Sony Pictures Animation has widened the portal into the Spider-Verse with the new official trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the highly anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking, Oscar-winning animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The Marvel adventure will open exclusively in theaters on June 2, 2023.
The preview opens gently with a tender moment between Miles Morales (a.k.a. Spider-Man, voiced by Shameik Moore) and his mother, Rio (Luna Lauren Vélez) — plus the fans’ expected animated cameo by the late Stan Lee — before accelerating into a multiverse pachinko machine full of Spiderfolk in action.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Synopsis: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson from a screenplay by producers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and David Callaham, Across the Spider-Verse features the voices of Shameik Moore as Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Jake Johnson as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Issa Rae as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot, Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis (Miles’s father), Luna Lauren Vélez as Rio Morales (Miles’s mother), Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch as a school counselor, Jorma Taccone as The Vulture, Shea Whigham as police captain George Stacy (Gwen’s father) and Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099.
The Blue Blur is back! This week, fans of videogame icon Sonic the Hedgehog will get to tag along in his all-new adventures when Sonic Prime arrives on Netflix. The new CG series from executive producers SEGA, WildBrain, Man of Action and Erik Wiese (Victor and Valentino, The Mighty B!) drops Thursday, December 15 with a 40-minute special and seven 20-minute episodes.
Sonic Prime (Animation Magazine Exclusive)
Ahead of the premiere, Animation Magazine is racing to share several exclusive new stills from the show with our readers! The images give an early look at Sonic, his friends and foes in a new, seafaring corner of the Shatterverse…
Sonic Prime (Animation Magazine Exclusive)
Synopsis: It’s the Sonic you know and love until an incredible twist thrusts Sonic into a new adventure featuring a reinvented cast and Sonic like you’ve never seen him before, where the fate of the multiverse rests in his gloved hands. Sonic’s adventure is about more than a race to save the universe from the evil machinations of his longtime nemesis Dr. Eggman and his army of badnik robots, it’s a race to save his friends, friends that he took for granted.
Sonic Prime (Animation Magazine Exclusive)
The series features the voices of Deven Mack as Sonic, Brian Drummond as Eggman, Ashleigh Ball as Tails, Shannon Chan-Kent as Amy Rose, Adam Nurada as Knuckles the Echidna, Kazumi Evans as Rouge the Bat and Ian Hanlin as Shadow / Big the Cat.
Sonic Prime (Animation Magazine Exclusive)
Sonic Prime is a production of SEGA, WildBrain and Marza, with animation by WildBrain.
Read more about Sonic Prime in the next issue of Animation Magazine (February ’23, No. 327), available January 6.
Nickelodeon viewers don’t have long to wait now to take in the hilarious, strange and utterly seaworthy, as SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone is now set to premiere Friday, January 13 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The first-ever SpongeBob Universe crossover special will encore on Saturday, Jan. 14 and Sunday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, followed by a rollout across Nickelodeon’s international channels next year.
Promising to offer comedy and caution, satire and stupidity through a multiverse where minds may switch, bodies may shrink and robots may rise, SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone is a journey into an hour of television where two dimensions can become three and French divers can wear black ties.
SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone
Narrated by the French Narrator, the one-hour special encompasses all three animated series within the SpongeBob Universe — SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show and the Paramount+ original series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years — and follows GrandPat (The Patrick Star Show) as he makes his way through each dimension.
The special features the voices of Bikini Bottom icons Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Jill Talley (Karen, Squidina), Cree Summer (Bunny Star), Tom Wilson (Cecil Star), Dana Snyder (GrandPat), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Mr. Lawrence (Plankton), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) and Rodger Bumpass (Squidward).
SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone
Created by the late Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif., SpongeBob SquarePants launched the character-driven nautical nonsense of an incurably optimistic sea sponge and his friends onto the air on July 17, 1999. Since then, it has reigned as the most-watched animated series for nearly 20 consecutive years and spawned a universe of franchise expansions, consumer products and pop culture memes.
In an awards ceremony at Hollywood’s Jaxx Theater Sunday night, the Los Angeles Animation Festival (LAAF) gave out its honors to 80 short films and 10 scripts in competition in over 40 professional and student categories.
Rika Nakayama
The Best of the Fest prize went to Under a Shooting Contrail, which was the top student prize winner in the experimental category and also won the festival’s Best Student Director award for Japan’s Rika Nakayama, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who is currently an MFA candidate in the Experimental Animation Program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
Top prizes also went to the latest short from renowned Canadian filmmakers Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, TheFlying Sailor, which won both the number one experimental and character-based prizes. First prize in comedy went to Sleepyby Rich Webber (U.K.), while Best Director went to China’s Lei Chen for his film The End of War, which also won first prize honors in stop motion.
Sponsors of LAAF this year were ASIFA-Hollywood, Titmouse and Toon Boom.
