BEHIND THE STORY...
In the 1980s, I was working with a head of development at Disney Feature Animation. The development department at the time was constantly looking for "hooks" to develop features with. At one meeting it was discussed that such a hook could be with famous titles of books or movies. The studio stated it did not matter if the film’s story had any connection at all with the actual book or film. It was felt the title, alone, would be a selling point and make marketing easier. They asked me to come up with several to show them. This was one idea. Shortly after the pitch, the studio decided this was not a path they wanted to follow and dropped all such "famouse title" developments.
And now my pitch...
THE MOUSE ON THE MOON
An Animated Feature Proposal by John Cawley
Based on “The Mouse on the Moon” by Leonard Patrick O’Connor Wibberley
When an early rocket test flight malfunctions, its occupant meets a futuristic race and plays a key role in man's destiny.
Merk (short for Mercury) is a mouse being used by NASA in an early rocket test. The mission is ruined when his craft seems to disappear from tracking devices. Though NASA fears the probe has been destroyed, the craft's problems are merely directional.
The probe heads for the moon where, after a rough landing, Merk is rescued by a small rodent-like race of creatures. They transport him underground to a futuristic city where he meets the moon-mice's leading scientists, Mona, a female, and Tarl who looks amazingly similar to Merk.
The moon-mice feel his landing has come at an opportune moment as they are readying a major project evacuation of the moon in a matter of days. Not only do they find his space travel experience useful, but their planned destination is the Earth.
Merk tries to convince them that Earth would not be a good location due to man and his control of the planet. This rekindles an old debate. Mona desires to travel far from the moon to another galaxy while Tarl believes a close Earth is the safer voyage. Unknown to Merk, Mona and Tarl also argue his fate as Tarl wishes to dissect the visitor to see the effects of space travel, while Mona wishes Merc would join them on their quest.
After a key confrontation and some inner searching, Merc decides to go with Mona. Tarl takes Merk's place in the probe and is sent back to Earth where scientists are pleased to find the probe, chalking up the disappearance to computer failure.
text, image and format © John Cawley
Back To Perfect Pitch Main Page
Back To cataroo.com