Matt Braly's Afterworld: From Shelved Sony Project to New Life

When we last spoke to Matt Braly, he was ready to turn the page.

The creator of Disney’s hit fantasy series “Amphibia” had mourned and had moved on. His debut animated feature “Afterworld,” which was written with “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar and had been in pre-production at Sony Pictures Animation, was shelved. Braly took to social media to share pieces of production art that would never be utilized and to lament the project’s passing (he now calls it a “public trauma dump”).

Instead of wallowing, he shifted his energy to raising money on “Clara and the Below,” his Gothic horror take on “The Nutcracker” that will be produced by his newly formed studio Fantasy Project. (The fundraiser for “Clara and the Below” ultimately generated $443,000; the first installment will be released on YouTube in time for Christmas.)

But a funny thing happened while Braly was making other plans – interest in his movie, about a disabled Thai kid who journeys to the spirit world and ultimately discovers that no magical path will heal him, started gaining momentum on its own. Suddenly a project which was all but dead and buried was showing signs of life.

“In this instance, we actually went viral in Thailand. It was all over Thai social media that Hollywood had passed on a Thai-infused cultural story, which I think is something that you know people over there, when they see films like ‘Moana’ or whatever, everyone’s thinking, Oh, do Thailand next,” Braly explained.

It’s a remarkable reversal of fate for “Afterworld” and an example of when authentic cultural art combines with social media for an explosive reaction. Its potential revival also comes amid a big year for original animation, with films like Pixar’s “Hoppers” and Sony’s “Goat” among the highest grossing of the year so far and “KPop Demon Hunters” a certified phenom last summer. In the case of “Afterworld,” it’s also a rare opportunity for a culturally specific film to be crafted by talent from that country.

Braly said that he was approached by three Thai animation studios “that were interested in either resuscitating the idea, or maybe, let’s make a new thing in collaboration.” At first, Braly wasn’t interested. He wanted to move on. “I’d spend a lot of time developing this idea and these characters, and I just wasn’t willing to dance anymore,” Braly said.

_

**