History WhatCouldHaveBeen / DreamWorksAnimation

** In fact, one early film idea was for a film titled "Bugs: Light's Out", the film being about microscopic robot insects who were responsible for electronics and machinery, going as far as having a fleshed-out script and a few animation tests made to pitch the film idea. The idea was scrapped when PDI was picked up by [=DreamWorks=] to create what ultimately became ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.

* Another project, ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', was to be a musical directed by ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan's]]'' Kevin Lima with songs penned by Stephen Schwartz (who previously collaborated with [=DreamWorks=] on ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'') and A.R. Rahman, but sat at the studio for years. It was officially confirmed by Lima to be cancelled in December 2017.

** Initially teased in 2009 as a "Super-Secret Ghost Project". DWA formally announced the film later that year as ''Boo U'' which was set to focus a ghost returning to ghost school and the film was going to be directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay by Jon Vitti & Yong Duk Jhun (however, Leonidis and Tom Wheeler later took over writing duties when it was in production as ''B.O.O.'') Later in 2012, the film was retitled to ''B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations'' and the story was set to now focus on two agents known as Jackson Moss and Watts who join a secret organization called B.O.O. and along the way, they find out a plot to destroy the organization by Drake, the agency's Most Wanted Hunter. The cast was also revealed at that time and production was going well...until January 2015 when DWA shuttered PDI and this led to ''B.O.O.'' being cancelled despite the film being halfway into production. In the case of ''B.O.O.'' all character designs were finalized and the first few pieces of official merchandise were revealed before any marketing began on the film. The film was one of the two films Creator/{{Hasbro}} was signed on to make the toys alongside ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}''. ''B.O.O.'' was also teased to have an animated series set after the events of the film.

* [=DreamWorks=] also had a similar project called ''Vivo'' that featured songs by Creator/LinManuelMiranda, which ultimately entered turnaround due to a January 2015 restructuring. However, unlike ''B.O.O'', ''Me And My Shadow'', or ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', this project would eventually find a new home at Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (which [[WesternAnimation/{{Vivo}} did]] happen), to be directed by ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCroods The Croods']]'' Kirk [=DeMicco=] and co-produced by ex-Disney employee Rich Moore.
* In the mid-2000s, they came this close to creating a property based on Miss Chevious, a character from an extremely obscure 80s black-and-white comic (''ComicBook/TalesFromTheAniverse''). Given [=DreamWorks=]' muscle, it could easily have lifted a 6-issue furry comic from the 80s to prominence, but apparently someone high up the ladder didn't understand the [[http://www.myspace.com/zimmgraphix/blog/527198549 treatment]] written by the comic's creator.

** The Dalian Wanda Group, which previously owned the AMC theater chain, had also discussed an acquisition of [=DreamWorks=], but it never got serious; Dalian Wanda acquired Creator/LegendaryPictures altogether and eventually [[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36405450 declared war on Disney in China without DreamWorks Animation.]]

* ''Tusker'' was going to be a movie centered around elephants and supposed to be the follow-up to ''Shrek'' before a sequel to that took precedence; once it was canned, ''Westernanimation/{{TMNT}}'' makers Imagi inherited the project, but the studio closed just one year later.

** In fact, one early film idea was for a film titled "Bugs: Light's Out", the film being about microscopic robot insects who were responsible for electronics and machinery, going as far as having a fleshed-out script and a few animation tests made to pitch the film idea. The idea was scrapped when PDI was picked up by Dreamworks to create what ultimately became ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.

* In the late 90s, Creator/GregWeisman was [[https://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=8617 developing a bunch of stuff]] for their short-lived TV animation division -- including an animated series based on ''Film/SmallSoldiers'', ''Steven Spielberg's Cliffhangers'', an action anthology series involving a new 5-episode serial every week (with each ep ending on a cliffhanger, hence the name), and a series based on a DW video game, ''VideoGame/TaiFuWrathOfTheTiger''.

** Another idea was a film called Gargoyles and another unknown third film. Not much information is known about either of these films.

* [=DreamWorks=] also had a similar project called ''Vivo'' that featured songs by Creator/LinManuelMiranda, which ultimately entered turnaround due to a January 2015 restructuring. However, unlike ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', this project would eventually find a new home at Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (which [[WesternAnimation/{{Vivo}} did]] happen), to be directed by ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCroods The Croods']]'' Kirk [=DeMicco=] and co-produced by ex-Disney employee Rich Moore.

