Cancelled Movies Wiki

## *Free Birds 2: Dawn of Thanksgiving* (1997)

### Why it was Cancelled

* The most likely reason would be because *Free Birds* (1974) did not perform very well. This ultimately cost its box office returns.

### Result

* In 2013, Reel FX and Tezuka made a CGI *Free Birds* film instead.

## Godzilla '94

### Why It Was Cancelled

1. The studio didn't accept the offer that Jan de Bont gave to make the film.
2. TriStar avoided conflicts with Toho

### Result

* Jan de Bont decided to direct *Twister* with Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt (made by Universal and Warner Brothers) and *Speed 2: Cruise Control* after being contractually obligated by 20th Century Studios to make a sequel to *Speed*.
* TriStar announced the half live-action half traditional animated *Three Eyed One* film instead.

## The Three Eyed One 2

### Plot

The surviving Hosuke Sharaku offspring from the first film's ending battles a giant insect monster in Sydney.

### Why It Was Cancelled

1. The 1998 *Three Eyed One* film was heavily panned by critics and fans alike, despite being a commercial success and is currently a stand-alone film.
2. Rolland Emmerich and the rest of the filmmakers didn't want to make fans mad again after the first film was released.

### Results

1. Sony's rights to *The Three Eyed One* expired in 2003 and their rights were reverted back to Tezuka.
2. In 2012, a *Three Eyed One* reboot was released.

## *Cat Tale 3* (original version; 2006)

### Plot

The pitch for the original ***Cat Tale 3*** is Rover would throw Tom and Tab in jail, leaving the latter to stew in their hatred and cook up a plot for revenge; Sylvester the Panther would become their cellmate and they’d team up to bust out and wreak havoc; in the end, Rover would offer a truce to Tom and Tab, who would refuse and die during their big fight, thus "illustrating to Rover the ramifications of a heart hardened by an inability to forgive. It would also only set up Pluto to not make him main villain.

### Why It Was Cancelled

* On March 15, 2005, Tom and Tab were removed from the script and were replaced with Pluto.

### Results

* The original version of *Cat Tale 3* was permanently cancelled.
* In 2007, a different version of *Cat Tale 3* came out which got negative reviews from critics and audiences.

## *Astro Boy: Evolution*

### Why It Was Cancelled

1. *Astro Boy: Ascension* received mixed reviews from critics.

### Results

* The sequel was cancelled.
* *Astro Boy: Ascension* is standalone.
* New Line Cinema announced a live-action *Astroboy* film.

## *Norm of the North 5: An Astro Adventure* (2013)

### Why It Was Cancelled

1. *Norm of the North 4: Family Vacation* was not well received by critics, audiences and fans.
2. Makoto Tezuka was displeased with how *Norm of the North 4: Family Vacation* turned out.
3. The release date became an issue since Makoto Tezuka couldn't meet the Summer 2013 release date that Tezuka Productions wanted.
4. Tezuka Productions wanted multiple villains in the film, but Makoto Tezuka wanted to stick with only one.
5. The storyline championed by Tezuka was dour and downbeat, with a main antagonist that wasn't seen as marketable enough by Tezuka Productions executives, who preferred someone more visually interesting, like Dr. Fooler and Kuruku.

### Results

* *Norm of the North 5: An Astro Adventure* was permanently cancelled.
* Despite the film's cancellation, the trailer is still up.
* Tezuka later revealed in June of 2016 the storyboards for *Norm of the North* showing what the film might've been had it been made.
* Elements from the cancelled film would be used for the *Norm of the North* reboot.

## *Pluto: An Astro Boy Movie* (Universal version)

### Why it was Cancelled

* *Astro Boy: Ascension* film received mixed reviews from critics.
* Illumination will no longer make live action/animated hybrid films due to the mixed-to-negative reception of *Hop*.

### Result

* New Line Cinema announced the live-action *Astroboy* film instead.