Author: Mercedes Milligan

‘Spidey and His Amazing Friends’ Ready to Rock Season 3
A third seasons of Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends is ready to swing into the new year, with a premiere set for Monday, January 8 on Disney Channel (8:30 a.m. ET/PT) and Disney Junior (1 p.m. ET/PT). An initial batch of episodes will roll out on Disney+ soon after.

Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends follows the adventures of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales as they team up with Super Heroes to defeat foes and learn that teamwork is the best way to save the day.

Season 3 continues the “Web-Spinners” storyline from earlier this year and will also introduce a new “Dino-Webs” story arc, and a whole new set of heroes and baddies for the Spidey Team to interact with, including:
- White Tiger (voiced by Kylie Cantrall)
- Lizard (voiced by Bumper Robinson)
- Trapster (voiced by Deva Marie Gregory)
The voice cast for Season 3 features Alkaio Thiele as Peter Parker, Audrey Bennet as Gwen Stacy and Jakari Fraser as Miles Morales. Returning guest cast includes John Stamos as Iron Man, Scott Porter as George Stacy, Bindi Irwin as Isla Coralton, Sean Giambrone as Ant-Man and Maya Aoki Tuttle as Wasp.

The series features music from Grammy Award-winner Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, who serves as composer and songwriter.

Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends is produced by Disney Junior and Marvel Studios in association with Atomic Cartoons, executive produced by Harrison Wilcox and directed by Chris Moreno, who also serves as co-executive producer along with Chris Gilligan and Bart Jennett. Becca Topol is story editor/co-producer, and Steve Grover is supervising producer.

Since its debut in August 2021, the show has amassed over 1.1 billion views across Disney Junior and Marvel HQ YouTube channels with over a half a billion hours watched across linear and streaming in the U.S, consistently ranking as a Top 5 most watched series for preschoolers.

Brand extensions for the Marvel pre-k hit include an assortment of children’s books from Disney Publishing Worldwide, including a My First Comic from Marvel Press and products including toys, apparel and home items from licensees including Hasbro, Jazwares, LEGO and more. Songs from the Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends soundtrack are included on the Disney Junior Hits playlist available on all streaming platforms.
December 11, 2023
DeAPlaneta Soars with ‘Nina & Olga’ Global Rights

DeAPlaneta Entertainment has signed a deal with Italian animation production company Enanimation and Australian company Kreiworks for the multi-awarded preschool animated series Nina & Olga. Through to this agreement, DeAPlaneta Entertainment will manage all media, licensing & digital rights to the series worldwide, excluding Italy, Australia and North American territories.

“With its charming, and timeless, 2D animation and the values it represents (environmental care, diversity, promoting of communication and understanding), Nina & Olga is an invaluable addition to the DeAPlaneta Entertainment catalog,” said Carlos Biern, Director of Distribution & Content, DeAPlaneta Kids & Family. “Our agreement with the Italian company Enanimation is yet another example of DeAPlaneta Entertainment’s full commitment to support Italian based creators and European animation.”

Nina & Olga is a preschool (3-5 years old) based on the successful book series Olga the Cloud by Nicoletta Costa, with more than 80 titles published worldwide. The series — with a first season (52 x 7’) is available and second season (52×7’) due in 2024, follows six-year-old Nina and her best friend, a cloud named Olga, along with friends Teo (a boy) and Bigio (also a cloud). Together, they share adventures connecting the worlds of the sky and the ground, discovering the emotions these experiences bring, exploring and learning to manage them.

Coproduced by studio Enanimation andKreiworks in collaboration with Rai Ragazzi, Nina & Olga’s creative lead is Lina Foti, an award-winning creator known for her roles as executive producer at Lion Forge Animation and script producer/writer of Pocoyo.

Season 1 of Nina & Olga was released in Italy on Rai Yoyo on 2021, achieving excellent share results, and is still aired on Rai Yoyo and also available on Raiplay. The series won a Pulcinella Award at Cartoons of the Bay 2021 for Best Upper Preschool TV Series, and was appointed Best Licensed Publishing Project at the Bologna Children’s Bookfair 2021.

“We are very excited to partner with Kreiworks and DeAPlaneta Entertainment to bring Nina & Olga to a global audience and support us while we keep advancing our internationalization efforts,” said Federica Maggio, President & Producer, Enamimation SRL.

Lina Foti, Managing Director & Executive Producer at Kreiworks, added, “Working on this iconic Italian IP alongside our partners Enanimation and RAI Ragazzi is an exciting opportunity for Kreiworks. We look forward to infusing an Australian touch into this beloved series and expanding our collaboration with DeAPlaneta during this pivotal phase of their continuous expansion.”

December 11, 2023
‘Solo Leveling’ Anime Hits Crunchyroll in January (Official Trailer)
Crunchyroll, in collaboration with Aniplex, announced that the anime adaptation of the Korean manhwa sensation Solo Leveling will make its global debut on Crunchyroll’s streaming platform on January 6, 2024 and will reach viewers across 200 territories.

Synopsis: Over a decade has passed since a pathway called a “gate” which connects this world and another dimension suddenly appeared, and people with superhuman powers called “hunters” have been awakened. Hunters use their superhuman powers to conquer dungeons inside the gates to make a living, and Sung Jinwoo, a hunter of the lowest rank, is considered the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind.

