Developed by award winning creator Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), Season 2 of Star Trek: Lower Decks is bigger, funnier and Star Trekkier than ever before — and it’s charting a course for Blu-ray and DVD on July 12 from Paramount+, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The two-disc collection features over an hour of bonus content, including two exclusive featurettes.
Synopsis: As the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome, Space Force), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys‘), Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, Kong: Skull Island) and D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells, Master of None) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. Season 2 follows their adventures as they deal with changes in group dynamics, chasing promotions, and tons of sci-fi missions.
Helming the ship is Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis, The Rich & the Ruthless), alongside Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell, Billions‘), Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore, American Dad!), Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman, New Girl‘), Lieutenant Billups (Paul Scheer, The League) and Lieutenant Kayshon (Carl Tart, Jimmy Kimmel Live!).
S2 also guest stars Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeffrey Combs (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and Lycia Naff (Star Trek: The Next Generation).
The Blu-ray and DVD includes every episode from the action-packed second season, along with over an hour of special features, such as animatics, exclusive featurettes and Easter eggs, including:
A Sound Foundation – The first season of Lower Decks earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing for a (half-hour) Comedy or Drama Series or Animation for the episode “No Small Parts”. As sound for an animated series is particularly important, go behind the scenes in an interview with the team that creates the dynamic audio for Lower Decks while they discuss how they bring the series to life.
Lower Decktionary: Season Two – The start of Season Two sees our heroes separated by death and distance. In this featurette, take a deep dive into all things Season Two through interviews with the producers, cast and creatives about developing and executing the characters’ journeys in the second season.
Audio Commentaries:
Ep. 202 “Kayshon, His Eyes Open” by Mike McMahan, Jack Quaid and Jonathan Frakes
Ep. 205 “An Embarrassment of Dooplers” by Mike McMahan and Jack Quaid
Ep. 207 “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie” by Tawny Newsome, Paul Scheer and Garrick Bernard
Ep. 209 “wej Duj” by Mike McMahan, Gabrielle Ruiz and Kathryn Lyn
Season Two Easter Eggs (Episodes 201-210)
Season Two Animatics (Episodes 201-210)
Alex Kurtzman, Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout); Heather Kadin; Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth (Roddenberry Entertainment); and Katie Krentz (219 Productions) serve as executive producers, alongside creator and showrunner McMahan.
S2 episodes:
201: “Strange Energies”
202: “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”
203: “We’ll Always Have Tom Paris”
204: “Mugato, Gumato”
205: “An Embarrassment of Dooplers”
206: “The Spy Humongous”
207: “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie”
208: “I, Excretus”
209: “wej Duj”
210: “First First Contact”
Star Trek: Lower Decks S2 is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation
Productions, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Emmy-winning indie Titmouse is the animation studio for the series. The series streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America is istributed concurrently by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
The S2 Blu-ray and DVD are presented in widescreen format with English SDH subtitles. The Blu-ray offers English 5.1 DTS-HD master audio and French 5.1 Dolby Digital audio, while the DVD offers English 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.
Berlin-based animation and content studio Woodblock and UltraDAO Studios have teamed up to create movie-quality animated storytelling based on UltraDAO’s “Woodies” NFT project. This milestone partnership between the world of non-fungible tokens and the entertainment inddustry aims to create value for Woodies NFT holders while bringing the IP to a wider global audience.
“Featuring unparalleled world-building and vibrant lovable characters, Woodies is establishing itself not just as an innovative NFT collection, but as an industry leader in storytelling,” commented Chris Wallace, Project Lead for Woodies and founder of the UltraDAO artist collective. “We are honoured to partner with the brilliant animation team at Woodblock to introduce Woodies to a new global audience.”
The animated content will be anchored in the rich, unique lore of the Woodies. Writer Crystal Schrader, who led world-building and character development for the original NFT collection, will oversee the story, which further expands upon the Woodies’ origins.
“Woodies is pioneering what story-driven entertainment can be in the NFT age. The team at Woodblock values the Woodies story as much as our community does. They are the perfect partner to introduce these characters and their world,” said Schrader.
The first three minute episode will showcase the beginning of the Woodies’ unique and mystical origin story about Arden, the last tree left in a grove after a logger chops down all of Arden’s tree friends. With determination and the help of a magical protective Earth spirit, Arden becomes a Woodie, mobile and free to set off on a search and rescue mission to find his friends and stop the logger. Visually, the film will be based on the original NFT artwork led by Gossamer Rozen.
SIGGRAPH and Golden Nica-winning director Tom Weber is helming the first installment. ”Bringing the Woodies universe to life through the means of animation is really a natural progression. The project already builds on a very detailed lore with lovely characters backed by a strong community and our team immediately felt right at home,” Weber commented. “This is truly an exciting opportunity to expand and enhance the NFT and Web3 space with high-quality animated storytelling while also laying a foundation for future possibilities of digital ownership and distribution of content and assets.”
The film is set to be finished and released in summer 2022, and content will be released in a tokenized way in line with the decentralization and shared ownership prinicples of Web3. Woodblock is deeply involved in the Web3 movement, building its own projects and working in high profile partnerships with other projects like the Woodies. Animation will be produced in open source software Blender. which is by itself a central tool for the open Metaverse.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership and the team is loving the work on the project,” said Ilija Brunck, MD & Executive Producer, Woodblock. “The art and story are beautiful and just made for emotional and captivating storytelling. Besides the artistic beauty of the project, the partnership also perfectly aligns with our goals and vision for IP creation. Our ambition is to challenge how IP is created, consumed, and owned. The Woodies are the perfect project to help make this shared vision a reality.”
For the Woodies, the animated content partnership is a centerpiece in an ambitious roadmap of expanding the IP from the classic Profile Picture Project into a full-blown interactive and story-driven entertainment franchise. The Woodies team is working on an array of projects to create meaningful experiences for the community.
“The partnership with Woodblock highlights exactly what is important in the Web3/NFT space: collaboration, co-creation and community,” noted Richard Powazynski, CMO for Woodies. “In fact, the importance of community transcends everything that we do, so we are excited that we will be able to take our community on this journey to bring Woodies to life.”
The team-up also refllects the partners’ shared values: Both studios have a strong focus on creating positive impact and sustainability. The collection’s popularity and sales have funded the planting of over one million trees to date, in collaboration with Trees for the Future, which helps farmers in developing nations plant sustainable forests on degraded land, providing income, food and environmental improvement to the communities.
Besides producing storytelling content for Woodies, the partners will explore potential partnerships with other brands looking to enter the Web3/NFT space, especially those with an equally high focus on sustainability and positive impact. Both parties entered an agreement of shared revenue and asset ownership enabling them to create the most value for the Woodies community.
“When NFTs work with the movie and entertainment industry, great things are bound to happen. Not only will fundraising and distribution significantly change, but also the creation and the lifecycle of a franchise,” said Kai Fischer, CCO, Woodblock. “We can’t stop thinking about how, in the Web3 era, we might be able to view interactive movies and maybe even partake in them. NFT holders may be able to influence the direction of the IP as it expands into the world of film and beyond. What’s more powerful than allowing fans to directly have participation in the growth and expansion of that IP.”
Woodies is an NFT collection of 9,739 generative characters, made from over 900 nature-themed traits. The project was created as a collaboration by members of UltraDAO, an artist collective. The project sold out in 30 minutes after the public release using an innovative mint pass system, and the collections have a combined trading volume of over $11 million USD to date.
