The co-director of The Lion King is now making an AI-assisted film
The co-director of Disney’s 1994 The Lion King is teaming with the creators of AI Actress Tilly Norwood on an “AI-assisted” movie — make of that what you will.
Here we are in the age of AI, and now even the bloke responsible for The Lion King is getting involved. Rob Minkoff, who co-directed Disney's juggernaut animated hit back in 1994, is now taking the reins on a new project called Storm Dogs—and yes, it’s being made with a bit of help from artificial intelligence. Genuinely, this comes from the same lot who brought you that AI actress—Tilly Norwood.
What’s Storm Dogs all about?
If you like the sound of sentimental family comedies (or talking animals), Storm Dogs might just pique your interest. The plot centres on a young toddler called Poppy, who—after her English village is hit by a storm—is separated from her adult carer and left stranded. Instead of moping, she rounds up a gang of dogs and tries to convince them to help get her home. Judging by Disney standards, I’d guess there’ll be plenty of life lessons mixed in with the canine capers.
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The brains behind this AI venture are Particle 6, run by Eline van der Velden. It’s the studio’s follow-up project to their previous title, Misaligned, so they’re clearly doubling down on this AI-plus-humans mix in filmmaking. Minkoff isn’t just slapping his name on the credits here—he’s working closely with van der Velden, shaping the story, developing the characters, and getting stuck into the script.
Rob Minkoff is heading up creative duties for Storm Dogs, working with the Particle 6 team to craft the narrative and world for the film.
Minkoff’s Greatest Hits
- The Lion King (1994): Co-directed the original animated film that smashed box office records and basically defined '90s childhoods.
- Stuart Little (1999): Kicked off the part-live-action, part-animated mouse comedy. Critics were reasonably pleased (66% on Rotten Tomatoes), and it made just under $300 million globally off a $105 million budget.
- Stuart Little 2: Surprisingly, the second film landed even better reviews, with an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The Forbidden Kingdom (2008): Directed this martial arts fantasy starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Pulled in over $129 million worldwide against a $55 million price tag.
- Animation on TV: Produced Netflix’s animated musical series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and helped bring the kids’ series Rainbow Rangers to screens from 2018-2022.
If you’d wondered what Minkoff’s been up to since lions stopped singing, there’s your answer.
Storm Dogs is Minkoff's first public jump into filmmaking with AI at his side, marking a bit of an industry experiment for someone with Disney pedigree.