The time has finally come for the English-language dub drop that will deliver Luffy’s millennial milestone! Crunchyroll will premiere the dubs of One Piece episodes 989-1,000 on Tuesday, August 15 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The next step into Wano Country presages the debut of Gear 5 Luffy, which already caused overload issues for anime streamers in the subtitled versions earlier this month.
Monkey. D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who’ll never give up until he’s claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece!
Based on the best-selling manga created by Eiichiro Oda (published by Shueisha) and produced by Toei Animation, the One Piece Season 14, Voyage 9 English dub features the voices of Colleen Clinkenbeard as Monkey D. Luffy, Chris Sabat as Roronoa Zoro, Luci Christian as Nami, Eric Vale as Vinsmoke Sanji, Brina Palencia as Tony Tony Chopper, Stephanie Young as Nico Robin, Ian Sinclair as Brook, Patrick Seitz as Franky, Matthew Mercer as Trafalgar D. Water Law, David Sobolov as Kaido, Robbie Daymond as Kozuki Oden and Michelle Rojas as Yamato.
A new tech-forward production studio is introducing itself to Hollywood this week as WORKPRODUCT opens its doors in L.A. The company collects a multidisciplinary force of artists working in VFX, animation, design and live action to create global brand campaigns.
Founded by Yates Holley and John Kim, WORKPRODUCT represents 10 boutique VFX studios, animation teams and individual directors throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. These creators work individually and collectively to offer a scalable list of services, from brand strategy to end-to-end content production, visual effects and immersive experience development.
WORKPRODUCT’s roster includes VFX & animation studios Rocketlab and Proper, animation studios Yatta Studio and Papaton, automotive visualization studio Rideview, audio collective Dynamite Laser Beam, and directors Matt Boman, Tommy Wooh, Blackmilk, Maciek Sokalski and Warcat.
Managing Executive Producer and founding Partner Yates Holley is a veteran of the visual effects industry, with nearly two decades of award-winning CG and interactive advertising experience. He has worked with global brands such as Disney, Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, Apple and Samsung has earned him multiple Cannes Lions and AICP trophies.
Founding Partner John Kim is an accomplished artist and Creative Director with a prominent career in the agency domain, catering to renowned automotive brands such as Toyota, Mazda, Kia and Lexus. In addition to his role as a founding partner of WORKPRODUCT, John is the founder of rostered collective Rideview, a niche creative offering developing photo-real CGI and real-time content for the automotive industry.
“Our goal in developing WORKPRODUCT was to create a diverse roster of creative talent and a flexible business model that allows us to morph our services and build bespoke creative teams for a huge range of brand client challenges,” says Holley. “From the ideation stage to the final post, we can draw on this rich roster of individuals and creative studios to offer creative support at any scale. We wanted to expand on the traditional production company model and represent a team that spans various disciplines — from visual effects and animation to live-action and immersive entertainment. We are here to break the rules and take risks along the way.”
Following its global streaming premiere last month, The Walt Disney Company Africa today announced that the Disney+ Original anthology series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire will be broadcast across Africa on Disney Channel (DStv, Channel 303) this August.
Featuring stories from the continent, a double bill of films will be broadcast at 17:00 CAT each weekday from 28 August – 1 September, with five-film marathons airing at 15:15 CAT on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September, respectively.
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is an action-packed animated sci-fi anthology that presents 10 futuristic visions from Africa, inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures. Creators hailing from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe present uniquely African perspectives to imagine brave new worlds of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters.
“We are excited to be bringing this innovative and celebrated series to viewers across the continent, giving those without access to Disney+ the chance to be part of an unforgettable ride into Africa’s future, presenting visions of the continent as never before seen,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President & General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa.
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire
The creators of the 10 films are Ahmed Teilab (Egypt), Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya and Malcolm Wope (South Africa), Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane (South Africa), Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya), Shofela Coker (Nigeria), Nthato Mokgata and Catherine Green (South Africa), Pious Nyenyewa and Tafadzwa Hove (Zimbabwe), Tshepo Moche (South Africa), Raymond Malinga (Uganda) and Lesego Vorster (South Africa).
The anthology features a cast from across the globe, including Florence Kasumba (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Kehinde Bankole (Blood Sisters), Pearl Thusi (Queen Sono), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Hotel Rwanda, Godzilla vs. Kong), Sheila Munyiva (Rafiki), Stycie Waweru (Supa Modo, Supa Sema), Candice Modiselle (Generations: The Legacy), Lillian Dube (Soul City), Clementine Mosimane (Poppie Nongena) and Mandisa Nduna (Blood Psalms), as well as comedians Tumi Morake (Serious Single), Sne Dladla (Black Tax) and Tyson Ngubeni (A Royal Surprise) and rappers Nasty C (Blood & Water) and Gigi Lamayne (Temptation Island: South Africa).
