Emmy Award-winning French animation production and
distribution company Dandelooo (Stinky Dog, Shooom’s Odyssey) announced itself the producer of Haut Perché! (English working title: High Perched), the winner of this year’s TFOU d’Animation Contest, TF1 Group’s annual European animation short film competition.
After the TFOU d’Animation Prize was awarded to Laetitia Salsano, scriptwriter of Haut Perché!, a Call for Talent Directing was launched among young animation school graduates trained in the 2D technique.
Emeline Penet
Emeline Penet, a graduate from l’EMCA (Ecole des Métiers d’Art et d’Animation, Angoulême), won the Call for Talent Directing and will direct the one minute 30-second film from the award-winning script.
This year’s contest theme, “Nature, Our Greatest Adventure!”, encourages children to drop the all-consuming screen activities to go out to play, create their own games and experience an invigorating adventure filled with laughter and to love nature and protect it for the future.
Co-financed by the TFI Group and SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques), Haut Perché! is produced by Dandelooo. The completed short film will be screened at MIFA 2022 at Annecy, and broadcast on all TF1’s linear and digital screens from June 2022.
“We were charmed by the originality and freshness of Emeline’s proposal, which reflects her talent and enthusiasm. We are delighted to support Emeline in the creation of this ode to Nature and proud to have the renewed and continued confidence of TF1 for the fourth year,” commented Dandelooo’s co-producers Jean-Baptiste Wery and Emmanuèle Pétry.
Studio 100, one of the leading independent studios for children’s and family entertainment, joins forces with Hamburg based youngfilms and international prodco B-Water Studios to bring the new CGI adventure-comedy series (52 x 11’) to life.
The production will be realized in association with Studio 100 Media’s Munich-based Studio Isar Animation. Studio 100 Media takes over worldwide rights distribution as well as licensing & merchandising.
Produced by Henning Windelband (Conni and the Cat, Conni) and Dirk Hampel (Pettson and Findus, Treasure Trekkers), the series is targeted at six- to 11-year olds. Production will commence at the end of this year and the series will be available in 2024.
Johnny Sinclair: Ghost Hunter is based on the current best-selling novels by Sabine Städing (Magnolia Steel, Petronella Apfelmus) and is a spin-off of the cult franchise John Sinclair: Ghost Hunter, a ghost crime novel series whose success spans from the late 1970s, when it was part of over 250 million sold penny dreadful novellas, until the present, with over 6 million sold novels and 200 radio play episodes. Jason Dark, the mastermind author behind the original John Sinclair, endorses this spin-off project.
Synopsis: Johnny Sinclair can see ghosts. And many are out there to get him! Guided by a magical talking skull, the young ghost hunter Johnny and his best friends hunt monsters, spectres, and many other spooky creatures – while trying to survive the ghastliest place of all: School…
Johnny Sinclair: Ghost Hunter
Studio 100 Media, youngfilms and B-Water will be introducing Johnny Sinclair to the international market and looking for commissioning broadcasters and presales at this year’s MIFA in Annecy.
“We feel privileged to be part of this collaboration. The cult of the original book series goes way back and we are absolutely convinced that this spin off for children has all the right elements for an exciting and successful series,” comments Martin Krieger, CEO of Studio 100. “We are looking forward to working with Henning Windelband, his team and B-Water.”
Windelband, CEO of youngfilms, says, “Searching for exciting content that moves, I came across the novels of Johnny Sinclair. Creating a youthful counterpart for the extremely successful cult ghost hunter John Sinclair and thus making it accessible to a new, younger target group works fantastically. Johnny Sinclair is a modern fairy tale and a strong brand, which is entertaining, thrilling, educational, international and unique. It is already a great pleasure and lots of fun to work with our partners B-Water and Studio 100.”
“We belive there is a real lack of a funny action-comedy ghost buster series in the market and Johnny Sinclair has all the potential to fill that gap,” adds B-Water CEO Dirk Hampel.
GCI Film has announced that its animated family feature, Ozi: Voice of the Forest, will be debuting its first scenes at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 15 in France, with a panel conversation featuring executive producer Rodrigo Blaas, director Tim Harper and the award-winning animation team from Mikros Animation.
The independently financed feature follows the journey of a teenage orangutan named Ozi and her friends, who sets out on a voyage of discovery across the rainforest, in a quest to find her parents in a land that has fallen victim to deforestation.
Supported by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions and multi-Academy-Award-winning producer Mike Medavoy, the feature aims to raise awareness around the issues our planet’s rainforests face due to growing levels of deforestation, and how this affects the ecosystems within.
Voices of Ozi: Voice of the Forest include Amandla Stenberg as Ozi, Laura Dern, RuPaul, Donald Sutherland and Djimon Hounsou, under the direction of renowned animated content director Tim Harper and creators Keith Chapman (PAW Patrol, Bob the Builder) and Rodrigo Blaas (Pixar’s WALL-E, Finding Nemo). The original screenplay was written by Emmy Award winner Ricky Roxburgh (Tangled, Spy Kids).
With creative development from concept-to-delivery from the Mikros Animation team, the fully CGI film features the animation work of over 300 animation experts globally, driven by both their passion for storytelling, and communicating the underlying social cause. Sean Mullen, Head of Story and Character Animation at Mikros, comments, “Through this film’s animation style, we’ve aimed to build something that feels both fun and whimsical, with the ultimate goal to marry art and entertainment with messages around global deforestation.”
Adam Stanhope, Director of CGI Film, adds, “Mikros Animation are a key part of the global team we have assembled to complete this project, and it’s a testament to the strength of our story that we’ve been able to attract such world class talent and production partners.”
The film’s producers and Mikros Animation team will be speaking about Ozi: Voice of the Forest and debuting the first full-length scenes exclusively at the Annecy Festival, on June 15, 4 – 5:15 p.m. local time. More details can be found here.
You can watch a quick sneak-peek of Ozi on YouTube Shorts here
Headling the just-announced cast for Disney Channel’s upcoming animated superhero comedy, Hamster & Gretel will introduce Meli Povenmire in the titular role of Gretel.
The Disney Branded Television series will also star Michael Cimino (Love, Victor) as Gretel’s older brother, Kevin; Beck Bennett (SNL) as Gretel’s pet hamster, Hamster; Joey King (Kissing Booth) as her tech-savvy cousin, Fred; Matt Jones (Bob Hearts Abishola) as the siblings’ easygoing father, Dave; and Carolina Ravassa (Maya and the Three) as their charismatic mother, Carolina.
Hamster & Gretel introduces Kevin and his younger sister Gretel, who are about to be bestowed superpowers by space aliens. But something goes awry, and it’s Gretel and her pet hamster (named Hamster) who suddenly have new abilities. Now, protective older brother Kevin must figure out how to work with both Gretel and her pet Hamster to protect their city from mysterious dangers.
Premiering this summer on Disney Channel, a sneak peek of Hamster & Gretel was released last week:
Created by Dan Povenmire (of the Emmy Award-winning global hit series Phineas and Ferb), Hamster & Gretel is produced by Disney Television Animation and is inspired by Povenmire’s relationship with his significantly younger sister. Brandi Young serves as producer, Joanna Hausmann will serve as co-producer/story editor and Dorothea Gerassimova is the art director.
The comedy series follows The Electric Mayhem Band — Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone and Lips on trumpet — on an epic, music-filled journey to record their first-ever studio album. With the help of a driven young music executive, Nora Gibbs (Singh), the old-school Muppet band comes face to face with the current day music scene as they try to finally go platinum.
