Banijay Kids & Family today confirms Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the upcoming series of the hit “spy-fi” animation Totally Spies! across EMEA and the U.S. French broadcaster Gulli and Discovery Kids LatAm have previously been announced as co-producers of the show, produced by Zodiak Kids & Family France (part of Banijay Kids & Family).
“With strong female leads and an aesthetic that has inspired a generation, Totally Spies! is an iconic show with a hugely passionate global fanbase, eager to join the agents on their latest adventures,” says Benoît Di Sabatino, series producer and Banijay Kids & Family CEO. “The new series stays true to all the key elements that make the show so popular, but has been lovingly updated for a new audience, reflecting the modern challenges faced by both high-schoolers and spies alike!”
The 2D animated franchise returns to screens in 2024, following its original six-season run beginning in 2001. Premiering on Cartoon Network U.S. and later launching on Max in EMEA, the upcoming series follows the three legendary secret agents, Sam, Clover and Alex, as they move to a new city and take on a fresh crop of villains.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the much-awaited iconic spy trio Sam, Clover, and Alex to Max and Cartoon Network in EMEA. We cannot wait to welcome Totally Spies!’ passionate fanbase to our platforms and introduce the girls to a brand new audience,” comments Aurelie Wack, Acquisitions & Co-productions Manager, Warner Bros. Discovery Kids & Family, EMEA. “With strong female leads and a diverse offering of modern themes, the France-produced hit Totally Spies! broadens our appeal and demonstrates our commitment to European content.”
The 26 x 22-minute season will be produced by Di Sabatino and directed by Stephane Berry, who directed five previous seasons of the show. Gary Milne and Ludovic Taron serve as Executive Producers.
Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution handles global distribution for the franchise.
The Cannes Film Festival has revealed the next batch of its Official Selection, announcing the Short Film competition and La Cinef picks. (Find the full list at festival-cannes.com.)
Selected from 4,288 submissions, 11 shorts will be presented this year in Competition, coming from 12 countries: Argentina, Colombia, Spain, the United States, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iceland, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The Short Film Palme d’or will be decided by the Jury chaired by Ildikó Enyedi on Saturday, May 27, during the closing ceremony of the 76th Festival de Cannes.
La Perra
Among the selections are several animated standouts, such as La Perra by Carla Melo Gampert (Colombia & France – 14′), a meditation on womanhood, sexuality and “being bitches” told through the relationship between a mother, a daughter and a stray dog; 27 by Flóra Anna Buda (Hungary & France – 11′), in which a tragic end to a birthday bash nudges a young woman living with her parents to independence; the BFI-backed Wild Summon directed by Karni Arieli & Saul Freed (U.K. – 14′), which fancifully reimagines the life cycle of wild salmon as human beings, narrated by Marianne Faithfull; and Le Sexe de Ma Mère (France – 14′) by Francis Canitrot, an animator on Metamorphosis (2019) and A Town Called Panic! The Christmas Log (2013) who was also part of the MoPA student team behind Azul (2012).
27
For its 26th edition, La Cinef (formerly La Cinéfondation) reviewed 2,000 films submitted by film schools around the world, selecting 14 short fictions and two animated shorts, among which 10 films are directed by women and seven by men. Thirteen countries from four continents are represented including Morocco, for the first time in selection. The Jury chaired by Ildikó Enyedi will give out three La Cinef awards, during a ceremony that will be followed by the screening of the awarded films, on Thursday, May 25 in the Buñuel theater.
Primitive Times
The animated entries are Hao Yu’s Primitive Times (Uhrmenschen; Germany – 6′), produced at Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, and Electra (Czech Republic – 27′), the highly anticipated next film by Oscar-nominated student director Daria Kashcheeva (Daughter), produced by Zuzana Křivková and Martin Vandas from Czech MAUR film and co-produced with FAMU, Artichoke (Slovakia) and Papy3D (France).
For her graduate work, Kashcheeva drew inspiration from the Greek mythological figure Electra, translating her into today’s world. The protagonist of the film tries to define herself in relation to her mother and tries to understand her mixed feelings towards her father. She gradually isolates herself in her world and builds a relationship with her body and sexuality.
“I was inspired to structure the narrative this way by psychotherapy. During sessions, clients revolve around their memories of traumatic experiences. They jump from the past to the present, the images and memories change. By combining the pixilation animation technique together with live-action scenes, I was able to illustrate this narrative mosaic,” explains Kashcheeva.
Daria Kashcheeva on set for ‘Electra’ [c/o MAUR Film]
Thanks to the success of Daughter — which won over a dozen honors from world-class festivals including Sundance, TIFF, Annecy, Stuttgart, Animafest, GLAS, Hiroshima and the Student Academy Awards — the student film project turned into a Czech-Slovak- French co-production, with the resulting film being 26 minutes long, unusual for animated shorts.
“A significant part of the shooting took place over 95 shooting days in the main studio of FAMU Studio in Prague,” says Křivková from the Czech production company MAUR film, which is the main producer. Producer Martin Vandas adds, “Thanks to a wide international co-production, complex animation puppets in the style of life-size Barbie dolls were created in France, and in Slovakia our co-producer Artichoke provided, among other things, the entire visual post-production.”
Festival distribution and sales for Electra is handled by French company Miyu Distribution (also handling 27), starting with the world premiere in May in Cannes and continuing to the Official Selection at the world’s largest animation festival in Annecy. Electra was financially supported by the Czech Film Fund, the Pilsen Region, the FILMTALENT ZLÍN Endowment Fund, ARTE France, Pictanovo, images in Hauts-de-France, Hauts-de-France region, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée CNC, Procirep and Angoa and Slovak Audiovisual Fund.
Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. today announced that its storytelling division Curiosity Ink Media and WEP, LLC (World Events Productions) will jointly co-develop and co-produce a feature film based on the iconic animated hit series, Denver, The Last Dinosaur. The announcement was made jointly by Curiosity Ink Media’s CEO Jared Wolfson and Bob Koplar, President of WEP, the rights holder to the property.
