Prime Video is bringing back our favorite clout-chasing teens for more quests to find their true selves (while also navigating the struggles of middle school) for Fairfax Season 2. Eight new episodes premiere Friday, June 10, exclusively on the platform, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. A fresh trailer dropped today, offering a taste of what awaits as Truman’s kitchen experiments make him a novelty flavor hit — and a destination for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Synopsis: The gang-gang is back for more fun in Season 2 of this irreverent animated comedy following the misadventures of four middle schoolers looking to earn their place in the culture. It’s a modern look at the timeless struggle to fit in and stand out, hold on to your ride-or-die crew, and kiss your first crush — who may or may not be AI.
Fairfax stars Skyler Gisondo (“Dale”), Kiersey Clemons (“Derica”), Peter S. Kim (“Benny”) and Jaboukie Young-White (“Truman”). Season 2 guest stars include: Billy Porter, Zoey Deutch, Camila Mendes, Rob Delaney, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ben Schwartz, JB Smoove, Tim Simons, Pamela Adlon, Annie Murphy, Guy Fieri, Jeff Bottoms, Larry Owens, John Leguizamo, Michaela Dietz, Michael Rooker, Edi Patterson, Mark Proksch, David Strathairn and Colton Dunn.
The series is created and executive produced by longtime friends Matthew Hausfater, Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley. Additional executive producers include Jon Zimelis and Jason U. Nadler for Serious Business (@midnight); Peter A. Knight (BoJack Horseman); and Chris Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Canobbio for Titmouse (Big Mouth). The artist Somehoodlum, who designed the characters for the series, serves as a consulting producer alongside the pop/internet culture clothing and media brand Pizzaslime.
Peanuts is celebrating Arbor Day (April 29) with a brand-new animated short, We Need Our Trees. In the new toon, Charlie Brown once again meets his nemesis, the kite-eating tree — but learns some important tree facts from the gang that cause him to look at the tree in a new way.
Part of the “Take Care with Peanuts” initiative, The short is available to watch now on Peanuts.com and GoNoodle.com, which engages 14 million kids per month with free wellness and movement videos created by child development experts.
In addition, Apple TV+ will stream the classic Peanuts special It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown starting April 29.
Tied to the holiday, free curricula for K–2 and 3–6 students from the award-winning Young Minds Inspired (YMI) emphasize the importance of trees to people, animals and the Earth. The lesson plans are available for free download on Peanuts.com.
A family-friendly activity sheet, also available for free download on the Peanuts website, enables children to create a “tree journal,” with pages that provide space to describe, draw, and measure the trees in their neighborhood — and to appreciate all that trees provide, including shade and fresh air.
The Creek kids are back with an all-new Craig of the Creek adventure tonight, Monday, April 11 at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network (available tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12 on HBO Max). In “Chrono Moss,” Craig and his friends come upon a mysterious Moss Village, which could aid them in their quest for the Heart of the Forest.
“Chrono Moss” kicks off two weeks of premieres every weeknight on Cartoon Network, with each episode available the next day on HBO Max. Searching for more clues leading to the Heart of the Forest, the kids must overcome more obstacles in hopes of uncovering the truth.
Fans can also head over to the CN Arcade App to play the game Craig and friends find themselves in at the mysterious Moss Village. Chrono Moss: First Strike launches in CN Arcade today, Monday, April 11 to coincide with the episode premiere. An extended version of the game, Chrono Moss: Quest For Glory is scheduled to be available on the CN Arcade app this summer.
Chrono Moss
Cyberchase, the nation’s longest-running math series for kids 6-8, will spruce things up this Arbor Day with the all-new special, which will be followed by a trio of episodes premiering in a weekend mini-marathon for PBS KIDS Family Night on Friday, April 29, plus even more on May 20.
Buzz from Cyberchase
“Buzz and the Tree” Special: It’s Arbor Day in Cyberspace! It’s a special day to plant a tree for a best friend, but Buzz has other plans. Concerned that Buzz is absorbed by his video game, “The Terrific Tree”, Delete calls on the CyberSquad to help get his best buddy back. Families can join the crew as they head out to the forest and use Buzz’s knowledge of trees learned from his video game to help Delete pick the perfect tree to plant in Buzz’s honor!
In even more Earth-friendly fun, our intrepid heroes will learn about a variety of environmental topics like migration, water pollution, and invasive species as they use their math and problem-solving skills to save the day in three additional new episodes: “Hacker’s Bright Idea,” “The Lilting Loons” and “Living in Disharmony.” The fun continues Friday, May 20, from 7-9 p.m. ET, during PBS KIDS Family Night with two more new episodes: “Traffic Trouble” and “A Garden is Born,” which follow the CyberSquad as they learn about cleaner, alternate forms of transportation and the importance of biodiversity in maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Each episode will be accompanied by “Cyberchase: For Real,” live-action epilogues that explore how the environment is interconnected.
Paramount+ this weekend debuted the teaser trailer and key art for Season 3 of its hit half-hour animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks. The reveal came during a series panel at Star Trek: Mission Chicago on Saturday. The third season will blas off on streaming later this year, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Created by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), S3 challenges the U.S.S. Cerritos ensigns in (hilarious) ways they could never imagine, starting with a shocking resolution for season two’s epic cliffhanger finale. The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” includes Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Ensign Tendi (Noël Wells) and Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). The bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis), Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman).
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the latest light-hearted comics hero to get a darker TV treatment, with Peacock announcing a new live-action horror-adventure series in development. Written and executive produced by Kai Yu Wu (The Ghost Bride), Casper reimagines the origins of Harvey Comics’ huggable haunt in a high school setting, caught up in a web of dark secrets buried for over a century when a new family arrives in the small town of Eternal Falls.
The project is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, and NBCUniversal’s DreamWorks Animation, which owns the Harvey Comics catalog through its DreamWorks Classics label. Casper first appeared in comics in 1936 and quickly materialized on screen in 55 theatrical cartoons (1945-59). Harvey Comics acquired the character in 1952, and he has since featured in numerous print titles, five animated series (most recently Casper’s Scare School) as well as the 1995 live-action movie directed by Brad Silberling.
Winners of the 31st Aspen Shortsfest (aspenfilm.org) were announced Sunday, qualifying top films in six juried categories including Animation. In addition, the festival presented Student Short, Youth Jury, Ellen Jury, Audience Award and Vimeo Staff Pick Award honors. On Tuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m., these award-winning films will be showcased in a program at The Arts Campus at Willets (TACAW; www.tacaw.org). The winners, receiving cash prizes of $1,250 or $2,500, include:
Animation Winner:Freedom Swimmer by Olivia Martin-Mcguire (Australia/France) — “Strong and timely story about political turmoil, and generational handing of struggle against oppression. An elegant marriage between animation and live action.” (OSCAR QUALIFYING)
Also Ellen Jury Winner — “Looking to the past to offer insight into the present, this poetically animated documentary interweaves hand-drawn animation with archival historical footage. In this story of escape, a grandfather tells about his perilous swim from China to Hong Kong, as he encourages his granddaughter in her own quest for freedom at a dangerous time in history.”
Animation Special Mention: The Shaman’s Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk (Canada) — “For its mastery of stop-motion animation, and the importance of sharing Inuit stories with the world.”
Animation Special Mention: A Brief History of Us by Etgar Keret (Poland) — “For taking us on a compelling journey through life, from new love humor to middle-aged darkness. Powerful yet seemingly artistic simplicity.”
Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver
Short Short Winner: Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver by Lewie Kloster, Noah Kloster (U.S.) — “This is a great storyteller telling a great story, where limited and eccentric animation helps lift an absurd and eccentric story.”
Student Short Special Mention:Charlotte by Zach Dorn (U.S.) — “For its impressive artistry, ingenious faux-documentary approach, and moving story about dedication to one’s artistic ambitions against all odds.”
Student Short Special Mention:Soft Animals by Renee Zhan (U.K./U.S.) — “For its hilarious juxtaposition between hallucinatory hand-drawn animation and self-conscious verité voiceover dialogue, resulting in an evocative statement about the things we don’t say to each other.”
Bekeken
Amsterdam’s Kaboom 2022 (kaboomfestival.nl) animation festival also wrapped recently, announcing winners across 13 juried and audience-voted categories. The winners are:
Best VR Award: Swarm by Maarten Isaäk de Heer (Germany)
Best Dutch Short Award: Bekekenby Kim de Ruyter (Netherlands)
Best Music Video Award: Kai – “A Little Too Much” by Martina Scarpelli (U.S.)
Nancy Award: Camouflage by Jantiene de Kroon & Remco Polman (Netherlands)
Best Documentary Award: Scum Mutation by OV
Best Student Short Award: A Film About a Puddingby Roel van Beek (U.K.)
Jamie Bolio Award: Green by Karolina Kajetanowicz
Navozande, the Musician
Best Short Award: Navozande, the Musician by Reza Riahi (France)
Best Short Audience Award: Pig by Jorn Leeuwerink (Netherlands)
Best Feature Audience Award: Bob Spit – We Do Not Like People by Cesar Cabral (Brazil)
Best Experimental Audience Award: Abandoned Village by Mariam Kapanadze (Georgia)
Best Kids Audience Award: Battery Daddy by Seung-bae Jeon (South Korea)
Best Commissioned Audience Award: Save Ralph – A Short Film with Taika Waititiby Spencer Susser (U.K.)
The Youth Media Alliance (YMA) announced the nominees for their French-language Awards of Excellence, with the winners to be revealed during the gala on May 24 at Radio-Canada’s Salle Jean Despréz in Montreal. Jury member select the nominees based on the YMA’s Statement of Quality. Animated contenders this year include:
TV/Web – Stimulation of Imagination and Creativity: Les mimistoires “Le donjon des fantômes” – produced by Maki Média, aired by TV5/Unis.tv and TFO
TV/Web – Commitment, Openness and Respect (short, under 20 minutes): Dounia “Alep, Syrie” – produced by Tobo, aired by Télé-Québec
TV/Web – Commitment, Openness and Respect (long form, 20 minutes and over): Canot Cocasse “Les bons conseils de Louis” – produced by Manito Média Inc, aired by UnisTV, Radio-Canada and APTN
Interactive – Acquisition of Knowledge and Critical Thinking Skills: Math Makers – Application produced by ULULAB
Interactive – Stimulation of Imagination and Creativity / Commitment, Openness and Respect: Tom Sawyer: La patrouille de Tom / La grande course – Website /Mobile application produced by PVP Média Inc.
Returnal
The winners of the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards were announced last week, narrowing down the titles worth adding to your Steam library to get through the last few gloomy days of Spring. Returnal (Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment) won Best Game as well as the awards for Audio Achievement and Music; Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios) was named Best British Game; and Unpacking (Witch Beam/Humble Games) won the public vote for EE Game of the Year.
Other notable triumphs include Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE), which won the Animation and Technical Achievement honors; The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna Interactive) won for Artistic Achievement; Toem (Something We Made) won Debut Game; and It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA), which is getting a feature film adaptation, won for Original Property. See all the winners and learn more at bafta.org/games/awards.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
More Dates & Details:
Cartoon Movie issued the final report for 2022. The next edition is set for March 7-9, 2023.
Gallery Nucleus presents an in-person/virtual panel and book signing for The Art of The Bad Guys on April 14, with director Pierre Perifel, author Aaron Blabey, production designer Luc Desmarchelier, VFX supe Matt Baer and art director Floriane Marchix.
E3 organizers have canceled the 2022 event to “focus its resources” on presenting “a reinvigorated showcase” in 2023.
BIAF calls for entries for its 2022 animation film festival in Bucheon, S. Korea (Oct. 21-25). Deadlines: June 30 (short, graduation, TV & commissioned) / July 31 (feature, VR).
Submissions and exhibitor reservations are open for SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 in Daegu, S. Korea (Dec. 6-9).
Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival has rescheduled for Jan. 5-16, 2023. The Palm Springs ShortFest is still set for June 21-27, 2022.
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red debuts on all major digital platforms April 26 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on May 3, just in time for Mother’s Day. Pixar fans can transport back to the early aughts and experience all the warm and fuzzy red panda Mei-hem with never-before-seen bonus material including seven deleted scenes, three featurettes and audio commentary with director Domee Shi.
The heartfelt, CG-animated coming-of-age comedy unfolds as confident, dorky 13-year-old Mei (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) must balance being a dutiful daughter with the chaos of adolescence. Her slightly overbearing mom, Ming (Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter. And, as if changes to Mei’s interests, relationships and body aren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited, she “poofs” into a giant red panda!
The voice cast also features Ava Morse as Miriam, Hyein Park as Abby, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, Tristan Allerick Chen as Tyler and Orion Lee as Mei’s dad, Jin.
Bonus Features:
Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by director Domee Shi, producer Lindsey Collins and director of photography Mahyar Abousaeedi.
Featurettes
Life of a Shot – Domee Shi and members of the crew describe the many-layered process and artistry involved in creating the hilarious Red Peony scene – from observing red pandas in a zoo to creating a storyboard to finalizing the animation and background lighting.
Build Your Own Boy Band – Step backstage to learn how 4*TOWN came to animated life. From creating each band member’s persona to writing and producing the songs to fine-tuning the details of their stadium performance, the filmmakers reveal how they designed the ultimate boy band.
Ani-Mei-Tion – Because Mei’s heightened emotionality is central to the story, it was important that her look and movement reflect that energy. Learn how Domee Shi led the animation team to incorporate hints of expressive anime to create Mei’s lovable, dynamic character.
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes Introduction – Director Domee Shi introduces scenes not included in the final version of Turning Red. Intro Meilin — In this alternate opening, Ming and young Mei have their portrait taken in a studio … but Ming has her own specific vision for the photo.
Taming the Panda – Under her mother’s guidance, Mei learns techniques to control her ability to magically turn into a red panda … to varying degrees of success.
The Debate – Mei runs for class president against frenemy Tyler, and the speeches get a little out of hand.
Fei and Christina Hang – Mei (formerly Fei) shares a banana split while having a heart-to-heart with Aunt Christina.
4*TOWN Dilemma – Mei scores tickets to her dream concert, but her strict mother won’t let her out of the house. What will she do?
Roping In Leo – Pleading with Leo for help with getting out of trouble, Mei learns a couple of his closely guarded secrets.
Easter Egg – Robutton Deleted Scene – An alternate ending in which Mei, finding herself sitting next to her 4*TOWN dream-idol Robaire on a flight to California, has some feelings.
Crunchyroll today announced its full SimulDub lineup for its Spring 2022 anime season, which will be its largest in history with nearly 30 highly anticipated titles, including SPY x FAMILY — with the show’s English-language voice cast revealed today. Anime fans around the world can close the case on when the English SimulDub premieres on Saturday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT on Crunchyroll, and will continue to debut new dub episodes weekly at the same day and time.