Established in Berlin and Stuttgart, and equally at home in London, Los Angeles, Copenhagen and Munich, Woodlbock is a global studio producing animated creative content across “the multiverse of media.” Clients include Apple, Amazon, DreamWorks, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Playmobil, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Universal and the World Wildlife Fund.
Three hit properties from Japan are on their way to bigger, better and more cutely sinister things as Reemsborko signs on as the EMEA agent for the Octas brand catalog, including Gloomy Bear, All Purpose Bunny and Mimi & Neko.
Not your grandmama’s teddy, Gloomy Bear was created in 2000 by manga writer and illustrator Mori Chack, who took to selling art and merchandise featuring the character on Osaka’s bustling streets during his free weekends. The cute-yet-edgy, cuddly-but-violent character soon took hold when counter-culture enthusiasts embraced Gloomy Bear as the perfect antithesis to traditional “kawaii.” Who wouldn’t love a seven-foot-tall, pink grizzly bear that beats his owner to death?
Fueled by 30 short, humorous anime episodes that will stream everywhere, Gloomy Bear is being licensed around the globe and saw a plethora of products hit the Japanese market in 2021. New international partners on board for 2022 include Funko, Bioworld, Isaac Morris, ID Supply, GE Animation and Fossil.
A long-form Gloomy Bear anime series is planned, which will stream globally.
All Purpose Bunny
Mori Chack also created All Purpose Bunny as an outlet to explore his animal rights activism — usually by showing cute animals getting revenge on exploitative humans.
APB’s story begins as a test subject in an experimental lab. Genetic modification led to the rabbit’s strange properties and unnaturally long ears, and it eventually retaliated against humans for the years of abuse … All Purpose Bunny and Gloomy Bear often team up to extract vengeance!
Mimi & Neko
Finally, Mimi & Neko are a friendly, “cheeky” cat and bunny duo. Their backside story begins as regular household pets who aspire to become human. One day, a magic star came along and granted their wish … but it was only about 50% effective. Now, Mimi and Neko are cuddly critters with humanoid hands, feet — and distinctly cute behinds.
“Reemsborko continues to sign the most interesting IP out there. Octas are masters in securing very cool properties that will delight anime fans everywhere,” said Max Arguile, Founder & Owner of Reemsborko. “There are some great partners on board already and if this looks right for you, please email max@reemsborko.com.”
Vince Shortino of Octas commented, “Octas bring Japanese artists and their IP to the World. We are delighted to have Reemsborko as the agent for all our cherished properties and look forward to the hussle they will bring.”
Gloomy Bear
U.K.-based licensing agency Reemsborko specializes in pop culture stand-outs from anime, anime-adjacent properties, film, TV, comics and even tattoo art. The company’s roster includes global anime stalwarts like Dragon Ball, Lupin the Third, One Punch Man and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as well as newer series like Tower of God, Trese and The God of High School.
Octas was established in 2018 by Shortino, who also founded Crunchyroll Japan. With a mission to connect Japanese creators and their IP directly to fans around the world, Octas provides artists with collaboration opportunities, marketing support, brand management and business development.
New York-based multidisciplinary studio Hornet raised a toast this week to Peter Sluszka’s Hardboiled, which will be served up as a world premiere screening in the official selection for Tribeca Film Festival 2022. This produce procedural is ready to pique audience appetites after more than 12 years in the making.
Hardboiled
Hardboiled is a stop-motion animated satire of the classic urban American crime drama, in which food and felonies are inseparable.Gritty, noir-ish and absurd, the story follows the exploits of tough-talking detectives Harry and Callaham (an egg and a slice of ham) as they frustrate their boss, shake down a sleazy bacon pimp and tangle with a megalomaniacal strawberry.
Hardboiled
“After years of chipping away and at times obsessing over Hardboiled, I’m thrilled to release it into the wild,” said Sluszka, whose credits include the Annie-nominated short Max and Maxine for Eli Lilly and the music video for Regina Spektor’s “All the Rowboats”. “This has been a passion project that entailed thousands of hours of labor to create. Starting with a concept, a few simple character designs, and perhaps a willfully naive optimism, the journey to completion took well over a decade.”
Hardboiled
Hardboiled will screen in Tribeca’s first-ever “Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G” program, The 78-minute block also includes the Canadian-Tahitian co-pro Tehura by Wei Li (world premiere); More Than I Remember by American filmmaker/artist Amy Bench; Pixar veteran Bret Parker’s child’s-eye view of gender identity, Pete(world premiere); Sam de Ceccatty’s debut adult animated comedy, Lilith & Eve (world premiere); and The Originals, a memoir of South Brooklyn childhood from award-winning director Cristina Costantini and first-timer Alfie Koetter.
Peacock detailed its new programming lineup for May, with a few li’l animation nuggets to discover in the library in addition to the launch of the DreamWorks Animation-produced Peacock Original Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the SkyS3 (May 19). Newly added toons will include:
May 1: The Land Before Time (1988), The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave (2016), Madagascar (2005), Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Woody Woodpecker (2018)
Winsing has inked several new deals for its new GOGO BUS and Team S.T.E.A.M.! series in the first quarter. This includes the extension of a new deal with PCCW for Team S.T.E.A.M.!, which is set to launch on Now TV and Viu TV in May. Additionally, Winsing launched a multi-language YouTube Matrix for GOGO BUS, including Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Hebrew, Vietnamese, English, etc., with additional language options to follow.
Team S.T.E.A.M.! is a STEM-based edutainment show co-developed by Winsing and a U.S. script writing team.Selected for the 2019 MIPJunior Project Pitch, the series has proven a runaway hit since its 2021 China debut. The new season is set to roll out in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, U.S. and other territories this year.
“Team S.T.E.A.M.! is specially designed to appeal to a worldwide audience, it’s under localization and the English version will be completed within April. We’re so thrilled to partner with all the major broadcasters in different territories, we do believe that it will be expanded wider as soon as the English version is ready,” said Sophie Lau, Head of Int’l Marketing.
Having launched a brand-new development strategy, Winsing will continue to roll out a slate of new content, including its evergreen properties GG BOND: Dino Diary S6 and Kung Fu Pork Choppers S3 in Q2.
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten
Following the success of the Kartoon Channel! app and content on the Roku platform, Genius Brands International, Inc. announced that it will offer a dedicated Kartoon Channel! on The Roku Channel, further expanding the channel’s presence on Roku. “As we begin rolling out the new Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse, we’re excited to share that in less than two years we are fully distributed in the U.S., reaching millions of viewers across multiple platforms!” said Jon Ollwerther, President of Kartoon Channel!
The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 80 million people in Q4 2021. Users now have access to Kartoon Channel!’s full content slate of original programming, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; the new fast-paced kids’ trivia game show, KC! Pop Quiz, hosted by Nickelodeon star Casey Simpson; and Rainbow Rangers, as well as classics such as Baby Genius, Pac-Man and more.
Digimon Adventure tri.
DMR, is letting fans stream their favorite niche channels with the launch of Cinehouse. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Cinedigm, DMR is unveiling this new FAST service providing access to genre movies and TV shows from around the world — including classic anime. This includes channels and VOD content available through partnerships with ESTV and Shout! Factory (MST3K, Shout! Factory TV, TokuSHOUTsu), as well as DMR’s portfolio that targets Gen Z and Millennials. Plans to add other third-party channels will be announced at a later date.