The film’s storyline is inspired by the characters and plot lines from the hit 1980s/’90s animated series, centering around a group of California kids who — upon discovering a prehistoric-looking egg which hatches into a real dinosaur — decide to name him Denver and teach him a thing or two about what they know best. Their adventures also focus on protecting Denver from an opportunistic and unscrupulous promotor, who hopes to exploit Denver’s novelty and rarity for personal financial gain.
“Denver, the Last Dinosaur has all the trappings of a multi-generational hit,” explains Wolfson. “We are developing this film to deliver on all the comedy, action, adventure and heart that will make every child want a dinosaur like Denver in their lives, all while making sure to honor the established retro dino-character the fans love and expect.”
Koplar agrees, “We are thrilled to partner with the creative minds at Curiosity Ink Media to introduce this beloved dino to a new generation. Denver’s coming back with a fresh look and feel, while retaining the totally radical ’80s vibe from the era in which he was born. This fun and fun-loving dino is ready to make a splash!”
Earlier this month, WEP and Curiosity announced that the Grom subsidiary will also spearhead licensing efforts for Denver. Together, the partnership will pursue ancillary brand extensions to leverage and maximize Denver’s consumer appeal through consumer products in over two dozen retail categories.
The two companies will team up at Licensing Expo 2023 to meet with potential licensee partners. The nearly two dozen categories that Curiosity Ink Media and WEP will pursue for Denver, The Last Dinosaur include toys & collectibles, games, apparel, bedding, home décor, footwear, accessories and more.
Denver, The Last Dinosaur originally aired in 1988 with 50 episodes, across two seasons, quickly growing into a #1 rated show with kids, regularly beating out shows like Smurfs, Transformers, My Little Pony, GI Joe, The Jetsons, Popeye, Gumby, Yogi Bear and more. The series was distributed in 120 countries around the world.
The property was rebooted in 2018 for a new CGI-animated series, produced by ON kids & family and ZAG Toons, commissioned by M6 and Globosat in France and distributed by PGS Entertainment.
Following the first-look teaser dropped earlier this month, Netflix has revealed more of post-invasion Earth as imagined in the new adult animated comedy Mulligan. The full-length trailer, official key art and new stills were debuted this morning for the show, created by executive producers Robert Carlock and Sam Means (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). The series will premiere May 12.
The spot offers a taste of some of the fresh disasters awaiting the thousand-something humans left alive in the wake of an alien attack (which, if a brief cameo is to be believed, includes Weird Al and Questlove), led by a bumbling everyman and his ad hoc team of advisors.
A new hero, for a new world…
Synopsis: After Earth is destroyed by an alien attack, a rag-tag band of survivors has to start society over from scratch. It’s an opportunity to learn from humanity’s past mistakes and get things right this time. Or make the same mistakes all over again. Probably the second one.
As previously announced, series regulars include Nat Faxon as Earthling hero turned maligned president, Matty Mulligan; Chrissy Teigan as de facto First Lady Lucy Swann; Tina Fey as military super scientist Dr. Farrah Braun; Sam Richardson as Simon Prioleau, Earth’s only surviving historian; Dana Carvey as self-appointed VP and retrograde political schemer Cartwright LaMarr; and Phil LaMarr as the sole alien fleet survivor, Axatrax.
In addition to co-creators Carlock and Means, executive producers also include Tina Fey, David Miner, Eric Gurian, Scott Greenberg and Joel Kuwahara. Mulligan is produced by Universal Television (a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios) in association with Little Stranger, Inc., Bevel Gears, 3 Arts Entertainment and Fox-owned animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.
Web3 story studio Toonstar today announced the release of its new adult-animated series, Space Junk. The workplace comedy about garbage collectors in space will be available to stream at spacejunkies.xyz beginning May 19, on the heels of its world premiere at Consensus 2023 on Thursday.
Space Junk was created and written by Dominic Russo (Workaholics) and stars Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory) and Tony Cavalero (School of Rock, The Righteous Gemstones). The series is powered by the Theta media and entertainment blockchain.
“We are thrilled to partner with Toonstar on Space Junk, a series that will demonstrate to the entertainment industry what’s possible when you use blockchain technology to empower creators and fans to engage and create in powerful new ways,” said Andrea Berry, Head of Business Development, Theta Labs. “As a content company, Toonstar has a strong understanding of the power of Web3 technology and has executed its vision impressively. We see them as a valuable technology developer to bring a dynamic, interactive experience to life by building on the Theta video infrastructure, a custom Theta subchain and NFT marketplace.”
Announced as an industry first, Space Junk will feature a character voiced entirely by AI generated voice software. That character, a robot named “Wellbecca,” will interact directly with the Space Junk community, acting as a creative co-pilot for community members. Using AI and dynamic NFTs, Wellbecca will help creators turn their prompts into original short stories set within the “Space Junk” universe.
Space Junk is Toonstar’s third original Web3 series release, following The Gimmicks and House of Chico. Founded by John Attanasio and Luisa Huang, veterans of DreamWorks, Disney and Warner Bros., Toonstar offers a storytelling model that gives digital token holders the ability to participate in narrative development, create their own characters and storylines, and engage in unique fan experiences. The result has been engagement levels that rival gaming industry statistics.
“With each series released this year, we’ve pushed the technology forward to broaden opportunities for creators and fans to engage with the story world and take part in building new hit IP,” said Attanasio. “With Space Junk, we’re taking it even further, merging great content with game play that will launch a new Web3-enabled model of interactive entertainment.”
Heder, co-founder of Verified Labs and executive producer on the new series, said, “The participatory storytelling aspect of Space Junk presents an opportunity to bring more creators into the fold to uncover fresh stories and ideas which feels especially important in today’s environment. Toonstar is absolutely showing the broader entertainment industry how Web3 can open doors for new creators and create crazy, engaged fan communities and uncover great new IP for Hollywood.”
