The Turtle and the Hare
Potential Cast: Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn, Bob Hoskins, and Orlando Jones

After Chicken Run had become a massive international hit in 1999, the claymation geniuses at Aardman Animation set their sights on a faux documentary about the world's most famous race. By the time production started on the stop-motion film in February 2001, Michael Caine stepped up to the starting line in the role of Maurice the Tortoise, with Brenda Blethyn, Bob Hoskins, and Orlando Jones rounding out the cast of voices. But when the filmmakers decided the script needed some work in July 2001, Tortoise slowed to a halt and Aardman decided not to split hares by turning their full attention towards Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Project Status: The Aesop's fable fell further down Aardman's list of priorities when computer-animated films became all the craze, and the studio turned its attention to the CG rat's tale Flushed Away. Still, Aardman signed a new production deal at Sony, so Tortoise is said to be closer to coming out of its shell.

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