The Sad Tale of The Spirit Movie We Never Got

After 35 years, the lost pencil-test trailer for Brad Bird's cancelled 1980 animated Spirit film has finally been released. Despite the blessing of Eisner, the film was never completed as no studio would finance it. You can read the full sad tale HERE in a LA Times interview with producer Steven Paul Leiva.

Our good friend and Eisner Biographer,  Bob Andelman also sat down and interviewed Leiva for his Mr. Media segment and talked about the film.

CartoonBrew also has a great article on the subject ,which includes comments by concept artist and animator Jerry Rees and Brad Bird!

And finally here it is! The 1980 pencil-test trailer for Brad Bird's THE SPIRIT:

Presentation sketch by Jerry Rees used in the trailer

2 more concept drawings by Rees

And here are some storyboards by Rees which were also released:

                                          A shame indeed this was never made!

                                                         Leiva, Bird and Eisner