Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • TUDUM Recap: Trailers, First-Looks & Even More ‘Witcher’ Animation in the Works

    TUDUM Recap: Trailers, First-Looks & Even More ‘Witcher’ Animation in the Works

    Netflix’s inaugural TUDUM global fan event showered down sneak peeks and updates on the streamers’ popular titles and highly anticipated new projects on Saturday, with tons of first-looks, trailers, clips and updates announced by the creators and stars of favorite shows. Here is a quick recap of the big animation and comic-book adaptation reveals, in case you missed it:

    Ultraman Season 2
    Ultraman Season 2

    Opening the event, TUDUM’s big Anime Spotlight was a whole world-within-a-world of announcements (hosted by Netflix Anime’s V-Tuber, N-ko), celebrating the streamer’s ever growing slate, showcasing upcoming projects as well as stories fans already know and love. Anime continues to grow its fanbase on the platform, with over 120 million households choosing to watch at least one anime on Netflix in the past year.

    • The stress-reducing karaoke stylings of Aggretsuko return in Season 4, which will make its global premiere in December.
    • Ultraman Season 2 (2022) from Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts will pick up several years after the event of Ultraman — the legendary “Giant of Light” is now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father’s revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.
    • The 13 x 30′ adaptation of Mark Millar & Leinil Yu’s Super Crooks, premiering November 25, got a teaser showcasing the lush work by producing studio BONES:

    • Drifting Home (2022), the next feature film from critically acclaimed Studio Coloriod (A Whisker Away, Penguin Highway) teased its tale of two childhood friends who drift into a mysterious sea — alongside an entire housing complex.

    • Attendees got to check out a new featurette featuring international musical artist Miyavi, who is taking on the challenge of voice acting for the first time in Bright: Samurai Soul as the villainous Koketsu.

    Over in Netflix’s animated adult comedy department, Shion Takeuchi‘s (Gravity Falls) original series Inside Job unveiled its first, fantastically nutty trailer. Finally, we know who really runs the world … and it explains a lot. Series premieres October 22; read all about it in Animag‘s November issue.

    Netflix and Riot Games debuted an all-new trailer for League of Legends animated event series Arcane, which is now set to premiere on November 6.

    Fans got a first look at the Season 5 teaser art for Big Mouth and learned that guest stars Brandon Kyle Goodman, Keke Palmer and Pamela Adlon are joining in the hormonal hijinx. S5 premieres November 5.

    Big Mouth Season 5
    Big Mouth Season 5

    Enter the Creel House at your own risk with the new teaser of the latest locale to be explored in the upcoming Stranger Things 4 (set for 2022): Watch!

    The cast of The Umbrella Academy answered burning questions and offered a look behind the scenes of Season 3: Watch!

    The ancient Norse world comes alive (with a little help from some VFX elves) in the Vikings: Valhalla, the next chapter in the popular saga coming in 2022: First look.

    Author/exec producer Neil Gaiman and stars Tom Sturridge (Dream) and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death) revealed the mind-bending, visually captivating and long-awaited adaptation of DC’s dark fantasy comic-book series The Sandman. The teaser features the inimitable Charles Dance OBE (Game of Thrones) as the charlatan occultist Roderick Burgess.

    Acolytes of The Witcher got lots of exciting news, as Netflix offered not one but two sneak peeks at Season 2 (premiering December 17), as well as the first look behind the scenes of the epic prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin, which depicts the creation of the prototype Witcher and the events leading up to the “Conjunction of the Spheres.” The footage gives us a tour of the set, guided by showrunner Declan de Barra.

    Netflix further revealed that the story universe of The Witcher will continue to expand with a second anime feature film to follow Nightmare of the Wolf, a new kids & family series set in author Andrzej Sapkowski’s world, as well as an official third season renewal. Details to come!

  • Clip: Tiny Heroes Pull Off a Big Rescue in ‘Polly Pocket: Rainbow Funland Adventures’

    Clip: Tiny Heroes Pull Off a Big Rescue in ‘Polly Pocket: Rainbow Funland Adventures’

    There’s no time to horse around in this new sneak peek at Mattel Television’s Polly Pocket: Rainbow Funland Adventures! The third season debuts this Wednesday, September 19 with 13 episodes on Netflix (U.S.), with even more miniaturized adventures to follow early next year.

    With her little power, Polly Pocket is ready to make a big difference in the lives of the people around her-from adorable animals in her neighborhood to new friends she welcomes into her life. As the season progresses, Polly’s adventures continue to the fantastic theme park Rainbow Funland. With friends by her side and a magic rocket around her neck, this theme park is in Polly Pocket. It will be a paradise!

    Based on the toy line by Mattel, Polly Pocket premiered on Universal Kids (U.S.) and Family Channel (Canada) in 2008. The series features the voices of Emily Tennant as Polly Pocket, Shannon Chan-Kent as Lila and Cherlandra Estrada as Shani.

  • Stuff We Love: An End of Summer Harvest of Discs, Books & Goodies

    Stuff We Love: An End of Summer Harvest of Discs, Books & Goodies

    Luca
    Those who haven’t gotten on the Disney+ wagon (or, shall we say, Vespa) can enjoy Pixar’s gorgeous, lighthearted Italian Riviera vacation-on-screen this month — alongside an ocean of bonus features including new featurettes, deleted scenes and reflections from the filmmakers. Directed by Enrico Casarosa (La Luna), Luca takes viewers to the picturesque town of Portorosso, where two young sea monsters take human shape on an epic quest for freedom and friendship. With colorful, cartoony CGI, kid-friendly stakes and a heartwarming message, this summer streamer was a welcome relief to a year and a half of stress and uncertainty for many families. [Disney, $35 4K | $25 BD | $20 DVD]

    Luca
    Luca

    Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
    Sony’s lovable cotton-tailed rogue is back in another raucous live-action/CGI hybrid adventure. Unable to shake his mischievous rep, Peter abandons the makeshift family forged by Bea, Thomas and the Rabbits to find his place in the world — dragging his loved ones behind him in a hare-raising bid to get their bouncing bunny boy back. Director Will Gluck again delivers a sound family comedy with just enough charm to remind you this was once, in some other where and when, a Beatrix Potter story. [Sony, $30 4K | $27 BD | $23]

    Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
    Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

    Spirit Untamed: The Movie
    The next chapter in DreamWorks’ popular franchise tells the story of how free-spirited Lucky Prescott came to the sleepy town of Miradero, discovered the truth about her late mother and befriends her saddle pals Abigail and Pru just in time to rescue a certain wild mustang from a scheming wrangler. Young fans can ride along for the hoof-pounding adventure and then check out fun special features, including Finding Your Spirit, deleted scenes, sing-alongs and more. [Universal, $25 BD | $20 DVD]

    Spirit Untamed: The Movie
    Spirit Untamed: The Movie

    More monthly home video highlights:

    • Dreambuilders [Shout! Factory, $23 BD | $20 DVD]
    • Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms [Warner, $40 4K | $30 BD]
    • The Tatami Galaxy – The Complete Series (Sub Only) [FUNimation Classics, $50 BD]
    • The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary (LE) [Shout! Factory, $30 4K | $17 BD]
    The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Limited Edition
    The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Limited Edition

    Castlevania: The Art of the Animated Series
    Sink your teeth into the gorgeously gruesome world of the Netflix hit with this hardcover collection of Gothic anime adventure, assembled by Frederator Studios. With hundreds of pieces of richly detailed artwork including never-before-seen illustrations of monsters, characters and environments — this is the most intricate look at the show us mere mortals could hope to enjoy. [Dark Horse, $40]

    Castlevania: The Art of the Animated Series
    Castlevania: The Art of the Animated Series

    Talking Threads: Costume Design for Animation, Games and Illustration
    Understand the “five functions” of costume design and how outfitting your characters correctly communicates not only their individual style, but the structure of their society, the setting and theme of your story, and so much more. (For example: A Sailor Moon t-shirt and mustard-stained yoga pants to describe an animation journalist thriving under WFH protocols.) Each chapter is packed with creative exercises, tutorials, inspiration and insights from five pros (Jessie Kate, Gwyn Conaway, Rebecca Black-Gliko, Maria Kercher and Blythe Russo) to spark your inner stylist. [Design Studio Press, $46]

    Talking Threads: Costume Design for Animation, Games and Illustration
    Talking Threads: Costume Design for Animation, Games and Illustration

    Funko PREVIEWS Exclusive Mr. Burns POP!
    This glow-in-the-dark darling commemorates the classic Simpsons episode “The Springfield Files.” Dropping Sept. 29, the 3 ¾” figure is complemented by a translucent “chase version” for a few lucky ducks. “It’s bringing love, don’t let it get away!” [SRP $15, previewsworld.com/pullbox]

    Mr. Burns POP! | Mr. Burns "chase version" POP!
    Mr. Burns POP! | Mr. Burns “chase version” POP!
  • Global TV & Streaming New Round-Up

    Global TV & Streaming New Round-Up

    Monsta’s highly anticipated animated series Mechamato is set to launch on WarnerMedia’s Cartoon Network (Asia Pacific) on December 4 in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, followed by South Korea Dec. 11 and Japan in March 2022. A sneak peek episode from the series will be aired especially for Cartoon Network subscribers on Nov. 6. At the recent Kre8tif! 2021 Virtual Conference hosted by MDEC, Monsta CCO Anas Abdul Aziz revealed the official poster, release dates and (joined by characters Amato and MechaBot) revealed the opening theme songs to the audience, produced in-house and recorded by singer Nil Cardoso in the U.S.