The issue of space garbage came to the media forefront last month when an international team of researchers estimated there are more than 100 trillion pieces of floating debris in space. Toonstar collaborated with an aerospace engineer to ensure this looming space junk problem was depicted accurately on screen.
Following its Academy Award win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and acquisition of Animal Logic, Netflix reveals details for nine animated films to be released over the next 18 months.
Highlights include two new feature films coming in 2024: Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie and In Your Dreams, as well as an ensemble voice cast announcement for the summer 2023 release, Nimona. This slate of family movies join the streamer’s growing animated feature portfolio, which has garnered seven Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature — the most of any individual animation studio since its inception in 2018.
This summer, Netflix will release the highly anticipated Nimona, based on the bestselling graphic novel by ND Stevenson. Nimona follows Ballister Boldheart, a knight framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the titular shapeshifter who sets out to help him prove his innocence.
Today, Netflix confirms joining the film’s previously announced cast members Chloë Grace Moretz (Nimona), Riz Ahmed (Ballister Boldheart) and Eugene Lee Yang (Ambrosius Goldenloin) are supporting cast Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, RuPaul Charles, Indya Moore, Julio Torres and Sarah Sherman.
Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, produced by Karen Ryan, p.g.a, Julie Zackary, p.g.a. and Roy Lee. Production company is Annapurna Animation.
Coming Summer 2023, The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.
Directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls), produced by Peilin Chou, executive produced by Stephen Chow. Starring Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.
Coming Fall 2023, actor and comedian Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania, The Wedding Singer) delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school — as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74-year-old lizard Leo (Sandler) has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
Directed by Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti & David Wachtenheim, produced by Happy Madison. Starring Sandler, Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, Robert Smigel, Jo Koy and Stephanie Hsu.
Coming Fall 2023, from the multi Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep) and Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), comes the eagerly anticipated sequel to the beloved and highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, Chicken Run.
Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
Fell direct from a screenplay by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’ Farrell and Rachel Tunnard. Producers are Steve Pegram, Leyla Hobart, executive producers are Peter Lord, Nick Park, Carla Shelley, Paul Kewley, Karey Kirkpatrick. Starring Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Davies and Nick Mohammed.
In Your Dreams — Film announcement, first look image.
A perfect family? Siblings who get along? Yeah… in your dreams. This is a comedy adventure about Stevie and her brother Elliot who magically travel into the world of dreams with the mission of finding The Sandman who will grant them their ultimate wish — saving their parents’ marriage. The kids are total opposites, making them an unlikely duo to navigate the absurdity of their own subconscious. Along their journey, they discover that as long as they have each other, they can face anything, even their worst nightmare.
Directed by Alex Woo, co-directed by Erik Benson, produced by Gregg Taylor and Tim Hahn. Coming in 2024.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie — Film announcement, first look image.
When Bikini Bottom and all its denizens are suddenly scooped out of the ocean, Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob SquarePants journey to Texas to save the town from a villainous plot. Coming in 2024.
Directed by Liza Johnson (The Last of Us, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Dead to Me) from a teleplay by Kaz and Tom Stern, story by Kaz, based on the series SpongeBob SquarePants created by Stephen Hillenburg. Executive producers are Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller. Animation supervisor is Piero Piluso. Music by Moniker, music supervisor is Karyn Rachtman.
Starring Carolyn Lawrence, Tom Kenny, Wanda Sykes, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino and Matty Cardarople.
That Christmas [c/o Locksmith Animation]
That Christmas
Based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Yesterday), Locksmith Animation’s heartwarming film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (Love, Death + Robots; How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! Coming in 2024.
Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamourous music star. In a pink and glitter-filled moment of fate, Thelma is transformed into a unicorn and instantly rises to global stardom. But this new life of fame comes at a cost.
Directed by Lynn Wang (Unikitty!) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), produced by Pam Coats. Coming in 2024.
Based on the beloved Japanese character, Netflix’s Ultraman follows baseball superstar Ken Sato as he returns to his home country of Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman. He soon finds more than he bargained for when he’s forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe. Ken must go on a heroic journey, balancing parenthood, his estranged father, and the relentless Kaiju Defense Force to rise beyond his ego and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman.
Directed by Shannon Tindle (Lost Ollie), co-directed by John Aoshima, written by Tindle and Marc Haimes, produced by Tom Knott and Lisa Poole. Production companies are Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).
Canal+ (France) has become the first broadcaster to pick up Season 2 of Noodle and Bun, which has just gone into production, following the recent completion of Season 1, which the channel has also acquired. Monster recently picked up distribution rights to the ongoing 5-minute series from South African studio Polycat.
Noodle and Bun is a 3D CG, non-verbal comedy for six- to 12-year olds which follows the adventures of Noodle, a wobbly cat who causes trouble; Bean, a pug who whimpers in the face of danger; and Bun, a little mouse who holds this peculiar group together.
“The craziness, humor and quality of Noodle and Bun will shake Canal+kids’ grid,” said Geraldine Soto, Head of Acquisitions for the Kids Department at Canal+.
Andrew Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Monster, agreed, “Canal+ is the perfect home for Noodle and Bun. We’re so excited that they’ve fallen in love with this very unique series which is quickly building a global following.”
The series, which is already a hit on YouTube and across social media with 7.1m followers, has also been sold to YLE in Finland, Filmin’s SVOD service in Spain and Portugal, to the Kidoodle app, Megogo in Ukraine and to Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Air France and Aegean airlines.
The main characters from the series have appeared recently on France’s Got Talent and will soon star in Britain’s Got Talent on ITV and America’s Got Talent on NBC.