With ADR direction by Cris George (Black Clover), the SPY x FAMILY English dub cast includes:
Alex Organ (Fairy Tail) – English voice of Loid Forger a.k.a. Agent Twilight
Natalie Van Sistine (Attack on Titan) – English voice of Yor Forger
Megan Shipman (Akebi’s Sailor Uniform) – English voice of Anya Forger
French and German dubs of SPY X FAMILY will also be available on April 16. The Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese dubs will start on April 23.
Ahead of the April 16 English dub premiere on Crunchyroll, fans will be invited to a special watch party of the first English dub episode on Crunchyroll’s Twitch channel (twitch.tv/crunchyroll) on Friday, April 15 at 1 p.m. PT.
Based on the widely acclaimed, Eisner Award-nominated manga written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo, SPY x FAMILY is directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Hunter x Hunter; Rurouni Kenshin) with new episodes simulcast from Japan airing on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT on Crunchyroll and Hulu. The first episode, “Mission 1: Operation Strix,” was simulcast in subtitles from Japan on Saturday, April 9 on Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
Crunchyroll’s lineup of dubbed anime for the Spring 2022 season includes:
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Season 3 – True enemies are uncovered in the continuation of Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These. (Now available in English – Cast List)
Estab Life: Great Escape – In a city called “Tokyo” controlled by artificial intelligence, one group seeks to escape to new lands. (Will be available in English)
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai – Follow the “indecipherable” daily lives of two students who form a particular and peculiar friendship. (Will be available in English and Latin American Spanish)
Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It r=1-sinθ – Two scientists experiment with romance in the second season of Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese)
Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Season 2 – The Nijigasaki High School Idol Club girls return in the newest season of the Love Live franchise! (Will be available in English)
Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Tough for Mobs – One office worker uses their otome game smarts after being reincarnated into a series they’ve played before! (Will be available in English, German and French)
Tomodachi Game – Forced to join a debt repayment game, one group of high schoolers test how solid their friendships are. (Will be available in English, French and Russian)
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 – Naofumi takes up the shield once again after an ancient creature awakens, said to bring horrific disaster. (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German and Russian)
The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody – A Demon Lord who wishes to taste defeat reincarnates to become perfectly average. (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German)
Skeleton Knight in Another World – After being transported to the world of an MMO, one skeleton knight dons armor to protect the world from evil! (Will be available in English and German)
The Dawn of the Witch – Based in the world of Grimoire of Zero, magic students team up to perfect their skills! (Will be available in English, Brazilian Portuguese, German and French)
Heroines Run the Show – A high schooler heads to Tokyo and becomes a manager-in-training for a popular idol group! (Will be available in English)
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic- – More romcom mishaps come to the student council in Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Ultra Romantic! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, German, French and Brazilian Portuguese)
Date A Live IV – Shido’s mission of sealing spirits continues in the upcoming continuation of Date A Live! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish and French)
Dance Dance Danseur – This young student will do whatever it takes to become the world’s top danseur noble! (Will be available in Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese)
Love After World Domination – Can a forbidden romance survive between one superhero and a minion of a villainous organization!? (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and French)
SPY x FAMILY – One spy, one assassin and one telepath come together to create a fake family and uphold world peace! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German and Russian)
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – The cool “heartthrob girlfriend” debuts in the upcoming adaptation of Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Russian)
Aoashi – A young soccer star with hidden talent heads to Tokyo to play for a prestigious youth team! (Will be available in English and Brazilian Portuguese)
Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 – Main returns for a new season of Ascendance of a Bookworm continuing her training as an apprentice priestess! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish and Russian)
AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline – The rebellion effort continues in the continuation of AMAIM: Warrior at the Borderline! (Will be available in English)
A Couple of Cuckoos – Originally switched at birth, two high schoolers are in for quite the engagement! (Will be available in English, German, French, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese)
Shin Ikki Tousen – High school girls with the spirits of ancient warriors fight once again in Shin Ikki Tousen! (Will be available in English, German and Russian )
The Ancient Magus’ Bride -The Boy from the West and the Knight of the Blue Storm – Chise and Elias continue to uncover the mystery of the Wild Hunt in the second release of The Ancient Magus’ Bride OAD series! (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German and Russian)
Requiem of the Rose King – Richard faces even more battles as the struggle for the throne rages on. (Will be available in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and French)
Crunchyroll’s Spring 2022 slate is the largest on record for the company and will complement its existing library of more than 40,000 episodes and 16,000 hours available to stream, which was recently expanded through the transition of Funimation’s exclusive catalog titles to the Crunchyroll platform. Funimation will continue to add new subbed and dubbed episodes of previously licensed series, but all new series, subbed and dubbed, can be found exclusively on Crunchyroll. The Crunchyroll app is available on over 15 platforms, including all gaming consoles, across 200+ countries and territories.
It’s raining cats and dogs all over feudal Japan in the brand-new trailer for Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank unleashed today by Paramount Pictures. The fresh spot comes complete with an introduction by voice star Samuel L. Jackson. The underdog tale will arrive exclusively in theaters on July 15.
When a town of cats is in danger, an unlikely hero rises … a dog named Hank!
Synopsis: A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (voiced by 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!
Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka and Cathy Shim.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) and Mark Koetsier (How to Train Your Dragon), written by Nate Hopper (The Grinch). Producers are Adam Nagle, Peter Nagle, Guy Collins, Mel Brooks, Yair Landau and Susan Purcell.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies with 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.
The film will also be available on Sky Cinema (U.K.) this summer as a Sky Original.
Fantasy comics fanatics, rejoice! Netflix dropped the gauntlet today, declaring that an animated feature adaptation of Nimona is going ahead! The film is being produced in partnership with Annapurna Pictures (Missing Link, Sausage Party), with animation by DNEG. Nimona is slated to premiere on the streamer in 2023; production began early last year.
The voice cast will be led by Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona, Riz Ahmed as Ballister Boldheart and Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin.
Adapted from the New York Times bestselling graphic novel by author ND Stevenson (Lumberjanes, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), who broke the news on their Twitter account this morning, Nimona is being directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Spies in Disguise); produced by Roy Lee, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary; and executive produced by Robert L. Baird, Megan Ellison and Andrew Millstein.
“Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop. She’s a fighter… but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her,” Stevenson Tweeted. “I’m excited out of my mind to announce that THE NIMONA MOVIE IS ALIVE…”
Synopsis: A Knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.
Stevenson also unveiled a first-look image from the movie, showing off the CGI makeover for our shapeshifter hero:
Nimona first-look still
The original story won critical acclaim in both its original webcomic and graphic novel form, earning an Eisner Award nomination for Best Digital/Webcomic in 2015 and winning Best Graphic Album Reprint the following year.
Nimona was previously picked up for adaptation by Fox Animation in 2015, to be produced by Blue Sky Studios with Patrick Osborne and Marc Haimes attached as director and scriptwriter. Following the 2019 acquisition of Fox by The Walt Disney Company, the film was delayed twice before Disney announced that Blue Sky was being shut down in February 2021, and the project was canceled.
Recently, amid the #DisneySayGay controversy, anonymous former staffers from Blue Sky revealed that Nimona was “75% complete” when Disney shut it down, and that filmmakers had received pushback from Disney brass over LGBT-positive themes in the movie. Comics creator Stevenson identifies as nonbinary, and the original comics were noted for exploring queerness and gender identy. Netflix seems a fitting home for Nimona’s tale after this pushback, having brought The Mitchells vs. the Machines‘ LGBT lead character Katie to screens.