** In fact, one early film idea was for a film titled "Bugs: Light's Out", the film being about microscopic robot insects who were responsible for electronics and machinery, going as far as having a fleshed-out script and a few animation tests made to pitch the film idea. The idea was scrapped when PDI was picked up by DreamWorks to create what ultimately became ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.

** Infact one early film idea was a film called "Bugs: Light's Out" about microscopic insect-like robots who were responsible for the entropy of electronics and machinery. Despite a developed script and some test animations made to pitch the film, the idea was scrapped when the studio was picked up by Dreamworks to make ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.

** Infact one early film idea was a film called "Bugs: Light's Out" about microscopic insect-like robots who were responsible for the entropy of electronics and machinery. Despite a developed script and some test animations made to pitch the film, the idea was scrapped when the studio was picked up by Dreamworks to make WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}.

* ''Tusker'' was going to be a movie centered around elephants and supposed to be the follow-up to ''Shrek'' before a sequel to that took precedence; once it was canned, ''Westernanimation/{{TMNT}}'' makers Imagi inherited the project, but the studio closed just one year later.

* ''Zodiac'' was going to be the first film from Oriental [=DreamWorks=] that was

** ''Spooky Jack'': The film was announced in 2017, a year after the [[Creator/NBCUniversal NBCU]] acquisition and was set to follow three siblings who move into a new house and find out creatures that they don't exist bu they find out that the creatures actually do exist. This was going to be the first co-production for DWA and Creator/BlumhouseProductions and would have been the latter's first animated feature and would target families rather than BH's adult-focused horror films they produced for DWA's parent company Creator/{{Universal}}.

** ''Me and My Shadow'': Announced in 2010, the film would follow a man named Daniel Grubb who teams up with his shadow to stop a shadow villain from forming a rebellion and taking over other people's shadows. The film would have been an innovative move for the studio as it would combine CG animation with traditional animation. However, due to the box office bust of ''WesternAnimation/MrPeabodyAndSherman'' and ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'', the film was cancelled in 2014. In 2015, DWA announced that Creator/EdgarWright would develop a story following the similar concept but this one was also cancelled.
** Initially teased in 2009 as a "Super-Secret Ghost Project". DWA formally announced the film later that year as ''Boo U'' which was set to focus a ghost returning to ghost school. Later in 2012, the film was retitled to ''B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations'' and the film was going to be directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay by Jon Vitti & Yong Duk Jhun. The story was set to now focus on two agents known as Jackson Moss and Watts who join a secret organization called B.O.O. and along the way, they find out a plot to destroy the organization by Drake, the agency's Most Wanted Hunter. The cast was also revealed at that time and production was going well...until 2014 when DWA shuttered PDI and this led to ''B.O.O.'' and ''Me and My Shadow'' being cancelled despite the two films being halfway into production. In the case of ''B.O.O.'' all character designs were finalized and the first few pieces of official merchandise were revealed before any marketing began on the film. The film was one of the two films Creator/{{Hasbro}} was signed on to make the toys alongside ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}''. ''B.O.O.'' was also teased to have an animated series set after the events of the film.
** The studio, at one point, worked on an animated musical titled ''Larrikins'' directed by Music/TimMinchin, taking place in the LandDownunder and starring anthropomorphic UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife. When the movie got cancelled, its characters got recycled for the short film ''WesternAnimation/{{Bilby}}'' instead.
** ''Spooky Jack'': The film was announced in 2017, a year after the [[Creator/NBCUniversal NBCU]] acquisition and was set to follow three siblings who move into a new house and find out creatures that they don't exist bu they find out that the creatures actually do exist. This was going to be the first co-production for DWA and Creator/BlumhouseProductions and would have been the latter's first animated feature and would target families rather than BH's adult-focused horror films they produced for DWA's parent company Creator/{{Universal}}.

** ''Spooky Jack'': The film was announced in 2017, a year after the [[Creator/NBCUniversal NBCU]] acquisition and was set to follow three siblings who move into a new house and find out creatures that they don't exist and they actually do exist. This was going to be the first co-production for DWA and Creator/BlumhouseProductions and would have been the latter's first animated feature and would target families rather than BH's adult-focused horror films they produced for DWA's parent company Creator/{{Universal}}.

