Today, 20th Century Studios released a new trailer and poster for Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron’s highly anticipated first follow-up to his Academy Award-winning Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time. The sequel opens in theaters on December 16.
In celebration ofthe trailer and poster launch, amassive light show featuring highlights from the film will be projected tonight over Niagara Falls.
Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water returns to the magnificent world of Pandora to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their children), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldaña (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), Stephen Lang (Miles Quaritch) and Kate Winslet (Ronal).
Screenplay by Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by Cameron & Jaffa & Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers.
Apple TV+ has debuted the trailer for the newest animated series, Interrupting Chicken, premiering Friday, November 18. The spot gives viewers a first look at a plucky, creative storyteller ready to bring a fresh perspective into family nests everywhere.
Based on the 2011 Caldecott Honor-winning book series written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, the preschool toon introduces children to the joy of creative writing — starting with a young little chicken named Piper who has a habit of interrupting storytime! Every time Piper hears a story, she can’t help but jump in, ask questions and let her imagination run wild.
The series stars the voice talents of three-time Emmy Award winner Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul) as Papa, Juliet Donenfeld (Pete the Cat) as Piper, Sarah Elizabeth Thompson as CJ, Maximus Riegel (Klaus) as Benjamin, Luke Lowe (Big City Greens) as Duckston, Jakari Fraser (Spidey and His Amazing Friends) as Theodore, and more.
Interrupting Chicken was developed by Emmy Award winner Ron Holsey, who serves as executive producer. In partnership with Mercury Filmworks, the series is also executive produced by author Stein, Loris Kramer Lunsford, Clint Eland and Chantal Ling. Dr. Lucy Calkins, Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and the Richard Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College, Columbia University, serves as the show’s reading and writing expert through the Apple TV+ changemaker initiative.
Interrupting Chicken “A Chicken Carol”
In addition to the series launch, Apple TV+ will debut its complementary holiday special, “A Chicken Carol,” globally on Friday, December 2 as part of the platform’s robust lineup of festive family fare.
Synopsis: When Ebenezer Wolf decides to cancel the holidays, Piper teams up with the Three Little Pigs and some ghostly friends to change his mind.
Interrupting Chicken
The award-winning slate of original animated series and film for kids and families on Apple TV+ includes the critically-acclaimed properties El Deafo, Duck & Goose, Pinecone & Pony, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and Harriet the Spy from The Jim Henson Company, Peabody Award-winning series Stillwater, Wolfboy and the Everything Factory from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Ent., Sago Mini Friends, Snoopy in Space, The Snoopy Show and Get Rolling with Otis.
Also included are specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown, Lucy’s School, To Mom (and Dad), With Love and For Auld Lang Syne; Daytime Emmy Award-winning television event Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth; as well as the star-studded animated adventure film Luck from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation and Academy Award-nominated Wolfwalkers.
Canada-Madrid-based international sales agent Pink Parrot Media (PPM) is expanding its distribution catalog, heading to the American Film Market (AFM) with two new titles available to buyers.
Signing with award-winning TV and film producer Sophie Byrne, PPM acquired the international distribution rights to the highly anticipated CG animated feature film Scarygirl which is currently in production in Queensland and is expected to premiere in October 2023.
In addition, PPM has signed with Canada’s PVP Media and Capitán Araña and 3Doubles Producciones in Spain to represent the world-wide distribution rights for the animated feature, 4 Days Before Christmas, which is set for a Spanish premiere in December 2023.
“I am very excited that we can all finally get back together in LA for this long-awaited AFM to return in full capacity,” said Tania Pinto Da Cunha, VP/Partner at Pink Parrot Media. “We are extremely happy to have two great projects, Scarygirl and 4 Days Before Christmas, joining our PPM family. Both titles have a uniqueness about them and that is what we like and value in our team. Working with these outstanding and highly creative producers is an enriching journey for us and exemplifies our mission.”
Dario Sanchez, producer of 4 Days Before Christmas, commented, “Really excited about working together with Pink Parrot Media in a superhero movie, including Santa Claus and his elves … to save Christmas with Billie’s help.”
Scarygirl
Based on the graphic novel by Nathan Jurevicius, Scarygirl follows Arkie (voiced by Jillian Nguyen, Clickbait), a young girl with a talent for technology and a tentacle-like arm, who was raised in secret by her kind but cautious father, Blister (Rob Collins, Cleverman), a rare Giant Octopus with the ability to regenerate life.
When her father is kidnapped for his prized abilities and their idyllic world is threatened by a sudden loss of sunlight, Arkie sets out on a journey to the City of Light: a dazzling, modern city controlled by the mysterious Dr. Maybee (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park). As she tries to find Blister, Arkie discovers that all is not what it seems and this incredible new world is one of great danger, and full of answers to questions she never knew she had. The voice cast also features Anna Torv (Fringe).
Scarygirl is a co-pro between Australian studios Highly Spirited (Tales from Outer Suburbia) and Like a Photon Creative (Combat Wombat), with financial support from Screen Queensland. Jurevicius is on board as the production designer and will also share executive producer duties with John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda).
The brand originally launched as a vinyl toy range from Hong Kong-based Flying Cat. It was later expanded into graphic novels (from U.S. publisher Last Gasp), an online flash game, Xbox/PlayStation and steam versions and even a VR experience from Melbourne-based tech company Zero Latency. Madman Entertainment is the distributor for Australia and New Zealand.
4 Days Before Christmas
4 Days Before Christmas(88 min.) is currently in production and tells a story of when Santa hits his head and thinks he’s Superklaus, a popular big-screen superhero, he gets scammed by a toy-obsessed businessman who wants to take over his workshop. With the help of Billie, a tech-savvy 11-year old, and Leo his “Elf-executive” assistant, “SuperKlaus” will take on a megalomaniacal toy-obsessed businessman to save Christmas.
Featuring the voices of Harland Williams (Puppy Dog Pals, Odd Balls) Colm Feore (The Umbrella Academy, Thor) and Millie Davis (Odd Squad, Orphan Black, Wonder, Good Boys), the animated feature is directed by Steven Majaury, with Miguel Miranda co-directing.
Quebec-based company PVP Media, founded by François Trudel, has been producing documentaries, animated series, video games and digital products for over 30 years.
Capitán Araña was founded by Nacho La Casa, as an independent audiovisual production company with the aim of creating and producing innovative and quality content. Its productiosn include the 3D-animated feature Ozzy, released in more than 60 countries.
