Genndy Tartakovsky Leaks Test Footage for Unmade Black Knight — 20‑Foot Iron Knight vs. Lone Fighter
Genndy Tartakovsky posted test footage on Instagram for an unmade adult animated movie called The Black Knight after Sony passed on the project, and he made the reel public to show what the film might have looked like.
- What Tartakovsky shared
- The test footage
- Why the studio didn’t move forward
- Tartakovsky’s career highlights
What Tartakovsky shared
On Friday, Genndy Tartakovsky uploaded a proof-of-concept reel to his Instagram account for a project called The Black Knight. He wrote, “About six years ago, we started development on a more adult animated action movie, The Black Knight.”
According to his post, Tartakovsky and his team created the test to demonstrate the idea because Sony ultimately passed on the film. Subsequently, he released the footage publicly in hopes that fan interest might change the studio’s mind. He also said he was hesitant because he’s “already said too much.”
The test footage
The proof-of-concept reel shows a lone fighter facing a towering armored figure. Notably, Tartakovsky described a 20-foot Knight Armor that is operated from inside using ropes, pulleys, and levers. The piece is set against a roughly 14th-century backdrop.
He referred to the short demo as a “down and dirty” test, made to convey the film’s tone and action on a small scale. The footage is a concept reel meant to sell the idea rather than a finished sequence.
Why the studio didn’t move forward
Per Tartakovsky’s post, studio executives liked the idea but worried that audiences wouldn’t show up for a more adult animated action film in theaters. Therefore, they declined to greenlight the project after the test was completed.
Tartakovsky’s career highlights
Genndy Tartakovsky is known for several animated series, including Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also created the HBO series Primetime Emmy Award-winning Primal.
Samurai Jack has received multiple industry awards; in fact the series earned “20 various awards with 13 nominations” according to the show’s awards listing on IMDb. In addition, Tartakovsky has discussed cancellations and revivals of his past shows, and some of his series, like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, were canceled before later returning—an outcome that has been covered in coverage such as an article noting perceived “shortsightedness from Lucasfilm” on Jedi News.