One day, he encounters a double dungeon, a high-level dungeon hidden inside a low-level one. In front of a severely wounded Jinwoo, a mysterious quest window pops up. On the verge of death, Jinwoo decides to take on the quest, which makes him the only person who can level up.

“At Crunchyroll, we are always looking for innovative ways to connect our audience with captivating stories from around the world,” said Asa Suehira, the platform’s Chief Content Officer. “Solo Leveling is a groundbreaking series that has captured the imagination of fans globally, and we are thrilled to be part of the journey to bring this extraordinary manhwa to life as an anime. Our collaboration with Aniplex symbolizes our commitment to delivering high-quality, diverse content that resonates with our viewers.”

The anime series is adapted from the best selling Korean web novel written by Chugong, which was later adapted into a webtoon and manhwa in 2018, with illustrations by DUBU.

Solo Leveling is animated by A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online), with motion graphics by Production I.G (Attack on Titan, PSYCHO-PASS). The series is directed by Shunsuke Nakashige (Sword Art Online). Additional staff credits include music by Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan) and TOMORROW X TOGETHER (K-pop band), character design by Tomoko Sudo and monster design by Hirotaka Tokuda.

Japanese voice cast and characters:
- Sung Jinwoo voiced by Taito Ban
- Yoo Jinho voiced by Genta Nakamura
- Sung Jinah voiced by Haruna Mikawa
- Cha Hae-in voiced by Reina Ueda
- Choi Jong-in voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa
- Baek Yoonho voiced by Hiroki Touchi
- Go Gunhee voiced by Banjo Ginga
- Woo Jinchul voiced by Makoto Furukawa
English voice cast and characters:
- Sung Jinwoo voiced by Aleks Le
- Yoo Jinho voiced by Justin Briner
- Sung Jinah voiced by Rebecca Wang
- Cha Hae-in voiced by Michelle Rojas
- Choi Jong-in voiced by Ian Sinclair
- Baek Yoonho voiced by Christopher R. Sabat
- Go Gunhee voiced by Kent Williams
- Woo Jinchul voiced by SungWon Cho
- Lee Joohee voiced by Dani Chambers
Dubs for Solo Leveling will also be produced in other languages, with premiere dates to be announced later.
December 11, 2023
Trailer: Olan Rogers’ ‘Godspeed’ Races to YouTube Premiere

Final Space creator and executive producer Olan Rogers, Academy Award-nominated executive producer Rosa Tran (Anomalisa, Robot Chicken), and director Ben Bjelajac (Final Space) through their newly launched studios Lightfold have unveiled the trailer for the outfit’s first project: a 24-minute sci-fi epic animated series called Godspeed. The high-staked adventure premieres December 15 on YouTube.

Synopsis: Godspeed follows the journey of Iris, a young woman, and her adorable karaoke-bot sidekick named Bowie as they navigate the desolate landscape and abandoned homes of their crumbling world. Her path takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a mysterious broadcast that holds the key to their escape. To follow the message, she must survive a planet-ending storm.

The series cast includes the voices of Troy Baker (The Last of Us), Claudia Black (Farscape, The Nevers), Bryce Charles (Big Nate), Coty Galloway (Final Space) and the show’s creator, Rogers.

With the animation business buffeted by layoffs, the uncertain future of AI’s impact and other issues, Final Space was one of the toon casualties canceled with an abrupt cliffhanger and removed from streaming platforms. This spurred Rogers and his co-founders to establish a creator-first studio with the goal of producing unique stories using alternative funding avenues. Godspeed is the product of a successful Kickstarter campaign, private investments and the talents of at the time out-of-work animation creatives.

Lightfold says it is actively seeking creatives and investors to join the fold and produce more stories that challenge the traditional industry process.

“Animation is an art form I’ve completely fallen in love with and to see this industry over the past few years get almost completely gutted is heartbreaking,” said Rogers. “These are our stories being thrown away. I get it, it’s business, but to all of us, to me, it’s personal. There has to be a different way to do all of this, and instead of sitting around talking about it, we decided to do something. Lightfold’s mission is to take creatives to new levels they only ever have dreamt of while also protecting them and their stories.”

To develop the brand identity and shape the marketing strategy of Godspeed, Rogers enlisted Atlanta-based creative agency Headword!, led by CEO Forrester Kane and President Jez de Wolff, formerly of Adult Swim and TBS. Kane and de Wolff join Lightfold as fourth and fifth founders.

“We first formed Lightfold as an experiment in radically creator-favored entertainment business models. Olan, Ben and Rosa have been completely in the creative driver’s seat, and the experiment is yielding inspired results,” says Kane.

Godspeed will premiere on Olan Rogers’ YouTube Channel on December 15 at 11 a.m. ET. Follow @godspeedseries for updates and lightfold.tv for studio information.

December 11, 2023
Stephen Fry’s ‘The Canterville Ghost’ Lives Again on DVD in Febraury

Join Virginia and the rest of the Otis family on their haunted country house adventure from the comfort of your own, hopefully haunt-free, home this winter when Shout! Studios and Shout! Kids release The Canterville Ghost on DVD on February 13, 2024. The movie is available now on Digital for purchase or rent across all major entertainment platforms.