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston all serve as executive producers. Triggerfish is the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
Apple TV+ today released a sneak peek clip from the new Peanuts special Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, premiering globally on Friday, August 18. The special follows Marcie, an introvert who loves her solitude but also enjoys helping her friends, exemplifying that sometimes the people who make the biggest difference aren’t the ones who grab the spotlight.
To train for the school golf championship, Marcie assists Peppermint Patty as her caddie, offering thoughtful and deliberate advice to help her win. Meanwhile, after coming up with brilliant solutions to her classmates’ problems — from hallway traffic jams to lunchtime pizza shortages — Marcie is unexpectedly elected as class president … a role she never wanted. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Marcie struggles to cope with the expectations of her new job and retreats as far from the public eye as possible.
As the golf championship begins, Marcie is still in hiding, and Peppermint Patty is forced to tee off with Charlie Brown filling in as her caddie. But after some wise advice and a little introspection, Marcie realizes she can still make a difference for her friends and the school — she’ll just have to buck other people’s expectations and do it her own unique way.
Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, the special is directed by Emmy Award winner Raymond S. Persi (The Simpsons, Wreck-It Ralph), written by Betsy Walters (The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space) and executive produced by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Logan McPherson. Cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman served as the introvert consultant on the special.
The world will bid farewell to the greatest, most irritating super-spy this month when the 14th and final season of Archer debuts. Premiering August 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FXX and streaming the next day on Hulu, this season sees Archer and The Agency finding their own way with Lana at the helm. Her goal is to make money while also making the world a better place, but she quickly finds out running a spy agency isn’t so cut and dry.
The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the world’s greatest spy, Sterling Archer; Aisha Tyler as the spy with marital troubles, Lana Kane; Judy Greer as the crazy office assistant in search of a special skill, Cheryl/Carol Tunt; Chris Parnell as the reliable company-man, Cyril Figgis; Amber Nash as the enthusiastic offender, Pam Poovey; Adam Reed as the opportunist, Ray Gillette; and Lucky Yates as the experimenter-in-chief, Algernop Krieger. Season 14 also features Natalie Dew as the gang’s new super-agent, Zara Khan.
Check out the recently released teasers for Season 14:
Rampage like it’s your last. The final season of FXX’s Archer premieres 8.30. Stream on Hulu. pic.twitter.com/A51rbsu1Lw
Archer was created by Adam Reed and is executive produced by Reed, Matt Thompson, Casey Willis and co-executive produced by Mark Ganek at Floyd County Productions. The series is produced by FX Productions.
SIGGRAPH 2023 has checked off the computer graphics and interactive techniques conference-exhibition’s 50th year. The conference provided a platform for innovators to share their contributions in digital art, technology, computer science and other related content. An international audience of more than 14,275 attendees from 78 countries enjoyed the conference and its Mobile and Virtual Access component.
“One of SIGGRAPH’s most powerful strengths is that it’s a gathering of a wide variety of people in the computer graphics and interactive techniques community,” said Erik Brunvand, SIGGRAPH 2023 Conference Chair. “We’ve been a driving force for the expansion and growth in computer graphics for the last 50 years. SIGGRAPH is successful because it’s a place to appreciate and make connections across a variety of disciplines. From film and visual effects to academia and art to hardware and software, SIGGRAPH is a place for everyone. We have a unique community that has continued to grow over the last 50 years. And, as we celebrate 50 years, pioneers and the next generation of pioneers have a place to make their marks in the industry.”
Highlights from the conference included:
SIGGRAPH 2023 Keynote Speakers: Dr. Darío Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research, and Kathryn Kleiman, Founder of the ENIAC Programmers Project, Author, Lawyer, and Professor at American University Washington College of Law.
The History Time Tunnel, sponsored by Autodesk, was an immersive and interactive experience that showcased the history of SIGGRAPH conferences and computer graphics.
The Technical Papers program continues to be the premier venue for showcasing the most cutting-edge research results from computer graphics and interactive techniques.
Papers Fast Forward allowed participants to get a glimpse of all the research papers from the Technical Papers and Art Papers programs.
Installations from previous conferences, playable retro video games and a display of all Pixar RenderMan walking teapots were showcased in the Blasts From the Past exhibit.
The Experience Hall is where the Art Gallery featured a Retrospective of Female Digital Art Pioneers, while Emerging Technologies and the Immersive Pavilion showcased the latest in technological innovations. With Labs, participants got hands-on experiences with new techniques.
Real-Time Live! was livestreamed for the first time on Twitch, along with the in-person experience. The live audience and Twitch viewers were amazed by the latest technologies with interactive visuals in real time.
As storytelling and the growth of virtual reality content expands, the VR Theater presented the latest in immersive narratives.
The Electronic Theater presented animation excellence across 22 featured films.
In Production Sessions, the teams from recent productions highlighted behind-the-scenes creativity, innovation and collaboration.
Mobile and Virtual Access showed strong engagement, with an average of 100 users per minute logging on to explore SIGGRAPH 2023 content.
The top three most popular sessions interacted with on Mobile and Virtual Access included “Stylized Rendering Techniques,” “Practical Proceduralism in Production,” and “Neural Fields for Visual Computing.”
