Yellow Submarine (2012 film)



The Beatles: Yellow Submarine was an American CGI remake of The Beatles' 1968 film of the same name, which was in turn based on the song of the same name. Director Robert Zemeckis was to incorporate the 16 Beatles songs and recordings from the original motion picture licensed from Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and EMI Records|EMI-Capitol Records, respectively, before it was cancelled.

Plot
A 3-D adaptation of the classic Beatles animated feature in which the British pop band traveled to a magical place called Pepperland in their yellow submarine to drive away the evil music-hating Blue Meanies.

Cast

 * Cary Elwes as George Harrison
 * Peter Serafinowicz as Paul McCartney
 * Adam Campbell as Ringo Starr
 * Dean Lennox Kelly as John Lennon
 * The Fab Four as performance capture for The Beatles

Production
Variety reported in August 2009 that Disney and director Robert Zemeckis were negotiating to produce a 3D computer animated remake of the film. Performance capture would be used, as with Zemeckis's previous animated films The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol.

Disney and Apple Corps Ltd. officially announced the remake at the inaugural D23 Expo on September 11, 2009. Comedian Peter Serafinowicz was cast to voice Paul McCartney, Dean Lennox Kelly as John Lennon, Cary Elwes as George Harrison, and Adam Campbell as Ringo Starr.

California-based Beatles tribute band The Fab Four was cast to do the motion-capture performance for the animated Beatles.

Release
According to the story, Disney hoped to release the film in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In May 2010, Disney Robert Zemeckis's digital film studio, ImageMovers Digital.

On 14 March 2011, Disney abandoned the project, citing the unsatisfactory yet successful performance of A Christmas Carol and the disastrous opening weekend results of Simon Wells' Mars Needs Moms. Criticism towards motion capture technology was also a factor.

Revival
In December 2023, following a limited theatrical release in the United States that began on November 24, an computer-animated remake of the film, titled The Beatles in Yellow Submarine, was released on Netflix. The movie was directed by Avgousta Zourelidi and produced by Timeless Films, Align, GFM Animation, Bidibul Productions and L'Atelier Animation, with animated by Axis Studios (Scrooge: A Christmas Carol).