    Mechamato follows the adventures of a young boy named Amato who inadvertently becomes the master of MechaBot, a robot with the power to mechanize any everyday object into high-tech devices. Together they can combine into the hero Mechamato in order to defeat and capture bad robots before they can cause more chaos in the city. Mechamato is now open for pre-sales, and several different rights such as VOD, OTT and Free TV are still available for broadcasters and content platforms. Jetpack Distribution is the series’ worldwide distributor outside of Asia Pacific territory.

    Henry Rollins
    Henry Rollins

    Punk rock icon, poet and actor Henry Rollins has joined the cast of the sci-fi animation series NEW-GEN, currently in pre-production. Rollins will play the villains, Deadalus, joining previously announced voice stars including Lena Headey, Luke Wilson, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Wolfhard and Anya Cholatra. NEW-GEN is being produced by J.D. and Chris Matonti and Julia Coppola of A.P.N.G. Enterprises, based on the superhero comic book series distributed by Marvel Comics, and is planned as a multi-platform, multi-tech experience spanning AR and web-based experiences in addition to the animated series.

    Rollins currently hosts a weekly radio show on L.A.’s NPR affiliate KCRW. In 2013, after previously anchoring shows for IFC and National Geographic, he joined the History Channel’s H2 network as host of the TV show 10 Things You Don’t Know About. In 2014, Rollins received the prestigious Ray Bradbury Creativity Award in recognition for his lifelong contribution to the arts, his passion for social activism, as well as his intense passion for the importance of maintaining books and libraries.  His acting credits include the animated Masters of the Universe and the acclaimed series Sons of Anarchy. He is represented by CAA.

    Gabby's Dollhouse
    Gabby’s Dollhouse

    From DreamWorks Animation, Gabby’s Dollhouse is back with a brand new third season to entertain it’s loyal, paw-some fans, debuting on Netflix on October 19. Gabby and her feline friends will tackle creative thinking and imaginative problem-solving in seven all new exciting adventures: The friends will check-in at The Dollhouse Hotel, become medieval knights-in-training, visit the wild west, and even find a way for a plain old banana to turn a rainy day into a magical one!

    From celebrated preschool creators and executive producers, Traci Paige Johnson (Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) and Jennifer Twomey (Blue’s Clues, Team Umizoomi), Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed-media preschool series with a surprise inside! Follow Gabby (Laila Lockhart) as she unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside her magical dollhouse. Every episode is filled with fun DIY crafts, science experiments, recipes and original music.

    Cracké - Family Scramble
    Cracké – Family Scramble

    After winning over millions of fans around the world, on TV and on the web, Quebec-based studio Squeeze has announced a second season of Cracké, currently in production with Télé-Québec. Titled Cracké – Family Scramble, S2 focuses on Ed’s family situation: his eggs have hatched and he must now take care of eight energetic babies! With no experience as a father, but brimming with creativity, this lovable single-parent ostrich dad has a crazy habit of getting himself into silly, improbable and funny situations. Luckily, his paternal instincts and boundless ingenuity get him out of trouble every time, to the delight of his little ones.

    PGS Entertainment is leading the international distribution. This fall, Cracké will hit the markets, and will be present at the Cannes International Program Market (MIPCOM) as well as at the MIPJr, which is dedicated to youth and family content. The series will be available in May 2022. Cracké is created by Patrick Beaulieu and Denis Doré. S2 directed by Squeeze veteran Jonathan Simard.

    Scribble Scrubbie Pets
    Scribble Scrubbie Pets

    Crayola has launched a new season of its original, digital-first Scribble Scrubbie Pets series, produced by WildBrain Spark. The Crayola Kingdom channel is managed globally by WildBrain Spark across YouTube and YouTube Kids and is home to all Crayola kid-targeted content. Since the launch of Crayola Kingdom at the end of 2020, the channel has surpassed 13.2 million views with over 370,000 hours of time spent watching to date. The new season of 20 x 3′ animations and 20 x 1′ draw-along episodes launched on the Crayola Kingdom YouTube channel this month with new episodes released weekly.

    Based on the popular Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets creative toy range, the series  was developed to engage kids 5-8 through the unique elements of animation, real play and drawing. The content is focused on what kids love most about the toy line – bringing their imaginations to life through endless color and design transformations of washable toy pets. Using WildBrain Spark’s digital-first best practices, data and insights from the first season, the new content brings the most popular characters further into the spotlight, including Makena (the bird), Tuma (the elephant) and Scooter (the dog). S2 also hones in on the increasingly popular live-action arts and crafts elements.

    Zoom - The White Dolphin
    Zoom – The White Dolphin

    ZDF Enterprises is including several animated series in its MIPCOM lineup:

    • School of Roars (preschool; 104 episodes) features a cast of mini monsters who help prepare children for their first year of school life. Produced by Dot to Dot Productions and airing on CBBC, the series was a finalist at Cartoons on the Bay and nominated for Best Preschool Show Broadcast Awards.
    • Scream Street (two seasons, 78 eps.) from Coolabi Prod., Factory and Nau Prod. is based on the series of books by Tommy Donbavand. On Scream Street, surfer-dude zombies, sarcastic vampires, martial arts mummies, glamorous witches and just plain-bad monsters put a whole new spin on community spirit.
    • Zoom – The White Dolphin (104 x 12’). Zoom was originally the star of a French cult series from the ’70s. Now he is back, with his best friend Yann, as he undertakes exciting forays around a legendary island in the Pacific Ocean in new episodes produced by Media Valley and Marzipan Films.
    • The Muscleteers (kids 6-9; CGI/3D; 45 x 11′) from Caligari Films is all about helping and being there for each other. Traditional values, such as solidarity and fairness, are transported into the modern world and it becomes obvious that they are not old-fashioned but timeless. All for one and one for all!
    Ana Pumpkin
    Ana Pumpkin

    France TV Distribution is launching new programs at MIPCOM and MIPJunior next month, including animated offerings:

    • Ana Pumpkin (52 x 5′), produced by Folimage / Les Armateurs, introduces us to the world of a little girl of five years old and her everyday adventures. With the help of her loving, confident family, Ana explores the world around her in her own way, full of joy and curiosity, even if she sometimes finds out that her way is not always the best. In any case, she never gives up and always follows up on her ideas, even the strangest ones! She and her inseparable companion, Buddy the dog, are always there for each other and share everything. As with all best friends forever, they have their squabbles and disagreements, but there is generally a great deal of understanding, laughter, affection, humor and love between them.
    • Disco Dragon (52 x 13′), produced by Mondo TV, stars Disco and Betty, a hilarious musical duo who have decided their mission in life is to help every child find their Groove! Grooville is the home of Disco, a dragon who’s crazy about music, who can hear each child’s inner groove. When one of those little soundtracks goes off the rails, Disco gets edgy! It’s an alarm signal meaning a child needs help. On his missions, Disco can count on the help of his little neighbor, Betty, a music-mad hothead like him. The highly ingenious girl has an answer to every problem and sets the tempo. Betty’s high spirits and Disco Dragon’s awkwardness lead to some unlikely situations… and plenty of confusion! But a confusion that helps each child to work out how to find the harmony in their inner sounds. And that really is groovy!
    Vanille, a Caribbean Tale
    Vanille, a Caribbean Tale

    Sales & Expansions:

