When a strong gust of wind scatters Franklin’s carefully created Valentine’s Day cards far and wide, Linus reminds him that it’s not the cards themselves that matter: It’s the thoughtful things Franklin has to say about each person that make his friends feel so special.
Speak from the Heart
This timely message comes in a short original video from the Take Care with Peanuts initiative, which encourages everyone to take care of themselves, take care of each other, and take care of the Earth. The video, titled Speak from the Heart, is available on Peanuts.com.
After watching the short video, families and classrooms are encouraged to use the accompanying activity sheet that enables kids to share compliments and messages with their classmates, friends, and loved ones. The activity sheet is also available on Peanuts.com.
Throughout 2022, new Take Care videos will be released monthly with additional activities.
Cyber Group Studios has acquired a majority stake in the award-winning Italian animation studio Graphilm Entertainment. The acquisition will increase CGS’s creative and production capabilities to meet content demands in the European region and globally. This strategic partnership will also provide Graphilm with major development opportunities for its own productions and original creations, thanks to the resources of CGS’s unique development and production facilities (France, U.S., U.K., Singapore) and worldwide distribution network. In addition, CGS will benefit from access to Graphilm’s catalog of kids and family content.
The companies have already collaborated on Pulcinella Award-winning Nefertine of the Nile (RAI). In 2022, they will co-produce Alex Player (26 x 22’), an original from CGS and Bee Prod. Commissioned by France Télévisions and RAI (Italy), this new action-comedy series will be the very first kids’ animated program about esports, mixing 2D, CG and real-time animation technology. The companies will also work on an original Graphilm creation, In the Middle.
Maurizio Forestieri & Anna Lucia Pisanelli (Graphilm Entertainment)
Founded in Rome in 1988 by Maurizio Forestieri, the company’s CEO, Graphilm Entertainment is a leading animation production company that has received numerous awards, among them three prestigious Pulcinella, including the Best Italian studio Award. Graphilm’s latest feature animation movie, The Case, has received eight awards, including Best Animated Film at the New York International Film Awards, Best Director at the New York Animation Film Awards in December 2021 and Best Animation at the Tokyo Film Awards this year. Originally commissioned by RAI, The Case was the most watched Italian feature animation movie on RAI’s channels in 2021.
Forestieri commented, “I created our company 34 years ago and this association with Cyber Group Studios holds many promising projects and new original creations with partners we already know well and respect.” Anna Lucia Pisanelli, Executive Producer & Board member, added, “The new venture will enable our company to strengthen and consolidate its position as one of the leading Italian animation studios reaching out to world markets.”
The history-making, triple Oscar-nominated animated documentary Flee (up for Animated Feature, Documentary Feature and International Feature, representing Denmark) is now streaming on Hulu. Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, the filmed interview/reenactment recounts, mostly through animation to protect his identity, the pseudonymous Amin’s past as a child refugee from Afghanistan whilst he grapples with a secret he’s kept hidden for 20 years.
Executive produced and voice starring (in the English-language version) Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Flee premiered at the 2021 Sundance FIlm Festival and was released theatrically in the U.S. by NEON. Danish prodco Final Cut for Real and animation shop Sun Creature Studio were major producing partners. In addition to its stunning Oscar nomination feat, the film has won awards from Sundance, Annecy and the European Film Awards, nominations for the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Awards and many more accolades. Read more about the movie here.
Wild in Art (wildinart.co.uk) and Aardman (aardman.com) have entered into a creative partnership that will produce public art trails featuring sculptures of the well-loved characters Morph and Shaun the Sheep in towns and cities across Britain, from January 2022. The characters will provide a 3D canvas, and creative inspiration, for a wealth of art and design from a carefully curated mix of well-known and emerging artists. The first ever sculpture trail to feature Morph launched Jan. 29 with ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ in North Tyneside.
The art trails are part of Morph’s mission to get the nation creating, and this first event, hosted by North Tyneside Council, saw Morph take over the North with 20 1.8m tall sculptures decorated by commissioned artists from across the country with a wide range of themes including floral, character designs and plays on the word ‘Morph’. The opportunity to host a ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ trail is open to towns and cities across the U.K. Shaun the Sheep will be the second collaboration as part of this new partnership, and news and opportunities for this concept will be announced soon.
Shaun the Sheep X Royal Mail
Aardman also recently allied with the U.K.’s Royal Mail for its first-ever Video stamp. Following a successful national trial, the mail service has announced it is adding unique barcodes to all of its Definitive stamps. Recipients can then scan the barcoded stamps in the Royal Mail App to watch an exclusive, 30-second video of Shaun the Sheep and his Flock, directed by Aardman’s Steve Harding-Hill.
Stop-motion is enjoying a new heyday thanks to advancements in digital cameras, software and animation apps — but how do you build a career as a stop-motion animator? Enter Hello Stop Mo, a new limited-run podcast packed with info and resources, hosted by established stop-mo pros Alexis Deprey and Casey Follen. The duo met at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios in L.A., and when COVID shut down production in March 2020, they co-created Animation Wild Card (AWC) with friends at Apartment D Films to support indie animators, which community sparked the notion for the new podcast.
Over the course of 14 episodes, Deprey and Follen dive into multiple aspects of the stop-motion animation industry. They go over traditional and non-traditional education paths, the history of the medium as it relates to technological advancements, what working at a studio is like (including different roles and departments as well as the steps of the pipeline). Additional topics include preparing professional readiness materials, how to network and build relationships in the animation industry, and managing a career in stop motion, plus how the future of stop motion is being shaped right now. The hosts are also joined by two guests: Director, animator, writer, producer & professor Musa Brooker joins the podcast duo to discuss education paths. Seamus Walsh, a stop-motion animator, director & studio owner, also lends his expertise in the stop-motion history episodes.
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or the AWC website (animationwildcard.com).
Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) has partnered with Tapas Media, a pioneer mobile storytelling platform with more than 10 million registered users, in a multi-book deal to present a line of smart, entertaining graphic novels featuring strong female and underrepresented characters. The first in the inclusive series will be released in the fall of 2022, with more to com in 2023. The graphic novels adapt popular webcomic properties produced by Studio Tapas and will appeal to longtime fans as well as new readers with full-color paperback and e-book editions:
Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome (LavenderTowne) features young witch Planchette, who discovers her house is haunted. With the help of new friends, including a shy siren who hates attention, a cursed girl ashamed of her looks, and a magically-challenged witch from a powerful coven, Planchette works to assist the ghosts in finding fulfillment. The hit webcomic has attracted 30 million views.
DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong (Velinxi) delivers an empowering story set in the world of esports, as a young woman overcomes self-doubt, societal expectations, and an overprotective big brother to find her voice and pursue her dream of becoming a competitive gamer. DPS Only! was a 2021 Eisner Award nominee.
The Witch’s Throne by Cedric Caballes (WhataHero) offers an entertaining take on an epic fantasy coming-of-age story, combining elements of action-adventure manga and RPGs. An optimistic young alchemist sets off on a quest to become one of the four sacred heroes destined to save the world, making new friends (and bitter enemies) along the way.