** Initially teased in 2009 as a "Super-Secret Ghost Project". DWA formally announced the film later that year as ''Boo U'' which was set to focus a ghost returning to ghost school. Later in 2012, the film was retitled to ''B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations'' and the film was going to be directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay by Jon Vitti & Yong Duk Jhun. The story was set to now focus on two agents known as Jackson Moss and Watts who join a secret organization called B.O.O. and along the way, they find out a plot to destroy the organization by Drake, the agency's Most Wanted Hunter. The cast was also revealed at that time and production was going well...until 2014 when DWA shuttered PDI and this led to ''B.O.O.'' and ''Me and My Shadow'' being cancelled despite the two films being halfway into production. In the case of ''B.O.O.'' all character designs were finalized and the first few pieces of official merchandise were revealed before any marketing began on the film. The film was one of the two films Creator/{{Hasbro}} was signed on to make the toys alongside ''WesternAnimation/Trolls''. ''B.O.O.'' was also teased to have an animated series set after the events of the film.

** Initially teased in 2009 as a "Super-Secret Ghost Project". DWA formally announced the film later that year as ''Boo U'' which was set to focus a ghost returning to ghost school. Later in 2012, the film was retitled to ''B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations'' and the film was going to be directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay by Jon Vitti & Yong Duk Jhun. The story was set to now focus on two agents known as Jackson Moss and Watts who join a secret organization called B.O.O. and along the way, they find out a plot to destroy the organization by Drake, the agency's Most Wanted Hunter. The cast was also revealed at that time and production was going well...until 2014 when DWA shuttered PDI and this led to ''B.O.O.'', ''Me and My Shadow'' and ''Monkeys of Mumbai'' all being cancelled despite all three films being halfway into production. In the case of ''B.O.O.'' all character designs were finalized and the first few pieces of official merchandise were revealed before any marketing began on the film. The film was one of the two films Creator/{{Hasbro}} was signed on to make the toys alongside ''WesternAnimation/Trolls''. ''B.O.O.'' was also teased to have an animated series set after the events of the film.

** ''Spooky Jack'': The film was announced in 2017, a year after the [[Creator/NBCUniversal NBCU]] acquisition and was set to follow three siblings who move into a new house and find out creatures that they don't exist and they actually do exist. This was going to be the first co-production for DWA and Creator/BlumhouseProductions and would have been the studio's first animated feature and would target families rather than BH's adult-focused terror films they produced for DWA's parent company Creator/{{Universal}}.

* Aside from ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', [=DreamWorks=] (when their output was distributed by Fox) also had films that were nearly into production that were also cancelled. These include:

** Initially teased in 2009 as a "Super-Secret Ghost Project". DWA formally announced the film later that year as ''Boo U'' which was set to focus a ghost returning to ghost school. Later in 2012, the film was retitled to ''B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations'' and the film was going to be directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay by Jon Vitti and Yong Duk Jhun. The story was set to focus now on two appaaritions who join a secret organization called B.O.O. and along the way, they reveal a plot to destroy the organization by Drake, the agency's Most Wanted Hunter. The cast was also revealed at that time and production was going well...until 2014 when DWA shuttered PDI and this led to ''B.O.O.'', ''Me and My Shadow'' and ''Monkeys of Mumbai'' all being cancelled despite all three films being halfway into production. In the case of ''B.O.O.'' all character designs were finalized and the first few pieces of official merchandise were revealed before any marketing began on the film. The film was one of the two films Creator/{{Hasbro}} was signed on to make the toys alongside ''WesternAnimation/Trolls''.

** Creator/{{Hasbro}} considered [[https://deadline.com/2014/11/dreamworks-animation-hasbro-merger-negotiations-in-works-1201282751/ merging with DreamWorks Animation]] in 2014 as well, but [[http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/11/14/hasbro-dreamworks-animation-reportedly-end-merger-negotiations/ quickly pulled out]] after Hasbro's stock [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-hasbro-end-merger-749215 lost $300 million in value]] the day after the announcement and because [=DreamWorks=]'s high asking price of $35 per share when their current value was considerably less and falling was too much for them[[note]]Funnily enough, Comcast paid ''$41'' per share when they successfully sealed the deal with [=DreamWorks=] two years later[[/note]]. Disney also wasn't [[WhatWereYouThinking terribly wild about the idea]] after they had sealed their [[OffTheRails own deal with Hasbro a month prior]][[note]]Ironically, rumors of Disney buying Hasbro circulated prior to these deals[[/note]]; Hasbro never discussed the merger with them, although to be fair, the details of the intended merger were from a letter that someone leaked to the press, meaning there may have been different plans.\\\

* The studio, at one point, worked on an animated musical titled ''Larrikins'' directed by Music/TimMinchin, taking place in the LandDownunder and starring anthropomorphic UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife. When the movie got cancelled, its characters got recycled for the short film ''WesternAnimation/{{Bilby}}'' instead.