    • Prime Entertainment Group has closed a deal with German pubcaster SWR (Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate) for the Annecy Cristal-winning Folimage movie Vanille, a Caribbean Tale to air on children’s channel KiKA.
    • The Media Pioneers has pre-sold Mironins (26 x 7′), a 2D series about the adventures of three paint drops who escape from a Joan Miro painting, to TF1 (France) for its kids’ channel Tfoumax. Broadcast partners already include RTVE’s Clan (Spain), TVC’s Super 3 (Catalonia) and VRT’s Ketnet (Flemish Belgium).
    • Genius Brands has acquired several global kids’ hits for Kartoon Channel! Debuting this month: three My Little Pony Specials, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Ricky Zoom and S1 of the PJ Masks music videos in addition to shorts from the series phenom, Peppa Pig. The company has also acquired the rights to a slate of content from Zodiak Kids, including Horrible Henry and Lilybuds.
    • Pinguim Content announced a raft of sales to major LatAm broadcasters: Globoplay has picked up Fishtronaut S1-2 (52 x 11′ each) and Ping and Friends S1 (52 x 7′) and Gulli Brazil hooked Fishtronaut The studio is working on a neutral Spanish dub of Ping and Friends (Nov. ’21), is in development with The Boo Inn (52 x 11′) for Discovery Kids LatAm, and is racking up awards for its feature film Tarsilinha on the festival circuit.
    • Omens Studios secured a raft of international deals for S2 of Leo the Wildlife Ranger (kids 3-6; 52 x 11′). Mediacorp (Singapore) has also commissioned an additional eight localised episodes for the region, set to air by March 2022. S2 has been picked up by Tencent (China), TV3 (Catalonia), MBC (MENA), Zoomoo (APAC & LatAm), Celestial Tiger (South Korea & Indonesia) and Amazon (NorAm).
    • NENT Group will launch its Viaplay streaming service to the U.K., Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland by the end of 2023 for a total of 16 countries and a target of 12M subscribers by the end of 2025.
    • ViacomCBS Network International‘s Pluto TV is launching in Italy on Oct. 28 with over 40 exclusive channels. The free ad-support TV (FAST) service has over 52 million global monthly active users across 25 countries.
    Mironins
    Mironins
  • Baratunde Thurston’s ‘How to Be Black’ Gets Animation Treatment at ABC

    Baratunde Thurston’s ‘How to Be Black’ Gets Animation Treatment at ABC

    Writer and comedian Baratunde Thurston (How to Citizen with Baratunde podcast; supervising producer, The Daily Show) has aligned with ABC to develop the animated project How to Be Black, to be produced by 20th Television Animation and ABC Signature. The title is shared with Thurston’s bestselling memoir of the same name, about his family, community and experiences growing up in 1980s Washington, D.C.

    Thurston will write and executive produce the project alongside multi-Emmy nominee Courtney Lilly (Black-ish, The Cleveland Show, Arrested Development), who recently renewed his overall deal with ABC Signature. Also exec producing are Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland for Cinema Gypsy Productions (Black-ish, Akeelah and the Bee, Snowy Day, upcoming Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur).

    While the network did take a pandemic-era dip into animation with the two-part Black-ish Election Special last year, How to Be Black would mark a return to primetime cartoon comedy after a long hiatus. ABC’s last adult animated offering was the short-lived The Goode Family from Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky in 2009. Earlier, it was the original home of The Critic and Clerks: The Animated Series.

    Thurston is represented by Avalon Management, Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham, UTA and ID; Lilly is repped by UTA, TFC Management and Mckuin Frankel Whitehead LLP; Cinema Gypsy Productions is repped by CAA and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano; Fishburne is repped by CAA, Landmark Artists Management and Del Shaw Moonves.

    [Source: Variety]

  • Sean Pecknold’s Love of Hand-Crafted Animation Takes Flight in Fleet Foxes’ ‘Featherweight’

    Sean Pecknold’s Love of Hand-Crafted Animation Takes Flight in Fleet Foxes’ ‘Featherweight’

    For the Fleet Foxes’ latest single “Featherweight,” Los Angeles-based director Sean Pecknold crafted a world of struggle and hope brought to life using stop-motion animation and a multiplane camera. The evocative and visually striking film follows a young hawk as he struggles to fly with a broken wing, the successes and bitter failures that come from his attempt, and the second chances that life will sometimes offer – even when all seems lost.

    The video premiered on September 21 at the GRAMMY Museum as part of a retrospective featuring Fleet Foxes’ music videos with a conversation between Sean and his brother, band frontman Robin Pecknold.

    Since 2008, Sean Pecknold has crafted the visual narrative behind Fleet Foxes’ songs, frequently shifting between stop-frame animation and live action. “When I made the first Fleet Foxes video using clay stop-motion, I fell in love with the tactile quality of the technique and never looked back,” he shared. “There is something really special about creating animations in the real world. The process is more physical and more immediate than clicking away at a mouse and getting red-eyed.”

    When conceiving the concept for each music video, Pecknold takes influence from the song’s lyrics as well as the ‘visual shape’ he imagines as he listens. “I’ll play the song on repeat for a few days, and then see what images linger in my mind. When I brought [‘Featherweight’] in and started listening to the stems, I was kind of able to see the song in a new way,” Pecknold explained. “Listening to the texture and tone of these individual tracks – actually hearing the layers that went into the song – was a nice exercise for me to think about the layers of the pictures.”

    Fleet Foxes "Featherweight"
    Fleet Foxes “Featherweight”

    To bring “Featherweight” to life, Pecknold joined forces with noted animator Eileen Kohlhepp (Robot Chicken, Anomalisa). “Eileen has an incredible attention to detail and ended up bringing the characters to life in a way I could never have done by myself,” the director noted. Kohlhepp added: “I’ve long admired the way he has been able to use animation to create complex and beautiful worlds in a deceptively simple and thoughtful way.”

    The project also allowed Pecknold to continue his collaboration with Toronto-based artist Sean Lewis, whose character designs and landscapes are fundamental to the world of the short film. “I first discovered the work of Sean Lewis when he illustrated one of the first Fleet Foxes t-shirts in 2008,” noted Pecknold. “We had a chance to team up in 2020 to create concept art for a feature length animation I’ve been working on. The experience on that project was so wonderful that I wanted to take the collaboration to the next level with the ‘Featherweight’ animation.”

    Fleet Foxes "Featherweight"
    Fleet Foxes “Featherweight”

    “Featherweight” is not the first time Pecknold has combined stop-motion animation with multi-plane down-shooting for one of their music videos — the award-winning music video for “The Shrine / An Argument” also used a multiplane camera. “I had seen the [multiplane] technique in early Disney films like Bambi and Pinocchio, then later when I discovered Lotte Reiniger’s and Yuri Norstein’s films. I’m very drawn to the texture, depth-of-field and parallax inherent in the technique,” he said.

    The music video’s five-month production schedule was facilitated by Dropbox, which enabled the team to easily share files. “Dropbox has been a patron of creative short form music videos for the last several years. They were very supportive of our ideas and the creative direction we chose to bring the song to life,” Pecknold pointed out.

    Ultimately, the message of the piece is what resonates with those who helped make it. “I think we all go through these journeys where we feel like we’re broken but we keep pushing forward. When [the hawk]’s at the point where he’s the most exhausted and he’s almost given up is when he allows someone else to help him so he can continue on. It’s good to be open to the help of others, cause we can’t do it by ourselves,” Kohlhepp observed. “In my 20 years as an animator, it’s an extremely rare opportunity to work on a project as poetic as ‘Featherweight.’”

  • TCM Celebrates Fleischer Animation’s 100th Anniversary

    TCM Celebrates Fleischer Animation’s 100th Anniversary

    Next month, WarnerMedia’s TCM is dialing in its focus on classic film to one of the pioneers of Toon Town with a celebration of Fleischer Animation’s 100th Anniversary. The lineup includes a brand-new documentary on the early days of American animation and two collections of Fleischer cartoon shorts on October 2, and a double feature of works by director Richard Fleischer (son and nephew of the animation studio’s founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, respectively) the following Saturday. The shorts collection features iconic Fleischer characters Koko the Clown, Betty Boop and Popeye.

    The celebration schedule is:

    Saturday, October 2

    Fleischer Animation 100th Anniversary – part I

    8 p.m. Cartoon Carnival (2021) | TCM Premiere — A 90-minute documentary charting the birth of the American cartoon through the silent era until the arrival of Disney. Told through interviews with animation historians and supported by archive clips, the aim of the film is to cast a light on a forgotten, but pioneering part of film history.

    9:45 p.m. 100th Anniversary of Fleischer Animation – Part 1: The Silent Era (2021) | TCM Premiere

    • The Boxing Kangaroo (1920) 5:30
    • Reunion (1922) 7:30
    • Cartoon Factory (1924) 8:30
    • Vacation (1924) 8:00
    • Come Take a Trip in My Airship (1924) 6:30
    • It’s the Cat’s (1926) 9:00

    10:45 p.m. 100th Anniversary of Fleischer Animation – Part 2: The Sound Era (2021) | TCM Premiere

    • Hurry Doctor! (1931) 7:30
    • Betty Boop’s Crazy Inventions (1933) 7:00
    • Let’s Sing with Popeye (1934) 2:00
    • Betty Boop and Grampy (1935) 7:00
    • Dancing on the Moon (1935) 8:00
    • Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936) 16:00

    Saturday, October 9

    Fleischer Animation 100th Anniversary – part II (Directed by Richard Fleischer) Co-hosted by Mark McCray, author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives, a book that chronicles the origins of competitive Saturday morning animated programming.

    8 p.m. Fantastic Voyage (1966) A team of scientists shrinks to remove a blood clot from the brain of a defecting scientist.

    10 p.m. Armored Car Robbery (1950) A police officer tries to find half a million dollars stolen by gangsters.