Crafty Apes’ recent work includes Spider-Man: No Way Home
Crafty Apes (craftyapes.com), a full-service visual effects powerhouse with seven production facilities across North America, announced the acquisition of Molecule VFX (moleculevfx.com), an established VFX company based in NYC and Los Angeles. The acquisition brings together two companies with a deep roster of talent in creative VFX supervision and production management and more than doubles Crafty Apes’s NYC-based headcount.
Crafty Apes recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Providing services from high quality 2D and 3D compositing to digital cosmetics and CGI for film, episodics and commercials, its recent critically-acclaimed credits include Spider-Man: No Way Home, Red Notice, Licorice Pizza, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Stranger Things. Molecule VFX has been a main VFX provider in both episodic TV and feature films since 2005; recent titles include acclaimed series such as Billions, Gossip Girl, Genius: Aretha, P-Valley, and acclaimed features including Spike Lee’s Da Five Bloods.
Legendarium
Indie animators looking for a fresh outlet for their projects can check out Cartoon TV+ (cartoontvplus.com), an online channel startup based in Romania which aims to host amateur and professional independent filmmakers from around the world, and help freelancers monetize their productions on its streaming platform. Students, up-and-comers and career animators are invited to submit titles old and new by emailing contact@cartoontvplus.com.
Netflix today announced series orders for two preschool animated series, Not Quite Narwhal and Dew Drop Diaries. The new series hail from DreamWorks Animation, who also produce the popular series Gabby’s Dollhouse, which appeared on the Netflix U.S. Daily Top 10 TV Shows with its most recent season.
Each series has been ordered for two seasons, consisting of 26 episodes total. Gabby’s Dollhouserecently launched its fourth season, with an additional 20 episodes ordered.
“Kids absolutely love the world of Gabby’s Dollhouse and we can’t wait to bring them even more,” said Heather Tilert, Director of Preschool Content for Netflix. “Along with these new series, we are continuing to build a home for kids with characters they know and love and new friends for them to meet.”
Not Quite Narwhal: Curious and fun-loving Kelp has always believed he’s a narwhal like the rest of his family under the sea, until the day he makes the most amazing discovery — he’s actually a unicorn! Rather than choose one or the other, Kelp embraces being both a narwhal and a unicorn, juggling his day-to-day life as he figures out how to navigate his two worlds: the ocean and land. Based on the like-titled children’s book by Jessie Sima. Co-executive produced by Brian Roberts, Nakia Trower and Sarah Katin.
Dew Drop Diaries:Dew Drop Diaries follows a group of three-inch tall family fairies — or as they’re known in the fairy world Dew Drops — who live inside teensy fairy houses on brownstone balcony gardens in “The Big City.” They have been assigned to human families to secretly help out around the house with the little things that can often fall through the cracks, like making sure your first lost tooth actually makes it under your pillow before bedtime or your favorite toy doesn’t get left behind at the park. Created and executive produced by Rick Suvalle; executive produced by Aliki Theofilopoulos.
Gabby’s Dollhouse
Gabby’s Dollhouse: Bringing together kids’ love of unboxing videos, cats, miniatures, and dollhouse play, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a narrative-based activity series that “unboxes a story.” It leads preschoolers room to room through a fantastical dollhouse with mini-worlds, irresistible kitty characters, and delightfully quirky adventures. It’s the ultimate in dollhouse wish fulfillment … shrinking down and playing inside your own dollhouse world. Co-created and executive produced by Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey.
Expanding on its preschool offerings, Netflix recently launched Bedtime Stories with Netflix Jr., an original podcast to help little ones drift off to sleep. Additionally, this Spring will see the launch of Netflix Jr. Magazine, a free bi-monthly magazine for kids ages 2-5 featuring their favorite preschool series and characters they enjoy on the streamer.
FOX Entertainment has acquired the iconic animated character Gumby — and all his bendy friends — from the estate of Joseph Clokey, son of creator Art Clokey. Announced today by FOX Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier, the acquisition expands on FOX Entertainment’s long-term strategy of building a select, curated and culturally compelling library of owned content and intellectual property to showcase across its linear, AVOD, blockchain-based and other platforms.
FOX Entertainment has obtained all rights to the popular franchise, including film, television and streaming, consumer products, licensing, publishing and all other categories. In addition, FOX has acquired the full library of Gumby animated series, specials, movies and content, which will expand Tubi’s current offerings of the franchise.
This classic and well-known IP complements other recent FOX Entertainment acquisitions and FOX partnerships, including Tubi, Bento Box Entertainment, Studio Ramsay Global, TMZ, MarVista Entertainment and start-up company Blockchain Creative Labs, as well as FOX Alternative Entertainment and the newly formed FOX Entertainment Studios.
“Competition for globally recognized intellectual property is fierce. Uncovering this gem, with its built-in awareness and affinity, and bringing it to FOX, adds meaningful value and creative possibilities to the IP itself and to multiple divisions of our company,” said Collier. “FOX is proud to be home to these iconic characters. Welcome one and all.”
Internal teams are already hard at work both showcasing the classic Gumby series on Tubi and reimagining this beloved franchise for broadcast, streaming and beyond.
“Picking a new home was important to me, and I’ve found great partners in FOX Entertainment,” said Gumby, as his arrival at the Fox Studios Lot in Century City brought Pico Blvd. traffic to a standstill. “They have a vision for my modern, multi-platform reemergence, which is thrilling. Throughout our conversations, Pokey and I reiterated that we are talent they can mold. Literally.”
Toronto-based content-creation company BGM Inc. and Oasis Animation, a Montreal-based 2D animation studio (both owned by Canada’s Sphere Media) have announced a major commission for their new animated series, Riley Rocket (30 x 11′).
The TVOkids Original show is aimed at a ‘bridge audience’ of five- to seven-year olds. The exec producers are Bruno Dubé for Sphere Media; Marlo Miazga, Sean Connolly and Andrea Griffith for BGM; and Jacques Bilodeau and Isabelle Bilodeau for Oasis Animation. Marney Malabar, Director of Kids TV at TVO will also executive-produce the series for the Canadian media and learning organization.
The project is a multi-partner collaboration, with participation from Société Radio-Canada, Knowledge Network, TFO, the Shaw Rocket Fund, the Canada Media Fund and Quebecor Fund.
“TVOkids families are going to love Riley Rocket for its energy and positivity,” said Malabar. “This series will also speak directly to kids whose experiences aren’t often represented on screen, and that’s going to offer everyone a meaningful learning opportunity.”
An original creation from award-winning composers and producers, Matthew Gerrard and Mladen Alexander from Mojumbi Entertainment, Riley Rocket follows the musical adventures of Riley and her friends Alex and Theo, who, in between performing in their band, morph into superheroes to save their hometown of Greenville from disaster. Riley has a special superpower: her awe-inspiring rocket-powered wheelchair. She’s always ready to jump into action to prove how an ordinary kid can do extraordinary things — with a little help, a lot of heart and a can-do attitude.
