What’s up with Jackman and Robbie’s animated musical?

The demise of the DreamWorks animated musical “Larrkins,” set against the backdrop of the Australian Outback and featuring A-list talent such as Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie, raises intriguing questions about its abrupt cancellation just over a year before its scheduled February 2018 premiere.

The project, which drew its title from an Australian term for a rebellious young person, promised a unique narrative following the adventures of a little blue bilby navigating the vast Australian Outback. Directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Chris Miller and the acclaimed songwriter Tim Minchin, who brought a personal connection to the project as an Australian native, “Larrkins” had assembled a stellar cast, including Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, and Rose Byrne.

However, despite the star-studded lineup and initial enthusiasm, the fate of “Larrkins” took a drastic turn. In the early 2010s, DreamWorks Animation was undergoing significant changes in response to a string of box office disappointments, prompting the studio to reassess its annual output and even outsource animation for certain films. Despite this tumultuous period, “Larrkins” managed to survive and was scheduled for release in February 2018.

June 2016 marked a pivotal moment for the project, as a star-studded voice cast was unveiled, coinciding with the announcement of Comcast’s acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. This acquisition signaled a shift in the studio’s direction, with new management focusing on a franchise-first approach, favoring sequels and spin-offs over original productions. “Larrkins” found itself caught in the crossfire of these changes, and the project, along with others, was shelved once Universal took control of DreamWorks.

The cancellation of “Larrkins” under Universal’s leadership shed light on the challenges faced by existing projects when a new studio administration takes over. The new management typically aims to establish its identity and may not be inclined to support projects initiated by the previous regime. In this case, several DreamWorks Animation projects, including “Larrkins,” were not merely put on hold but were treated as tax write-offs, making it financially unfeasible for other studios to revive them.

Tim Minchin, the director and composer of “Larrkins,” expressed his deep disappointment in a candid blog post in March 2017, revealing that the movie was 75% complete when it was shut down. Hans Zimmer, a fixture of DreamWorks titles, was composing the score, and the assessment of “Larrkins” by Illumination head Chris Meledandri played a pivotal role in its demise. Despite interest from other companies like Netflix and Animal Logic to purchase and revive the production, Universal’s financial considerations made it impossible.

“Larrkins” remains locked away in a Universal vault, but its unexpected legacy endures. Tim Minchin eventually showcased his vocal talents in the 2021 Netflix feature “Back to the Outback,” which was set in Australia, while “Larrkins” co-director Chris Miller moved on to helm a Smurfs project for Paramount Animation. The completed material for “Larrkins” that surfaced over the years has fueled a small fan movement eager to see the movie completed and released, although the challenges highlighted by Minchin regarding Universal’s tax write-off practices make this prospect highly unlikely.

Interestingly, the legacy of “Larrkins” took an unexpected turn with the 2018 short film “Bilby.” Three directors who had worked on “Larrkins” collaborated on “Bilby,” utilizing certain assets from the shelved project. Although radically different from a feature film, “Bilby” allowed audiences to glimpse the unfinished movie’s universe and served as an unexpected coda for a project that once held great promise. Despite the heartbreaking end to “Larrkins,” subsequent projects like “Bilby” and “Back to the Outback” have provided glimpses of what could have been and ensured that elements of “Larrkins” continue to resonate in the world of animation.

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