    Fantastic Voyage
    Fantastic Voyage

    Founded in 1921 by brothers Dave and Max Fleischer, Fleischer Studios (originally Inkwell Studios / Out of the Inkwell Films) was a pioneer in the art and craft of animation, responsible for creating and animating some of the most beloved characters in American animation — including Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. The studio was also renowned for its animation of comics characters Popeye (originally created by Elzie Segar) and Superman (originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster). The artists and innovators of the studio delivered many firsts in film, including the first footage of jazz icon Cab Calloway, Max’s rotoscope invention and the “set-back” process. Today, Max’s grandson Mark Fleischer serves as Chairman & CEO.

    The director of nearly 50 films, Richard Fleischer enjoyed an incredibly diverse career helming B-movie thrillers, effects-laden spectaculars, and star-studded epics. The son of animation innovator Max Fleischer, he began his filmmaking journey at RKO where his documentary short Design for Death (1947) earned him an Oscar as producer. He crafted the noir classic The Narrow Margin (1952) and gave Walt Disney his first live-action hit with the big-budget adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). He spent much of the following decade oscillating between true-crime stories and sweeping adventures with films like The Girl on the Red Velvet Swing (1955), The Vikings (1958), Compulsion (1959) and Fantastic Voyage (1966). Eventually, expensive disappointments like Doctor Doolittle (1967) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) began to weaken his once unshakable stature with the studios of the day. Fleischer’s later output was a mix of cult-favorite genre films and outright embarrassments, The New Centurions (1972), Soylent Green (1973), Mandingo (1975) and remake The Jazz Singer (1980) among them. Well known in the industry for his ability to deal with such difficult personalities as Kirk Douglas, Orson Welles and Rex Harrison, Fleischer related some of the juiciest tales in his 1993 autobiography, Just Tell Me When to Cry. While never a household name, Fleischer nonetheless oversaw some of the most enjoyable cinematic offerings of the 20th Century.

    Mark McCray is an award-winning television writer who has been in the broadcasting industry for over 20 years. He has a passion for animation, TV programming strategy and comic books. McCray is also the author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives, a book that chronicles the origins of competitive Saturday morning animated programming. In addition, McCray hosts The Best Saturdays of Our Lives podcast with Dan Klink. McCray has been interviewed on the podcasts Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast and Drawn: The Story of Animation, and was a featured guest speaker at The SCAD AnimationFest giving an historical view of Saturday morning programming. Prior to his work as an author and podcaster, McCray was the senior manager of Programming Operations for Adult Swim overseeing Adult Swim’s on-air promotions and scheduling strategy. He also worked as a television programmer for Cartoon Network, and was a key member of the team that launched the Boomerang Network. Mark McCray resides in Powder Springs, Georgia with his family. Follow him on Twitter @MarkMcTBSOOL / www.tbsool.com.

  • Happy Birthday, Jim Henson: ‘Fraggle Rock’ Bonus Specials Arrive on Apple TV+ for Creator’s 85th

    Happy Birthday, Jim Henson: ‘Fraggle Rock’ Bonus Specials Arrive on Apple TV+ for Creator’s 85th

    In honor of what would have been Jim Henson’s milestone 85th birthday (1936-1990), three bonus specials from the Emmy Award-winning, fan-favorite series Fraggle Rock are now streaming on Apple TV+, including:

    • Down at Fraggle Rock (1987), hosted and executive produced by Jim Henson and featuring the performers, artists and of course puppets that bring the series to life, this one-hour special reveals the magic behind producing the whimsically fantastical series. Diana Birkenfield and David Gumpel serve as producers.
    • Doozer Music (1984), a music compilation featuring favorites from those industrious Doozers including “Doozer Work Theme” and “Doozer Marching Song,” features introductions from Uncle Travelling Matt and Cotterpin Doozer and is produced by Jim Henson, Lawrence S. Mirkin and Duncan Kenworthy.
    • Fraggle Songs (1983), another music compilation which highlights popular tunes from the first season of the “Fraggle Rock” including “Friendship Song,” “Beetle Song” and “Convincing John” and is produced by Jim Henson, Lawrence S. Mirkin and Duncan Kenworthy.

    As the streaming destination for Fraggle Rock, Apple TV+ is also home to Apple Original shorts Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, featuring award-winning special guests Alanis Morissette, Common, Jason Mraz, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish and Ziggy Marley. The series aims to show everyone how we are all connected through friendship with new stories and favorite Fraggle songs from the same beloved characters of the classic ’80s series and were created in partnership with The Jim Henson Company.

    Last year, Apple announced a new partnership with The Jim Henson Company to reboot the beloved, classic series Fraggle Rock. The highly anticipated reboot of the beloved classic which will be reimagined as a global Apple Original series for new generations of fans to enjoy together on Apple TV+. Produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with New Regency, the series will reunite the original stars – Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley and Uncle Travelling Matt – for new songs and adventures, with the same spirit as the classic.

    Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford will executive produce the new series for The Jim Henson Company. Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer of New Regency and long-time Henson collaborator John Tartaglia (Splash and Bubbles, Johnny and the Sprites) are also executive producing. Showrunners Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson (New Girl, American Dad!, Community) are attached to executive produce and write. Rita Peruggi (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Yo Gabba Gabba!) will produce. Dave Goelz (performing Boober and Uncle Travelling Matt) and Karen Prell (performing Red) are also attached to the project. Harvey Mason Jr. is the executive music producer for the series.

  • Here We Go! Nintendo & Illumination Reveal Star-Studded Super Mario Bros. Cast

    Something wonderful is coming down the pipes: Illumination and Nintendo’s new Super Mario Bros. animated film is officially heading to theaters in time for holiday 2022. And as an additional power-up, the just-announced cast is enough to make any player shout “Wahoo!”

    Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, The LEGO Movie) has been cast as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) as Princess Peach, Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The LEGO Movie) as Luigi, Jack Black (School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda) as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon!, Hotel Transylvania) as Toad, Seth Rogen (This Is the End, Sausage Party) as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Big Mouth) as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson (Invincible, The Simpsons) as Kamek, Sebastian Maniscalco (The Irishman, The Nut Job 2) as Spike and surprise cameos from Charles Martinet, the videogame voice of Mario, Luigi and other characters for three decades.

    The Super Mario Bros. movie will be a fully animated action-comedy directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the multi-Emmy-nominated producers of Teen Titans Go!, from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru, The LEGO Movie 2). The project is being produced by Illumination founder & CEO Chris Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director of Nintendo.

    Super Mario Bros. Cast
    Super Mario Bros. Cast
  • Exclusive: Designing ‘Fena: Pirate Princess’ with Kazuto Nakazawa

    Exclusive: Designing ‘Fena: Pirate Princess’ with Kazuto Nakazawa

    No bones about it: Anime has rocketed from a niche fandom outside Japan’s borders to a major global facet of the toon industry since the days of fan-subbed VHS tapes trading hands at your schoolyard otaku club. One of the latest international collaborations to hit screens, Fena: Pirate Princess — a Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Original series produced at acclaimed Tokyo studio Production I.G — combines seafaring scuffles with classic shoujo inspirations to create a unique animated treasure.

    Fena Houtman remembers little about her childhood. Orphaned and raised as a servant in a brothel, her life changes when she escapes to an island of pirates where she discovers the truth behind her family. With Fena being the only one able to unlock her family’s secrets, and a formidable crew of female pirates on her tail, she must take her place as captain of her Samurai crew for a high seas adventure!

    Animation Magazine got a special look at some of the character design artwork for Fena this week, and creator/director Kazuto Nakazawa — whose character design and chief animation director credits span El-Hazard, Tenchi in Tokyo, Samurai Champloo, B: The Beginning ,Genius Party Beyond – Moondrive, the anime sequence in Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Linkin Park’s “Breaking the Habit” music video, to name a few — was kind enough to answer some of our questions about the creative sparks behind the show.

    Early sketch for Fena
    Early sketch for Fena
    Early sketch for Fena (full body)
    Early sketch for Fena (full body)

    Animation Magazine: What were some of the visual inspirations for the series?

    Kazuto Nakazawa: I pictured a fantasy world of bright colors instead of the dark world. The motif is the 18th century, but I tried to create a fantasy space as much as possible. I was careful not to go in a realistic direction.

    What were the main elements of the show’s design as it was developed?

    The previous work, B: The Beginning Season 1 (I wasn’t involved in the second season) had ‘black’ as the main image of the story and world, so I simply did this one with the opposite: ‘white.’ The color ‘black’ for B: The Beginning was inspired by the black dyeing technique in Kyoto. The color ‘white’ for Fena: Pirate Princess was inspired by the glistening white dyeing technique used in Toka-machi, Niigata. The traditional technique is done by exposing the fabric to snow and bleaching it with ultraviolet rays. I did the original design, but I think that Yasuko Takahashi’s arrangement made it more gorgeous and soft.

    What is a detail of Fena’s character design that reflects who she is?

