Gore Verbinski, director of the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning animated feature Rango (2011), will reportedly be searching for a new home planet for his second animation effort. Titled Cattywumpus, the movie about space-faring felines had been in the works at Netflix and was first announced as an untitled CG feature project in early 2020.
The news follows this year’s staff shakeups, executive shuffles and cutbacks at Netflix Animation due to slowing revenues at the streamer. However, the outlet is still working to add to its catalog of awards-recognized animated features like The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Over the Moon and Klaus with upcoming titles including Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Wendell & Wild (Henry Selick), My Father’s Dragon (Nora Twomey), Thelma the Unicorn (Jared & Jerusha Hess), ND Stevenson’s Nimona (Nick Bruno & Troy Quane), Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Sam Fell) and I, Chihuahua (Jorge R. Gutiérrez).
Featuring the voice of Johnny Depp, with whom Verbinski has repeatedly collaborated over the years, Rango was released by Paramount Pictures and wrangled $246 million in worldwide box office. In addition to the Best Animated Feature Oscar and BAFTA Award, Verbinski also won the Annie Award for best writing in a feature (with John Logan and James Ward Byrkit) and was nominated for directing. ILM, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Blind Wink and GK Films contributed to production.
Verbinski’s directing credits also include the CG critter comedy Mouse Hunt, English-language remake of The Ring, Nicolas Cage dramedy The Weather Man and, also starring Depp, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean blockbusters and the less enthusiastically received The Lone Ranger. He is currently in pre-production on the sci-fi mystery thriller Spaceless.
Outside feature films, Verbinski has directed music videos for Bad Religion, Vicious Rumors and The Crystal Method, as well as the Cannes Lion-winning “Frogs” commercial for Budweiser which made a big splash during the Super Bowl game in 1995.
[Source: Deadline]
