One of the most exciting seeming upcoming animated movies has now been canceled, despite having a script in the works and a selection of wonderful art pieces providing previews of what the final film could have looked like. While things like KPop Demon Hunters‘ staggering Netflix success have underlined the boundless potential animated movies have in the modern day, the medium is one that still faces plenty of challenges when it comes to projects getting through production.
This concept has been underlined by one of the most recent animated movies to not reach the end of this process, in spite of the promise it appeared to show. That said, a successor project of sorts does appear to have blossomed from this experience, meaning there’s hopefully still an exciting upcoming series on the horizon nonetheless.
A Seriously Promising Looking Animated Movie Is No Longer Going Forward
February 2026 brought with it the sad news that one promising-looking animated movie will not be coming to fruition, despite its fascinating seeming story and art.
Amphibia creator Matt Braly – whose also helped make Gravity Falls and 2022 movie The Mitchells and The Machines – announced on social media that the project he and Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar had been working on was now unable to go forward, despite the fact the project had been worked on for years already, because it was “ultimately judged as not commercial enough to produce“.
Said news also came with images of concept art for the film, providing a tantalizing and eye-catching look at a story that Braly stated would have seen its protagonist travel to a world of Thai spirits to try and cure himself before facing a major medical operation, with it exploring “learning to accept one’s unchangeable circumstances with grace, and realizing that a different life than expected can still be a good one.“
The emotive nature of this story – which the creator stated was a deeply personal one thanks to his own experience with chronic illness – and its immediately interesting and engaging character designs show the recipe for what could have been a truly unique and resonant film. Mercifully, a new animated project with Matt Braly at the helm is still on the horizon.
The Canceled Animated Movie Has An Unofficial Successor On The Way
Following the news that the animated movie that Matt Braly, Rebecca Sugar, and artists Brandon Wu and Gabriel Soares had been working on would not be going forward, Braly later announced he was making an animation studio known as Fantasy Project, hoping to be able to use this studio to create projects that otherwise might not be possible under major media corporations.
Fantasy Project’s first prospective release – a “gothic horror spin on the Nutcracker” titled Clara and the Below – is set to begin funding on Kickstarter on March 13. That said, the fact Clara and the Below already has over 3,000 followers – well above Braly’s stated goal at this point, which was 1,000 followers – certainly already suggests the project will get fully funded, allowing it to avoid the fate of its predecessor.