Chaudry will star as series regular Hannah, Nora’s younger and arguably more accomplished sister. Raised in the era of likes, shares and the idea that “if it wasn’t posted, it didn’t happen,” Hannah translated her e-acumen and talent for enthusiastic and aspirational make-up videos into a burgeoning social media empire, complete with a legion of “Fan-a-Hannahs.” Her success has unfortunately upended her dynamic with Nora.
Holm was cast as recurring guest star JJ, a formerly sheepish, nerdy intern-turned uber-cool, tech entrepreneur who happens to be Nora’s ex. On the surface, his ambition knows no bounds, but the real JJ underneath still hopes to win back Nora.
The Muppets Mayhem is developed by Adam F. Goldberg, Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes based on characters created by Jim Henson. It is written by Goldberg (The Goldbergs), Barretta (The Muppets, Muppets Haunted Mansion) and Yorkes; executive producers are Goldberg, Barretta, Michael Bostick and Kris Eber. Yorkes is a co-executive producer. The Muppets Studio’s David Lightbody and Leigh Slaughter are also executive producers. The Disney Branded Television series is produced by ABC Signature and The Muppets Studio for Disney+.
Best known as co-creator, writer and star of the hit Comedy Central show Workaholics, which ran for seven seasons, Holm can currently be seen in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna. He hosts the This Is Important podcast with fellow Workaholics creators Adam Devine, Blake Anderson and Kyle Newacheck and will soon be seen in About My Father alongside Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro and Paramount+ rom-com At Midnight. Other projects Holm has starred in includes NBC’s Champions, Netflix’s The Package and Game Over, Man! which he wrote, produced and starred in alongside Adam Devine and Blake Anderson (Mail Order Comedy).
Holm’s other credits include roles in A Happening of Monumental Proportions, How to Be Single, The Intern and a scene-stealing recurring role as Pastor Casey in Hulu’s The Mindy Project. He has also had roles in the Sundance hit Unexpected , Inherent Vice, The Interview and Top Five.
Chaudry is an ACTRA and three-time Canadian Screen Award winning actor and singer who began her career with small parts in TV productions such as Degrassi: The Next Generation. She made her theater debut as Little Cosette in the 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables, then returned to TV in roles on Nickelodeon’s Max & Shred, Daytime Emmy-nominated series Holly Hobbie, Daytime Emmy- and CSA-winning series Dino Dana and Disney+ series The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Chaudry was nominated for a 2017 CSA for her role as Clara in the CSA-winning animated movie The Curse of Clara: A Holiday Tale, and voices Parvana in the Oscar-, Golden Globe- and CSA-nominated feature film The Breadwinner, for which she received the ACTRA award for best voice performance and was nominated for an Annie Award. She also voices roles in Netflix’s Charlie’s Colorforms City, PAW Patrol: The Movie, Bakugan: Battle Planet, Let’s Go Luna!,The Dog & Pony Show, Rosie’s Rules and upcoming series Daniel Spellbound.
Today, global kids content distributor Jetpack Distribution announces it has acquired the rights for 2D animated botanical comedy children’s series Flora, produced by Brazil’s Birdo Studios. The deal comprises 52 x 11-minutes of the show, targeting four- to seven-year olds. Flora has also been selected for the MIFA Campus in 2022.
The series is currently in development, and Jetpack is looking for pre-sales and co-production partners. They will be pitching at Annecy this month and doing joint pitches with Birdo at Kidscreen this summer.
Flora
Florais a comedy show about growing up in the botanical world, where becoming an adult may take centuries! Protagonist Flora is a small seed who believes she can grow into any plant she wants and is determined to prove that to everyone, using all the amazing plant skills out there.
This is easier said than done, of course! Flora will discover that there’s much more to plant life. Who would have thought that blossoming a pretty flower could make you the target of overly attached bees? Or that growing spines is not a cool trick to show at crowded parties? Or even that animal poop feels great on your roots?
The series aims to show kids how cool it is to be a plant, and uses an endless array of funny botanical metaphors to create relatable stories that cover emotions, self-discovery, and the infinite potential of each of us.
“Florais such a brilliant addition to our pre-school line up for MIFA 2022. The show features outstanding design of a unique world. It’s fun and relatable, and teaches kids about self-discovery and the various emotions encountered growing up,” says Jetpack Distribution CEO, Dominic Gardiner. “We are very excited to be working with the hugely talented and internationally recognised Birdo Studios.”
Paulo Muppet, Executive Producer & Partner at Birdo Studios, says, “Jetpack Distribution has been an amazing partner for us for many years and we are super excited to join forces with them in the development stage ofFlora.Their deep knowledge of the animation landscape will help us reach new heights with our content and, above all, their team are a joy to work with!”
Flora joins Jetpack Distribution’s catalog of kids’ animation offerings built since its founding in 2014, which includes Clangers, Chuggington, Mighty Little Bheem, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed, Kitty Is Not a Cat and more.
Paramount Pictures today unleashed a new trailer for its upcoming animated comedy flick Paws of the Fury: The Legend of Hank, laying down some zippy one-liners from the all-star cast and walloping viewers with so much slapstick samurai action, it’s enough to make you say, “What the mother father cockerspaniel is going on here?”
Fans can also check out a new mini game released today, Jimbo’s Samurai Training, available online. The film opens in U.S. theaters on July 15.
Synopsis: A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs!
The film also stars Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka and Cathy Shim. Paws of Fury is directed by Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies and Align and Aniventure present in association with HB Wink Animation and GFM Animation. A Flying Tigers Entertainment production in association with Aniventure, in association with Cinesite, in association with “a bunch of other guys too numerous to mention…”
Read more about Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank in the 35th Anniversary Issue of Animation Magazine (No. 321), available now!
Prepare to set sail on new adventurs with Luffy and his crew aboard the Thousand Sunny in One Piece Film Red — the latest feature film entry in Toei Animation’s blockbuster One Piece franchise.
Featuring an original story by creator Eiichiro Oda, who also serves as general producer, Red is directed by Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection) from a screenplay by Tsutomu Kuroiwa. Toei today revealed the film’s trailer and poster.
Synopsis: Luffy and his crew are about to attend an eagerly awaited music festival. The world’s most popular singer, Uta, will appear on the stage for the first time. The daughter of legendary pirate Shanks the Red-Haired, Uta is about to reveal the exceptional power of her voice that could change the world…
Ahead of the 61st annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival next week, Netflix has announced a slate of new animated films and series from creators across Europe. Each of these titles has a distinct tone and language, but are universal in their storytelling and themes.
The new films include Ember, Sergio Pablos’ follow-up to the BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award nominated Klaus; animated musical Scrooge: A Christmas Carol featuring songs by acclaimed Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse; That Christmas, based on the children’s books by BAFTA winner Richard Curtis; as well as an untitled animated film by Wallace & Gromit alumni and Academy Award winner Steve Box.
On the series side, Netflix will welcome three brand new original productions, including Bad Dinosaurs from Snafu Pictures and Able & Baker, Mermaid Magic from Rainbow, The Seven Bears from Folivari, as well as Wereworld from Lime Pictures, which is based on the series of fantasy novels by Curtis Jobling.
These projects join a growing list of Netflix animated titles from Europe, including My Father’s Dragon from Cartoon Saloon and Academy Award-nominated director Nora Twomey (Autumn 2022), as well as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and an untitled Wallace & Gromit project from the beloved four-time Academy Award-winning Bristol-based animation studio Aardman (U.K.), as well as a new adult animated series by Zerocalcare from Italy and Captain Fall from Norwegian showrunners Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgerson.
New Films
Ember. Photo Credit: The SPA Studios (art by Szymon Biernack)
Ember (Spain)
From the BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award-nominated Klaus director Sergio Pablos and The SPA Studios comes Ember, an epic hand-drawn adventure tale of humankind’s quest for fire told through the eyes of young Dikika who embarks on an impossible race to a distant volcano to retrieve the precious spark that will save her tribe.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. Photo Credit: Timeless Films
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (U.K.)
Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios and directed by Stephen Donnelly, Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this CGI-animated, supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse OBE, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is one for a new generation to sing. (December 2022.)
That Christmas. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Locksmith Animation
That Christmas (U.K.)
Based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Yesterday), Locksmith Animation’s heartwarming CG film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake — not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.
Untitled Steve Box Animated Film. Photo Credit: SUPERPROD Animation
Untitled Steve Box Animated Film (France)
From Academy Award-winning and three-time BAFTA-winning director Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit) and SUPERPROD Animation, comes a yet to be titled, all original CG-animated family comedy heist movie. Struggling to feed themselves with the proceeds of their ever-inventive, but low-yield heists, Tibbles and his rag-tag gang of stray cats are forced to go undercover to pull of the biggest heist of their lives, posing as the thing they most despise — the pampered pets of suburbia.
New Series
Bad Dinosaurs. Photo Credit: Snafu Pictures
Bad Dinosaurs(U.K./ Spain)
The debut animated series from Snafu Pictures, Bad Dinosaurs is a high-octane CG-animated thrill ride through the Mesozoic, that follows the hilarious shenanigans of a Tyrannosaurus family as they deal with the trials of life in the prehistoric wilderness, while surrounded by incompetent dinosaurs. Based on a series of phenomenally successful online shorts co-created by animation veteran Joel Veitch; animation will be produced by Able & Baker (Love, Death + Robots, Dragon Riders), and directed by Academy Award-shortlisted and multi-award-winning Simone Giampaolo.
Mermaid Magic. Photo Credit: Rainbow SPA
Mermaid Magic (Italy)
From multi-award-winning creator and director Iginio Straffi (Winx Club) and Emmy Award-winning animation studio Rainbow/Bardel (Rick and Morty, The Dragon Prince), together with highly acclaimed head writer, Rich Burns (Spirit Riding Free) comes a groundbreaking CG-animated series about a teenage mermaid princess named Merlinda who leaves her undersea world for the unknown land above to track down a rare source of magic that will help her take on the evil forces above the waves and below that seek to destroy her kingdom.
The Seven Bears. Photo credit: Folivari
The Seven Bears (France)
Forget the Seven Dwarfs, here come the Seven Bears! So, look out Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, because this lovable pack of furballs is putting a fuzzy twist on the fairytales we thought we knew. Based on the acclaimed graphic novels by Emile Bravo, the Seven Bears are brought to animated life by the award-winning animation studio Folivari. The show features CG animation by Cube; Robert Vargas is on board as showrunner.
Wereworld by Curtis Jobling
Wereworld (U.K.)
Based on the books by Curtis Jobling, Wereworld is an epic fantasy adventure series that follows Drew Ferran as he comes of age and discovers he’s the last of a long line of Werewolves, and rightful (yet reluctant) ruler of a land governed by Werelords. Drew must fight to abolish the tyranny of the Lionlords and reclaim the throne. The CG series is directed by Tom Brass for Jellyfish Pictures and produced by Angelo Abela, Tim Compton, Curtis Jobling and Barry Quinn for Lime Pictures.
On the occasion of World Oceans Day, creative content studio Psyop announced their most-recent short film, Bottle Capfrom Directors Marie Hyon and Marco Spier, is being developed into an episodic series under the leadership of animation industry veteran Michael Ryan as executive producer/writer.
The animated short film follows an insecure fiddler crab named Shelton, who becomes an unwitting accomplice in the business of extinction as his dreams of being “average” are co-opted by new dreams of power and destiny. Like the short, the series will use humor and a light touch to explore the many pressing issues facing the world’s oceans today, with the intention of educating and inspiring the next generation to act, protect and treasure the oceans.
Ryan will oversee the episodic series development with a production start date slated in Fall 2022. The 20-year veteran has worked on series for hit franchises such as Kung Fu Panda, Scooby Doo, Teenage Ninja Turtles and Johnny Bravo, among many others.
“It is an honor to have been selected to bring this beautifully conceived and crafted story forward. I am excited to begin work in this fantastical oceanic world we get to play in, with a team ready to unlock our imaginations to bring a wealth of stories to life,” said Ryan.
“Now is the time for us to tell impactful, positive, engaging stories about our oceans. Let’s entertain and educate audiences so that they are inspired to protect what we are on the verge of losing. We hope that the Bottle Cap series will do for the oceans what Bambi did to raise awareness about the protection of forests and wildlife,” said Hyon and Spier.
Andrew Linsk, producer & executive producer, added, “We believe stories have the power to change behavior — we are hopeful that in expanding this story with an episodic series, we can shine a light on real world problems. We have great faith in our collaboration with Michael, he brings tremendous talent, a true passion and understanding for what we hope to accomplish.”
Produced out of the award-winning animation studio, Psyop (co-founded by the two directors along with Todd Mueller, Kylie Matulick and Eben Mears), Bottle Cap was the recipient of the Epic MegaGrant. The ‘dream team’ of animators, artists and technicians soon brought Shelton to life in 3D and created Shelton’s seaside world.
With over 20 years of creative work experience, Michael Ryan’s producing credits include work at Apple TV+, Netflix, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Prime Video, Disney, Warner Bros., DreamWorks and international productions in Japan, Europe, Russia and China. Michael won an Emmy for writing on the Netflix show All Hail King Julien as well as earning two primetime Emmy nominations and three daytime Emmy nominations. Recent collaborations include writing a script for Ricky Gervais, a musical for Christian Slater and enjoyed the privilege of working closely with Taika Waititi on an animated project.
Celebrating over two decades of exceptional artistry and groundbreaking work in visual storytelling and design, Psyop continues to revolutionize the industry and blur lines between advertising and entertainment. Completely cloud based by 2021, the studio’s community of best-in-class global creators are based in London, Paris, Copenhagen, Madrid, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires, while Psyop maintains studios in New York and Los Angeles.
Banijay Kids & Family announced it has signed an option agreement with Canadian children’s publisher Kids Can Press to develop a preschool series based on the acclaimed picture book Arnold the Super-ish Hero.
Written by Heather Tekavec and illustrated by Guillaume Perreault, the story follows Arnold, who helps out at his family’s superhero business. The only catch is that Arnold doesn’t have a superpower of his own. One day a call comes into superhero HQ from a little girl in need, and being the only one around, Arnold jumps into action. Determined to succeed as a hero, Arnold helps all kinds of people along the way. He does so many good deeds the city celebrates their newest hero: Super Nice Guy! Arnold discovers that all you need to be a hero is the power of kindness.
“As soon as I read Arnold the Super-ish Hero, I fell in love with the character and the wonderful notion that kindness is a superpower. Heather and Guillaume have created a delightful story that will translate beautifully on screen,” said Gary Milne, Head of Content Development, Banijay Kids & Family.
Kids Can Press President & Publisher Lisa Lyons Johnston added, “We’re delighted to work with Banijay Kids and Family to introduce more young fans to our favourite superhero. Having had a sneak peek at early script and visual development, we’re confident that the team will bring Heather and Guillaume’s endearing and funny underdog story fully to life, and we can’t wait to see Arnold’s superhero-ish leap from page to screen.”
Arnold the Super-ish Hero is published by Kids Can Press, part of the Corus Entertainment family. The label will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023.
With offices in Paris and London, Banijay Kids & Family is led by CEO Benoit Di Sabatino. As the dedicated production, distribution and sales division for children’s programming at Banijay, the company is a global leader in kids’ entertainment, offering a catalog of over 2,200 hours of content. Banijay Kids and Family is home to Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution, Zodiak Kids & Family France, Zodiak Kids & Family Productions U.K., Monello Productions and Tiger Aspect Kids & Family.
