(2 min, unfinished animation) A dodo tries to launch a pterodactyl off a cliff. It fails. A DreamWorks animator’s voiceover says, “We cut this because it was too sad.”
The cursor hovers over .
Guy (Ryan Reynolds) appears wearing a shell necklace and a possum on his head. He introduces “FIRE.” The Croods scream. Grug snuffs it out with sand. Guy says, “It’s called future .” Eep’s eyes go wide.
The room is dark except for the blue glow of a bulky CRT television. A child, KAI (8), sits cross-legged on a shag carpet, clutching a thick plastic DVD case. The case art is embossed: in big orange letters. The tagline reads: “Meet the world’s first modern family.” The Croods 2013 Dvd
The family reaches “TOMORROW.” A beach. Sun. Sand. Grug builds a clumsy porch. Guy kisses Eep. Belt does the beatbox again. The camera pulls back to reveal the Croods’ cave now sitting on the shore—a boat.
Kai whispers, “He’s cool.” Max says, “He’s just a hipster with a stick.”
The film begins. The Crood family huddles in a pitch-black cave. GRUG (Nicolas Cage), the father, scratches a new rule on the wall with a claw: “Anything new is bad.” His voice is a gravelly whisper. (2 min, unfinished animation) A dodo tries to
Kai groans but doesn’t argue. This is the ritual.
Kai holds the case. She runs her finger over the embossed “DVD” logo.
Max says, “Rewind it.”
Kai’s older brother, MAX (12), snatches the remote. “No way. We watch the trailers first.”
The screen blasts neon blue. Smurfette is kidnapped in Paris. Neil Patrick Harris looks confused. A live-action cat hisses. Max laughs at a fart joke involving Gargamel. Kai stares blankly.