Gerrard is a composer and producer for international stars including Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Cher and Hilary Duff. He has contributed songs to the multiple platinum soundtracks for Hannah Montana Seasons 1, 2 and 3 and the blockbuster High School Musical franchise. His theme song for Dora and Friends: Into the City won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song.
Alexander is a producer, songwriter and guitarist who has contributed to numerous hit records and has written music for television and film such as Disney’s Pixel Perfect, Degrassi and the award-winning, critically acclaimed Matthew Shepard Story.
“BGM has been through a huge overhaul in the last couple of years, which has transformed us into an exciting and robust vehicle to drive our ambitions in terms of genre, creativity and partnerships. Riley Rocket is beautiful in many ways — its heart, its message, its incredible music and its innovation.” Said BGM President, Miazga.
Bilodeau, President of Oasis Animation, added, “The Riley Rocket series is the first original project to go in production within the Sphere Media umbrella. We were very much pleased with the concept and felt that the timing was perfect for a show presenting different perspectives, stories and faces on screen. We’re also of course very excited to be collaborating with BGM within the Sphere Media Group.”
Founded in 2003, Oasis Animation is the biggest 2D animation studio in Quebec and one of the biggest in Canada, employing 150+ people. The company is known for its international productions like F Is for Family, Arthur and Curious George. It has also produced Two Nuts and Richard for Teletoon at Night and Ben’s City for CBC.
A new trailer blasts off this morning for Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear, set to land in theaters on June 17 with an original sci-fi story tied to the beloved Toy Story universe. The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear — the hero who inspired the toy — follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure.
The preview catches up with Buzz as he prepares to depart a desert planet on his first test flight, but this mission to bring the space exploration crew home quickly rockets him into a much stickier situation.
“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” said director Angus MacLane. “In Toy Story, there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So, my Lightyear pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
Lightyear
Joining the previously announced Chris Evans, who lends his voice to Buzz, are Keke Palmer, Dale Soules and Taika Waititi as a group of ambitious recruits. Peter Sohn voices Buzz’s robot companion, Sox, and the cast also includes the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Lightyear
“The cast for Lightyear is truly a dream team,” said MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
Lightyear
Also revealed this morning, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino, who’s behind the scores for the upcoming film The Batman, as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home, is on board to score Lightyear. Giacchino has a long history with Pixar; he won an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy for the original score in Up. His other Pixar credits include The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Cars 2, Inside Out, Coco and Incredibles 2, among others.
The Lightyear Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Walt Disney Records will be available on June 17.
Lightyear is produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot).
Robert Blalack, Oscar-winning visual effects artist on Star Wars: A New Hope and co-founder of renowned studio Industrial Light & Magic, died from cancer last Wednesday, February 2 at his home in Paris at age 73. The news was shared with The Hollywood Reporter by Blalack’s wife, Caroline Charron-Blalack.
Robert Blalack [photo: Lucasfilm Archive]
Blalack was born in Panama on Dec. 9, 1948, and was educated in London before attending college in California. He received a BA in English Lit and Theater Arts from Pomona College, during which time he began teach himself film through experimental works. He returned to school at CalArts for an MFA in Film Studios, where he co-directed The Words with professor Don Levy.
After graduating from CalArts in 1973, Blalack’s career got off to a strong start as he created the photograph animation for Peter Davis’ Oscar-winning documentary feature Hearts and Minds (1974). In 1975, while creating a promotional video for Douglas Trumbull’s effects studio Future General, he met John Dykstra — when the cameraman was tapped by George Lucas to supervise the VFX for Star Wars, Blalack was invited to help set up the film’s VistaVision VFX facility: Industrial Light & Magic. He won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1978 for his work on the iconic film.
Another of Blalack’s notable projects was the 1983 television movie event The Day After (1983), for which he and the Praxis Film Works team designed and produced the VFX that envisioned the effects of nuclear detonations, aftermath, radiation and ICBM contrails on the population of Lawrence, Kansas. More than 100 million people tuned into the premiere broadcast on ABC, scoring a 62% audience share and making it the highest-rated TV movie in history until 2009. Blalack won an Emmy Awards for his VFX work on The Day After Tomorrow in 1984.
Blalack also contributed to the visual spectacle of Carl Sagan’s 1980 series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, as well as ’80s big screen classics like Blues Brothers, Airplane!, Cat People and RoboCop. In the ’90s, he delivered MoCo miniature photography as well as live-action footage for theme park attractions including Seafari, Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright (LBE) and Akbar’s Adventure Tours (Busch).
After another rollercoaster year for people of all ages, Nickelodeon India continues to stay true to its promise of putting kids first, once again preparing to empower and entertain kids with the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021. The 2020 virtual KCA ceremony was a runaway success with a record-breaking 1.5 million votes. This year too, the awards would be brought to life virtually with several cutting-edge additions and innovations that will surely strike a chord with kids and parents.
In addition to existing categories like Favorite Movie, Mobile Game, YouTuber and Cartoon, this year’s edition will introduce new categories relevant to today’s kids, such as Favorite Environmentalist, Fashion Icon and Sibling Jodi (on-screen partnership). The winners will take home the coveted Nickelodeon Blimp after being honored with a shower of slime. Past celebrity guests have included Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. KCA voting is now open via Voot, Voot Kids and the Jio App.
GLAS GIF contest
Mark your calendars: the 7th edition of the GLAS Animation Festival is just around the corner, streaming online April 6-10 (glasanimation.com). Entries are now open for the annual GIF competition, presented in partnership with GIPHY Arts. Artists can enter by simply creating a GIPHY account, uploading their GIF masterpiece and tagging it with #glas2022 for a chance to win $500. All eligible submissions will be posted to giphy.com/glasanimation.
GLAS Animation Festival 2022
GLAS also unveiled the official poster for this year’s festival, created by David Delafuente — a New York-based animation artist with interests in the moving image, aesthetic theory, semiotics and graphic design. His work has explored themes of queerness, displacement, and romanticism. His films have shown in the Ottawa International Animation Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival and others.
Russian Animation at EFM
Ten Russian companies will present over 20 animation projects at the European Film Market (efm-berlinale.de) this week (including 10 premieres) under the Russian Content Worldwide brand at the ROSKINO virtual booth. Among the key spotlights are:
The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute (CTB Film Company, presented by distributor Luminescence). Directed by Georgi Gitis. Release date: December 2022. New trailer premiere.
The Snow Queen & the Princess (Wizart). Directed by Alexey Tsitsilin & Andrey Korenkov. Release date: May 2022. International teaser premiere.
The Swiss Adventure (Central Partnership). Directed by Boris Chertkov. Release date: March 2022. New film.
Beardy Bodo (Riki Group). Directed by Vladimir Sakhnovsky. Premiere screening.
Zoobazoo. Ears n’ Tail
Zabezoo. Ears n’ Tail (Studio Z). Directed by Zakhar Marmosetty. Release date: October 2021. Premiere Screening.
Dragon Wish (AA Studio). Directed by Vladimir Sakov. Release date: 2023. Premiere screening.
