Paramount Shelves I Eat Poop Animated Film

Paramount Animation has removed its I Eat Poop movie from development, according to the extraction, following Skydance's acquisitions of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Animation

Paramount Shelves I Eat Poop Animated Film

Paramount Animation's I Eat Poop movie is no longer in development. The project, based on Mark Pett's children's book I Eat Poop: A Dung Beetle Story, was being produced by Maximum Effort with Josh Cooley attached to direct.

Why it matters

The removal comes after Skydance acquired Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, a sequence of events that preceded the project's exit from development. The change affects a children's animated adaptation that had been in the studio's slate.

The source gives no box office, budget, or viewership figures for the project. The only concrete date in the material is the January 22, 2027 theatrical release of Animal Friends, a separate Maximum Effort film.

The players

Paramount Animation

Paramount Animation is the animation division of Paramount Global, the studio that held development rights to the I Eat Poop project before it was removed.

Maximum Effort

Maximum Effort is an animation production company that was producing the I Eat Poop project and has several other films in development.

Josh Cooley

Josh Cooley is an animation director known for Toy Story 4 and Transformers One, and was attached to direct I Eat Poop.

The details

Maximum Effort was producing I Eat Poop, which was based on Mark Pett's children's book. Josh Cooley, whose credits include Toy Story 4 and Transformers One, was attached to direct before the project was dropped.

Earlier this year: Disney+ began developing a Spy School series, a Maximum Effort project under its first-look deal with 20th Television.
January 22, 2027: Animal Friends, a live-action animated adventure-comedy from Maximum Effort, is scheduled to arrive in theaters.

Industry Dynamics

The removal follows Skydance's acquisitions of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, a consolidation that places this development decision within a period of studio ownership change. Animated slates at major studios are being reshaped as new owners reassess projects in development.

Viewers will not be able to see I Eat Poop in theaters or on a streaming service because the project is no longer in development. Animal Friends, another Maximum Effort film, is scheduled for theaters on January 22, 2027.

The takeaway

Studio ownership changes can quickly reshape animated slates, so announced projects should not be assumed to proceed. Readers following a title should watch for official studio announcements rather than development reports alone.