Ambitious plans for a 3D remake of the Beatles‘ cartoon film Yellow Submarine have floundered after Disney pulled the plug on director Robert Zemeckis’ pet project.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney were so disappointed by the commercial showing of Zemeckis’ latest film, Mars Needs Moms that they have rejected his next idea. The USD150m budget film only made a USD6.9m on opening weekend.
Apparently the Yellow Submarine project, which Zemeckis first announced his plans for in 2009, had other problems too. A presentation Zemeckis was supposed to make to Beatles’ heirs kept being postponed, and other budget issues reared their head. The director is now free to try and get the film up and running with another studio.
Zemeckis’ 3D Yellow Submarine did get as far as casting, with it emerging in January 2010 that the Beatles would be voiced by Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell. The film was set to employ the same digital snazzery as used in other Zemeckis films such as Beowolf, A Christmas Carol and the much-maligned Mars Needs Moms.
Sixteen Beatles songs were to be used in the film, several more than were used in the 1968 original, which famously saw actors voicing the Beatles with John, Paul, George and Ringo only appearing in a cameo at the end.