Horse Julius on the Throne and Three Heroes (CTB Film Co.). Directed by Darina Schmidt & Konstantin Feoktistov. Release date: January 2022.
The Barkers: Mind the Cats! (CTB Film Co.). Directed by Elena Galdobina & Fedor Dmitriev. Release date: 2021. New episode.
Moonzy (CTB Film Co.). Directed by Darina Schmidt (2006-2011), Elena Galdobina (from 2012), Ekaterina Salabay. New season.
The Golden Beehive (Soyuzmultfilm). Directed by Grigory Vozhakin. Release date: Autumn 2022.
The Princess and the Frog
Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre will bring back Disney’s The Princess and the Frog February 18-21, presented by Disney+ with Pajama Party screenings on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. During the Pajama Party screenings, Guests can enjoy breakfast (muffin, cereal, yogurt and juice or coffee) in their reserved seat while wearing their favorite family-friendly pajamas (tickets $25 for all ages).
Daily showtimes are 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with the Mickey Mouse short Clock Cleaners playing alongside the films. D23 Gold Members can receive one complimentary 64oz popcorn tub and one complimentary 20oz bottled beverage when showing their current membership card at concessions, limited to one redemption per member card. Tickets ($12) at elcapitantheatre.com or fandango.com.
Ottawa International Animation Festival has announced that submissions for OIAF 2022 will open March 1-May 31, 2022. As in past years, there is no entry fee! Learn more on the FAQ page here. The fest’s next edition will be held Sept. 21-25.
Autodesk is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Flame Award, with entries open until Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Submitted work must have been produced using Flame from March 15, 2021 onwards, and multiple nominations are encouraged. The first round will be judged to establish a nominee shortlist, which will be voted on by the Flame community. The final round will be evaluated by a panel of previous winners and Autodesk reps. The winner will be announced in April 2022. More details here.
Disney Branded Television is adding new titles to a growing slate of premium original programming for kids, tweens, teens and families across Disney+ and Disney Channels. President Ayo Davis announced these projects along with some key casting news today during the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour, where she welcomed the press and delivered an overview of the brand’s legacy, values and content pipeline.
The titles that were announced today across the live-action, unscripted and animated space underscore Disney Branded Television’s commitment to serving audiences with exceptional, imaginative and aspirational stories from fresh, diverse voices and talent.
“With each one of these projects, we see an opportunity to build upon the strong foundation of storytelling that is a hallmark of the Disney brand,” said Davis. “I am so proud to be working with some of the most creative and diverse talent in the industry, both in front of and behind the camera, to bring these fresh, inventive and impactful stories — new and reimagined — to life for our audiences to enjoy, regardless of platform.”
Doc McStuffins
Additionally, Davis announced a milestone as Disney Junior’s groundbreaking animated series Doc McStuffins will turn 10 this year. Since it premiered in March 2012, the Peabody Award-winning series — the first animated series for preschoolers to feature a Black female lead — has helped open the door for other representation breakthroughs in media and even inspired some entries to the medical field.
To celebrate the anniversary, a new animated music special inspired by the pioneering series is in the works for a debut later this year, and Disney Junior will air episodes daily throughout the month of March, including a marathon on Wednesday, March 23, the anniversary of its premiere. In addition, Disney Junior will unveil a new 10th anniversary Doc McStuffins doll from its licensee Just Play, and Walt Disney Records will debut a new digital single, “The Doc is 10,” performed by Laya DeLeon Hayes, on Friday, March 18.
Animation highlights include two new projects in development:
Reese Witherspoon [photo: John Russo]Tiny Trailblazers (Disney Junior Original Series)
Produced by Hello Sunshine in Association With Disney Junior. Executive producers: Reese Witherspoon, Claire Curley.
Geared towards kids aged 2-7, the entertaining stories model positive attitudes about the great outdoors and highlight the importance of environmental conservation and wildlife protection. Partners from National Geographic are consulting on the project. Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon (Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, Walk the Line) serves as executive producer and will voice one of the mom characters, Fern, a wildlife specialist. The main characters are two girls, an adventurous city kid named Tilly and the more risk-averse Birdie, who befriends her when Tilly’s family moves to a campground while her scientist mom is doing field research on forest streams. As the girls observe their mother’s careers and interests and begin to explore and discover the magic of nature all around them, they develop a supportive friendship and a deep understanding of and appreciation for the natural world. The series also highlights age-appropriate social and emotional lessons about thoughtfulness, self-esteem, good instincts and trying new things.
Superfudge (Disney+ Original Movie)
Produced by: The Russo Brothers’ AGBO. Written by: Amos Vernon and Nunio Randazzo.
Based on the global, best-selling book by Judy Blume and from Joe and Anthony Russo of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Superfudge centers on The Hatcher family. Twelve-year-old Peter Hatcher almost has it all — two boomer parents, a perfect though slightly odorous turtle, his very own bedroom in a cramped Manhattan apartment, a ride-or-die best friend Jimmy and eight whole weeks of summer vacation ahead of him — with just one massive problem. Farley Drexel Hatcher, his three-year-old brother, a.k.a. Fudge. Fudge isn’t just a problem; he is a tornado, a tsunami, a superstorm, an arctic bomb of chaos and destruction. And when Fudge runs away under Peter’s watch, an epic family adventure across NYC ensues. One that ultimately brings these two together just as their world is turned upside down by the arrival of a brand-new problem — an infant baby sister — reminding us all that nothing is ever constant … except change.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
In addition, DBT updated its premiere plans for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, which will debut as a Disney+ Original Series on February 23 with two episodes. This continuation of the acclaimed Disney Channel series is execute produced by Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar — read more in our feature story from the March ’22 issue of Animation Magazinehere.
The presentation also revealed key updates and new project announcements from the live-action sphere:
Prom Pact (WT), a new original movie starring Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Milo Manheim
Sequel Under Wraps 2
Holiday heist movie The Naughty Nine
Paolo Santiago and the River of Tears, a new fantasy/adventure series from Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment
A new Goosebumps series, based on R.L. Stine’s bestselling book series
Secrets of Sulphur Springs has been renewed for a third season on Disney Channel and Disney
Rita Ora has joined the cast of the Beauty and the Beast (WT) prequel series
Daveed Diggs will narrate the series adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover
Catherine Zeta-Jones is on board for the National Treasure series
And Michelle Yeoh has signed on to American Born Chinese
Hollywood prodco/creative think tank Centaur Studios is hoofing right along on its animated comedy series The Glue Factory, set to debut early this year. Leading the herd are showrunner/head writer Jon Barinholtz (creator of Chicago Party Aunt, actor in American Auto) and Centaur Studios principals Lauren and Sam Korotkov.
The project is being propelled by the sale of collectible ‘colt’ NFTs, featuring equine characters rendered in a provocative art style which spotlights how horses are mistreated. Glue Factory sold 10,000 colts in under two hours, enabling a donation of $315,000 to charity partner Red Bucket Equine Rescue (redbucketrescue.org) last year.
