Studio Ghibli unearthed some treasures from their archives: concept art for a Pippi Longstocking movie. ComicsAlliance tells us that back in 1971, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata approached Astrid Lindgren to adapt her famous children’s books into a movie. They painted watercolor storyboards and presented them to Lindgren, but after meeting with the animation team she didn’t consent to a film. It is speculated that she was concerned a movie would stray too far from the source material (reminiscent of P.L. Travers and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks). The Pippi Longstocking books have been adapted into many movies, including an animated series by Nelvana in 1997.
The Miyazaki Pippi Longstocking film that never was