    The color of Fena’s pupils, which I was inspired by the color of the Paraiba Tourmaline gem. It symbolizes purity and innocence.

    Fena short hair design sheet
    Fena short hair design sheet
    Fena facial reactions
    Fena facial reactions

    How does Fena: Pirate Princess stand out from other anime available today?

    I wanted to try the very traditional production style from over three decades ago. We normally record voices to animation, but for Fena: Pirate Princess we pre-recorded the voices and had them perform before the animation was made. We practically drew everything and didn’t use any 3D animations, which is very rare nowadays. I did all the storyboarding myself, and all of the key parts of the animation were handled by myself, Tetsuya Takahashi, Saki Fujii and Yasuko Takahashi. The workload was so massive and heavy to divide between us four people, and we were all exhausted mentally and physically — however, we pulled it through because of our great teamwork and trust in each other.

    What is your favorite character, story or artistic achievement of the show?

    I designed all the characters and did the key animation by myself when we made the very first PV. I asked Yasuko Takahashi to supervise the key animation of Fena and all samurais, as well as the arrangement of the characters and retakes, which allowed me to handle Otto, Salman and O’Malley myself, which is probably the reason I feel strong attachment to all the characters we created at the development stage. In terms of my favorite episodes, it would be 1, 2, 4 and 7. I enjoyed the love romance scenes within the fantasy world.

    Fena facial reaction sketches
    Fena facial reaction sketches
    Concept art for Fena's costume
    Concept art for Fena’s costume

    What was the biggest challenge of producing this project?

    It would definitely be the amount of workload. Production halted for over three months because of the pandemic, and it took three additional months to put production back on track. The amount of work was insane while the time was limited. But we didn’t want to cut corners, so we did everything we could to bring the best quality animation to all you fans.

    Episode 7, especially, was one where I had to redo more than half of the animation myself. The rest of the episodes weren’t as challenging because I had help from Tetsuya Takahashi and Fujii, who checked all the scenes in just one week! Having them and their contribution to the show were the biggest asset. I feel fortunate to have them in the team.

    New episodes of Fena: Pirate Princess air every Saturday. Fans can catch the series subtitled on Crunchyroll and dubbed on Adult Swim.

  • Crunchyroll and Fuji TV Announce +Ultra Development Partnership with Slow Curve

    Crunchyroll and Fuji TV Announce +Ultra Development Partnership with Slow Curve

    Global anime brand Crunchyroll and Japanese television network Fuji TV are announcing today a partnership that will bring fans more anime through the development and production of new series. These titles will be broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV’s +Ultra programming block and streamed on Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries and territories.

    Through this partnership, Crunchyroll will work with Fuji TV and all-round creative company Slow Curve to co-develop and co-produce a slate of series beginning in April 2022. The upcoming lineup includes:

    • Estab-Life – An original title by hit producer and director Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)
    • A new project by popular manga artist Tsutomu Nihei (Aposimz, Knight of Sidonia, BLAME!) and Polygon Pictures

    Crunchyroll will exclusively stream each series day and date with the premiere on +Ultra, Fuji TV’s midnight anime block that launched in October 2018, offering world-class anime titles to viewers in Japan. The series will be streamed on Crunchyroll to the brand’s global community of more than five million subscribers and more than 120 million registered users. Crunchyroll will also manage the licensing and consumer products rights for each title worldwide outside of Asia.

    Fuji TV and Crunchyroll are currently collaborating on Muv-Luv Alternative, the long-awaited anime based on a hit game following the bonds between those who fight, in a world pushed to its limits. This series will examine how humanity lives and dies on the brink of extinction. Starting in October, Fuji TV’s +Ultra block will air the series, and Crunchyroll will exclusively stream the series worldwide outside of Asia.

    Slow Curve is an integrated creative company that has been involved with the content planning and promotion of various popular anime series. The company will work with Fuji TV and Crunchyroll to create anime for global fans.

  • Ayo Davis Named President of Disney Branded Television

    Ayo Davis has been named President of Disney Branded Television today by Peter Rice, Chairman Disney General Entertainment (DGE), to whom she will report. Davis takes on the creative and operational leadership of the content group at a time it is expanding its development and production of Disney branded programming for the company’s streaming service Disney+ and linear networks. Davis will work closely with Gary Marsh on a transition through the rest of the year following his announcement this week that he is leaving the president position to begin a production company focused on developing programming for DGE.

    As president, Davis will oversee the operations of Disney Branded Television including programming, strategy, development, current, production, casting, business affairs and marketing for scripted, unscripted and animation for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.

    Davis most recently served as Executive Vice President, Creative Development and Strategy of Disney Branded Television, overseeing scripted and unscripted series, movies and specials targeted to kids, teens and families. Since her appointment to that role in November 2020, Davis has cultivated partnerships with notable talent and attracted high-auspice projects, including attaching Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street Productions to Janae Marks’ critically acclaimed book From the Desk of Zoe Washington, and attaching Eva Longoria and Ben Spector’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment to Carlos Hernandez’s Sal & Gabi Break the Universe. She is also responsible for helping to bring in House of Secrets from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Chris Columbus. Davis collaborates closely with studios across Disney, including 20th Television and ABC Signature, to create exceptional programming for the company’s streaming and linear platforms.

    “Ayo is a focused leader with impeccable creative instincts who’s excelled in every role she’s held at Disney,” said Rice. “Her creative eye for talent has made a meaningful impact in front of and behind the camera, from iconic shows across our networks that were defined by their casting choices to building a roster of creator talent that will redefine family programming at Disney Branded Television. She’s the absolute perfect person to lead the team at a time they are broadening their remit to develop more family programming across streaming and cable distribution. I’m excited to watch all she will accomplish.”

    “I am beyond grateful to Peter Rice and Gary Marsh for their extraordinary leadership, support and mentorship,” said Davis. “It’s a tremendous honor to continue Gary’s legacy of delighting kids and families through Disney Branded TV’s unparalleled storytelling, and it’s an amazing time for kids and family programming. I’m thrilled to continue working with my team, colleagues, our TV studios and, of course, the creators who trust us with their projects as we work to develop the next generation of beloved stories and franchises.”

    The Disney Branded Television team that reports to Davis includes the following:

    • Vicki Ariyasu, SVP, Education, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
    • Marc Buhaj, VP, Unscripted Series and Specials
    • Mae Cromwell, Chief of Staff
    • Joseph D’Ambrosia, SVP, Original Programming and GM, Disney Junior
    • Kelly Fountaine, Manager, Culture Initiatives
    • Theresa Helmer, Executive Director, Integrated Content Strategy
    • Susette Hsiung, EVP, Production Management and Operations
    • Jayanta Jenkins, Head of Marketing
    • Lauren Kisilevsky, SVP, Original Movies
    • Meredith Roberts, SVP/GM, TV Animation
    • Adina Savin, EVP, Business Affairs
    • Reena Singh, SVP, Development and Current Series
    • Judy Taylor, SVP, Casting and Talent Relations
    • Business leads for Corporate Communications, HR, Legal and Finance.

    For nearly 20 years, Davis has worked on the creative side of television at Disney. Prior to joining Disney Branded Television, she was Executive Vice President, Talent and Casting, at ABC Entertainment and Disney+. She was integral to many acclaimed series, including ABC’s The Good Doctor, Emmy Award-winning American Crime and How to Get Away with Murder, and the Peabody Award-winning black-ish. She championed the careers of notable actors such as Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), the first African American to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category; Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy) and Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez.

    Among Davis’ other contributions are the launch of ABC Discovers, a collection of casting initiatives that aims to discover, nurture and create powerful opportunities for up-and-coming talent from around the world. Alumni of the program include Lupita Nyong’o, Gina Rodriguez and Pedro Pascal.

    Davis is a member of the board of trustees of Dillard University and on the T. Howard Foundation’s board of directors for which she was also a 2020 award honoree. She was on the 2017 host committee board of Girls Inc. and was a 2016 honoree, as well as a member of Jack and Jill of America Inc., and a supporter of the nonprofit Links Incorporated, an organization that provides community service and mentors youth. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Dillard University.

  • Sting Teams with Director Maya Sanbar for Refugee Tale ‘Footsteps on the Wind’

    Sting Teams with Director Maya Sanbar for Refugee Tale ‘Footsteps on the Wind’

    One of the year’s Academy Award qualifying animated shorts, Maya Sanbar’s Footsteps on the Wind, tells the story of two siblings —  Noor and her little brother, Josef — who go on a mysterious journey far from home after tragically losing their parents in a devastating earthquake.

    The 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting gave his refugee-inspired song “Inshallah” to Sanbar so that she could create an animation film as a therapy tool for traumatized refugee children and to raise awareness of the growing refugee crisis around the world.

    The first animated short film to be set to a Sting song, Footsteps on the Wind has won a variety of awards including the Oscar-qualifying Awards at Cinequest Film Festival and Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival.