3Doubles Producciones, founded by Dario Sanchez, has been providing services for production companies in Canada, Belgium, Germany, U.K., Luxembourg, France, Australia and Spain, including animated features (Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, Mia & Me: The Hero of Centopia, My Fairy Troublemaker, The Ogglies and Daily Fables) and series (ARPO The Robot, Ziggy & the Zoo Tram and Momonsters).
Pink Parrot Media will be exhibiting at AFM at the Loews Hotel (room 833) and hosting the World Market Premiere screening of award-winning musical adventure Valentina (Wed., Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. at AMC Santa Monica).
As moviegoers around the world eagerly await the theatrical rollout of Alberto Vázquez’s new animated feature Unicorn Wars (which premiered in Spain in October), the Goya Award-winning animation director’s acclaimed short Homeless Home has been made available to stream for free on YouTube, via French producer/distributor Autour de Minuit’s Animatic channel.
In the 15-minute short, expressive, monochromatic animation carries the viewer through a dark fantasy world, where characters of many different descriptions find themselves equally adrift.
As Vázquez — whose also created the much-lauded short films Bird Boy, Unicorn Blood and Decorado as well as the feature film Bird Boy: The Forgotten Children — told Animation Magazine in a 2021 interview, Homeless Home was inspired by the fantasy books he read as a child, and the idea “to work from a world similar to The Lord of the Rings, but from a personal perspective … a kind of social and existential history contextualized in a medieval fantasy world.”
No one can escape their roots, however rotten they may be.
Homeless Home is a France/Spain co-production of Autour de Minuit and Uniko.
The Animatic channel has also uploaded a number of other animated shorts worth a watch this week: Canis by Marc Riba & Anna Solanas, Dad’s Dead by Chris Shepherd, The Master’s Voice: Caveirao by Guilherme Marcondes, Metamorphosis by Carla Pereira & JuanFran Jacinto, and Lonely Bones by Rosto.
See the trailer for Homeless Home below and watch the full short for free on YouTube here. The film was previously made available to buy or rent on Vimeo.
The long-awaited opening day for Ghibli Park, the first-ever theme park bringing to life the enchanting animated worlds of Studio Ghibli, officially arrived November 1. Located less than an hour’s train ride from Kyoto, this wonderland built inside the Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park is more of an expansive walk-thru exhibit than a noisy arcade of rides.
Goro Miyazaki, son of studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki and director of Tales from Earthsea, Earwig and the Witch and the Japan Academy Prize-winning From Up on Poppy Hill, explained prior to the park’s opening, “People think of it as a theme park, but I’ve always wanted it to be a park. I think that parks are first and foremost for the local people, so I want [Ghibli Park] to be loved by the people of Aichi more than anyone else.”
As revealed when the park’s opening day was announced, Phase 1 of the construction includes the expansive “indoor village” of Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, which features exhibits, artefacts and life-size characters from beloved films; the breezy Hill of Youth, crested by the World Emporium antique shop from Whisper of the Heart; and Dondoko Forest, inspired by My Neighbor Totoro.
Inside Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, visitors will find a treasure trove of experiences and encounters with their favorite characters. In addition to roaming the beautifully designed walkways, exploring the central mosaiced stairway’s hidden gems and examining all the pieces of production history, sculptures and reproductions — including the Robot Soldiers from Castle in the Sky quietly standing guard and a chance to peek inside Yubaba’s office from Spirited Away — guests can enjoy many special experiences:
Yubaba’s Office – Spirited Away – Ghibli Park
Cinema Orion — Screening all 10 animated shorts created for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. At opening, visitors can enjoy The Whale Hunt, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Special Exhibitions — Get to know Studio Ghibli and its films!
Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes — Become your favorite characters in these interactive exhibits inspired by 13 different films, including a Spirited Away sea-rail train where you can sit next to No Face.
“Becoming Characters” – Spirited Away – Ghibli Park
Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals (Expanded Edition) — An upgraded version of the popular Ghibli Museum exhibit that explores the eternal question: Why does the food in Ghibli movies look so tasty!? Includes production materials from Spirited Away,Earwig and the Witch and a full recreation of the kitchen in From Up on Poppy Hill.
Ghilbi’s Collections — A collection of posters, film and music packaging, books and more from around the world, showcasing a variety of design styles and unique titles.
Cat Bus Room – Ghibli Park
Cat Bus Room — A one-of-a-kind Cat Bus is waiting to engage young visitors in this cuddly and charming play area inspired by My Neighbor Totoro.
The House Below & The Little People’s Garden — Step into The Secret World of Arrietty to get a full change in perspective.
“The House Below” – The Secret World of Arrietty – Ghibli Park
The Warehouse also features a cartoony, kid-sized recreation of the Tokyo neighborhood near Studio Ghilbli’s headquarters, a nostalgic shopping street (including a penny candy shop), exclusive merch store, café and even a stand serving local milk in glass bottles.
Future additions to Ghibli Park will include the Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village.
Totoro shaped lookout tower in Dondoko-do – ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ – Ghibli Park
Visit ghibli-park.jp/en for more information and ticketing. Follow @GhibliParkJP on Twitter and check out Nippon TV News 24’s video tour below to see more from inside the park.
The charmingly neurotic neighborhood critters of HouseBroken are heading home to FOX for the holidays, with two seasonal special episodes set to debut back to back on Sunday, December 4.
Fans of the Gabrielle Allan, Jennifer Crittenden and Clea DuVall-created series will be delighted to unwrap these gifts, which feature new holiday-inspired songs performed by the indie band Superorganism, as they wait for Season 2.
In HouseBroken, Honey (voiced by Emmy winner Lisa Kudrow) opens her living room for the group to come and support each other through the misery, mayhem and majesty that is being a pet. Honey also struggles with her own problems, such as her arranged (by her human) marriage with Chief (Oscar winner Nat Faxon), a sloppy St. Bernard who enjoys eating socks and licking himself.
The fabulous furry cast featured in the holiday specials also includes Will Forte (Shel), Clea Duvall (Elsa), Sharon Horgan (Tabitha), Sam Richardson (Chico) and Jason Mantzoukas (The Gray One).
HouseBroken
Episode Info
“Who’s Found Themselves in One of Those Magical Christmas Life Swap Switcheroos?” (Sunday, Dec. 4 at 8:30/7:30c) — Honey’s holiday wish comes true when a mix-up at the vet sends her to a dream home, while her idiotic doppelganger goes to live with Chief. Meanwhile, Max has to hide from his new owner David Spade when he discovers that Spade wants to make him the holiday ham.
