These iconic animated movies nearly never saw the light of day! For this list, we’ll be looking at films that were turned down, dropped, or drastically changed by animation studios before receiving acclaim.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Rejected Animated
00:14Movies That Became Successful.
00:21For this list, we'll be looking at films that were turned down, dropped, or drastically
00:24changed by animation studios before receiving acclaim.
00:28Which pick do you think has the greatest underdog story?
00:30Let us know in the comments below!
00:3310.
00:34Heavy Metal
00:35While animated children's movies are regular box office hits, there's also an audience
00:38for more mature works.
00:40This science fiction anthology film was only a moderate commercial and critical success
00:44when it was first released, but over time it's gained popularity.
00:56It was produced by multiple animation studios, with each one working on different segments.
01:01Nelvana Limited turned down their chance to contribute to the project, opting instead
01:05to produce their first feature, Rock and Rule.
01:18The Canadian studio gets credit for producing a full-length film, but they also lost an
01:22opportunity to be associated with a cult classic.
01:319.
01:35Vivo
01:36In 2010, Lin-Manuel Miranda was pitched a movie deal by DreamWorks Animation.
01:40However, the same year Miranda's musical Hamilton took the Broadway world by storm, the studio
01:44underwent a restructuring that caused them to drop the animated project.
01:48It wasn't until 2016 that Sony Pictures Animation picked it up.
02:01In addition to being cast as the titular character, the award-winning composer was also contracted
02:06to write 11 original songs.
02:17The animated feature broke records the month it started streaming on Netflix and received
02:21praise specifically for its music.
02:33It goes to show dropping a project with Lin-Manuel Miranda is never a good idea.
02:378.
02:38Ron's Gone Wrong
02:39The children's movie for a technological age
02:49is the first animated feature from Locksmith Animation.
02:52The film was praised for balancing a mature story with juvenile humor, making it perfect
02:57for the whole family.
03:05However, before its release, the project's filmmakers had trouble nailing down a distributor.
03:14Initially, they had struck a deal with Paramount Pictures, but things fell through when the
03:17company's CEO changed.
03:19The creators next turned to 20th Century Studios, but their acquisitions by The Walt Disney
03:23Company again raised concerns regarding distribution.
03:27Director and director Sarah Smith called the acquisition terrifying.
03:30Luckily, Disney executives ended up approving the film.
03:397.
03:42The Book of Life
03:54From Shrek to How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks Animation is responsible for some of the greatest
03:58contemporary children's movies.
04:09Their roster could have included this beautifully animated feature if it weren't for creative
04:13differences.
04:14In the end, it was produced and distributed by Real FX and 20th Century Fox Animation.
04:19Having already co-created a cartoon for television, writer and director Jorge R. Gutierrez was
04:24very particular about the film's art style.
04:26From the concept images onward, he ensured that the film was visually stunning.
04:30The film product is an impressive display of CGI.
04:406.
04:43Frozen
04:53Walt Disney Animation Studios tried for a long time to make an adaptation of Hans Christian
04:58Andersen's classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen.
05:11The company's namesake himself first suggested the concept in 1940, but the studio decided
05:16the story wasn't relatable.
05:18It was revisited in the 1990s during the Disney Renaissance, but was scrapped in 2002 when
05:22one of the animators left the project.
05:25Another attempt to adapt the tale began in 2008, but it didn't get real traction until
05:282011.
05:29The project underwent a ton of changes.
05:32The character's plot and animation style all developed dramatically throughout the process.
05:37The final product is unlike anything the creators first imagined, and yet is a massive
05:41success.
05:475.
05:51The Emperor's New Groove
05:53Development for a film named Kingdom of the Sun began during the Disney Renaissance, motivated
05:57by the success of The Lion King.
06:00Studio executives greenlit an epic story inspired by Inca culture, however production dragged
06:18and the project was nearly shut down.
06:20After a complete overhaul, the story became a fast-paced buddy story full of slapstick
06:24comedy.
06:25With a new narrative, cast, and name, the final film made it to theaters six months
06:38after its intended release date.
06:40It might have been a nightmare to produce, but we love this Disney classic.
06:504.
06:55The Lion King
06:57This wild movie is one of Disney's greatest success stories.
07:10However the classic we know and love is dramatically different from the film that was first pitched.
07:14The original director, George Scribner, wanted a documentary-style narrative and pushed against
07:19musical additions.
07:20Scribner ended up leaving the project, and no offense to him, but we're kind of happy
07:23he did.
07:24We can't imagine this movie without its soundtrack.
07:37Besides the music, plenty of changes were made to the story throughout production.
07:41For instance, Simba's original arc didn't require him to leave the kingdom as a cub.
07:45Rafiki was originally a cheetah instead of a mandrill.
07:48Sometimes rejecting the parts of a film that aren't working is for the best.
08:003.
08:01The Nightmare Before Christmas
08:03Tim Burton was working for Disney when he wrote a three-page poem inspired by Christmas
08:07and Halloween.
08:19The animation studio considered adapting their employee's original concept in 1982, but
08:23decided it didn't suit their brand.
08:25They shelved the project and later in 1984 fired Burton from his position.
08:30It wasn't until 1990 that the writer discovered his previous employer had retained the film
08:35rights to his intellectual property.
08:49At that point, Burton had a few full-length features to his credit, and Disney executives
08:53were more willing to produce something with his name attached.
08:55They couldn't completely shake their doubts, however, and the stop-motion feature was released
08:59under Touchstone Pictures.
09:01No one imagined the film would find the success it did.
09:132.
09:17The Secret of NIMH
09:28Story-friendly retellings of famous fairy tales and novels are Disney's bread and butter,
09:31so it's surprising to learn that in 1972, the studio turned down the rights to Robert
09:35C. O'Brien's book, Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH.
09:46Years later, a group of animators at the company, including Don Bluth, developed an interest
09:51in adapting the story.
09:52They discussed the project with company executives, but were told that the narrative was too similar
09:56to The Rescuers.
10:07Having been shot down by his higher-ups, Bluth left Disney along with some of his peers.
10:11He established his own production company and directed his first feature film, The Secret
10:15of NIMH.
10:16The independent animated flick rivals those produced by the director's former employer.
10:361.
10:38Toy Story Studio executives and filmmakers alike saw
10:41the potential in this project, but narrative and contractual disagreements almost kept
10:45it from being made.
10:58Before development even began, director John Lasseter was fired from Disney for pitching
11:02a different, fully computer-animated feature.
11:05He went on to help found Pixar and produce an Academy Award-winning short titled Tintoy.
11:14Lasseter's former employer expressed interest in adapting the short, but was resistant to
11:22allowing a picture to be made outside the studio.
11:24After messy negotiations, it was agreed that the film would be a co-production.
11:28Once in development, Disney executives suggested drastic changes to Pixar's proposed story.
11:33It became a buddy comedy with new leads and a different ending.
11:36Certified 100% fresh, the final result is literally perfect.
11:55Do you agree with our picks?
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