Animator Matt Braley said Sony Pictures Animation canceled the Thai-style animated film after two years in development because it was deemed “not commercially viable to produce.”
Braley, a writer on Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe” and a storyboard artist on “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” did not identify the studio in a lengthy Instagram post detailing the situation. However, Sony Pictures Animation has announced the development of a feature film by Braley and screenwriter Rebecca Sugar in 2023.
“In early 2025, I received the disappointing news that a film I had been working on for over two years at a major animation studio would be canceled,” Braley wrote on Instagram. “I am very proud of the wonderful script that Rebecca Sugar and I wrote together, and I am saddened that you will likely not be able to see this film. I had a really supportive development team, but in the end it was decided that the film was not commercially viable to make. I understand that these decisions were not made lightly, and I have nothing but respect for the studios that continue to bring us great films.”
Sony Pictures Animation did not respond to Variety’s request for comment.
Braley described the film as an adventure about “a teenage boy who travels through the spirit world of Thailand to heal himself, just before he undergoes a very frightening, life-altering surgery that he needs to survive.” He added that this is “not a story about finding a cure, but a story about learning to accept your unchanging circumstances with grace and realizing that life can still be great when it’s different than you expected.”
“This was a very personal story for me, as I was diagnosed with an incurable chronic disease at a young age, which led to permanent changes in my lifestyle,” Braley continued. “Not only that, but it’s an honor to bring more of Thai culture to the screen, and I hope that someone else will pick up this light.
Braly also shared some of the artwork created during the development process. “I wish you could close your eyes and imagine how great this movie would have been had it been completed. I’m not going to lie, this decision really broke my heart for several months and I struggled to find the enthusiasm to be creative again,” he concluded. “But even though I had some leeway, I think this experience made me more determined about what I wanted to pursue next and how I wanted to approach it.”