Best of the Fest — Under a Shooting Contrail
+ Best Student Director — Rika Nakayama
Best Director — Lei Chen for The End of War
LAAF Special Jury Award — Meal on the Plate, Chenglin Xie
FilmFest Award for Excellence — Mileage; Jennifer Wu, Kym Santiana, Ruyee Lu, Christopher Hsueh, Nicole Taylor-Topacio, Joy Zhou, Ruby Saysanasy, Miranda Li & Saul Benavides
Perfect Combo Award for Excellence — What They Left Behind, Xingyu Gu
Parallax Award for Excellence — Fishi Out of Water, Katie Farrar
Parallax Award for Excellence in Drama — A Thief’s Legacy, Sinai Hwang
The Flying Sailor (image courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada, 2022)
Best Character-Based:
— WINNER: The Flying Sailor, Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby
— SILVER: The Heart Errs, Janis Robertson
— BRONZE: Meal on the Plate
Student Character-Based:
— WINNER: A Dog Under Bridge, Tang Rehoo
— SILVER: Siblings, Kenet Garcia Rojas
— BRONZE: Mr. Catman Bring Me a Dream, Tzu-Yu Pan
Comedy:
— WINNER: Sleepy, Rich Webber
— SILVER: Trojan Horace, Scott Graham
— BRONZE: Don’t Take Nut for an Answer, Paul Louis Smith
Student Comedy:
— WINNER: What If Alvin, Yuyuan Chen
— SILVER: Special Delivery, Olivia Baylor
LAAF LOL Award — The Whippersnappers (Pilot), Ryan Cole
Perfect Combo Outrageous Comedy Award — Rat Snacks, Antony Kos
Parallax Award for Excellence in Comedy — Musimatics, Sung Min Park
The End of War
Stop Motion:
— WINNER: The End of War, Lei Chen
— SILVER: 7 lbs. 8 oz., Yoo Lee
— BRONZE: Safe at Home, Zoë DeLeon
Experimental:
— WINNER: The Flying Sailor
— SILVER: Alambic: By Winds and Tides, Bogdan Anifrani-Fedach
— BRONZE: Making Art in America, 2020-2021, Angie Wang
Student Experimental:
— WINNER: Under a Shooting Contrail
— SILVER: Sunset City, Junwen Yu
— BRONZE: Perfect City: The Mother, Shengwei Zhou
Music Video:
— WINNER: “Drumtalk” – Cousins, Magic Steven
— SILVER: In the Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket, Yoko Yuki, music by honninman
CGI:
— WINNER: A-Ha’s Egg Cake, Raymond Lau
— SILVER: Undermined, Matthias Kapuvari
Student CGI — The Best Friend, Parker Chatham, Jarrod Chatham, Clara (Yun-Cheng) Chou
Parallax Award for Excellence in 2D — Horned Cook, Gola, Adam Musa Othman
2D:
— WINNER: Know You Well, Michaela Wadzinski
— SILVER: Little Hurts, Debra Solomon
Student 2D:
— WINNER: Solaris, Reno Nevada & Alistair Baudelaire
— SILVER: Friendship, Lin Tam
— BRONZE: Drunkland, Sydney Chen
Apple TV+ today announced that the Emmy Award-winning series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, the reboot of Jim Henson’s beloved classic Fraggle Rock, has been renewed for a second season and has begun production in Calgary, Canada.
Tony and Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) returns for Season 2 alongside Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!), Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) and Emmy Award winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) in guest star roles.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock currently holds a 100% critics’ rating score on Rotten Tomatoes, garnering plenty of praise for its engaging visuals, heartwarming humor and joyful spirit. The series was recently recognized by the Sentinel Awards for outstanding Children’s Programming, and with three nominations by the inaugural Children’s & Family Emmy Awards and a win for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design.
Synopsis: The Fraggles are back for more epic, fun adventures! This time, with big changes affecting the Rock, the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs will be forced to confront their past and celebrate their interdependence, as they move through challenges together with hope, silliness and brand-new songs, all while dancing their cares away … down at Fraggle Rock.
Jim Henson’s fun-loving and musical Fraggles — Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Travelling Matt — alongside new Fraggles and Doozers, embark on epic, hilarious adventures about the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock is executive produced by The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford, longtime Henson collaborator John Tartaglia, and Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson. Co-executive producers are Dave Goelz and Karen Prell. Executive music producer is Harvey Mason Jr. The second season is produced by Chris Plourde and co-produced by Tim O’Brien. The series is produced in association with New Regency with Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer executive producing.
The complete first season of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and the “Night of the Lights” holiday special are now streaming on Apple TV+.
Apple’s partnership with The Jim Henson Company also includes Harriet the Spy, the first animated adaptation of the iconic children’s novel; Slumberkins, the mixed-media puppet/2D animation program from the beloved children’s emotional learning brand empowering children to be caring, confident and resilient; and the Fraggle Rock: Rock On! shorts. Apple TV+ is also the streaming destination for the original 1980s Fraggle Rock series, as well as recently added bonus specials Down at Fraggle Rock, Doozer Music and Fraggle Songs.
Genius Brands, Blue Origin and SMAC Productions today announced plans to develop and produce Blue Origin Space Rangers, an epic animated space adventure series for kids and families, designed to inspire the next generation for the benefit of Earth.
The series will star a diverse group of global youth and include appearances by Michael Strahan and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. Mainframe Studios, an affiliate of Genius Brands, will produce the animation. Today’s announcement comes one year after Strahan’s trip aboard Blue Origin NS-19 on December 11, 2021.
Blue Origin Space Rangers will feature junior astronauts and adult leaders, who live, create and experiment together as they explore the infinite possibilities of life in space. With the mission to spark curiosity and encourage creativity among kids and families, the series will take audiences on a journey to explore the universe, science, new worlds and, perhaps. new beings. Students will develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to tackle the challenges and opportunities of space for the benefit of Earth.
Constance Schwartz-Morini, Co-Founder & CEO of SMAC Productions and Andy Heyward, CEO of Genius Brands International, will serve as executive producers of the series. Michael Hirsh, who produced the original Star Wars animation series Ewoks and Droids, will produce alongside Michael Hefferon for Mainframe Studios.
“Blue Origin Space Rangers will be groundbreaking for Genius Brands in its creative scope, and for me personally, it is a dream come true given my lifelong passion for astronomy,” said Heyward. “Partnering with Blue Origin and SMAC Productions will create multiple touchpoints for kids and families to explore, learn and deliver a one-of-a-kind space experience. We look forward to not just world-class storytelling but inviting the voice talent of guest stars from the world of music, sports, influencers, and celebrity, young and old.”
Schwartz-Morini noted, “One year ago, I watched my friend and business partner Michael Strahan become an astronaut. This extraordinary experience was the motivation for us to create Blue Origin Space Rangers, a series that would inspire future astronauts,. For our first project in the animated space, we couldn’t imagine two better partners than Blue Origin and Genius Brands to develop and bring this series to a distributor.”
“We’re excited to collaborate with Genius Brands and SMAC Productions to deliver an adventure-driven, STEAM-based animated series that will inspire people to consider the potential of using our solar system — for the benefit of Earth,” added Michael Edmonds, SVP, Strategy, Marketing, and Sales, Blue Origin, and President, Club for the Future.
Disney+ has an exciting holiday gift for fans as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World is heading to the streaming service beginning December 23. The studio shared new key art and posted a special look at the CG-animated adventureto Twitter to mark the announcement.
Strange World introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob called Splat; Legend, the family dog; and a slew of ravenous creatures.