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 was an epic night filled with a record-breaking 1,000 slimings on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT), live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Hosted by actress Miranda Cosgrove and NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski, the 2022 Awards featured show-stopping performances, celebrity appearances and exciting surprises!
As for the awards themselves, Disney’s Encanto danced away with the prize for Favorite Animated Movie, while Nickelodeon’s evergreen series SpongeBob SquarePants won its staggering 19th award for Favorite Cartoon — 14th in a row! And blockbuster star Scarlett Johansson was named Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie for her portrayal of Ash in Universal-Illumination’s Sing 2.
Encanto
Highlights from the celebration included:
Special appearance from First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden, speaking to the resilience of today’s youngest generation, especially children of military members and veterans, and encouraging America’s youth to keep growing, learning and giving back to their communities.
Medley performances from Kid Cudi of his new single “Stars in the Sky” (check out the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 music video here!) and smash hit “Pursuit of Happiness” as well as Jack Harlow with his chart-topping hit “Industry Baby,” and the latest singles from his upcoming album Come Home the Kids Miss You, “Nail Tech” and “First Class.”
1,000 outrageous slimings, including: University of Southern California Marching Band; Chance the Rapper and Westcott Elementary School in Chicago; Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana; iconic landmarks across the U.S.; MrBeast; Charlie Puth; Dixie D’Amelio; the cast of Danger Force and Warped!; KCA hosts Cosgrove and Gronkowski, and more.
Kid Cudi performed at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 [Getty Images for Nickelodoen]
Exclusive teaser clips of animated action-adventure feature film, DC League of Super-Pets, presented by voice cast members Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson; and martial arts animated comedy film, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, presented by voice star Samuel L. Jackson.
Live voting and Nick’s signature orange blimp and its journey into the metaverse with celebrity avatars.
Celebrity appearances from Olivia Rodrigo, Gabrielle Union, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Sofia Vergara, Chloe x Halle, Charlie Puth, Chance the Rapper, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Jace Norman, MrBeast, Joshua Bassett, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Jordan Fisher, Sabrina Carpenter, Sofia Carson, Josh Peck, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Isla Fisher, Peyton List, Xavier Woods, Ralph Macchio, Unspeakable and Karl Jacobs.
And appearances from Nickelodeon stars: That Girl Lay Lay and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green (That Girl Lay Lay); Havan Flores, Dana Heath, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Luca Luhan, Michael D. Cohen and Cooper Barnes (Danger Force); Jerry Trainor, Laci Mosley, Nathan Kress and Jaidyn Triplett (iCarly); Kate Godfrey, Anton Starkman, Ariana Molkara, Christopher Martinez and Milan Carter (Warped!); Jules LeBlanc, Jayden Bartels and Isaiah Crews (Side Hustle); and Young Dylan (Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan).
SpongeBob SquarePants “Pat the Dog” (S13)
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 winners:
FAVORITE KIDS TV SHOW — High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
FAVORITE FAMILY TV SHOW — iCarly
FAVORITE REALITY SHOW — America’s Got Talent
FAVORITE CARTOON — SpongeBob SquarePants
FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR (KIDS) — Olivia Rodrigo (Nini, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
FAVORITE MALE TV STAR (KIDS) — Joshua Bassett (Ricky, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR (FAMILY) — Miranda Cosgrove (Carly Shay, iCarly)
FAVORITE MALE TV STAR (FAMILY) — Tom Hiddleston (Loki, Marvel Studios’ Loki)
FAVORITE MOVIE — Spider-Man: No Way Home
FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS — Zendaya (MJ, Spider-Man: No Way Home | Chani, Dune)
FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR — Tom Holland (Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Spider-Man: No Way Home)
FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIE — Disney’s Encanto
Scarlett Johansson voices Ash in Sing 2
FAVORITE VOICE FROM AN ANIMATED MOVIE — Scarlett Johansson (Ash, Sing 2)
MUSIC: FAVORITE ALBUM — “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST — Ariana Grande
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST — Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE MUSIC GROUP BTS FAVORITE SONG — “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION — “Stay” – Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI
FAVORITE BREAKOUT ARTIST — Olivia Rodrigo
FAVORITE SOCIAL MUSIC STAR — Dixie D’Amelio
FAVORITE GLOBAL MUSIC STAR — Adele (U.K.)
FAVORITE FEMALE CREATOR — Charli D’Amelio
FAVORITE MALE CREATOR — MrBeast
FAVORITE FEMALE SPORTS STAR — Chloe Kim
FAVORITE MALE SPORTS STAR — Tom Brady
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME — Minecraft
Minecraft
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 will encore the following dates and times (ET/PT): Sunday, April 10 at 8 p.m. and Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon; Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. on TeenNick; and Tuesday, April 12 at 8 p.m. on Nicktoons. The show will also be available on Nickelodeon On Demand beginning Sunday, April 10.
Sponsors of Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 include The LEGO Group, the Kirby and the Forgotten Land game, Lunchables, Olive Garden and Purse Pets.
On Sunday, Tokyo animation studio CoMix Wave Films, STORY Inc and Toho Co., Ltd. unlocked the first teaser trailer and new key art for Makoto Shinkai’s highly anticipated feature Suzume no Tojimari (working title; “Suzume’s Locking-Up”). The preview debuted exclusively on Toho’s MOVIE Channel on YouTube, accompanied by a sneak peek frame from the film, key art and an official release date set for November 11 in Japan.
Makoto Shinkai
“We must think about how to close the many doors we left open,” Shinkai said in the announcement. “I’ve bestowed that responsibility upon Suzume as she travels across Japan closing various doors. It is my sincere hope that this film leaves its audiences with big smiles and excitement as they walk out of the theater.”
Synopsis: On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety — 17-year-old Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly mesmerized by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
The stars. The sunset. The morning sky. Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky — Drawn in by this mysterious door, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
Ahead of the trailer’s debut, the production partners unveiled a first-look still from the movie. In it, a small and forgotten hot springs town can be seen. A ryokan-style inn lies derelict and abandoned, the rooms overrun with curling ivy, signs pitted and rusted… Suzume walks through this desolate scene in what Shinkai describes as “a story about closure.”
Accompanied only by the phrase “I’ll see you later,” the newly revealed key art features Suzume with her hair up in a ponytail, standing in front of a door holding a small wooden chair with both hands, about to depart on her journey. The water ripples ever so slightly at her feet as the door is cracked open.
Produced by CoMix Wave, Suzume no Tojimari is written, directed and based on an original story from Shinkai. The upcoming film follows Shinkai’s previous blockbusters Your Name. (2016) and Weathering with You (2019), which garnered unprecedented international acclaim. The key creative crew also includes character designer Masayoshi Tanaka (Weathering with You, Toradora!), animation director Kenichi Tsuchiya (Your Name., Teen Titans: The Judas Contract) and art director Takumi Tanji (Your Name., Children Who Chase Lost Voices).
Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse director Peter Ramsey has been tapped as one of the directors for Lucasfilm’s latest Disney+ Star Wars series, Ahsoka. Ramsey will direct at least one episode of the live-action series, which focuses on Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Padawan, played by Rosario Dawson in The Mandalorian and introduced in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Ahsoka Tano as she appears in ‘The Clone Wars’ and played by Rosario Dawson in ‘The Mandalorian’
The series is being written by Dave Filoni, who also serves as exec producer with Jon Favreau. The cast will include Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Hayden Christensen as Anakin and Ray Stevenson as an unnamed villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story.