“Who’s Having A Merry Trashmas?” (Sunday, Dec. 4 at 9/8c) — Honey and Chief are home alone for the holidays, and when a mysterious intruder tries to break in, they team up with Raccoon to protect the family home. Meanwhile, Chico experiences hunger for the first time, and Elsa falls in love with a robot dog.
HouseBroken is produced by Kapital Entertainment and FOX Entertainment, animated by Bento Box Entertainment.
Today (Nov. 1), the beautifully animated directorial debut of acclaimed illustrator loundraw, Summer Ghost, is summoned to home video on Blu-ray and Digital from GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Factory. To celebrate the release, Animation Magazine is pleased to debut an exclusive clip, which shows how our teen heroes’ poignant, supernatural adventure begins.
Synopsis: An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the “summer ghost,” a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those “who are about to touch their death.” Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits.
As previously announced, the release includes the To You Before Dawn documentary, feature animatic and interview with loundraw as bonus features.
Summer Ghost features original character designs by loundraw (BUMP OF CHICKEN “Until Dreams Awaken”; illustration for I Want to Eat Your Pancreas) and is produced by his animation shop FLAT STUDIO, established in 2019. The screenplay is by Hirotaka “Otsuichi” Adachi, soundtrack by Akira Kosemura.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced the nominations for the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, which will be presented on Saturday, December 10 (Creative Arts) and Sunday, December 11 at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. These awards are the first standalone expansion of the Emmy Award competition since 1979, and mark the successful culmination of the first full year of the realignment between NATAS and the Television Academy.
Netflix leads the top animation category nominations this year, taking a three out of five majority in Outstanding Animated Series and Special Class Animated Program as well as two out of five nominations in Preschool Animated Series. Shows and specials from Apple TV+, Disney+, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ PBS (x2) and Prime Video also made the cut for these races.
Dozens of fully-animated series, specials, feature-length and immersive projects received nominations. Jorge R. Gutierrez’s Netflix event series Maya and the Threewas the most-nominated toon with five nods. Receiving four nominations each were Netflix’s City of Ghosts,Go! Go! Cory Carson and Octonauts specials, and Pixar’s Luca short Ciao Alberto(Disney+). Dug Days,The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder(Disney+); Centaurworld, Hilda and the Mountain Kingand Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix) earned three nods each .
Mystery-adventure series The Mysterious Benedict Society and original musical movie Sneakerella (both Disney+) scored the most nominations overall with 11 each.
Children’s & Family content represents the fastest-growing genre that NATAS awards, with a 23% increase in related programming the past two years. With more than 3,000 submissions, the competition is now the largest that NATAS oversees.
“Putting a spotlight on children’s & family programming after years of unparalleled growth in content quality and quantity in this space is an exciting moment for the television industry,” said Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS. “These programs entertain, inform and educate family members of all ages, and NATAS is proud to mark this milestone event and give these creators the stage they deserve.”
Information on categories to be presented at Saturday’s Children’s & Family Creative Arts ceremony and Sunday’s Children’s & Family ceremony can be found at theemmys.tv/cafe/ceremony-2022.
Categories with animation, puppetry and mixed-media contenders are:
Preschool Animated Series nominees (clockwise) Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum; Santiago of the Seas; Molly of Denali; Octonauts: Above & Beyond; Ada Twist, Scientist (center)
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES
Ada Twist, Scientist – Netflix
Molly of Denali – PBS
Octonauts: Above & Beyond – Netflix
Santiago of the Seas – Nickelodeon
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum – PBS
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED SERIES
City of Ghosts – Netflix
The Cuphead Show! – Netflix
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder – Disney+
Star Trek: Prodigy – Paramount+
A Tale Dark & Grimm – Netflix
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS ANIMATED PROGRAM
El Deafo – Apple TV+ H
ilda and the Mountain King – Netflix
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – Amazon Prime Video
Maya and the Three – Netflix
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans – Netflix
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL SERIES
Helpsters – Apple TV+
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo: Game Edition – HBO Max
Sesame Street – HBO Max
Tab Time – YouTube Originals
Waffles + Mochi Netflix
OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S OR FAMILY VIEWING SERIES
The Astronauts – Nickelodeon
The Baby-Sitters Club – Netflix
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Apple TV+
Raising Dion – Netflix
Secrets of Sulphur Springs – Disney Channel
OUTSTANDING FICTION SPECIAL
Better Nate Than Ever – Disney+
Muppets Haunted Mansion – Disney+
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special – HBO Max
Sneakerella – Disney+
Spin – Disney Channel
Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast – Netflix
OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION PROGRAM
Hi I’m Sevy – Magnolia Network
Kids Baking Championship – Food Network
Nick News – Nickelodeon
Sesame Street in Communities: Talking About Race – YouTube.com
Who Are You, Charlie Brown? – Apple TV+
OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM PROGRAM
Ciao Alberto – Disney+
Little Bird Vimeo Rhymes through Times – Noggin
Sesame Street in Communities: Explaining Race | #ComingTogether – YouTube.com
We the People – Netflix
OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Cat Burglar – Netflix
In Space with Markiplier – YouTube Originals
Madrid Noir – Oculus TV
Namoo – Baobab Studios
Paper Birds – Oculus TV
OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
CHOOSE KINDNESS Campaign – ABC
Dragons: The Nine Realms – Hulu and Peacock
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous – Netflix
Maya and the Three – Netflix
My Squishy Little Dumplings – Nickelodeon
PBS KIDS: “You Taught Me” Brand Campaign – PBS
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
David Errigo Jr. as Dudley – Ridley Jones – Netflix
Eden Espinosa as The Queen of Hearts – Alice’s Wonderland Bakery – Disney Junior
Michael Luwoye as Wavey Jones – Baby Shark’s Big Show! – Nickelodeon
Daniel Ross as Donald Duck – Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas – Disney Junior
Sherri Shepherd as Queen Fastine – Blaze and the Monster Machines – Nickelodeon
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, Tweety – Looney Tunes Cartoons – HBO/HBO Max
Grey Delisle as Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes & Mrs. Bernardo – The Loud House – Nickelodeon
Mark Hamill as Skeletor – Masters of the Universe: Revelation – Netflix
Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants – SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon
Frank Welker as Himself, Fred and Scooby – Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? – Cartoon Network
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Asher Bishop as Lincoln Loud – The Loud House – Nickelodeon
Tucker Chandler as Alex – Madagascar: A Little Wild – Hulu and Peacock