[[caption-width-right:350:An image of ''Bugs: Lights Out'' a scrapped PDI film Pre-Dreamworks.]]

* At one point in the mid-90s, Will Vinton sold a pitch for a live-action/CGI animated film to DreamWorks, whatever that project was it seems like it never happened.

** Another idea was a film called Gargoyles and another unknown third film. Not much information is known about ether of these films.

* At one point in the mid-90s Will Vinton sold a pitch for a live-action/CGI animated film to dreamworks, Whatever that project was it seems like it never happened.

* ''Tusker'' was going to be a movoe centered around elephants and supposed to be the follow-up to ''Shrek'' before a sequel to that took precedence; once it was canned, ''Westernanimation/{{TMNT}}'' makers Imagi inherited the project, but the studio closed just one year later.

* There are dozens of whole films that were never made. These include ''Punk Farm''[[note]]based on a children's book[[/note]] and ''Truckers''[[note]]based on ''Literature/TheNomesTrilogy'' by Creator/TerryPratchett[[/note]].

* In the late 90s, Creator/GregWeisman was [[https://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=8617 developing a bunch of stuff]] for their short-lived TV animation division -- including an animated series based on ''Film/SmallSoldiers'', ''Steven Spielberg's Cliffhangers'', an action anthology series involving a new 5-episode serial every week (with each ep ending on a cliffhanger, hence the name), and a series based on a DW video game, ''VideoGame/TaiFuWrathOfTheTiger''.

* There are dozens of whole films that were never made. These include ''Punk Farm''[[note]]based on a children's book[[/note]] and ''Truckers''[[note]]based on a children's trilogy written by Creator/TerryPratchett[[/note]].

** Another idea was a film called Gargoyles. Not much information is known about it.

[[caption-width-right:350:An image of ''Bugs: Lights Out'' a scrapped PDI film Pre-DreamWorks.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:An image for a scrapped PDI film Pre-Dreamworks.]]

* At one point in the mid-90s Will Vinton sold a pitch for a live-action/CGI animated film, Whatever that project was it seems like it never happened.