They’re in their element when exploring this world…
Oscar- and Tony-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher Clade, a family man who finds himself out of his element on an unpredictable mission.
Emmy and two-time Golden Globe nominee Dennis Quaid as Searcher’s larger-than-life explorer father, Jaeger.
Comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker and musician Jaboukie Young-White as Searcher’s 16-year-old, adventure-seeking son, Ethan.
Actress, producer, bestselling author and TIME100 cover honoree Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade, an accomplished pilot and Searcher’s partner in all things.
Critically acclaimed actress, producer, director and fine artist Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal, Avalonia’s fearless leader who spearheads the exploration into the strange world.
Helmed by director Don Hall (Oscar-winning Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon) and co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (co-writer Raya and the Last Dragon), with Roy Conli (Oscar-winning Big Hero 6, Tangled) producing, Strange World is in theaters now.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, across two ceremonies held Saturday, December 10 (Creative Arts) and Sunday, December 11 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Animation was a major part of the new awards — the first standalone expansion of the Emmy Award competition since 1979.
Netflix Animation really threw its creative weight around in this inaugural competition, taking the top category prizes for animation as across kids’ series (City of Ghosts), preschool (Ada Twist, Scientist), special class (Hilda and the Mountain King) and short-form (We the People), in addition to multiple craft awards for Maya and the Three and Centaurworld.
You can see the previously announced Individual Achievement in Animation winners here and review the animated nominees over here. Without further ado, the animation and related category winners are:
Maya and the Three
Night 1 (Creative Arts)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — Maya and the Three (Netflix)
Co-Executive Producer/Writer: Jeff Ranjo
Writer/Producer: Tim Yoon
Writers: Jorge Gutierrez, Candie Langdale, Doug Langdale, Silvia Olivas
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM — Muppet Babies (Disney Junior)
Writers: Max Beaudry, Hanah Lee Cook, Sarah Eisenberg, Ghia Godfree, Francisco Paredes, Becky Wangberg
Story Editor: Robyn Brown
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — City of Ghosts (Netflix)
Directors: Ako Castuera, Luis Grane, Elizabeth Ito, Bob Logan, Pendleton Ward
OUTSTANDING VOICE DIRECTING FOR AN ANIMATED SERIES — Centaurworld (Netflix)
Voice Director: Kristi Reed
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION AND COMPOSITION FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — Cat Burglar (Netflix)
Composer: Christopher Willis
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM — Trash Truck (Netflix)
Editor: Sally Bergom
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — Ciao Alberto (Disney+)
Editor: Jennifer Jew
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING AND SOUND EDITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM — Octonauts & the Ring of Fire (Netflix)
Re-Recording Mixer: Ewan Deane
Sound Designers: Jamie Mahaffey, Iain Pattison, J. Martin Taylor
Sound Designer and Sound Effects Editor: Nolan McNaughton
Supervising Dialogue Editor: Dave Peacock
Dialogue Editor: Sarah Faust
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING AND SOUND EDITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — Maya and the Three (Netflix)
Foley Mixers: Jack Cucci, Tavish Grade
Music Editor: Andres Locsey
Sound Effects Editors: David Barbee, Masanobu “Tomi” Tomita
Foley Artists: John Cucci, Dan O’Connell
Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer: Scott Martin Gershin
Sound Designers: Chris Richardson, Andrew Vernon
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)
Casting By: Tatiana Bull, Aaron Drown, David H. Wright III
Madrid Noir
OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE MEDIA — Madrid Noir(Oculus TV)
Producers: Emmanuel Bernard, Antoine Cayrol, Arnaud Colinart, Luke Gibbard, Corentin Lambot, Craig Skerry, Yelena Rachistky, Dash Spiegelman
Director: James Castillo
Writers: Lawrence Bennett, Lydia Rynne
Performers: Godeliv Brandt, Fernando Guillén Cuervo
CG Supervisor: Thomas Flavelle
Animation Director: Aziz Kocanaogullari
Music Composer: Carlos Rodriguez Rodriguez
OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT — Maya and the Three (Netflix)
Senior Producer: Carly Machlis
Producer: Morgan Russell
Creative Director: Erika Anaya
Director: Katia Temkin
Associate Director: Savannah Bloch
Editors: Mack Lawrence, Julian Petrohilos
Project Managers: Erin Beckner, Ben Tom George, Hannah Gullixson
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A LIVE-ACTION PROGRAM — Endlings (Hulu)
VFX & Animation Executive Producer: Matthew J.R. Bishop
CG Supervisor: Terry Bradley
VFX Producer: Teodora Ilie
On Set VFX Supervisors: Daryl Shail
On Set Data Wrangler: Cody McCaig
VFX Editors: Yulia Kopyttseva, Luba Kukharenko, Alyssa Schmidt, Rachel Wong
Lead Compositors: Steve Lowry, Nial McFadyen
Lead FX Compositor: Stephen Curran
Lighting Leads: Belma Abdicevic, Tom Perry
Animation Directors: Adam Beck, Jeff Robinson
Asset Supervisors: Aravindan Rajasingham, James Wallace
VFX Lead Technical Director: Gustavo Fernandes
Senior Tracking and Layout Artist: Hasanain Rashid
Rigging Lead: Sean Sullivan
Rigging Artist: Michael Johnston
Character Finaling Artist Lead: Pedro Vilas
Rotoscope Artist Lead: Tarl Lambert
OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE AND GRAPHICS — Hilda and the Mountain King (Netflix)
Graphics Producer: Melissa Buisán
Creative Director: Jay Grandin
Animation Director: Conor Whelan
Title Designer/Illustrator: Eric Pautz
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION/SET DECORATION/SCENIC DESIGN —
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+)
Production Designer: Darcy Prevost
Art Director: Kathryn Molenaar
Set Decorator: Jeanine Ringer
Virtual Production Art Director: Mark D. Allen
Virtual Production Art Directors, CG Supervisors: James Dastoli, Robert Dastoli
AND
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (Apple TV+)
Production Designer: Tyler Bishop Harron
Art Directors: Brentan Harron, Bill Ives
Set Designer: Evan Spence
Set Decorators: Paul Healy, Alan McCullagh, Ian Nothnagel
Hilda and the Mountain King
Night 2 Winners
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED SERIES — City of Ghosts (Netflix)
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Ito
Co-Executive Producer: Joanne Shen
Line Producer: Dayla Kennedy
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES — Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix)
