Directed by: Tim Johnson (Antz) & Brad Lewis
Written by: John Fusco, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio (The Road to El Dorado, Shrek)
Music by: Gavin Greenaway

Production Started on: Pre-production began in late 1998, and principal production was originally set to start in 2000.
Released on: Originally scheduled for Christmas 2002, then pushed back to early 2003, it is now expected to follow up Shrek 2
Running Time:

Budget: $
Box-Office: $ in the U.S., $ million worldwide
 
 

CAST
 

The herd's elder... Morgan Freeman
Young female elephant... Jodie Foster
Dana Carvey
Garry Shandling
 
 

INTERESTING FACTS

  Tusker follows a herd of elephants as they set out on a Great Escape-inspired impossible mission,  making a trek across Southeast Asia encountering poachers and other dangers. Katzenberg described the movie as an action-comedy: "It is very much an homage to the classic World War II films such as The Dirty Dozen or The Guns of Navarone, in which a band of screw-ups have to go on an impossible mission in order to save the rest of the herd."

  Pre-production on this CG animated feature began in late 1998, and principal production was set to start in 2000.

  In March 1999, animators and directors spent time at an elephant preserve in Nashville, TN, to study the physical mannerisms as well as the personalities of elephants.  A year later, in May 2000, Jeffrey Katzenberg travelled to Asia for work related to this project.

  Jodie Foster's and Morgan Freeman's involvement in Tusker was made official in late March 2000.

  In Spring 2001, rumours were flying that this project had been abandoned by Dreamworks.  This was denied by Jeffrey Katzenberg himself during an interview with USA Today in early June.  Nevertheless, it was announced unofficially in late July 2001 that the movie, which was originally set for December 2002, has been postponed to 2003, after the release of Shrek 2.

  PDI gave the official word on this project to Animated Movies in February 2002: "Tusker is currently on-hold since the stories for both Shrek 2 and Madagascar are more developed and ready for production. Tusker's date is TBD."

  It was confirmed in March 2002 that Jodie Foster had begun work on the animated movie, which was at the time "still in its early stages" and had no release date scheduled.