According to Cartoon Brew, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has officially withdrawn from the long in development stop-motion animated film Bubbles which centers on Michael Jackson’s famous pet chimpanzee. Because of his departure as the film’s director, Netflix has also decided leave the project as well.
Waititi’s sudden exit from the movie was reportedly due to the director’s busy schedule with his other many projects such as the upcoming release of Disney’s Jojo Rabbit and production on Netflix’s live-action of Akira.
The most likely reason for Waititi and Netflix’s decision to exit the project was certainly the release of HBO’s controversial bombshell documentary Leaving Neverland which highlights the sexual abuse allegations against Jackson in detail.
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Bubbles was being produced by Starburns, known for their work on the Academy Award-nominated feature Anomalisa. The future of the stop-motion film is still unclear but according to Deadline‘s sources, producers are exploring ways on how to advance the project.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