Featuring a mix of VOD series and movies, plus a lineup of 12 channels for superfans, Cinehouse is available at cinehousetv.com, as well as on iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, smart TVs and Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Following a soft launch and rebranding, Cinehouse is officially live with thousands of hours on demand — including several Digimon Adventure tri. movies and Godzilla films from Shout! Factory: Channel offerings include Golden Age anime outlet RetroCrush.
Disney+ opened registrations of interest for potential subscribers in South Africa, with an introductory offer of R950 for a full year (12 months of service for the price of eight). The service is set to launch in the country on May 18 at a standard price of R199 per month or R1,190 annual subscription (the special introductory offer is open to those who register before midnight on May 17). Interested SA customers can sign up at disneyplus.com.
Subscribers will have access to Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian from executive producer and writer Jon Favreau and, from May 27 , the highly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi. In addition, Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight starring Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, and Oscar-nominated Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings starring Simu Liu and Awkwafina will both be available at launch. Subscribers will also be able to enjoy Pixar’s Academy Award-nominated Luca, Disney’s Academy Award-winning Encanto as well as hit animated series The Simpsons (20th Animation) and more.
Port of Spain-based storyplay.tv (Big Man Dan) has released a teaser tune from its upcoming animated feature, The Caddy Club — a musical Caribbean adventure produced in Trinidad and Tobago. Titled “Show Off,” the energetic song is performd by the local voice actors bringing to life the movie’s squad of kid superheroes:
Osei Blake joins the production on the heels of numerous starring stage roles.
Selena St. Vincent brings multiple achievements in storytelling and drama to the table.
Leisha Imani made her screen debut on storyplay.tv in Boss Lady Homeschool.
Sloan De Leon is a veteran of the Junior Calypso Monarch competition and is a trained instrumentalist with a reputation for being an eyecatching performer.
Jarlon George has performed for Junior Best Village, Best Village, stage plays and the small screen.
The Caddy Club‘s writer-director-producer Kafi Kareem wrote “Show Off” and produced the track for the movie in collaboration with DJ J-Lava. The song was released to storyplay.tv and the studio’s YouTube channel.
Synopsis: To keep them out of trouble over the school holidays, gang affiliated Ryan (12), Akil (12) and Jamal (9) are sent to a youth golf camp where they meet their new golf coach’s granddaughters, Tameka (6) and Keisha (12). While chasing a ball that lands in the roughs, Keisha discovers a secret hole with an invisible portal. All five kids cross over to the magical realm, where they meet with ancestors who gift them mystical tokens containing the powers of love, courage, cunning, wisdom and motion to fight crime lords recruiting young children to join their street gangs.
But, their new crime fighting power comes with one important condition: they must keep it a secret. Determined to save their friends from a life of crime, the five kids take up the challenge to covertly defeat
the neighborhood gang, and become … The Caddy Club!
Learn more about The Caddy Club, pre-order the movie or register to be notified of future releases at storyplaymedia.com.
AfroAnimation, the largest annual summit for Black animators, announced today more than 3,400 creators have registered for the free virtual event, to be held April 27-28.
The second annual summit marks the first time a coalition of major animation studios from the U.S. and Canada have come together to celebrate diversity in the industry and hire Black talent. Fifteen finalists for the international AfroAnimation Short Film Award will be judged and awarded live during the event.
More than 70 industry leaders will speak at the 2022 AfroAnimation Summit. Session topics include ‘Developing Original Animation Series and Movies’, ‘Getting a Job in Animation – The Disney Edition’ and ‘Drawing Ourselves: Being Black in Animation’, as well as a special panel featuring artists and writers from the Cartoon Network Studios series Craig of the Creek. A screening room will offer a first look for attendees at some of the year’s most anticipated blockbuster animation movie releases in the U.S.
Event speakers include Chris Leahy, Director of Global Talent at Sony Pictures Animation; Jinko Gotoh, Vice President of Women in Animation; Latifa Ouaou, EVP, Movies & Global Franchise at Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation Studio; Bruce Smith, Executive Producer at Disney Television Animation; Morenike Dosu, Director – Diversity, Equity and & Inclusion Business Partner at DreamWorks Animation; and Keith Kellogg, Animation Director; Lucasfilm Animation.
“We launched AfroAnimation in 2021 to help increase diversity in the industry and the response has been overwhelming,” said Keith White, Founder, AfroAnimation. “We were proud to bring together a truly diverse and global team representing the industry, as well as attendees from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, the U.K., France, Brazil, Canada and the U.S. last year. In our second year, we’ve attracted an even larger number of industry partners who are committed to increasing diversity in the animation industry.”
More than 48% of people registered for this year’s event are women, a 15% increase over 2021. Attendees include artists, creators, animators, producers, storytellers, writers, voice over talent, VFX, film executives and industry recruiters. A resume and creative portfolio portal available to attendees will connect diverse artists and creators to open job listings and major studio recruiters. Interviews will take place during the summit in a virtual interview booth.
The AfroAnimation Short Film Award will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 28. The winner of this international animation short film competition, which attracts filmmakers from around the world, will be presented a $5,000 prize. Registered summit attendees can screen the 15 semi-finalists and vote for the winner on the summit’s live platform — Hopin — with audience voting accounting for 40% of the judging, alongside a panel of industry leaders.
AfroAnimation Short Film Award semi-finalists:
Shine – Director Theodore Daley
The Statue (Peykareh) – Director Mohsen Salehi Fard
The Rocker and the Puca – Director Trevor Courtney
She Flies Again – Director Joy Shannon
Afro Algorithms – Director Anatola Araba
Quit – Director John Damilare Adesanya
Kasi Riders – Director Myles Mlombo
Cherry On Top– Director Mark Cabaroy
Rodney Raccoon “Special Delivery” – Director JD Davis
“I am delighted by the growth of AfroAnimation this year. With our studio partners, we are able to provide access to the animation industry to a diverse, global audience,” said Rio Cyrus, Co-Chair, AfroAnimation. “This is exactly why we embarked on this mission.”
This year’s free virtual summit is sponsored by: Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Warner Bro. Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Cartoon Network Studios, WildBrain Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Cinesite Studios, Toon Boom, Walt Disney Television Animation, Mainframe Studios, Kickstarter and Maxis.
Learn more about AfroAnimation, see the full program agenda and register to attend (for free!) at afroanimation.com.
This weekend, POGO (India) will introduce a new series of heroic animated adventures with The Pandavas. Seasons 1 and 2 of the Indian co-production (13 x half-hour) will roll out exclusively on the kids’ cable channel starting April 23, with new episodes every weekend.
Produced in collaboration with Kolkota’s Hi-Tech Animation, the action-packed CGI series takes inspiration from local legends and mythological tale. The show chronicles the lives of the five Pandava princes — righteous Yudhishtir, powerful Bheem, astute Arjun, adventurous Nakul and valiant Sahadev — in their days as students.
“The Pandavas is an epic tale, told with a contemporary approach that’s both entertaining and exhilarating,” said Leslie Lee, Head of POGO, Cartoon Network & Boomerang in Asia Pacific. “The whole family will enjoy the show’s funny and nuanced characters as they demonstrate the true meaning of sibling bonds.”
Two additional seasons of The Pandavas are in development, promising more perilous adventures and heroic battles.