Kyrie McAlpin as Emma – Doug Unplugs – Apple TV+
Amir O’Neil as Marty – Madagascar: A Little Wild – Hulu and Peacock
Andy Walken as Young Durpleton – Centaurworld – Netflix
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Ada Twist, Scientist – Netflix
Alma’s Way – PBS
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – PBS
Molly of Denali – PBS
Muppet Babies – Disney Junior
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Amphibia – Disney Channel
City of Ghosts – Netflix
Dug Days – Disney+
Karma’s World – Netflix
Maya and the Three – Netflix
Special Class Animated Program nominees (clockwise) Maya and the Three, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Hilda and the Mountain King, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, El Deafo (center)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Ada Twist, Scientist – Netflix
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – PBS
Go! Go! Cory Carson – Netflix
Muppet Babies – Disney Junior
Stillwater – Apple TV+
Storybots: Learn to Read – Netflix
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Arlo the Alligator Boy – Netflix
Carmen Sandiego – Netflix
Ciao Alberto – Disney+
City of Ghosts – Netflix
Dug Days – Disney+
Hilda and the Mountain King – Netflix
OUTSTANDING VOICE DIRECTING FOR AN ANIMATED SERIES
Amphibia – Disney Channel
Centaurworld – Netflix
Hilda and the Mountain King – Netflix
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder – Disney+
Summer Camp Island – HBO/HBO Max
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION AND COMPOSITION FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Cat Burglar – Netflix
Looney Tunes Cartoons – HBO/HBO Max
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love – Apple TV+
The Tom & Jerry Show – Boomerang
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse – Disney+
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG
“Friends with a Penguin”: Sesame Street – HBO Max
“If You Have a Dream”: Fancy Nancy – Disney Junior
“In Your Shoes”: Sneakerella – Disney+
“It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown”: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown – Apple TV+
“Kicks”: Sneakerella – Disney+
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR A SINGLE CAMERA PROGRAM
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Apple TV+
Sneakerella – Disney+
Sweet Tooth – Netflix
The Mysterious Benedict Society – Disney+
Who Are You, Charlie Brown? – Apple TV+
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR A MULTIPLE CAMERA PROGRAM
Making Fun – Netflix
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo: Game Edition – HBO Max
Sesame Street – HBO Max
The Quest – Disney+
Top Chef Family Style =Peacock
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Beepers – Cartoon Network
Go! Go! Cory Carson – Netflix
Octonauts & the Ring of Fire – Netflix
Stillwater – Apple TV+
Trash Truck – Netflix
OUTSTANDING EDITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Ciao Alberto – Disney+
Dug Days – Disney+
Maya and the Three – Netflix
Monsters at Work – Disney+
Olaf Presents – Disney+
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING AND SOUND EDITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
City of Ghosts – Netflix
Go! Go! Cory Carson – Netflix
Mecha Builders – HBO Max
Octonauts & the Ring of Fire – Netflix
Octonauts: Above & Beyond – Netflix
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING AND SOUND EDITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Ciao Alberto – Disney+
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – Amazon Prime Video
Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales – Disney+
Maya and the Three – Netflix
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans – Netflix
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A LIVE ACTION PROGRAM
EverStar Entertainment, a development and finance company specializing in NFT and blockchain participation, has announced two new animation partnerships. The news was announced by EverStar co-founders Clayton Guiltner and Ryan McKee.
The first is a co-production with Glass House Studios, represented by Evan Anglin at Zero Gravity Management, along with Compton-based producer Cli-N-Tel (real name Marq Hawkins, part of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru) and Bronx producer Sharif Murphy (Da Code) to co-produce Bill Lee’s New Katt City — an animated feature showcasing the musical history of hip-hop.
“We’re excited to partner with Bill Lee and David Campiti (Glass House) on this exciting project,” said McKee.
Guilner added, “Hip-hop has become a global cultural force and there’s a huge opportunity to support Bill’s vision of bringing some of the most influential names in Hip-Hop to an international audience through a family friendly animated feature film.”
“Partnering with EverStar has been a great decision for us because their connections and resources in the entertainment industry are getting this project in front of the right people”, said Lee.
“We also see a huge opportunity to use this film as a launching pad for creative partnerships with various organizations and artists in the hip-hop community through NFT and metaverse development,” noted McKee. “At the end of the day, our goal is to honor the hip-hop fans all around the world and have them be excited to watch this film with their families and share their love of hip-hop.”
The second partnership is with television producer Paul Shavelson (Crossing Over with John Edwards) on Wing Ding. Created by Shavelson, the limited television series takes a comical, behind-the-scenes look at Franklin Peters, who hosts a controversial television program on the paranormal, as he grapples with early stage, embarrassing symptoms of dementia.
“I’m thrilled to work with Ryan and Clay on this limited series. They’ve been such an innovative team to catapult this project into fruition as we tackle the serious subject of a powerful man who’s struggling with keeping himself and his successful series together in a very humorous and heartfelt way,” said Shavelson.
EverStar Entertainment is looking to break through traditional Hollywood business models and leverage a global community of fans through engagement and grassroots funding sources. Currently, the company’s development slate boasts half a dozen feature films and a handful of series. Wing Ding will become one of the first projects to evolve via EverStar’s ability to harness the global community through NFT and blockchain participation.
“We’re looking to develop NFTs that allow our community opportunities to participate in our upcoming slate of films, by offering various perks and rewards such as VIP behind-the-scenes access, merchandise, community engagement and more.” Guiltner said. McKee agrees, “We want NFT holders to feel part of the process with the projects they believe in … it’s like crowdfunding on steroids.”
McKee, an award-winning film producer and serial entrepreneur, has founded a number of companies ranging from real estate development to retail stores. Prolific writer/director/producer Guiltner has worked extensively in film and theater, most recently as Producing Artistic Director for The Grex Group Theatre in New York and Los Angeles. Guiltner is a lifetime member of the Director Unit of the Actors Studio.
Chinese online video platform Bilibili announced a whopping 49-title lineup of new series during its annual Anime Made by Bilibili presentation, which showcases the company’s latest production and distribution initiatives in local animation. The company also announced the premiere date for its latest project, the adaptation of Liu Cixin’s Hugo-winning sci-fi trilogy The Three-Body Problem, which is principally produced and financed by Bilibili, co-presented by rightsholder The Three-Body Universe and animation studio YHKT Entertainment.
