Tubi announced the premiere episode of its first-ever original animated series, The Freak Brothers, delivered the platform’s most-watched episode, ranking #1 in total viewing time (TVT) since it launched on Sunday on FOX Entertainment’s free streaming service. Additionally, the new toon based on the cult classic underground comic series, delivered +80% more viewers than the #2 series on the platform.
“In just its first week, we’re seeing viewers gather en masse to tune in to The Freak Brothers,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “Tubi’s new hit is a result of the synthesis between great content, a stellar cast, superb marketing, new viewer engagement and organic viewership driven by our Content Personalization Engine.”
The Freak Brothers marks Tubi’s first foray into adult animation, as it expands its adult comedy collection in the coming months. The additional episodes from Season One will drop on Sundays, one every week, through the finale, Sunday, Dec. 26. The eight-episode series chronicles the escapades of a trio of stoner anti-establishment characters and their cat who wake up from a 50-year nap after smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969, and must adjust to life with a new family in present-day San Francisco.
Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Tiffany Haddish and Pete Davidson, the series is produced by WTG Enterprises and distributed by Lionsgate.
The Freak Brothers is executive-produced by Courtney Solomon (AFTER, Mr. Church,” Cake) and Mark Canton (STARZ’s POWER UNIVERSE, 300, Den of Thieves), along with award-winning producers Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland (King of the Hill, American Dad!). Woody Harrelson, Tiffany Haddish, Pete Davidson, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Gilbert Shelton and Manfred Mroczkowski also serve as executive producers on the series.
Crunchyroll announced a huge slate of new and upcoming anime series at Anime NYC, including the highly anticipated SPY x FAMILY, based on the award-winning manga of the same name, alongside Aoashi, A Couple of Cuckoos and more. The brand also premiered an exclusive clip from Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
SPY x FAMILY follows the life of an undercover spy who unknowingly marries an assassin as he tries to further his mission of infiltrating an elite academy. He enrolls his adoptive daughter into the academy, not knowing that she is a telepath! The anime will stream on Crunchyroll in 2022. The series is produced by WIT STUDIO and CloverWorks, with Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Hunter x Hunter 1999, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn) on board as director and Kazuaki Shimada (The Promised Neverland) serving as character designer. Based on the award-winning manga by Tatsuya Endo, which has been serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ with more than 12.5 million copies currently in print.
Additional new anime series heading to Crunchyroll include:
Aoashi– This anime is based on the cutting edge soccer manga of the same name, following a young soccer ace as he takes his career to the next level.Coming to Crunchyroll April 2022.
A Couple of Cuckoos – This chaotic romantic comedy follows two high school students who were mixed up at birth and find themselves in a pretend romance! Coming soon to Crunchyroll.
Dance Dance Danseur – The first anime adaptation from popular manga artist Asakura George follows the passionate adolescence of a group of ballet dancers. The upcoming series will be produced by MAPPA and directed by Sakai Munehisa.
The Dawn of the Witch – This new anime follows a normal boy and his companions who set out to truly find themselves as they encounter the magical and extraordinary. Coming April 2022.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – This romantic comedy follows sweet Shikimori who transforms into a heartthrob when her boyfriend is in trouble! Coming April 2022.
In/Spectre Season 2 – This Crunchyroll Original series follows the supernatural romance of Kotoko and Kuro as they solve new mysteries. Coming 2022.
Tomodachi Game – This series questions the nature of humanity when faced with the ultimate psychological game and is based on the popular comic series that has sold more than two million copies. Coming April 2022.
In advance of One Piece’s 1,000th episode (“1000 LOGS”) this weekend, Toei Animation in Japan released special anniversary artwork featuring Monkey D. Luffy. Fans worldwide are invited to post their own milestone episode messages to social media— whether they be memories of enjoying the show, favorite moments from the franchise or just a quick congrats to the creative team — using this commemorative artwork along with the hashtag #OnePiece1000LOGS.
One Piece 1000 LOGS Anniversary
This was followed during the weekend with the reveal of the poster for the animated feature One Piece Film: Red and a teaser clip in a special TV spot. From an original story by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, who serves as the flick’s general producer, the new movie will be directed by Goro Taniguchi from a screenplay by Tsutomu Kurowa, and is due out in Japan on August 6, 2022.
The teaser visual on a red background unveils an original movie character designed by Oda, wearing a headset microphone and depicted singing to the sky. No details have been revealed about this newcomer. The “singing voice” and “red-haired” catchphrases sparked speculation from fans and are raising expectations for the events of One Piece Film: Red.
Red
With musical notes overflowing from the score, the teaser video introduces the mysterious new character created by Oda. It is clear she holds the key to the story as the narrator poses an ominous question about “her voice.” The teaser closes with the face of Red-Haired Shanks — the pirate who inspired Luffy to go on his journey.
Taniguchi, whose credits include the series CODE GEASS, s-CRY-ed, PLANETES and revisions, made his directorial debut with One Piece Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack! – the first animated adaptation of One Piece for “Jump Super Anime Tour ’98.” One Piece Film: Red marks his return to the franchise for the first time in 23 years.
Screenwriter Kuroiwa’s credits include the film KINGDOM and the drama series TOKYO MER: Mobile Emergency Room. He previously wrote the screenplay for One Piece Film: Gold.
Emmy-nominated voice actor, singer-songwriter and author Will Ryan, known for playing Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete in numerous Disney animation projects as well as Petrie in Don Bluth’s 1988 feature The Land Before Time, died Friday, November 19 at age 72 from cancer. Ryan, who was also at one time president of international animation organization ASIFA, was residing in Santa Monica, California at the time of his death.
Born William Frank Ryan on May 21, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, the multi-hyphenate talent began his creative career as a singer, teaming up with Phil Baron to form Willio and Phillio in the 1970s, performing regularly for radio, TV and in clubs. The duo also voiced best friends Teddy Ruxpin (Baron) and Grubby the Octopede (Ryan) in the book & tape series as well as the 1986 animated series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
After moving to California, Ryan began to write and record songs for The Walt Disney Company and began his long voice-acting partnership with Disney as Rabbit, Tigger and the singing voice for Eeyore on Disney channel’s Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983) as well as other Winnie the Pooh cartoons. The same year he debuted as Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Ryan lent his vocal talents to several other ’80s cartoon hits, including G.I. Joe (Rock ‘n Roll), Dumbo’s Circus (Barnaby), DuckTales, The Smurfs, The Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Teen Wolf, The Little Mermaid (Seahorse Herald) and An American Tail (Digit). In 1987, he began his long run on Focus on the Family radio drama/video shorts series Adventures in Odyssey, for which he performed over 100 characters (Ryan began his 34th season as a regular on the show this year).
Throughout the ’90s, Ryan provided voices for the series Garfield and Friends, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat and Courage the Cowardly Dog (the Duck Brothers), as well as feature films, specials and video titles including Thumbelina, Rock-A-Doodle, A Troll in Central Park, A Flintstones Christmas Carol, The Story of Santa Claus and The Pebble and the Penguin. He was a writer and consulting producer for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996), earning his Primetime Emmy nomination as well as a WGA Award nomination.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Ryan reprised Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete for series, shorts and specials in the new millennium, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, for which he shared an ensemble award from Behind the Voice Actors in 2014, and 2021 series Mickey Mouse Funhouse. His 2000s voice credits also include Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and guest spots on Family Guy and Wonder Showzen.