POGO is Warner Bros. Discovery’s only-for-India kids’ entertainment channel, home to popular homegrown shows like Chhota Bheem and Titoo–Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu, Bollywood franchise toons including Dabangg – The Animated Series and Smaashing Simmba, and international pick-up Grizzy and the Lemmings. In India, POGO is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Cartoon Network today announced the expansion of its Climate Champions campaign, aimed at giving kids tools and resources to take action on climate change. The initiative, in step with the network’s Redraw Your World tagline, empowering kids to positively impact change in the world, initially kicked off in EMEA last year, inspiring more than 95,000 kids to sign up and take on more than 830,000 challenges to-date.
Music prodigy Nandi Bushell introduced the initiative this Earth Day (Friday, April 22) with a special message about the importance of climate activism to post across Cartoon Network’s social channels. Bushell will also be featured as part of a social media campaign throughout the year to challenge fans from around the globe to become Climate Champions.
“Climate Champions was created to inspire kids to take small steps in their own lives and collectively make a big difference in the fight against climate change,” said Tricia Melton, Chief Marketing Officer, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults & Classics. “We saw the incredible success of EMEA’s efforts with the thousands of participants that signed up last summer to do their part for the environment, and now we have the opportunity to build on that with this ongoing intiative.”
Climate Champions will continue to roll out with the launch of a dedicated U.S. microsite through CartoonNetwork.com this summer that will include over 100 challenges, quizzes, games and videos with a focus on activism, art and science. Daily challenges will be crafted to motivate young people to enact changes at home, school, and in their local communities taking on small challenges that can make a world of difference to the health of our planet.
Additionally, an expansion of the campaign timed to the UN Climate Change Conference this November will launch to help kids find their climate calling. Toolkits will be available to assist in personal projects ranging from letter writing for activists, do-it-yourself tutorials for artists to create their own upcycled materials, and links to projects for citizen scientists.
Additional support this Earth Day includes a series of educational videos with favorite Cartoon Network characters doing their part to clean up the planet that will roll out bi-weekly leading up to the U.S. microsite launch, all available on CN’s Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Plus, viewers can explore adventures at the Creek with a Craig of the Creek marathon airing Friday, April 22 (11 a.m.-8 p.m. ET/PT) on Cartoon Network.
Rainshine Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global entertainment company Rainshine Global Inc., and award-winning animation and digital content production house Animasia Studio, join forces to co-produce the young adults & families franchise Young Captain Nemo.
The partners will develop the ocean adventure into a Web 3.0, multi-format content franchise, kicking off with a a flagship animated film trilogy. Anchored by RainBlox, Rainshine’s proprietary blockchain platform, Young Captain Nemo will create a community for investors and consumers to engage with ancillary content, including a spinoff series, NFTs, video games, merchandise and an original soundtrack.
Built on the rich legacy of the Jules Verne classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the first film in the Young Captain Nemo franchise is slated for a late-2023 release. Through the films and expanded franchise universe, fans will follow 15-year-old Gabriel Nemo, a descendant of Verne’s famous antihero, who is determined to protect the oceans and their creatures from polluters, whalers and poachers one adventure at a time.
“Through this initiative and multi-format content franchise, our goal is to build upon the rich legacy of Young Captain Nemo,” said Neeraj Bhargava, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Rainshine. “We’re very excited to showcase a young person of color as a protagonist in an animated franchise where kids from across the globe can see heroes who look just like them. Combining world-class talent with the best technology, we’re creating a one-of-a-kind experience where fans can own a piece of the franchise through our proprietary platform, RainBlox.”
The collaborative effort has attracted producer, showrunner & screenwriter Henry Gilroy (DC, Marvel, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Amazing Spider-Man, How to Train Your Dragon) and screenwriter/executive producer Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination) as screenwriters.
“Collaborating with Rainshine to build out the franchise ecosystem for Young Captain Nemo has been extremely exciting, and we’re starting with a fun action-packed animated feature we think audiences around the world are going to love,” said Gilroy. “Having been a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fan since I was a boy, I am thrilled about the fantastic work our team is doing to bring Young Captain Nemo to the screen.”
The Young Captain Nemo team will also include songwriter, composer, and LA Shorts nominee Saahil Bhargava as producer; Ah Loong (ABC Monsters, Harry & Bunnie, Chuck Chicken) as supervising animation director & exec producer; and Donna Ebbs, creative supervisor behind popular IPs like My Little Pony,and Transformers Prime, as a producer. Former YouTube global executive, creator economy investor and co-founder of Creator+, Benjamin Grubbs, will take on the role of strategic advisor and consulting producer.
“We are delighted to build the Young Captain Nemo franchise with Rainshine on such a large scale,” said Edmund Chan, Managing Director, Animasia Studio. “With the collaborative efforts of some of the best minds from the industry and a passionate team, we will deliver the best animated sci-fi series for global audiences. And with the introduction of Web 3.0 elements throughout the project, fans can be a part of the films, from pre-production to the product.”
The Young Captain Nemo trilogy of novels is written by Jason Henderson, celebrated American writer of comic books, computer games and young adult novels including the Alex Van Helsing series and the popular comic-book series Sword of Dracula.
As a Web 3.0 franchise, Young Captain Nemo aims to empower audiences to take on a larger role, able to watch, play, invest, buy and vote — connecting with a 360 immersive experience, seamlessly interwoven by blockchain. In line with the content and values of Rainshine, Animasia, and its creators, the franchise will be carbon neutral with a portion of the revenue allocated to keeping the ocean and its creatures safe and protected from pollution.
While Netflix has had some rough news this week, animation fans can still look forward to a diverse lineup of new offerings on the streamer coming next month. Check out the “New on Netflix” preview below and read on for the full lineup of toon highlights.
May will see the premiere of a new series starring the Boss Baby, a kick-off special preluding further adventures in the My Little Pony universe, a new movie and show season from Ghost in the Shell, original anime Vampire in the Garden, the return of acclaimed anthology Love, Death + Robots, more Octonauts to delight the littlest streaming addicts and the new CGI Marmaduke movie — just to name a few.
Octonauts: Above & Beyond
May 1
Corpse Bride
May 2
Octonauts: Above & Beyond Season 2 (Netflix Family, Great Britain) — Captain Barnacles, Kwazii and crew discover new environments and protect more critter friends as they hop around the globe on exciting missions.
May 6
Marmaduke (Netflix Film) — Messy and mischievous Marmaduke has a big heart but can’t stay out of trouble! Does he have what it takes to shine in the swanky dog show world?
May 9
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War (Netflix Anime, Japan) — In the year 2045, Motoko Kusanagi and Section 9 return to fight a dangerous new threat in this feature-length recut of the first season of “SAC_2045.”
May 15
PJ Masks Season 4
Vampire in the Garden
May 16
Vampire in the Garden (Netflix Anime, Japan) — Though mortal enemies, a human girl and a vampire queen set out in search of the paradise where humans and vampires once coexisted in peace.
May 19
The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib (Netflix Family) — Picking up where The Boss Baby: Family Business left off, adult Ted Templeton Jr. uses Tina’s magical formula to turn himself back into the Boss Baby. But returning to BabyCorp is anything but child’s play.
May 20
Love, Death + Robots Volume 3(Netflix Series) — Uncanny worlds, violent delights and twisted kicks await in the third volume of the Emmy-winning animated anthology from Tim Miller and David Fincher.
May 22
One Piece new episodes
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045
May 23
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Season 2 (Netflix Anime, Japan) — In the year 2045, cybernetic mercenary Motoko Kusanagi returns to Section 9 to face a dangerous new threat: the posthumans.