    “To me, ‘Inshallah’ — which means ‘if God is willing, then it shall come to pass’ — sounded like a prayer that people in this situation may recite,” said Sting. “I imagined myself in that circumstance, wanting to bring my family to safety in a very dangerous situation.”

    Filmmaker and multimedia artist Sanbar (Wajib, Freak Show, House in the Fields, The Idol, The Muslims Are Coming, The Time That Remains, Trouble The Water) has in her own family a history of refugee displacement, her father having fled Haifa, Palestine in 1948. Sanbar joined forces with co-directors Gustavo Leal and Faga Melo, the founders of the award-winning Brazilian film production company Dirty Work, to create Footsteps on the Wind, produced by her company Chasing the Light Studio. She also wrote the screenplay for the film with Pedro Paulo de Andrade.

    Footsteps on the Wind was co-produced by Kristín Ólafsdóttir (Rebel Hearts, Against the Current, InnSæi), Gillian Gordon and Fernanda Zaffari. Olafsdottir’s feature films and documentaries have been nominated and awarded at many film festivals including Sundance and TIFF. Gordon has produced successful TV series for the BBC, and ITV, worked as a development executive at Film & General Productions, Make Waves Media and ITV. Zaffari is a journalist with over 20 experience who has secured coverage for The World Cups, Oscar Awards, Elections in Europe, the refugee crises and most recently, the COVID pandemic.

    Screenwriter de Andrade’s films have accumulated more than 50 awards, including the Grand Prize of the Brazilian Film Academy in the Best Fiction Short Film Category. Recently, de Andrade wrote four episodes of the TV series Fathers, co-directed the short film Framed with Luiza Campos and wrote the manifesto for the Opening of the 27th Mix Brasil Film Festival. He is currently directing two feature films, The Remains and Open Rehearsal, in addition to writing the feature film screenplay Wide Awake.

    The screenplay to Footsteps on the Wind was developed by Gordon and award-winning published authors Sita Brahmachari and Onjali Q. Rauf.

    Footsteps on the Wind‘s upcoming festival screenings include the Oscar-qualifying Tirana International Film Festival (Sept. 24-30), Urbanworld Film Festival (Sept. 29-Oct. 3) and Encounters Short Film Festival (Sept. 1-30).

    www.footstepsonthewind.com

  • Cartoon Forum Wrap: Trends, Top Pitches & Attendance Numbers

    Cartoon Forum Wrap: Trends, Top Pitches & Attendance Numbers

    After three intense days of enthusiastic pitching sessions in Toulouse, Cartoon Forum maintained its same key takeaways after its return to an in-person event: high-quality projects with a great diversity of subjects, and upcoming talents entering the spotlight to open a fantastic new vista on the future of animation.

    This year’s pitch selection presented 84 animated TV series projects from 21 European countries, for a total budget of 326.1 million euro, representing 460 hours of animation. The most-represented production countries were: France (33), Ireland (11), Germany (8), Spain (6) Belgium (5), Czech Republic, Denmark and Portugal (4).

    The Top 10 most-attended pitching sessions were:

    1. Mister Crocodile – Joann Sfar’s Magical Society (FR)
    2. Me and My Compost – Vivement Lundi ! & Superprod (FR)
    3. Under the School – Ellipsanime Productions & Timpel Pictures (FR)
    4. Living with Dad – Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel & Belvision (FR/BE)
    5. Freaked Out – Autour de Minuit & FKLG (FR)
    6. Sacha and the Christmas Creatures – Xbo films (FR)
    7. Corgi, a Royal Family – Studio Redfrog & nWave (FR/BE)
    8. The Chimera Keepers – Monello Productions (FR)
    9. Abyss: Very Special Case Unit – Les Armateurs (FR)
    10. Voro – Les Films du Poisson Rouge & Why Not AI (FR)
    Clockwise from top left: Corgi, a Royal Family; Voro; Abyss: Very Special Case Unit; The Chimera Keepers; Sacha and the Christmas Creatures (center)
    Clockwise from top left: Corgi, a Royal Family; Voro; Abyss: Very Special Case Unit; The Chimera Keepers; Sacha and the Christmas Creatures (center)

    Top 5 EU co-production pitches:

    1. Living with Dad – Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel & Belvision (FR/BE)
    2. Corgi, a Royal Family – Studio Redfrog & nWave (FR/BE)
    3. Tommy Pepper – Lunanime & Melusine Productions (BE/LUX)
    4. Tales of Terror – Dream Logic & Lupus Films (IE/LUX)
    5. Space Ham – MiniCosmos & Dandelooo (DK/FR)

    Top 5 pitches by percentage of buyers in the room:

    1. Little Charlie – Alexandra Schatz Filmproduktion & Submarine (DE/NL) > 67%
    2. Rhina Rhino – The Big B Animation (DE) > 66%
    3. Tiny Toot – Toolbox Film (DK) > 62%
    4. Freddy Buttons Wacky Mysteries – Treehouse Rep. & Tumbledown Media (IE) > 60%
    5. Hadido and the Red Flower – HECAT Studio (FR) > 58%

    Cartoon Forum 2021 welcomed 202 buyers on site in Toulouse, including 7% new buyers, such as Benshi (FR), TV Nova (CZ), Tribes Media (Glitch – NL), El Reino Infantil (SP), FairSquare Comics (U.S.A.) and Asmodee Entertainment (FR). By maintaining elements of the digital 2020 edition, the event pulled in an additional 65 buyers attending virtually — 24.2% of the 267 total buyers.

    In total, this year’s event brought in 1,015 participants from 41 countries — 885 on site in Toulouse and another 130 attending virtually. The gender balance of all participants broke down near equal between women (50.3%) and men (49.4%), and 0.3% non-binary attendees.

    Clockwise from top left: Tales of Terror, Cannabiz, Griott & Mungo, What It Takes
    Clockwise from top left: Tales of Terror, Cannabiz, Griott & Mungo, What It Takes

    Notable trends in this year’s selection included:

    • Adaptations of great successes. The world of novels and comics is a fantastic source for new animation TV series: Mister Crocodile from the comic book by Joann Sfar, Living with Dad from the comics Dad by NOB, Hello, Oscar! from the book Oskar ja asjad by Andrus Kivirahk and Tales of Terror from the kid’s novel Uncle Montague’s Tale of Terror by Chris Priestley.
    • Girls take the lead. Girls now take much stronger and active roles as main or secondary characters. Their personality and the way to describe them has evolved, such as Griott from Griott & Mungo, who has a “character carved in stone”. The same goes for Audrey in Audrey’s Shelter, Blanchet in The Monsters Valley, Fio Lina in Fio Lina and the Maestro and Nadia, among others.
    • Adult-targeted titles. Still going strong, the Young Adults & Adults target demographic is on the rise in animated TV shows, including Cannabiz, Voro, The Seniors, Freaked Out, Starting with Hope and Dick Has a Problem.
    • A new generation. The success of their presentations said it all for rising newcomers in the industry: Les Valseurs with Samuel (FR), Dreamin’ Dolphin Film with Hygge (DE/DK), MiniCosmos with Space Ham (DK/FR), Les Astronautes with What It Takes (FR) and Pigeon with Welcome to Mamoko (POL).

    The Cartoon mobile application (and web version) will remain available for attendees to refer to project information at any time. Recorded catch-up sessions will also be viewable on the digital platform until midnight on October 15. Participants are encouraged to continue discovering this year’s enticing projects and fill out feedback forms to help presenting producers improve their projects.

    Save the Date: Cartoon Forum 2022 will take place September 19-22 in Toulouse, France.

    cartoon-media.eu

  • Ketnet, MIAM! and TAT Awarded 2021 Cartoon Tributes

    Belgium’s Ketnet-VRT, France’s MIAM! Animation and TAT productions were awarded the 2021 Cartoon Tributes, the prize created in 2006 to recognize the outstanding contribution made by broadcasters, distributors/investors and producers to the promotion of European animation over the last year. The winners were voted on online in three categories by the nearly 900 professionals registered at Cartoon Forum. The award ceremony took place in Toulouse, France on Thursday, September 23.

    Ketnet was recognized as Broadcaster of the Year. As the children’s brand of VRT, the public broadcaster in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, the channel is aimed at children up to 12 years old, while Ketnet Junior is a sub-brand aimed at children up to six years old that features series such as Doopie, Ollie, Simon and Bananimals.

    Both a production and distribution company and a studio, MIAM! Animation was awarded as Distributor/Investor of the Year. Their slate includes many series that have been recently presented at Cartoon Forum, such as The MiniWhats, PriZooner, Brazen and Selfish.

    One of the main studios in Toulouse and the Occitanie Region, TAT Productions was recognized as Producer of the Year. Founded in 2000 by David Alaux, Eric and Jean-François Tosti, this studio won an International Emmy Award for the TV series The Jungle Bunch. The company is also responsible for the films Terra Willy and Pil, which was released last August in France. TAT currently has three new feature films in development: Argonuts, The Jungle Bunch 2 and Pets on a Train.