As a songwriter, Ryan earned two Gold Records from the R.I.A.A., a Pioneer Award from BMI and an Annie Award nomination for the track “The Elmo Aardvark Song.” His band, Will Ryan & The Cactus County Cowboys released five CDs, and he wrote over 100 songs for Disney and the Jim Henson Company. He also penned a number of books, including Duke and Me and The Tiny Little Book of Cowboy Haiku.
Ryan is survived by his wife, Nancy Niparko Ryan, and siblings Patty Ryan, Marsha Ryan Russo and George Ryan.
GKIDS announced Friday it has added exclusive IMAX preview shows of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s latest feature, Belle. Previews begin Wednesday, January 12 in select markets, ahead of the film’s nationwide theatrical opening on January 14. The studio also revealed a new theatrical poster for the highly anticipated film. Tickets for IMAX showings and select markets are on sale now at BelleFilm.com.
Belle
This original retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” set partially in an expansive virtual world was released in theater (including IMAX screens) in Japan starting July 16, and topped the box office for three consecutive weekends. The film marks Hosoda’s first title to have IMAX screenings, and played in 38 IMAX theaters throughout Japan. Belle has crossed 6.52 billion yen (approx. 59.2 million USD) in box office to date, becoming Hosoda’s highest-grossing film ever by beating the lifetime gross of Boy and the Beast. (Read all about the film in Animation Magazine‘s feature story here!)
Hilda (Netflix) won the 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday it will debut a Children’s & Family Emmy Awards beginning in 2022. Details and dates for the standalone competition and ceremony will be announced next year. The first Emmy expansion since the Sports and News & Documentary sections spun off in 1979, the move comes as NATAS has seen an explosion in submissions to the kids & family categories (currently 27 as part of the Daytime Emmys) and a 23% increase in programming for this audience in the past two years.
Top children’s animation honors for this year went to The Adventures of Paddington, Hilda and Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth (review the list of winners here). They were honored during the Children’s and Animation portion of this year’s Daytime Emmy trio of virtual ceremonies held in July. NATAS also received more than 300 submissions for the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys’ juried Individual Achievement in Animation honors — the most for any category, resulting in six honorees.
HPA Award winners (from left): Abbigail Keller, The Mandalorian (top), 9-1-1: The New Abnormal (bottom), Black Widow
On Thursday, the 2021 HPA Awards celebrated exceptional work in color grading, sound, editing and visual effects in commercial, episodic, and feature projects. Returning to a sold-out gala after a virtual event in 2020, this year’s HPA Awards brought Hollywood golden era flavor to 2021. Presenters for the evening included Barry Meyer, Karol Urban, Anna Behlmer, Brooke Breton, Sabrina Plisco and Patricia Riggen. The complete list of winners is available here. This year’s VFX winners are:
Outstanding Visual Effects – Theatrical Feature (Sponsored by Zeiss): Black Widow – David Hodgins, Hanzhi Tang, Ryan Duhaime, James Reid, Edmond Smith III; Digital Domain
Outstanding Visual Effects – Episodic (Under 13 Episodes) or Non-theatrical Feature (Sponsored by Zeiss): The Mandalorian “Chapter 9: The Marshal” – Joe Bauer, Richard Bluff, Abbigail Keller, Hal Hickel, Jeff Capogreco; Industrial Light & Magic
Outstanding Visual Effects – Episodic (Over 13 Episodes) (Sponsored by Zeiss): 9-1-1 – The New Abnormal – Jon Massey, Tony Pirzadeh, Timothy Cairns, Bryant Reif, Josephine Noh; FuseFX
Courtesy TMS Entertainment USA, Inc.
TMS Entertainment USA, Inc. will host screenings of both the 27th Lupin the 3rd TV special and delayed but highly anticipated 24th movie in the Case Closed franchise at this year’s Anime NYC Convention at the Javits Center in New York this weekend.
Lupin the 3rd: Prison of the Past English Dub Premiere | Nov. 21, 3:30 p.m., Panel 4 | Making special appearances for the screening will be English voice cast members Tony Oliver (Lupin III), Richard Epcar (Daisuke Jigen), Lex Lang (Goemon Ishikawa), Michelle Ruff (Fujiko Mine) and Doug Erholtz (Inspector Zenigata). The cast will host a trivia and giveaway contest at the screening. All attendees will also receive an Anime NYC exclusive Lupin the 3rd face mask specially designed for the premiere.
Case Closed: The Scarlet Bullet English Dub Premiere | Nov. 22, 11:30 a.m. | Panel 4 | The screening will be followed by a trivia and giveaway contest: Fans will be able to test their knowledge of the series for exclusive Case Closed prizes to celebrate the premiere of the highly anticipated theatrical addition to the beloved series.
The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks
Winners in the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (asiapacificscreenawards.com) were announced Nov. 11, with Best Animated Feature Film awarded to Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh, Russian Federation). The award was determined by the Youth, Animation, Documentary International Jury comprised of Jury Chair Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand), Screen International Deputy Asia Editor and Korea Correspondent Jean Noh (Republic of Korea) and internationally sought-after New Zealand animator, Antony Elworthy.
The Jury Citation read, “The Nose or the Conspiracy of Mavericks stood out amongst the strong field of animated films with its originality, and clear and powerful message. The Nose is a very unusual and fresh film, skillfully realised with traditional animation techniques, yet with a post-modern twist. Mixing live-action and historical footage with collage and ink animation, and with occasional glimpses of the animators working on the scenes as they unfold, the film itself is like a collage. A celebration of Russian literature and theater, but also a look at suppression of the arts in a dark chapter of Soviet history, The Nose stands as a defiant and poignant rejection of tyranny.”
In accepting the Award, Khrzhanovsky said, “Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear members of the jury. First of all, thank you very much for this prize. It is a really great honor for me. It is very important to receive this Prize here in Asia, because Asian culture and art is a great phenomenon in general. I would like to wish to all people in the world to be healthy, with good health and prosperity.”
Danaé Gosset | Kiyotaka Mizukoshi
In addition to celebrating the full class of 32 winners from 14 countries at the Young Guns 19 awards ceremony in New York, The One Club for Creativity presented additional special recognition to two honorees.
Kiyotaka Mizukoshi, founder and president at Mozu Studios in Tokyo, received the Young Guns 19 Creative Choice Award. The accolade is the result of a public vote by the global creative community who reviewed work of all YG19 winners and picked the one they believe stands above all others. Mizukoshi works in three different fields: stop-motion animation, miniatures and trick art. He created his first miniature at the age of 17, and it looked so real that it went viral on social media and was featured on TV. His stop-motion animation Out of Order won the top prize at Digicon6, one of the largest film festivals in Asia. Mizukoshi hosted his first exhibition this past July and is still touring Japan.
Danaé Gosset, an animation director, art director and designer based in Paris, was presented with the eight-annual Artist In Residence Award from international artists management agency and Young Guns sponsor Levine/Leavitt. The honor is bestowed annually to a newly crowned Young Gun whose body of work truly stands out, as judged by an advisory board of industry professionals across a range of disciplines. As this year’s winner, Gossert receives a full year of professional development, guidance and mentorship from Levine/Leavitt to help advance her career. She specializes in the craft of mixed-media moving images, and aims to make people feel in different ways through various cross techniques and powerful narratives. Gosset’s work has been recognized by organizations including the Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club, SXSW, D&AD, Graphis Annual, Indigo Awards and Adobe.
Reeducated
Red Sea: Immersive, part of the Red Sea Int’l Film Festival, announced its 21-strong program of virtual reality experiences, running from Dec. 7-15, presented in collaboration with Art Jameel and hosted at Jeddah’s new creative complex, Hayy Jameel.