May 25
Larva Pendant (Netflix Film, Korea) —When Yellow gets trapped by a mean and mischievous cat Red rushes (noisily) to his rescue.
May 26
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark (Netflix Family) — When Zipp realizes that the power of the crystals are fading, she goes on a mission to figure out why.
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark
May 30
Mighty Little Bheem: I Love Taj Mahal (Netflix Family, India) — On a trip to the beautiful Taj Mahal, Bheem gets distracted trying to return a little girl’s lost teddy bear before someone steals it!
May 31
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 1
LEAVING May 31
Happy Feet
Marmaduke
It’s also a big month for new Netflix Games releases — perfect for staving off cabin fever in the last stretch before summer. Joining the previously announced digital take on Exploding Kittens – The Game are idle adventure/creature collector Dragon Up, Moonlighter (manage a village shop by day, explore fantasy dungeons by night) and city management game Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt (dates TBA). All titles will be available on Android and iOS devices with a Netflix subscription, no ads, fees or in-app purchases.
PGS has closed several media deals around the world for Season 2 of the popular CGI-animated preschool series Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight, produced by Technicolor Animation Productions. The first batch of episodes from s2 will be ready by April 2023.
Tiny Pop (U.K.), DeAKids (Italy), Canal Panda (Portugal), Uyoung Culture & Media (China), Showmax (Africa), IFC media (Slovakia) and TV New Zealand (New Zealand) are the latest broadcasters joining for a second round of the show. These early commitments just six months after the launch of Season 1 are a hallmark of success for the chivalric comedy-adventure.
”We are very excited of having achieved this level of commitment at such an early stage of the brand. This has proved that Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight has generated high levels of satisfaction for our partners,” says Philippe Soutter, Founder of PGS Entertainment.
Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight
New partners join the long list of broadcasters who have already signed on for the second season: TF1 (France); RTVE (Spain); RTP (Portugal); NRK (Norway); MTVA (Hungary); Teletoon+, Minimini+ & TV Puls (Poland); Televisa (Mexico); HBO Max (LatAm); Cartoonito (LatAm & Brazil); Myndform (Iceland); and Knowledge Network & Radio Canada (Canada).
While Season 2 commitments are going strong, Season 1 (52 x 11′) is still conquering charts. Since debuting on air last year, Gus, The Itsy Bitsy Knight has topped #1 positions in multiple territories, including France and U.K.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Gus’ performance across the world. Achieving #3 positions in all of Europe is a reflection of our dedication to bring this unique and magical universe to life,” adds Sandrine Nguyen, President of Technicolor Animation Production.
Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight
Recently, PGS has also expanded territories by signing deals for Season 1 with Nine Network (Australia), Mediacorp (Singapore), Czech TV (Czech Republic), LRT (Lithuania), TG4 (Ireland) and RSI (Switzerland). Season 1 is also airing on Disney (Germany), Frisbee (Italy), RTBF (Belgium), Star (Greece), SVT (Sweden), MTV3 (Finland), Lattelecom (Latvia), Hop! (Israel), MBC (Middle East) and TV5 Monde (worldwide).
The show is now airing in over 100 territories across the globe, and Gus is already sharing his high-tech knightly tales in 21 languages.
Aimed at kids ages 4-7, the series takes place in a world once upon a time … but now, where a little boy named Gus wants to become the greatest knight ever. Wielding his laser sword and mounted on his electric pony, Gus never misses an opportunity for adventure. Revolving around the theme of love, friendship and family, Gus will prove to one and all that a brave heart can overcome everything. Because there’s no greater cavalier than Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight!
Master Toy partner Mattel has confirmed an ambitious roll-out of Gus, The Itsy Bitsy Knight playthings by Fall 2022 across Europe, followed by a worldwide expansion in 2023.
David H. Wright III has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Casting & Talent Relations, Disney Television Animation. A longstanding member of the Disney animation team, he will continue to oversee all voice casting and talent relations for the Disney Branded Television studio’s animated series and movies. Wright reports to Meredith Roberts, SVP/GM, Television Animation, Disney Branded Television. Reporting to Wright are Aaron Drown, Jennifer Trujillo-Andres, Julia Pleasants, Kristin Paiva, Tatiana Bull, Colleen O’Donnell and Jennifer Klocki.
Wright began his casting and animation career in 1994 with Marvel Productions, working on popular series such as Iron Man, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. In 1996, he joined Columbia Tri-Star Television and worked on the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters and Men in Black. Wright joined Disney in 1997 as a talent coordinator for Walt Disney Pictures and Television and since then, in roles of increasing responsibility, worked on hundreds of animated films beginning with Lion King II: Simba’s Pride and series starting with Pepper Ann.
Since being named VP of Casting & Talent Relations in 2013, Wright led the team responsible for the casting of all DTA’s series and movies, including Elena of Avalor, which won three Emmys for casting, and the multiple Emmy- and Annie Award-winning Mickey Mouse shorts. The team is currently overseeing casting of more than 40 productions. In addition to working closely with voice directors, Wright also provides animation casting and recording guidance for many of Disney’s global partners, creating original animation in the U.K. and Canada.
His series credits also include Emmy-winning Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb, DuckTales, Star Wars Rebels and The Lion Guard. Film and video credits include the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, which received the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; Return to Neverland and The Fox and the Hound 2.
Christa Dickenson
Telefilm Canada announced that after more than four years at the helm of the organization, Christa Dickenson will be moving on from her role as Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer effective September 9. Appointed by the Governor in Council, Dickenson assumed her role on July 30, 2018, following a prominent career in television, technology, telecommunications and digital media. Dickenson has led Telefilm through a period of transformation and modernization during her tenure: Telefilm launched its largest-ever pan-Canadian consultation on the Success Index, the Development Program and the Talent to Watch Program.
Under her leadership, Telefilm was allocated $105M in additional funding over a three-year period. Telefilm was also entrusted by the Government of Canada with the administration of the Canadian Audio-Visual Short-Term Compensation Fund as well as additional funding to support the recovery and reopening of the arts and culture sector. Dickenson modernized Telefilm’s programs, reviewed its decision-making processes and promoted access to its programs for a greater diversity of Canadian voices. In recent years, Telefilm has also increased its transparency, strengthened its governance, and put in place clear and concrete action plans in the areas of environmental responsibility and equity and representation.
“It was a difficult decision to make, but since I set out to make meaningful change, I felt that after all we accomplished together, I could leave to take on a new challenge within another organization,” said Dickenson. “I am proud of the Telefilm team, an accomplished and passionate team of dedicated professionals who have proven to be particularly agile and determined during this period of profound transformation. Telefilm has a solid foundation to continue to support the audiovisual industry as a whole and enable it to flourish. The future of this industry is promising.”
David W. Reynolds
Emmy-winning Visual Effects Supervisor David W. Reynolds has joined the creative team at BREAK+ENTER (breakenter.io), a Nice Shoes company. A 20-year industry veteran, Reynolds brings top-level experience across features, television and advertising. In his new role, Reynolds will oversee film and TV VFX from inception through delivery, supervise teams of artists and provide on-set visual effects supervision.
“It’s the perfect situation for me,” said Reynolds. “It’s an opportunity to take ownership of projects from the script to final. I enjoy supervising artists in studio settings, and I also enjoy collaborating with directors and other production staff on sets. It’s very exciting to enter a situation that offers both components as part of an exceptional team.”