Since the project was announced in 2019, The Three-Body Problem‘s trailer has attracted 3 million followers and 40 million views. Bilibili has officially announced that the series is scheduled to debut on December 3. It will also be shown on satellite TV channels and overseas video platforms.
As one of the most popular sci-fi novel series of the past 20 years, The Three-Body Problem trilogy broke language and cultural barriers for millions of readers globally. The news of an animated series has inspired many fan creations; at Anime Made by Bilibili, the company also collaborated with The Three-Body Universe to launch the Three-Body Global Creator Project. The Project invites top animation creators around the world to explore the IP in their unique vision and aims to present a wide variety of art styles through the infinite potential of Three-Body’s animation.
“I am excited to announce that The Three-Body Problem animated series will debut on Bilibili,” said author Liu Cixin. “Animation, like science fiction, is the art of imagination. Imagination is humanity’s most powerful force. I believe in the world of animation, a sci-fi story like The Three-Body Problem can really come alive.”
Link Click
Other anime series announced at the event include:
Link Click Season 2, a story of two friends using extraordinary powers to grant people’s wishes that has proven popular among overseas audiences; the first season of Link Click achieved a ranking of #20 on global online anime community/database MyAnimeList.
The new season of Fog Hill of Five Elements involving cultural elements taken from Classic of Mountains and Seas will soon launch on Bilibili.
The new season of the Fairies Albums, another Chinese culture-oriented anime.
A new season of To Be Hero X, a new season of a Bilibili made anime series which has impressed with its ambitious visual effects.
Bilibili’s busy 2022-2023 presentation reflects the recent boom in Chinese animation. Data from market analysis firm iResearch shows that the total production value of the industry exceeded RMB221.2 billion (~$30.3B USD) as of 2021. Carly Lee, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer of Bilibili, stated that the audience for Chinese animation has grown substantially in the past years.
Bilibili is currently the leading platform for Chinese anime series and a record of over 96 million people watched Chinese anime series on Bilibili in August 2022, double the audience size of just two years ago. Among the viewers on Bilibili, more than 40% come from second or lower-tier cities, and the number of users over 25 years old has increased by 7 million within one year.
“Revenues generated from Chinese anime on Bilibili are estimated to exceed RMB 2 billion in 2022. Anime has become a popular way for the young generation to express themselves,” said Lee. “Anime is also more than just a form of expression. It has become an infrastructure capability for the digital world with wide application in films, games and virtual creator livestreaming. In the future, anime may have the potential to replace other content forms. Bilibili is actively working with leading production companies in the industry to bring more premium quality animation to global audiences.”
Carly Lee hosted the Anime by Bilibilii 2022-2023 presentation in animated avatar form.
Chinese animation has also raised its profile internationally. Bilibili points out that across overseas social media, #DongHua, the Chinese word for anime, has begun to distinguish itself from #Anime and is blossoming into a popular topic. Global platforms are actively introducing Chinese anime titles — 24 series from Bilibili are already available to audiences around the world.
Bilibili is also boosting its overseas production capacity by cooperating with overseas animation production companies, such as Red Dog Culture House and CMC Media have for Fairies Albums and other original productions. The Bilibili-made Face on Lie Season 1, based on a South Korean comic, was launched this April and is an example of the producer-platform’s international IP expansion.
“We have always embraced ‘Made for Global’ as part of our vision,” said Leo Zhang, Vice President of Bilibili. “We are committed to making more original animation with global influence, and we also hope to keep discovering outstanding creators from all over the world to develop diversified cooperation models.”
The presentation also continued to promote Bilibili’s Light Catcher Initiative to further support animators, students and passionate anime lovers who want to work in the industry. Fourteen pioneering animated short films supported by Bilibili have been available on the platform since September this year.
You can stream the full Anime by Bilibili presentation here.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Access Canada (warner-access.com) team is renewing their support of the Doers and Dreamers digital arts scholarship for a second year. Through this sponsorship, five selected participants will be granted full-time tuition scholarships to attend Think Tank Online’s (tttc.ca) 64- week signature program, starting February 6, 2023.
Doers and Dreamers is a talent development initiative focused on Canadian artists from underrepresented communities in Canada, including members of Indigenous, Black, racialized groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQ2+ communities.
The program, CG Asset Creation for Film or Games, is designed to teach students how to layer essential technical skills with original artistic ideas, master real-world software, and develop an industry-ready portfolio. Highly personalized, hands-on, and entirely online, this program helps young artists gain the crucial skills and connections needed to launch a rewarding career in the entertainment industry.
“Having just completed their final project for Term 1, the finalists from last year’s scholarship are well on their way to elevating their art and making an impact on the creative industry. They’ve all shown incredible dedication and perseverance, as well as an adaptability to the rigors that comes with a full-time education.” says Think Tank Co-founder, Scott Thompson.
“By re-partnering with WBD Access Canada, we are able to once again extend this opportunity to those who have been historically underrepresented throughout Canada. It’s our goal that through such initiatives we can help foster a more inclusive, equitable and diverse industry that empowers artists of all backgrounds and identities,” Thompson added. “We look forward to what will surely be another excellent round of Doers and Dreamers applications for 2023.”
Melanie Nepinak Hadley, Executive Director of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Access Canada team, commented, “We are thrilled be partnering with Think Tank on this successful career building initiative for a second year. Learning and creating in a safe and inclusive environment that breaks down systemic barriers is what our work is all about.”
The Program
The five participants of Doers and Dreamers ‘23 will receive a full-time tuition scholarship for Think Tank’s signature online program, CG Asset Creation for Film or Games. Guided by supervisors and mentors who themselves are industry pros, students will take part in live tutorials, collaborative sessions, and pre-recorded lessons via Think Tank’s interactive teaching platform, Portal.
Scholarship Details
Application window runs from October 31 at 9 a.m. to November 30 at 8:59 p.m. (EST)
Finalists receive full-time scholarship to Think Tank’s 64-week CG Asset Creation for Film or Games Online
Five applicants selected as finalists
Scholarship does not include living expenses and hardware expenses
All software provided by Think Tank
For information on applying to Doers and Dreamers ‘23, click here.
At its Friday evening industry panel held at Anime Weekend Atlanta, HIDIVE revealed a long list of announcements to fans — including the action-adventure series Giant Beasts of Ars, an original anime and HIDIVE’s first ever co-production, which will premiere in January during the company’s Winter 2023 simulcast season.
