2004 was the year that should have seen the release of Dreamworks' animated feature "Tusker" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286251/). We're nearing the end of the year, and still no elephant in sight. Does anybody know where and why this production got stuck in development hell?

From what I know, wasn't this going to be a 2D film, to follow Spirit and Sinbad?

It's possible this has been canned in the switch to CGI.

Hmm... that sounds likely. It was supposed to be directed by Tim Johnson, and he clearly moved on to Over The Hedge, and he probably switched to Sinbad years ago, so I guess Tusker was abandoned a long time ago.

Strange though, I could actually see the merit in going completely 3D on this one, there is something quite magical about elephants, and seeing them majesticaly displayed on a cinema screen with the tangibility of cgi would certainly make for quite the experience. I've pretty much seen enough shallow humour from Dreamworks Animation, they could certainly use a new direction.

AGREED!

Hmm...IMDB suggests that if i like "Tusker" then i'd probably like "Polar Express"...that must mean they used motion captured elephants who want to discover the meaning of Christmas in Asia


(And i agree as well in regards to DW needing a new direction!)

Despite being a fan of DW I kind of have to agree...too many animal comedies with "in-jokes"--SharkTale, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, AND Father of the Pride. (if you count it) Oh and that rat movie...Flushed Away. More opportunities for toilet humor...literally.


I wish they would go back to making 2-d "epics" but maybe make them more appealing to the masses (not that I didn't like them) with more humor maybe. Or....dare I say it....fairy tales?? I don't see how that can be ripping off Disney because there was never a rule that said other studios can't do fairy tales either. (The Swan Princess was a fairy tale, the Hobbit was...kind of a fairy tale....also the Last Unicorn....maybe the DW should go that route and do fantasy! Katzenberg did say that he is very jealous of Peter Jackson. )

"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas....the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality."

Violet, critical towards DW... Whoopee!
But Dreamworks and fairy tales? Hardly believable and utterly lacking integrity after the Shrek films... DW is so busy making sure their films lack true magic and makebelieve, they would (and should, I feel) fail miserably at attempting a flirt with the fairytale genre.

I think you hit the mark on 'epic', though. Somehow DW is extremely afraid of going anywhere near that word. To me, however, it's exactly that epic nature (of various proportions) that make Pixar films so irresistible. In Pixar films, things that happen seem to matter, and nothing is achieved without great adversity. Events and other characters actually matter to the characters, and through great storytelling and animation, they get to matter to the audience.
In Shark Tale, who actually cared about the fish (I don't even know his name)? That may have been the most epical film Dreamworks to date (with Spirit and Antz up there too), but honestly... did anyone seeing that film involve themselves in the characters?

Personally (going back to Tusker here) I think I could really go for an epic tale about elephants, these amazing large animals with great family ties that travel long distances and have to find themselves safety from hunters that merely wish to kill them for their tusks. Dramatic sequences galore!
Whatever vision Katzenberg ever had -questionable I'd say, to me the magic of animation comes from the creatives 'on the floor', but hey...- he certainly lost it. It's a shame Tusker got canned.

I think he has a lot of talent but that it hasn't been channeled right lately. I prefered the 2d DW films over the 3d and I hope they go back to that. I think it's kind of true that there is just too much world-weariness and not enough wonder...(ahhhh I can't believe I just said that)

I loved Shrek and Shrek 2 but a 3 AND a 4??? That's just too much.
I'd love for them to go back to the Bible, which they did very well...POE and Joseph RULE.

I think the trouble is not that they are trying to embrace live action as a model for storytelling but that they don't do it enough. They should go either one way or the other--an live-action inspired world mostly for adults, or a film for "everyone" that's for kids too. They are trying too hard to shrug off traditions in animation yet they don't really explore new narrative techniques. I really really don't enjoy saying this but they ARE trying to have their cake and eat it too...and unfortunately, the taste is kind of...muddled.

The Shrek films work because they pretty much go all the way....I think the problem with POE (though I loved it) is that it didn't go far enough. It tried too hard to please. It was too short, too Disney-fied. They kept saying that they were inspired by DeMille, but there really wasn't much of him in there. AHHHHHHH....I should shoot myself for saying these things!!!!!
Maybe if they did fairy tales, but "darker" ones like the original Grimm brothers versions, I think that would work well. OR adapt fantasy novels, maybe even comic books. But IMO, it should be clearer who the target audience is.

"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas....the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality."

Very insiteful, Violet!

I'm surprised to read such things comin' from you

Sadly, yes, DW is suffering from one of the most deadly diseases in film making - if they like it, give them much much MUCH more.

Perhaps choosing a genre would be a good idea...however i think the problem lies more in their overall quality. I feel as if DW doesn't think through their stories completely and they wind up feeling...90% completed too often.

The only "formula" a studio should follow, is one with integrity.

The problem is they don't throw themselves enough into projects....everything seems kind of half-hearted. (sometimes.) There are flashes of brilliant creativity in every film, but I once again hate to say that each film tries too hard to be "likable." (With the exception
of Shrek 1 and 2, because the best thing about those films is that they just "don't care.")

I think that, despite everything he says to the contrary, Katzenberg still
wishes he was at Disney, still wishes he was making the Great American Animated film that appeals to everyone, to the child in all of us. I mean who doesn't wish they were at Disney?
The films still very much have that Disney "stamp" on them. They are very skillfully made but have elements that reek of Disney yet clash with the Disney template. I think it all comes down to freeing yourself from that template, and going in new directions.

(BTW I still love DW )

"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas....the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality."

BUT...basically, at the end of the day, DWs is primarily made up of Disney staff.

They all have that mentality, and the problem with DreamWorks is that they are SO bent on NOT being Disney, that they have yet to truly find their own voice.

So far, and as much as I have enjoyed their films, or not, they still seem like the younger brat, kicking and screaming and generally making a big noise in order to get attention and be liked.

I still think it would be cool if they did fantasy, like a re-make of the Hobbit or something. Something totally different that would just surprise everyone. Like maybe another Little Mermaid, but with the original story. Or another NeverEnding story, or....the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (yeah I know there's another version of this on the way, but I'm thinking ANIMATED. I loved the original animated one.)

"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas....the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality."

There's also another version of The Hobbit on the cards, too!

And the only one who should be going anywhere NEAR that is Pete Jackson!

I guess so, but I still think it would be cool if DW took a crack. And made it ANIMATED. They just need to stay away from the hip references.

That's really been their downfall.


And personally I think that once you make a film that has SIX endings (Return of the King) it's a little crazy to make a "OK this one is really the last one" kind of film. Just my opinion.

"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas....the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality."

Yeah, but Hobbit is a prequel, taking place before LOTR!

Therefore, ROTK would still have multiple endings (there are only three, by the way, and totally justified in my book). Too many films reach a happy conclusion and then just walk off without proper closure.

The Hobbit is referred to as "There And Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale" in the three LOTR films - it's the book Bilbo is writing that Sam finishes in ROTK. It wouls all make sense.

Anyway, and pleasingly, DWs has no licensing ties to the series, so couldn't make one even if they wanted to - phew!

I'd be much more up for them to create or adapt another series, like Disney is doing with Narnia. Didn't they have a hand in Lemony Snickett?