Season 1 (six episodes) follows the adventures of horses rescued from the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of their human masters, and now must navigate life in a new world where the horses make the rules. The Glue Factory is in the midst of production, with voices recorded for the show’s impressive cast roster — including Barinholtz, Rob Belushi, Ted Danson, Patton Oswalt, Tara Strong, Nicole Sullivan, Colton Dunn, Katie Rich, Bobby Moynihan and Bobby Lee.
Likened by voice actor and writer Colton Dunn (Superstore) to a “reverse comic-con,” the project has uniquely allowed community input into the writing process through the Community Writers’ Room, allowing holders of Glue Factory NFTs to pitch ideas to the writers. The stellar collection of actors/writers penning the show also includes Belushi (Chicago P.D.), Kate Rich (Saturday Night Live) and Jim Wise (Even Stevens).
Centaur Studios and the creative team are using Web3 to connect to the “Glue Gang” community of stable-owners, first through the Discord-native Community Writers’ Room, and now by building the Community Creators’ Room in partnership with Struthless Studios, the team behind collaborations with Adult Swim, the Dallas Mavericks, The Kid LAROI, Universal Music, Sony and more. The CCR Will launch this spring.
Viral sensation, musician and YouTuber Corpse Husband will be making his debut as a voice actor in Tribe Nine, a new sports action/sci-fi anime series from Japanese studio LIDENFILMS (Tokyo Revengers), co-produced by Funimation. The full English dub cast and crew for the show, based on the manga by videogame director/novelist Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa, Akudama Drive), were announced today.
Tribe Nine is set in a cyberpunk world where gangs of young people strive for dominance in Extreme Baseball. Corpse Husband will serve as the English voice of the masked antagonist, Ojiro Otori, leader of Chiyoda Tribe who believes winning is everything. To become the best XB player, he was taken in at a young age and trained by the leader of Neo Tokyo, Tenshin.
VERY excited to announce that i will be voicing Ojiro in the English dub for Tribe Nine✨
From the same creator as Danganronpa & Akudama Drive
The English dub cast features Jacob Hopkins (To Your Eternity) as Shun Kamiya, heading up the Minato Tribe; Casey Mongillo (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN) as Haru Shirokane, Phillip Sacramento as Taiga, Brittney Karbowski (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) as Saori Arisugawa, Kevin D. Thelwell (MEGALOBOX) as Santaro Mita, Brendan Blaber (Combatants Will Be Dispatched!) as Manami Daimon and Joshua Waters (Ishida and Asakura) as quadruplets Ichiro/Jiro/Saburo/Shiro.
The roster also includes Valentine Stokes as Yutaka Gotanda, Caitlyn Elizabeth (Minami Oi), Calvin Joyal (Yasuhiro), Moxxi (Nekomaru), Edwyn Tiong (Judge Robot) and Kent Williams as the Narrator.
Tribe Nine is directed by Yū Aoki (BEAN BANDIT), with series composition by Michiko Yokote (Heaven’s Design Team) and character designs by Rui Komatsuzaki (Akudama Drive) and Simadoriru (Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia), adapted for animation by Yosuke Yabumoto (Dual Masters!).
The English dub is produced at Sound Cadence Studios in Texas, with Marissa Lenti as ADR Director.
Tribe Nine episodes are rolling out in English and Japanese at funimation.com.
Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Pictures have formed a creative partnership with LAFIG Belgium and IMPS to produce multiple feature films based on The Smurfs, the iconic characters and stories created by Belgian artist Pierre Culliford, known as Peyo. The first project under the new partnership banner is an animated musical film set to begin production this year. The movie is slated to be released on December 20, 2024.
Today’s news was announced by Ramsey Naito, President of Animation for Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, who said, “Nickelodeon is the home to some of the world’s most popular family franchises, and we’re honored to add The Smurfs to that roster. We’re excited to tell a story that stays true to its origins, but with a Smurf-tastic musical twist that excites new audiences and builds on the Smurfs franchise and universe of wonderful characters and stories.”
The movie will be produced by Nickelodeon Animation in partnership with Paramount Pictures, LAFIG Belgium and IMPS. Pam Brady (South Park, Team America) has come on board to write the first movie.
“It is with great joy and pride that I welcome this new Smurfs film! I am truly excited with this wonderful partnership with the talented, creative and dynamic teams at Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Animation and IMPS,” said Véronique Culliford, Founder & President of LAFIG and IMPS. “I am convinced that this great collaboration will allow families around the world to immerse themselves in this unique universe of humor and extraordinary adventures. I have no doubt that my father, creator of these marvelous world-famous characters, would also be delighted with this continuation of his work. I look so forward to seeing audiences gather together in the near future to enjoy this new adventure of our beloved Smurfs!”
Latifa Ouaou, Executive Vice President, Movies and Global Franchises, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, will manage the LAFIG Belgium and IMPS partnership on behalf of the Studio and is in the process of identifying key creative leads including the director for the first film. Additional details will be available soon.
“The Smurfs is an iconic and beloved franchise, and we can’t wait to introduce it to a whole new generation of fans by bringing a fresh cinematic perspective to the Smurfs franchise with this all-new story on the big screen,” said Ouaou.
Nickelodeon, LAFIG Belgium and IMPS have also announced a second season (26 episodes) pickup of the original CG-animated television series The Smurfs. The all-new season will continue to follow the Smurfs on a variety of adventures, including time traveling, inventing a magic camera, accidental body swapping and more.
Produced under the partnership announced in 2020, The Smurfs CG series follows Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy and others on all-new adventures, packed with humor, heart and high-stakes action aimed at a new generation of kids and families around the world. Season one launched Sept. 2021 in the U.S. and has since ranked among the top five animated series on cable with Kids 2-11. After its U.S. debut, it aired on Nickelodeon channels internationally. In Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands the series will air on the public channels KiKA, Ketnet, RTBF and npo Zappelin, and in France on TF1.
In addition to the content partnership, ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) is the consumer products licensing agent for The Smurfs property across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia and certain South American territories. VCP will seek new merchandising and promotional partners in select categories and territories for The Smurfs classic brand, in addition to a new product line for the new animated series The Smurfs, spanning a variety of categories, launching at retail in 2022.
The new Smurfs film will mark Nickelodeon Animation’s second CG-animated theatrical production. An all-new CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Chapter, produced in partnership with award-winning Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver and directed by Jeff Rowe, is currently in production and slated for an August 4, 2023 release. PAW Patrol: The Movie hit theaters in 2021 from Spin Master, in association with Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures. The theatrical sequelPAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, in partnership with Spin Master Entertainment and directed by Cal Brunker, is set to debut October 13, 2023.
Additional upcoming theatrical titles under Ouaou’s purview includes Paramount’s next animated feature The Tiger’s Apprentice (February 10, 2023), starring Henry Golding and directed by Raman Hui and co-directed by Paul Watling & YongDuk Jhun, and the movie strategy for Avatar Studios.
For the film, The Smurfs‘ right owners are represented by WME’s Dave Wirtschafter, Rob Markus and Jordan Naftalis.
