Robert Zemeckis Thankfully Ditches ‘Yellow Submarine’ Remake

The long-rumored Yellow Submarine remake won’t be heading out to sea after all, according to the film’s would-be director, Robert Zemeckis.

Zemeckis and Disney had planned to remake the Beatles’ classic 1968 film since at least 2009, reports MSN. Like Zemeckis’ previous films The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol, the Yellow Submarine remake would have been a 3D computer animated/motion capture film.

The film had signed a Beatles tribute band in 2010 for the film, and a voice-over cast that included Comedian Peter Serafinowicz as Paul McCartney, Dean Lennox Kelly as John Lennon, Cary Elwes as George Harrison and Adam Campbell as Ringo Starr.

Disney opted out of the project last year, citing the poor box office performance of A Christmas Carol and poor audience reception to motion capture films. Zemeckis had an option to produce the film with a few other studios, but seemed to have abandoned the project entirely with his latest film, the Denzel Washington-helmed Flight, opening last month.

Zemeckis confirmed that his Yellow Submarine remake was officially dead in a recent interview with Total Film.

“That would’ve been a great one, to bring the Beatles back to life,” Zemeckis told them of the long-stalled project (via Rolling Stone). “But it’s probably better not to be remade — you’re always behind the eight-ball when you do a remake.”

It also seems like you’re always behind the ball when it comes to mo-cap films, as well. Personally, I’m grateful that we won’t be seeing plastic, dead-eyed Beatles on screen anytime soon. Though it would be neat to get McCartney and Ringo’s reactions to such a thing.

What do you think? Would you see a computer animated remake of Yellow Submarine?