Announced today as part of the #CorusUpfront, Corus Entertainment’s 2022/23 lineup of premium specialty programming delivers a robust slate — including best-in-class kids’ content and hotly anticipated adult animation titles. Debuting across Corus’ roster of networks and streaming platforms (reachiver more than 25 million Canadians each month; more Top 20 stations than any other broadcaster), this newly acquired content is in addition to the previously announced slate of Canadian originals renewed and greenlit for its specialty portfolio.
“With new and longstanding partnerships, beloved brands that viewers love, big talent and always-fresh content, Corus continues to be the leader in Canada’s entertainment and kids specialty programming. As the exclusive Canadian home to the most coveted content, Corus is proud to deliver the most sought-after lineup of must-see TV year after year,” said Daniel Eves, SVP, Broadcast Networks,Corus Ent. “By offering all of our top premium programming live and on demand on our streaming platforms, including STACKTV, we continue to generate new audiences and increase reach of our content. This year on STACKTV, audiences are up 80 percent and continue to grow as we expand our distribution.”
In partnership with Paramount Global, Corus also announced today that leading FAST service Pluto TV will be launching in Canada this fall. Launching with more than 100 unique, curated channels and over 20,000 hours of content, the service will offer a full spectrum of free programming including drama, comedy, lifestyle, kids, movies, around-the-clock news, and more.
At launch, Corus will be the ad representative to what is positioned to become one of the largest free premium ad-supported streaming services in the country. In addition, Pluto TV will offer a curated slate of Corus Original library series that span a variety of genres.
Clockwise: The Retro Plant Shop with Mikey & Jo, Rick and Morty: The Anime, The Lazarus Project, The Midwich Cuckoos, Walker: Independence, and More Power
Corus Ent. 2022/23 Animation Highlights
Adult Swim, a Top 20 specialty network, continues to offer the best in original animation and live-action programming to its massive loyal fanbase of young adults. Adult Swim fans can look forward to…
NEW – Housing Complex C – Kimi lives in a small, low-cost housing complex located in the seaside town of Kurosaki where trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes, and horrific incidents begin to occur … is an ancient evil stalking the residents of Housing Complex C?
The series is directed by Yuji Nara with script and original concept by amphibian. The animation studio is Akatsuki. The half-hour animated series is executive produced by Jason DeMarco and produced by Maki Terashima-Furuta (Production I.G USA).
NEW – Royal Crackers(Adult Swim Canada) – Royal Crackers is a former snack food conglomerate turned struggling business, now run primarily by the Hornsby family — the bloodline of its tyrannical founder Theodore Hornsby Sr. With their family patriarch now in an incapacitated state, they’ll do whatever it takes to make their family business the success it once was.
The a half-hour animated comedy series is created by Jason Ruiz, who also serves as executive producer along with Seth Cohen (The Last Man on Earth, Hoops). The series is produced by Titmouse.
NEW – Rick and Morty: The Anime – Based on the Emmy Award-winning adult animated series, the 10-episode adventure is directed by Takashi Sano (Tower of God). Sano previously directed two anime shorts, Rick and Morty vs. Genocider and Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), which received widespread fan and critical acclaim upon release, generating over 10 million combined views on Adult Swim digital
platforms.
While celebrated anime director (and Rick and Morty superfan) Sano will adapt themes and events of the main series, Rick and Morty: The Anime will stand on its own as an original work.
NEW – Uzumaki – a four-episode miniseries based on the Shogakukan manga by legendary author Junji Ito. The story follows a high-school teenager, Kirie Goshima; her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito; and the citizens of the small, fictional Japanese town of Kurouzu-cho, which is cursed by supernatural events involving spirals.
The series will be produced at Drive Inc., and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama (Mushi-shi, Flowers of Evil). The score will be created by Colin Stetson (Hereditary, Red Dead Redemption 2).
Plus, new seasons of:
Rick and Morty, a Top 10 specialty entertainment program.
Harley Quinn
Bob’s Burgers
Family Guy
Bob’s Burgers
Over on TELETOON, hilarious comedy, unexpected surprises and edge-of-your-seat action ensues through best-in-class animation. Coming this fall exclusively to TELETOON, the epic prequel Gremlins: The Secrets of Mogwai from HBO Max unlocks the mystery of how a 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 Gremlins movie) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo.
Steeped in China’s rich culture and mythology, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai takes viewers back to 1920s Shanghai, where the Wing family first discovers the mysterious creature. Sam Wing, the youngest in the family, accepts the dangerous task to take Gizmo home and embarks on a journey through the Chinese countryside. Sam and Gizmo are joined by a teenage street thief named Elle, and together, they encounter-and sometimes battle-colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. Along their quest, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.
Treehouse is devoted to children from breakfast to bedtime, providing a strong balance of educational, imaginative and entertaining programs in a safe place trusted by parents. This fall, the network welcomes:
NEW –Batwheels – A preschool animated action-adventure comedy series starring the most heroic and iconic vehicles from the DC universe. They are a team of incredible crimefighters who have banded together to oppose evil, combat crime and clean up the streets of Gotham City. They are … okay, they’re NOT Batman and Robin. They’re the Batwheels: an awesome group of sentient super-powered crime-fighting vehicles defending Gotham City alongside Batman, Robin, Batgirl and a host of DC Super Heroes.
Having just been created by the Batcomputer, our heroes are essentially kids with little to no life experience. Led by Bam (The Batmobile), the Batwheels — Bibi (The Batgirl Cycle), Red (The Redbird), Jett
(The Batwing) and Buff (The Bat Truck) — must navigate the growing pains of being a newly formed super team as well as the growing pains that come with just being a kid. This relatable and aspirational series will follow the journey of this dynamic team as they thrill and entertain with their heroic adventures as well as demonstrate to kids the value of self-confidence, friendship and teamwork
New – Bugs Bunny Builders – Bugs Bunny Builders brings the wackiness, humor and slapstick we’ve grown to love to a new preschool
audience. At ACME Construction Company, Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny manage a crew of builders that, quite frankly, should not be anywhere near a construction site. However, by working together as a team, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and others use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some of the looniest construction jobs ever
For the newest Disney series and movies, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD are the go-to networks, providing entertainment for the whole family with exclusive programming airing day and date with the U.S. Coming soon to Disney Junior, families can enjoy a brand new season of Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends.
Hold on to your haunts: A new Ghostbusters animated series is coming to splash more paranormal laughs (and ectoplasm) across screens.
Announced during Geeked Week‘s Animation day, Netflix is partnership with prodco Ghost Corps for the toon, which will be executive produced by Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writers Jason Reitman (director of Oscar-nominated movies Juno and Up in the Air) — son of original Ghostbusters movies director Ivan Reitman — and Gil Kenan (director of Oscar-nominated animated feature Monster House).
Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan [photo: Bart van der Putten]
The new Ghostbusters project is just the latest time that the franchise has been adapted to animated series, following The Real Ghostbusters from DIC (1986-1991) and its follow-up Extreme Ghostbusters from Adelaide Prod. and Columbia TriStar Television (1997).
The original 1984 supernatural comedy movie was created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which Jason Reitman also directed, opened in theaters in November of last year and achieved a $204.6 million worldwide box office despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out the full schedule of Geeked Week, Netflix’s dedicated genre storytelling celebration, here. You can also follow the event on Twitter.
