On Friday, animation icon Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Primal) unveiled breathtaking test footage for his current film endeavor, Black Knight, on Instagram. However, the film may never see the light of day. Tartakovsky revealed that Black Knight has been in development for six years, but Sony Animation is unsure about its box office potential for the adult fantasy epic.

“We created a rough and raw test, and still no progress,” Tartakovsky penned regarding his attempts to sway Sony. “So to explore a different approach, I thought I would share the test to see if it could generate a wave of enthusiasm that might alter the studio’s decision.”

The minute-long test footage brims with atmospheric action. It showcases the titular Black Knight, a 20-foot-tall suit of armor operated by ropes, pulleys, and levers by a knight inside. Set in the 14th century, the Black Knight serves as the medieval counterpart to a robotic suit.

In the footage, the Black Knight confronts a nimble, masked young woman equipped with chains. The brief but captivating clash highlights the masked woman’s agility against the Black Knight’s enormous sword swings.

Black Knight isn’t the first of Tartakovsky’s projects to encounter development or release hurdles. In the early 2010s, he was involved in a Popeye film for Sony but departed in 2015, leading Sony to ultimately cancel the project. His most recent film, Sony’s Fixed, was initially slated for theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio abandoned it in 2024, but Netflix later secured the distribution rights and launched it in 2025.

With Black Knight, Tartakovsky appears ready for yet another familiar battle, albeit employing different methods. As he noted in his caption for the test footage, “Well, this might land me in hot water….But I have to attempt a new strategy.”