Creative Question! by Scott Adams creator of Dilbert

A few years ago I was invited down to DreamWorks to see if there was any potential for collaborating on something non-Dilbert. Nothing ever came of that meeting, but in the process I learned something fascinating that I’ve been puzzling about ever since. Maybe you can help me figure out something.

The problem with creating a G-rated CGI blockbuster, like Shrek, or Cars, is that all the obvious categories have been taken. Kids are interested in only a few things in their movies:

1. Other kids
2. Creatures of any kind
3. Princesses
4. Magic and super powers

Shrek III, for example, has all of those elements. It’s no surprise it’s a huge hit. So here’s your creative question for the day: What subject and setting hasn’t yet been done as a kid-oriented CGI movie?

Here are some that HAVE been done:

Bugs
Monsters
Super heroes
Cars
African animals
Suburban animals
Robots
Toys
Fairy Tale creatures
Fish
Dinosaurs
Ghosts

Pixar has a new movie coming out about a rat that works in a kitchen. I’m sure it’s a fine film and will do well, as all other Pixar movies have. But honestly, my first reaction on seeing the rat in the kitchen trailer was “they ran out of creatures.” It’s no one’s fault. There are only so many types of creatures in the universe.

I’ll get the ball rolling with a few types of creatures that haven’t been in recent kid-oriented CGI blockbusters as far as I know:

Aliens
Birds
Angels

Now it’s your turn. What creatures are left for the next movie?

[Update: Okay, okay. Penguins and Chicken Little and Valiant were birds. See how hard it is to come up with something new?]