‘Fixed’: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Long-Neutered R-Rated Dog Comedy Finally Gets Unleashed

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How about this concept for an adult-oriented animated film: A dog and his canine companions embark on a night full of adventures around the city, just before the main character is due for a neutering procedure. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Genndy Tartakovsky expresses that he believes the concept for his first R-rated feature, titled “Fixed“, is the most effective elevator pitch he’s ever made. He added that whenever he shares it, people usually laugh. According to him, it vividly paints a mental image of the entire movie in just a few words.

In the year 2009, that particular pitch was what secured Tartakovsky a position at Sony Pictures Animation. At the time, he was an accomplished and Emmy-winning animator who had made his mark at Warner Bros. Cartoon Network with shows like “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Powderpuff Girls,” and “Samurai Jack.” “Fixed” was set to be Tartakovsky’s debut feature film, and it was also going to be Sony’s first-ever R-rated animated production.

Then everything changed.

According to Tartakovsky, we initiated the project and were in the process of refining it when the executive who approved the pitch left for another department within the studio. New executives took over, and they weren’t interested in moving forward with our idea. It was around 2008/2009, a time when things were vastly different. Few films were rated R, and Sausage Party, Seth Rogen’s adult-themed animated film from 2016, hadn’t been made yet, along with many other similar projects.

At approximately the same period, Tartakovsky also parted ways with his regular employment. Meanwhile, Samurai Jack was taken off air following its fourth season on Cartoon Network [only to be reintroduced 13 years later for a concluding fifth season on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim].

Tartakovsky expressed that he was going through a tough phase, unsure of his next steps. Then, about two weeks later, Sony contacted him. The directors for Hotel Transylvania had been let go, as the movie wasn’t doing well. They asked him to review it. Upon watching it, he thought it was a wild, hilarious project with Adam Sandler and various monsters involved. He jotted down two pages filled with jokes, and they offered him the job.

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to dive deep into the world of “Hotel Transylvania,” directing the first three films in this beloved franchise. Not only did I helm these spooktacular adventures, but I also played a significant role as co-writer and executive producer for the fourth installment. It’s been truly amazing to see my work with Sony Pictures Animation contribute to the success of the “Hotel Transylvania” series, which remains among their top five features, trailing only the blockbuster sensation, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

But Tartakovsky never gave up on Fixed.

Once the new Sony executives began to trust me, I continued to propose the idea of ‘Fixed’, saying, ‘Why don’t we consider this?’ They agreed to revisit it. However, people would respond with doubts: ‘I don’t think audiences are prepared for it.’ We’d set it aside. I even tried pitching it to other studios, but they showed no interest in fully committing.

2015 marked the year when Kristine Belson took over as president of Sony Animation, and that’s when I noticed a shift in the studio’s approach. It transitioned from being focused on the studio’s brand to simply producing quality projects. I kept pushing for my project, Fixed. Finally, ten years after they first bought my initial pitch, Sony gave me the go-ahead in 2019.

The main theme of the story, featuring characters modeled after his high school pals – “Bull” (voiced by Adam Devine) is like Steve, “Rocco” (Idris Elba) resembles Mike as Tartakovsky mentions – remained constant. However, the project titled “Fixed” underwent numerous revisions and stylistic transformations. It was initially planned as a traditional 2D hand-drawn feature, but at one point, it was envisioned in a fully computer-generated 3D format. Tartakovsky displayed 3D prototypes of the film at an Annecy screening two years ago, admitting that the graphic depiction of Bull’s unaltered testicles in full 3D “was simply too explicit.

Once New Line became a partner, the project transitioned into a 2D animation style reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes.

According to Tartakovsky, this method assisted with the budget as he is not skilled in creating CG on a low cost yet making it look expensive. However, he can achieve this in 2D due to his extensive experience in TV production. Interestingly, 2D was his preferred choice all along, making this a happy coincidence or even a small miracle.

The main voice actors – including Kathryn Hahn portraying Bull’s love interest Honey, a sultry purebred, Fred Armisen playing the fashionable Dachshund Fetch, Bobby Moynihan as the lewd poop-eating mutt Lucky, and Beck Bennett as the high-class showdog Sterling – rapidly assembled their roles.

After that, the project labeled as ‘Fixed’ narrowly avoided being canceled once more. It fell victim to the mass elimination of projects initiated by David Zaslav upon becoming CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery following their 2022 merger. Among the affected films were ‘Batgirl’, ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, and ‘Fixed’.

As a fan, I’m thrilled to share that the rights to the captivating film “Fixed” have been returned to Sony, allowing them to offer it up for grabs in the marketplace. Once it had its premiere at Annecy, Netflix stepped in and secured the rights to distribute “Fixed” globally, with a release date set for August 13. Can’t wait to watch it!

16 years later, across three different studios, Tartakovsky feels satisfied that his creation, Fixed, is finally being shown on screens exactly as he envisioned it. Even a somewhat explicit scene, depicting canine affection between characters Bull, Honey and Sterling, was included in the final version.

In my initial proposal, that particular scene was included. However, each new executive who read the script suggested removing it first. I felt that without that scene, there wouldn’t be a film. If I had deleted it, perhaps the movie would have been produced sooner. But it’s the core of the story. So experiencing the audience laugh throughout [at Annecy] was an incredibly rewarding moment.

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2025-06-11 16:46