Educated at the School of Visual Art, Reynolds got his start as a compositor at Spontaneous Combustion. He went on to work as a Flame/Inferno artist at many New York shops. In a key early project, he served as a Nuke finishing compositor on the animated film Ice Age 3 through Blue Sky Studios. His first credit as a compositing supervisor was at Brainstorm Digital on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and went on to win an Emmy and two VES Awards for his work on the show.
Reynolds spent nearly four years at FuseFX, New York. As visual effects supervisor and head of 2D, his credits there included The Tick, Madame Secretary, FBI and Pose. For the past several years, he has worked as a freelance VFX supervisor on projects including the STARZ! series Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and compositing supervisor on HBO’s Mare of Easttown.
Rich Johnson
Diamond Book Distributors (diamondbookdistributors.org), a division of Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels and related pop-culture merchandise worldwide, announced that Rich Johnson has joined as Vice President, Sales & Business Development. Johnson will partner with sales and marketing to manage business development efforts including evaluating new business opportunities and working to expand the distribution network for DBD publishers.
Johnson has decades of experience in the publishing industry and has been involved in multiple aspects of bookselling ranging from store manager, to buyer to publisher. Most recently, Johnson served as President & Founder of Brick Road Media, a publishing consultancy firm. Previously, he served as VP Sales, Marketing & Business Development for Lion Forge Comics, Co-Founder & Co-Publishing Director for Yen Press / Hachette Book Group and VP of Book Trade Sales for DC Comics. He has taught at Drexel University and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Pace University in their Masters Publishing Program.
Christine MacKay
Christine MacKay, CEO and founder of multi-award-winning animation studios, salamandra.uk, was selected as a judge on the Creative Circle 2022 Animation Gold Jury (creativecircle.co.uk), with judging set to take place in June and July, and Creative Circle’s 77th Awards Ceremony in September at Dreamland Margate. MacKay is joined on the Animation Gold Jury by Brad Silby from Framestore, as foreperson, and a cohort of British animation experts.
The Creative Circle is an educational awards body dedicated to creativity in British advertising, and the oldest advertising and marketing awards body in Europe. Their mission is to help promote creative excellence in advertising, while sharing knowledge and experience through educational programs and supporting young creative people. Creative Circle is pledges 10% of all award entry fees and 100% of all membership fees to the Creative Foundation, a charity that supports young, under-represented creatives in need on their pathway to a creative career. Sponsors include Creative Pool, Little Black Book, Creative Equals and the Young Creative Council.
Full-service entertainment production company Subtle Insight Entertainment (subtleinsightent.com) is bringing Hollywood-quality film/TV production and artist management to California’s Inland Empire, a groundbreaking way for industry veteran and company founder Henry Jones III to open film industry access and high-quality production to underrepresented communities.
The Inland Empire is home to more than 11% of California’s population and is one of the fastest-growing population areas in the country. But, the center of the entertainment industry is in Los Angeles, where most auditions take place. Simply fighting traffic is just one of the barriers that aspiring actors, musicians, storytellers and film directors from the Inland Empire face.
“As a Black business owner, and as someone who has spent years in the business, I know how difficult it is to break through,” Jones said. “I don’t want others to struggle like I had to, so I am creating a space and opportunity for others who have the same aspirations but not the same access. I am striving to uplift my community through Subtle Insight Entertainment by providing high-quality area talent with local representation.”
A new season of soaring adventure awaits for fans of DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms! Season 2 of the series inspired by the hit How to Train Your Dragon franchise takes wing on Hulu and Peacock streaming platforms on May 5.
With Project ICARIS furthering expeditions deeper into the fissure, keeping dragons a secret is becoming increasingly harder for the Dragon Riders. Meanwhile Jun, D’Angelo and Alex are growing more suspicious of Tom and Thunder’s frequent solo quests, revealing Tom’s mission of uncovering his viking heritage and mysterious connection with dragons.
The series stars Jeremy Shada (Tom Kullersen), Julia Stiles (Olivia Kullersen), Marcus Scribner (D’Angelo Baker), Aimee Garcia (Alexandra Gonzalez), Ashley Liao (Jun Wong), Lauren Tom (May Wong), Keston John (Philip Baker), Pavar Snipe (Angela Baker) Justina Machado (Carla Gonzalez), Angelique Cabral (Hazel Gonzalez), D’arcy Carden (Linda) and Carrie Keranen (Wilma Sledkin).
Joining the cast this season is guest star Haley Joel Osment, voicing Buzzsaw.
Dragons: The Nine Realms
Set 1,300 years after the events of How to Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. Soon a group of misfit kids, brought to the site by their parents, uncover the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding — a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.
John Tellegen serves as executive producer and showrunner. Chuck Austen and Henry Gilroy are exec producers, with Beth Sleven as supervising producer.
In the just released, explosive second trailer for Pixar’s highly anticipated Lightyear, fans get more acquainted with the new spacefarers and robot characters (voiced by an interstellar cast) and discover new details about the upcoming sci-fi action-adventure. A new poster and images were also released..
The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
The film features the voices of Chris Evans as accomplished Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne and Peter Sohn as Sox, his robo-kitty companion. Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Dale Soules lend their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol’s Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Zurg.
The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz and Keira Hairston as Young Izzy.
Chris Evans as Buzz and Uzo Aduba as Alisha Hawthornw in ‘Lightyear’
Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director, Finding Dory), produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot) and featuring a score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (The Batman, Up), Lightyear opens only in theaters on June 17, 2022.
Annecy 2022 (June 13-18, annecy.org) revealed its XR@Annecy program for the Festival and Mifa market, plotting a journey that will take attendees through immersive animation in all its forms, aesthetics and narratives. In addition to the titles in competition, Mifa is presenting four conferences on immersive creation (Tues., June 14, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) plus an expanded New Technologies Area and new XR@Mifa event space. The Official Selection comprises eight projects, selected from 91 submitted from 30 different countries:
Affiorare | Rosa Schillaci (Italy/Portugal)
Déjà-vu | Dennis Stein-Schomburg (Germany)
Glimpse | Benjamin Cleary & Michael O’Connor (France/Ireland/U.K.)
Goliath: Playing with Reality | Barry Gene Murphy & May Abdalla (U.K./France)
Kidnapping à Vostok | Jean Bouthors (France)
Marco & Polo Go Round | Benjamin Steiger Levine (Belgium/Canada)
On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World) | Mike Brett, Steve Jamison & Pierre Zandrowicz (U.S./France/U.K.)
Samsara | Hsin-Chien Huang (Taiwan)
Nana Lou (WIP)
Annecy’s WIP XR 2022 lineup will showcase two narrative VR experiences that put the user in the hero’s POV. The selection committee notes that both projects stand out for their high graphic ambitions, realistic storytelling and how they are tailored to the immersive medium.
Nana Lou | Isabelle Andreani | Small Creative, Skill Lab | France, Luxembourg
The Canterville Ghost |Mathias Chelebourg | Atelier Daruma | France
The Walt Disney Family Museum announced its next major special exhibition, Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece, in celebration of the beloved Disney animated classic’s 55th anniversary. Guest-curated by Disney Legend Andreas Deja, the show will debut on Thursday, June 23 in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall. The exhibition will explore the creative complexities behind the making of The Jungle Book (1967), including the unique personalities of each character and their voice actors, the rich artwork and cutting-edge animation techniques, the memorable original songs by the Sherman Brothers and Terry Gilkyson, the impact of Walt’s passing during production, and the film’s enduring popularity and influence.