On Sunday, BAFTA announced the winners of the BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2023 at a ceremony in London. Celebrating behind-the-scenes television talent, the ceremony was hosted by Mel Giedroyc and featured a host of guest presenters, including Adil Ray, Adrian Lester, Charlene White, Clara Amfo, Cristo Fernandez, Dino Fetscher, George Webster, Kola Bokinni, Lisa Hammond, Lolly Adefope, Melissa Johns, Rachel Parris, Sacha Dhawan, Therica Wilson-Read and Tracy Ifeachor.
House of the Dragon was successful in three categories: Amanda Knight, Barrie Gower and Rosalia Culora for Make-Up & Hair Design; Alastair Sirkett, Doug Cooper, Martin Seeley, Paula Fairfield, Tim Hands and Adele Fletcher for Sound: Fiction; and Angus Bickerton, Nikeah Forde, Asa Shoul, Mike Dawson, MPC and Pixomodo for Special,Visual & Graphic Effects. The show won every category it was nominated in.
The prequel to Game of Thrones was running against Neil Gaiman/DC Comics adaptation The Sandman (Warner Bros. Television/Netflix), Star Wars galaxy series Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) and Phillip Pullman adaptation His Dark Materials (Bad Wolf/BBC One) in the VFX race.
HotD tied in the lead at the TV Craft Awards with the junior doctor drama This Is Going to Hurt, which also won in three categories.
Also notable is a Production Design (sponsored by Microsoft) win for Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling’s existential mixed-media dark comedy Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, which was also nominated for Costume Design. The viral hit concept produced by Blink Industries for All 4 won out over gothic period drama The Essex Serpent, Western miniseries The English and Sex Pistols limited series pistol.
The Animation Guild reports that this morning, with a supermajority of worker support, animation workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios in Austin, Texas sent a letter to company leaders requesting voluntary recognition to join the Guild (IATSE Local 839). The organizing committee also filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election to unionize, if necessary.
The move is a milestone in the union’s history, marking TAG’s first organizing campaign in a “right-to-work” state. It is also the Guild’s third organizing effort outside L.A. County — after successful efforts to unionize Titmouse and Late Night Cartoons in New York. As animation sees growth in states offering the industry the same film credits as live action, TAG asserts it will continue to work steadily to address workers’ rights in animation hubs across the U.S.
Founded by Frank Gabriel, Brad Graber and Bruce Tinnin in 2001, Powerhouse Animation Studios develops and produces traditional 2D animation, motion comics, motion graphics and more for series, film, video game cinematics, commercials, etc. Some of its best known projects include the critically acclaimed Castlevania series, which is getting a spin-off series Castlevania: Nocturne; Masters of the Universe: Revelation with Mattel, in-house original Seis Manos with VIZ and Greek myth fantasy-actioner Blood of Zeus (all for Netflix) as well as working on The Adventures of Kid Danger and Santiago of the Seas for Nickelodeon and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes for Cartoon Network.
Modern right-to-work policies are built on the 1935 Wagner Act and the 1947 modifications of the Taft-Hartley Act, which outlawed the “closed shop” and obligated unions to provide their benefits to non-members. Proponents say these laws protect workers’ individual freedoms and limit the political and workplace power of unions. Opponents argue that state right-to-work laws are redundant to existing federal laws against forcing a person to join a union and give more leeway to large corporations to mistreat employees.
According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), right-to-work states originate 36% more discrimination charges to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and have a higher percentage of low-wage occupations than other states (24% of jobs versus 14.5% in 2019). Twenty-six U.S. states currently have right-to-work laws, although Michigan’s repeal is set to take effect next year.
Netflix today announced a greenlight for the eighth and final season of Big Mouth. The two upcoming seasons, which launch in 2023 and 2024, will make the adult-targeted coming-of-age comedy the longest running series in Netflix history, outside of Kids & Family programming.
“If you would have told adolescent Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg that middle school would take eight years to finish, they would have been like, ‘Yeah, that sounds about right. This seems like it will never end,’” quipped Nick Kroll, series star and executive producer.
“Big Mouth is a towering achievement in animated comedy that will make Netflix history for its longevity,” said Billy Wee, Netflix Director of Adult Animation. “We are thrilled that we still have two more hilarious seasons to share with fans before this brilliant coming of age story reaches its conclusion.”
Synopsis: Big Mouth is a critically-acclaimed and Emmy-winning adult animated comedy about the glorious nightmare that is puberty. Inspired by Kroll and Goldberg’s childhood, it follows a group of friends and their hormone monsters as they navigate adolescence, human sexuality and coming of age.
Season 6 launched October 28, 2022, while seasons 7 and 8 will launch in 2023 and 2024.
The spinoff series Human Resources will also come to a conclusion at the end of Season 2, which launches in the coming months. However, the characters and stories from Human Resources will flow into the final seasons of Big Mouth.
Netflix recently renewed its overall content deal with Brutus Pink, the animation production company from Kroll, Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, the creative team behind Big Mouth and Human Resources. As part of the deal, which was announced in July, Brutus Pink will continue to write and produce new animated projects for Netflix members worldwide.
By the Numbers:
1 Billion+ Hours: Members have spent watching Big Mouth and Human Resources on Netflix.
50 Million+: Households have watched Big Mouth or Human Resources so far …
8: Seasons of Big Mouth, the most for a Netflix scripted series ever.
29: Countries where Big Mouth or Human Resources reached the Netflix Top 10.
689: Masturbation jokes and counting …
Big Mouth premiered in September of 2017, and by the time it wraps with Season 8 it will have officially surpassed hit Netflix original live-action series including The Crown (due to launch its sixth and final season this year), Virgin River (renewed for S4 & S5) and Stranger Things (renewed for fifth & final season, with an animated spinoff in development) as well as primetime animation hits like Matt Groening’s Disenchantment (renewed for S5) and anthology series Love, Death + Robots (renewed for S4).
