Draft:Afterworld: Return Home
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| Afterworld: Return Home | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Matt Braly |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Alyssa Engelberg |
Production companies |
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| Countries |
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| Languages | English Thai |
Afterworld: กลับบ้าน. (English: Afterworld Return Home) is is an upcoming Thai-American animated fantasy adventure film directed by Matt Braly who co-wrote the script with Rebecca Sugar, based on his experiences. Produced by Bangkok based animated company, The Monk Studios, in association with the American independent studio Fantasy Project, the film follows a young boy about to undergo a life changing surgery as he enters a mystical fantasy world in the hopes of finding a cure for his unstable condition.
Development on Afterworld began in December 2023 at the American studio Sony Pictures Animation. Braly conceived the film with Sugar shortly after the completion of his Disney Channel series Amphibia (2019-2022), inspired by Thai folklore and Braly's experience living with short bowel syndrome since childhood. Development on Afterworld was originally cancelled by Sony in February 2025 after studio executives deemed the project "not commercially viable," with Braly making the cancellation public on February 10, 2026.[1] The decision was met with significant public backlash against Sony, with their decision bashed as distasteful coming after the release of their highly-successful film KPop Demon Hunters (2025), which also had a great influence and focus on Asian culture and mythology.[2]
On May 13, 2026, Braly announced on social media that the film had been acquired from Sony by Thailand animation company The Monk Studios, who will begin shopping the film at the 2026 Annecy Film Festival looking for investor financing. Should shopping be successful, Braly will direct the film while simultaneously working on his independent webseries Clara and the Below.
Premise
[edit]Alex, an athletic boy who lives in Bangkok, goes on an emotional journey to travel to a mythical Thai realm seeking a cure for his illness, encountering spirits and facing peril.
Production
[edit]In December 2023, Matt Braly, creator of Amphibia, announced that he would be writing and directing an untitled film for Sony Pictures Animation, while Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe, would help write the script with Braly.[3] Both Braly and Sugar had previously worked together on both series. However, on February 2026, Sony shelved the project in early 2025 upon two years of development after thinking it wasn't commercial enough to be produced in theaters, leading Braly to open up an indie studio named Fantasy Project with its first series Clara and the Below, which had a successful Kickstarter on March 2026.[4][5][6] The announcement was met with significant public backlash towards Sony, with praises and condolences sent to Braly from both his fans and fellow members of the animation industry.
Three months later, Braly announced on May 13, 2026, that The Monk Studios, a Bangkok based animation studio that previously provided animation work on films such as Wish Dragon (2021), another Sony Animation production, and the Chinese film Ne Zha 2 (2025), purchased the rights to his film as Braly clarified that Monk had only secured the materials produced under Sony and did not yet have the necessary funds to put the film into production, with the company aiming to shop the film to various investors at the 2026 Annecy Film Festival..[7][8] An X account to serve as the film's official production journal was launched alongside the announcement, which revealed the previously untitled film's official name as Afterworld: กลับบ้าน.[9] The title Afterworld was originally a working title when the film was being developed at Sony. On June 20, 2026 a sizzle reel was shared, revealing the protagonist's name as Alex.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Magazine, Animation (10 February 2026). "Matt Braly's Thai Mythology-Infused Animated Feature Shelved at Sony". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (11 February 2026). "Sony Scraps Thai Folklore Feature From Matt Braly, Rebeca Sugar". www.cartoonbrew.com. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (14 December 2023). "Sony Pictures Animation Developing Thai Fantasy-Adventure Pic From Matt Braly". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ https://variety.com/2026/film/news/sony-scraps-animated-movie-thai-spirits-1236658709/
- ^ https://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/matt-braly-fantasy-project-clara-and-the-below-259461.html
- ^ Braly, Matt (10 February 2026). "Matt Braly on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Braly, Matt (13 May 2026). "Matt Braly on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Braly, Matt (13 May 2026). "Matt Braly on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Afterworld Production Diary on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter). 13 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Afterworld Production Journal (@afterworlddiary) on X". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 20 June 2026.
