May 2, 2022

How did "Kubo and the Two Strings" nearly break its creator, Shannon Tindle, from pure heaven?

Shannon Tindle, creator of Kubo and the Two Strings, took to Twitter over the weekend to describe the nightmarish experience of being replaced as director of Kubo and the Two Strings.

According to Tindle, who is now a showrunner for Netflix, Kubo's story began in 2001 when she began imagining the story of a one-eyed boy who creates magical art that heals his mother. At the time, Tindle had just met his mother-in-law, who suffered from dementia. Like Kubo's mother in the film, she suffered from memory loss.

Tindle was also familiar with Japanese folktales at the time, and his life circumstances merged with those influences to become an early version of Kubo and his mother.

"We hit it off right away," Tindle recalled of his early days with his future mother-in-law.

"And the story of a woman trapped in her heart being cared for by her child merged with the folktales I was reading."

Over time, the idea evolved into a story that Tindle sold to Leica. Within weeks of the pitch, Tindle received an offer and full-scale development began.

"I was crazy excited. The idea was wild and extremely personal, and someone was going to pay me for development and eventual supervision. Isn't that amazing?

Tindle then began working on the script with screenwriter Mark Hames ("Nimona," "Lost Ollie," "Ultraman"). Tindle recalls, "It was like a dream, just heaven." The small team working on the project put together the script, a 17-inch character lineup, his wife's Hanzo paper sculpture, and animated footage. Many of these assets appear in a video uploaded to YouTube in 2017.

According to Tindle, the studio immediately fell in love and approved the project. A few months later, the first previews were held, and "it wasn't at all far removed from the movie I saw in the cinema," Tindle explained. The studio liked the film so much that they sent Tindle to Los Angeles to direct the first audio screening.

"Everything seemed fine. But it wasn't. Not at all," Tindle tweeted. 'There were signs, things I should have seen coming. Long story short, after nearly two years on the job, I was dismissed as director - dismissed from something that came from deep within me.

While the experience took a toll on Tindall's mental and physical health, he credits the many people involved with Kubo for keeping him afloat during the darkest period of his career. He adds."

Eventually, after several attempts, he was able to get back to where he wanted to be professionally and creatively. He currently writes and directs for Netflix's "Ultraman" and serves as executive producer and showrunner for Peter Ramsey's hybrid series "Lost Ollie."

Kubo and the Two Strings, released in the United States on August 19, 2016, is the feature directorial debut of Laika studio head Travis Knight. The film boasted an exceptional Tomatometer score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, was nominated for two Oscars - Animated Film and Achievement in Visual Effects - and won a BAFTA for Best Animated Feature.

Ultimately, Tindle received a story credit for the film, while his wife Megan Tindle received a paper artist credit.

"I want to share this with you, not out of anger or resentment," Tindle explained.

He summarized the lessons of his story with words of warning, words of hope, and an offer to anyone who feels the rug has been pulled out from under them.

"Don't let others, companies, or setbacks get in the way of your story. People want to hear it. People want to see it. We have a dream that people want to experience. It is powerful. Know it. Embrace it. And if you want to chat, I'll be around," he concluded.

The series of tweets and incredible outpouring of support for Tindle can be read on his Twitter feed.