In competition: Kevin Mack’s Anandala, David Adler’s End of Night, Joerg Courtial’s Genesis, Benjamin Cleary & Michael O’Connor’s Glimpse, May Abdalla & Barry Gene Murphy’s Goliath: Playing with Reality, Felix Gaedkte & Gayatri Parameswaran’s Kusunda, Asif Kapadia’s Laika, Amir Admoni & Fabito Rychter’s Lavrynthos, Blanca Li’s Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li, Benjamin Steiger Levin’s Marco & Polo Go Round, Sam Wolson’s Reeducated, Hsin-Chien Huang’s Samsara (Lun Hui) and Tang Zhi-Zhong & Huang Yun-Hsien’s The Sick Rose.
Out of competition: Randall Okita’s The Book of Distance, Michelle & Uri Kranot’s The Hangman at Home, Rui Guerreiro’s Mare, Balthazar Auxietre’s Maskmaker, German Heller & Federico Carlini’s Paperbirds 1 & 2, Jonathan Hagard’s Replacements (Penggantian), Rose Troche’s We Live Here and global collab VRChat Worlds Collection.
RedSeaIFF also announced it will present the Arab premieres of Illumination’s Sing 2 and Mamoru Hsoda’s Belle as part of its Red Sea: Next Generation section for younger audiences. The program will also feature a selection of short films from various directors, Kiddomania. The inaugural RedSeaIFF takes place Dec. 6-15 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dates, Submissions & Selections Bytes:
Anime Frontier Powered by Crunchyroll, a new experiential event from LeftField Media (Anime NYC), opens its doors in Texas with its debut con next month in the Fort Worth Convention Center. 3-5, 2021 | animefrontier.com
FMX 2022 confirms an exclusive online program as part of its hybrid plans, opening May 6 and available on VOD until May 31. May 3-5 / 6, 2022 | fmx.de
Free Comic Book Day (U.S.) returns the first Saturday in May, featuring 45 free titles at participating shops. May 7, 2022 | freecomicbookday.com
Seoul POPCON brings a new pop culture con to the Korean capital next summer, focused on comics, film/TV and games as well as new fields like metaverses and NFTs. 25-28, 2022 | seoulpopcon.org
DEADLINE EXTENDED: CEE Animation Workshop. For European animation projects in short, feature, TV series/special, documentary, hybrid or XR format. New deadline: Nov. 22, 2021
REGISTRATION OPEN: Cartoon Business conference in Gran Canaria (Spain). 8-10
A&N Productions (founded by animator/producer Adam Yaniv), Aircraft Pictures (producers of the Academy Award-nominated animated feature film The Breadwinner and Emmy-nominated series Holly Hobbie) and Yeti Farm Creative (Pete the Cat, Hotel Transylvania: The Series) announced today the start of key animation on the new 2D-animated series, Summer Memories. Commissioned by WildBrain Television’s Family Channel, the 20 x half-hour episode series is distributed internationally by WildBrain Ltd.
Created by Yaniv, Summer Memories began as a short film produced as part of the Nickelodeon Animated Shorts Program. The series follows the time-and-space-bending adventures of best friends Jason and Ronnie as Jason looks back on the most pivotal summer of his life (which was just a few weeks ago).
The series voice stars Tricia Black (Second City, Baroness Von Sketch), Yaniv, Jonathan Langdon (No Tomorrow, Utopia Falls), Dani Kind (Workin’ Moms, Wynonna Earp) and Rakhee Morzaria (My Spy, Note to Self) and features guest stars including Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills 90210).
“Wholly original, yet full of relatable themes, Summer Memories is a wonderful take on childhood through the unbelievably talented and inventive lens of Adam Yaniv,” said Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, co-founders of Aircraft Pictures. “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with A&N Productions, Yeti Farm Creative and WildBrain Television in bringing this new series to life.”
Yaniv served as an animator and animation supervisor on such family features as Night at the Museum, Hop and The Chronicles of Narnia, and currently serves as supervising producer on Nickelodeon’s Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks television series.
“I’m so proud to share our authentic and hilarious characters and their seriously massive totally the best you’ve ever seen life-changing friendship with everybody. I think kids and their families everywhere will get a kick out of it,” said Yaniv.
Production on the series is currently underway in Kelowna, Toronto and Jerusalem. Summer Memories is a Canada-Israel treaty co-production with Yaniv, Paul B. Cummings (Adult Swim, Comedy Central), Irene Weibel (Moon & Me, Hotel Transylvania: The Series), Oded Turgeman, Aircraft’s Leo and Rosen and Yeti Farm’s Ashley Ramsay and Jay Surridge serving as executive producers. Production services in Jerusalem provided by The Hive Studio.
“Summer Memories is a unique and endearing series, equal parts funny and heartwarming,” said Katie Wilson, VP Channels and Curation, WildBrain Television. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with A&N Productions, Aircraft Pictures and Yeti Farm to commission this primetime animated series for Family Channel. I can’t wait to introduce Canadian families to Ronnie, Jason and the rest of the Summer Memories cast of characters.”
Summer Memories is produced with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund and the Jerusalem Film & Television Fund at the Jerusalem Development Authority. The series is slated to debut in Canada on Family Channel in Summer 2022.
Award-winning Brazilian studio Hype Animation has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, which will be used to accelerate the production of the studio’s upcoming musical series Kaia’s Discoveries. In this preschool show, each episode will embody a day in the life of the curious and delightful protagonist, Kaia. Through music and melodies, Kaia and her friends will showcase an exciting world of discoveries underlaid by themes of diversity, empathy, technology and science.
The project aims to challenge how we think about music and animation. In addition to using Epic’s Unreal Engine to automate various stages of production, the project uses state-of-the-art technology to generate music with artificial intelligence and data analysis. With this, Kaia’s Discoveries aims to make the animation process itself a leaner and more efficient endeavour while helping to shape the education of a new generation.
“Today, animation still has the stigma of being an expensive and time-consuming process. Along with the use of Unreal Engine — which is a perfect way to spur innovation in media production — together with the use of AI algorithms, we want to test the limits of where technology can enhance human creativity,” explains Gabriel Garcia, CEO of Hype.
Kaia’s Discoveries – cred. Hype Animation
Launched in 2019, Epic MegaGrants is a $100 million program designed to support the work of talented teams and individuals worldwide who are working with Unreal Engine, the real-time 3D tool used to create state-of-the-art interactive experiences and entertainment.
Hype’s most recent works include the animated series Taina and the Amazon’s Guardians (2018) and Guitar & Drum (2019), co-produced with Punkrobot. Hype is part of the largest collective animation studio in Latin America, Los Amigos, responsible for Angry Birds Bubble Trouble (2020). The studio also produced the series Dino Adventures (2015). Hype’s productions have participated in over 100 festivals throughout 35 countries. The studio has already distributed its titles to channels such as Discovery Kids, Disney, Nickelodeon and Netflix.
We’ve been through a lot. Everything has changed. What will the future hold?…
Paramount+ has dropped the teaser trailer for the first in a planned series of 14 original South Park films (which, we learn, are not feature-length movies or specials but rather, “exclusive events”). Premiering November 25 on the streamer, South Park: Post COVID introduces adult versions of Stan and Kyle as they reconnect in an imagined world beyond these challenging times.
Logline: What happened to the children who lived through the Pandemic? Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny survived but will never be the same Post Covid.
