Andrew Stanton’s ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ Remains in Limbo Two Years After Production Wrapped

Back in March, we received a positive update on Andrew Stanton’s much-delayed “In the Blink of an Eye”: The film had received an MPA rating of PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material, and some bloody images. This confirmed that post-production had officially wrapped.

Nine months later, the film still doesn’t have a release date. What gives?

Stanton, the Oscar-winning filmmaker known for Pixar classics “WALL-E” and “Finding Nemo,” is directing “In the Blink of an Eye,” a sci-fi drama for Searchlight Pictures. The film, which began principal photography in March 2023, stars Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas, Tanaya Beatty, and Skywalker Hughes.

Having read the script, the film wasn’t made cheap. The story opens with the Big Bang and then unfolds across three interwoven timelines: 45,000 years ago during humanity’s early days, the present in America, and a spacecraft journey roughly 200 years in the future.

In the distant past, we follow Thorn, one of the first humans, as he navigates raising a young family. In the present, Claire, a 29-year-old scientist at Princeton, takes center stage. Meanwhile, in the future, Coakley embarks on a solitary space mission, tending to her plants and maintaining her ship, accompanied only by an AI named Rosco.

Without giving too much away, the film gradually reveals connections among these three eras. Call it Stanton’s “The Tree of Life,” if you will, but he seems to be drawing inspiration from other films as well. In 2022, when the project was first announced, THR reported that “In the Blink of an Eye” was said to be inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Interstellar,” and “Magnolia.” Talk about ambition.

Thomas Newman, who previously collaborated with Stanton on Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” composed the score. Written by Colby Day, ‘Blink of an Eye’ appears to be one of the most ambitious big-studio projects in recent years, aiming to explore the entire history of the world and tackle the nature of life, love, hope, and connection.

A source close to the project says Disney remains uncertain about how to handle the film, noting that multiple rewrites and reshoots have contributed to its delays. Amid all this, Stanton continued working on Toy Story 5 for Disney, which is set for release next summer. It’s quite possible that we’ll only get to see ‘Blink of an Eye’ only after “Toy Story 5” is released.

The rollout strategy is also a point of tension: the source claims that, frustrated by the cuts they’ve seen, Disney is leaning toward a streaming release. However, Stanton has reportedly pushed back, insisting that the film deserves a theatrical debut. With a reported nine-figure budget, the production clearly suggests a big-screen experience, yet Disney’s hesitation is increasingly evident.

Although Stanton is primarily known for his Pixar creations, his live-action debut was 2012’s “John Carter,” which became one of the biggest box-office bombs in movie history. Reviews were equally harsh. A series of “John Carter” sequels were canceled after Disney lost close to $200M on the original film.

For now, the fate of “In the Blink of an Eye” remains a mystery. Whether it lands in theaters or on streaming, we will be watching closely, hoping this long-gestating project finally gets to see the light of day.