Back when Pixar chief John Lasseter swept into Hawaiian-shirted power at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2006, a variety of animation projects, including Tangled and what would end up as Bolt were shoved back into development and re-worked before release. Another project in a similar situation is King of the Elves, which has been dragged out, dusted off and aimed at a late 2013 release.
Elves adapts a Philip K Dick short story about a group of elves (obviously) and one dwarf living in the Mississippi Delta. They’re constantly at war with a nasty bunch of trolls, but when a down-on-his-luck human helps them one night, they crown him their king.
Originally, the B****rother Bear team of Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker were working on the concept, with the Mouse House looking to get it out by 2012. But Lasseter decided it needed more work, and had it briefly shelved.
Now Horrible Bosses contributor Michael Markowitz is aboard to overhaul the script and Bolt writer/co-director Chris Williams is overseeing the 'toon's reanimation. On a visit to Disney Animation a while back we saw some concept art hanging about for this one and it looked gorgeous, so let's hope things move smoothly from here on in.