She may be bad, but she knows how to make an entrance! The Feline Femme Fatale is back in Catwoman: Hunted, the all-new DC Animated Movie out on 4K, Blu-ray and Digtal on Tuesday, Feb. 8. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation with director Shinsuke Terasawa (Gintama, Yo-kai Watch) at the helm, this new adventure puts a twist on the ol’ cat and mouse game with a vibrant anime aesthetic: In the exclusive sneak peek below (courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), Catwoman crashes a luxe superhero/villain costume party with thugs on her tail.
I Thought This Was Supposed to Be a Party | Catwoman: Hunted
disclaimer/description: Catwoman: Hunted (c) DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Synopsis: Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, is simply trying to steal the world’s most valuable emerald. Unfortunately, that emerald is currently in the possession of Leviathan, the world’s foremost criminal empire. Who knew a little thing like stealing Leviathan’s property would result in a price being put on Selina’s head? Now, the bad guys and the good guys are hot on the Cat’s tail. Can our famously infamous feline slink her way clear of this international mess? Only one way to find out…
Catwoman: Hunted
Elizabeth Gillies (Dynasty) and Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) star as Catwoman and Batwoman. The voice cast also features Jonathan Banks as Black Mask, Steve Blum as Solomon Grundy, Lauren Cohan as Julia Pennyworth, Keith David as Tobias Whale, Zehra Fazal as Talia al Ghul and Nosferata, Jonathan Frakes as King Faraday and Boss Moxie, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah, Kelly Hu as Cheshire, Andrew Kishino as Mr. Yakuza and Domino 6, Eric Lopez as Domino 1, Jacqueline Obradors as La Dama and Ron Yuan as Doctor Tzin.
Tersawa directs from a script by Greg Weisman (Young Justice, Gargoyles). Ethan Spaulding (Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms) is the movie’s producer and Sam Register is executive producer.
SXSW Award-winning director Amy Bench is returning to the Austin festival next month (March 11-19) for the World Premiere of her new animated documentary, More Than I Remember. Illustrating the harrowing, hopeful journey of a Congolese teenager searching for her lost family, the film is screening in the Texas Shorts competition.
One night at her home in southeastern Congo, 14-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. From there, she sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people. Despite unimaginable obstacles, Mugeni’s story is ultimately a portrait of hope, love, and family bonds.
Directed and produced by Bench — who won a SXSW Special Jury Award for her previous animated short A Line Birds Cannot See as well as honors from BendFilm, Cleveland International Film Festival and Indie Grits —More Than I Remember is produced by Carolyn Merriman and executive produced by Eloise DeJoria and Constance Dykhuizen. Maya Edelman (Out of My Head, Lindsay Katt’s Avant Gardener) imbues the short with her unique visual style as animation director.
More Than I Remember
Edelman and the filmmakers sought to reflect Mugeni’s “sensitivity and boldness” with rich, textured colors across an unlimited palette, grounding the design in reality while capturing the emotional stakes of life as a migrant and refugee. As Mugeni moves through each carefully considered landscape on her search for “home,” these changing backgrounds are juxtaposed with simplified character animation to focus audience attention on her recollections of horror, flight from her country and the trials she faces along the way. The team’s goal was for “the viewer to witness events in a way that does not distract, glorify or burden the storyteller with brutal imagery, in turn creating a unique level of intimacy that can transcend what’s possible in other visual forms.”
The animation team connected to the project both artistically and personally. Rancagua-based animator Sebastián Bisbal, who received his MFA in Film Production from The University of Texas at Austin, is pulled to stories of displacement due ot his own family’s political persecution. Lebanese artist Samia Khalaf moved to California at age 17 to pursue animation at San Jose State University, and has worked on projects for Disney TV, mobile games and VR apps for the past 11 years — her best friend from childhood is a Syrian woman who has been displaced multiple times. Edelman herself came to the U.S. as a refugee from the U.S.S.R. at age 13, knowing the disorientation of life in a new place, struggling to express onself fully in a new language.
More Than I Remember
The short brings attention to U.S. path-to-citizenship policy and the humanitarian crisis happening in southeastern Congo, where militia attacks on the minority Banyamulenge people have led to the destruction of hundreds of villages and the displacement of over 200,000 people (read more in these reports by Human Rights Watch and Genocide Watch). These refugees have fled to neighboring countries or scattered across the globe.
One sanctuary country offering a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors is the United States, working with the United Nations to help a small yet critical number of this extremely vulnerable population for the past 40 years. But the life-saving Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URM) was nearly eliminated under the previous administration in 2018, leaving thousands like Mugeni with fewer places to turn to for help. As the filmmakers note, stories like Mugeni’s highlight the need to provide safe spaces for the children who need it most — and work to expose audiences to the issue.
More Than I Remember
Support for the film was provided by the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Austin Film Society, Still I Rise Fellowship Program, City of Austin Cultural Development, JP’s Peace Love & Happiness Foundation, Bethany Christian Services and ConnectHer.
Voiceover booths have been abuzz with excitement over the much anticipated English SimulDub release of Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2, which is set to premiere next Sunday, February 13 on Funimation and Crunchyroll.
All available episodes of the series simulcast from Japan are currently subtitled in all of Funimation’s global territories and in more than 200 countries and territories on Crunchyroll, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and on Funimation’s European streaming service Wakanim. The Spanish and Portuguese dubs will also be made available on February 13.
Attack on Titan Final Season
The English-language dub is overseen by ADR director Mike McFarland, who also provides the English voice of Jean Kirstein. The cast also includes:
Bryce Papenbrook – Eren Jaeger
Josh Grelle – Armin Arlelt
Trina Nishimura – Mikasa Ackermann
Robert McCollum – Reiner Braun
Jason Liebrecht – Zeke Jaeger
Clifford Chapin – Conny Springer
Kellen Goff – Porco Galliard
Amber Lee Connors – Pieck Finger
Lindsay Seidel – Gabi Braun
Bryson Baugus – Falco Grice
Griffin Burns – Colt Grice
Anairis Quiñones – Yelena
Zeno Robinson – Onyankopon
Jessica Calvello – Hange Zoë
Matt Shipman – Floch Forster
Bryn Apprill – Historia Reiss
Chris Hury – Grisha Yeager
Matthew Mercer – Captain Levi
Attack on Titan Final Season
Attack on Titan is set in a world where, many years ago, humanity was forced to retreat behind the towering walls of a fortified city to escape the massive, man-eating Titans that lurked outside their fortress. Only the heroic members of the Scout Regiment dared to stray behind the safety of the walls – but even those brave warriors seldom returned alive.
In the epic Final Season of the worldwide anime phenomenon, starting with episode 76, the lines between friends and enemies become even more blurred. The War for Paradis explodes in Shiganshina and as battle rages on and the true intentions of the masterminds behind the current state of the world become clear…
Attack on Titan Final Season
Based on one of the best-selling manga series of all time, having sold over 100 million volumes of the manga in print across the world, the award-winning franchise was created by Hajime Isayama. The anime series is currently produced by MAPPA (Banana Fish, Jujutsu Kaisen, Zombie Land Saga) and licensed from Kodansha (Akira, Fairy Tail, Fire Force, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime).