Currently, the only series with more seasons than Big Mouth is the DreamWorks kids & family fave Gabby’s Dollhouse, which has rapidly rolled out seven (51 episodes) since premiering on the streamer in 2021.
London-based Blue Zoo Animation Studio has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games to support the development of their new real-time tool “MoPo”. Mopo allows animation artists to use immersive VR technology to rapidly create characterful 3D animated content for platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.
Blue Zoo is a multi-BAFTA and Emmy-winning, B Corp certified, production company that has grown to become one of the U.K.’s leading and largest animation studios.
MoPo, developed in-house in Unreal Engine 5 by the studio’s real-time team, allows any user to puppeteer a character in real time, using a VR headset for a layered, additive, non-linear approach. This means a single artist can puppeteer a whole complex character alone, rather than requiring multiple puppeteers working together or being constrained by the physical limits of human motion capture. Using VR in this way gives the artist the full six degrees of freedom of movement while being immersed within the scene to animate the puppets, allowing nuanced, expressive animation at near real-time speed.
With this accelerated performance, MoPo can be used for prototyping new shows, creating animatics, or producing finished animation for quick turnover platforms such as YouTube or TikTok. Animating a 30 second scene, which used to take up to several days, can now be accomplished in minutes.
Using Unreal Engine 5 for greatly speeds up not just the animation, but the post-production process as well. Taking advantage of the sequencer in Unreal Engine, in-camera post-processing effects and fast rendering means that finished frames can be output directly from Unreal, with no compositing step needed. Artists are also able to take advantage of Unreal’s real-time physics and dynamics, meaning characters and props react to and affect the world around them as the performance is created, rather than having to rely on expensive simulations after the fact.
Keeping everything in one software package and reducing the number of production steps means a much smaller team can create the same quality content faster and more cost effectively.
“We’re very proud and excited to have been selected as Epic MegaGrants recipients by Epic Games. The team has been working very hard to create MoPo, which will allow us to produce animated content faster than we ever have before, and also lets us harness the power of Unreal Engine to speed our workflow up even further,” said Phil Stewart, Blue Zoo’s Head of Real Time.
“We have completed several pilots using MoPo already — including Silly Duck, launched on the studio’s Little Zoo YouTube channel in December 2022 — and our animators are loving the hand-made, spontaneous feel of the animation they are producing. Also, being able to take advantage of Unreal’s dynamics and real-time simulation we can get a real charm and physicality to the content produced.”
The the BAFTA-nominated bunny and mouse BFFs of animated series Pip and Posy (104 x 7′, children 3-5) are returning to Channel 5’s Milkshake! for another season of fun and play. Season 2 of the show launches today, April 24.
The first preschool series from multiple Oscar-nominated U.K. studio Magic Light Pictures (Revolting Rhymes, Room on the Broom),Pip and Posy is inspired by the popular books from award-winning illustrator Axel Scheffler. It continues Magic Light’s 14-year association with Scheffler, which has produced 10 high-profile animated specials including The Gruffalo, Zog and, most recently, The Smeds and the Smoos.
“We’re very proud that the first series of Pip and Posy has been such a fantastic success, getting great viewing figures and a nomination for a BAFTA Children Award for Best Preschool Animation,” said Michael Rose, Executive Producer & Founder, Magic Light Pictures. “Milkshake! and Sky Kids are the perfect home for these wonderful stories of friendship and play.”
Synopsis: Pip and Posy are best friends whose lives revolve around a wonderful world of play. Packed with warmth and comedy, the series is a joyful celebration of their great friendship, its laughter and games, its ups and downs. The second series continues the playful adventures and introduces a new character and locations.
As making friends is key for children’s social skills and emotional intelligence development, the series models how to see the world from someone else’s point of view, and how to build lasting friendships with kindness, resilience and flexibility.
Pip and Posy is a Magic Light Pictures production. The showrunner is Jeroen Jaspaert (Stick Man, The Highway Rat). The series is produced by Vici King and executive produced by Rose, with animation services provided by Blue Zoo. The series is jointly commissioned by Louise Bucknole for Milkshake! and Lucy Murphy and Estelle Hughes for Sky Kids with the participation of ZDF Germany.
“We’re delighted to welcome season 2 of the award-winning show, Pip and Posy on Milkshake!” said Bucknole, General Manager & VP, Kids & Family U.K. & Ireland at Channel 5 parent Paramount. “Combining creative play, friendship and problem-solving in beautifully crafted stories, Pip and Posy has resonated well with our young viewers and we look forward to sharing the latest adventures of the loveable pair.”
The first series has been sold to multiple international territories including RAI Yoyo (Italy) ZDF (Germany), FTV (France), ABC (Australia), SVT (Sweden), Hop! Channel (Israel), NPO Zapp (Netherlands), CTV (Czech Republic), Asiana (South Korea), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland) and TVO (Canada).
Pip and Posy is based on characters from Nosy Crow’s million-selling picture book series from multi-award-winning illustrator Scheffler and author Camilla Reid first published in 2011.
Magic Light Pictures holds the global distribution and merchandising rights to Pip and Posy (excluding publishing) and has launched a full consumer products program to complement the property. Products already rolling out include tie-in publishing from Nosy Crow, as well as puzzles from Ravensburger, dress up with Amscan, audio figurines with Tonies and home accessories.
The Pip and Posy characters are appearing at Whipsnade Zoo during Easter (through May 9), are headlining Parkdean Resorts’ Milkshake! Mornings at key times during the holiday season and will be touring nationwide in Milkshake! Live: Milkshake’s Monkey Musical throughout the year.
Riding a wave of animated success from its 2022 slate, Netflix is returning to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to debut exclusive looks at its upcoming film and series slate. The studio-streamer recently scored its first wins for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) and Outstanding Animated Program at the Primetime Emmys (Arcane), as well as sweeping the animation categories at the inaugural Children’s & Family Emmys.