As previously announced, the second South Park Exclusive Event is due to arrive on Paramount+ in December. No further details have been announced. These extra installments follow up on 2020’s Emmy-nominated The Pandemic Special (cable’s #1 scripted telecast of the year and South Park‘s 19th Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program) and the South ParQ Vaccination Special, which ranked as the top cable telecast of 2021 with nearly 3.5 million total viewers across its premiere night.
South Park launched on August 13, 1997. The series is created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who also executive produce alongside Anne Garefino and Frank C. Agnone II. Eric Stough, Adrien Beard, Bruce Howell and Vernon Chatman are producers. Chris Brion is the creative director of South Park Digital Studios. Renewed by Comedy Central through to 2027, the series has earned five Emmy Awards to date and a George Foster Peabody Award.
Interplay Entertainment, which holds the rights to the Earthworm Jim video game franchise, has teamed up with APA to develop a new animated TV series based on the annelid action hero. The project hails from Interplay’s newly formed studio division headed by Michel K. Parandi, who is working with producer Aaron Billet and animation studio Passion Pictures, led by animation producer Marc Bodin-Joyeux, to develop the company’s game properties into TV and film content.
The series will continue the adventures of Earthworm Jim — an invertebrate spacefarer in a high-tech robotic suit who travels the galaxy fighting evil — and introduce new characters as he travels a galaxy full of planets populated by anthropomorphic animals on his quest to return to his fabled home planet: Earth.
“I remember loving Earthworm Jim as a kid, and there’s so much potential in this story universe: a galaxy full of animals battling for power,” Parandi told Variety. “Jim is an earthworm in a universe where Earth is nothing more than a myth. His struggle to find meaning is surreal and comical, but it’s also relatable.”
Earthworm Jim debuted as a game for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994, releasing three sequels through to 1999. An animated series from Universal Cartoon Studios ran for two seasons on the Kids’ WB block from 1995-96, voice starring Dan Castellaneta of Homer Simpson fame.
The announcement did not mention whether Jim’s controversial creator Doug TenNapel has any involvement in the new project. Last year, he told GamesBeat that he had participated in a brainstorming session for the long stymied game Earthworm Jim 4 and was “open for unpaid consulting” on the property.
Originally slated to arrive in October, “love letter to the anime industry” Shirobako The Movie will now be released on digital download and on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack on December 7, from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory. The fan-favorite anime about making anime makes its home debut following a North American theatrical release this summer.
Bonus features on physical release include a teaser and trailer never before seen in North America, and a four-page booklet with stunning character art.
Shirobako The Movie is the eagerly awaited sequel to the television anime series of the same name, which has also been adapted as a manga series. Director Tsutomu Mizushima (Girls und Panzer, Prison School) and screenwriter Michiko Yokote (Naruto, Cowboy Bebop) lend their talents to the movie after working on the beloved series.
The Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is available for pre-order from Shout! Factory.
Synopsis: Four years after the events of the series, Musashino Animation has gone through drastic changes and things are looking bleak for the studio. One day, Aoi Miyamori is offered a role managing a new theatrical animation project. With only a few months left before the deadline, can MUSANI complete the project in its current state? It’s up to Aoi to work alongside both familiar faces and new to finish the project in time!
Hold on to your giblets: Emmy-winning FOX favorite Bob’s Burgers continues its Turkey Day tradition this weekend with the special holiday-themed episode, “Stuck in the Kitchen with You.” Animation Magazine scored an appetizer clip ahead of the main feast, which premieres Sunday, November 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Guest starring Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto, Maya and the Three, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), the festive frolic kicks off when Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) volunteers to cook Thanksgiving dinner for a retirement home, Louise (Kristen Schaal) gets stuck helping him on his most intense cooking day of the year. Meanwhile, as you can watch in the clip below, Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Tina (Dan Mintz) try to help Zeke (Bobby Tisdale) entertain the residents.
Now in its 12th season, Bob’s Burgers is produced by 20th Television Animation. The series was created and is executive-produced by Loren Bouchard and was co-developed by Jim Dauterive. Nora Smith, Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Greg Thompson, Jon Schroeder, Steven Davis, Scott Jacobson, Holly Schlesinger, Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Kelvin Yu also serve as executive producers. Bouchard and Smith are showrunners.
In addition to the show’s annual holiday-themed episodes, Season 12 features new and returning guest stars including Molly Shannon, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Megan Mullally, Jenny Slate, Will Forte, Joe Lo Truglio and, of course, Beatriz.
There’s lots to celebrate this holiday season on PBS KIDS! The national pubcaster is unwrapping a brand-new Alma’s Way episode which illuminates important traditions for Latino Christian families with two special stories. This festive installment of Sonia Manzano’s new series, produced by Fred Rogers Production, is set to premiere on December 13.
Based on Manzano’s own childhood, Alma’s Way features Alma Rivera, a proud, confident six-year-old Puerto Rican girl who lives with her family and a diverse group of friends and community members in the Bronx. In “Alma’s Nochebuena,” when Alma’s family’s Nochebuena traditions don’t go as originally planned, she must learn to celebrate in a whole new way. Then, in “Three Kings Day Do-Over,” after Alma notices Junior hasn’t played with her Christmas present, she skips playtime to make a do-over Three Kings Day gift.
(Read more about the series in this story from the November issue of Animation Magazine.)
Peg + Cat “The Hannukah Problem”
A number of well loved seasonal specials will return to screens December 1-26 as part of the holiday classics lineup on PBS stations and the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel (check local listings):
A Charlie Brown Christmas. Feeling down about the commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown becomes the director of the gang’s holiday play. Can he overcome his friends’ preference for dancing over acting, find the “perfect” tree, and discover the true meaning of Christmas? The classic Peanuts special returns to PBS and PBS KIDS for a special broadcast presentation. Feeds Sunday, December 19, at 7:30 pm ET/PT on the NPS and at 7:30/6:30 CT on the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel during the Family Night block.
Nature Cat: A Nature Carol. Tally ho-ho-ho! Viewers can join Nature Cat and his pals for an extra-special, hour-long Christmas movie! In this homage to A Christmas Carol, Nature Cat is bursting with what he thinks is “Christmas spirit,” and wants to celebrate with lots of presents for himself, and by decorating the woods with bright lights and loud festive music for everyone. Fa-la-la, that doesn’t sound like Nature Cat? Daisy, Hal and Squeeks are upset because Nature Cat’s desire to celebrate Christmas in a great BIG way is causing problems with their friendship as well as bothering all of the animals in the woods. It’s not until Nature Cat is visited by three Christmas Spirits that he finally sees the true meaning of Christmas.
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas. Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat are having a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas. There’s only one dilemma – neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present! In the end, both gift-giving predicaments are simply and beautifully resolved, revealing the true spirit of the holiday season.
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about Christmas! This adventure finds the Cat in the Hat, Nick and Sally on a journey around the world to help a lost reindeer find his way home to Freezeyourknees Snowland in time for Christmas. On the way, the Thinga-ma-jigger breaks down, and they depend on a variety of animals – from African bush elephants to bottlenose dolphins to red crabs – and their remarkable abilities to help them make an amazing journey home.
Let’s Go Luna: Luna’s Christmas around the World. When the Circo gets stranded in Antarctica on Christmas Eve, Carmen enlists Luna and the kids to play Santa and save Christmas for an unbelievably cute stowaway duckling named Lil’ Teeny.
Peg + Cat + Holidays:
“The Hanukkah Problem” – When Albert Einstein invites Peg and Cat over for Hanukkah, he shows them how to make a 2D piece of paper into a 3D dreidel. Later, they need to use this process to bring peace to Al’s home and save his Hanukkah.