The Diplomacy of the Eclipse (MoPA)
SIGGRAPH 2023 also celebrated this year’s contributors by honoring some “Best of” from various programs (see the full list here), including:
Electronic Theater Best in Show — La Diplomatie de l’Éclipse
[qualifier for the Academy Awards]
César Luton, Ecole MoPA
Jury’s Choice [tie] — The Voice in the Hollow
Miguel Ortega, half MT studios
Jury’s Choice [tie] — Overwatch: Kiriko Jeremiah Johnson and Dave Stephens, Blizzard Entertainment
Best Student Project — Swing to the Moon
Marie Bordessoule, Elisa Drique, Solenne Moreau, Adriana Bouissié, Vincent Levrero, Nadine de Boer, Chloé Lauzu, ESMA
Audience Choice* — Boom
Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira De Figueiredo, Charles Di Cicco, Yannick Jacquin, Miyu Distribution
VR Theater Best in Show — Missing 10 Hours VR Fanni Fazakas, RUMEXR, Victoria University of Wellington; Noemi Szakonyi, Mate Vincze, Match-Frame Productions
Missing 10 Hours VR
Art Gallery Best in Show — “Reinventing the Spindle”
Ebru Kurbak, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Immersive Pavilion Best in Show — Actualities: Seamless Live Performance With the Physical and Virtual Audiences in Multiverse Ke-Fan Lin, Yu-Chih Chou, Yu-Hsiang Weng, Yvone Tsai Chen, Zin-Yin Lim, Chi-Po Lin, Ping-Hsuan Han, Tse-Yu Pan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Real-Time Live! Best in Show — “Interactive AI Material Generation and Editing in NVIDIA Omniverse” Hassan Abu Alhaija, James Lucas, Alexander Zook, Michael Babcock, David Tyner, Rajeev, Rao, Maria Shugrina, NVIDIA
Audience Choice — “Real-time Stage Modelling and Visual Effects for Live Performances” Taehyun Rhee, Andrew Chalmers, Faisal Zama, Anna Stangnes, Vic Roberts, Computational Media Innovation Centre, Victoria University of Wellington
Mark your calendars: SIGGRAPH 2024 will be held in Denver, Colorado, from July 28 – August 1.
Something adorably nefarious awaits Illumination movie fans at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, which today (August 11) officially opened its new Minion Land. Guests of all ages can now step into the world of the Minions franchise like never before at Universal Studios Florida!
“We are thrilled to officially welcome our guests to the all-new Minion Land,” said Karen Irwin, President & COO of Universal Orlando Resort. “This immersive and captivating new addition to our destination was brought to life in a partnership with our colleagues at Illumination and puts our guests into the heart, and villainous minds, of this diabolically fun franchise. This rich new environment has so much for all our guests to enjoy.”
Villain-Con Minion Blast
Chris Meledandri, Founder & CEO of Illumination, said, “After we visited Villain-Con in the first Minions, we all felt that there were many more stories to tell. I am thrilled for guests of all ages to discover our new Minion Land including the innovative gamified experience at Villain-Con Minion Blast where they can battle our favorite villains featured in the Despicable Me franchise, from the iconic Vector to the most recent supervillain, supergroup, The Vicious 6.”
Guests are welcomed with a fun, photo-worthy “Minion Land” marquee featuring 22 Minions before embarking on more mayhem that awaits along Illumination Ave., including Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. where guests can blast their way to supervillain stardom. Guests can also savor tasty dishes at Minion Cafe, snack on banana-flavored popcorn at Pop-a-Nana, cool off with sweet treats at Freeze Ray Pops, shop exclusive Minion-inspired merchandise and goodies at Bake My Day and the Evil Stuff retail store, laugh alongside the Minions at Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, and meet lots of fan-favorite characters along the way at Illumination Theater.
Villain-Con Minion Blast blends immersive sets, interactive game-based technology and an original storyline for a first-of-its-kind attraction that puts guests’ villainous skills to the test to see if they have what it takes to become a member of the Vicious 6 — the notorious group of supervillains from the hit film Minions: The Rise of Gru. Villain-Con Minion Blast is also the first Universal Orlando attraction to feature a connected gameplay experience via The Official Universal Orlando Resort App. By syncing their blaster to the app with just a tap, contenders can take their game to an entirely new level and track their scores, embark on special missions within the attraction, unlock evil perks and extra powerful blasts to help them gain more points and earn digital collectibles.
At the new Illumination’s Minion Cafe, guests can expect an immersive new eatery that offers something for everyone in a highly entertaining dining experience that features three themed areas designed after beloved Minions Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto: the Kitchen, the Breakroom and the Dining Room. Guests can also enjoy their meal at the outdoor patio that overlooks the fun of Minion Land. Guests of all ages can enjoy inventive fare featuring nearly 20 items inspired by memorable characters and staples from the Minions franchise.Minion Cafe also features an express window with a limited menu for those looking to satisfy their mischievous cravings quickly and return to the mayhem in Minion Land.