Executive Producers: Andrea Beaty, Mark Burton, Tonia Davis, Cathal Gaffney, Chris Nee, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Darragh O’Connell, David Roberts, Priya Swaminathan
Co-Executive Producer: Kerri Grant
Creative Producer: Alex Pitz
Supervising Producer: Gillian Higgins
Producers: Nayanshi Shaw, Peedee Shindell
Consulting Producer: Jean Herlihy
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS ANIMATED PROGRAM Hilda and the Mountain King (Netflix)
Executive Producers: Kurt Mueller
Co-Executive Producers: Luke Pearson, Stephanie Simpson
Supervising Producers: Andy Coyle, Bryan Korn
Producers: Steve Jacobson, Chantal Ling, Rachel Simon
Associate Producer: Emerald Wright-Collie
Line Producer: Victor Reyes
OUTSTANDING SHORT-FORM PROGRAM — We the People (Netflix)
Executive Producers: Kenya Barris, Tonia Davis, Chris Nee, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Priya Swaminathan
Producers: Ada Chiaghana, Erynn Sampson, Peedee Shindell
Directors: Peter Ramsey, Tim Rauch
Writers: H.E.R. , Ronald Colson, Jeff Gitelman, David Harris, Maxx Moore
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL SERIES — Sesame Street (HBO Max)
Executive Producers: Benjamin Lehmann, Kay Wilson Stallings
Supervising Producer: Sal Perez
Senior Producers: Karyn Leibovich, Stephanie Longardo
Coordinating Producer: Mindy Fila
Producers: Michael J. Cargill, Todd E. James, Andrew Moriarty, Ken Scarborough, Matt Vogel, Kimberly Wright, Autumn Zitani
Associate Producers: Christina Elefante, Kelly Ferrara, Bryce-Loren Walker
Line Producer: Aimee Blackton
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM —Daniel Ross, as Donald Duck Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (Disney Junior)
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM — Eric Bauza, as Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck & Tweety Looney Tunes Cartoons (HBO Max)
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM — Andy Walken, as Young Durpleton Centaurworld (Netflix)
Cameo, the marketplace that connects global talent with fans and brands, has launched Cameo Kids — offering personalized videos for children from their family entertainment favorites. The product launched in partnership with Candle Media, which last year acquired Moonbug Entertainment. At launch, Cameo Kids features a host of animated characters including the stars of Moonbug’s most popular global kids’ franchises, Blippi and CoComelon.
Cameo Kids allows consumers to book personalized videos built around key moments — from birthdays and the holidays to daily routines like bedtime and general messages of love and encouragement. In the coming months, the product experience will expand to add even more seasonal holidays, daily routines and new milestones.
“We’ve seen jaw-dropping fan reactions to Cameo videos over the last few years including truly wowed children, so we’re excited to spread even more of that joy with this new offering,” said Steven Galanis, Cameo Co-Founder and CEO. “Candle Media and Moonbug helped bring this to life by partnering with us to launch some of the biggest names in children’s entertainment and create endless possibilities for new characters and creative product use cases. We’re building a platform where families can get their kid’s favorite star to not just know their name, but share support for every important moment in their child’s life – big and small.”
The launch offers Cameos starting at $25 from popular animated Moonbug stars including Blippi from Blippi Wonders and JJ, Cody, Cece and Nina from CoComelon, the #1 preschool entertainment franchise in the world. Also available will be Mattel’s Thomas the Tank Engine, True from Netflix’s True and the Rainbow Kingdom and an animated Santa Claus. Cameo plans to work with existing and new partners to continually add new characters and franchises to Cameo Kids on a rolling basis.
The brand’s first major investment in family entertainment since setting up in 2017, Cameo Kids launched official support in the form of external APIs, quality control tools and a dynamic booking form to allow existing and future partners to seamlessly onboard and manage animated Cameo Kids characters. The new destination aims to unlock a brand-new audience and provide IP partners a new platform to offer exclusive, personalized content.
Candle Media Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs said, “The creator economy is driven by opportunities for fans to engage directly with their favorite personalities, and we are thrilled to partner with Cameo to allow parents and loved ones to create personalized Cameo videos featuring many of our most popular animated characters from Moonbug, and over time, additional Candle brands and franchises.”
The Amazing Maurice, based on the Carnegie award-winning novel by Terry Pratchett, has earned the rare animated feature distinction as a selection for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it will mark its U.S. premiere. Established in 1978 by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, the prestigious event’s next edition will be held January 19-29 in Park City, Utah.
“Adapting Pratchett is an honor and a challenge, one that must not be taken lightly. His work brings a complexity of tragedy and humor,” said director Toby Genkel. “He tells stories that are about something and this resonates with me. We aimed to be faithful to the themes of the novel as well as make it work as an animated movie for families. We do go to some dark places and I hope we take the audience along with us because there’s a lot of fun to be had along the way. And, of course, it ends with a mighty celebration.”
The film tells the story of a talking cat who teams up with a clan of “educated rodents” to run pied-piper scams in the towns of Discworld. All goes well until they come to Bad Blintz and meet a mysterious enemy who has his own nefarious plans for the inhabitants of the town. Maurice and the rats team up with two humans, Malicia and Keith, to take on the enemy. But first they have to retrieve the real pied-piper’s pipe…
The Amazing Maurice
“The Amazing Maurice has many lead characters, including one wily cat, two humans, five intelligent rats, Death, a demented pied piper, and a bad guy who is an embodiment of the collective fury of all the rats. We procured a top-tier cast, and their voices, applied to our art director’s colorful vision for the film, plus the work of the animators, framed through director Toby’s ability to portray the fun and the depths of the story, brought the film to life in an exceptional way. It is its own unique thing,” noted producer Robert Chandler.
A Germany-U.K. co-production, the film is produced by Emely Christians at Ulysses Filmproduktion and Andrew Baker and Robert Chandler at Cantilever Media, stars Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel, David Tennant, Ariyon Bakare and Gemma Arterton, and was directed by Toby Genkel from a screenplay by Terry Rossio.