“The Christmas Problem” – When Santa Claus is in trouble, Peg and Cat have to solve their biggest problem ever: how to make and wrap presents for all the children of the world and deliver them using 100 sleighs.
“The Penguin Problem” – Peg and Cat coach a team of skiing penguins, who would have a shot at the Olympic gold medal if only they knew “over,” “under” and “in between.”
Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas. In this one-hour special, it’s Christmastime and the Wild Kratts are taking a break from creature adventuring to celebrate. But when the Wild Kratts receive an alert that their favorite creatures are suddenly disappearing around the globe, their holiday party quickly turns into a rescue mission. The Wild Kratts must race against time to thwart their greedy archrivals’ most miserly scheme yet! Will they be able to travel to the ends of the Earth and return their baby animal friends to their homes in time for the holidays?
Arthur’s Perfect Christmas. Plans are underway in Elwood City for the best holidays ever as Arthur, D.W., their family and friends make preparations for perfect gifts, perfect parties and perfect family traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even “Baxter Day” (Buster and his mom’s special celebration). The only problem is, just like in real life, perfection is hard to attain and things start to fall apart.
BRON Media’s (The Willoughbys) new animation production outfit BRON Digital, launched in July 2020, has announced the star-powered voice cast for its debut project, Fables. The series will retell classic morality tales like The Tortoise and the Hare and The Boy Who Cried Wolf for the 21st century, and will be augmented by an immersive online community as well as interactive games.
The top-notch cast includes Jemaine Clement (Moana, What We Do in the Shadows), Natasha Lyonne (Big Mouth, Russian Doll), JB Smoove (Fairfax, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Alexa Demie (Euphoria), Diljit Dosanjh (Honsla Rakh), Anthony Ramos (Trolls World Tour, In the Heights) and Zach Woods (The Angry Birds Movie 2, Silicon Valley). Ricky Gervais will be the narrator.
Grammy-winning artist/producer Timbaland’s music platform Beatclub will produce select tracks for the series.
Fables is created in 3D CGI with real-time animation powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. Series executive producers are Jason Chen, Head of Digital for BRON, Aaron L. Gilbert, Kevin Turen, Ashley Levinson, Andrew Barrer and Gabe Ferrari. Associate producers are Creative Wealth Media’s Jason Cloth, Suraj Maraboyina and Chris Cole. BRON Releasing is handling global sales.
WarnerMedia has acquired the broadcast rights for German-produced preschool show Spookies. The series will be broadcast on WarnerMedia’s Cartoonito channel and will also be streamed on HBO Max in EMEA. Produced by Wolkenleker and distributed globally by Serious Kids (U.K.), the 78 x 7′ CGI animated series is due to be delivered in 2023/24.
“Spookies immediately stood out as a perfect fit for Cartoonito and for HBO Max EMEA/ We are excited to partner with Wolkenlenker to bring this delightful show to preschool audiences,” commented Zia Bales, Lead Acquisitions, Partnerships & Co-productions, Kids & Family, WarnerMedia EMEA.
Spookies tells the story of three special little spirits, Lily, Bob and Freddy, who live in Castle Ravenrock — where there is something new to discover around every cobwebbed corner and up every dusty stairwell. In Ravenrock, no door stays locked, no secret stays under lock and key and no opportunity for adventure is wasted.
The series is created by Daniel Acht. Jen Upton (Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed) is the head writer.
“Childhood today can be anxiety inducing. Our three little ghosts are showing kids, with a lot of humor and understanding, that you can overcome almost everything life throws at you,” said Sebastian Wehner of Wolkenlenker.
Genevieve Dexter, CEO of Serious Kids, added, “We are delighted to cement this deal and look forward to agreeing another.”
On November 9, Toho Co., Ltd. hosted a press conference in Tokyo, Japan for the upcoming theatrical stage production, Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), which is set to showcase at the Imperial Theatre in Marunouchi, Tokyo from March 2-29, 2022. The live stage adaptation releases during the year of Toho’s 90th anniversary.
The press conference brought together cast members, including Kanna Hashimoto, Mone Kamishiraishi and Mari Natsuki, along with writer and director John Caird, supporting director Maoko Imai and Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki, producer of the original film Spirited Away, who each talked about their anticipation for the new stage production. The vibrant energy from the speakers and audience carried throughout the event and built excitement for what’s to come with the stage production.
Opening on an exciting note, the press conference revealed two posters featuring Hashimoto and Kamishiraishi as Chihiro. The surprise reveal served as a first look for the two actors as they saw the posters for the first time, along with the audience who reacted positively to the visuals with a round of applause.
“I can relate myself with Chihiro, who gets lost in the world of gods, because this will be my theater debut and it will be my new adventure to the theater world,” said Hashimoto, who makes her stage debut in the role. “I am hoping to live Chihiro instead of acting as her.”
Double-cast as the lead, Kamishiraishi said, “I was absolutely fascinated by the film when I saw it for the first time at the age of seven, including the scary parts. I am going to convert the pressure I am feeling into energy. I hope I can be as brave as Chihiro.”
Suzuki said it was “very touching” that the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s classic is happening two decades after the initial release. He also shared an anecdote of Hayao Miyazaki meeting Caird for the first time: “They just clicked right away, and Miyazaki immediately said ‘okay’ to the idea of the stage adaptation.” He also added that it had come from Miyazaki’s thoughts on Spirited Away being “so widely beloved that it has become everyone’s piece, not just his.”
Caird, who is a great admirer of Ghibli films, was surprised at Miyazaki’s prompt decision, even though he believed the story of Spirited Away was very theatrical, and he always felt it could be a stage production. He continued to praise Miyazaki’s stories as having amazing emotional and intellectual integrity and that his talent to get inside the mind of children makes him equal with some of the great storytellers like Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen and Lewis Carroll.
“I think he will go down in history as one of the greatest storytellers,” Caird said. He revealed that Miyazaki had told him to “have fun,” before turning to the lively cast members and adding, “I can guarantee you we’re going to have fun.”
Caird further shared that he has already been working on the play in London and Tokyo through three workshops with the creatives, who include Brad Haak (Knights’ Tale) on music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations; Jon Bausor (London Paralympics Opening Ceremony in 2012) on set design; Toby Olié (puppeteer/associate puppetry director for Olivier Award/Tony Award winning War Horse) on puppetry design and direction; and Shigehiro Ide on choreography.
Another highlight came when Tomohiko Tsujimoto (double-cast as No Face with Koharu Sugawara) performed an improvisational dance as his character, prompting Caird to remark: “I didn’t know how we’re going to [show No Face on stage] until now. Now I know how to do it.”
Kotaro Daigo – Haku | “I am nervous, but I am looking forward to working with and learning from everyone.”
Hiroki Miura – Haku | “I am looking forward myself to see how the scene where Haku turns into a dragon will be depicted.”
Koharu Sugawara – No Face | “The story is set in a mysterious world, but there are lives in it. I want to deliver their sparkles.”
Tomohiko Tsujimoto – No Face | “Ghibli films are a part of my life. I am hoping that I can become a part of someone else’s life through this play.”
Miyu Satoshi– Lin/Chihiro’s Mother | “I’ve seen every single Ghibli film. I still feel like I am in a dream. I need to calm down my excitement, but I am looking forward to being a part of the show.”
Fu Hinami – Lin/Chihiro’s Mother | “I am excited that I am going to be working under Ms. Natsuki and Ms. Park and going to take care of Kanna and Mone. I am ready!”