Over 300 rare artworks and ephemera will be on view, including original animation drawings and cels on loan from animation enthusiast and collector Mike Glad, retired Disney Creative Director and animator David Pacheco, and Deja’s own collection. An array of maquettes, model sheets, pencil tests, story sketches, concept art, behind-the-scenes photos and documents, American and international movie posters, and merchandise will also be on display, as well as archival film clips and interviews. To enhance their experience, visitors can immerse themselves further in the exhibition through in-gallery interactive elements and engaging wildlife and film-themed activities.
Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece will be on display from June 23, 2022 through January 8, 2023. Ticket reservation details will be available soon at waltdisney.org/jungle-book. Running concurrently with this exhibition, the Museum presents its first Cause Awareness exhibition,Creative Conservation: The Art of Endangered Animals. In partnership with five wildlife sanctuaries located around the world, this exhibition features abstract and pawprint creations by rescued and rehabilitated animals in the Lower Lobby and Theater Gallery, from Friday, April 22.
Disney artists will discuss the CG wizardry of Encanto’s magical casita at FMX
Stuttgart’s FMX 2022 (May 3-5 / online May 6, fmx.de) continues to build another bursting program. Recently announced additions include can’t-miss feature animation sessions:
The Technology Behind Encanto‘s Casita (online) – with Scott Kersavage (VFX supervisor), Tad Miller (technical supervisor), Nadim Sinno (associate technical supervisor) and technical directors Justin Kern, Nellie Robinson and Annamarie Fuchs.
Illumination’s Sing 2 (online) – production highlights with CG supervisors Boris Jacq and Richard Adenot.
Ron’s Gone Right: Making a Debut Feature with two Startup Studios + ITFMX Screening (on site) – Director JP Vine presents the behind-the-scenes process of creating Locksmith’s award-winning first feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong. FMX visitors can attend the ITFMX Screening, in cooperation with ITFS, on May 5.
Attendees can also gain insights into virtual production as well as a range of emerging entertainment technologies in the “Changing the Game” track, with sessions on Unreal Engine 5, the innovation of William Joyce’s DNEG Animation collaboration, BRON Digtial’s real-time production slate and speculation on the Metaverse.
Vitality by Emilie Mereghetti (Tant Mieux Prod.) is selected for Animafest’s Children 15+ competition
World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2022 (June 6-11, animafest.hr) announced the films selected for the Films for Children Competition. The central event of the rich Animafest Zagreb 2022 Children and Youth Program, the competition is made up of an international selection of 41 films. The selection includes warmly received festival favorites like Franzy’s Soup Kitchen (Ana Chubinidze), Suzie in the Garden (Lucie Sunková), Elevator Alone (Anastasia Papadopoulou) and My Grandmother Is an Egg (Wu-Ching Chang).
The films were preselected by Nino Kovačić and selected by the Slovenian media psychologist Martina Peštaj, editor of Children and Youth Programming with Radio Television Slovenia, who categorized the entries into sections for four age groups (3-6 years, 7-10, 11-14, 15+). See the full selection here.
“Space Nomblers” by Kris Theorin was the winner of the Infinite Journeys challenge.
Maxon congratulated Kris Theorin and Euan Morrison on winning Clinton Jones (a.k.a. PWNISHER)’s latest 3D community creative challenge: Infinite Journeys. With more than 2,000 entries, the YouTube contest challenged 3D artists to build their own custom scenes based on only the phrase ‘infinite journeys’ and the stipulation that the animation must contain a moving vehicle.
At the conclusion of the contest, Clinton merged all the entries together to create an epic character-based 3D travel montage, then parsed out the top 100 (watch here) to ultimately land on first, second, third, fourth, and fifth place winners. In the end, 2,448 artists worked for a collective 18.8 years over 30 days to create nearly three hours of infinite journeys.
The winning render follows a “Space Nomblers” idea. Featuring a purple-haired character feeding a likewise purple creature in space (ending in a delightful surprise), Theorin says his scene is “a cross between the turret fight scene from Star Wars: A New Hope and the Luma feeding mechanic from Super Mario Galaxy.”
Dates, Updates, Entries & More:
Animayo (animayo.com) returns for its 17th Gran Canaria edition, presenting a summit, conferences and Oscar-qualifying film festival dedicated to animation, VFX and video games. May 3-7, Advance Sale Tickets
The recent Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Anniversary and Kimetsu Party (kimetsusai.com/en) were a success, and fans can still stream the live table reads with special guest appearances by LiSA and Aimer through April 24.
Reminder: Submit your projects for Cartoon Forum 2022 (Sept. 19-22, Toulouse, cartoon-media.eu)! Deadline: May 9, 2022
Submit films for youngsters to the 15thKUKI festival in Berlin (Nov. 13-20, Berlin, interfilm.de). Deadline: May 9, 2022 (shortfilmdepot.com)
Folimage is calling for submissions to its Young Audience Artist-in-Residence program for creators/directors making animated comedy shorts for kids 5-7. Deadline: May 31, 2022 (folimage.fr)
Brooklyn Film Festival will premiere 150 films for its “Unthinkable” 25th Edition (brooklynfilmfestival.org) in person, and will simultaneously stage the 18th KidsFilmFest online and on site. June 3-12
Save the date! Netflix Geeked Week (geekedweek.com) returns with news, trailers, panels and more related to top genre titles (and tons of surprises). June 6-10
This month across Disney’s content outlets, animation highlights include the new Disney+ original hybrid movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers as well as the S2 finale of The Owl House and series finale of Amphibia airing on Disney Channel. Plus, Hulu offers up more Dragons: The Nine Realms, Disney Junior catches up with Mira, Royal Detective, and more!
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Disney+:
Wednesday, May 4
Disney Gallery: The Book of Boba Fett– Behind-the-scenes special.
Moon Knight – Episode 6 (Finale).
Wednesday, May 11
New library titles: Mira, Royal Detective (S2, 10 eps.), The Chicken Squad (S1, 5 eps.)
Marvel Studios: Assembled – The Making of Moon Knight – Behind-the-scenes special.
The Quest – Series Premiere – Immersive, hybrid competition series set in the fantasy world of “Everealm,” from the creators of Lord of the Rings, The Amazing Race and Queer Eye.
The Quest [ph: Disney/Allyson Riggs]Wednesday, May 18
New library titles: Alice’s Wonderland Bakery (S1, 5 eps.)
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers – Original Movie Premiere – A comeback 30 years in the making, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers catches up with the former Disney Afternoon television stars in modern-day Los Angeles. A hybrid live-action/CG animated action-comedy.
Friday, May 27
Obi-Wan Kenobi – Two-Episode Premiere.
Dragons: The Nine Realms
Over on Hulu, more DreamWorks Dragons adventures in The Nine Realms take flight on May 5:
Dragons: The Nine Realms Complete Season 2 – Hulu Original – With Project ICARIS furthering expeditions deeper into the fissure, keeping dragons a secret is becoming increasingly harder for the Dragon Riders. Meanwhile Jun, D’Angelo and Alex are growing more suspicious of Tom and Thunder’s frequent solo quests, revealing Tom’s mission of uncovering his viking heritage and mysterious connection with dragons.