At the unique Evil Stuff retail store, guests can pick up all the items necessary to complete their villainous transformation. This new retail store offers a variety of Villain-Con and Minions merchandise, making it a one-stop destination for those seeking to embrace their “evil” side.
Topped with a massive pink cupcake that’s visible from anywhere in Minion Land, Bake My Day is a whimsical retail location and bakery featuring a selection of Minion-themed sweet treats, including cupcakes, macarons, s’mores and more, along with exclusive Minion-inspired merchandise like apparel, plush, drinkware, accessories, keychains and more.
Not only can guests discover murals and photo ops of popular characters from Illumination films throughout Minion Land, but now guests can meet, greet and interact with beloved characters like the Minions, Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes, plus new additions from the hit film Sing — Rosita, Gunter and Johnny — at the Illumination Theater.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is billed as one of the most comedic, heartwarming, and beloved theme park experiences ever created brings Minions, mayhem and tons of laughter to a ride that turns guests into Minions. This simulator attraction is a fan favorite and must-see while experiencing all that Minion Land has to offer.
Pop-a-Nana is a walkup location featuring sweet and savory popcorn, including a special banana flavor, inspired by the Minions’ love for bananas. Here, guests may also find an assortment of fun popcorn buckets, including the Disco Minion.
Guests can cool off with a visit to Freeze Ray Pops, a walk-up window serving refreshingly colorful frozen treats inspired by Gru, the Minions and Vector.
The talented folks behind two-time Emmy-winning FOX animated series Bob’s Burgers will dedicate an on-air in memoriam card this weekend to Paul Reubens (Pee-wee’s Playhouse), who died Sunday, July 30 at age 70 after an unpublicized battle with cancer. The card will air with the Sunday, August 13 episode “Amelia,” in which the late actor-comedian guest stars as Pat, a masseur-in-training.
In the episode, Louise (voiced by Kristen Schaal) takes a class assignment — and a few unhelpful comments by Wayne (Andy Richter) — very personally. And Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) hires a masseur-in-training (Paul Reubens) to give Linda (John Roberts) a massage for Mother’s Day.
Created and executive produced by Loren Bouchard, the series (currently in its 13th season) also stars Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher, Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher and Larry Murphy as Teddy. The series is produced by 20th Television Animation.
Bob’s Burgers “Amelia” guest starring Paul Reubens premieres Sunday, August 13 (9-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) on FOX. New episodes are available to watch streaming the next day on Hulu.
ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum (AEF) announces its scholarship recipients for academic year 2023-24. A record breaking 96 applications were received, with 11 students selected, both graduates and undergraduates, from eight states and three countries. The total scholarship funds ($44,000), distributed evenly, will be used to cover costs for necessary software and hardware, creative / academic research and tuition.
The AEF scholarships are merit-based and designed to support college students in continuing their education in the field of animation. Each individual student’s written proposals, letters of recommendation from faculty and demo reel/still art were taken into consideration as part of the selection process.
In announcing this year’s recipients, ASIFA-Hollywood notes, “Now more than ever, animation in its many forms provides a way to communicate across cultures and across borders.”
The 2023-24 AEF Scholarship recipients are:
Chenchen Zhou, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Graduate Student – Creative Animation Project – Film Production
Dakyoung Lee, Chungkang College of Cultural Industries, Gyeonggi-do, Icheon-si, Korea
Junior, Undergraduate – Creative Animation Project – Tuition & Equipment
Yuchen Liu, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Junior, Undergraduate – Creative Animation Project – Tuition & Film Production
ASIFA-Hollywood is the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) and supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, animation open source support, special events, screenings and the annual Annie Awards.
Some familiar, wriggly faces are returning to screens in the next episode of FuturamaSeason 11, “Parasites Regained.” Premiering Monday, August 14 on Hulu, the adventure unfolds after Nibbler falls ill, and the Planet Express crew must shrink down for a dangerous journey into the desert world contained within his litter box.
Futurama is created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen. Season 11, picking up with Fry and the gang after a brief 10-year hiatus, features the voices of returning stars John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman. Executive producers include Groening, Cohen, Ken Keeler and Claudia Katz.
Check out the clips and full episode summary below.
Episode Summary: Fry can’t make it to a date with Leela, so she takes her pet Nibbler instead. He’s an ancient alien with great wisdom — though other than that he lives pretty much like a pet cat.
They go to see an alien-language film with subtitles. They have a great time, and bond over their shared interest in the intellectual subject matter. Nibbler goes from being a pet to being Leela’s good friend.
But then: Nibbler falls ill. He’s suddenly getting confused and having trouble with large words. They take him to the vet, and it turns out he has worms. If left untreated, the worms will cause dementia, and the total loss of his brilliant mind. Nibbler, and Leela, are terrified.
The parasites have infested his litter box, which is filled with his precious ancestral sand,. The only hope is to shrink the crew down to microscopic size and send them in to battle the worms. At that scale, it’s an epic desert adventure in a Dune-like desert world, inhabited by monster worms and other strange creatures.