Tomorowo Taguchi–Kamaji | “The historic stage of Imperial Theatre, a masterpiece with fans around the world, and John’s direction — I would like to make the most of this power triangle.”
Satoshi Hashimoto – Kamaji | “John says, ‘let’s play’ to the actors, letting us play around. He is a very proficient director. I hope the audience will enjoy it as much as we do. Please look forward to the number of arms I show on stage.”
Mari Natsuki – Yubaba/Zeniba | “When I voiced for the original film, I thought the role was a villain and I was prepared to act accordingly. But director Miyazaki said, ‘Yubaba is putting all her efforts into protecting the bathhouse. She is not a villain.’ It felt very emotional. I never thought that I would be playing the same role on stage two decades later. Just like Kanna, I would like to play like a debutante and enjoy this stage version as a completely new one.”
Romi Park – Yubaba/Zeniba | “I was given courage to take this role when I was told that I can try out a lot of ways to express, because the play itself shows so many faces. I am going to [take the plunge at the] Imperial Theatre.”
Kenya Osumi– Aniyaku/Chihiro’s Father | “John always treats actors equally regardless of their age or career. I’m honored to be working with him.”
Sunao Yoshimura – Chichiyaku
Obatanooniisan – Aogaeru
Dates and Venues:
March 2-29, 2022 (Previews on February 28 and March 1, 2022) at Imperial Theatre (Tokyo)
April 13-24, 2022 at Umeda Arts Theater (Osaka)
May 1-28, 2022 at Hakataza Theater (Fukuoka) June 6-12, 2022 at Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru (Hokkaido)
YouTube Originals today announced the December 1 premiere of Tab Time, along with the release of the official trailer and roster of celebrity guests. The new 10-episode weekly preschool show stars Tabitha Brown — an actress, vegan foodie and mother, also known as “America’s mom,” who has become one of the most visible social media personalities today.
Through live-action and animated segments, Tabitha (or “Ms. Tab ” as the kids call her) taps into her natural capabilities as a cook, storyteller, mom and motivational leader to teach children how to live their best life. Each episode welcomes a celebrity guest as a Super Cool Expert in “Tab’s Lab” and two children who join Ms. Tab and DJ Khrafty for craft time activities that kids can also do at home.
“Tab Time is part of my purpose. Over the last few years, I feel I have been called to heal the world, and healing the world starts with children. If we can create better children, then we can create better adults,” said Brown. “Teaching children to grow together and love each other with kindness will create a better world. We’re at a place right now where the world needs healing, it needs light and children are that light. It’s been said a million times, but children are the future and healing change begins with them.”
“Everyone could use a bit of Ms. Tab’s positive energy in their life, which is exactly why we brought this show to our platform,” said Nadine Zylstra, Head of Family, Learning and Impact for YouTube Originals. “Tab Time is set in an inviting, respectful environment where our young viewers are encouraged to realize their own abilities and potential. But it’s also fun for older kids and parents to watch — there is a magic ingredient in this show that appeals to the whole family, and her name is Tabitha Brown.”
Through the lenses of kindness and confidence, Tab Time‘ is for all kids, but geared toward ages 3-5, and will explore themes such as family, helping others, music, how things grow and mistakes. In each episode, Ms. Tab brings the kids along her journey to learn more about that episode’s truth, or theme. With an amazing medley of friends that includes Avi the Avocado (Miles Brown), Lenny the Lightning Bug (Anna Camp), Starla the Spatula (Ashley Nicole Black), Burnie the Oven Mitt (John Michael Higgins), DJ Khrafty (Jermaine Fowler) and Special Adventures voices by Carlos Coleman, Affion Crockett, Nic Few, Zainab Johnson and Lena Waithe, Ms. Tab explores the theme and learns alongside the viewers.
The trailer highlights the series’ diverse roster of guests including Jordana Brewster, Karamo Brown, Percy Daggs, Cynthia Erivo, Cheryl Hines, Lil Rel Howard, Manny Jacinto, Shantira Jackson, Yvonne Orji, Dewayne Perkins and Michael Steger, who join Ms. Tab in each episode to keep topics dynamic and fun.
Tab Time is produced by Kids at Play (Jason Berger and Amy Laslett are executive producers), Scale Productions and Tabitha Brown and is directed by Henry Saine with Lorien McKenna as showrunner. Susanne Daniels is Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. Nadine Zylstra serves as Head of Family, Learning and Impact for YouTube Originals. Craig Hunter as Global Head of Preschool, is the creative lead on Tab Time for YouTube Originals.
Tab Time launches December 1 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET on the official Tabitha Brown YouTube channel and the YouTube Kids app.
Disney Branded Television has greenlit Hailey’s On It!, an original animated comedy-adventure series created and executive produced by longtime writing and producing partners Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton (Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, Prince of Peoria). Produced by Disney Television Animation (TVA), the series is slated to debut in 2023.
Auli’i Cravalho (Moana) voices the title character, Hailey; with Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Good Place) as Scott, Hailey’s best friend; and Gary Anthony Williams (The Boondocks) as Beta, an artificially intelligent operating system from the future.
Hailey’s On It! follows Hailey Banks, a risk-averse but resourceful teenager on a mission to complete every item on her long list of challenging (and sometimes impractical) tasks in order to save the world. Hailey will be pushed outside her comfort zone to discover the greatness within as she systematically conquers her fears, whether she is winning a sand-building competition, wrestling a honey badger, eating a raw onion or facing her ever-growing and complicated feelings toward her best friend, Scott.
“Nick and Devin began their writing careers at TVA nearly 15 years ago and have now come full circle returning to their TVA roots to launch their first animated series,” said Meredith Roberts, SVP & General Manager, Television Animation, Disney Branded Television. “The series’ fast-paced comedy, heart and grounded stories about two best friends who happen to get caught up in extraordinary circumstances made it a perfect fit for Disney.”
In addition to Stanton and Bunje, Howy Parkins (The Lion Guard) is co-executive producer and supervising director, Wade Wisinski (The Owl House) is producer, Karen Graci (Tuca & Bertie) is story editor, and Lee Ann Dufour (The Breadwinner) is art director.
Nine-time Emmy Award-winning immersive animation producer Baobab Studios (Baba Yaga, has unveiled the official trailer for Namoo — the latest project from Oscar-nominated writer and director Erick Oh (Opera). The preview debuted ahead of multiple events spotlighting the piece during the 2021 CTN animation eXpo in Burbank, California this week (Nov. 17-21).
Namoo (Korean for “Tree”) is a narrative poem inspired by the life of Oh’s grandfather. Following the key moments of one man’s life, the tree starts as a seed and eventually grows into a fully mature tree, collecting meaningful objects that represent positive and painful memories in its branches. The visually rich film, Oh’s most personal to date, was created with real-time VR animation tool Quill.
CTN attendees can learn more and experience the film and the standout studio behind it through multiple events at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center this week:
Thursday, November 18
MASTER MEETUPS: Meet the Founders of Baobab Studios and the Creative Team behind Namoo — Join Baobab Studios founders Eric Darnell, Maureen Fan and Larry Cutler as they talk about the creation of their studio and early days of VR and immersive storytelling vis-a-vis their journey creating multiple Emmy Award-winning projects, from Invasion! to Baba Yaga. They will chat with attendees and answer any questions about their studio, projects and state of the industry. They will then be followed by Namoo writer/director Erick Oh and several key artists and creative leads from this latest Baobab production, as they talk about the making of this hand-crafted narrative poem as they greet attendees and answer questions in a conversational and more casual setting.
