To convince Sony Animation to greenlight the film, Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated epic Black Knight is using the same playbook that turned ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool into a viral campaign and a box-office smash. While many outside of animation circles may not know his name, audiences have been watching Tartakovsky’s work for decades, thanks to Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, H๏τel Transylvania, and Primal.
Despite that pedigree, Tartakovsky has spent the last six years of development trying to get his fantasy epic Black Knight off the ground with little luck. Now, the legendary creator is turning to the fans for help getting the movie produced, with a strategy that looks to replicate the success of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool‘s leak over a decade ago.
Due to Screen Rant’s standards regarding leaked footage, no images or video from Black Knight will be featured in this article. Images will instead be of Genndy Tartakovsky’s other animated works.
Black Knight Looks Like The Perfect Successor To Samurai Jack
Black Knight is Genndy Tartakovsky’s next proposed film, and he’s leaked test footage of the movie in an effort to recreate the successful campaign that got ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool off the ground. Genndy Tartakovsky has been a modern legend in the world of animation for years, earning himself and his team awards, acclaim, and two proposed projects with Sony Animation.
One of Tartakovsky’s movies, the Tex Avery-inspired Fixed, debuted on Netflix earlier this year. However, his other idea hasn’t moved into full production. тιтled Black Knight, the film is a fantasy action epic that focuses on a 20-foot-tall suit of armor operated with a series of pulleys and levers, effectively the 14th-century version of a mech.
According to a post by Tartakovsky on Instagram, the film generated interest, but the likely cost made executives afraid that it couldn’t generate enough of a theatrical audience to justify the project. Tartakovsky hasn’t given up hope for the film, though, leading him to share the “down and dirty” test animation his team produced to win the studio over.
This is very similar to how the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movie finally moved into production after languishing in development for years despite the attachment of Ryan Reynolds. At the time, 20th Century Fox was wary about moving forward with the more comics-accurate version of the character for the big screen due to the intended R-rating and likely cost of the film.
Someone in the production leaked the test footage online, where it was met with a hugely positive response by fans. This convinced the studio to greenlight it, the result being one of the biggest hits of the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise and the beginning of a cinematic ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool who has endured and thrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The success of that viral campaign proves that such a plan can work if fans turn out for the short teaser and make their interest known. Luckily, the test footage for Black Knight is fantastic, and should hopefully galvanize cartoon fans into pushing Sony Animation to produce Tartakovsky’s new epic.
Why Genndy Tartakovsky’s New Movie Would Be Perfect For Sony Animation
In the years since ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool proved that the right viral online campaign can convince Hollywood to move forward on a big project, internet fanbases have proven capable of transforming bombs into memes and help elevate films like Minecraft into box-office behemoths. Something similar could easily happen to Black Knight.
The fanbase surrounding Tartakovsky’s work has only grown over the years, thanks to the lasting legacy of shows like Samurai Jack within the animated landscape. Especially in an era where Hollywood and movie audiences are rallying for original films instead of A.I. rehashes, Black Knight feels like the perfect rallying cry for the industry and fan base alike.
Sony Animation is also likely looking to build on the success of KPop Demon Hunters. The CGI animation seen in the Black Knight test footage bears some similarity to the motion and movement of KPop Demon Hunter‘s action sequences, giving the two movies an artistic connection.
If Sony Animation wants to enshrine that as their new house style, Black Knight could prove how established filmmakers with their own unique looks could fit into their intended mold. It would also help diversify Sony Animation’s upcoming slate, expanding its reach into the pure action/fantasy space.
There’s clearly an appeтιтe for these kinds of epics, especially when one considers upcoming blockbusters like A24’s Elden Ring adaptation or the movie versions of The Odyssey and Masters of the Universe. Black Knight could be their entry into that genre, with the added bonus of being an original IP they could then expand on.
Black Knight also happens to look really cool. Tartakovsky has proven time and again that he’s a master of action animation. The test footage reaffirms that, showcasing a single ninja fighting the giant mechanical knight. It looks effortlessly cool and deeply intriguing. It’s slick, has a clear sense of style, and even has a few silly moments. It’s great!
In a dream world, this kind of viral push wouldn’t be necessary to get such a cool-looking film by an established living legend into production. However, fans might be the only way that Tartakovsky is able to bring Black Knight to life. Hopefully, by pulling from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool playbook, Tartakovsky’s Black Knight will see the light of day.
