There have been multiple attempts at a film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book of the same name, but, none of them came into fruition,
Disney[]
In the early 1980s, The Walt Disney Company considered adapting the film as a blend of traditionally animated characters and computer-generated environments.
Universal Pictures[]
Universal acquired rights to the book's adaptation in 2001 and initially attempted to develop a computer-animated adaptation with Disney animator Eric Goldberg, but in 2003 the CGI concept was replaced with a live-action one, and Goldberg was replaced with Spike Jonze. The film was originally set for release from Universal, and a teaser of the film was attached to the studio's 2000 adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Why It Was Cancelled[]
- For Disney: The backgrounds were going to be CGI and the characters were going to be traditionally animated. Although, due to the fact it was going to be too expensive, the film was immediately dropped.
- For Universal: Disagreements between Universal and Sendak over Jonze's approach to the story led to a turnaround arrangement.
Results[]
- The Disney & Universal versions of Where the Wild Things Are were permanently cancelled.
- Warner Bros. purchased the rights to a Where the Wild Things Are live-action film in 2006 and produced its own adaptation. The film was released in 2009 and was a commercial failure at the box office yet a critical success.