Annecy attendees will be formally introduced to highly anticipated projects at the “From Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget to Blue Eye Samurai – See What’s Next @ Netflix” panel, a special screening of the animated feature film Nimona, adapted from the New York Times best-selling graphic novel and a “Making Of” session with the filmmaking team.
Synopsis: A knight (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to destroy. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.
Also voice starring Eugene Lee Yang, Nimona is due for release this summer.
Fans will also have the opportunity to join the team at a “Making Of” session on Thursday, June 15 at Petite Salle Bonlieu at 11:30 a.m.
The “See What’s Next @ Netflix” panel, packed with exclusive clips and creator discussions, will take place at the Theatre Bonlieu on Wednesday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m., and will include:
♦ A special sneak peek at the coming-of-age animated musical comedy Leo(Fall 2023) starring Adam Sandler, directed by Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti and David Wachtenheim and produced by Happy Madison.
Synopsis: Actor and comedian Adam Sandler delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school — as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74 year-old lizard Leo (Sandler) has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside, but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
The voice cast also features Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, Robert Smigel, Jo Koy and Stephanie Hsu.
♦ A conversation with the creative team behind the series Blue Eye Samurai, featuring Michael Green (creator & executive producer), Amber Noizumi (creator & executive producer) and Jane Wu (supervising director), discussing their vision for the story of a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise while seeking revenge in Edo-period Japan.
Coming soon. Voice starring Maya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka, Randall Park, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Song, Darren Barnet and Kenneth Branagh. Executive produced by Erwin Stoff.
♦ An exclusive clip from Exploding Kittens, a new adult animated comedy series starring Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu, coming soon. Showrunners are Shane Kosakowski and Matthew Inman.
Synopsis: The eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell reaches epic proportions when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth — in the bodies of chunky house cats.
The voice cast also features Ally Maki, Mark Proksch and Sasheer Zamata. Executive producers are Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis of Bandera Entertainment; Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for the Chernin Entertainment Group; and Exploding Kittens franchise creators Elan Lee and The Oatmeal’s Inman.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget [Netflix/Aardman]
♦ A conversation with the multi-award-winning industry legends Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep) on the eagerly awaited stop-motion film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. The creative team led by Sam Fell (director), Peter Lord (executive producer) and Leyla Hobart (producer) will talk about their vision and what the poultry heroes face this time around in the sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animation of all time.
Synopsis: Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
Starring Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays and Nick Mohammed.
… And more surprises and debuts from Netflix’s slate of upcoming animated series and films, including The Monkey King (Summer 2023), directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls), produced by Peilin Chou (Over the Moon, Abominable) and exec produced by Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7).
Synopsis:The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.
Voice cast features Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.
London-based CelAction today announced the launch of its CelAction2D Quickstart course, the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to date of learning their flagship software CelAction2D, used on 2D-animated hits like Bluey, Mr Bean and Peppa Pig.
“We’d always focused on in-person training for new CelAction2D users, ensuring they had the very best introduction to our software so they could hit the ground running and be employable immediately,” says CelAction CEO Andy Blazdell. “With more people working from home and the workforce more spread out than ever before, this wasn’t keeping up with the rapid expansion of our user base.”
CelAction2D Quickstart includes over six hours of video tutorials produced by animators working in the industry, as well as documentation, sample files and CelAction’s unique Template Actor — a rig complete with animations such as walk and run cycles, with easily editable assets so animators can experiment and gain expertise much faster.
In designing the course, CelAction looked to eradicate common complaints about software tutorials. User feedback highlighted the difficulty in finding a definitive start point among the avalanche of achronological, sometimes redundant videos available online, as well as the frustration of tutorials that were ‘too basic’ to give a working grasp of the software.
“We wanted a single place where users could go to get the self-learning tutorials they required, but more importantly we wanted the course to be as efficient as an in-person one,” shares Blazdell. “We could train people up in two or three days in a classroom, so we designed this course to be able to teach people at home how to use CelAction2D in 24 hours.”
CelAction2D Quickstart also includes a month’s subscription to CelAction2D Studio Edition, and a discount voucher redeemable against further rental — effectively making the course free for people who continue to use the software.
“Because the course covers advanced rigging as well as basic, it’s not really suitable for complete newcomers to animation,” Blazdell concluded. “But for students and professionals looking to widen their opportunities for working on hit TV series, it’s the best investment they can make.”
More information about the Quickstart and CelAction’s other offerings can be found at celaction.com.
A new trailer for Caribbean kids’ animated feature The Caddy Club has hit the links, offering audiences a first look at Disney and Lion Forge Animation alum Kafi Kareem’s debut long-form project. Produced by Trinidad and Tobago studio StoryPlay Media, the film is a musical superhero story about five kids at golf camp who discover a magical portal, which gives them incredible powers.
You can check out the teaser for this “hole in one Caribbean adventure” below!
The Caddy Club
Kareem, whose writing credits include the animated kids’ series Drawn In for Nine PBS, is also the creator of short-form adult comedy webtoon Big Man Dan, which won a CaribbeanTales Big Pitch Award. Her pitch for The Caddy Club won the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival’s Caribbean Film Mart Best Pitch Prize, and was subsequently developed with support from private and public grant funding in Trinidad and Tobago. The microbudget production is a unique entry in the emerging Caribbean cinema scene.
The Caddy Club
The Caddy Club
The Caddy Club is available to pre-order for no upfront cost via storyplay.tv. Audience members who sign up for the pre-order list get exclusive access to behind-the-scenes reveals from the movie leading up to its release date, and will be the first to see the completed film.
The North American debut of HIDIVE Exclusive Series【Oshi no Ko】on April 12 broke records to become the #1 series launch in the streamer’s history. In its first seven days, the series vaulted to No. 1 in both total streams and new subscribers first streams for both the Spring 2023 season and all time. The anime drama’s debut also helped spur fans to a record number of trial starts for HIDIVE.