About: Poised to entertain kids, families, and animation enthusiasts, The Canterville Ghost is a colorful animated movie adventure filled with humor and whimsical characters. The film boasts vibrant storytelling, a strong young female lead character, and important messages about curiosity, courage, friendship, love, and forgiveness.

Directed by Kim Burdon (Stressed Eric) and co-directed by Robert Chandler (The Amazing Maurice), The Canterville Ghost is the modern reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s popular literary classic and boasts a winning voice cast of Stephen Fry (The Hobbit films), Hugh Laurie (House), Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor), Emily Carey (Wonder Woman), David Harewood (The Flash), Meera Syal (Doctor Strange), Miranda Hart (Spy) with Toby Jones (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter films).

Available for the first time on North American home entertainment shelves, The Canterville Ghost DVD is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com and will be available in stores at Walmart, other retailers and digital entertainment platforms.

December 8, 2023
Simon’s Cat Launches LoFi Content for Purrfect Animated Background

Simon’s Cat (a Banijay UK company), and Beacon Music (part of Banijay Brands), have joined forces to release a one-hour LoFi film with original music and bespoke animation. This latest production for the popular toon brand is now available on the official Simon’s Cat YouTube channel. You can check out a sample clip below!

Diving into an increasingly popular music & online content genre, the Simon’s Cat LoFi beats are made for moments of serenity or focussed productivity. One hour of gentle Simon’s Cat animation plays against the backdrop of original music, LoFi Lab, consisting of 10 tracks, specially commissioned from Banijay’s music library platform, Beacon Music.

“We are always looking to new, innovate ways we can engage with our loyal audience, and demand for LoFi content is extremely high,” notes the brand’s creator Simon Tofield. “The charming and mellow animation, which is synonymous with Simon’s Cat, is a great fit for this genre, and the beautiful music, from our colleagues at Beacon Music, is the perfect accompaniment.”

Created by award-winning illustrator, animator and director Tofield, Simon’s Cat was first seen on YouTube in 2008. Part of Banijay UK, the brand is now a major global success, with over 3 billion online views and 21 million fans across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter. The brand also enjoys international success across multiple categories, including gaming, publishing and apparel.

December 8, 2023
Popular Plush Toys ‘Bedtime Defenderz’ Launch YouTube Toon

U.S. toy designer and scented products specialists Scentco Inc. is launching their first ever YouTube animated series, Bedtime Defenderz. The 12-episode project follows the successful worldwide launch last year of the plush toy brand of the same name.

About: Bedtime Defenderz is a line of plush superheroes designed to protect kids from the “bad guys” at night. From the all too familiar, “there are bad guys under the bed,” to “it’s too dark!,” parents and children know just how hard the bedtime routine can be. Bedtime Defenderz was created to give parents a much-needed helping hand by banishing “the bad guys” while their kids sleep. Each of the five Defenderz feature a glow-in-the-dark belt buckle, a bedtime comic book, and a power band slap bracelet. The Defenderz live in Snoozeeland and can teleport into action when there are nightmares afoot because, as the Defenderz say, “when it’s time for lights out, nightmares better watch out!”

In the new animated series, viewers will go on adventures in Snoozeeland as Magnus, the Bedtime Defenderz leader, assembles the team — Bruno (the brawn), Lexi (the brains), Sonny/El Soñador (the scrapper) and Zigy (the comedic speedster) — in order to protect Ace, a five-year-old boy, from Torrag, Master of Shadows — the biggest baddie of them all. Each of the 12 episodes has a running time of about seven minutes, and tells an action-packed, engaging story, and helps solve the typical bedtime problems that parents and kids face every evening.

“We created the Bedtime Defenderz characters and plushes to help make bedtime routines a positive experience for families, and the animated series truly brings the Defenderz to life,” says Chris Coté, President of Scentco. “With the series, we hope to further enhance the Bedtime Defenderz experience and engage with our audience in a whole new way.”

Designed for children aged three to seven, the Bedtime Defenderz animated series launched this week on the Bedtime Defenderz official YouTube channel.

Bedtime Defenderz plush are available on Amazon and at Scentco’s website: scentcoinc.com. For more information about Bedtime Defenderz, visit bedtimedefenderz.com.

December 8, 2023
ABC’s 20/20 Announces ‘Disney 100: A Century of Dreams’ Special

ABC News Studios announced today Disney 100: A Century of Dreams – A Special Edition of 20/20, the special event commemorating the entertainment giant’s 100th anniversary. The documentary takes viewers on a journey that started in 1923, from the creation of the Disney Brothers Studio to modern storytelling brands such as Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox — celebrating Disney’s countless creators and telling the story behind the story. Viewers will also be treated to an inside look at an all-new Disney attraction.

Disney100: A Century of Dreams – A Special Edition of 20/20 airs Thursday, December 14 (9:02-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC, streaming next day on Hulu and December 29 on Disney+.

More details:

The documentary chronicles all facets of the storied company — from animation to parks to television to music — spotlighting those who have played essential roles in Disney’s history. Starting with the creation of the iconic character Mickey Mouse and unspooling the story of how Walt Disney’s quest to make the very first feature-length animated film, Snow White, nearly bankrupted the young studio, viewers will learn how unbridled determination and imagination became the cornerstones of the Walt Disney Company.

