| Title |
Description
|
| Emily the Strange |
Since 2000, Rob Reger has been trying to make a feature film adaptation of Emily. In 2005, Fox Animation went to make a live action/animated feature film,[16] with Chris Meledandri and John Cohen producing it.[17] Mike Richardson, of Dark Horse Entertainment, came on board as a producer in 2008.[18] The same year it was unofficially reported that the film moved to Universal Studios' owned Illumination Entertainment, along with the studio's founders, Meledandri and Cohen.[19] In September 2010, Universal Studios acquired the rights to the comic, and the actress Chloë Grace Moretz was cast in the role of Emily.[20] Melisa Wallack, who wrote the script for Mirror Mirror, was hired to write the adaptation in the following year in August.[21] Two months later it was confirmed that the film was indeed in the works at Illumination Entertainment.[22] Kealan O'Rourke was brought to rewrite the film's script.[23] By December 2016, Universal abandoned the project, and Dark Horse Entertainment and Amazon Studios were in negotiations to make an animated film.[24]
|
| Flanimals |
An animated feature film based on the Flanimals book series was in production at Illumination by April 2009. Series creator Ricky Gervais was set to be the executive producer and also lend his voice to the lead character, while Matt Selman (The Simpsons) wrote the script,[25] but the project was later removed from the development schedule.[26]
|
| Where's Waldo? |
In June 2009, Universal and Illumination acquired the rights to turn Where's Waldo? into a live-action film, was to be produced by Chris Meledandri with Classic Media's (now DreamWorks Classics) executive producer Eric Ellenbogen,[27] but the project was later cancelled, after DreamWorks Animation bought Classic Media in 2012.[28]
|
| Untitled cryptozoology film |
In December 2009, Illumination was producing an animated film based on a pitch by actor-comedian Jack Black and Jason Micallef on cryptozoology, which is the study of legendary creatures whose existence has never been confirmed (i.e. the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot). Black intended to produce the film alongside Ben Cooley and Chris Meledandri through his production company Electric Dynamite. Additionally, Black did not intend to provide a voice for the characters as he did with DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda.[29]
|
| Curious George |
By July 2010, Illumination was developing a live-action animated film based on Curious George, with Larry Stuckey writing the script,[30] but in November 2015 the film project was cancelled.[31]
|
| Pluto |
In October 2010, Illumination Entertainment and Tezuka Productions jointly announced to develop a live-action/animated film of the Japanese manga series Pluto.[32]
|
| The Addams Family |
In 2010, Universal and Illumination acquired the underlying rights to the Addams Family drawings.[33] The film was planned to be a stop-motion animated film based on Charles Addams's original drawings. Tim Burton was set to co-write and co-produce the film, with a possibility to direct.[34] By July 2013, the film was cancelled; had been made, this would have been Illumination's first stop-motion animated film.[35] Eventually, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picked up rights to the film and an animated film was released in 2019, with Sausage Party directors Greg Tiernan and former DreamWorks Animation staff member Conrad Vernon to direct.[36] Universal handled the international distribution rights for the film, as well as physical home media worldwide distribution rights.
|
| UglyDolls |
In May 2011, Illumination acquired the rights to Uglydolls to make an animated feature film,[37] but the project never came into fruition. An animated film based on Uglydolls became the first family and animation project produced by STXfilms[38] and was released in May 2019.[39]
|
| Woody Woodpecker |
By November 2011, Universal and Illumination planned a Woody Woodpecker feature film. John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky (King of the Hill) were in talks to develop a story,[40] but in July 2013, Illumination canceled the project.[41] The film was eventually released as a live-action/CGI hybrid film in 2017.
|
| The Cat in the Hat |
In March 2012, following the financial success of The Lorax, the animated film adaptation of the book of the same name, Universal and Illumination announced plans to produce an animated adaptation of the book The Cat in the Hat.[42] Rob Lieber was set to write the script, with Chris Meledandri as producer, and Audrey Geisel as the executive producer, but the project never came into fruition.[43] By January 2018, Warner Animation Group was in development of an animated Cat in the Hat film as part of a creative partnership with Seuss Enterprises, which is set to be released in 2026.[44]
|
| Clifford the Big Red Dog |
In May 2012, Universal and Illumination began to develop a live-action/animated feature film based on the Clifford the Big Red Dog book series. Matt Lopez was hired to write the script, while Chris Meledandri and Deborah Forte were attached to produce the film.[45] In July 2013, Illumination dropped the project.[46] Paramount Pictures later acquired the rights to develop the film, which was eventually released on November 10, 2021, following a number of delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[47][48][49]
|
| Johnny Express |
In 2015, Universal and Illumination planned to adapt the South Korean CGI animated short Johnny Express into a feature-length animated film.[50][51]
|