Producer Baker added, “We worked alongside Narrativia, the company that looks after the Terry Pratchett literary estate, from the get-go. They were involved at every stage and could see the sheer passion and experience we brought to the film. I myself am a huge Terry Pratchett fan — I’ve read everything — and this was important. The estate could see we had put together a team of producers, directors, artists and animators who cared greatly about the responsibility of delivering something good and true to Terry’s voice. I am really proud of this film.”
The Amazing Maurice
Animation studios on The Amazing Maurice are Studio Rakete (Hamburg) and Red Star 3D (Sheffield).
“We made this film at the height of the pandemic lockdowns. We had to reconfigure our pipelines in Hamburg and Sheffield with the teams working remotely, but we did it, we got it made and remained true to our budget and schedule,” said Christians, producer at Ulysses. “What was really important, though, was the way the teams worked together, especially with many of the artists and animators not being able to meet in advance. Our collective passion for the film and its characters pulled us through. We think we have delivered something really special.”
The film’s international sales agent is Global Screen. Viva Kids is handling U.S. distribution, and will release the movie in theaters across the U.S. and Canada on February 3. The film will make its U.K. debut on December 16 as a Sky Original from Sky Cinema and in independent cinemas nationwide.
China Bridge Content, a New York-based content and consulting firm founded by 12-time Emmy Award-winning creator Josh Selig (Wonder Pets! Small Potatoes, Super Wings, P. King Duckling), has been selected by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, to create original animated characters to help enhance the museum experience for families.
China Bridge and the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the National Museum of Asian Art will be working together to create family-friendly original characters who will both entertain and educate museum visitors about the various aspects of conserving works of art. The project team is developing potential future uses for the characters, like appearances in animated videos, books, games, toys and graphic novels as well as on the museum’s website and outreach materials.
The initiative is part of a new museum focus on preschool–12th grade learning that combines art and science. The educational focus of the new characters will help families understand the behind-the-scenes world at the museum, learn about art from different angles, and gain insights into the museum’s conservation and scientific research activities. The new project will also help kids and families appreciate the unique ways that conservators, scientists and curators work together with other museum staff to study and care for works of art, and to prepare for works of art to be on view in the galleries at the National Museum of Asian Art.
The project is being headed up by Selig and is supported by his team members Ye Chao, the former head of Shanghai Toonmax and a cultural advisor for Shanghai Disneyland; Emilie Blezat, founder and former CEO of Studiocanal China, who runs Dark Riviera AB and has extensive experience developing and producing original content for museums, films, TV, games and graphic novels; and Bob Holmes, CEO of Sudden Industries, a New York-based studio which creates innovative and educational digital experiences for leading U.S. channels including Nickelodeon and PBS Kids.
The new characters will be inspired by art from the National Museum of Asian Art, whose extensive collections feature many of the world’s premier Asian artworks. These include objects dating from Neolithic times to the early 20th century, including paintings, sculptures, scrolls, pottery, jades and bronzes.
The museum’s team of conservators and scientists, led by conservator Ellen Chase, and other experts will co-develop and guide the project at every step to ensure that the new characters and all other related media are historically and technically accurate.
“Our new partnership with the Smithsonian is a unique opportunity to bring China Bridge’s international brand of storytelling into the rich environment of the National Museum of Asian Art,” said Selig. “We believe our original characters will bring a whole new level of engagement with the museum and we think families will love them!”
After many long days at work on her self-taught animation project, budding author Lorna Gibson will get to see her story light up screens around the U.K. when Mr. Bear’s Christmas debuts on BBC this month.
The stop-motion special is adapted from her self-published storybook The Tales of Mr. Bear, and explores the importance of friendship through a cast of woodland character gathering to enjoy the holiday.
“Watching animations at Christmas was a big part of my childhood. I’m thrilled that children will be doing the same with Mr. Bear this year, thanks to the BBC,” Gibson shared.
Mr. Bear’s Christmas
Gibson’s 11-minute amateur production — crafted from felt, wool and foam and shot on an iPhone in the spare bedroom at her parents’ house using a £5 stop-motion app — is being unwrapped for a wider audience thanks to the attachment of celebrated author, actor and presenter Stephen Fry (Wilde, Gosford Park, The Hobbit).
Stephen Fry
After teaching herself to needle felt the puppets and props, followed by six months of shooting and editing, Gibson was inspired to contact Fry’s voiceover agent by a dream in which the former QI host signed a back-of-envelope contract to do the project. Fry watched the short, and recorded the storybook text at home for Gibson.
“When this project first came to my attention, I see I replied ‘this sounds lovely,’ and indeed it is,” Fry recalled. “I am delighted that Mr. Bear’s Christmas shall reach a wide audience during its broadcast over the festive season.”
Gibson, a 40-year-old illustrator and head of Toots Design (tootsdesign.co.uk), sent the result in to the BBC and caught the eye of programming executives, who agreed terms with Gibson and Fry to schedule Mr. Bear’s Christmas to air on CBeebies on December 13, 17 and 23, and stream on iPlayer. The special will also receive a screening alongside The Snowman, to their respective soundtracks played live by the Halle orchestra, at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on December 22 and 23.
“Bringing Mr. Bear to life from pencil sketch to BBC screening has been a labor of love, a great passion and worth every challenge along the way,” said Gibson, who hails from Tarporley in Cheshire. “I was delighted when Stephen agreed to do the voiceover for Mr. Bear’s Christmas. and having the BBC show my animation of the story is a dream come true.”
Mr. Bear’s Christmas
Kate Morton, Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning 0-6 years, said, “We thought the film was really lovely and the story was delightful. We loved the animation style; it feels really warm and cozy, and perfect for Christmas.”
Mr. Bear’s Christmas was enhanced by the work of Buckinghamshire composer Andrew Pickering, who wrote and performed its soundtrack, and local Cheshire lighting professional Dan Beckett, each of whom agreed to support the project at no cost.
Tune into CBeebies December 13, 17 and 23 to watch Mr. Bear’s Christmas, also available on iPlayer this holiday season.