Peter Ramsey
Ramsey is also keeping busy as an executive producer on the Sony animation sequel Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse. His directing and producing credits also include DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians, Sony/Lion Forge’s Oscar-winning short Hair Love, Netflix citizenship series We the People and upcoming hybrid limited series Lost Ollie. He is repped by Verve and attorney Todd Stern.
Kai Fischer
Berlin-based animation and content studio Woodblock (woodblock.tv) has announced that senior media and marketing executive Kai Fischer will be joining the team as Chief Commercial Officer. His efforts will be focused on business development and commercial partnerships, further developing the Woodblock brand and accelerating IP business.
“I was drawn in by Woodblock’s raw creative talent, executional excellence and company culture that’s second to none. Impact and business-wise, I’d say that the sky’s the limit for the Woodblock family — and I really want to help write the next chapter of their success story,” commented Fischer. “I’m particularly excited to collaborate creatively with people on all levels and from various businesses and backgrounds. Furthermore, I’m really looking forward to helping Woodblock grow and tell great stories with amazing partners that have world-changing impact.”
Fischer brings over 15 years of experience in digital and entertainment, content creation, business development and commerce to his new post. He has built business partnerships with more than 80 companies, aiding them to create long-lasting impact for their customers, business and society — notably an impressive host of brands and media companies, including AOL Germany, ADAC (Europe’s largest automobile club), and ProSiebenSat.1 (one of the continent’s largest media corporations). One of his latest endeavors was building the branded entertainment business from scratch at Constantin Film, one of Germany’s most important independent filmmakers and distributors.
Camille Geier
BREAK+ENTER (breakenter.io), the Nice Shoes visual effects company behind Pennyworth (Epix) and Dexter: New Blood (Showtime), has appointed Camille Geier as Executive Producer. A widely-esteemed industry stalwart, Geier brings more than 20 years of top-level experience spanning features, episodic television and advertising. She will lead the studio’s creative, production and sales teams, overseeing current operations, directing sales and setting strategic direction. Geier’s initial priority will be to raise the studio’s profile among studios, streaming services and networks
“We have a phenomenal core group of artists and plenty of resources to work with in expanding the business. It’s exciting and feels like the right place for me,” Geier observed. “It’s a well-oiled machine. We have top-notch systems in place and expertise across creative, production and the technology that give us the capabilities of a much larger studio.”
Geier joins BREAK+ENTER after five years as EP at BOT VFX, where her credits included The Tragedy of Macbeth, Stranger Things, Lovecraft Country, Dexter: New Blood, The Mandalorian, The Watchmen and The Boys. Previously, she held senior management positions with Click 3X, Curious Pictures, Rodeo FX and Rhino (Gravity). Geier’s early career experience includes seven years at Industrial Light & Magic. There, she produced visual effects for Gangs of New York, Starship Troopers, Van Helsing and other blockbusters.
Josh Sanders
Multi-discipline post production company OKAY STUDIO (okaystudio.co.uk) announces two exciting new hires to broaden the depth of their young team. “2021 was an incredible year with us significantly growing our team and client list. 2022 is all about adding some exclamation marks with key creative hires and doubling down on all the amazing work the team has put out last year,” said MD and Co-Founder Nikolaj Belzer.
Josh Sanders will be joining OKAY as Executive Producer, from Droga 5. His four-and-a-half years as a senior producer at Droga followed a successful run at agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and The & Partnership. Prior to that, Sanders worked at production companies MJZ and Stink. He has worked on a number of award-winning campaigns with directors Andreas Nilsson and Jeff Low, as well as comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!).
Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas joins the expanding production team at OKAY STUDIO as Producer. She brings with her a wealth of experience, having previously worked at MPC, Cheat and Nomad. The studio notes that Thomas’ “infectious enthusiasm, fierce work ethic and natural warmth — together with her profound knowledge of different post disciplines — make her the perfect addition to the team.”
Shannon Spisak
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced the promotion of Shannon Spisak to her new role as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Spisak, who previously held the role of Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, will spearhead all marketing-related activities for the company.
Spisak will report directly to the CEO & President of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Susan Brandt, and will be involved as part of the DSE executive management team, helping to move the business forward while continuing to support its strategic vision. Additionally, Spisak will play a key role in helping to develop the company’s product, marketing, creative, social media, and business plans. As an industry veteran, Spisak will continue to help the company evolve and expand the Dr. Seuss brand platform, while developing strategic, 360-degree marketing programs that create excitement, retail opportunities and collaboration moments with key partners.
Additionally, three new hires have been announced at Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Vienna Downes will join the team as the Senior Director of Licensing and Sales, leaning on her extensive experience in orchestrating winning business initiatives and innovative licensing programs. Raquel Ojalvo is also joining the team as the Director of Retail Sales. She brings 10+ years of experience in entertainment licensing and sales, focusing on new business development and category management. Jimeka Broussard has been hired as Licensing Manager, and brings to the team a background in budget, product and contract management that has propelled her performance to deliver best-in-class results.
Pam Kaufman
Paramount Global announced Pam Kaufman will take on the role of President, Consumer Products and Experiences, effective immediately. In addition to leading the Consumer Products business representing well over $5.5 billion in worldwide retail revenue, Kaufman will now have oversight across the Paramount global portfolio of Live Experiences including Hotels, Resorts, Theme Parks, Tours and Broadway, as well as VidCon and Gaming. She continues to report to Brian Robbins (President and CEO, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon and Chief Content Officer, Kids & Family, Paramount+) and Raffaele Annecchino (President and CEO, Paramount International Networks, Studios and Streaming).
Kaufman will add these new responsibilities to those in her current Consumer Products role which includes managing worldwide product merchandising and licensing as well as business development, marketing, franchise planning, creative strategy, retail sales and consumer insights. Additionally, the company announced its launch into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), in a collaborative cross-functional effort driven by Consumer Products, to bring some of the biggest Paramount’s franchises and beloved characters to the metaverse.
Her oversight covers the global Paramount portfolio including blockbuster franchises PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Avatar, Star Trek and South Park.
Brad Anderson’s beloved comic strip canine is ready to go off leash and over the top in the new 3D CG animated movie Marmaduke, set to launch in most countries through Netflix on May 6. The streamer debuted the official trailer Friday, showing what happens when the mischievous, oversized chow hound gets caught up in the world of elite dog shows.
This slapstick family comedy features the voices of Pete Davidson as the famous Great Dane, J.K. Simmons and David Koechner.
The film is directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé (Michael Jackson’s Halloween, The Reef 2), VFX veteran Matt Philip Whelan (American Gods, Hemlock Grove) and Youngki Lee (CEO/Creative Producer, StoryBerry) and written by Byron Kavanagh, based on the comics character created by Anderson. Marmaduke is produced by Legacy Classics, Andrews McMeel Ent., OneCool, Bridget McMeel, Tim Peternel and Lee.
Toronto, Shanghai and Seoul-based StoryBerry provides the animation.
Netflix picked up worldwide rights, excluding China, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Iceland, Poland, CIS, former Yugoslavia, the Baltics, Israel and MENA. SC Films handles international sales for the movie.
Marmaduke debuted in print in 1954, and currently appears in more than 660 newspapers in 20 countries around the world.
The Oscar-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) announced its 2022 festival winners today (Friday, April 8). Animation dominated the Grand Prize selection, and several festival favorite film and episodic titles were represented across the Audience and Jury Awards.
