NINJA SCROLL: Watch Gary Shore's Proof Of Concept For The Feature That Never Was

Well, now. Here's an intriguing slice of 'what if' from director Gary Shore.

It was back in 2009 that Shore first burst on to the scene with a dazzling proof of concept short titled Cup Of Tears, a hyper stylized action piece that wore its Japanese influences on its sleeve and ultimately led to Shore signing a multi-picture deal with Universal which included a proposed feature film version of that original proof of concept while also being wooed by other studios on other projects.

Shore would go on to make Dracula Untold for Universal but none of the other projects he was working on before Dracula Untold have ever been formally announced. And now we know that at least one of them was a feature adaptation of popular anime series Ninja Scroll, the film rights for which were acquired by Warner Brothers and Appian Way back in 2008.

Shore was apparently working on the project at least as far back back as 2012, at which point he created a proof of concept to sell his vision for the film using motion capture animation to sell the scope of the action he wanted to undertake without breaking the bank at this early stage. Stunt work was handled by the acclaimed team at 87 Eleven with animation by The Third Floor. And the results have now quietly appeared online.

So, what say you, Ninja Scroll fans? Does the proof of concept below leave you hungry for the feature? Either way, Shore would love to hear your thoughts on Twitter at @garyshore81