As language-dubbing and dialogue replacement for TV, streaming and film grows to a record $4.9 billion revenue, VoiceQ, the New Zealand-based leader in dubbing software systems, today unveiled a new series of its technology stack, which for the first time includes streaming capability as well as VoiceQ Actor, a new application it will offer free on MacOS for one year to voice performers, available now.
Since its inception in 2008, VoiceQ technology has been used by more than 160 clients worldwide to dub more than 200 titles for leading streaming networks, including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. Squid Game, Lupin, Money Heist and Killing Eve are among the blockbuster international series that have been dubbed into English utilizing VoiceQ software, alongside such iconic animated films as Moana, Frozen and The LEGO Movie.
In 2021 alone, VoiceQ was used to dub more than 500 hours of TV and film content into dozens of languages.
VoiceQ 6.0 enhances the existing, cloud-based VoiceQ technology stack by adding streaming capabilities; synchronization between VoiceQ native and cloud applications; and three new script formats. The newest release also introduces custom user interface and recording to VoiceQ Actor, which makes it easier and more convenient than ever for voiceover artists to audition for and rehearse their performances from any location, accessing VoiceQ-enhanced clips and scripts through secure cloud-based delivery.
VoiceQ is the underlying dubbing technology stack that helps performers and directors achieve high-quality, precision-focused and cost-effective localization. With more than 6,000 licensed users – including many of the world’s most prominent dubbing studios and post-houses – VoiceQ has been used to dub programming into more than 90 languages.
“Thanks to the prominence of streaming services and a pandemic-driven urgency to create high-quality localization quickly and with enormous artistry, VoiceQ is proud to have helped bring game-changing series to audiences worldwide,” said Steven Renata, managing director of Kiwa Digital, the company behind VoiceQ. “Our native and cloud-based technology makes it easier than ever for actors, adapters and post-production teams to work together simultaneously, reflecting the industry’s new ways of working.”
Based on the principles of the century-old French “Rhythmo-band” process, VoiceQ adds cloud-based solutions to synchronize translated and adapted scripts into a host of languages – particularly English, which has brought hundreds of international series to English-speaking audiences around the globe.
More than 4,000 voice actors have utilized VoiceQ, but have had to do so while in-studio. VoiceQ Actor brings a version of the system to performers wherever they are, allowing them to become familiar with the dubbing project and to practice their roles before stepping into the studio – making the actual dubbing session easier, more cost-effective and more creatively exciting.
Beginning today, professional voiceover performers can sign up for a free one-year license for VoiceQ Actor, which will normally retail for US $199 a year. Voiceover talent authorized by any of the nearly 300 dubbing studios worldwide that utilize VoiceQ can be granted access to VoiceQ projects – complete with clips and synchronized scripts – through its secure, AWS-based server. With authorized access, which is supported by a free online training course, voice artists can grow comfortable using the VoiceQ system and rehearse their performances.
To further support and develop the localization and voiceover industry, the one-year-free offer for VoiceQ Actor is open to any voice performer seeking to gain new skills and qualifications. Performers can sign up for the free VoiceQ Actor license and complete the training course utilizing demo projects by visiting VoiceQ.com. The website is also home to complete details about the new release – and the entire VoiceQ tech stack designed for localization professionals around the globe.
The New Yorker has acquired award-winning animated short film Night Bus, and will release it in April as part of the award-winning “Screening Room” series that is available on the brand’s digital platforms. This visually captivating film is set on an overnight bus, where a stolen necklace triggers a series of disturbing events among seven travelers.
Directed and written by Joe Hsieh, Night Bus premiered at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival in November 2020. The film went on to win the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Animation Award, adding to its growing list of honors, including Animafest Zagreb’s coveted Grand Prix and the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s Public Prize. The film is also nominated for Best Short Subject at the upcoming Annie Awards.
Hsieh and team created the characters and background scenes with pencil drawings, and cut-out animation was used to enrich the figures’ body movements and facial expressions. To heighten suspense, enhanced light contrast and texture were used in creating the scenes.
Night Bus is produced by Wan-Lin Lee and executive produced by Joe Chan. It was acquired by The New Yorker Studios and will join The New Yorker’s award-winning “Screening Room” series, a collection of fictional films that will make you laugh, cry, and challenge your view of the mundane and the extraordinary.
Previous films in the series include live-action drama Stutterer, which won an Academy Award, and Oscar-nominated animated works Yes People, by Gísli Darri Halldórsson, and A Single Life, by Job, Jories & Marieke.
Read more about Night Bus in Animation Magazine‘s story here.
Almost a year since publishing house Les Éditions Albert René (Hachette Livre) and Netflix announced their partnership to develop a new 3D CG animated series based on the famous Asterix comic books created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the companies have welcomed TAT to tackle this adaptation. The Toulouse, France studio is launching a large recruitment campaign to hire around sixty graphic designers and increase its workforce to 200 employees.
Since its debut in 1959, each new Asterix volume in print or appearance on screen has been eagerly awaited by fans around the world, from generation to generation. More than 385 million copies of the Asterix books have been sold, translated into 111 languages and dialects, and a total of 14 feature films have been released since 1967, including 10 cartoons and four live-action movies.
Alain Chabat, who wrote and directed the hit 2002 live-action movie Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, is making his animated series debut as the writer and director of the new project. (Mission Cleopatra was the most successful of Asterix’s many big screen appearances, attaining the fifth-highest box-office score of all time for a French film.) BAFTA nominee Alain Goldman (La Vie en Rose, Babylon A.D.) is producing the series.
International Emmy Award-winning studio TAT has been chosen to create this eagerly awaited series. By leveraging this internationally known creative universe and the choice of a French studio, Netflix adheres to its animation ambitions and recognizes French expertise in the artform. TAT shared that the team “is very honored to have been chosen to create this promising series and very delighted with this first collaboration.”
Founded in 2000 by David Alaux, Eric and Jean-François Tosti, TAT has become one of Europe’s most notable and prolific producers of animated series and feature films. Its marquee title, The Jungle Bunch, has been a huge success since 2011, both on television and in the cinema. The International Emmy Award-winning series Jungle Bunch: To the Rescue is broadcast in more than 200 territories and translated into about 50 languages. TAT has released three feature films in recent years: The Jungle Bunch (2017), Terra Willy (2019) and Pil’s Adventures (2021); with two more in production: Pattie and the Wrath of Poseidon (2022) and The Jungle Bunch 2 (2023).
The First Law of Robotics takes an inconvenient turn for our hero in the season finale of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, premiering tomorrow (Saturday, February 5). In the tense sneak-peek scene below, Elle (voiced by Jessica Henwick) finally corners the man who set her on her mysterious path (Wes Bentley) — but resolution seems out of reach.
The finale episode “Time to Die” will air on Adult Swim’s Toonami block in the English-language version, streaming on Crunchyroll in Japanese with subtitles for its global audience.
