Sony Pictures Animation (SPA) General Thread

I've taken notice of certain threads pertaining to the studio but focused on different topics have been closed due to varying reasons, so I decided to create a general thread for us to hold discussion about the studio and their existing and upcoming projects. Due to various reasons SPA doesn't exactly have the best reputation on the block; thus I ask for the help mods to help regulate this thread to prevent it meeting the same fate as former attempts. I would greatly appreciate it.

Quick background: Sony Pictures Animation is Sony's animation division, who have made theatrical CG films, direct-to-video CG films, and theatrical live-action/CG films. Mostly known for their Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Hotel Transylvania, and (The) Smurfs film series. This thread is to talk about their existing and upcoming films and studio operations.

Latest reports concerning this studio is that Gennedy Tartavotsky (who directed their Hotel Transylvania films) was developing a new project for the studio called Can You Imagine?, but it was recently revealed that the studio decided not to greenlight the film into production. This is also following on the studio shutting down a Popeye project he was working on (which had gotten as far as an a animation test the studio released) for a few years back.

Have at it with this latest news, but please regulate your posts so that this thread doesn't suffer the same fate as others.

edited 13th Jul '17 7:12:36 PM by Yeow95

So...if it's okay to ask this...

Does anybody think The You-Know-What Movie's inevitable underperformance will slap some sense into SPA?

Even one will regret this movie was made, the 90's would probably be a lesson on why fad based movies are never good.

It probably will if it does. The-movie-that-shall-not-be-named becoming a bomb would probably give Sony the kick in the pants it needs in order to find out what audiences truly want, not stuff that panders to fads like is implying.

Though I'm wondering what'll happen if it does do well. To be quite honest, I'm not expecting it to, considering the Audience-Alienating Premise and the trailers drowning in things that seem like should be spoilers.

I've been wrong before, though.

Also, since the-movie-that-shall-not-be-named has been brought up, everyone be careful and try to keep things civilized.

edited 13th Jul '17 7:45:41 PM by kablammin45

Lauren Faust and Gennedy deserved better than how their projects were treated. They traded good work for crap, in this case literally.

edited 13th Jul '17 7:47:15 PM by firewriter

Is Genndy Tartakovsky doing anything new apart from finishing Samurai Jack and doing Hotel Transylvania 3?

The back of my head really wants SPA to bring him back for Popeye...

I know it's next to impossible, but the back of my head really wants to believe.

nope. hate to be a cynic but they might as well not bother with sony and go indie.

Or some other studio could do their own Popeye and miraculously decide to have Tartakovsky at the helm (pun intended).

Not that that's a bad idea, but it's not like Popeye is in the public domain, is it? Somebody still owns the Popeye IP, right?

Popeye is owned by King Features Syndicate according to Wikipedia

According to one article title it's in public domain in Europe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye

edited 14th Jul '17 12:56:25 PM by Ultimatum

So...theoretically speaking, if we were desperate enough to the point of believing that we just can't live without having Genndy Tartakovsky accomplish his dream of doing a Popeye movie, we could:

• Acquire a large sum of cash (Somehow.)
• Ask King Features Syndicate if we could buy the film rights to Popeye while explaining the issue regarding SPA's vision of a Popeye movie (namely why it's moronic and dumb) and pray they say yes.
• Wrestle the film rights out of SPA's incompetent claws, while getting Genndy in on the scheme.
• Shop the idea of an old-fashioned CG Popeye movie as directed by the guy who made Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack to perhaps Paramount, Universal, WB via their Warner Animation Group, or even Netflix.
• Profit!

edited 14th Jul '17 3:14:19 PM by TargetmasterJoe

Dude, the Popeye movie is dead. It's time to move on.

Tartakovsky probably doesn't even feel like doing it right now, it's no use trying to force solutions for him to do it anyways.

edited 14th Jul '17 2:59:03 PM by AdricDePsycho

Yeah, but it's just a big waste to see such a good idea be shelved in favor of such a lowly cash grab.

If Tartakovsky wasn't in the mood to do Popeye again, how come a robotic version of the spinach-munching sailor man showed up in an episode of Samurai Jack's final season? It can't just be a coincidence. He still remembers, man. He still remembers.

Especially when everyone knows said cash grab is going to tank.

edited 14th Jul '17 3:22:23 PM by TargetmasterJoe

Let it go, let it go

Turn away and slam the door

I don't care

what they're going to say

Let the storm rage on.

The prospect of a popeye film never interested me anyway!

Awww, phooey!

Just because he put a reference to Popeye doesn't mean it's gonna happen. Yeah, lots of potentially great shit never gets made, but guess what? That's life. Bogging this thread with complaining about how the Popeye movie should've been made is just gonna get it locked. It's over. It's been dealt with. It's not happening. Listen to Elsa and let it go.

Yeah I'm bummed it ain't happening either but I planning out ways that it can happen again is not only an exercise in futility but, to be honest, kind of insulting to Tartakovsky? You can't force him to make the movie because you all personally want it.

edited 14th Jul '17 3:42:52 PM by AdricDePsycho

Wait, how is it insulting to Tartakovsky?

Forcing him to work on something he probably doesn't want to do?

Yeah, exactly. Maybe he wants to, ya know, move on from Popeye for now? Yeah, there's a possibility he'll get to do it in the future but forcing him to make something when he's making other things is kind of rude.

, : All right, valid arguments. I'll drop it.

Now personally I'd prefer we actually discuss Sony Pictures Animation and not use this as another excuse to rant about The Emoji Movie for the upteenth time. How about maybe discussing some of their other movies?

edited 14th Jul '17 3:55:10 PM by AdricDePsycho

...anybody remember Surf's Up?

I do. Saw some of it the other day. Was kind of interesting how a lot of it was improvised dialogue.

I do have to say Sony Pictures is in the same league as Illumination and Blue Sky when comes to 2010's film quality. They do have potential to go beyond, but they are held back by playing it too safe. I mean Sony Pictures did do the first Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs very well along with Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!.

edited 15th Jul '17 12:04:12 AM by firewriter

Knowing how personal a project Popeye was to Tartakovsky, I'd be very surprised if his reaction to Sony screwing him out of making it was to declare the dream dead and forget about it.

More likely, as such projects tend to go in Hollywood, he'll shelve it for now and try again down the line - even if down the line means several years.