The Ocean Duck
This year’s Festival jury included Uma Thurman, Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, and Kyle MacLahlan, among others. The Oscar-qualifying Jury Award for animated short went to The Ocean Duck from director Huda Razzak. “This year’s Festival presented such a gorgeous, strong selection,” Oscar-nominated juror Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) said of the 2022 Festival program.
Co-directed by Anh Ngo, The Ocean Duck is a hybrid 2D film which takes inspiration from Rumi’s poetry and illuminated manuscripts to tell a modern story about a young woman visit her grandmother in hospital during a flood, which causes memories of the past to spill over in fantastical visions in the present.
The award announcement concluded with the Grand Prize Awards, which both went to animated projects. The Grand Prize for short film was awarded to She Dreams at Sunrise from director Camrus Johnson — whose previous short, Grab My Hand: A Letter to My Dad, won the NYICFF 2020 Jury Award for animated short. In this heartwarming 2D film, an elderly woman escapes her mundane reality through her dreams, while her attentive, optimistic great-nephew helps reconnect her to what she’s really missing.
She Dreams at Sunrise
The Grand Prize for feature film went to China’s To the Bright Side by Xiya Lan (NYICFF 2017’s You Look Scary), Nianze Li, Yi Zhao, Kun Yu, Gaoxiang Liu, Maoning Liu, and Chen Chen, a first-of-its-kind collection of animated stories based on Chinese picture books. The omnibus film is composed of seven shorts created in distinct styles and techniques, which take viewers on a stunning journey through China past and present, urban and rural, real and mythic.
https://vimeo.com/643412819
Animation also swept most of the Audience Award categories, winning for…
Ages 3+ — Franzy’s Soup Kitchen (Shorts for Tots) | Ana Chubinidze | France, Georgia
Ages 8+ — Mum Is Pouring Rain (Short Films Two) | Hugo de Faucompret | France
Ages 10+ — The Fall (Heebie Jeebies Shorts) | Desirae Witte | Canada
Ages 12+ — It Was Only a Rock That Looked Like Someone (Short Films Three) | Matisse Gonzalez | Mexico
Episodic Program — Moominvalley (feature program) | Nigel Davies, Darren Robbie & Jay Grace for Gutsy Animations | Finland, United Kingdom
Grown Ups Award, feature — Charlotte | Tahir Rana & Éric Warin | Belgium, Canada, France
Franzy’s Sop Kitchen | The Fall | Mum Is Pouring Rain
“We’re so grateful to our beloved audiences and extraordinary jury for rightfully acknowledging the incredible filmmaking talent in NYICFF 2022’s slate,” said Programming Director Maria-Christina Villaseñor. “It was so meaningful to celebrate cinema as a communal, shared experience between generations, in the theater and online,” said Villaseñor. “And a testament to NYICFF’s staying power and the power of film for harnessing great ideas, expanding representation, and celebrating meaning and joy, both on screen and off.”
Live-action prize winners included Burros by Jefferson Stein (Jury Award), Cupids by Zoey Martinson (Audience, 6+) and Generation Impact: The Coder by Samantha Knowles (Grown Ups Award, short).
It Was Only a Rock That Looked Like Someone | Charlotte | Moominvalley
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary season as North America’s largest and most prestigious film festival for young audiences, and marking its return to the cinema and in-person events, the festival ran over three weekends starting on March 4, at SVA Theatre. A virtual festival program ran from March 16 through April 6. From thousands of entries submitted from around the globe, each screening program was carefully curated for NYICFF’s dedicated audience of over 28,000 children, families, educators, filmmakers, cinephiles and industry professionals. Visit the NYICFF website to learn more.
TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. has announced that its new animated movie, Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween will be released nationwide in Japan on April 15. The story is set in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district during the spookiest season of the year, and features a realistic recreation of the ward’s well-known cityscape, with detailed depictions of the buildings and facilities as they exist today.
Co-produced by TMS, the movie is the 25th installment in the Detective Conan franchise, based on the original boy-sleuth manga by Gosho Aoyama. The Bride of Halloween is directed by Conan newcomer Susumu Kitsunaka (Haikyu) from a script by franchise stalwart Takahiro Okura (series writer since The Crimson Love Letter). Composer Yugo Kanno (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Psycho-Pass movies) joins the crew, having worked on numerous blockbusters and hit series across animation and live action. The movie’s theme song is performed by alt rock band Bump of Chicken
The Story:
A wedding ceremony is being held in Shibuya’s “Hikarie” skyscraper. The bride, Sato, a detective of the Metropolitan Police Department, is in a wedding dress. While Conan and the other guests are watching, a group of thugs suddenly invade the venue and attack. Detective Takagi puts himself in danger and risks his life to protect Sato.
Though the situation is settled, and Detective Takagi is safe, Sato is reminded of the incident about the series of bombings from three years ago; the ones that killed Detective Matsuda, her first love.
At the same time, the criminal behind the bombing incident three years ago, has escaped prison. Is this a coincidence? Rei Furuya (Toru Amuro) of the Public Security Bureau hunts down the person who killed his colleague, Detective Matsuda. However, another person in a mysterious costume appeared, and attached a collar bomb on him.
Conan visits an underground shelter where Amuro is hiding to safely remove the collar bomb. Amuro tells Conan about the incident from three years ago: the encounters with an unidentified costume bomber “Plamya” in Shibuya with his fellow Police Academy members. Eventually, a disturbing shadow is cast upon Conan and others who are proceeding with the investigation…
The voice cast features familiar voices, such as Minami Takayama as the main character, Conan Edogawa; Wakana Yamazaki as Ran Mori; Rikiya Koyama as Kogoro Mori; Toru Furuya as Toru Amuro; and the characters from Police Academy, including Nobutoshi Kanna as Jinpei Matsuda, Shinichiro Miki as Kenji Hagiwara, Hiroki Touki as Wataru Date and Hikaru Midorikawa as Hiromitsu Morofushi.
Detective Conan (Case Closed) was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday (Shogakukan) in 1994. Since then, the manga’s 94 published volumes have sold over 230 million copies — one of the bestselling detective/mystery comics in Japan with great international popularity.
The Detective Conan Committee comprises TMS, Shogakukan Inc., Nippon Television Network Corporation, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd. and Toho Co., Ltd.
The animated delightful Panda! Go Panda! will be released on Blu-Ray + DVD combo on June 21. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the film is a charming early-career classic from animation legends Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki before they went on to co-found the legendary Studio Ghibli.
Included in the upcoming release from GKIDS, distributed by Shout! Factory, are both Panda! Go Panda! (1972), Rainy Day Circus (1973), and tons of special features — including a conversation between the film’s director, Academy Award nominee Takahata, and the film’s writer, Academy Award winner Miyazaki, available for the first time in North America.
Synopsis: Mimiko is a cheerful, young girl who is left on her own while her grandmother is away. When little Panny Panda and his father Papanda stumble into her home, Mimiko welcomes them in as her new family. Adventures ensue as Mimiko discovers the challenges of taking care of her new cuddly friends.
First known as Panda Kopanda (translation: Panda, Baby Panda), the movie initially premiered in Japan at the height of the ‘panda craze’ in September 1972.
Special Features
“From Mimi to Heidi, From Papanda to Totoro” Interview
Panda! Go Panda! Exhibit ~ The Impact of Hayao Miyazaki’s Image Boards ~
Conversation with Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki in 1994
Pixar’s latest animated feature Turning Red is turning heads on Disney+! The straight-to-VOD release came in No. 1 on Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart following its March 11 debut. Directed by Domee Shi and produced by Lindsey Collins (both recently named to the studio’s leadership teams), the colorful story of a young teen juggling a strange family legacy with a controlling mom and the throes of puberty totted up 1.701 billion minutes of viewing.
