The 6X Emmy Award-winning ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ and ‘Samurai Jack’ creator’s hilariously R-Rated animated comedy feature debuts today after finally finding a home on Netflix after years of development, getting axed at Warner Bros., and subsequently passed on by virtually all of Hollywood.
The long, agonizing wait, made longer by a series of unfortunate events sans Lemony Snicket, is now over.Iconic director, animator, and creator Genndy Tartakovsky’s first R-Rated animated feature film, the hilariously raunch and completely inappropriate , debuts today on Netflix.
An average, all-around good dog named Bull discovers he’s going to be neutered in the morning.As the gravity of this life-altering event sets in, Bull realizes he needs one last adventure with his pack of best friends as these are the last 24 hours he’ll spend… with his balls! What could go wrong...? The all-star voice cast includes Adam Devine as Bull, Idris Elba as Rocco, Kathryn Hahn as Honey, Bobby Moynihan as Lucky, Fred Armisen as Fetch, Beck Bennett as Sterling, River Gallo as Frankie, and Michelle Buteau as Molasses.Directed by Tartakovsky from a story by Tartakovsky, Steve Greenberg, Rich Lufrano and Jon Vitti and screenplay by Tartakovsky and Vitti, the film is produced by Michelle Murdocca and animated by Sony Pictures Animation.
is a labor of love, born in 2009, killed off, reborn, reworked, rewritten and eventually produced, that banks on everyone understanding the inherent humor in its simple premise.The film was showcased with much fanfare and laughs at Annecy 2023; the director took the stage, and with a detailed display of artwork, storyboards, layout and finished animation, regaled a packed Petite Salle crowd with how truly funny – and treasured – a dog’s balls really are.And then… the film was unceremoniously axed at Warner Bros.
last year, in similar fashion to the John Cena comedy , as part of the studio’s cost-cutting moves.Tartakovsky grew up at Warner, creating and at Cartoon Network as well as at Adult Swim; he also produced .In addition, he created as well as breathed life, wearing various writing / directing / EPng hats into Sony’s successful franchise.
He’s responsible for a significant number of successful shows. And, as he shares below, that and $4.00 will get you a Flat White with some vanilla powder.AWN’s Dan Sarto had a chance to speak to Tartakovsky twice in the lead up to his film’s release.He riffs on the films circuitous route to Netflix, the current state of the animation industry, and his hopes for the future, while reflecting candidly on rejections, studio shifts, and what it means to keep pushing forward after 30 years in the business.
Oh Nanna, enjoy the trailer, then enjoy the interview: Dan Sarto: Fixed Genndy Tartakovsky: Basically, at Annecy we were almost finished with the movie.We finished it at the end of '23.Like October was the final mix.
The New Line [Cinema] execs loved it.Everything was approved, ready to go.They started talking about release.
Right? So, everything was good.I feel like we did our job.And then it felt like there was a delay.
And not enough conversations suddenly.So, I got a little nervous.And then basically, Richard Brener [New Line Cinema president] calls...
And I just had just heard about the movie, and I was like, “Oh No! I can't believe I'm getting this phone call!” That’s never happened to me before.Right? Everything I've made has gotten released - TV or features.Always.
So, there's enough to worry about, much less now you're wondering if anybody will ever see it.And then he started off that way, and my heart sank.Everything was like, I can't believe this.
What am I gonna say? And I was so proud of the movie, especially 2D animation and everything.Yeah.This can't be its fate.
And then he goes, “But you know, we love you, we love the movie, and we're gonna save it.We're gonna give it back to Sony.” Whatever the business deal was, right? And it'll be our movie to find another distributor.And so, I was like, thank God.
DS: Yeah.So, now the film is finished, and Sony gets it.And they’d passed on it in every form before that.
Right? And even though we have a great relationship, I get it… it's not for them, you know? And so, they passed on it again, which was expected.But I was just hopeful.Maybe now that they watch it, maybe they'll see it in a different light.
But it wasn't the case.So, then for all of '24, we try to find a new home.And now you have an actual movie that you could just say, “Here, you can watch it.” Right? And nobody's buying it.
And actually, a year ago January, Netflix passed on it as well.And I thought, well, for sure they would want it.Right? And no, they passed on it.
And I was like, “Oh no.” And then pass, pass, pass, pass, pass.A couple of places took a little while, but still a pass.And now I’m thinking, “Did I do something wrong? Is there something I did that I’m not seeing?” But then, I looked at it, and I thought, “It still works.
There's still all this charm to it.” And then all of a sudden, I get a call in January of this year… “Oh, Netflix wants to do it.” And that was it.I think John Derderian, who runs adult animation [at Netflix], he watched it, and he loved it.And then he championed it through Netflix.
DS: GT: No.DS: Fixed GT: No, no, no.I mean, I still do all my TV work for Adult Swim.