Transmedia content creator Telescope Animation today announces the release of the first proof-of-concept trailer for its upcoming animated film, The Last Whale Singer, giving audiences a glimpse at the future of developing animated content for multiple platforms. Created entirely in Unreal Engine, today’s trailer marks the first look at a massive, shared universe with an interwoven story that includes an upcoming video game, an episodic series, AR/VR projects and more, each created using the same assets designed for the film.
The Last Whale Singer feature film tells the story of Vincent, a rebellious teenage humpback whale, who must confront his destiny and save the oceans from destruction by an ancient evil. Along with the film, the story will expand through a prequel game and several connected projects leveraging XR technology, all created and shared within Unreal Engine 5, using a custom-built pipeline.
“Our plans for The Last Whale Singer required us to look at how we create content in a different way, which meant we needed to develop a new pipeline from scratch,” said Reza Memari, Telescope’s co-Founder and co-CEO, as well as the film’s writer and director. “The clip is proof that our plan is working, and it is the first of many reveals we think both fans and other studios are going to love.”
Founded in 2018 by Memari and veteran producer and co-CEO Maite Woköck, Telescope Animation was envisioned from the start as a transmedia studio, leveraging the full potential of Unreal Engine. Memari and Woköck determined that a custom-designed pipeline within the game engine would allow artists to simultaneously develop projects across multiple platforms, all while using the same tools and assets.
Along with giving audiences a first look at an interwoven story that exists across multiple mediums, today’s trailer for The Last Whale Singer acts as a proof-of-concept, confirming the full potential of Telescope Animation’s ambitions. To help accelerate the development process for the video and speed its release, Telescope received the first of two Epic MegaGrants. Along with financial assistance, Epic also provided extensive technical expertise, but the support didn’t stop there.
Following the confirmation of the first grant earmarked for the trailer, Telescope Animation also received a second MegaGrant to help finalize work on its bespoke pipeline for Unreal Engine 5.
The Last Whale Singer
“It’s no longer a secret, something special is happening right now in real-time animation, and we’re thrilled to support talented creators using Unreal Engine to share stories in all-new ways,” shared Chris Kavcsak, head of Epic MegaGrants. “With The Last Whale Singer, Telescope Animation is diving into an ocean of opportunity, building a transmedia universe that can live and grow across a variety of art forms, from the popcorn-friendly big screen to moving XR experiences.”
Created in-house from the ground up, Telescope Animation’s pipeline streamlines the process for artists, game developers, animators and storytellers looking to develop multiple releases at once within Unreal Engine 5. Assets can be created in real time, speeding up the process by virtually eliminating rendering times, and then shared to other projects. Artists can also storyboard in 2D and 3D, directly within Unreal Engine, while virtual reality camera rigs further expand the possibilities by giving artists the ability to create the shot layout directly within virtual sets. Location and character creation can be procedurally generated, saving both time and resources. Telescope is also developing an advanced water simulation, which will be featured throughout the Whale Singer Universe.
The Last Whale Singer
Telescope Animation also received a first-of-its-kind grant from Creative Europe MEDIA (culture.ec.europa.eu), the European Union’s program supporting the cultural and creative sectors, highlighting the studio’s “Innovative Business Models and Tools.” The funding helped Telescope establish its first facilities and further the development of its proprietary pipeline. Since its founding, Telescope Animation has grown from an ambitious idea to a multi-location organization, with a game/AR/VR-focused studio in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, and an animation-focused studio in Hamburg. Staffing has also seen a significant increase, with a growing stable of full-time and contract artists and production teams helping to bring Telescope’s visions to life.
“When we founded Telescope Animation, we knew that we were creating something new — not just in terms of content, but in how we approached the entire process,” said Woköck. “Now that we have all the pieces in place, we will have a lot more to show you in the near future!”
The Last Whale Singer
Production on The Last Whale Singer feature film is set to begin later this year, with a theatrical release targeted for 2025. The prequel game, titled The Last Whale Singer: Rise of the Leviathan, is also currently in development for PC, Nintendo Switch, as well as the PlayStation and Xbox family of consoles. The game’s launch will be timed to coincide with the release of the film, slated for 2025. Additional projects connected to the shared Whale Singer universe — as well as two other original IPs in development — will be announced in the future.
The Last Whale Singer will make its official, public debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13. The concept trailer will be on display in the Epic Games booth.
Crunchyroll, the global leader in bringing anime to fans in over 200 countries and territories, announced its exciting plans for Anime Expo! At the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 1-4, a bounty of offerings ranging from insightful panels on the hottest new series, interactive activations, world premiere screenings, exclusive merch and more will be served up to attendees.
When arriving for the first in-person Anime Expo since 2019, attendees will be greeted with a warm welcome in the South Hall Lobby by Crunchyroll’s official mascot and VTuber, Crunchyroll-Hime, on a large monitor to share her excitement for everything happening at the event. And across the lobby will be the immersive experience New Crunchy City HQ, providing previews of the hottest new anime and unique swag. Those who spend enough time sleuthing around New Crunchy City may also spy a secret area for photo opps that will resemble a certain anime family’s apartment in the fictional country of Ostania.
“This is the first Anime Expo since Crunchyroll and Funimation have come together, and we’re pulling out all of the stops to surprise and delight fans,” said Gita Rebbapragada, Crunchyroll’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re delivering something for everyone to enjoy and become a part of our world.”
My Hero Academia swag bag
Right at the entrance of the showroom floor, Crunchyroll’s presence will be immediate. At the main activation (Booth 3000), badge holders can stop by to pick up free drawstring bags (different anime series each day), Aoashi and Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 2 character photo frame cards, and a That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime stress ball among other promo items while supplies last. Guests can also visit the booth to enter to win awesome prize packs; photo opps with The Rising of the Shield Hero characters Naofumi, Raphtalia, and a giant 10’ tall Filo; check out a shikishi (autographed art boards) gallery with over 40 artists; play the latest titles from the Crunchyroll Games library; and more.
Crunchyroll will also have its merch store (Booth 1600), which will include over 30 collector worthy products and apparel as well as exclusives, including a Funko Pop! figure of Dragon Ball’s Piccolo donning his famous driving school outfit.
Fans are invited to check out panels hosted by Crunchyroll that will include special guests from around the world to discuss SPY x FAMILY, JUJUTSU KAISEN, Ranking of Kings and the highly anticipated Chainsaw Man.
The streaming platform will also offer first look world and international premieres of upcoming anime such as YUREI DECO, Classroom of the Elite Season 2, BLUELOCK, Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys! and more. Crunchyroll will also screen the North American premiere of the two My Hero AcademiaSeason 5 OVAs. A special world premiere screening of first two episodes of FUUTO PI will also be co-presented by Crunchyroll during Bandai Namco’s Kamen Rider panel.
With all of these exciting premieres making their way to Anime Expo, Crunchyroll can confirm the new acquisitions of Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys! and the My Hero Academia Season 5 OVAs. Each title will be coming to the streaming service in the near future.
Those looking to refresh can head on over to the Crunchyroll takeover of the JW Marriott on Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. where anyone with or without a badge can take advantage of anime themed drinks for purchase at the themed “Crunchyroll Lounge” lobby sidebar, pop up photo opps and special activations. Special themed coasters will be available while supplies last.
My Hero Academia S5 OVA
Crunchyroll at Anime Expo panels & screenings:
My Hero Academia OVAs – North American Premiere
Friday, July 1 | 12:00 pm PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Main Events Hal
Welcome to the North American premiere of two brand new original video animations from the global anime phenomenon, My Hero Academia! Presented by Crunchyroll, we go beyond Season 5 as our favorite heroes batter up and continue their internships. Join us for this exclusive screening!