As the Guardians in Marvel Studios’ The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special undertake a mission to create an unforgettable holiday for Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, animators at acclaimed Stoopid Buddy Stoodios brought their talents to the Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation to make it equally unforgettable for viewers.
In striking, hand-drawn sequences that bookend the wildly popular new special, which debuted November 25 exclusively on
Disney+, animators at Stoopid Buddy helped create a previously unknown story in a style that echoes nostalgia for late 20th century pop-culture that’s a Guardians of the Galaxy hallmark.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
“Right from the start, James Gunn said he hoped to emulate the Ralph Bakshi style that was popular in the 1960s and ’70s, and there was no way to cheat it — it had to be hand-drawn rotoscoping,” explains Mac Whiting, lead animation supervisor on the project.
“After seeing the animation test, Marvel arranged for us to be involved with the live-action shoot in Georgia. James and the Marvel team made the experience a real bucket list item for any animator and fueled our desire to make the animation in this project as special as it deserved to be.”
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Whiting and his Stoopid Buddy team used the live-action footage to draw each frame by hand — a feat they were able to achieve in just over two months.
While Stoopid Buddy is widely known for its stunning stop-motion animation work, which has included Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. as well as its Emmy Award-winning Robot Chicken series, traditional hand-drawn animation is a growing field for the company. Still, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special represented a singular challenge that Stoopid Buddy co-founder Matt Senreich says they couldn’t resist.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
“James entrusted us with a tremendous vision,” Senreich says. “When we produced an initial eight seconds of test footage with Michael Rooker as Yondu, we knew we could match that vision, and, through animation, bring something entirely new to Guardians of the Galaxy. Stoopid Buddy is incredibly proud to be associated with it.”
Stoopid Buddy produced the animation for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in association with Victoria, Australia-based Studio Moshi, ensuring a round-the-clock production pipeline to meet the deadline that would get the special to Disney+ in time for a very special holiday for Marvel fans.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
“This has been one of the most exciting and creatively challenging projects I’ve ever been a part of, especially due to the demanding nature and high volume of hand-drawn animation, but the results are more than worth it,” Whiting says. “Fans are going to be watching this holiday special for many years to come, like so many of the specials we grew up with.”
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
Adult Swim returns to the weird world of Wollongong this winter, unveiling the official trailer and a new release date for YOLO: Silver Destiny. The new season of misadventures down under debuts Sunday, January 22 at midnight on Adult Swim with two back-to-back episodes, streaming the next day on HBO Max.
From Michael Cusack, the co-creator of Smiling Friends, the follow-up to YOLO: Crystal Fantasy sees the return of Australia’s rowdiest party girls, Sarah (voiced by Sarah Bishop) and Rachel (Todor Manojlovic).
Their continued quests kick off when a chance encounter at a Sausage Sizzle nudges the girls in pursuit of their destinies — Sarah want s to grow a beautiful garden, and Rachel wants to become a dark Empress. Meanwhile, Lucas the Magnificent embarks on a mysterious new quest to overcome Sarah’s repulsion and win her heart.
Hey, you only live once!
YOLO: Silver Destiny is a quarter-hour animated comedy produced by Laura DiMaio with line producer Paul Moran. Executive producers include Cusack, Mike Cowan and Emma Fitzsimons. The series is produced by Australia’s Princess Pictures with animation services provided by Monkeystack.
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is celebrating Disney fans across the country as Disney100 kicks off. Members of D23 will be able to enjoy exclusive experiences as Disney honors its past and looks to its future:
DESTINATION D23. D23 returns to The Most Magical Place on Earth for the biggest Disney fan event of 2023 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, September 8–10, to celebrate 100 years of The Walt Disney Company. Fans will be among the first to hear exciting announcements and see sneak peeks from the many worlds of Disney — and relive favorite memories with behind-the-scenes stories, special guests and so much more at this epic event.
THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS OFFICIAL TOUR – PRESENTED BY D23. D23 welcomes guests to The Walt Disney Studios Lot, giving members the opportunity to visit the world-famous studio in Burbank, California. These tours offer fans a unique perspective on historic moments from Disney films, television series, and theme parks — along with the chance to look inside the Walt Disney Archives and draw inspiration from Walt Disney’s office suite.
FAN-FAVORITE MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES. D23 will celebrate several milestone anniversaries with in-person events in 2023 for fan-favorite films, including Finding Nemo(20th), Mulan(25th) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (35th). D23 will celebrate these iconic films with extra-special experiences and even more magic for D23 Members. And Halloween will return in phantom fashion, celebrating the anniversaries of monstrously major movies including Hocus Pocus (30th), Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (30th) and Halloweentown(25th).
WALT’S MARCELINE. Walt Disney frequently cited this charming Missouri town where he spent his early childhood as one of his greatest influences. Its lovely main thoroughfare was an inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. D23 Members will have a chance to return in June 2023 for a very special hometown event.
D23 NIGHTS WITH DISNEY THEATRICAL. D23 and the North American tours of Disney’s The Lion King and Disney’s Frozenare excited to offer D23 Members exclusive theatrical experiences, including special ticket packages and post-show Q&As with cast members. D23 will kick off these dazzling theatrical events in Los Angeles with The Lion King and in Costa Mesa, California, with Frozen, and offer an exclusive experience with the cast during the highly anticipated opening of Disney’s Herculesat the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.
SIGNATURE EVENTS. Fans can look forward to D23 Gold Member previews of Walt Disney Archives traveling exhibitions across the country. D23 Gold Members will enjoy advance and opening night screenings of new Disney films at locations across the country. Walt Disney Imagineering’s exclusive merchandise store, Mickey’s of Glendale, will open its doors to members with both online and in-person opportunities. Look out for the return of the holiday favorite Light Up the Season in December 2023 as part of a very merry D23 Holiday Celebration!
Dates, ticketing information, and more D23 events will be announced throughout the year. Full details on D23’s lineup of 2023 special events can be found on the fan club’s website at D23.com/Events. Additional dates will be posted soon. All events and dates are subject to change.
Learn more about D23’s special offers and events at d23.com.
Animated musical act Gorillaz (gorillaz.com) are taking another groundbreaking step, as they transform the streets of New York and London into stages for two bleeding edge performances of their brand new track “Skinny Ape.”