【Oshi no Ko】launched on Wednesday, April 12 on the heels of HIDIVE’s North American premiere screening of the series’ special 90-minute first episode at Anime Boston.
【Oshi no Ko】
【Oshi no Ko】
”We’ve been anxiously awaiting the premiere of【Oshi no Ko】and we’re absolutely elated with the response from fans during its first week,” said John Ledford, President of HIDIVE. “【Oshi no Ko】is a truly one-of-a-kind anime series and its success to date really illustrates how much the story and characters have resonated with fans. There is so much more to come with the show!”
Synopsis: When pregnant young starlet Ai Hoshino appears at Dr. Gorou Amemiya’s clinic, he takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver her child so Ai can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But on the eve of her delivery, Gorou is slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and is subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts?
【Oshi no Ko】
【Oshi no Ko】
【Oshi no Ko】is based on the award-winning seinen manga written by Aka Akasaka (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War) and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari (Scrum’s Wish). The series is produced by studio Doga Kobo (Wataten!, Touken Ranbu, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie) and directed by Daisuke Hiramaki (Selection Project) and Chao Nekotomi (Love Is Like a Cocktail) with writing by Jin Tanaka (The Misfit of Demon King Academy), character design by Kanna Hirayama (Rent-A-Girlfriend) and music by Takuro Iga.
Organizers of the 2023 Annecy Festival and Mifa market announced that 32 projects have been selected for this year’s Mifa Pitches, out of 651 submissions. The session (reservation required) will be held in the Salle de la Volière and at the Rotonde de l’Europe (for the Digital Experiences category):
Digital Experiences Pitches: Tuesday, June 13, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Feature Film Pitches: Wednesday, June 14, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Short Film Pitches: Wednesday, June 14, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in partnership with the SACD
TV Series & Specials Pitches: Thursday, June 15, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., in partnership with Disney+
The Partners Pitches will highlight talents from the same country or category. Organized and supported by delegations, institutions or associations, these sessions offer an opportunity to discover the latest creations from international voices. The Partners Pitches will take place in the Salle Haendel:
Tuesday, June 13:
Stories x Women (WIA & FIAPF Program): 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Tales from Ghana: 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Mexico: 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
South East Asia Partners Pitches (session 1): 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Partners Pitches: Spotlight on Taiwan (TAICCA): 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, June 14:
Spain (MIA): 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
South East Asia Partners Pitches (session 2): 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
La Liga de la Animación Iberoamericana Focus @Mifa: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Opportunities with Israel’s West Negev Regional Fund – Come & See Their Recent Projects: 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, June 15:
Tokyo Government (Japan): 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Korea (KOCCA): 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Les Femmes s’animent: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Ukraine: 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Two International Mifa Campus workshops were held in Thailand then in Ghana at the end of 2022, early 2023 to develop each of the projects presented as part of their Partners Pitches sessions.
Crunchyroll (crunchyroll.com) is continuing to expand its cinematic offerings on its streaming service with the addition of more titles it has recently released theatrically:
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bondis a standalone story that takes place after the second season of the popular fantasy adventure anime series, which is adapted from the best-selling light novel of the same name.
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movieis the conclusion of the two-season romantic comedy series that follows five lovely young girls who hate studying and hire part-time tutor Futaro who guides not only their education but also their hearts.
Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island is an adaptation of the 15th episode of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series. All three series the films are based on are also available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Additionally, a few titles that have never been available to stream outside of Japan will also be available on Crunchyroll. To Every You I’ve Loved Before and To Me, The One Who Loved You, together, are two movies that tell interwoven stories across parallel worlds while also telling their own unique perspectives. This is the first time both films will be made available to stream outside of Japan after their original theatrical release. Crunchyroll held simultaneous U.S. premiere screenings of both films at Sakura-Con and Anime Boston this year.
Free! -the Final Stroke-, the last chapter of the Free! franchise (available on Crunchyroll) arrives having screened both volumes to fans at the Anime Frontier convention last year.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond (8 bit)
A long-running conspiracy is swirling over a mysterious power wielded by the Queen in Raja, a small country west of Tempest. When a slime who evolved into a Demon Lord named Rimuru Tempest crosses paths with Hiiro, a survivor of the Ogre race, an incredible adventure packed with new characters begins. The power of bonds will be put to the test! Directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi. (Official Trailer)
To Every You I’ve Loved Before(Bakken Record)
While struggling to make friends after his parents’ divorce, Koyomi Takasaki meets Kazune Takigawa, but apparently, they already have. Kazune reveals that she’s from World Line 85, an alternate universe in which she and Koyomi are lovers. But in a reality where moving between dimensions is natural, could Koyomi be the one from another world? Directed by Jun Matsumoto. (Official Trailer)
To Me, The One Who Loved You (TMS Entertainment)
Koyomi Hidaka and Shiori Sato meet at his father’s research center and begin to fall in love, but so do their parents, who eventually marry. To avoid becoming stepsiblings, they decide to run away to a parallel universe. Traveling between dimensions is common in their world, but not without repercussions. Does a universe exist for the young couple, and what will it cost them to find it? Directed by Kenichi Kasai. (Official Trailer)
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (Bibury Animation Studios)
When five lovely young girls who hate studying hire part-time tutor Futaro, he guides not only their education but also their hearts. Time spent has brought them all closer, with feelings growing within the girls and Futaro. As they finish their third year of high school and their last school festival approaches, they set their sights on what’s next. Is there a future with one of them and Futaro? Directed by Masato Jinbo. (Official Trailer)
Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island(Sunrise)
After a covert mission goes wrong, Mobile Suit pilot Amuro Ray and his comrades are stranded on a remote island. The battalion was sent to a land called the Island of No Return to clear off any enemy forces, only to find a group of children and an enemy mecha attack. Now Amuro must find a way for them all to escape this mysterious land, but not before meeting a strange man — Cucuruz Doan. Directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. (Official Trailer)
Free! -the Final Stroke-
Free! -the Final Stroke- Part 1 (Kyoto Animation)
As representatives of Japan, Haruka, Rin, and Ikuya are heading to Sidney to participate in the Swimming World Cup. They will finally compete with world class athletes but can they survive these games? This is the climax of the “Free!” series from Kyoto Animation. Directed by Eisaku Kawanami. (Official Trailer)
Free! -the Final Stroke- Part 2 (Kyoto Animation)
After his first appearance on the competitive world stage, Haruka was overwhelmed by Albert’s swimming and lost his way. “What are you swimming for?” His reason to swim and what the water means to him are called into question. The question has trapped Haruka, and he struggles to find the answer on his own. Directed by Eisaku Kawanami. (Official Trailer)
Writer/producer/actor Julia Morizawa’s animated short film Dragonfly will premiere at the 39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on Sunday, May 7 at 8 p.m., at the Japanese American National Museum. The film will be screened in the “Lost and Found” animation program, described as “Discarded dreams. Forgotten memories. Missing pieces. These animated films will be where we put it all back together again.”