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m. PST (Meet the Founders), 11:00 a.m.-1:00pm PST (Meet the Creative Team behind Namoo)
Location: Pasadena Glendale Room
Additional speakers: Producer & Baobab’s Head of Content Kane Lee, production manager Anika Nagpal, sound designer Andrew Vernon, art director Eusong Lee, lead Quill artist Nick Ladd
Friday, November 19
SPECIAL SCREENING: Baobab Studios Presents Namoo — Baobab Studios presents a special screening, Q&A and reception to celebrate their latest animated short, Namoo, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Erick Oh (Opera). A hand-crafted, narrative poem come to life, Namoo was inspired by the passing of Erick’s grandfather. Namoo — which translates to “tree” in Korean — marks Oh’s most personal work to date. The film follows the beautiful and heartbreaking moments of a man’s life, from beginning to end. Q&A to follow the screening with director Erick Oh, producer Kane Lee (Baobab’s Head of Content)and production manager Anika Nagpal, and a reception in the Courtyard.
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. PST
Location: Outdoor Theater
Saturday, November 20
PRESENTATION: From Pixar to Namoo – Erick Oh’s Creative Journey from Studio to Indie Baobab Studios — Oscar-nominated filmmaker Erick Oh will chronicle his creative journey from his early days as an animator at Pixar working on such memorable films as Monsters University, Inside Out and Finding Dory through his indie years working on the award-winning animated short The Dam Keeper and subsequent series PIG: The Dam Keeper Poems, ultimately leading up to his Oscar-nominated animated short, Opera. He will then speak in depth about the creation of his latest collaboration with Baobab Studios, Namoo.
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. PST
Location: Main Theater
Panel: Director Erick Oh, producer Kane Lee, production manager Anika Nagpal; Moderator: Aubry Mintz
Youngsters can gather ’round the flickering glow of the ye olde television to enjoy new adventures with familiar friends, as Disney’s outlets present the brand-new holiday special Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (Disney Junior) as well as brand-new episodes of The Chicken Squad and Spidey and His Amazing Friends (Disney Channel) all through December.
Meanwhile, Disney+ is unwrapping its second annual Season’s Streamings celebration, bringing holiday cheer with new originals and classic holiday content for families to enjoy together. Subscribers can find all of their favorite holiday-themed episodes, films, shorts and specials in the new holiday collection available on the service. Plus, brand-new originals like Diary of a Wimpy Kid are debuting this month.
Disney Television December Highlights: Thursday, December 2 7:00-8:00 p.m. EST (Disney Junior) Original Special: Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas. After a series of mishaps, Mickey, Minnie and the gang are separated all over the world and must try to get back to Hot Dog Hills by Christmas Eve. A mysterious and jolly stranger shows up to tell them about The Wishing Star, which could be the secret to bringing everybody home in time to celebrate together.
Friday, December 3 9:00-9:30 a.m. EST (Disney Channel) Spidey and His Amazing Friends “Going Green/Coming Clean”. Team Spidey must stop Green Goblin from spewing his green gas all over the park in order to make it safe for the trees again. | After Peter’s new invention begins swallowing everything in its path, he and Miles work to stop it.
11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST (Disney Junior) The Chicken Squad “Sheep on the Lam/The Chic Chick”. The Squad tries to convince Maisie that she doesn’t have to lie to get their help. | When the Squad helps Dinah with her backyard hair salon, things quickly get out of hand. Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) returns as Dinah.
Friday, December 10 9:00-9:30 a.m. EST (Disney Channel) Spidey and His Amazing Friends “Web Beard’s Treasure/Washed Away”. When Team Spidey foils Doc Ock in her attempt to steal a treasure map, she tricks them into getting the treasure for her. | Spidey and Ms. Marvel work together to rescue Trace-E from a drain that she fell down.
11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST (Disney Junior) The Chicken Squad “The Lemonade Letdown/The Prankster Returns”. Snick and Wheeze discover that someone took something from them, so they go to the Squad for help. Melissa Villaseñor (Saturday Night Live) and Zack Pearlman (Dragons: Race to the Edge) return as Wheeze and Snick, respectively. | The Squad helps Captain Tully track down an elusive prankster.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Disney+ December Highlights: Friday, December 3
Disney+ Originals: Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The first book in Jeff Kinney’s worldwide bestselling series comes to Disney+ in the all-new animated adventure. Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first. To make matters worse, Greg’s lovable best friend Rowley seems to coast through life and succeed at everything without even trying! As details of his hilarious – and often disastrous – attempts to fit in fill the pages of his journal, Greg learns to appreciate true friends and the satisfaction that comes from standing up for what is right. Directed by Swinton Scott (Futurama) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid features the voices of Brady Noon (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) as Greg Heffley, Ethan William Childress (mixed-ish) as Rowley Jefferson and Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Frank Heffley.
New Library Titles:Ice Age, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Mickey & Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas
Wednesday, December 8
New Library Titles: The Chicken Squad (S1, 4 episodes), Muppet Babies (S3, 4 episodes), Spidey and His Amazing Friends (S1, 4 episodes)
Wednesday, December 15
New Library Titles: Gigantosaurus (S3)
Friday, December 17
Disney+ Originals: Arendelle Castle Yule Log: Cut Paper Edition. Hand-crafted from paper art by Brittney Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ acclaimed visual development artist on Frozen and Frozen 2, this warm and inviting hearthside scene sets a festive holiday mood. Stylized cut-out paper flames combine with imaginative visual effects (including a touch of snow provided by Elsa) and silhouetted images of Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven to add to your holiday fun and enjoyment.
Wednesday, December 22
New Library Titles:Minnie’s Bow-Toons: Party Palace Pals (S1, 5 episodes)
Friday, December 24
New Library Titles:Encanto
Wednesday, December 29
Disney+ Originals: The Book of Boba Fett. The thrilling Star Wars adventure, teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temura Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
New Library Titles:O.T.S. (S3)
The Book of Boba Fett
Hulu December Highlights: Friday, December 3
Special: Trolls Holiday in Harmony (Dreamworks Animation). As the holidays near, Queen Poppy plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when she and Branch draw each other’s name. Meanwhile, Tiny Diamond comes down with a bad case of writers’ block trying to think of a special holiday rap for his dad. “Trolls Holiday in Harmony” includes four original songs and features the voice talent of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Kenan Thompson, Rachel Bloom, Ron Funches, Kunal Nayyar, Anderson .Paak, Anthony Ramos, Ester Dean, Walt Dohrn, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Karan Soni.
Friday, December 10
Hulu Original: Crossing Swords – Complete Season 2. Another 10 episodes of bingeable mayhem, representing the next chapter in the adventures of Patrick the long-suffering squire (Nicholas Hoult) as he climbs the ladder of knighthood in the service of the volatile King Merriman (Luke Evans). There are new friends to make, new enemies to vanquish, and new horrors to scar Patrick for life; including bloodthirsty leprechauns, an island of killer monkeys, and a shadowy villain who could destroy everything Patrick has ever known! From creators John Harvatine IV and Tom Root, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the producers of Robot Chicken and Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.
Thursday, December 23
Hulu Original: Dragons: The Nine Realms – Complete Season 1. Set 1,300 years after the events of How to Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. Soon a group of misfit kids, brought to the site by their parents, uncover the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding — a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.