HIDIVE also announced the acquisition of two feature films and a theatrical OVA: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, a film based on the award-winning light novel of the same name and planned for theatrical release during the first quarter of 2023, the theatrical OVA Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circusand the film Utano☆Princesama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH TOURS — both of which will be also released in 2023 on HIDIVE and in theaters, respectively.
Rounding-out the list, HIDIVE also detailed the English DubCast Edition debuts for the current Fall 2022 Simulcast Season seriesAkiba Maid War, The Eminence in Shadow, URUSEI YATSURA and Reincarnated as a Sword. Earlier this week, HIDIVE confirmed the upcoming December 16 launch of the original anime LUPIN ZERO, which will make its world premiere at a screening co-hosted by HIDIVE during Anime NYC this month.
Giant Beasts of Ars HIDIVE Winter 2023 Simulcast Season – Premiering in January 2023
A group of people in clothing Description automatically generated The great beasts created the land, but humans stole it. Angered, the beasts began eating humans, who in turn called upon the gods to fight the beasts. In the age of the sword, heroes and mythology, giant beasts are hunted by humans for profit. Jiro, who makes his living hunting beasts, encounters Kuumi, who is being chased by someone, and in that moment decides to save her. As rumors spread regarding humanity and a mysterious experiment, together they seek to discover the world’s secrets.
Co-produced by DMM.com and HIDIVE, animated by Asahi Production, with direction by Akira Oguro and writing by Norimitsu Kaihou.
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Q1’2023 Theatrical Release, Followed by Streaming Release on HIDIVE
Urashima Tunnel – Once you enter that tunnel, you can get whatever you want, but at a price. Kaoru Tohno, who seems to have an elusive personality and traumatic past, and Anzu Hanashiro, who is struggling to reconcile her ideal image and true-to-heart attitude, team up to investigate the Urashima Tunnel and get what they want. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and sprinting in a remote countryside.
An animated film based on the award-winning novel by Mei Hachimoku, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes is written and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi and animated by CLAP.
Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus Direct to HIDIVE – 2023 Streaming Release
They always steal the prey they aim for. That is Phantom Thief Queen. Gender, age, nationality unknown. Together with their partner Joker, RD, they travel around the world on the airship Troubadour. This time, the Queen is aiming for a cursed jewel, the legendary Rose of Linden. A hypnotist, an acrobat, a magician … the talented circus members challenge the Queen! What is their purpose? In order to get back the jewel, the Queen stands up to the challenge in a bold and brilliant way (or disguise). Nothing is impossible for the Queen!
A theatrical OVA based on first novel of the Mirage Queen series, Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus is animated by East Fish Studio and directed by Saori Den with writing by Mariko Kunisawa.
Utano☆Princesama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours Q1’2023 Theatrical Release – Followed by Streaming Release on HIDIVE
With the great success of “Maji LOVE LIVE Kingdom”, the members of ST☆RISH have been busy with their idol activities. However, while their success has brought a sense of fulfillment, they began to have feelings they never felt before. “What do we do from now on…” At that time, a call comes in from the Shining Office summoning everyone to receive a “reward.” What is it…? This is the behind-the-scenes story of ST☆RISH, connecting “Maji LOVE Kingdom” to the “Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours.”
This animated film from A-1 Pictures is directed by Chiaki Nagaoka with music by Elements Garden.
Learn more about AMC Networks’ anime destination HIDIVE at hidive.com.
Following the success of Zero’s Journey and Mirror Moon, TokyoPop announces a third installment in their line of original The Nightmare Before Christmas graphic novel series, titled Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for the Pumpkin King.
Set before the events of the original stop-motion film from producer Tim Burton and director Henry Selick, the brand-new original story follows the friendship and inevitable rivalry between protagonist Jack Skellington and villain Oogie Boogie.
Synopsis: Jack Skellington is the undisputed Pumpkin King of Halloweentown. But it wasn’t always that way…
Years ago, Jack and Oogie Boogie were close friends. Both eager to prove themselves, they poured all their passion into their spooky projects to earn their rightful place as the scariest duo in town. But there could only be one Pumpkin King! What could have happened to turn two best friends into such bitter rivals?
Written by Dan Conner (DisneyTim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero’s Journey), with story by Shaun McLaughlin and D.J. Milky, and art from Deborah Allo and Roberto Scalia, this full-color graphic novel series is another deep dive into the holiday-themed world originally created by Burton.
Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King will be released as five single issue comics ($3.99 each) from March 2023. The graphic novel (print $15.99 / digital $9.99) collects issues #1 through #5, and will be available for Halloween 2023. The stories are appropriate for all ages.
The National Film Board of Canada announced it is adding even more compelling, award-winning animated shorts to its free streaming film collection on nfb.ca this month, kicking off with the launch of Bad Seeds in honor of International Animation Day (October 28). These latest additions join the more than 5,500 titles already available on on the site, along with NFB’s collection of about 100 interactive works, almost all of which are available for free online viewing.
Friday, October 28
Bad Seeds by Claude Cloutier (2020, Unité centrale / NFB French Program Animation Studio | 6’22”)
Growth goes hand-in-hand with rivalry, and evolution with competition, in this shocking animated duel that’s peppered with allusions to the western film, the Cold War, board games and much more. An official selection at over 25 festivals around the world, this film has already won six awards, including Best Animation Short at the 2021 New York City Short Film Festival.
A Claude Cloutier retrospective will also be available on nfb.ca. Collection curator Marc St-Pierre has written a blog post about the filmmaker’s body of work. Since the 1980s, this seasoned animator has made 13 films produced or co-produced by the NFB, including the award-winning shorts The Persistent Peddler (1988), Sleeping Betty (2007), The Trenches (2010) and Carface (2015).
Tuesday, November 8
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I by Marta Pajek (2021, Animoon / NFB English Program Animation and Interactive Studio | 16 min.)
Following an explosion, a mysterious and elegant elderly woman wanders deserted city streets, recalling what was and what could have been. The final film (and first part) of Marta Pajek’s acclaimed trilogy, Impossible Figures and Other Stories I is a mysterious and haunting portrait of personal and societal self-destruction. Selected by more than 50 festivals around the world, this short has won seven awards to date, including the Golden Dove for Best Animated Short Film at the DOK Leipzig Festival.