The special features interviews with Disney CEO Bob Iger, the legendary stars of Disney’s critically acclaimed hit musical fantasy film Mary Poppins Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and Walt Disney’s grandsons Chris Miller and Walter Miller. Award-winning musical collaborators — including songwriter Richard Sherman of the prolific Sherman Brothers, legendary recording artist Elton John, composer Alan Menken and singer/songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda — discuss the powerful role of music in Disney’s storytelling. Stars from Disney’s animated feature films — including Idina Menzel (Elsa, Frozen and Frozen 2), Jodi Benson (Ariel, The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle, Beauty and the Beast) and Ariana DeBose (Asha, Wish) — talk about voicing the animated musicals. Additional appearances include journalists Chris Connelly and Kelley L. Carter, Katy Perry, Chris Evans, John Stamos, Mickey Mouse Club actor Josh Ackerman, Disney Channel star Christy Carlson Romano, Disney Legends, experts and more.

The special is produced by ABC News Studios and 20/20. Matt Lombardi serves as executive producer, and David Sloan is senior executive producer. Janice Johnston is executive producer for 20/20. ABC News Studios is led by Mike Kelley, and Reena Mehta is the SVP of Streaming and Digital Content.

December 8, 2023
French Institute Announces 7th Animation First Festival

The French Institute Alliance Française announces the program for the seventh annual Animation First, the only U.S. festival dedicated to showcasing the legacy and innovation of Francophone animation. FIAF will celebrate the seventh edition of its popular festival, which expands this year from a three-day to a six-day festival due to increased popularity, from Tuesday, January 23 through Sunday, January 28.

This year’s festival presents seven feature-length films (including three U.S. and three New York premieres), six short film programs, a “First Look” presentation, filmmaker talks, the annual Student Short Film Competition, and much more. New for 2024 will be the premiere of an inaugural limited-edition Animation First series poster, a juried competition of the New Francophone shorts, and a special spotlight on Québécois animated cinema. Animation First 2024 programmers are Delphine Selles-Alvarez, FIAF Film Curator, and Chloé Dheu, FIAF Film Coordinator.

“This year’s festival celebrates the power of animation to explore thought-provoking subjects —as with the films, When Adam Changes, The Siren and Mars Express, amongst others — and magnificent worlds such as those showcased in Sirocco and the Kingdom of Air Streams, and the new VR experience, Gaudi, the Atelier of the Divine,” Selles-Alvarez explains. “With the inclusion of the inaugural limited-edition poster by illustrator Peter de Sève, FIAF is highlighting its mission to celebrate animation as a cinematic art that’s not just a genre for young audiences.”

The festival opens with the New York premiere of director Jérémie Périn’s futuristic sci-fi film noir Mars Express, a prescient narrative that sparks the current conversation about AI anxiety through pop culture references and hard-boiled themes. The centerpiece film is the New York premiere of Benoît Chieux’s Sirocco and the Kingdom of Air Streams, a surreal tale of two sisters trapped in the world of their storybook. The closing night film is the U.S. premiere of Sepideh Farsi and Zaven Najjar’s The Siren, a powerfully visceral odyssey that follows a 14-year-old navigating the aftermath of an Iraqi missile strike in 1980 Abadan.

Additional features include Pablo Berger’s popular Spanish-French film Robot Dreams, the New York premiere of filmmakers Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli’s Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret; the U.S. premiere of Cameroonian directors Daniel Minlo and Cyrille Masso’s The Sacred Cave, and the U.S. premiere of Quebec filmmaker Joël Vaudreuil’s new film When Adam Changes.

The festival’s six short film programs include Best of Annecy, Best of Annecy WTF, New Francophone Shorts 1 and 2, National Film Board of Canada (ONF) Shorts and Cinémathèque Québécoise.

New for 2024 will be the premiere of an inaugural limited-edition Animation First series poster. FIAF is excited to have commissioned illustrator Peter de Sève to create the first Animation First poster, which will be printed in limited-edition by Posteritati. For the first time, Animation First will have a juried competition for it’s New Francophone Shorts program. The jury for the New Francophone Shorts program will be made up of industry professionals including film curator Marco de Blois, director and animator Candy Kugel, and illustrator Marcos Chin.

Also new for 2024, FIAF is pleased to present Animation Speak/Easy. For this special gathering, three guest artists will be asked to share an animated short that inspires them, after which an audience discussion will ensue. This year’s festival will also bring a focus on Québécois animation. The Québécois programs will include Montreal filmmaker Joël Vaudreuil’s U.S. premiere of When Adam Changes, a talk with Montreal based filmmaker Janet Perlman, and two shorts programs; National Film Board of Canada Shorts and Cinémathèque Québécoise. Returning for the 2024 festival will be the popular Animation Jam, the 48-hour student exercise to complete an animation sequence, and free AR/VR experiences in the FIAF Library including the U.S. premiere of Gaudi, the Atelier of the Divine and Plastisapiens, with more titles to be added.

The 2024 Animation First festival will be held January 23-28 in New York, presented by FIAF. Learn more at fiaf.org.