SPY X FAMILY English Dub Cast Panel
Friday, July 1 | 3:00 pm PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Petree Hall
Your mission: join Crunchyroll for the first official SPY x FAMILY panel featuring the English Cast! Including Q&A with Alex Organ (Loid Forger), Megan Shipman (Anya Forger), Natalie Van Sistine (Yor Forger), and Anthony Bowling (Franky), a special message from the Japanese cast and more — this is a TOP SECRET event that you won’t want to miss!
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round 1
Friday, July 1 | 7:00 pm PT
JW Marriott – Platinum Ballroom
Be the first to see the newest anime series before it hits the streaming airwaves! Check out the hottest titles coming to Crunchyroll this summer. Each premiere panel has a different lineup of shows, so be sure to check them all out!
Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys! – Episode 1 (World Premiere)
Utawarerumono Mask of Truth – Episodes 1 & 2 (International Premiere)
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round 2
Saturday, July 2 | 11:30 am PT
JW Marriott – Platinum Ballroom
Be the first to see the newest anime series before it hits the streaming airwaves! Check out the hottest titles coming to Crunchyroll this summer. Each premiere panel has a different lineup of shows, so be sure to check them all out!
Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere)
BLUELOCK – Episode 1 (North American Premiere)
YUREI DECO – Episode 1 (International Premiere)
Fuuto PI– World Premiere
Saturday, July 2 | 7:30 pm PT @ Bandai Namco Kamen Rider Panel
JW Marriott – Room 403AB
Join Crunchyroll at the Bandai Namco Kamen Rider Panel in celebrating the world premiere of Fuuto PI! Don’t miss your chance to find out about all things Kamen Rider, and see the first two episodes before everyone else!
Crunchyroll Industry Panel
Sunday, July 3 | 11:30 am PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Petree Hall
Hear about all the latest and greatest anime coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source. Hosted by Crunchyroll’s Lauren Moore and Tim Lyu.
Ranking of Kings Panel by WIT Studios and Crunchyroll
Sunday, July 3 | 1:00 pm PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Petree Hall
Do you miss Bojji?! We do too! Join Crunchyroll and director Yosuke Hatta and animation producer Maiko Okada of Ranking of Kings from WIT STUDIO for a Q&A session. Don’t miss your chance to hear about some of the behind-the-scenes and reminiscing about some of the best moments! Hosted by Crunchyroll’s Chris Han.
Jujutsu Kaisen Focus Panel
Sunday, July 3 | 1:30 pm PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Main Events Hall
One of the biggest hits on Crunchyroll, join some of the team behind the Jujutsu Kaisen anime as they talk about their experiences working on the hit series and movie! Don’t miss your chance to hear from them directly, and find out what it was like behind the scenes! Panelists TBD.
Crunchyroll Presents: New Simulcast Premieres Round 3
Sunday, July 3 | 3:00 pm PT
JW Marriott – Platinum Ballroom
Be the first to see the newest anime series before it hits the streaming airwaves! Check out the hottest titles coming to Crunchyroll this summer. Each premiere panel has a different lineup of shows, so be sure to check them all out!
Classroom of the Elite – Season 2 Episode 1 (International Premiere)
In/Spectre – Season 2 Episode 1 (World Premiere)
Shoot! Goal to the Future – Episode 1 & 2 (World Premiere of Episode 2)
Mob Psycho 100 III Kickoff Panel (Hosted by Warner Bros. Japan)
Sunday, July 3 | 6:30 pm PT
JW Marriott – Platinum Ballroom
If you can’t wait for the October premiere of Mob Psycho 100 III, come join this kick-off panel! Find out what to expect in the upcoming season including the world-premiere of OP theme song reveal!!! Hosts: Warner Bros. Japan’s Nari Takamura and Crunchyroll’s Chris Han
Chainsaw Man Panel by MAPPA and Crunchyroll
Monday, July 4 | 11:30 am PT
Los Angeles Convention Center – Main Events Hall
Join the upcoming anime Chainsaw Man producers’ panel! Panelists TBD. Host: Crunchyroll’s Kyle Cardine.
Schedule subject to change. Updates can be found on Crunchyroll News!
The beloved animated feature FernGully: The Last Rainforest is getting an exciting new release this summer. On August 23, Shout! Factory will release FernGully: The Last Rainforest (30th Anniversary Edition) in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo. Restored from a brand-new 4K scan of the original film elements, fans will be able to enjoy the 2D classic like never before.
Shout! Factory announced it had picked up exclusive worldwidde rights to the film in November.
Special features of the release include a fascinating new introduction with director Bill Kroyer, which includes never-before-seen pencil, character and animation tests. Other features include multiple commentaries, featurettes, a music video, a multi-angle scene study, a script-to-scene comparison, and more.
The Blu-Ray + DVD Combo is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and ShoutFactory.com.
Deep in the heart of the forest awaits a paradise filled with tiny sprites, winged fairies, tree spirits and all kinds of animals who live together in joyful harmony. But when their home is threatened by humans, one courageous sprite must give her all to save it!
Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Robin Williams, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Tone Loc, FernGully: The Last Rainforest is an iconic fantasy adventure for kids of all ages, presented here in a special two-disc 30th Anniversary Edition.
Based on the series of books by Australian author Diana Young and directed by Bill Kroyer (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), FernGully was a labor of love. The filmmakers used what was then brand-new special effects technology for penetrating layers of backgrounds, and to generate the beginning stages of drawings which were then completed by hand. 150,000 cels were created for FernGully, a total of 38 miles of artwork if they were laid end-to-end. Although many steps were computer assisted, every shot was primarily painted and animated by hand.
The key creative team spent time in the Australian rainforest to view first-hand one of the richest natural environments on Earth, and drew inspiration from the multi-hued colors of the forest and exotic wildlife. As a result, FernGully is extraordinary in its attention to detail.
The film’s ecological message about the importance of the world’s rainforests had a strong impact on viewers 30 years ago. That message is timelier than ever in 2022, and the film continues to find new generations of fans.
Synopsis: Crysta (Samantha Mathis) is a fairy who lives in FernGully, a rainforest in Australia, and has never seen a human before. In fact, she is told they are extinct. But when a logging company comes near the rainforest, she sees that they do exist, and even accidentally shrinks one of them: a boy named Zak (Jonathan Ward). Now her size, Zak sees the damage that the company does and helps Crysta to stop not only them, but an evil entity named Hexxus (Tim Curry), who feeds off pollution.
Special Features:
NEW Introduction with Director Bill Kroyer, which includes never-before-seen pencil, character and animation tests
Audio Commentary with Bill Kroyer, art director Ralph Eggleston and coordinating art director Susan Kroyer
“Seed of the Story” – Script-to-screen comparison with optional commentary by screenwriter Jim Cox
“From Paper to Tree” – Making-of featurette
“Behind The Voice: Toxic Love” – Multi-angle scene study
Original Featurette
“If I’m Gonna Eat Somebody (It Might as Well Be You)” music video
World-leading Arabic streamer Shahid (part of the Middle East and North Africa region’s largest media company, MBC Group) has announced a new partnership with Barajoun Entertainment (Bilal: A New Breed ofHero), the leading animation and VFX studio in MENA. Barajoun will produce five original Arabic-language animations, to be streamed exclusively under the Shahid Originals category on the Shahid VIP premium subscription-based service over the next three years.
Through this collaboration, the partners aim to grow and promote original Arabic animations that feature diverse stories that appeal to both local and international viewers. It is also part of both companies’ missions to mentor and support pioneering animators and other talented content creators, offering platforms in which their work can be accessed by larger audiences.
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with Barajoun Entertainment, the region’s pioneers in the animation industry. One of our missions has always been to tell the diverse and varied stories of the region to the rest of the world, conveying our great heritage, civilisations, cultures and lifestyles to viewers everywhere,” said Tareq Al-Ibrahim, Director of MBC1, MBC DRAMA & Shahid VIP Content.