Futurama [ph: Matt Groening/Hulu]
Futurama [ph: Matt Groening/Hulu]
The worms turn out to be the same group previously encountered in episode 3.01, “Parasite’s Lost”. A life-and-death battle breaks out, but it’s interrupted when ailing Nibbler himself shrinks down and enters the scene like a messiah, calling for peace.
With his great wisdom, he has come to see the beauty of this world in the litter box… how everything depends on everything else in a beautiful web of life. He decides to give up his consciousness, so that these creatures can live on. He is at peace with his decision.
But Leela is devastated. She is determined to find a way to save Nibbler’s great mind, even if it means undergoing a very dangerous psychedelic experience in the litter box world.
According to major news headlines of the last decade or so, Millennials have been on an unconscionable crime spree — killing whole industries from golf and mayonnaise to cloth napkins, destroying anything that comes between them and their next slice of mortgage-priced avocado toast. Now, one man is ready to stop their reign of terror in the new Tubi adult animated comedy movie: Millennial Hunter.
Logline: After losing his job, wife, and son due to what he believes is evil Millennial culture, John vows to hunt down each and every Millennial.
Announced in May of last year, the movie is created by actor/writer/comedian Sam Taggart (Los Espookys, ZIWE), who also voice stars alongside Chris Parnell, Eudora Peterson, Carmen Christopher, Rachel Pegram, Julio Torres, Patti Harrison and John Reynolds.
Produced as a Tubi original from Fox Entertainment’s animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, Millennial Hunter will premier on the free streamer on Sunday, August 13.
O Pioneer, the latest feature documentary from Clara Lehmann & Jonathan Lacocque (Born in a Ballroom), will receive its World Premiere at this month’s Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in San Jose, California (August 15-30). The filmmakers, who are partners in the creative studio Coat of Arms in Helvetia, West Virginia, will be in attendance at the festival’s 33rd edition.
“We’re thrilled to start our film festival journey in California at Cinequest,” said the co-directors. “The festival’s stamp of approval gives us hope that these stories — often mistold or overlooked — are important. We’re also confident audiences will enjoy the film’s ambitious mix of live action, musical interludes and hand-drawn animation.”
The film celebrates three Appalachians from West Virginia as they embark upon an important journey — a journey that unfolds in the midst of a pandemic and personal heartache. Weaving narration with archival pioneer footage, candid moments from each subject, poetic vignettes and dream-like animation, O Pioneer redefines what it means to be a pioneer and asks viewers to courageously champion the pioneer within.
The project also aims to rethink the stereotypical understanding of the American pioneer through a modern narrative set in West Virginia, which continues to experience a decline in population. In 2017, the state ranked second highest in both numeric and percentage population decline. With this exodus and the ravages of opioids and joblessness across the state, those that stay face two paths, as the filmmakers frame it: one of hopelessness and apathy, and the other of the pioneer.
Following its World Premiere at Cinequest, O Pioneer will screen publicly at two additional events, the Richmond International Film Festival (Sept. 26-Oct. 1) and Clarksburg, West Virginia’s MTN Craft Film Festival (Sept. 29-30). Additional festival screenings will be announced as they become available and an Appalachian tour of screenings will follow the film’s festival run.
Directed by Lehmann and Lacocque, O Pioneer stars (in order of appearance) Kaïa Kater, Nellie Rose Gundersen Davis, Tim Hibbs and James Morley. Written by Lehmann and produced by Lehmann, Lacocque and Grace Lawson, the film features cinematography by Lacocque, who also edits with Chris Parkhurst to a score composed by Ho-Ling Tang.
To celebrate the release of the live-action adaptation of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda’s bestselling manga of all time, Netflix is hosting 10 global events to unite Straw Hats all around the world ahead of the series premiere on August 31.
The celebrations kick off in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, August 24, where fans will be able to become “Pirates on the Pier” with private access to the rides and games, in-world photo ops, giveaways and an exclusive look at the first episode of Season 1. (Register here.)
One Piece celebration dates and locations:
Aug. 24 — Los Angeles, United States Event: Straw Hats Unite: Pirates on the Pier — A One Piece Fan Celebration Location: Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles
Aug. 29 — Paris, France Event: Straw Hats Unite: One Piece Premiere
Aug. 30 — Jakarta, Indonesia Event: Straw Hats Unite: All Aboard the Going Merry Location: Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta
Aug. 30 — Tokyo, Japan Event: Straw Hats Unite: One Piece Special Screening
Aug. 30 — Milan, Italy Event: Straw Hats Unite: una ciurma, un’anteprima, One Piece
Aug. 30 — Metro Manila, Philippines Event: Straw Hats Unite: Our Journey to the Grand Line Location: Taguig, Metro Manila
Aug. 30 — Bangkok, Thailand Event: Straw Hats Unite: รวมพลคนรักวันพีซ
Aug. 31 — Germany Event: Straw Hats Unite: Virtual Watch Party
Aug. 31 — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Event: Going Merry at Rio de Janeiro: A ONE PIECE Fan Celebration Location: Copacabana Beach, near Lifeguard station #2
Aug. 31 — Mexico City, Mexico Event:One Piece: México Fan Fest Location: Frontón Inclán, Mexico City
Based on the hit Japanese manga, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) on his pirate adventures with his crew of Straw Hats — swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), thief Nami (Emily Rudd), marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero) and chef Sanji (Taz Skylar). Luffy’s biggest dream is to become King of the Pirates and find notorious pirate Gold Roger’s coveted treasure, the One Piece.