Dragonfly tells the story of a young girl who learns of her mother’s survival of the Tokyo Firebombing on March 9-10, 1945 through the eyes of her brother’s spirit. The film opens in Komoro, Japan, 1956, where 10-year-old Sumiko chases a red dragonfly through her family’s farm while her mother, Yoshiko, watches from a distance. Flashback to Tokyo, 1945: Yoshiko, her husband, Susumu, and their baby boy, Kiyoshi, are forced to evacuate their home when hundreds of B-29 bombers drop incendiary bombs on the city, erupting into a massive fire.
The story is inspired by the little-known lives of Morizawa’s maternal grandparents. While researching her family heritage, Morizawa interviewed her mother, Sumiko, and was offered very little information about Yoshiko and Susumu’s life during WWII, except that they were living in Tokyo but a fire forced them back to the family farm in Komoro. It wasn’t until Morizawa began researching fires in Tokyo in the 1940s that she learned about the firebombing and the immensity of the tragedy. In addition to being an homage to the grandparents she never met, Morizawa’s intention with Dragonfly is to raise awareness about this event in history before it, and the people who were lost, are entirely forgotten.
The script was awarded Best Short Screenplay by Scriptation Showcase and Screenwriting Master in 2019, and was a semifinalist or quarterfinalist in several other competitions including the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance and WeScreenplay Diverse Voices.
Dragonfly is written and produced by Morizawa, with executive producers Brian Sturges, James Babbin, John Titchenal, Lucas A. Ferrara, Derek Kolterman and Christopher Luk. Maria Marta Linero served as the animation director with Eva Benitez as lead animator. The music is composed by Aiko Fukushima with sound design by Giorgia Garcia-Moreno. The voice talent includes: Morizawa, Erika Ishii, Miya Kodama and Thomas Isao Morinaka.
Morizawa’s produced writing credits include the improvised feature film JesusCat(or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), awarded Best Comedy Feature at the Asians on Film Festival in 2014 and the Movie Heroes Rising Star Award at the Action On Film Festival in 2013; the short film Sin & Lyle, which earned her a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007; the play Twenty-Two, which premiered in Los Angeles in 2010; and the audio drama American Comedy Horror Story: Orphanage. As an actor, she has appeared in feature film (Judas Kiss), TV series (Scandal,SEAL Team), stage works (Masha No Home, Without Annette), web series (Galactic Galaxy, Star Trek: Odyssey) and fiction podcast The Bright Sessions.
Dragonfly
LAAPFF will feature an animated shorts program as well as the U.S. premiere of Philippines-produced 2020 animated comedy feature You Animal! (HayopKa!) by Avid Liongoren. More information and ticketing available online. The short film lineup includes:
Lost and Found
Echo by Sang Joon Kim
Colorville by Ushmey Chakraborty, Wyatt Hall
The Sprayer by Farnoosh Abedi
Meihouwang by Justin Ni
Well Wishes My Love, Your Love by Gabriel Gabriel Garble
Marionettes (and the Virtue of a Lotus Flower) by Prajdnik Awasthi
Moonbug Entertainment (moonbug.com), a subsidiary of Candle Media, recently launched a new YouTube channel for young audiences: Minibods. The channel is anchored by the new non-dialog, slapstick preschool comedy series of the same name that follows the adventures of six furry friends who bring the silly to every situation and overcome life’s hurdles in unconventional ways.
Building on the success of three-time International Emmy-nominated Oddbods, which has nearly 30 million YouTube subscribers across its various dedicated channels, Minibods comes from a team of award-winning talents.
Minibods features five beloved characters from Oddbods — Bubbles, Jeff, Newt, Pogo and Fuse — along with new addition Lulu. Each episode is told from the perspective of one of the six Minibods as they go through adventures and face kid-relatable obstacles, such as learning how to ride a bicycle and baking. Episode learnings are focused on the social-emotional development of preschoolers through ‘accidental learning,’ which teaches children by naturally modeling positive behaviors.
Show writers include BAFTA and Emmy Award winner Adam Redfern (Go Jetters, The Adventures of Paddington), BAFTA nominee and British Animation Award winner Dave Ingham (Lucas the Spider, Chip & Potato, Mush Mush & The Mushables), Jo Clegg (Hey Duggee, Gaspard & Lisa) and James Phelan (Oddbods).
“At Moonbug, we strive to bring together humor, entertainment, and learning as we create characters, stories and worlds that captivate and resonate with kids across the globe,” said Moonbug CEO René Rechtman. “We are excited to expand on the world of Oddbods with the new fantastical world of Minibods and reach audiences with the same imaginative universe and new loveable characters.”
The first episode is now live on the Minibods YouTube channel. The series will feature 39 seven-minute episodes with one new episode being released weekly every Saturday.
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