If you're a fan of Pixar (who isn't?), you're probably aware that the studio cancelled development on Newt earlier this year.  The animated flick was set to tell the story of "the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet" in 2012 --- instead, we'll get Brave and the sequel to Monster's Inc. 2 from Pixar.

But look!  Disney/Pixar has released concept art from the project, in turn providing a really provocative look at what might have been.  Check out the pics after the jump.

Here is the official synopsis:

What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other? That’s the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of “newt,” the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award winner for sound Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar’s Oscar-nominated short, “Lifted.” Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.

Disney/Pixar posted the art to their Facebook page with the following note:

As most of you already know, "Newt" is no longer in development at Pixar. However, that doesn't mean we can't share some of the Pixar artists' amazing artwork with our Facebook fans!

I really appreciate the thought.  I won't pretend I can predict the quality of the eventual film from early sketches, though I'd suggest such is more meaningful with an animated film.  I like what I see here --- makes me wonder.

I grabbed just over a third of the images; you can check out the rest here.