Warner Bros. has dropped its long-gestating adaptation of the hit cult comic Elfquest, which had Rawson Marshall Thurber attached to direct. The project had been set up at Warner Bros. since 2008.

The comic's co-creator Wendy Pini wrote on Elfquest's Facebook page:

"After close to four years of suspense - and longer than four years of your much-appreciated interest and support - the word has come down from Warner Bros. And the word is "no." Their simple explanation is that they don't want to compete with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. This was a possibility, among several, that we were prepared for. It is a relief, at last, to know."

The original comic followed a tribe of elves known as the Wolfriders in their attempts to survive and link with other dispersed elves on an Earth-like planet with two moons while on the lookout for tribes of humans and trolls, both of which acted as allies and enemies.