9

In 2005, Shane Acker did an animated film which was nominated for an Academy Award. It didn't win, but Universal figured it was a compelling enough IP that it should be developed further, most notably by adding dialog.

After watching the short and the trailer, I have to say I agree.

The original short:



The trailer for the upcoming feature film:



I'm not sure if the short is going to be considered canon or if it's considered a proof of concept.