December 8, 2023
Toikido & Moonbug Reveal First Pre-K IP Team Up ‘PeaKeeBoo’

Award-winning global entertainment company Moonbug Entertainment and creative studio Toikido have unveiled their first collaboration project, PeaKeeBoo, a new animation series for preschool children and their families.

The world of PeaKeeBoo is full of the wonderous sounds and visuals of nature, and home to a range of unique characters who are united in their love of fun and zest for life. It is inspired by the charm of the classic childhood game it is named after, which holds a special place in the hearts of parents and little ones alike.

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind the popular YouTube children’s channels CoComelon and Blippi, will produce the first season of PeaKeeBoo, which will be available globally on the Moonbug Kids YouTube Channel in 2024.

The announcement of PeaKeeBoo follows the success of Toikido’s first in-house IP, Piñata Smashlings, generated by its popular Roblox game and toy range and now expanded to its own short-form animated series. Similarly, PeaKeeBoo will be accompanied by a comprehensive 360 marketing strategy, including a range of ancillary products such as toys, playsets, physical games, apparel and books.

“There’s no hiding how thrilled we are to be partnering with Moonbug Entertainment, who have a spectacular ability to understand a brilliant and original concept and bring it to life onscreen,” said Darran Garnham, Founder & CEO of Toikido. “We are proud to be part of their outstanding portfolio of award-winning shows. PeaKeeBoo will be no exception and we’re all looking forward to the smiles and laughter that it will bring to children and parents in 2024.”

“Working with Toikido has been a pleasure and we’re excited to share this new series that we know will resonate with families across the world,” added Moonbug Head of Global Partnerships, Dan’l Hewitt. “We look forward to further exploring the PeaKeeBoo world, and working with Tokido to encourage the future of childhood curiosity and play.”

toikido.com | moonbug.com

December 7, 2023
JSBC Begins Production on ‘Silex & The City’ Movie

Paris studio Je Suis Bien Content (JSBC) has announced a new chapter for the popular French comic Silex & The City, having begun production on a new live-action and animated hybrid feature about the family that’s on a mission to shake-up the Stone Age. Created by Jul (Julien Berjeaut), the comic’s nine albums have sold more than a million copies, and inspired an animated series which aired 180 episodes on Arte (France), known internationally as The Darwinners.

The film is the biggest screen adventure yet for the Dotcom family — father Blog, a hunting teacher; mother Spam, a prehistory-geography teacher; daughter Web, a teenager in an emancipation crisis; and son Url, a militant anti-Darwinist. Trapped in a prehistoric operetta, condemned never to evolve, father-daughter conflict will disrupt the family’s Stone Age routine: After a tragicomic return trip to the future, they accidentally bring back the equivalent of an Ikea Allen key — finally triggering Evolution, for better and, especially, for worse!

“A real leap in the chain of evolution, the passage of Silex & The City from the three-minute format to the long format is a small revolution,” notes creator Jul. “From a ‘one sentence-one joke’ type of writing, we leap into a suspenseful cinematic adventure: In the movie, the Dotcom family takes on a more sympathetic dimension, the references to the classics of genre cinema can resonate more, and the political criticism of our crazy civilization can really shine in this long-form story.”

Written and co-directed by Jul and Jean-Paul Guigue (Best Bugs Forever, Blaise) and produced by Je Suis Bien Content and co-founder/producer Franck Ekinci, the Silex & The City film will combine 2D animation and live action. A number of well-known Francophone actors and personalities will participate in the project, including Bruno Solo, Julie Gayet, Léa Drucker, journalist Stéphane Bern, literary critic Frédéric Beigbeder, Belgian author Amélie Nothomb and former President of France François Hollande.

The voice cast will also feature Frédéric Pierrot, Guillaume Gallienne, Michel Vuillermoz, Clément Sibony, Denis Ménochet, Noémie de Lattre, Sophia Aram, Lison Daniel, Alex Vizorek, Agnès Hurstel, Léa Salamé, Patrick Mille, Émilie Aubry, Ophélia Kolb, Raphaël Quenard, Océan, Augustin Trapenard and Félix Moati.

Je Suis Bien Content is co-producing the feature with Arte Cinéma and Leftfield (Belgium) in association with BE-TV (Belgium), SG Images, the CNC and Wallimages. Theatrical distribution will be handled by Haut & Court in France and internationally by Urban. The animation is being produced at JSBC’s Paris studio and Wahoo! studio in Liège, while live-action footage will be shot in mid-December around Brussels.

Production on Silex & The City is expected to wrap next spring, for a theatrical release window in the last trimester of 2024.

jsbc.fr/en

December 7, 2023
Cult Favorite Anime Heist ‘Great Pretender’ Gets Deluxe Complete Series Box Set
Trust us, it’s not part of the scam: Great Pretender: The Complete Series Deluxe Edition is coming to stores in a limited edition with plenty of fun bonus back-up this March. From WIT Studio (Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, Spy x Family) and director Hiro Kaburagi (91 Days, Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You), the series centers on an unlikely crew of con artists who abide by the rule that people are willing to believe any convenient truth.