It’s less than a week until the next chapter of J. Michael Straczynski’s sci-fi hit takes off, when Babylon 5: The Road Home arrives on Digital, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on August 15. Fans can prepare for the journey with a new clip released today, in which John Sheridan (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner), while unstuck in time, lands on Z’ha’dun and revisits a critical moment.
FilmSynopsis: Return to Babylon 5 as the epic interstellar saga continues with The Road Home. Travel across the galaxy with John Sheridan as he unexpectedly finds himself transported through multiple timelines and alternate realities in a quest to find his way back home. Along the way he reunites with some familiar faces, while discovering cosmic new revelations about the history, purpose and meaning of the Universe.
Babylon 5 celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and returning to voice their characters from the original series are Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan, Claudia Christian as Susan Ivanova, Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari, Bill Mumy as Lennier, Tracy Scoggins as Elizabeth Lochley, and Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander.
The film also stars Paul Guyet (World of Warcraft) as Zathras and Jeffery Sinclair, Anthony Hansen (God of War) as Michael Garibaldi, Mara Junot (Green Lantern: Beware My Power) as Reporter and Computer Voice, Phil LaMarr (Futurama) as Dr. Stephen Franklin, Piotr Michael (Hogwart’s Legacy) as David Sheridan, Andrew Morgado (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as G’Kar, and Rebecca Riedy (Magic: The Gathering Arena) as Delenn.
Babylon 5: The Road Home was written and executive produced by series creator J. Michael Straczynski. The film was directed by Matt Peters (Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons), supervising producer is Rick Morales (Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind) and executive producer is Sam Register.
A third sinister trailer for the humans vs. dragons anime showdown Ragna Crimson was released today, timed with the news that the dark fantasy series will premiere with a one-hour special Saturday, September 30 on Japan’s Tokyo MX, BS11 and MBS. A special premiere screening event will be held Sept. 2 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Tokyo.
Along with the promo and a new key visual, actors Junichi Suwabe, Fairouz Ai, Mamiko Noto and Hiroki Touchi were announced as additional cast members. Fans also got to hear the show’s opening theme for the first time — the tune, “ROAR,” is performed by the four-piece rock band ulma sound junction.
Ragna Crimson, created as a manga by Daiki Kobayashi (serialized on Square Enix’s Monthly Gangan JOKER magazine), follows the journey of a boy named Ragna, a young dragon hunter who wields a silver sword. His tale unfolds as an ultra-tough, action-packed isekai battle.
Synopsis: “Dragon Hunters” use their silver swords to hunt dragons to make a living. Ragna, a starting out hunter buddies with Leonica, a genius dragon hunter with a tremendous score, to battle dragons every day. Ragna has only one wish — “I wouldn’t complain if can’t become strong. I just want to be with Leo.” But his small wish is brutally shattered by an attack of a “superior dragon,” a being much stronger than any dragon they had fought with.
Seeing the strong enemy in front of him, Ragna remembers a bad dream he had been suffering from for the past few days. In his dreams, Ragna was stronger than anyone else, but living in a devastating future life in solitude, with nothing to save and protect. What is his future trying to tell him? What path should he take now? Ragna takes one step forward to avert his devastating future with a new buddy called Crimson, who is a bag of mysteries.
The newly released key visual shows the protagonists Ragna and Crimson in front with powerful rivals Ultimatia and Woltekamui looming in the back. Woltekamui, one of the stronger enemies (voiced by Suwabe), and other dragons are shown more in detail in the new trailer, along with the slime voiced by Ai.
“Woltekamui is very, very strong. He will appear later in the show as an extraordinarily strong enemy that confronts Ragna and his friends. I look forward to see how the fierce battle scenes in the manga will be shown in the anime,” said Suwabe. “Oh, just in case — this ‘strong enemy’ never becomes a comrade. He’s a real bad guy!”
At the Tokyo premiere screening, the full one-hour launch episode will be shown, followed by a panel including voice stars Chiaki Kobayashi (Ragna) and Ayumu Murase (Crimson). Pre-orders have opened via Lawson Ticket.
Produced by studio Silver Link, the Ragna Crimson series is directed by Ken Takahashi and written by Deko Akao, featuring character design by Shimpei Aoki, art direction by Asuka Komiyama (Cosmo Project) and music by Koji Fujimoto (Sus4 Inc.) and Osamu Sasaki.