    Nine other companies from France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the U.K. were nominated for the 2021 Cartoon Tributes. Read all about the shortlisted contenders here.

  • Trailer: Felted Haunts Materialize in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’ on Disney+

    Trailer: Felted Haunts Materialize in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’ on Disney+

    Disney+ released the trailer for The Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion, which premieres Friday, October 8, exclusively on Disney+. Starring in the special alongside fan-favorite Muppets are Will Arnett (as The Ghost Host), Yvette Nicole Brown (as The Hearse Driver), Darren Criss (as The Caretaker) and Taraji P. Henson (as The Bride).

    In Muppets Haunted Mansion, the Great Gonzo – world famous daredevil artiste – has done it all, seen it all and survived it all. But on Halloween night, the fearless Gonzo takes on the greatest challenge of his life by spending one very daring night in the most grim grinning place on Earth… The Haunted Mansion.

    Muppets Haunted Mansion will also feature special appearances from Chrissy Metz (as Harriet), Alfonso Ribeiro (as Fred), Edward Asner (as Claude), Jeannie Mai (as Maude), Danny Trejo (as Huet), Sasheer Zamata (as Mary), Craig Robinson (as Bust), Skai Jackson (as Bust), Pat Sajak (as Bust), Geoff Keighley (as Bust), Justina Machado (as Bust), John Stamos (as Himself) and Kim Irvine (as Haunted Mansion Maid).

    The Muppets Haunted Mansion EP is also set for release on Friday, October 8 from Walt Disney Records and will include three new original songs titled “Rest in Peace,” “Life Hereafter” and “Tie the Knot Tango,” plus a cover of “Dancing in the Moonlight”.

    Muppets Haunted Mansion lead actors.
    Muppets Haunted Mansion lead actors.
  • Trailer: ‘Karma’s World’ Brings a Positive Beat to Netflix

    Trailer: ‘Karma’s World’ Brings a Positive Beat to Netflix

    A new queen of the mic is ready to bring encouragement, joy and love to family audiences on Netflix when the new CG-animated series Karma’s World debuts. In the official trailer released today, we get a taste of the colorful characters that make up Karma’s family, friends and neighborhood, as well as some of the important topics the show will touch on, like the significance of Black hairstyles.

    The 15 x 11′ Netflix Family original premieres on October 15.

    Karma’s World follows Karma Grant, an aspiring musical artist and rapper with big talent and an even bigger heart. Smart, resilient, and deeply empathetic, Karma pours her soul into songwriting, channeling her feelings into whip-smart rhymes with passion, courage and her signature brand of humor. In this series, Karma is only beginning to grasp the incredible emotional power that words and music can have. She doesn’t just want to share her music with the world … she wants to change the world with it!

    The voice cast features Asiahn Bryant, Camden Coley, Danielle Brooks, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tiffany Haddish, Jordan Fisher, Dascha Polanco, Dawnn Lewis, Isaia Kohn, Aria Capria, Kaila Mullady and Ramone Hamilton.

    “I’m so proud of Karma’s World, which was inspired by my oldest daughter Karma. It’s about a girl who wants to bring positivity to the world through her music, and each episode draws on real-life situations faced by kids today,” said creator & exec producer Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges. “We see Karma use her voice to help her family, friends and community, demonstrating the power young people have to create change. I truly believe that every single person on this earth has the power to change the world for the better – just like Karma! It is important to me that kids and families around the world will identify with Karma’s World, and my goal for the show is to help spread positivity, inspire self confidence in our children, and bring the world together through music.”

    Karma's World
    Karma’s World

    The series is produced by 9 Story Media Group and its Oscar-nominated, Dublin-based studio Brown Bag Films as well as Karma’s World Entertainment, Bridges’ production company. The series was originally inspired by Bridges’ oldest daughter, Karma, and based on the interactive educational website of the same name created by Karma’s World Entertainment in 2009.

    The animated series will feature original songs focusing on issues such as self-esteem, body positivity, discrimination, creativity, expressing emotions, friendship, family, leadership, celebrating differences and more. Sound design and original music are created and supervised by Chris Bridges and James Bennett Jr., and produced by Gerald Keys.

    Bronagh O’Hanlon is series director, Halcyon Person is head writer and series producers are Danielle Gillis and Lisa O’Connor. Exec producers are Vince Commisso, Cathal Gaffney, Darragh O’Connell, Angela C. Santomero, Wendy Harris and Jennie Stacey.

    Karma's World
    Karma’s World
  • People on the Move: DeWitt Upped at PBS, Baaske Joins Jellyfish, Cho Teams with Baobab, Top Comics Join ‘Butthole Biscuits’

    People on the Move: DeWitt Upped at PBS, Baaske Joins Jellyfish, Cho Teams with Baobab, Top Comics Join ‘Butthole Biscuits’

    PBS announced today that Sara DeWitt has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Children’s Media and Education. In this role, DeWitt will lead PBS’s children’s programming and education strategy across all platforms. She will report directly to PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. DeWitt previously served as VP of PBS KIDS Digital and led innovative strategies that built educational experiences for kids across media platforms.

    Having spent over 20 years in public media, DeWitt has played an integral role in the digital transformation of PBS KIDS. She has overseen pbskids.org, PBS KIDS streaming video services and the PBS KIDS portfolio of educational games and apps for children and caregivers. Under her leadership, PBS KIDS has produced award-winning games and apps, AR experiences, podcasts and second screen technologies; developed a learning analytics platform to better understand children’s learning gains through gameplay; and established itself as a gold standard in children’s digital privacy and security. Prior to joining PBS, DeWitt worked as a preschool teacher and as a field researcher studying media habits of children in rural areas.

    “I am excited to lead this exceptional team as we continue to deliver smart and engaging media experiences that help kids learn, become critical thinkers and develop a sense of possibility for themselves. PBS KIDS has a remarkable legacy of innovation and success; I look forward to working in partnership with our producers and stations to showcase stories and digital experiences that meet families where they are and reflect the lives of children in our audience,” said DeWitt.

    DeWitt is a regular speaker on the subjects of digital privacy, games and learning, and has authored academic papers and editorials on children’s media and its educational impact. She gave a widely shared TED Talk debunking myths about screen time, and has presented at high-profile conferences such as SXSW, Games for Change, CES, the Grace Hopper Celebration and the Atlantic Education Summit. Through speaking engagements and panels, she has lent her voice to important conversations about career and family, and inspiring young girls to aim for careers in the sciences.She has been recognized as one of the top 42 Women Leading in Education by the USC Rossier School of Education (2014), with Cynopsis Media’s Top Women in Digital Award (2016, 2017) and the Hedy Lamarr Award for Innovation in Entertainment Technology (2020). DeWitt holds an MA and a BA in English from Stanford University, as well as a certificate from the university’s Children Society and Public Policy Curriculum.

    Sara DeWitt
    Sara DeWitt

    Multi-award-winning animation and VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures today announced that industry heavyweight, Paul Baaske, has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Technical Direction. With Jellyfish Pictures set to increase its staff numbers by over 100% over the next 12 months, it will be a part of Baaske’s role to facilitate continuous growth and scalability, providing futureproof workflows. Using his unique insight across creative, technical and production needs, he will ensure the alignment of goals between all departments resulting in efficient workflows and creative excellence. In addition to his day to day duties, Baaske will sit on the Leadership Team where he will support, inform and help shape strategic decisions for the company.

    “I’m thrilled to join Jellyfish Pictures and contribute to an exciting period of growth. I can’t wait to work with the talented teams here to imagine and deploy cutting- edge workflows, tools and technology that empower and inspire our artists, producers and storytellers. This is an unprecedented time of opportunity in our industry, and Jellyfish pictures, with its state-of-the-art virtual setup and infrastructures is incredibly well positioned to embrace some of the most ambitious upcoming animation projects,” said Baaske.

    Baaske joins Jellyfish following a stint as Global Workflow Architect at DNEG. In this role, Baaske developed and built multi-site and multi-project workflows as its animation division grew to over 500 people. Prior to this, he worked as CG supervisor for DNEG’s first animated feature film Ron’s Gone Wrong. Before DNEG, Baaske worked as CG supervisor on Sherlock Gnomes for Mikros Animation. Leading the London team, he ensured seamless collaboration with the Paris studio introducing workflows to ensure total efficiency. In addition, he spent six years at Prime Focus, where he led the design and implementation of technical requirements as the animation division grew from three to over 400 staff.

    Paul Baaske
    Paul Baaske

    Baobab Studios announced that acclaimed actor John Cho (Searching, Star Trek), has officially joined the team as executive producer on their latest animated short film, Namoo. Written and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Erick Oh (Opera) and produced by nine-time Emmy Award-winning Baobab Studios, Namoo is a narrative poem, hand-painted and animated with state-of-the-art software and real-time technology. Inspired by the passing of Oh’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.