The only other animated title in the overall top 10, holding on strong since its Nov. 24 release, is Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto, which added 783 million minutes to its viewing total on Disney+. On the Movies chart, DreamWorks’ Shrek and Shrek 2 came in at No. 4 & 5 (341M min. 316M min.), having arrived on Netflix on March 1 (Shrek Forever After was added April 1). View the full charts at nielsen.com.
The McFire Family
Cyber Group Studios announced several series agreements with Gulli (M6 Group), France’s leading children’s channel. The deal includes the development of two original CGS properties, The McFire Family and George Moby and Co., as well as the pre-acquisition of the recently developed third season of hit series Taffy. All three shows are slated to begin production this year.
The McFire Family (CGi, 52 x 11′, Kids 5-8), created by CGS Chairman & CEO Pierre Sissmann and co-written with VP of Development Ira Singerman (Press Start!) and Head Writer Jacqueline Moody (Gigantosaurus), follows a family of “super-firefighters” and rescuers whose powers stem from their inventive lifesaving technology. Their ancestors were the very first firefighters and the legacy continues with siblings Tom (12 years old), Sparkle (10) and Jax (6), who join their parents and grandpa on exciting rescue adventures, using cool vehicles and high-tech gear to save the day.
George Moby and Co. (2D, 78 x 7’, Kids & Families) is an original comedy CGS’s Ahmed Guerrouache (director of Taffy) with a series bible co-written by Guerrouache, Marine Lachenaud and Sissmann. It follows the adventures of a most unexpected and hilarious duo: George, a timid vegetarian lion, and Moby, a vociferous and determined little mouse. George is looking to make his mark on society and gives Moby a home inside his mouth, hoping that his new “inner voice” doesn’t do all the talking.
Taffy, the 2D cartoon comedy series created by Sissmann, Emmy-nominated Mike De Seve and directed by Guerrouache, returns for a third season, filled with crazy adventures, characters, and settings that will create a whole new environment. The series follows the non-stop, slapstick misadventures of a loyal hound dog named Bentley after his billionaire old lady owner, Mrs. Muchmore, takes in a raccoon imposter posing as a wide-eyed, fluffy Angora cat. In each episode, Bentley tries to reveal Taffy for the varmint that he is — while super-clever Taffy handily (and comically) turns the tables on the dog.
Jade Armor
TeamTO has extended the reach of its original, girl-powered action-comedy Jade Armor(26 x 22′) with a new broadcast rights deal inked by WarnerMedia Kids & Family EMEA. The outlet’s U.S. biz previously picked up rights, ensuring a premium platform placement for the maverick martial arts animated series in the U.S. and Latin American markets. Jade Armor will join the kids’ and family lineup available on HBO Max and Cartoon Network in EMEA later this year.
Based on a concept by M Pongo Kuo, Jade Armor centers on the martial arts-loving Lan Jun, an unlikely teenage heroine who must learn the ancient secrets of her family and uncover the unexpected, all while navigating life as a teen. The TeamTO production supported by broadcast partners France Télévisions and SUPER RTL features a talented all-female creative team including multi-award-winning exec producer Corinne Kouper, showrunner and co-creator Chloé Miller, head writer MJ Offen, French story editor Ghyslaine Pujol and co-developer Mary Bredin.
Go! Go! Cory Carson
Superights secured international sales rights to the triple Emmy Award-winning animated series Go! Go! Cory Carson (63 x 7′ + 16 x 3’30” shorts + 3 x 22′ seasonal specials + 42′ mini movie). This agreement marks the first deal between the French company and the world leader in electronic learning products for children, VTech. Kuku Studios in Berkeley produced the series, based on VTech’s Go! Go! Smart Wheels line, with Superprod Studio handling CGI production.
The series centers on Cory Carson, a friendly and curious orange car learning to navigate the winding roads of childhood with the help of his sister Chrissy , friends and family in Bumperton Hills. Each episode tells the daily adventures of Cory and his friends through engaging storylines full of charm, humor and joy. Superights will handle all linear broadcasting rights worldwide, excluding China.
MixMups
MixMups, the ground-breaking new preschool series focused on different play styles of and the joy of mixing up objects and ideas to create stories, has been picked up by public broadcasters ABC Kids (Australia), RTE (Ireland) and TVO (Canada). The pre-sales were confirmed ahead of the show’s market debut at MIPTV in the care of Raydar Media.
Pre-sales were brokered by Alisan Rayson, Managing Director of Raydar, on behalf of MixMups Entertainment (a joint venture of Toy Like Me, Mackinnon & Saunders and Raydar Media). Making great strides for on-screen disability representation, the series is created by Rebecca Atkinson (#ToyLikeMe) and commissioned by Channel 5’s Milkshake! block (U.K.) Read more here.
Zoe & Milo
Speaking of MIPTV, visiting buyers should keep an eye out for:
Epic Story Media shopping Knowledge Network original series Luna, Chip & Inkie (40 x 11′), produced with Groupe Media TFO and supported by the Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund. Season 2 is now in development.
Pop Paper City, the 11 min. 3D craft series from the U.K., is ready to go global with distributor Aardman (stand R7.J1), having won the virtual MIPTV Kids’ Series PItch in 2020. The preschool show is in production and will premiere its first episodes on Milkshake! at the end of the year. Buyers in the U.S. and France are particularly sought.
APC Kids is debuting its brand-new 2D series Zoe & Milo (52 x 7′; kids 6-9) at the market, which has already sold to VOD Azoomee (U.K. & Ireland, Netherlands, CEE, Asia, Africa) adn PCCW (free TV/streaming, Hong Kong & Macau). Produced by PM SA for France Télévisions, the series follows 10-year-old best friends who travel the world in a plane built and piloted by Alim, a hamster who knows everything about the world’s cultures and customs.
Jasmine & Jambo
More deals & expansions:
Moonbug has partnered with TelevisaUnivision to bring its premium Moonbug Kids channel to ViX streaming, offering CoComelon, Little Baby Bum, Supa Strikas and more to Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S. and LatAm.
Pluto TV free streaming service is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PCs with Windows 10 or 11 in GSA, U.K., Italy and LatAm, coming soon to Spain, France and Nordics.
Dandelooo has signed a deal with pubcaster France Télévisions for the award-winning series Jasmine & Jambo (26 x 7′), a music-themed original from Barcelona’s Teidees and Televisió de Catalunya. The show will launch on Okko June 21 for World Music Day. The show is also heading to France’s Arte Editions, Canada (TFO, Knowledge), Switzerland (RTS) and Sweden (UR). Season 2 is in production for Q4 2022.
Cloudco Entertainment has launched Care Bears: Unlock the Magic (48 x 11′ + 2 x 22′) in Brazil, airing on Gloob (FTA) and Gloobinho (Pay TV) since Sept. ’21; and Mexico, on Noggin. New toy deals in these territories are also ramping up timed to the Care Bears’ 40th Anniversary.
Turkish entertainment company Fauna is sending its flagship series Kukuli (53 x 7′) to Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia with broadcaster Hayatovci, available this month. The series has been greenlit for Season 3 (26 x 7′).
The Television Academy Foundation, organizers of the Emmy Awards, recently announced the winners of the 41st College Television Awards, recognizing excellence in student-produced programs from colleges nationwide. during a global livestream. Among the top category winners earning a $3,000 cash prize were producer Tyler Bitner and director/writer Ethan Briscoe, the Brigham Young University student filmmakers behind the CG animated short Stowaway.
