but it was cancelled due to marketing concerns.[50][57] In December 2013, filmmaker Adam Green stated he had written a screenplay for the project.[58]
On October 2010, it was reported that Warner Bros. was producing a live-action/CGI film centered on the Looney Tunes character Pepé Le Pew. Mike Myers was slated to voice the character.[60] In 2016, Max Landis told San Diego Comic-Con that he was writing the script for the film.[61] The movie was cancelled due to sexual assault allegations against Landis in 2017, as well as Warner Bros decisions to not include Pepe Le Pew in future productions since 2021.[62]
Speedy Gonzales
On February 2010, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema announced a live action/animated feature film featuring the Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales. George Lopez was attached to voice the character.[63] In December 2015, it was reported that an animated film was in development at Warner Bros., under the working title Speedy.[64] In April 2016, it was announced that Eugenio Derbez would voice the character.[65] In April 2024, in an interview, Eugenio Derbez said that he doubts that the movie will happen saying “I feel that the studios are afraid that, nowadays, it's so politically incorrect. I've been telling them constantly that we love Speedy Gonzales in Mexico” [66]
In March 2012, Warner Bros. announced they had optioned Sean Rubin's upcoming graphic novel Bolivar for an intended animated feature film. Irish filmmaker Kealan O'Rourke has been attached to write and direct the project. Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster were to produce the film through their Weed Road company.[73] However, in April 2018, 20th Century Fox Animation announced they had acquired the rights to the book.[74] Although, Blue Sky Studios did shut down on April 10, 2021.
In February 2015, a film based on the Cartoon Network animated series Adventure Time reportedly entered development. Adventure Time creatore Pendleton Ward was set to write and executive-produce, with Chris McKay and Roy Lee producing the film. It would have been a collaboration between Warner Animation Group, Cartoon Network Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, and Frederator Films.[77][78] In October 2015, Adventure Time producer Adam Muto said that Pendleton was developing the film's premise, but stated that there was "nothing official to announce yet".[79] In July 2018, he said that the film was never "officially announced", and in later that August, he stated that the series' finale would not affect development on a potential movie nor would it lead to it, but noted that "all the lore and stuff would not work for a first time viewer", and so, it would need to work on its own to be successful.[80][81]
In March 2015, Warner Bros. announced that a third Lego Movie spin-off, titled The Billion Brick Race was in development. Jason Segel and Drew Pearce were signed on to co-direct and write the film. On August 2, 2017, it was announced that Jorge R. Gutierrez had signed on as director, with Pearce stepping down. At that time, the film was scheduled to be released on May 24, 2019, but on February 8, 2018, it was announced that Gutierrez had left the project.[82][83][84] Following the box office underperformance of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the franchise moved to Universal Pictures on December 20, 2019.[85][86]
In September 2015, an animated musical film based on the Beatles was announced to be in development at Warner Animation Group with Paul King in talks to direct.[87]
On November 17, 2016, it was announced that Warner Animation Group was adapting Jeff Smith's comic series Bone into an animated film with Mark Osborne to direct it. However, in October 2019, it was announced the project had been sold to Netflix to become a television series, which was later cancelled in April 2022 due to a reorganization at Netflix Animation.[88][89][90]
Fowl Road
In February 2016, it was announced that Nicholas Stoller was attached to direct an animated film titled Fowl Road. The project was to be a satirical premise about a chicken and a hen who must cross a super highway to save their daughter from a fried chicken company, which would be a take on the "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke.[91]
Two additional shorts for theatrical distribution were in production alongside The Master in 2016: Contagious directed by Patrick Osbourne, and Emmet Amuck directed by Jon Saunders and Ross Evans. Both ultimately went unreleased.[93][94][95]
Producer Butch Lukic brought a proposal to Warner Bros. for Wonder Woman animated series set in the World War II, but was rejected due to the development of the live-action film Wonder Woman, which is set in the World War I. Some of the concepts for the story and setting were later incorporated in the animated film Justice Society: World War II, which was produced by Lukic.[96]
In December 2018, Chris McKay confirmed that a sequel to The Lego Batman Movie was in development and that he would return to direct the film.[100] However, the film was canceled due to Warner Bros. losing the Lego film rights to Universal after The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part underperformed at the box office.[85][101] In 2021, McKay revealed that the script was being written by Michael Waldron and Dan Harmon. It would have focused on Batman's relationship with the Justice League, particularly Superman, and the main villains would have been Lex Luthor and OMAC.[102]
In November 2019, it was announced that Locksmith Animation was developing That Christmas, an animated feature based on a series of Richard Curtis-penned children's books.[103][citation needed] It was originally expected to be released by Warner Bros. under its Warner Animation Group banner,[104] but was taken over by Netflix in June 2022, when the company had unveiled it as part of its slate of animated films, and was released on December 4, 2024.[105]
Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera
Tooned Out
On October 29, 2019, at the HBO Max launch event, it was announced a live-action/animated hybrid TV series featuring Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters to be produced by Warner Bros. Animation and ImageMovers, the series was in development after it was announced as Tooned Out, to be released on the then upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service. Zemeckis teamed up with Jared Stern to write the series.[106] It was set to premiere on Max, but as of 2025, there have been no official updates since then.
On June 4, 2020, co-creative director of the show's visual style, Genevieve Tsai uploaded concept art of characters to social media.[108] WarnerMedia Kids & Family announced on February 17, 2021, that they were developing the show.[109] On September 3, 2021, ten days before Cartoonito's launch, the show's name was changed from its working title to Tom and Jerry Time. The show was to premiere in 2022, but was changed to 2023. On Twitter, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on September 8, 2022, that they will also invest in animated children's programs, which would include Tom and Jerry Time among other animated shows. The future WBD platform also invested in animated programming. In July 2023, Will Finn confirmed on Social Media that the show was axed by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.[110]
In April 2021, film director Ava DuVernay confirmed that she will executive produce an animated TV series adaptation of the Wings of Fire novel series with both Warner Bros. Animation and Netflix Animation. However, plans for the show have been canceled due to problems going on at Netflix.[111][112]
DC Animated Universe
Smallville animated series
In 2021, Tom Welling and Smallville co-star Michael Rosenbaum were developing an animated series revival to the series and wanted to "use as many of the original cast members as possible".[113] He and Rosenbaum prepared a pitch of the series for Warner Bros.,[114] and they delivered to them in January 2022.[115]John Glover, Sam Jones III, Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance, and original series showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar were said to return,[116] with the exception of Allison Mack due to sex trafficking charges made against her for which she was convicted and imprisoned.[117][118] No production updates were provided following the initial announcements.
A prequel to the 2020 film Scoob!, directed by Bill Haller and Michael Kurinsky, was originally intended for release on HBO Max, but the film's release was cancelled following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery by CEO David Zaslav in August 2022, despite its production being 95% complete.
A cancelled project that would have been the fifteenth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise.[119] The series was animated and was an educational show made for preschool children. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and would have premiered on Max (through Cartoon Network's Cartoonito block) in 2024.[120]
^Lima, Sara (August 5, 2011). "'Batgirl: Year One' Gets the Animated Treatment". Comic Vine. Retrieved May 19, 2018. After all, Warner Brothers animation director (Wonder Woman, Justice League) Lauren Montgomery had cited interest in doing a Batgirl animated film based on the 'Batgirl: Year One' graphic novel in the past.
^Fischer, Travis (July 25, 2011). "CCI: "Batman: Year One" Premiere Panel Recap". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 19, 2018. When asked about continuing the "Year One" line with Batgirl, Timm was a little more optimistic. "I suppose we could sneak it in there," he said. "I'd love to do it, personally."