“It is important for us to tell stories that reflect the reality of the region, carry its values, reflect its history and even foresee its future. We are confident that our partnership with Barajoun Entertainment, headed up by Ayman Jamal, will contribute towards strengthening the animation industry in the GCC and the entire MENA region, elevating the industry to the global standard.”
Ayman Jamal, Founder & Producer of Barajoun Entertainment, added, “This is an important move that encourages the development of the overall animation industry in the region. At Barajoun, we support the process and production of content that is unique and purposeful, created to the highest technical and technological standards.
“With Shahid being the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform, I am looking forward to seeing this collaboration contribute towards the development of more Saudi and Arab talent working in the fields of writing, graphic design, modelling and animation, as well as performance and voice acting — all specialties of this vital industry that attract viewers from across the world. I believe that we truly have the potential to be on par with the biggest international animation studios, production companies, and content makers.”
Jamal concluded, “As we work towards creating the first five confirmed
productions, we will also be operating on the sidelines, collaborating with various departments at MBC Group to develop related products such as games or merchandise.”
The first production of this new collaboration between Shahid and Barajoun Entertainment is expected to launch on Shahid VIP this July. Based on a science fiction novel, the work will feature the voice of a well known Arab actor, to be unveiled closer to the release.
Based in Dubai, U.A.E., Barajoun Entertainment is an end to end animation and CGI production company working in animated feature films, series, XR, VFX, game cinematics and more. The studio made an international splash with its original English-language 3D film about the birth of Islam, Bilal: A New Breed of Hero, which was awarded “Best Inspiring Movie” at Cannes Animation Day 2016 and was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
King Features Syndicate, home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, today announced a new comics collection in development: The Animator’s Attic, celebrating the shared history of comics and animation by inviting animators to share a sample of the comics and cartoons they created before becoming well-known animators.
The company is sending a delegation to next week’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival to meet with animators in search of additional participants for this visual storytelling showcase. Ahead of the big show, King Features’ President CJ Kettler and Editorial Director of Comics Tea Fougner shared some wisdom from their inkwells of experience:
Animation Magazine: What was the spark that got King Features started on The Animator’s Attic showcase? How long has it been in the works?
CJ Kettler
CJ Kettler: As we were completing production on the first season of The Cuphead Show!, we were hearing from so many of the creative team that comics were the spark that first made them interested in animation. No doubt, there is direct correlation if not an evolution between the animation and comics industries, and we think we can bridge that at King Features. We are also avid followers of the animation community on Twitter and have seen some early illustrations from animators that are just amazing. By creating this new Animator’s Attic concept, we feel we can both provide a way for animators to showcase their early inspirations and provide fans with an incredible look at the comic inspirations that paved the way for the animators working on shows that have hbecome part of pop culture.
At this time, can you reveal any of the artists participating in the collection?
Kettler: We are just finalizing some early agreements, that we hope to reveal in the coming weeks. But this is an open call to action to invite animators to go to their attics — or basements, or home offices — and unearth their hidden gems that deserve to be comic fans everywhere.
Who are some of your favorite animators who also make comics?
Tea Fougner
Tea Fougner: This is a tough one! So many! If you go back in history, some of the pioneers of animation were also cartoonists. I have a special place in my heart for Winsor McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur, especially, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Joe Oriolo, who worked on both comics and animation for Felix the Cat!
Looking at current animation professionals, Hamish Steele (the upcoming Dead End: Paranormal Park) is one of my favorite cartoonists working in animation. I’m also a big fan of Shan Horan, who is a cartoonist, storyboard artist and background painter. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention amazing animation writers like Taneka Stotts (Pinecone & Pony) and ND Stevenson (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) who both got their start in webcomics!
Would you say that working in comics creates stronger animators (or vice versa)?
Fougner: I think working in any form of sequential art can teach you something about other forms. Many animators started their careers by creating a comic in their early days whether as far back as high school or college. Comics are essentially a storyboard . I think making comics can help animators develop an extremely good sense of pacing and comedic timing, and animating can help a cartoonist think about how to bring motion and dynamic framing into a still comic.
Winsor McCay, ‘Gertie,’ 1914
We hear King Features will be meeting with artists at Annecy to find contributors for the Attic — what sort of ‘green lights’ do you look for when recruiting artists and creators?
Fougner: This project is really about celebrating the close relationship between these two art forms, so I’d say anything goes! We are looking to learn from people who are enthusiastic about both comics and animation— who understand that the two art forms aren’t interchangeable but do have a shared history that continues to inspire creators across all media. Overall, opportunity to introduce new audiences to new talent from around the world is core to our mission at King Features.
What is the best advice you have for animators who want to transition to comics, or comics creators who want to adapt their work to animation?
Fougner: Honestly, read comics and watch cartoons! A tough life, I know … but the best way to learn is to absorb as much as you can. Don’t be afraid to study like you’re studying fine art — do your own studies of comic panels or animations that impress you, deconstruct animated sequences shot for shot into your own storyboards, or redraw a comic page with just the script for reference. Break down anatomy, movement, color and lighting! You will learn so much.
Despite the encroachment of digital media, CGI, etc., comics and hand-drawn animation seem to be more popular than ever. What’s your take on the current scene, and why do you think these media resonate so strongly with audiences?
Kettler: At King Features, we love hand-drawn-looking animation — we are enormously proud of the classic 1930s style of animation in Cuphead — and we are developing content for CGI. Each IP franchise inherently will dictate which style of animation will work best. That said, digital media, when used well, doesn’t encroach on art; it enhances art and creates the possibility for new art forms. Armed with tools that make it easier to create comics and animation, more accessible platforms like Comics Kingdom, and crowdfunding infrastructures that allow creators to rely on fans to support their work — there are more gateways to success than there have ever been before for independent creators.
The Animator’s Attic is expected to launch later this year on ComicsKingdom.com, with new hidden gems being unearthed on a regular basis.
King Features (part of Hearst Newspapers) is a premier producer & distributor of globally recognized IP and a leader in classic character licensing and franchise development, with a portfolio including Popeye®, Cuphead, Flash Gordon™, The Phantom™, Hägar the Horrible, Moomin, Prince Valiant® and Mandrake the Magician. King Features is currently producing The Cuphead Show! with Netflix Animation.
Reel FX Originals, the award-winning animation production company behind The Book of Life, has teamed with Nitya Mehra (Baar Baar Dekho, Made In Heaven) to direct and actor/producer Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory, Suspicion) to executive produce the original animated feature film Diya — a fantasy adventure set in the world of Indian mythology. Screenwriters for the project are Shiwani Srivastava (Netflix’s Wedding Season) and Dr. Amy Bhatt.
Producers are Steve O’Brien and Jared Mass of Reel FX Originals. Nayyar is executive producing through his company, Good Karma Productions, with his head of production, Jason Hiro Kim (Gook). Lucas Koppel will serve as executive in charge of Diya‘s production on behalf of Reel FX.
Reel FX Originals is known for partnering with world-class talent in creating great stories for global audiences, such as the critically acclaimed feature film, The Book of Life directed by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and produced by Guillermo del Toro, and the crowd-pleasing Free Birds starring Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson — both of which generated more than $100 million in worldwide box office. The company’s most recent film, Rumble, starring Will Arnett and Geraldine Viswanathan, is an original animated family comedy about a reluctant monster athlete and his human wrestling coach which debuted December 2021 on Paramount+. With Diya, Reel FX is once again excited to collaborate with top filmmakers in bringing an original and authentic Indian/Indian American story the big screen.