Based on the iconic sci-fi franchise, Blade Runner: Black Lotus takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2032 and centers on a young woman who wakes up with no memories and possesses deadly skills. The only clues to her mystery are a locked data device and a tattoo of a black lotus. Putting together the pieces, she must hunt down the people responsible for her brutal and bloody past to find the truth of her lost identity.
The CG-animated series is co-produced by Crunchyroll and Adult Swim in partnership with Alcon Television Group, with animation by Sola Digital Arts in Japan. Blade Runner: Black Lotus is directed by Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 duo Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama. The English-language voice cast also features Will Yun Lee, Samira Wiley, Brian Cox, Josh Duhamel, Peyton List, Stephen Root, Barkhad Abdi, Gregg Henry, Henry Czerny and Jason Spisak.
Sarah Finn has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Production, Disney Television Animation, a flourishing creative environment of award-winning animation experts and emerging talent. In her new role, Finn is responsible for leading all of the physical production for the Disney Television Animation studio’s content presented on Disney+, Disney Junior and Disney Channel. She works closely with creative teams around the world. She reports to Meredith Roberts,SVP/General Manager, Television Animation, Disney Branded Television.
Ayo Davis, President of DBT, said, “Sarah has a comprehensive knowledge of animation production, keen attention to artistic and practical details and strong people management skills. Now, as Meredith’s second-in-command, our entire team gets the benefit of their talent and dedication to upholding the most revered animation legacy in the world.”
Sarah Finn (courtesy of Disney Branded Television)
Disney series under Finn’s new remit include the upcoming Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, Pupstruction and Firebuds; as well as current titles Spidey and His Amazing Friends, Puppy Dog Pals, Minnie’s Bow-Toons, the critically acclaimed Mira, Royal Detective, the Daytime Emmy-winning / Annie-nominated comedy Big City Greens, Annie-nominated The Ghost and Molly McGee and Peabody Award-winning The Owl House.
Finn joined Disney in 2013. She was most recently VP Production (2020- 22), previously Executive Director, Disney Television Animation (2018-19). She was responsible for overseeing production across all Disney Junior original animated series including Fancy Nancy and Elena of Avalor and Mickey Mouse Funhouse. Prior to joining DTA, Finn worked in Disney’s Interactive division developing and producing entertainment to support the online game Club Penguin, Disney Junior’s Muppet Babies and The Legend of the Three Caballeros, as well as AR/VR short-form projects.
Finin was previously VP, Development & Production, American Greetings, and VP, Animation Production, Sony Pictures Television. Finn is the creator of PBS Sprout’s Chloe’s Closet, inspired by the birth of her first daughter. The series (2010-17 in the U.S. and in major territories around the world) is available on several streaming platforms. She is a graduate of University of Exeter with a B.A. Honors in American and Commonwealth Arts.
Since the start of the pandemic, the VFX and animation industries have seen major operational shifts with most studios offering hybrid work-from-home models. In a game-changing decision, Cinesite (cinesite.com) has decided to embrace and facilitate remote working permanently. It’s London, Montreal & Vancouver studios will provide an optimal remote work set up while making the office easily accessible to employees wishing to make use of it. The decision was based on employee feedback and the studio’s ability to set up secure remote and cloud-based technologies.
“Recent experience has shown that our artists and staff can thrive in a remote work environment. Offering our teams the choice to work in the studio, at home or a mix of both is a reflection of the trust we place in our staff, and an example of Cinesite’s commitment to work-life balance,” said Cinesite Montreal COO, Graham Peddie. “We’re building something very special, and I encourage everyone to check us out!”
As the company transitions to a new age of working, Cinesite Montreal has also welcomed six senior hires with a combined 80+ years of experience and past credits such as Tarzan, Monster Hunter, 1917, Godzilla vs. Kong, Adaptation, Seabiscuit, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Tangled, The Midnight Sky, Zootopia and Moana:
Shaun Brown as Producer- VFX
David Crawford as Supervisor- VFX
Tom Clary as Executive Producer- VFX
Sherwin Shahidi as Head of Production Technology- VFX & Animation
Jason Edwardh as Head of Performance- VFX
Chris Springfield as Head of Lighting- Animation
Andres Burbano [photo: Sonia Rojas]ACM SIGGRAPH (s2022.siggraph.org) has named Andres Burbano as the Chair of its 51st Conference (2024). Burbano is a native of Pasto, Colombia and an associate professor in Universidad de los Andes’s School of Architecture and Design, where he has been on faculty since 2013. As a contributor to the conference, Burbano has presented research within the Art Papers program (in 2017), and as a volunteer, has served on the SIGGRAPH 2018, 2020 and 2021 conference committees. Most recently, he served as the first-ever chair of the Retrospective Program in 2021, which honored the history of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
“Designing a first-of-its-kind program for the conference in 2021 was thrilling and I cannot wait to take that energy into building the 51st SIGGRAPH,” shared Burbano. “I look forward to discovering new ways to celebrate the richness and complexity of our community as we shape the technological future worldwide.” The Montreal studio opened in Montreal and now boasts the capacity for 700+ employees; current productions include Matilda (Netflix), Peter Pan and Wendy (Disney+), Berkeley Breathed’s HitPig (Aniventure) and Iwájú (Disney+).
Alpha Group (alphagroupanimation.com) announced two key appointment to its media and licensing teams:
Alice Beylot
Alice Beylot is named International Marketing Manager, responsible for developing the marketing strategies for Alpha brands. Bringing a skillset in communication and prospection to the Media & Licensing team and Alpha’s partners, she will handle the production and optimization of strategic plans for properties such as Super Wings, Legends of Spark, Petronix, Infinity Nado and Katuri.
Minh-Vi Phan
Minh-Vi Phan has been appointed International Senior Licensing Manager, charged with developing and implementing licensing strategy for Alpha brands across Europe and internationally. Joining Alpha after five years at Crunchyroll in its licensing department, Phan brings strong credentials to her new roles, where she will oversee all licensing categories worldwide for Super Wings, Legends of Sparks, Petronix and more.
Clockwise from top left: Julie McDonald, Aleya Crable Jennings, Kallie Billadeau, Matt Trudell
More exec and talent moves:
Conductor Technologies tapped VFX/animation industry veteran Julie McDonald (formerly VFX Executive at Netflix, biz dev for Nimble Collective) as Head of Business Development to help studios and artists gain cloud-based pop-up render capacity quickly and easily.
Cutters Studios’ Flavor welcomes seasons VFX artist and 2D/3D animator Matt Trudell to its global staff ranks as a Motion Designer. The New Jersey native joins Flavor after two successful freelance years, contributing to commercials, TV and museum installations.
Fred Rogers Productions (Alma’s Way, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) has named Aleya Crable Jennings its new Director of Corporate Sponsorships and Individual Giving, reporting to President & CEO Paul Siefken.
Creative editorial company Nomad continues to grow with the promotion of asst. editor Kallie Billadeau (RESIST, Under Armour’s ’21 Pride Collection) to Editor.