Additional Titles: Coming Dec. 1 – Horton Hears A Who!, Rio; Dec. 9 – TrollsTopia (S5); Dec. 16 – Cryptozoo Last Chance: Leaving Dec. 31 – Alpha & Omega: Legend of the Saw Toothed, Happy Feet, Happy Feet Two, Joseph: King of Dreams, Shark Tale, Shrek, Shrek 2
WarnerMedia is inviting home viewers to spend their Thanksgiving break with HBO Max and your favorite animated mischief-makers: Season two of Tom and Jerry in New York premieres Thursday, Nov. 18, followed by season three of Looney Tunes Cartoons on Thursday, Nov. 25. Then, take a trip to Sesame Street during See Us Coming Together, a 25-minute special that celebrates API (Asian and Pacific Islander) communities and cultures, packed with celebrity guests. Making her debut in the special is Ji-Young, a Korean American Sesame Street Muppet girl!
Also this Thanksgiving break, Cartoon Network is celebrating with everyone’s favorite superhero family for a week of Teen Titans Go! marathons beginning Monday, Nov. 15 through Friday, Nov. 19. (1-9 p.m. ET/PT). Highlighting some of the best superhero action each day, the episodes will lead up to the highly-anticipated half-hour Thanksgiving special, “A Doom Patrol Thanksgiving,” premiering Friday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Cartoon Network is also presenting a week-long marathon of holiday movies beginning Monday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. ET/PT.
So much more awaits animation fans at the close of November:
HBO Max December Highlights:
Thursday, November 18
Tom and Jerry in New York Season 2. The beloved cat and mouse duo Tom and Jerry continue their big chase in the Big Apple with all-new episodes of Tom and Jerry in New York. In this next batch of episodes, Tom and Jerry find themselves on a trash barge competing against some tricky rats, have a musical surf-off at the Jersey Shore and Tom has a nightmare where super-intelligent mice have taken over. New York City’s parks, historic libraries, spectacular museums, and iconic landmarks may never be the same again!
Thursday, November 25
Looney Tunes Cartoons Season 3. This Thanksgiving, Bugs, Daffy, Porky Tweety and more of your favorite Looney Tunes characters are dishing out a third season of mayhem. In these nine new episodes, the mischievous mouse duo Hubie and Bertie star in their first Looney Tunes Cartoons dedicated short where they risk it all to break into a cheese shop. Also in store, Sylvester crashes Tweety’s birthday party while Daffy the Caveduck and Prehistoric Porky have a Stone Age adventure. Back in modern times, Petunia Pig tries her hoof at gardening and Marvin the Martian has finally conquered Earth… except no one bothered to tell Bugs. These and more Looney misadventures are in store on Thanksgiving Day — you don’t want to miss it!
Teen Titans Go! Holiday Collection
Teen Titans Go! Holiday Collection. Revisit some of your favorite escapades in this festive collection of holiday-themed episodes. In these 10 adventures sure to superpower your holiday spirit, the Teen Titans head to the North Pole to take themselves off the naughty list, discover the true meaning of Black Friday with help from a few ghosts, master New Year’s traditions and so much more!
See Us Coming Together (guest star Jim Lee)
Cartoonito – See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special. Designed for families, the new special from Sesame Workshop that follows Sesame Street friends Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Tamir and Alan through a “Neighbor Day” celebration with new friend Ji-Young — a seven-year-old Korean American character performed by Sesame Workshop puppeteer Kathleen Kim. The celebration culminates with a new original song, also entitled “See Us Coming Together,” led by Ji-Young and performed by the full cast. A reimagined version of the Sesame Street classic, “The People in Your Neighborhood,” reinforces that children of all backgrounds can be anything they want to be. Celebrity guests like actors Simu Liu and Anna Cathcart, comic-book artist Jim Lee, chef Melissa King, TV personality Padma Lakshmi and athlete Naomi Osaka join in, too, sharing their passions, talents and cultures.
Cartoon Network December Highlights: Friday, November 19 8:00 p.m. ET/PT Teen Titans Go! “A Doom Patrol Thanksgiving” — Beast Boy returns home for Thanksgiving and the Doom Patrol enters a float in the town’s parade. The Doom Patrol finds old home movies about themselves that The Chief had hidden.
Victor and Valentino
Saturday, November 20 7:00 a.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Lucas the Spider“Home Sweet Home” — Lucas, Findley and Bodhi discover a yummy gingerbread house and immediately devour it. Feeling like the fun is over, they head to bed. But the next morning, they are surprised to find a new gingerbread house, and assuming it was fixed by magic, they decide it’s too special to eat.
9:30 a.m. ET/PTTotal Dramarama “Not for the Paint of Heart” — When Izzy believes that Chef wants her to “Rise to the Challenge” of destroying the daycare with art, she gets some magic paint to bring all her creations to life.
10:00 a.m. ET/PT Victor and Valentino “Butterman!” — When Tez threatens to destroy the town’s butterfly habitat to build a bowling alley, Victor, Valentino and Sal must find the Butterman in order to save the butterflies!
10:30 a.m. ET/PTApple & Onion “Sneakerheads” — Apple and Onion need a Last Will and Testament if they are to protect their belongings from the state.
“Filthy Rich” — What does it take to be truly content? Whatever it takes, Apple and Onion are going to achieve it.
Apple & Onion
Sunday, November 21 6:00 p.m. ET/PT ACME Night – Spider-Man 3
Monday, November 22 9:00 a.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go “Lost and Found” — When Thomas helps Nia make a delivery to the beach in Norramby, he insists he knows a shortcut and leads the way! But it turns out his memory isn’t as good as he… remembered.
10:00 a.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Bing “Big Boots” — Bing and Sula are being giants and splashing in puddles with their rainy boots. What will happen when Bing finds a big puddle?”
1:00 p.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Mush-Mush & the Mushables“Morel in the Dark” — When Mush-Mush discovers that Morel is afraid of the dark, he suggests that Chep, Lilit and he take the Mushlets to their first overnight forest camp. Morel is relieved. But when Mush-Mush and his friends later come back, panicked, and reveal that the Mushlets have disappeared, Morel has no choice but to face his fear and join our friends on their rescue mission in the dark!
Wednesday, November 24 1:00 p.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Mush-Mush & the Mushables “Bouncing Back” — Mush-Mush is very proud he invented a new game called Fruity Bounce, where he and his friends bounce as high as possible on the bouncier fruits they can find. Little did he know, the Mushups were fruit-bouncing way before he, Chep and Lilit did. So, Mush-Mush decides that if he can’t be the inventor of the game, he’ll at least be the best at it. Mushlers vs. Mushups, game on!
Total Dramarama
Saturday, November 27 7:00 a.m. ET/PT Cartoonito – Lucas the Spider“Bye Bye Bye” — Lucas can’t believe Maizie is going to leave them for the entire winter to hiber-grape so Lucas uses delaying tactics to keep her in the house
9:00 a.m. ET/PT Teen Titans Go! “Glunkakakakah” — Robin teaches the other Titans the art of concealment through a game of hide and seek.
9:30 a.m. ET/PTTotal Dramarama “Daycare of Rock” — After believing he’s turned Chef to stone Duncan sets his sights on ultimate chaos only to discover there’s no joy in victory without an adversary.
10:30 a.m. ET/PTApple & Onion “Truffle Season” — It’s truffle season, and Apple and Onion are truffle hunters and they will stop at nothing to taste a truffle.
“Lambporcini” — Apple and Onion are very happy with their sweet new matching designer outfits they bought from known scam-artist Street Dog. That’s until Chicken Nugget mistakes them for something they are not.
Sunday, November 28 6:00 p.m. ET/PT ACME Night – Minions