It's still through Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, whatever that is.We're almost done with .I pitched here last year, so that's looking really positive.
And so, no, they're still my TV home, my TV family.There are no hard feelings, certainly.DS: GT: The hope is it opens doors.
Right? To another adult comedy… maybe as raunchy, maybe less, maybe something different in the comedy.But maybe an action adventure that’s for adults.Pushing animation to where it hasn't been before is the goal.
To do something different.Because it's easy to do something the same.But you want to try something different, to try something with a different feel when you're watching it.
And this is like, I think, the first baby step.Maybe people can criticize me… “Well, it's the obvious thing.You're gonna do an adult show so of course it has to be dirty.” But sometimes you need to succeed at the level of expectation and then you can push and push, right? And so, you know, opened the door to , you could say, right? Without , maybe wouldn't be possible.
I think it's that same thinking — here's my way in, finally we're gonna get it released, see how the world responds to it, how the industry responds to it.Is it just a blip or does it actually help to usher something in? DS: GT: Yeah.You're totally right.
Like, in the span of two years, it's just snapped.It's crazy.And one crazy thing is — the kids’ business is gone.
Right? Unless you're doing preschool.So that's a lot of shows, a lot of work that's gone.Now you've got adult shows — which are fantastic.
It's still the most creative opportunity that people have to do stuff.And then you have preschool, which is preschool.And then you have features, which have been, you know, cut in half probably.
And so, yeah, it's like a crazy dark place.And everybody wants IP, of course.So, we just gotta get over this hump.
But the kids’ business is a mystery.And people explain it to me, and I just don't think I believe it.I can't imagine that every kid from six to eleven just purely watches YouTube and TikTok and all that stuff.
And if a came along right now that they wouldn't watch it.I don't know.I'm 55, so maybe I'm old and I don't understand.
But I still believe in quality is quality.And if there's a fun, new, original, well-made show, then kids will watch it again.DS: GT: For sure.
And I think the support that I have from Adult Swim and from Warner Bros.at the studio is amazing.So, I think that part still feels the same after all these years.
And then in features, I'm trying to still pitch.Sony is a great place.They really love me.
But then, can I make something besides ? Right? And so, I keep trying, because there's no other real option.You know, like, I'll get 'em.And then three months later, they just can’t push the button or pull the trigger.
But I still believe that maybe they will one day.As long as I can get my creativity out — I love TV as much as features.But I do believe in the feature experience, the theatrical experience where you're sitting in an audience and watching something as a group.
Yeah.That's very different.I love watching TV at home like on Netflix.
Not putting that down.I think it's incredible.At the same time, watching something in the theater is different.
Just different.Absolutely.And so historically it's always been the case.
The advent of TV kills the theatrical business a little bit, then it comes back.The industry is always up and down.I do think the business is going the wrong way - and everybody will disagree with me — with IP.
We're giving people more of what they expect rather than giving them something new.That's the difference.And so, I'm trying.
I understand it's a business.You've got creative versus business.And it's hard to just believe in me when I say, like, “This is gonna be so good and different — people are gonna wanna see it.” But I'm not giving up the fight.
I'm trying.DS: Flow GT: Yeah.And you just asked the question that is constantly in my head.
One side of me is — I’m a stubborn fool, and I'm trying to win on their terms.Right? Big theatrical, major studio release.Right? And on the other hand, I'm like, “What are you doing?” Certainly, I could raise some money and do an independent feature at this point in my career.
People have told me that as well.But it's a different business model.And I've run my own studio for a minute in 2008 and failed.
But am I ready to do that again? To try? Maybe.So it is that war between the standard model and the independent model.I agree with you —the hope with any film is that it breaks through and is successful.
I want to be that.If we would've been theatrical… but even now, you want something new to break through.Then people can go, “Oh look, this can work.” Short of somebody coming to me and saying, “Okay again, we got $10 million.
Can you make a movie? Whatever you want?” That's a yes, obviously.But if I have to seek it out...it's a different lifestyle.
DS: GT: In my dream, in my fantasy, becomes that key that opens the door for me.Right? And yeah, like, you think after 30 years of creating pretty successful things, that door would be easily open.But it's not.
With the ever-changing industry and the ins and outs of it all, it's difficult.It's hard.Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
Netflix Drops Trailer for Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Fixed’
Netflix Drops Release Date, First Look at Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Fixed’
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Animated ‘Fixed’ Gets Cut at Warner Bros.
Genndy Tartakovsky Goes ‘Nuts’ with ‘Fixed’ Feature Presentation at Annecy 2023
Dexter and Dee Dee Return: A Talk with Genndy Tartakovsky
Genndy Tartakovsky Talks the ‘Primal’ Pleasures of Animation
Genndy Tartakovsky Talks ‘Primal’ and Telling Stories Without Words
Genndy Tartakovsky Talks 'Hotel Transylvania'