The voice cast includes Chiaki Kobayashi (Ragna), Ayumu Murase (Crimson), Inori Minase (Leonica), Fairouz Ai (Slime), Mamiko Noto (Chimera), Hiroki Touchi (Golem), Reina Ueda (Ultimatia), Junichi Suwabe (Woltekamui), Takehito Koyasu (Grymwelte), Shunsuke Takeuchi (Disas Trois), Kozo Shioya (Temruogtaf) and Nobutoshi Canna (Future Ragna).
“This title has extremely unique characters, starting with Crimson, but the Slime is one of the strange characters,” said Ai. “The story is pretty serious, with Ragna going through a lot of agony and having his precious things taken away. But the Slime brightens up the scene with its non-conforming character. I believe its charm is where he just keeps his own pace, and I tried to express that!”
International media company Blue Ant Media and award-winning production and distribution company marblemedia have announced today the merger of the two companies’ production and distribution operations into one unified studio and rights business. Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg will take the helm of this business, serving as co-Presidents and reporting into Michael MacMillan, CEO and co-founder, Blue Ant Media.
With hubs in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London, the merger of these operations sees Blue Ant Media acquiring marblemedia and international sales operation Distribution360, effective today. Bishop and Hornburg will operate from Blue Ant Media’s Toronto office.
The combined businesses include production companies marblemedia, Blue Ant Studios, Saloon Media and animation studio Look Mom! Productions (Doomlands, Bigfoot, Gary and His Demons), in addition to distributors Distribution360 and Blue Ant International.
(L-R) Matthew Hornburg, Michael MacMillan and Mark Bishop [ph: Steve Craft]
“marblemedia has long been regarded as one of the most respected production and distribution companies in the unscripted and scripted space, having created huge hits for the biggest streamers and broadcasters in the industry. With Mark and Matt leading our combined studios and rights business, Blue Ant Media is well positioned in its growth as an international media company with production, rights and an established global channels division all operating at scale,” said Blue Ant’s MacMillan.
marblemedia co-CEOs Bishop and Hornburg commented, “We are excited to join forces with Michael MacMillan, a trailblazer in our industry known for scaling industry-leading companies. Building this new merged production and distribution studio will bring together our talented teams who have a shared vision and belief that original content and rich IP are the greatest differentiator. The appetite for premium content remains strong in the global market, and we can better serve this demand with high-quality content and by working with best-in-class collaborators.”
marblemedia is known for delivering premium original unscripted and scripted content including Top 10 Netflix series Blown Away and Drink Masters. Blue Ant Media’s recent hits include award-winning Canada’s Drag Race (produced with World of Wonder for Bell Media/Crave), Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks (Prime Video) and adult animated comedy Gary and His Demons (Prime Video, FreeVee).
The development is part of a long term growth strategy at Blue Ant Media that includes the recent scaling up of the company’s global channels business, including wildlife and nature brand Love Nature’s expansion into 145+ countries with its streaming and cable TV offerings; the launch of eight new FAST channels internationally; and an extensive lineup of premium cable TV offerings in Canada.
Sam Sniderman will serve as Blue Ant Media’s Chief Commercial Officer, working closely with MacMillan and CFO Robb Chase on business development, partnerships and M&A. Laura Michalchyshyn will continue her duties as Chief Creative Officer. Beach House Pictures will continue to operate independently out of Singapore.
In less than two weeks, on August 22, the original animated Adult Swim movie Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar will be available to own on Digital & Blu-ray! In anticipation of the film’s arrival an all-new never-before-seen clip from the film, in which Nathan Explosion (voiced by Brendon Small), unleashes his frustration on his devoted fans and breaks up with them.
Film Synopsis: After the heroic rescue of Toki Wartooth, Dethklok frontman Nathan Explosion finds himself traumatized in a brutal professional and romantic flat-spin all while he is tasked with fulfilling the prophecy and confronting the ultimate songwriting challenge: write the “Song of Salvation” and save the planet. Can Nathan Explosion look beyond his brutally damaged ego to save his band, stop the Metalocalypse, and finally face the ultimate evil: Salacia?
The film stars Small, Tommy Blacha, Victor Brandt (Metalocalypse), Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner (Grammy Award-winning musician), King Diamond (Mercyful Fate), Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series; The Machine), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Jon Hamm (Confess, Fletch; Top Gun: Maverick), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Amy Lee (Evanescence), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), Juliet Mills (Passions), Laraine Newman (Saturday Night Live), Raya Yarbrough (Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem – a Klok Opera) and Livia Zita (2022 winner: Society of Voice Arts and Sciences Award).
From Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and Titmouse, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar was written and directed by Brendon Small (Metalocalypse). Executive producers are Small, Chris Prynoski (The Legend of Vox Machina), Shannon Prynoski (Fairfax), Antonio Canobbio (Arlo the Alligator Boy) and Ben Kalina (Big Mouth).