Monday, November 21
Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics by Terril Calder (2021, NFB English Program Animation and Interactive Studio | 19’22”)
In this stop-motion film, Orkney Cree Métis creator Terril Calder charts a challenging journey for a precocious Métis baby girl as she contemplates her path to Hell. The short film was selected to screen at the 2022 Annecy and Berlin festivals after its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and has garnered many awards, including a Special Mention – Canadian Film Institute Award for Best Canadian Animation at the 2021 Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Read more about Meneath in Animation Magazine‘s interview with Calder here.
Movie Madness: Revisit summer’s blockbusters with the recent home video releases of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru [Universal | $20 DVD, 25 BD, $27 4K], the No. 1 animated feature at the box office this year; Pixar’s Lightyear [Disney | $30 DVD, $35 BD, $40 4K], telling the origin story of Toy Story‘s famous Space Ranger; the hairy heroics of Warner Bros.’ DC League of Super-Pets [$35 DVD, $40 BD, $50 4K | Oct. 4]; and the furry-ously feudal action-comedy Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank [Paramount | $26 DVD, $35 | Oct. 18] — or, punch things up with the latest animated Earthrealm showdown, Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind [WB | $30 4K | Oct. 11].
Those in the mood for more gentle, imported animation artistry can visit The House of the Lost on the Cape [Shout! Factory | $27 BD] — a beautiful, award-winning feature from Japan’s David Prod. about a teen runaway and a young orphan who find comfort with an elderly lady and her fabled house, which is home to other, more supernatural guests.
On the episodic front, Cartoon Network fans will want to snap up complete series DVD reissues of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends [$80] and Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy [$70] in the wake of The Great HBO Max Toon Purge, both due for release on Oct. 18. The new adventures of CN’s lovable ursine urbanites also roll out in We Baby Bears: The Magical Box [$20 | Oct. 35].
Anime lovers should sprint over to RightStuf to snap up the Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Mugen Train Arc Limited Edition Blu-ray set [$90], which includes episodes 1-7 of the original story of Kyojuro’s journey, plus 70 new scenes, music tracks, previews and theme songs by LiSA, special booklets, OST CD and more!
Binge-Watch Bucket List: This summer, Bloomsbury issued a second, revised edition of 100 Animated Feature Films, penned by filmcraft journo Andrew Osmond for the British Film Institute imprint. Re-ranked with titles released since the first edition (as well as updated entries for return champs), the 230+ page reference offers a balanced selection of blockbusters, artistic indies and local breakthroughs. From cover pick The Red Turtle to Frozen, Akira,Anomalisa, Spider-Verse, Princess Kaguya, Song of the Sea, The Triplets of Belleville and The LEGO Movie, readers can explore in-depth histories and criticism in an illuminating world tour of animated achievement, accompanied by 70 color and black & white illustrations. [bloomsbury.com | $27 PB, $90 HC, $25 EB]
The Art of Love, Death + Robots
A treasure trove of production artwork and BTS tales from the first three volumes of the acclaimed Netflix anthology.
[Ramin Zahed | Titan Books | $45]
Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, 1930-70 Vol. 1
Explore the earliest days of the craft and meet the uncredited artists that brought iconic characters to life before TV.
[Keith Scott | BearManor | $48]
Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara
Concept art, memorabilia and original interviews put you in the glass slippers of your favorite fairy tale heroines, their histories and legacies.
[Emily Zemler | Epic Ink | $40]
The Wingfeather Saga, an animated series based on the bestselling fantasy book series by Andrew Peterson, announced its Season 1 premiere date and released a new featurette on the making of the project. Distributed by Angel Studios, the family adventure is voiced by renowned performers like Jodi Benson, (The Little Mermaid 1989), Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, The 100).
The new show will officially launch December 2, for free on the Angel Studios app (available from the Apple and Google Play stores). The studio reports that, having raised $6.7 million from supporters (so far), The Wingfeather Saga is the No. 1 crowdfunded animated family series.
“Families everywhere yearn to experience an epic adventure together, particularly one that brings truth into clear focus,” said Neal Harmon, CEO & Co-Founder of Angel Studios. “That was obvious to us when 10 thousand angel investors helped make The Wingfeather Saga a reality, and now Angel Studios is delighted to bring the inaugural season to your home.”
The Wingfeather Saga is described as a blend of rich fantasy, deep magic and whimsical characters, created for the screen by a team of veteran artists hailing from studios like Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Disney, Valve and Blue Sky. The series is produced by Nashville-based animation studio Shining Isle Productions. The show’s enchanted world is being created with an innovative and proprietary “paint-motion” CGI animation rendering technique using Unreal Engine.
“We set out to bring this epic and whimsical story to life in an authentic and hand-crafted way,” said J. Chris Wall (VeggieTales), executive producer and showrunner of The Wingfeather Saga.
Author Peterson, who is also serving as an executive producer on the animated series, noted, “When I started writing these books, I wanted to make something my 10-year-old self would have loved. Seeing this sweeping, redemptive adventure on the screen has made that inner kid even happier, and I can’t wait for families to experience it together.”
Promoting stories that “amplify light,” Angel Studios’ platform empowers thousands of “Angel” investors to support titles in their creation, funding and distribution, and for audiences and creators to form communities around their projects. The studio’s first projects, The Chosen and Dry Bar Comedy, have garnered billions of views around the world.
The Wingfeather Saga premieres December 2 on Angel.com and the Angel Studios app. Watch the new featurette below.
Marking the third anniversary of the webtoon’s original pilot debut, creator Vivienne Medrano (a.k.a. VivziePop) shared that fans can go straight back to Hell with Charlie and the gang when Hazbin Hotelarrives in Summer 2023. The news was revealed with an appropriately jazzy-spooky teaser video and poster art.
Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated comedy that follows Charlie, the princess of Hell, as she pursues her seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating demons to peacefully reduce overpopulation in her kingdom. After a yearly extermination imposed by angels, she opens a hotel in the hopes that patients will be “checking out” into Heaven. While most of Hell mocks her goal, her devoted partner, Vaggie, and their first test subject, adult film-star Angel Dust, stick by her side. When a powerful entity known as the “Radio Demon” reaches out to assist Charlie in her endeavors, her crazy dream is given a chance to become a reality.
The project is produced by A24 and Fox Entertainment’s animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.
You can watch the original, musical pilot for Hazbin Hotel and check out more of Medrano’s work at youtube.com/c/SpindleHorse.
Visit HazbinHotel.com to sign up for updates and gain access to exclusive news and production materials.
GFM Animation (Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank) has announced the sparkling stars lending their voices to its upcoming animated feature, 10 Lives. The movie, directed by Chris Jenkins (Duck Duck Goose, Home, Surf’s Up) and animated by Montreal’s L’Atelier Animation (Leap!), will preview first-look footage at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nov. 1-6).