Series Overview: Self-styled “Japan’s greatest swindler” Makoto Edamura is mainly targeting elder people and occasional foreign travelers. But when he tries to scam an apparently clueless French tourist in Tokyo, he can’t possibly imagine that what looked like just another ordinary job is going to take him all the way to Los Angeles, tied upside-down on the famous Hollywood sign… And he is yet to find out what fate awaits him!

Directed by Kaburagi, written by Ryota Kosawa (live-action Parasyte) and featuring the designs of anime legend Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL 2000), this character-driven comedic heist series blends the visual marvel of anime with suspenseful and smart narratives. Moreover, the anime series features the rousing theme song “The Great Pretender,” performed by the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, and words and music by Buck Ram. The series was Nominated for Best Direction at the 48th annual Annie Awards.

Great Pretender – The Complete Series Deluxe Edition arrives in select North American e-commerce stores on March 12, 2024 in limited quantities from Anime Limited, distributed by Shout! Studios. The five-disc Blu-ray collection comes housed in a visually striking slipcase and collects all 23 episodes, plus insightful bonus features, 10 art cards, a double-sided poster and a 192-page art book.

The set is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com and select participating online stores.

Bonus Content
- Series presentation in the original Japanese audio with English subtitles and English dub
- A Spoiler-filled Exposition Contest
  with SD Characters (approx 26’)
- Textless Opening Sequence
- Textless Ending Sequence
- Teaser (15’’, 30’’, 76’’)
- Trailer Collection
- “Someday ft. Emarie” Music Video
- Freddie Mercury “The Great Pretender” Special Music Video
- 192-page art book
- A series of 10 art cards
- Double-sided mini-poster
December 7, 2023
Teaser: ‘The Tiger’s Apprentice’ Brings Mythical Martial Arts Tale to Paramount+ on Feb. 2

Paramount+ today announced that the service’s next original movie — the star-studded animated family film The Tiger’s Apprentice — will premiere on the service Friday, February 2, in the U.S. The film’s availability in additional international Paramount+ markets will be announced at a later date.

A teaser trailer was also dropped for the upcoming film, which features the voices of Henry Golding (The Old Guard 2), Brandon Soo Hoo (Mech Cadets), Lucy Liu (Shazam: Fury of the Gods), with Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh (Quiz Lady) and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once).

Synopsis: Based on the popular children’s book series of the same name by Laurence Yep, The Tiger’s Apprentice follows Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee (Soo Hoo), whose life changes forever when he discovers he is part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians. With guidance from a mythical tiger named Hu (Golding), Tom trains to take on Loo (Yeoh), a force that is as powerful as a Guardian but with evil intentions to use magic to destroy humanity. To have a fighting chance against Loo, Tom must reunite all twelve Zodiac animal warriors and master his own newly discovered powers.

The CG-animated adventure also boasts a stellar ensemble voice cast that includes Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), Leah Lewis (Elemental), Kheng Hua Tan (Crazy Rich Asians), Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), Deborah S. Craig (Meet Cute), Jo Koy (The Monkey King), Greta Lee (Past Lives), Diana Lee Inosanto (The Mandalorian), Patrick Gallagher (Night at the Museum) and Poppy Liu (The Afterparty).

The Tiger’s Apprentice, a Paramount+ original movie in association with Paramount Animation, is a Jane Startz Production and is based on the novel by Laurence Yep. Directed by Raman Hui (Monster Hunt, Shrek the Third) and co-directed by Paul Watling (Kid Cosmic) and Yong Duk Jhun (head of layout, Vivo, Trolls, The Croods), with a screenplay by David Magee and Christopher Yost and music by Steve Jablonsky.

The film is produced by Jane Startz, p.g.a, Sandra Rabins, p.g.a., and Bob Persichetti, p.g.a., with Maryann Garger, Kane Lee and Carlos Baena serving as executive producers.

December 7, 2023
Former DreamWorks, Netflix Exec Bruce Daitch Joins ‘God’s Gang’

God’s Gang Ltd. — the production company behind the new animation project God’s Gang, led by former Disney executive Nimrod Avraham May — today announced that Bruce Daitch, the former COO and CFO of DreamWorks Animation and VP of Animation at Netflix, is joining its advisory board. Daitch will help facilitate new partnerships in funding, production and broadcasting worldwide, for new episodes and other content of the series.

“I am beyond proud to join a team that is so committed to changing the world, one martial arts superhero at a time,” commented Daitch. “From all of my experience I understand the power of animation as an educational tool — especially when it’s fun and engaging. The God’s Gang team have nailed it, and I am excited to work with them.”

Daitch joins an award-winning team of animation veterans behind the series, including director Ehud Landsberg (Transformers: Cyberverse, Vampirina) and writer Rob Kutner (five-time Emmy, Grammy and Peabody Award winner; Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Angry Birds, Ben 10).

God’s Gang centers on is a multicultural, multinational team of four extraordinary heroes from different faiths: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Through martial arts, themes of unity and extraordinary adventures, the show aims to showcase the power of peace, kindness and unity for audiences aged 9-19, with a universal appeal. The show’s 13-minute pilot has already attracted more than 3 million views on YouTube.

The series is created by May, former Marketing Executive at Disney, and brought to life by the team at Infinite Frameworks in Singapore. May’s production banner God’s Gang Ltd. brings together an international team from over 13 countries that is committed to keeping its projects free from AI-generated content.