The Tel Aviv-based team behind the new animated series God’s Gang have announced the imminent completion of the show’s pilot episode, dubbed “Love Is in the Air Hole.” Aimed at kids 6-12 and their families, the original multicultural and multinational comedy-adventure brings together four extraordinary martial arts heroes from different faiths who save the day with the power of peace, kindness and unity.
God’s Gang follows the action-packed escapades of SumoSlim, TaekwonHindu, NinJew and ChrisCross. Through martial arts, humor and adventure, the show aims to present global audiences with diverse cultures and religions, in an exciting, unifying and uplifting experience for viewers of all backgrounds.
The series is created by Nimrod Avraham May, a former Disney marketing executive, whose vision is brought to life by the team at Infinite Frameworks in Singapore. May’s production banner God’s Gang Ltd. brings together an international team of Emmy and Grammy Award-winning creatives to create innovative, positive stories — and is committed to keeping its projects free from AI-generated content.
God’s Gang was developed, produced and directed by a group of animation veterans, including executive producer Ronen Shani (Candy Bear, Zack & Quack), producer Gilad Piker (Candy Bear, Nella the Princess Knight), director Ehud Landsberg (Transformers: Cyberverse, Vampirina) and writer Rob Kutner (five-time Emmy and Grammy Award winner; Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Angry Birds, Ben 10). The show also features an original theme song performed by rising Disney star and Emmy nominee Issac Ryan Brown (The OwlHouse).
“We believe that through the power of entertainment, God’s Gang can inspire unity, understanding and kindness in a divisive world,” says May. “Our aim is to create a show that not only entertains but also leaves a positive impact on the hearts and minds of children and families worldwide in current times when the people of the world are thirsty for hope!”
With a trailer already gaining momentum across social media and the 12 and a half minute pilot coming soon, God’s Gang Ltd. is now seeking the production partners and/or strategic investors to help it navigate financing and distribution for at least the first season of 10 x 22-minute episodes.
Blue Fox Entertainment today announced that moviegoers will have to wait just a bit longer to check out the stop-motion Leonardo da Vinci movie, The Inventor. Written and directed by Jim Capobianco (Oscar-winning screenwriter of Pixar’s Ratatouille) alongside director Pierre-Luc Granjon, the Annecy-selected film will now open nationwide on September 15. A new official poster was also debuted today.
Be sure to subscribe to Animation Magazine to catch our cover story on The Inventor in the next issue (Sep./Oct. ’23, No. 333).
As previously announced, the film features the voices of Stephen Fry as Leonardo da Vinci, Daisy Ridley as Princess Marguerite de Navarre, Marion Cotillard as Louise de Savoy, Gauthier Battoue as King Francis I and Matt Berry as Pope Leo X.
Synopsis: The insatiably curious and headstrong inventor/artist Leonardo da Vinci leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions and incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined in his adventure by the audacious Princess Marguerite, Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Producers are Robert Rippberger, Capobianco, Martin Metz and Adrian Politowski. Executive producers are Don Hahn, Nadia Khamlichi, Nessa McGill, Sierra Garcia, Ilan Urroz, Nicolas Flory, Phil Viardo, J.D. Zacharias, Kyle Stroud, Keanu Mayo, Ryan Clarkson, Eric Vonfeldt, Kat Alioshin, Rob McGillivray, Ben Stranahan, Jeremy Walton, David Lyons, Nathaneal Karmitz, Fionnuala Jamison and Oliver Barbier.
The creative team also includes director of photography Marijke van Kets and composer Alex Mandel. The film’s 2D animated segments were overseen by Hefang Wei and François-Marc Baillet.
Today, the Toronto International Film Festival announced this year’s Short Cuts lineup, supported by Ontario Arts Council, showcasing 42 live action narrative, documentary and animated shorts by a groundbreaking group of filmmakers representing 23 countries. More than half of this year’s selections are directed or co-directed by female and female-identifying filmmakers.
A robust selection of new animated short films will be showcased in the program this year, including the North American Premieres of 27 by Flóra Anna Buda, recipient of the Short Film Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Electra, director Daria Kashcheeva’s follow-up to Daughter, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short and a Short Cuts selection in 2019. Other notable animated films in Short Cuts 2023 are This Is TMI by India’s Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta, Mboa Matanda by Cameroon’s Jules Kalla Eyango, and Aphasiaby Canada’s Marielle Dalpé.
“We are thrilled to be able to present such a diverse array of incredible new works by emergent and established film talents from all over the world,” said Short Cuts lead programmer Jason Anderson. “We were knocked out by the level of craft and ingenuity in these films, as well as the boldness displayed by so many filmmakers as they explore subjects and themes that couldn’t be timelier or more personal. That’s especially true of the films we’re grateful to present that are by female and female-identifying filmmakers, which comprise nearly 60 percent of this year’s selection.”
The 2023 Short Cuts lineup includes 21 World Premieres, 13 North American Premieres and five International Premieres presented in 19 different languages.
Animated selections include:
La Perra— Carla Melo Gampert | Colombia/France | North American Premiere (Program 1)
