00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Rejected Animated
00:14Movies That Became Successful.
00:21For this list, we'll be looking at films that were turned down, dropped, or drastically
00:24changed by animation studios before receiving acclaim.
00:28Which pick do you think has the greatest underdog story?
00:30Let us know in the comments below!
00:3310.
00:34Heavy Metal
00:35While animated children's movies are regular box office hits, there's also an audience
00:38for more mature works.
00:40This science fiction anthology film was only a moderate commercial and critical success
00:44when it was first released, but over time it's gained popularity.
00:56It was produced by multiple animation studios, with each one working on different segments.
01:01Nelvana Limited turned down their chance to contribute to the project, opting instead
01:05to produce their first feature, Rock and Rule.
01:18The Canadian studio gets credit for producing a full-length film, but they also lost an
01:22opportunity to be associated with a cult classic.
01:319.
01:35Vivo
01:36In 2010, Lin-Manuel Miranda was pitched a movie deal by DreamWorks Animation.
01:40However, the same year Miranda's musical Hamilton took the Broadway world by storm, the studio
01:44underwent a restructuring that caused them to drop the animated project.
01:48It wasn't until 2016 that Sony Pictures Animation picked it up.
02:01In addition to being cast as the titular character, the award-winning composer was also contracted
02:06to write 11 original songs.
02:17The animated feature broke records the month it started streaming on Netflix and received
02:21praise specifically for its music.
02:33It goes to show dropping a project with Lin-Manuel Miranda is never a good idea.
02:378.
02:38Ron's Gone Wrong
02:39The children's movie for a technological age
02:49is the first animated feature from Locksmith Animation.
02:52The film was praised for balancing a mature story with juvenile humor, making it perfect
02:57for the whole family.
03:05However, before its release, the project's filmmakers had trouble nailing down a distributor.
03:14Initially, they had struck a deal with Paramount Pictures, but things fell through when the
03:17company's CEO changed.
03:19The creators next turned to 20th Century Studios, but their acquisitions by The Walt Disney
03:23Company again raised concerns regarding distribution.
03:27Director and director Sarah Smith called the acquisition terrifying.
03:30Luckily, Disney executives ended up approving the film.
03:397.
03:42The Book of Life
03:54From Shrek to How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks Animation is responsible for some of the greatest
03:58contemporary children's movies.
04:09Their roster could have included this beautifully animated feature if it weren't for creative
04:13differences.
04:14In the end, it was produced and distributed by Real FX and 20th Century Fox Animation.
04:19Having already co-created a cartoon for television, writer and director Jorge R. Gutierrez was
04:24very particular about the film's art style.
04:26From the concept images onward, he ensured that the film was visually stunning.
04:30The film product is an impressive display of CGI.
04:406.
04:43Frozen
04:53Walt Disney Animation Studios tried for a long time to make an adaptation of Hans Christian
04:58Andersen's classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen.
05:11The company's namesake himself first suggested the concept in 1940, but the studio decided
05:16the story wasn't relatable.
05:18It was revisited in the 1990s during the Disney Renaissance, but was scrapped in 2002 when
05:22one of the animators left the project.
05:25Another attempt to adapt the tale began in 2008, but it didn't get real traction until
05:282011.
05:29The project underwent a ton of changes.
05:32The character's plot and animation style all developed dramatically throughout the process.
05:37The final product is unlike anything the creators first imagined, and yet is a massive
05:41success.
05:475.
05:51The Emperor's New Groove
05:53Development for a film named Kingdom of the Sun began during the Disney Renaissance, motivated
05:57by the success of The Lion King.
06:00Studio executives greenlit an epic story inspired by Inca culture, however production dragged
06:18and the project was nearly shut down.
06:20After a complete overhaul, the story became a fast-paced buddy story full of slapstick
06:24comedy.
06:25With a new narrative, cast, and name, the final film made it to theaters six months
06:38after its intended release date.
06:40It might have been a nightmare to produce, but we love this Disney classic.
06:504.
06:55The Lion King
06:57This wild movie is one of Disney's greatest success stories.
07:10However the classic we know and love is dramatically different from the film that was first pitched.
07:14The original director, George Scribner, wanted a documentary-style narrative and pushed against
07:19musical additions.
07:20Scribner ended up leaving the project, and no offense to him, but we're kind of happy
07:23he did.
07:24We can't imagine this movie without its soundtrack.
07:37Besides the music, plenty of changes were made to the story throughout production.
07:41For instance, Simba's original arc didn't require him to leave the kingdom as a cub.
07:45Rafiki was originally a cheetah instead of a mandrill.
07:48Sometimes rejecting the parts of a film that aren't working is for the best.
08:003.
08:01The Nightmare Before Christmas
08:03Tim Burton was working for Disney when he wrote a three-page poem inspired by Christmas
08:07and Halloween.
08:19The animation studio considered adapting their employee's original concept in 1982, but
08:23decided it didn't suit their brand.
08:25They shelved the project and later in 1984 fired Burton from his position.
08:30It wasn't until 1990 that the writer discovered his previous employer had retained the film
08:35rights to his intellectual property.
08:49At that point, Burton had a few full-length features to his credit, and Disney executives
08:53were more willing to produce something with his name attached.
08:55They couldn't completely shake their doubts, however, and the stop-motion feature was released
08:59under Touchstone Pictures.
09:01No one imagined the film would find the success it did.
09:132.
09:17The Secret of NIMH
09:28Story-friendly retellings of famous fairy tales and novels are Disney's bread and butter,
09:31so it's surprising to learn that in 1972, the studio turned down the rights to Robert
09:35C. O'Brien's book, Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH.
09:46Years later, a group of animators at the company, including Don Bluth, developed an interest
09:51in adapting the story.
09:52They discussed the project with company executives, but were told that the narrative was too similar
09:56to The Rescuers.
10:07Having been shot down by his higher-ups, Bluth left Disney along with some of his peers.
10:11He established his own production company and directed his first feature film, The Secret
10:15of NIMH.
10:16The independent animated flick rivals those produced by the director's former employer.
10:361.
10:38Toy Story Studio executives and filmmakers alike saw
10:41the potential in this project, but narrative and contractual disagreements almost kept
10:45it from being made.
10:58Before development even began, director John Lasseter was fired from Disney for pitching
11:02a different, fully computer-animated feature.
11:05He went on to help found Pixar and produce an Academy Award-winning short titled Tintoy.
11:14Lasseter's former employer expressed interest in adapting the short, but was resistant to
11:22allowing a picture to be made outside the studio.
11:24After messy negotiations, it was agreed that the film would be a co-production.
11:28Once in development, Disney executives suggested drastic changes to Pixar's proposed story.
11:33It became a buddy comedy with new leads and a different ending.
11:36Certified 100% fresh, the final result is literally perfect.
11:55Do you agree with our picks?
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12:03Thanks for watching.
12:04See you next time.
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