Fresh off the success of Coraline, director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) signed a deal with Disney to make stop-motion animated films for the Mouse House. He was set to adapt Neil Gaimanâs The Graveyard Book in the long-term, but his first Disney stop-motion feature was scheduled for release in October 2013. All appeared to be going well until this past August, when the studio decided the project was moving too slowly (and reportedly too dark), so they abruptly cancelled production.Selick was free to shop the project around to other studios to see if he could get it made elsewhere, and now it looks like he may have found a new home for the film. Hit the jump for more. [Update: Sadly, Oregon Live reports that a source close to LAIKA tells them the talks with Selick went nowhere and the studio won't be financing this project after all].Thompson on Hollywood reports that the director is in talks with LAIKAâthe studio behind Coraline and this yearâs fantastic ParaNormanâto finance this new project. He certainly has a rapport with them from working on Coraline, and LAIKAâs previous and future releases reflect a decidedly offbeat and darker tone than most animation houses, so it seems a perfect fit for this project.Little is known about the plot for the latest feature from Selick, but ToH! notes that the story revolves around two brothers and features some breathtaking sets (including one of Central Park). Selickâs sensibilities are wonderfully inventive, so hopefully the deal goes through and we can see his next feature on the big screen sometime next year.
Will LAIKA Save Director Henry Selick’s Cancelled Stop-Motion Film? [Update: No]
Will LAIKA Save Henry Selick’s Cancelled Stop-Motion Film? LAIKA may finance Henry Selick's stop-motion animated film that was cancelled by Disney.