Ethan Briscoe | Tyler Bitner
A money-grubbing pirate captain and his oaf of a first mate spend a lazy afternoon on the sea between pillaging runs… only to be interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious but cute squid aboard their ship. Upon discovering that it is in fact a baby kraken, the frightened pirates immediately attempt to kill the innocent creature. They are relentless in their pursuit throughout the ship, but due to the kraken’s agility, their own incompetence, and some good old-fashioned bad luck, the pirates’ increasing attacks on the intruder only escalate into their own destruction.
The film was created collectively by the BYU Animation Class of 2021. From storyboarding to final render, the students collaborated in the program’s industry-style production process — for the most part remotely, due to the pandemic.
Briscoe won over the class with his pitch for Stowaway in November of 2019, taking inspiration from Aardman’s silent co-star Gromit for the baby kraken. He told Deseret News that a LEGO pirate ship served as a model to help with storyboarding and working out how the characters would move about the cog during their frantic chase.
Stowaway
Stowaway beat out projects from two other highly regarded U.S. animation programs: School of Visual Arts in New York (Beyond the Line by Jinuk Choi) and Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia (Son & Moon by Saiyan Lin & Lex Cooper). The Utah school’s Center for Animation has received several ‘student Emmy’ wins and nominations since opening in 2001, with films like Lemmings (which also won a Student Academy Award Bronze Medal), Ram’s Horn and Papá.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s winners in television’s most prestigious student competition,” said Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy Foundation. ”Showcasing the exceptional work of young, diverse talent to help launch careers is a top priority for the Foundation. Our sincerest gratitude to the presenters and sponsors who made this event an unforgettable experience for students.”
Watch the moment the BYU crew were awarded the win, presented by Schmigadoon! star Dove Cameron, and learn more about the making of this slapstick sea tale in the video below.
Jam Filled Entertainment, a Boat Rocker company, is once again calling on diverse animation students from six leading Canadian post-secondary institutions, to apply for its scholarship program. The Jam Filled Diversity in Animation Scholarship Program provides financial support and mentorship opportunities to promising second-year animation students.
Four individual scholarships will be available to students who identify as diverse and are entering the second year of an animation program at Algonquin College, Sheridan College, Seneca College, Nova Scotia Community College, Centennial College and NSCAD University. Each scholarship is valued at $3,000 CAD per academic year and is renewable until the bachelor’s degree or diploma is obtained.
Eligible applicants are encouraged to submit an online application now by visiting jamfilled.com/news. The application and all supporting documents must be submitted no later than 1 p.m. ET on June 30, 2022.
“We’re delighted to once again offer the Jam Filled Diversity in Animation scholarship program to help the next generation of animators thrive,” said studio founders Kyle MacDougall, Phil Lafrance & Jamie Leclaire. “After a successful inaugural year of the program, which saw students receive not only financial support, but also invaluable mentorship opportunities, we’re excited to help other talented animators pursue their studies in the craft we all love.”
Eligible applicants must:
Be enrolled as a full-time student in an Animation Program at one of the six eligible institutions
Have successfully completed the first year of studies with intention of entering the second year
Be in good academic standing over the last two terms of available marks, · Identify as diverse (special focus on ethno-racial and indigenous identities, gender and sexual identities, place of origin, age and ability)
The program is open to the first 100 submitted applications.
“The Jam Filled Diversity in Animation program provides a tangible way of helping students with diverse backgrounds achieve their academic and professional goals in the animation industry and we’re incredibly proud to support this initiative,” said John Young, CEO, Boat Rocker Media.
Founded in 2008, Jam Filled Entertainment is a full-service digital animation studio headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with additional studios in Toronto and Halifax, employing 600+ artists and animators. Acquired by Boat Rocker in 2016, the studio has worked on hit shows including The Casagrandes and The Loud House (Nickelodeon), Pinky Malinky (Netflix/Nickelodeon), A Tale Dark and Grimm (Netflix), Final Space (TBS), Thomas & Friends (Mattel Creative), Inside Job (Netflix), DC Super Hero Girls (Warner Bros. Animation/Cartoon Network) and Dino Ranch (CBC/Disney Junior).
Iconic holiday gourd Spookley the Square Pumpkin is reuniting with his Holiday Hill Farm friends for two colorful new shorts celebrating Easter. A puppet variety show and animated music video will hatch on Disney Junior and digital outlets this weekend.
In the 12-minute live-action/puppet special The Spookley Easter Show, the festive friends present an Easter-themed variety show. Backstage they busily prepare for the Holiday Hill Farm egg decorating contest as Spookley helps figure out how to pick a contest winner without hurting anyone’s feelings.
Plus, the two-minute animated music video What a Colorful Day stars Spookley and his new pal JellyBean the Easter Chick as they harmonize about the beautiful Spring colors in full bloom on Holiday Hill Farm.
What a Colorful Day begins airing in rotation on Disney Junior on April 8 and will be available the same day on the Disney Junior YouTube and DisneyNOW, joining the Spookley YouTube channel on April 10.
These new shorts are the latest in a series of Holiday Hill Farm celebrations that began with Halloween (2021) and that will continue to roll out throughout the year. Also in the works is a new 45-minute Holiday Hill Farm animated holiday special, Spookley and the Unbreakable Egg, that will feature Spookley and JellyBean.
The colorful warnings of childhood lead to very literal consequences in Mum Is Always Right, the stop-motion graduation short by Marie Urbánková, created at UMPRUM (The Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design; Prague). The director wanted to explore what would happen if, say, picking your nose really did turn it into a trunk, or eating a seed meant a watermelon grew in your belly.
“I have a friend who was told by her mum that she must not pee in the sea, as it will burn her if she does. To this day when she is 26, she doesn’t dare to pee in the sea, even though she knows it’s nonsense,” Urbánková explains. “It occurred to me how many similar nonsensical statements there must be.” To develop the concept, she asked around and collected about a hundred similar ‘childhood traumas.’
“When I was wondering what to do for my dissertation, I wanted to do something completely simple and fun,” she adds. “I was very inspired by the film Enough (dir. Anna Mantzaris, 2018); I admire its sheer simplicity and wit.”
Mum Is Always Right is animated in stop motion on a multiplane table (an animation table with a number of layered glass panes holding different elements which combine into a complete image). Urbánková used colored paper as the main material, a technique she honed for backgrounds and props in her previous film, The Concrete Jungle (2019).
“In her new film, Marie did not work with silicone puppets, but she tried out puppets made of paper. These do not behave as flats but as three-dimensional puppets. In other words, paper hands move in space, not just on the animator‘s glass table,” notes Mária Môťovská, the producer from MAUR film.
Marie Urbánková hand-crafted the sets and characters for Mum Is Always Right from colored paper.
Mum Is Always Right is intended for adult viewers, but also holds entertaining appeal for children. “Primarily, I‘d like the film to be funny, but at the same time make people think a bit — maybe subconsciously — about what we tell children,” adds Urbánková.
The short has its world premiere on April 3 at the Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen in the Netherlands. The Czech premiere will be at Anifilm in Liberec (May 10-15). Mum Is Always Right is also slated to screen at the Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth (May 25-June 1).
Urbánková is a talented animator, artist and illustrator. The Concrete Jungle has screened around the world at dozens of festivals, including Monstra, KLIK! Amsterdam (now Kaboom) and Hiroshima. She has long been dedicated to illustrating children’s books, and was the artist for the animated series Kosmix (2020).