“As a father, God’s Gang is a product of my dream for my daughters to live in a world where peace, love, compassion, kindness and truth are the values that society is built upon,” said May, who is also CEO of God’s Gang Ltd. “Bruce joining our team means we can reach even bigger audiences across the world and bring people together regardless of their cultural background or religion.”

godsgang.com

December 6, 2023
Animated Comedy ’10 Lives’, Starring Mo Gilligan & Simone Ashley,Sets Sundance Premiere

The Sundance Film Festival has revealed that the new CG-animated comedy feature 10 Lives will make its World Premiere as part of the festival’s 2024 program. The prestigious cinema event returns to Utah from January 18-28.

Synopsis: Beckett, a pampered cat, totally takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt; rescued and loved by Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student focused on saving the world’s bee population. But all that is about to change, when he carelessly loses his ninth life. It is a journey that sees Beckett turn from gloriously self-absorbed pet, to a self-sacrificing hero. Because sometimes you must travel many different roads to find the very best version of yourself.

The family film features a stellar voice cast, led by multiple BAFTA winner Mo Gilligan (The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan) as Beckett; Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) as Rose; Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) as Grace, an ethereal, no-nonsense woman with the power to grant Beckett his new lives; British pop star Zayn Malik as tough-acting twins Kirk and Cameron; Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) as Larry, Rose’s socially discomfited lab partner; Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso) as Happy, a wisecracking dog; and BAFTA- and Golden Globe-winning thespian Bill Nighy (Living) as Professor Craven.

Malik is also providing new music especially for the film.

10 Lives is directed by Chris Jenkins (Duck Duck Goose, Home, Surf’s Up) from a screenplay by Jenkins, Karen Wengrod & Ken Cinnamon. Producers are Guy Collins and Sean Feeney for 10 Lives Productions, Martin Metz and Adrian Politowski for Align, Yann Zenou for Quad, Valérie d’Auteuil and André Rouleau for Caramel Films, and Louis-Philippe Vermette for The Happy Producers. Cinesite’s Montreal studio L’Atelier Animation (Leap!, Fireheart) is producing the CG.

U.S. sales for 10 Lives are being handled by WME. GFM Animation is responsible for international sales.

December 6, 2023
Time to Boo-gie! ‘Monster High’ S1 Finale Premieres Friday (EXCLUSIVE CLIP)

Nickelodeon’s super-popular Boo Crew is ready to bid adieu to the first season of their new, fully-animated Monster High series with a blowout Season 1 finale this Friday (December 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT). Today, we are able to offer our readers a fresh-out-the-crypt sneak peek at the episode, which takes viewers along to a very special school dance.

In “Monster Way,” it’s the final night of the Blood Moon Eclipse. Accessorized with their hard-earned Monster Talismans, the Monster High squad head to the Monster Ball to boogie with their friends. What could go wrong?

The clip features Gabrielle Nevaeh (Clawdeen Wolf), Courtney Lin (Draculaura), Iris Menas (Frankie Stein), Tony Revolori (Deuce Gorgon), Kausar Mohammed (Cleo De Nile), Jonathan Melo (Clawd Wolf), Nisa Ward (Autumn Patch) and Sunil Malhotra (Mr. Mothmanson). Menas also provides the voice of everyone’s favorite sentient congelation of ectoplasm, Goobert.

Shea Fontana (Polly Pocket) is showrunner and co-executive producer for Monster High, with Nick Filippi (Big Hero 6: The Series) as supervising producer. Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, SVP Big Kids Animation, and Nikki Price, Director, Development, Animation, and for Mattel by Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan.

Fans can catch up on Monster High on the Nick App, Nick.com and VOD.

December 6, 2023
’80s Fave ‘The Care Bears Movie’ Gets U.K. Collector’s Edition Release

Capelight Pictures (Altitude) has announced that a 2-Disc Limited Collector’s Edition of The Care Bears Movie, will be available for the first time in the U.K., from December 11. One of the 1980s’ most successful cartoons comes to life in this special release, featuring a mediabook with the film in Full HD (Blu-ray and DVD) as well as a 24-page booklet.

Pre-orders are open now through amazon.co.uk.

Synopsis: High above, where the clouds and the stars live, the Care Bears watch over the good on earth. One day, they witness the sorcerer’s apprentice Nicholas accidentally freeing an evil spirit who puts a curse on him. With the boy’s aid, the ghost plots to turn people’s love into hate. The Care Bears team up with their friends from the Emotional Forest and orphans Kim and Jason to break the spell. Because to save the world, you need a good portion of love…

Featuring songs by Carole King and John Sebastian, this exciting journey into another world is sure to delight young and old.

December 5, 2023
Six Animated Series Contend for Critics Choice TV Award
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the TV category nominees for the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed at a gala ceremony hosted by Chelsea Handler, which will broadcast LIVE on The CW on Sunday, January 14, 2024 (7 – 10 p.m. ET, delayed PT, check local listings).