The company’s other upcoming projects include the highly anticipated Netflix 3D animated action comedy Super Giant Robot Brothers! from Oscar-winning director Mark Andrews (Brave) about giant robots who must save the world from invading kaiju, while overcoming their own sibling rivalry. Debuting this summer, the 10-episode series is billed as a ground-breaking achievement in animation marking Reel FX as the first company in history to successfully create a season of shows fully visualized within a video game engine (Reel FX developed a virtual production animation pipeline utilizing a proprietary combination of live-action techniques and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine).
Also, Reel FX will unveil its latest short film, La Calesita, at next week’s prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival where it was invited to make its world premiere in competition.
Shiwani Srivastava | Dr. Amy Bhatt (photos courtesy of subjects)
Director Nitya Mehra made her directorial and screenwriting debut in 2016 on the hit Hindi-language feature, Baar Baar Dekho, and received critical acclaim for her film Chaand Mubaarak, in the Hindi-language anthology Unpaused. She is showrunner/executive producer and director of the Amazon series Made In Heaven, which is currently in post-production for its second season. Her upcoming calendar includes a new series with Prime Video. She is also working on projects with Roy Kapur Films, Excel Entertainment and Rainshine Global. Mehra started her career as an assistant director to acclaimed filmmakers Ang Lee on Life of Pi and Mira Nair on The Namesake.
Executive producer Kunal Nayyar is also an actor known for playing Raj Koothrappali on the hit CBS show The Big Bang Theory, as well as a voice actor in the hit animation film franchises Trolls and Ice Age. He currently stars in the hit Apple TV+ series Suspicion and will next be seen in the Netflix feature film Spaceman. Through his company, Good Karma Productions, Nayyar executive produced Vertical Entertainment’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, in which he also stars.
Screenwriter Shiwani Srivastava is a ScreenCraft award-winning writer whose debut original screenplay Wedding Season, produced by Netflix and Imagine Entertainment, will be released as a feature film later this year.
Screenwriter Dr. Amy Bhatt is a writer, museum curator, and former Associate Professor. She is the author of High-Tech Housewives and the co-author of Roots & Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest.
Producer Steve O’Brien is Chairman and CEO of Reel FX Animation.
Producer Jared Mass is Head of Reel FX Originals, overseeing a slate of animated feature films and episodic content for the company.
Executive producer Jason Hiro Kim heads production at Kunal Nayyar’s Good Karma Productions. He was previously Nayyar’s manager while at Lovett Management. Kim was also Executive Producer on the critically acclaimed feature film Gook which earned the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT Audience Award.
Mehra is represented by Evan Anglin at Zero Gravity Management and Darshana Bhalla at D’Artist Talent Ventures. Nayyar is represented by Innovative Artists and Lovett Management. Srivastava and Bhatt are represented by Nicholas Bogner of Affirmative Entertainment, Valarie Phillips of A3 Artists Agency and their lawyer is Mark Temple.
As part of Netflix’s feature film spotlight during Geeked Week, the official full trailer for the CG animated family adventure The Sea Beasthas risen from the deep to get its teeth into fans! From Academy Award winning filmmaker Chris Williams (Moana, Big Hero 6, Bolt), the movie transports audiences to a mythic era when leviathans of legend lay in wait for seafarers, just beyond the horizon.
The new preview spotlights the film’s plucky heroine, a young wannabe monster hunter who is determined to follow in the footsteps of her idol. We also get to see more of the briny beasts and (depending on personal taste, of course) curiously cute creatures populating this animated world.
Synopsis: In an era when terrifying beasts roamed the seas, monster hunters were celebrated heroes – and none were more beloved than the great Jacob Holland. But when young Maisie Brumble stows away on his fabled ship, he’s saddled with an unexpected ally. Together they embark on an epic journey into uncharted waters and make history.
The voice cast features Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens and Kathy Burke
Chris Williams directs The Sea Beast as well as writing the screenplay with Nell Benjamin and producing alongside Jed Schlanger; Joyce Arrastia is the movie’s editor; music by Mark Mancina. Sony Pictures Imageworks Vancouver provided the animation and VFX.
The Sea Beast premieres July 8 exclusively on Netflix.
You can read more about The Sea Beast in the 35th Anniversary Issue of Animation Magazine (No. 321), available now!
FOX has set fall premiere dates for its new and returning series, including the return of several primetime toon favorites delivering new seasons of laughs to its Animation Domination block.
Launching Sunday, September 25, fans can tune in for:
8-8:30 p.m. ET The SimpsonsSeason 34 Premiere
8:30-9 p.m. ET The Great North Season 3 Premiere
9-9:30 p.m. ET Bob’s Burgers Season 13 Premiere
9:30-10 p.m. ET Family Guy Season 21 Premiere
The Simpsons
The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, The Simpsons exploded into popular culture in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith) and Maggie are instantly identifiable television icons. Rounding out this cast of characters are many beloved Springfield residents, including tavern proprietor Moe Szyslak (Hank Azaria) and nuclear power plant owner Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer).
The Emmy, Annie and Peabody Award-winning animated comedy is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Television Animation. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean and Matt Selman are the executive producers. The Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division develops and produces the licensed content for the series.
The Great North
The Great North follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as a single dad, Beef (Nick Offerman), does his best to keep his bunch of kids close – especially his only daughter, Judy (Jenny Slate), whose artistic dreams lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall. Rounding out the family are Judy’s older brother, Wolf (Will Forte), and his new wife, Honeybee (Dulcé Sloan), middle brother Ham (Paul Rust) and 10-year-old-going-on-50 little brother Moon (Aparna Nancherla). While their mother is not in the picture, Judy seeks guidance from her new boss, Alyson (Megan Mullally) and her imaginary friend, Alanis Morisette (voicing as herself), who appears to her in the Northern Lights.
The series was created and written by Bob’s Burgers writers and executive producers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, as well as writer Minty Lewis (Regular Show). The Molyneux sisters serve as executive producers and showrunners. Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard also is an executive producer. The Great North is a 20th Television Animation production, and animation is produced through Bento Box Entertainment.
Bob’s Burgers
Bob’s Burgers follows Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and his ever-quirky family who help him run his burger restaurant. In addition to its 2021 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, the series has been nominated in the same category every year since 2012, and won the award twice, in 2014 and 2017. In 2020, H. Jon Benjamin won the Annie Award for TV voice acting. Bob’s Burgers reached its milestone 200th episode in S11.
Bob’s Burgers is produced by 20th Television Animation. The series was created and is executive-produced by Loren Bouchard and was co-developed by Jim Dauterive. Nora Smith, Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Greg Thompson, Jon Schroeder, Steven Davis, Scott Jacobson, Holly Schlesinger, Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Kelvin Yu also serve as executive producers. Bouchard and Smith are showrunners for the upcoming season.
Family Guy
After more than 20 seasons, Family Guy continues to entertain its die-hard fan base with razor-sharp humor, spot-on parodies, spectacular animation and orchestra-backed original music. Since its debut in 1999, the series has reached cult status among fans, and its breakout star, a talking baby, has become one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
Family Guy has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such a distinction. Series creator and lead voice actor Seth MacFarlane (voices of Peter, Stewie, Brian and Glenn Quagmire) was nominated for the 2021 Emmy Award for character voice over and won in 2019. Alex Borstein (Lois) won the 2018 Emmy in the category. MacFarlane also was nominated that year. He won the 2017 and 2016 Emmy Award in the category, and was nominated from 2013 to 2015.
Family Guy is a 20th Television Animation production. Seth MacFarlane is creator and executive producer. Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin serve as executive producers and showrunners, while Steve Callaghan, Tom Devanney, Danny Smith, Kara Vallow, Mark Hentemann and Patrick Meighan are executive producers.