Gorillaz “Skinny Ape” AR in Piccadilly Circus
Taking place at 2:30 ET on December 17 in Times Square and 14:00 GMT on December 18 in Piccadilly Circus, these first-of-their-kind immersive experiences will allow fans to gather together to witness Gorillaz in a literally larger-than-life performance, as towering avatars of Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel play amid two of the world’s most recognizable skylines.
“We’re always excited when music and entertainment can bust out of the usual to meet fans and tell stories in new places,” said Chris O’Reilly, Co-Founder & CCO, Nexus Studios. “Working with our friends Gorillaz and Google, this was a perfect opportunity to bring our dual passions of real-time animation and immersive tech together. Experiences told on top of cities at this level of visual fidelity is full of exciting promise.”
Directed by artist and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and the Emmy-nominated director Fx Goby, the “Skinny Ape” performances are created by Nexus Studios (nexusstudios.com) and utilize Google’s ARCore Geospatial API, using AR to transforms public spaces with cultural experiences and bringing the world of Gorillaz to life like never before. The performances are presented in collaboration with 21st century advertising operators OUTFRONT Media (NorAm) and Ocean Outdoor (U.K.)
“To all our followers, get ready for the biggest Times Square takeover since that other gorilla smashed the place up. Bigger in fact cos there’s four of us. Thanks to the techies at Google, we’ve created the music video event of the century, so don your pink robes and come see Gorillaz like you’ve never seen us before. The future is nigh!” — Murdoc Niccals
“Skinny Ape” is the fourth single from Gorillaz’s upcoming new album Cracker Island, and is already a fan favorite having debuted live on the band’s hugely successful 2022 World Tour.
Cracker Island, out February 24 on Parlophone, is the eighth studio album from Gorillaz — an energetic, upbeat, genre-expansive collection of 10 tracks featuring a fresh lineup of stellar collaborators: Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny and Bootie Brown and Beck. Recorded in London and L.A. earlier this year, it is produced by eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Greg Kurstin, Gorillaz and Remi Kabaka Jr.
Fans of the smash-hit WEBTOON digital comic series Lookismcan now see their favorite characters in action with the debut of the Netflix anime adaptation, which premieres today.
Based on Taejun Pak’s popular drama, which has garnered over 9 billion views on WEBTOON, Lookism marks the latest collaboration between the two companies, following recent adaptations of All of Us Are Dead, Hellbound, The Sound of Magic and Sweet Home.
Synopsis: Daniel is an unattractive loner who wakes up in a different body. Now tall, handsome, and cooler than ever in his new form, Daniel aims to achieve everything he couldn’t before. How far will he go to keep his body … and his secrets?
Watch Lookism on Netflix and catch up with the comics on WEBTOON.
The new Hulu Original animated series Koala Manwill officially be bringing marsupial justice to the streamer on January 9, Hulu announced today. New images from the show have also dropped. The 2D adult comedy series hails form Australian creator/animator Michael Cusack (YOLO: Crystal Fantasy, Smiling Friends).
Koala Man is voiced by series creator Michael Cusack
Synopsis:Koala Man follows middle-aged dad Kevin and his titular not-so-secret identity, whose only superpower is a burning passion for following rules and snuffing out petty crime in the town of Dapto. Though it may seem like any other Australian suburb, forces of evil both cosmic and man-made lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting Daptonians. On a quest to clean up his hometown, and often roping his frustrated family into his adventures, Koala Man stands at the ready. He’ll do whatever it takes to defeat villainous masterminds, supernatural horrors, or worse: jerks who don’t take their rubbish bins down on the proper days.
Koala Man
The series features the voices of Michael Cusack as Kevin/Koala Man; Hugh Jackman as Big Greg, head of the town council and the most popular guy in Dapto; Sarah Snook as Kevin’s forbearing wife, Vicky, a cafeteria lady; Jemaine Clement as Bazwell, a nerdy and ineffectual dandy who mentors Kevin’s son, Liam (also voiced by Cusack) and Demi Lardner as Kevin’s popularity-hungry daughter, Alison; with Rachel House as Vicky’s coworker Janine and local bowling club owner Louise, Jarrad Wright as Kevin’s neighbor/BFF/super hero sidekick, Spider, and guest roles by Miranda Otto and Hugo Weaving.
L-R: Koala Man (Cusack), Alison (Demi Lardner), Vicky (Sarah Snook) and Big Greg (Hugh Jackman)
Koala Man is executive produced by Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Michael Cowap also serves as executive producer. The series is produced by 20th Television Animation for Hulu.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the winners in the category of Individual Achievement in Animation for the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in advance of the awards ceremonies scheduled for December 10 and 11.
With more than 3,000 entries, the Children’s & Family Emmys is the largest NATAS-administered competition of all time, and the Individual Achievement in Animation category was no exception, with a record number of submissions.
The category is unique in its judging process: Panels of expert animation peers evaluate the work of talented individual artists and animators, with submissions drawn from a single episode of a series or a special. Judges view and evaluate original artwork, video and other documentation from the disciplines of Background, Character Animation, Character Design, Color, Production Design and Storyboard. They consequently convene to discuss the detail and finer points of each submission in order to determine winners.
“Members of the Television Academy Animation peer group brought particular dedication, working long and tirelessly to bring their experience and expertise to this exhaustive but wonderful judging process. They were impressed with the submissions, and are thrilled to see a continued high quality of work originating from this industry,” said Brent Stanton, Head of the Children’s and Family Emmys.
The seven winners chosen are:
Chris Tsirgiotis, Background Designer Kid Cosmic, Netflix
Ron Tolentino Velasco, Character Designer Monsters at Work, Disney+
Craig McCracken, Character Designer Kid Cosmic, Netflix
Ivan Aguirre, Background Painter The Cuphead Show!, Netflix
Alex Konstad, Visual Development Artist Maya and the Three, Netflix
Alessandro Taini, Production Designer Star Trek: Prodigy, Paramount+
Benjamin Arcand, Storyboard Artist SpongeBob’s Road to Christmas, Nickelodeon
The Children’s & Family Emmy ceremony on Sunday, December 11 will be hosted by Jack McBrayer, who is nominated for a Children’s & Family Emmy for Outstanding Host for his work on the Apple TV+ series Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.