Library additions:
May 1: Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Open Season 2, The Polar Express, Stuart Little, Stuart Little 2 (20th Anniversary), Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
May 2: DuncanvilleSeason 3 Premiere (Fox)
May 23:My Hero Academia Complete Season 5 (dubbed) (Funimation)
May 29: Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc Season 1 (dubbed) (Funimation)
Last chance:
May 31: Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Dolphin Tale, Horton Hears A Who!, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
The Owl House
Fans of Matt Braly’s Amphibia must say goodbye to the whimsical frog world and the fearless Ann Boonchuy as the third and final season wraps on May 14 with an extended finale episode. Disney Channel viewers can also catch all-new episodes of Dana Terrace’s The Owl House leading into the Season 2 finale on May 28. On Disney Junior, youngsters will solve more mysteries with Mira, Royal Detective and meet fab guest stars in a special episode set in Mikku and Chikku’s mongoose village.
Disney TV:
Monday, May 2
5:00-5:30 p.m. EDT (Disney Junior) Mira, Royal Detective “The Mystery of the Legendary Sword” – Mira and her friends embark on an epic quest to find a legendary sword said to belong to the rightful ruler of Jalpur.
Saturday, May 7
8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT (Disney Channel) ***Extended Length Episode*** Amphibia “All In” – Anne and her friends fight for their lives as the fate of both worlds hangs in the balance.
9:00-9:30 a.m. EDT (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Labyrinth Runners” – When the Emperor’s coven comes to Hexside, Gus teams up with an unlikely ally.
Saturday, May 14
8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT (Disney Channel) ***Series Finale*** Amphibia “The Hardest Thing” – Anne’s journey comes to an end.
9:00-9:30 a.m. EDT (Disney Channel) The Owl House “O Titan, Where Art Thou” – Eda and Luz scramble to face the Day of Unity. King faces his true identity.
Mira, Royal Detective
Monday, May 16
5:00-5:30 p.m. EDT (Disney Junior) Mira, Royal Detective“Mikku and Chikku’s Hometown Mystery” – Mira is thrilled to accompany Mikku and Chikku to their hometown, a mongoose-filled village where she meets their parents, joins a local festival and helps solve a surprising mystery.
Guest starring is ESPN sportscaster Kevin Negandhi as a mongoose announcer, Punam Patel (Space Force) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Good Sam) as Mikku and Chikku’s parents, and Nik Dodani (Atypical) and Lilly Singh (The Muppet Mayhem) as Mikku and Chikku’s cousins, Anish and Anisha.
Saturday, May 21
9:00-9:30 a.m. EDT (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Clouds on the Horizon” – Everyone on the Isles prepares to celebrate the Day of Unity. Saturday, May 28
9:00-9:30 a.m. EDT (Disney Channel) ***Season 2 Finale*** The Owl House “King’s Tide” – The Day of Unity begins.
Monday, May 30
5:00-5:30 p.m. EDT (Disney Junior) Mira, Royal Detective “The Mystery of the Royal Flight” – When Neel’s new flying invention gets a mysterious hole during a big royal event, Mira must figure out what happened before it’s too late.
Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever) guest stars as Princess Ambika.
To celebrate Earth Day 2022, The Pinkfong Company has released Earth Day with Pinkfong and Baby Shark — a brand-new playlist consisting of a climate change content series designed to inspire families to take small but significant actions to help protect the environment.
Featuring the beloved characters Pinkfong and Baby Shark, this 35 minutes-long playlist contains 15 fun and engaging videos that educate children and their caregivers on the importance of preserving the Earth, and promote habits to improve the environment. With the playlist including The Scary Mr. Greenhouse Gas! and Buzzy Buzzy Bees, audiences will be able to learn how to reduce waste and emissions and conserve endangered species.
In addition to the educational playlist, The Pinkfong Company has teamed up with A Plastic Ocean Foundation (APO), a charitable organization in Hong Kong, to support Only One Ocean Flag Day 2022, a charity event to conserve the ocean hosted by APO. As part of the collaboration, The Pinkfong Company and APO launched a series of high-quality flag stickers and collectibles, including the Baby Shark RPET Lunchbags made from post-consumer recycled PET bottles.
In line with its commitment to make the world a better place through entertaining content, The Pinkfong Company has focused on bringing fun and creative ways that can help environmental sustainability. As part of the efforts, the company has delivered a series of environmental animated videos that highlight the importance of preserving our planet and encourage green habits. With 85 videos, Pinkfong’s environmental series amassed 15 million cumulative views.
RPET reusable lunch bags from Baby Shark X A Plastic Ocean
Apple TV+ is expanding its award-winning slate of Apple Originals for kids and families with Sago Mini Friends, a new preschool animated series based on the charming characters and artful designs featured in the award-winning Sago Mini World app, developed by Sago Mini. The series is being produced by Spin Master Entertainment and animated by Brown Bag Films.
Sago Mini Friends is an adorable nod to gratitude featuring Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit and Robin the bird. Along with a unique cast of residents as colorful as their own whimsical world, the four friends play, explore, imagine, and celebrate daily in their joyful town of Sagoville. In each episode, Harvey and all his friends express their true thankfulness for all things, big and small, through optimism, kindness, preschool-friendly humor and unforgettable original songs!
The new series is executive produced by Daytime Emmy nominees Jennifer Dodge (PAW Patrol), Ronnen Harary (PAW Patrol), Tone Thyne (Wonder Pets!) and Dustin Ferrer (Esme & Roy). Daytime Emmy nominees Laura Clunie (PAW Patrol) and Toni Stevens (PAW Patrol) serve as co-executive producers, with Chad Hicks (Kingdom Force) as series director.
Sago Mini Friends is produced by Daytime Emmy-nominated Spin Master Entertainment (PAW Patrol) and animated by 9 Story Media Group’s Emmy Award-winning studio Brown Bag Films – Toronto (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Blue’s Clues & You!, Wild Kratts).
The popular Sago Mini World app features over 40 games for kids ages 2-5 years old and has been recognized by the Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, the Webby Awards, the Academics’ Choice Media Awards and the Kidscreen Awards. Sago Mini World encourages children to play, build, create and pretend with thoughtfully designed digital games that spark imagination and curiosity.
The new series will join the expanding lineup of original animation for kids and families on Apple TV+, which includes El Deafo, Harriet the Spy (The Jim Henson Company), Wolfboy and the Everything Factory (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment), Get Rolling with Otis (9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films – Dublin), Academy Award-nominated animated film Wolfwalkers; Peabody Award-winning series Stillwater, new series and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain (Snoopy in Space, Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne) and Daytime Emmy-winning TV event Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, based on the New York Times best-selling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers.
GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights for Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, the 1990 animated series by acclaimed director Hideaki Anno. The high seas adventure is a masterful preview into Anno’s early directorial vision before creating the renowned series Neon Genesis Evangelion. GKIDS will release Nadia on home entertainment platforms this year, based on a new 4K restoration.
Synopsis: It’s 1889 and people from around the globe are flocking to Paris to see scientific achievements at the Exposition Universelle despite rumors of dangers lurking in the oceans. While attending the fair, teenaged inventor Jean meets Nadia, a mysterious girl who possesses a highly sought-after crystal called Blue Water. Pursued by nefarious forces, the pair journey by sea and by sky to escape their would-be captors and to discover the secret of the crystal.
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water was created by NHK, Toho and Korad, and helmed by Anno out of the animation studio he co-founded, Gainax. The series runs for 39 episodes.
Last year, GKIDS released Anno’s critically-acclaimed Neon Genesis Evangelion on home entertainment platforms, marking the first time the property was available on Blu-ray in North America.
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