The nominees for Best Animated Series are:
- Bluey (Disney+, series premiered 2018) — Third consecutive nomination
- Bob’s Burgers (Fox, 2011) — Fifth consecutive nomination
- Harley Quinn (Max, 2019) — 2023 award winner; second consecutive nomination
- Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix, 2023)
- Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+, 2020) — Second consecutive nomination
- Young Love (Max, 2023)
This year’s most-nominated live-action series are The Morning Show (Apple TV+) with six nominations and Succession (Max) with five, followed by A Small Light (NatGeo), Abbott Elementary (ABC), Beef (Netflix), Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+), Loki (Disney+), Reservation Dogs (Hulu) and The Bear (FX) tied with four each.

The full list of television nominees is available at criticschoice.com.

Nominations for the CCA film categories will be announced on December 13.
December 5, 2023
Sweet Babies! ‘Fionna and Cake’ Gets Season 2 Renewal from Max

The Max Original animated series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake has been renewed for a second season. Based on characters from Pen Ward’s Emmy-winning Cartoon Network classic Adventure Time, the series is set in the land of Ooo and follows the alternate universe versions of Finn and Jake on a multiverse-hopping journey towards self-discovery.

Season 1 (10 episodes) premiered on Max in August, joining the Max Original Adventure Time: Distant Lands specials.

“As proud stewards of the beloved Adventure Time brand, we have been delighted to dig deeper into the world through the Fionna and Cake lens,” said Suzanna Makkos, EVP Original Comedy & Adult Animation for Max and Adult Swim. “We look forward to following them on the next chapter of their journey!”

Adam Muto, showrunner and executive producer, commented, “To know that the show will continue into a second season feels both wonderful and frankly surreal. Thanks to Adventure Time‘s creator Pendleton Ward, the team at Max, the talented cast & crew, and the passionate audience who made this possible.”

Muto served as a writer, producer, co-executive producer and executive producer on the original Adventure Time series from 2013-2018 , and developed the story for, wrote and executive produced the three-part Distant Lands saga (2020-2021). His previous credits as a writer, producer and storyboard artist also include Random! Cartoons, Steven Universe, Steven Universe Future, Summer Camp Island and City of Ghosts.

Fionna and Cake is produced in partnership with Cartoon Network Studios, with Fred Seibert and Sam Register also executive producing.

“Fionna and Cake gave us all the familiar joys from the land of Ooo while pushing the Adventure Time franchise forward,” said Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. “Thanks to Adam Muto and his amazing team for bringing us to all new multiverses and rich new levels of charm, fun, and heart-filled stories. I can’t wait to see where they take us next.”

In Season 1 of Fionna and Cake, our heroes find themselves in the crosshairs of a powerful new foe, with no choice but to seek the help of former Ice King Simon Petrikov. The series also features appearances from Marshall Lee, Marceline the Vampire Queen, Princess Bubblegum and Finn the Human.

Featuring the voices of Madeleine Martin as Fionna, Roz Ryan as Cake the Cat, Tom Kenny as Simon Petrikov, Andrew Rannells as Gary Prince, Donald Glover as Marshall Lee, Kayleigh Mckee as The Scarab, Sean Rohani as Prismo.

December 5, 2023
Disney-Pixar’s ‘Soul,’ ‘Turning Red’ & ‘Luca’ Coming to U.S. Theaters for the First Time
Three feature films from Disney and Pixar — 2020’s Soul, 2021’s Luca and 2022’s Turning Red — will hit the big screen nationwide for the first time ever in 2024! Tickets go on sale January 2, 2024 for the special engagement theatrical runs, which invite moviegoers to experience three Pixar films the way they were meant to be seen ahead of the studio’s June 2024 theatrical release of Inside Out 2.

Audiences will be treated to a Pixar animated short film ahead of each of the features:
- Soul, opening in theaters on January 12, will be accompanied by the SparkShort Burrow
- Turning Red, opening February 9, with SparkShort Kitbull
- Luca, opening March 22, with classic Pixar short For the Birds
Check out the new theatrical engagement trailer and find more information about the features and shorts below.

Soul (Jan. 12, 2024)

What is it that makes you…YOU? Pixar Animation Studios’ Soul, Oscar winner for best animated feature film, introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) — a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before — a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.

Directed by Academy Award winner Pete Docter (Inside Out, Up), co-directed by Kemp Powers (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, One Night in Miami — Oscar nominee for best adapted screenplay) and produced by Academy Award winner Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short Lou), Soul also won the Oscar for best achievement in music written for motion picture (original score by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste), as well as Golden Globes for best animated picture and best original motion picture score, and Grammy for best score soundtrack for visual media.

In Burrow, a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help.

Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat, Burrow is part of Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShorts program.

Turning Red (Feb. 9, 2024)

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter — an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda!

Directed by Academy Award winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao) and produced by Lindsey Collins (Finding Dory), Turning Red was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for best animated feature.

Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShort Kitbull, directed by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson, reveals an unlikely connection that sparks between two creatures: a fiercely independent stray kitten and a pit bull. Together, they experience friendship for the first time.

Luca (March 22, 2024)

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Directed by Academy Award nominee Enrico Casarosa (La Luna) and produced by Andrea Warren (Lava, Cars 3), Luca was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for best animated feature.

In Pixar Animation Studios’ Academy Award-winning short film For the Birds, small birds mock a big bird who tries to join them on a telephone wire.

Written and directed by Ralph Eggleston and produced by Karen Dufilho-Rosen, For the Birds initially opened in front of Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. in 2001.
December 5, 2023