JoJo Siwa, who is nominated for Outstanding Choreography for Peacock’s Siwa’s Dance Pop Revolution, will host the Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy ceremony on Saturday, December 10. Both ceremonies will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
You can find the previously announced Children’s & Family Emmy nominees in key animation categories here.
The Children’s & Family Emmy ceremonies will be streamed live on NATAS’ dedicated viewing platform powered by Vimeo, available on the web at Watch.TheEmmys.TV and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku (full list at apps.theemmys.tv).
Emmy- and Annie award-winning VFX and animation company Jellyfish Pictures has restructured its leadership team and made key appointments to support further growth across existing and new sectors. The announcement follows Key Capital Partners’ minority investment in the company earlier in the year and the ongoing global expansion of the company’s operations, powered by its virtual studio infrastructure.
David Patton, former Global President of Brand Experience and Advertising at Technicolor Creative Studios (where he led The Mill and MPC Advertising) has joined as Chief Executive Officer. In this newly created role, Patton will work closely with Jellyfish Pictures’ Founder Phil Dobree to spearhead long-term growth across the business. Their focus will be to broaden the studio’s product offering, build-out operational efficiencies, expand into new markets and nurture the company’s world-class creative talent.
Also joining is Mark Warburg as Chief Operating Officer. Previously Global Head of Talent at Technicolor Creative Studios, Warburg will be responsible for all aspects of operational and talent excellence ensuring that Jellyfish Pictures continues to deliver cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art production platforms to service the demands of the very best film and animation studios from across the globe.
Phil Greenlow, formerly the Global Managing Director for Film at MPC, joins as Managing Director of VFX across Film and Episodic content. Greenlow will leverage his 16 years of industry experience to build upon the impressive portfolio of work delivered on a diverse range of content, ranging from major feature films to the ever-expanding high-end TV market.
Natalie Llewellyn expands her role as Managing Director of Animation & Originals, overseeing all of Jellyfish Pictures’ animation production output and driving business development, client relationships and partner initiatives.
Former Global Head of Talent at MPC, Sharn Gondal, has been appointed as Head of People, responsible for the development and expansion of Jellyfish Pictures’ world-class globally located talent base.
Existing CFO Michelle David and Director VFX and AnimationLuke Dodd will support the leadership team and work closely with new CEO David Patton on delivering the company’s ambitions and managing sustained growth.
MPC (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, HBO’s House of the Dragon, Disney’s Pinocchio, Hocus Pocus 2,Disenchanted), a Technicolor Creative Studio, has announced a restructuring of its global leadership team, appointing several new key hires. Following the spin-off of Technicolor Creative Studios in September, listing on the Paris Euronext stock exchange, this is a strategic move to strengthen the studio presence across the entertainment VFX industry globally. The new team will focus on building MPC’s creative offering, to facilitate commercial success, and creative excellence into 2023 and beyond.
MPC’s executive leadership will be led by Global PresidentJean-Paul (JP) Burge, whose career to date has specifically focused on connecting the world’s top creative talent with AAA brands. Burge brings proven experience scaling creative service businesses worldwide, with a deep knowledge of the international business landscape, after several years as the Head of BBDO Asia. His focus will be client and operations oriented, ensuring MPC retains its respected and trusted reputation as one of the world’s top creative partners for entertainment studios, streaming brands and Hollywood directors. He reports to CEO Christian Roberton.
Burge will be supported by Executive in Charge – Client ServicesStephanie Allen, who joins from Paramount Pictures where she was Head of VFX. Allen has a legacy of working with MPC as a client, a perspective that enables her to focus on MPC’s client service, in addition to bringing unparalleled VFX industry expertise to this pivotal new role.
The delivery of MPC’s film and episodic will be led by newly appointed Global Head of ProductionChris Burn, a VFX industry veteran with over two decades of experience in delivering large-scale productions. Burn joins the MPC team after 18 years at DNEG, with creative credits including Alien vs Predator, Batman Begins and The Matrix Reloaded.
Mediawan Kids & Family announced the arrival of Katell France as Managing Director and Chief Content Officer of Method Animation. France will design and implement the editorial strategy of the group’s founding label. Camille Oesch, Head of Originals (Petronix Defenders, Karters), Olivier Pérouze, Head of Classics (Robin Hood – Mischief in Sherwood, The Enchanted Village of Pinocchio, The Three Musketeers) and Raphaël Séjourné, Head of Adult animation and Special projects (The Jungle, Ki & Hi) are now reporting to her.
Within this new organization, Julien Borde is promoted President of Mediawan Kids & Family and Aton Soumache takes on the Honorary Presidency of the division.
France began her career at Gaumont in 1995. After numerous assignments as head of production and line producer for various animation studios across TV series and feature films), she joined Xilam in 2007 as Deputy Managing Director. In 2010, she became Managing Director and Executive Producer of Studio 100 Animation, producing more than 250 half hours of animation programs. In 2020, France created Onikiri, a production company through which she participated as an independent producer in several project developments for Media Participations and Passion Paris Production.
Oscar-nominated French studio Xilam Animation has appointed Jérôme Lacarrière as VP, Digital Business Development. The company currently boasts 40B views and 63M subscribers on YouTube, two Diamond Play Buttons (Zig & Sharko and Oggy and the Cockroaches channels), four brand accounts on TikTok (4M subs, 27M likes), five Facebook pages (2B views, 2.7B min. viewed in the last 365 days) and two FAST channels in France and Brazil.
Hunter Gorinson has been named President & Publisher of Portland, Ore.’s multi-Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics label Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group.
DNEG announced the appointment of multiple Oscar and BAFTA winner Guillaume Rocheron(Nope, 1917, Ghost in theShell) as Visual Effects Supervisor, based at the VFX/animation outfit’s Los Angeles studio.
Toho International, the Japanese studio’s U.S.-based subsidiary, welcomes former Crunchyroll execs Kirstin Parcell as General Manager and Stacy Burt as Director of Marketing to lead its American expansion, with a focus on building a scalable e-commerce experience in 2023, catered to the iconic Godzilla property and Toho’s anime franchises. Parcell will also lead licensing efforts for the company.
