8 Fascinating Disney Movies That Were Never Made
5. Chanticleer
Based on the 1910 play Chantecler by Edmond Rostand, Chanticleer was a Disney animated film in development for over twenty years, from the forties to the mid-sixties.
Chanticleer was to be set on a Parisian farm in the late nineteenth century, telling the story of a rooster who ruled over a bunch of barnyard animals. The animals follow his leadership because they believe his crowing is responsible for the rising of the sun each morning. The central conflict was to come from a bunch of other creatures who primarily come out at night, like moles, bats and vultures, all of whom wanted to take over the yard.
One of the main reasons the project was cancelled was due to the concern that Roosters were not sympathetic animals, and therefore the film risked not appealing to children. On top of that, animals were more expensive to animate than humans, as they required much more precise detail and research.