10 Lives is the story of a pampered and selfish cat who takes for granted the lives he has been dealt.After carelessly losing his ninth life he begs to be given a second chance, an opportunity to show he can learn from his mistakes.Eventually his wish is granted — but with certain, hilarious stipulations…
The voice cast features:
Three-time BAFTA winner Mo Gilligan (That’s My Jam, The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan) voices Beckett, a pampered feline with a taste for fine food and lazy days who doesn’t know what’s about to hit him when he begs for a new set of lives. Mo Gilligan is repped by The UTC Group (worldwide management), Creative Artists Agency, Nelson Davis and MBC.
Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) voices Rose, a dedicated and passionate research student intent on saving the world’s bee population. Living a studious and happy life in the English countryside, Rose’s heart is stolen when she unexpectedly finds herself adopting a small, defenseless kitten, who she calls Beckett (‘beehive’ in old English). The pair soon settle down to a life of reciprocal comfort and she is heartbroken when one day he disappears, seemingly into thin air. Simone Ashley is repped by Creative Artists Agency, Identity Agency Group, Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light, and Rogers & Cowan PMK.
Academy Award nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, Ratched) voices Grace, an ethereal yet no-nonsense woman with the power to grant Beckett his new set of lives. Sophie Okonedo is repped by Creative Artists Agency and Hamilton Hodell.
Pop star Zayn Malik, winner of MTV, Billboard, AMA and Teen Choice awards as well as a BRIT Award nomination, voices two character: Kirk and Cameron, twin brothers who like to think they are as tough as they come but who deep down want nothing more than to please their mum. Zayn Malik is repped by Nicola Carson (ZenKai Management/Taryn Zimmerman).
Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) will voice Larry, Rose’s socially uncomfortable lab partner. Dylan Llewellyn is repped by Hamilton Hodell.
10 Lives is produced by Guy Collins and Sean Feeney for 10 Lives Productions Ltd, with casting by Robyn Klein and Jeremy Ross.
GFM Animation is a production, financing and distribution sales company dedicated to independent animated feature films. The studio’s current slate also includes A Greyhound of a Girl, based on the Roddy Doyle book and directed by Enzo D’Alò (Pinocchio, 2012), and Sneaks, an animated adventure featuring the voices of Laurence Fishburne, Roddy Ricch, Ella Mai, Macy Gray, Swae Lee and Chris Paul.
With Clawdeen, Draculaura, Frankie and Deuce ready to make their animated series debut tonight, Nickelodeon and Mattel have debuted the show’s theme song, with the animated opener live for fans to enjoy (watch it below) and the tune available on all digital retailers to stream or download (MonsterHigh.lnk.to/TVSeriesTheme).
The Monster High Theme Song is performed by the ghoul crew, produced by Stef Fink (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, Blue’s Big City Adventure); composers are Kelsey Kovar, Ivan LaFever, Stefanie Robyn Fink, Glenda R. Proby, Jason W Gleed, Michael Kotch and Paul Jason Robb. The song is published by Mattel Rhapsody / Songs of Mattel / Mattel Music, Inc.
The all-new Monster High series (26 episodes) follows Clawdeen Wolf (voiced by Gabrielle Nevaeh Green), Draculaura (Courtney Lin), Frankie Stein (Iris Menas) and Deuce Gorgon (Tony Revolori), as they discover who they are, embrace their differences, and learn to be fierce and fearless at the one place they all belong: Monster High.
Monster High premieres tonight (Friday, October 28) at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.
Read all about the making of the new series in Animation Magazine‘s story here.
First Flights’ cryptocurrency-driven crowdfunding platform FF3, from indie entertainment studio and financier Goldfinch, has launched its second funding project, Bloom, an animated short film that explores themes of loneliness, longing, curiosity wonder and failure, from writer, director and illustrator Zachary Gladwin.
“With Bloom, the immensely talented Zachary has created a captivating and inspirational concept, and there’s no doubt that with his expert filmmaking and illustration background, he possesses the creativity to bring this fantastical story to life,” said Nick Sadler, Founder of First Flights. “Our first project on FF3, The Dead of Winter, quickly exceeded its funding goal, and we’re confident this collaboration will be just as successful and enable us to take the first step into bringing Bloom to audiences.”
Marking FF3’s inaugural animated project, Bloom will be produced by Art Before Comfort, and proceeds raised via FF3 will go towards the film’s production budget. FF3 is a tokenized community-driven funding platform for films that raises money through the allocation of tokens and NFT rewards in exchange for crypto.
The campaign for Bloom is open until December 3, 2022, with a $20,000 minimum target, and patrons will receive tiered rewards including NFTs, behind the scenes access to Gladwin and his animation team, early viewing of the film, access to the production discord and IMDb producer
credits.
Synopsis: After a young teen awakes from a hypnotic trance in a strange land, he must search high and low for a way to escape his lonely existence. Will his curiosity and ingenuity be able to withstand repeated failures and the familiar draw to complacency, or will he find a way to break through his limits and explore the great beyond?
Bloom asks questions such as: What does it take for someone to bloom into their full potential? What holds us back? Is it ever too late to try? It aims to inspire you to stay curious, never give up, and remind you that no one achieves anything alone.
“Bloom is more than a creative endeavor — it’s a personal expression of the challenges I’ve faced as an intuitive queer person growing up in a seemingly dim world,” Gladwin shared. “Creative thinkers, feelers and dreamers, like myself, often face setbacks, fears and failures — doubting that we can achieve our full potential. This film intends to uncover the beauty of imagination, creativity and dreams for those believing that life is nothing more than the limits we’ve been shown.”
Inspired by wonder, magic, myths, legends and fairytales, Zachary Gladwin is an artist and storyteller who lives in the mountains of North Carolina. He has cultivated over 14 years of experience in the film industry, while also working as an independent children’s book illustrator and popular NFT artist.
FF3 is an extension of the First Flights funding program for emerging and established indie filmmakers. Since its inception, First Flights has connected with over 7,000 filmmakers and produced 12 short films in two years. The platform aims to offer three primary benefits to filmmakers: transparency of ownership and revenues through the blockchain, access to untapped crypto funds, and the creation and resale potential of NFTs. As limited edition NFTs can be sold on marketplaces, with a portion of sales going back to the filmmaker, this creates a new monetization channel which will grow with the film’s popularity.