** PDI (pre-DW) had plans for a feature-length CGI movie as early as ''1985''. It never happened due to money issues.
*** Infact one early film idea was a film called "Bugs: Light's Out" about microscopic insect-like robots who were responsible for the entropy of electronics and machinery. Despite a developed script and some test animations made to pitch the film, the idea was scrapped when the studio was picked up by Dreamworks to make WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}.
*** Another idea was a film called Gargoyles. Not much information is known about it.
** Creator/JohnKricfalusi was nearly hired to work for them, but after meeting the executives, who wanted him to conform to the studio's style, he backed out. Kricfalusi highlighted this event in [[http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2009/07/ideas-arenas-modern-way-to-write.html his blog]].
** At one point in the mid-90s Will Vinton sold a pitch for a live-action/CGI animated film, Whatever that project was it seems like it never happened.
** There are dozens of whole films that were never made. These include ''Punk Farm''[[note]]based on a children's book[[/note]] and ''Truckers''[[note]]based on a children's trilogy written by Creator/TerryPratchett[[/note]].
** Another project, ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', was to be a musical directed by ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan's]]'' Kevin Lima with songs penned by Stephen Schwartz (who previously collaborated with [=DreamWorks=] on ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'') and A.R. Rahman, but sat at the studio for years. It was officially confirmed by Lima to be cancelled in December 2017.
** [=DreamWorks=] also had a similar project called ''Vivo'' that featured songs by Creator/LinManuelMiranda, which ultimately entered turnaround due to a January 2015 restructuring. However, unlike ''Monkeys of Mumbai'', this project would eventually find a new home at Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (which [[WesternAnimation/{{Vivo}} did]] happen), to be directed by ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCroods The Croods']]'' Kirk [=DeMicco=] and co-produced by ex-Disney employee Rich Moore.
** In the mid-2000s, they came this close to creating a property based on Miss Chevious, a character from an extremely obscure 80s black-and-white comic (''ComicBook/TalesFromTheAniverse''). Given [=DreamWorks=]' muscle, it could easily have lifted a 6-issue furry comic from the 80s to prominence, but apparently someone high up the ladder didn't understand the [[http://www.myspace.com/zimmgraphix/blog/527198549 treatment]] written by the comic's creator.
** Before [=DreamWorks=] Animation was ultimately acquired by [=NBCUniversal=] in 2016, there were multiple companies who tried to purchase the studio prior:
*** Japanese media giant [=SoftBank=] had plans to purchase [=DreamWorks=] Animation in 2014, but for whatever reason the deal fell through, instead investing in Creator/LegendaryPictures, which ironically had another ex-Walt Disney Studios chairman, Dick Cook, on their board.
*** Creator/{{Hasbro}} considered [[https://deadline.com/2014/11/dreamworks-animation-hasbro-merger-negotiations-in-works-1201282751/ merging with DreamWorks Animation]] in 2014 as well, but [[http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/11/14/hasbro-dreamworks-animation-reportedly-end-merger-negotiations/ quickly pulled out]] after Hasbro's stock [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-hasbro-end-merger-749215 lost $300 million in value]] the day after the announcement and because [=DreamWorks=]'s high asking price of $35 per share when their current value was considerably less and falling was too much for them[[note]]Funnily enough, Comcast paid ''$41'' per share when they successfully sealed the deal with [=DreamWorks=] two years later[[/note]]. Disney also wasn't [[WhatWereYouThinking terribly wild about the idea]] after they had sealed their [[OffTheRails own deal with Hasbro a month prior]][[note]]Ironically, rumors of Disney buying Hasbro circulated prior to these deals[[/note]]; Hasbro never discussed the merger with them, although to be fair, the details of the intended merger were from a letter that someone leaked to the press, meaning there may have been different plans.\\\

*** Creator/WarnerBros [[http://variety.com/2016/tv/features/jeff-bewkes-time-warner-merge-1201794546/ also considered buying the studio]], but it went nowhere.
*** The Dalian Wanda Group, which previously owned the AMC theater chain, had also discussed an acquisition of [=DreamWorks=], but it never got serious; Dalian Wanda acquired Creator/LegendaryPictures altogether and eventually [[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36405450 declared war on Disney in China without DreamWorks Animation.]]
*** Employees of Creator/SonyPictures reportedly pressured studio executives to try to acquire [=DreamWorks=] in hopes of bolstering its [[Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation animation unit]] and increase profits. Like the Warner Bros. example above, the talks ended up going nowhere. Before that, SPE was in talks to distribute [=DreamWorks=]'s films when the Paramount deal was coming to an end.
*** Katzenberg considered returning to Paramount after hearing that Viacom considered selling the studio, but the deal never happened; he ultimately wound up forming the doomed mobile-first streaming service Quibi.
*** The last move before the sale to Comcast was Katzenberg talking with Chinese investor PAG Asia to return the company to being private with Katzenberg still at the wheel. The deal was not all that much, however, and Comcast/Universal immediately trumped the offer before it could be finalized.
** After [=NBCUniversal=] bought DWA in 2016, they wanted to have Creator/IlluminationEntertainment's Chris Meledandri to spearhead both studios in the same vein as former Disney/Pixar Animation Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter. Feeling content as CEO of Illumination, Meledandri declined the offer, taking it as a "compliment", and decided to take a consultant role instead.
** The studio, at one point, worked on an animated musical titled ''Larrikins'' directed by Music/TimMinchin, taking place in the LandDownunder and starring anthropomorphic UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife. When the movie got cancelled, its characters got recycled for the short film ''WesternAnimation/{{Bilby}}'' instead.
** In the late 90s, Creator/GregWeisman was [[https://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=8617 developing a bunch of stuff]] for their short-lived TV animation division -- including an animated series based on ''Film/SmallSoldiers'', ''Steven Spielberg's Cliffhangers'', an action anthology series involving a new 5-episode serial every week (with each ep ending on a cliffhanger, hence the name), and a series based on a DW video game, ''VideoGame/TaiFuWrathOfTheTiger''.