 Although he has been offered chances to leave Russia, Norstein believes that finishing his film in "circumstances approaching comfort" would be impossible.By 2012, "The Overcoat" had surpassed "The Thief and the Cobbler"'s record of the longest production time for a motion picture in history when it continued unfinished.In a February 2014 interview, Norstein revealed that profits from sales of his recent books and licensing deals are going into supporting his work on a new film, but refused to confirm whether that film is "The Overcoat".