Genndy Tartakovsky Says He's Still Trying Hard to Make a SAMURAI JACK Feature Film

Cartoon Network's first original animated series has been trying to make its way to the big screen for years and its creator says its still at the top of his list of priorities.

Samurai Jack was a highly praised American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on both Cartoon Network and Toonami between 2001 to 2004. It's most notable aspects were its highly detailed, outline-free, masking-based animation, as well cinematic style and pacing. Story lines, which ranged from dark and epic to light-hearted and comic, followed a time-displaced samurai warrior named Jack in his singular quest to find a method of traveling back home.

In 2009 Samurai Jack reruns were pulled from American television but Tartakovsky promised a film would soon follow. In the years since the property has stayed in development but no real progress has been made. Immortals and Mirror Mirror director Tarsem Singh recently made it known that he would love the opportunity to be involved with the project.

During an interview promoting his upcoming animated feature film debut Hotel Transylvania, Tartakovsky had this to say about the future of Samurai Jack's cinematic potential:

"I've been trying so hard every year, and the one amazing thing about Jack is that I did it in 2001, you know, and it still survived. There's something about it that's connected with people. And I want it, it's number 1 on my list, and now Bob Osher, the President (of Digital Production at Sony Picture Entertainment), is like 'Hey, let's talk about Jack. Let's see what we can do.' And I go, 'You're going to do a 2D feature animated movie?' and he's like, 'Yeah. Maybe. Let's do some research and let's see.' So it's not dead for sure by any means, and it's still on the top of my list, and I'm trying as hard as I can."