    “Though Erick’s film is based on his grandfather, it resonated for me in a very personal way. A valentine as well as a testament to the artistic process, this film is a little miracle in that it was animated during the pandemic by artists across the world, working together virtually. I was moved by its human message, improbably illustrated through an entirely hand-crafted, digital process,” said Cho.

    The film is currently making its way through the festival circuit and will celebrate its L.A. Premiere as part of the official selection for the 2021 Hollyshorts Film Festival this Friday, September 24. The team will also present a Tech Talk at the upcoming Ottawa International Animation Festival entitled “Storytelling in 2D with 3D Tool Quill: A deep dive with Erick Oh” on Wednesday, September 29. Additional stops for the film in the coming month include the Edmonton International Film Festival, and the VIEW Conference (Turin, Italy).

    John Cho [Photo: Benjo Arwas]
    John Cho [Photo: Benjo Arwas]
    Ferly, the international licensing and animation studio, and Wild Child Animation, the Scottish animation studio, have signed comedians Larry Dean (Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Mock the Week), Erika Ehler and Ed Night to join the writing team for new animated adult comedy series, Butthole Biscuits. The team will be headed up by Paul Alexander (My Hero, Red Dwarf). The animated series follows a bunch of broken and unwanted biscuits left behind at the bottom of the biscuit tin. Told through the eyes of these rejected treats the series takes a critical look at society all whilst following their adventures as the biscuits decide to break out and go hunting for kicks rather than sitting around going stale.

    • Head writer Paul Alexander has written on the RTS Award-winning My Parents Are Aliens (CITV), Emmy Award-winning Red Dwarf (BBC) and BAFTA-winning Revenge Files of Alistair Fury (CBBC); his animation credits include Horrid Henry (CITV) and Groove High (Disney). For DreamWorks, he co-created the animated comedy series Neighbors from Hell (Apple TV+).
    • Larry Dean has been nominated for both Best Newcomer and Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards (formerly Perrier Awards) and has performed multiple critically acclaimed, award-winning stand up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and on tour across the U.K. and the world.
    • Erika Ehler has served as a writer for Charlie Brooker’s Death to 2020, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (SkyOne) and Have I Got News for You (BBC1).
    • Ed Night has had sold out runs at his 2018 and 2019 Edinburgh shows and now hosts BBC Radio1’s Ed and Lauren. He was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2017 and has also been seen on E4, BBC3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC 5 Live.
    Clockwise from left: Larry Dean, Paul Alexander, Erika Ehler, Ed Night.
    Clockwise from left: Larry Dean, Paul Alexander, Erika Ehler, Ed Night.
  • ‘Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky’ Takes Wing with More Kids’ Faves on Peacock

    ‘Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky’ Takes Wing with More Kids’ Faves on Peacock

    Peacock is expanding its kids programming with the all-new original animated series Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky, streaming November 24. This new Peacock Original joins the platform’s robust kids programming slate, including Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here!, Curious George: Cape Ahoy, Trollstopia, Where’s Waldo?, Cleopatra in Space, The Mighty Ones and more. Fans can also look forward to a new episodes of Madagascar: A Little Wild plus a holiday special, and new episodes of Curious George as well as the previously announced movie.

    In a faraway corner of the viking and dragon world, DreamWorks Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky is the next chapter following the adventures of viking twins Dak and Leyla, who were rescued and raised by dragons, growing up learning to speak their language. Along with young dragons Winger, Summer, Cutter and Burple, they defend and protect other dragons on exciting adventures around their home of Huttsgalor.

    The voice cast features Nicolas Cantu (The Walking Dead: World Beyond), Brennley Brown (Dragons: Rescue Riders), Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911!), Moira Quirk (Dragons: Rescue Riders), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock franchise), Brad Grusnick (Dragons: Rescue Riders), Sam Lavagnino (Puppy Dog Pals), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), Tara Strong (Teen Titans Go!), Zach Callison (The Goldbergs), Skai Jackson (Bunk’d), Noah Bentley (Elliott from Earth), Andre Robinson (The Loud House) and Marsai Martin (Black-ish).

    Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky
    Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky

    The new DreamWorks Animation special Madagascar: A Little Wild – Holiday Goose Chase premieres Friday, November 26: It’s holiday time in New York, and Melman is determined to add another sticker to his yearly “Nice” list! When he meets Hank, a goose who has been separated from his family, Melman, Alex, Marty and Gloria embark on a wild goose chase around the city to reunite Hank with his merry flock.

    The voice cast includes Tucker Chandler (I Lost My Body), Amir O’Neil (Mann and Wife), Shaylin Becton (Strive), Luke Lowe (Big City Greens), Jasmine Gatewood (Animal Kingdom), Eric Petersen (Kirstie) and special guest star Mark Whitten (Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh).

    Johanna Stein (Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny) serves as executive producer and Dana Starfield (Monster High: Welcome to Monster High) serves as co-executive producer.

    In the new season of DreamWorks Madagascar: A Little Wild, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria are back in the New York City swing with adventures in and out of “A Little Wild” rescue habitat. Alex deals with some major jealousy issues when Ant’ney goes viral, Marty gets himself locked inside the public library, the gang helps Melman make it through his first-ever night away from the habitat, and Gloria struggles to cope with saying goodbye when Lala decides she’s ready for a bigger pond. Season five of premieres Thursday, November 11 on Peacock.

    Curious George
    Curious George

    Produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and Imagine Entertainment, Curious George Season 14 includes 15 fun-filled and entertaining episodes and will stream Thursday, October 21 on Peacock. The voice cast includes Emmy Award winner Frank Welker (Scooby Doo and Guess Who?) returning as the voice of Curious George and Jeff Bennett (The Loud House) as The Man with the Yellow Hat.

    The brand-new season is executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer alongside David Kirschner, Jon Shapiro, Ellen Cockrill and Glenn Ross. Episodes are produced by Melanie Pal, co-executive produced by Lisa Melbye, Brian Newlin and Bardo S. Ramirez, and directed by Kevin Johnson, Scott Heming and Andrei Svislotski. Curious George created by Margaret and H.A. Rey, is copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Company and used under License.

    Season 4 of the Peacock Original Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here! will premiere Thursday, October 14 with all six episodes. From the creative mind of Tony Hale, the next chapter for Archibald Strutter, a chicken who “yes-and’s” his way through life, finds him in new curious situations, from getting trapped inside a video game, to enlarging a baby to the size of a building, to accidentally composing the catchiest disco melody ever created. While his adventures don’t always go as planned, Archibald takes it one step at a time with the help of his three siblings, Sage, Finly, and Loy, and his trusty sidekick, Bea.

    Returning voice cast includes Tony Hale (Arrested Development, VEEP, Toy Story 4), Adam Pally (The Mindy Project), Jordan Fisher (Dancing with the Stars, Hamilton), Chelsea Kane (Baby Daddy, Fish Hooks), Kari Wahlgren (Ducktales, Rick and Morty), Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and Academy Award-nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Thunderbirds Are Go). Hale serves as creator and executive producer, alongside executive producer Eric Fogel (Celebrity Deathmatch, Descendants: Wicked World). Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here! is produced by DreamWorks Animation.

  • Trailer: ‘Adventure Beast’ Brings Animal Hyper-Activism to Netflix

    Trailer: ‘Adventure Beast’ Brings Animal Hyper-Activism to Netflix

    Prodcos Mission Control Media, Kapow Pictures and Netflix have unleashed the animal kingdom’s greatest ally in the official trailer for Adventure Beast, a new 12 x 17′ adult animated comedy hitting the streamer on October 22. The preview debuts alongside the New on Netflix announcement for the month, which promises a tooned-up October for all.

    Adventure Beast takes us deeper into the wonders of nature than we probably should go. Each episode follows Bradley Trevor Greive, a semi-indestructible wildlife expert who travels the globe studying and rescuing animals. Along the way, he shares with us truly astonishing, sometimes risqué facts that other wildlife shows would be too polite to mention.

    Adventure Beast
    Adventure Beast

    BTG is joined on these expeditions by his fearless Junior Field Assistant and favorite niece, Bonnie, and his fearful-of-absolutely-everything Senior Field Assistant, Dietrich. Jungles, deserts, oceans, glaciers… no matter where the mission takes them, the team constantly finds themselves surrounded by all kinds of fascinating animals that are just waiting for the chance to kill them. And, every adventure is told through BTG’s unique voice and twisted view of nature.

    More animation coming soon to Netflix:

    Oct. 1

    • The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light (Netflix Anime). Meliodas and his friends jump back into action when the new era of peace is threatened by a powerful magical alliance that could spell the end for all.

    Oct. 3

    • Scissor Seven: Season 3 (Netflix Anime). After his departure from Chicken Island, Seven makes a few detours before winding up in Xuanwu, where there’s a steep price on his head.

    Oct. 7

    • ​​The Way of the Househusband: Season 1 Part 2 (Netflix Anime). After disappearing from the underworld, the legendary yakuza Tatsu, “the Immortal Dragon,” resurfaces — as a fiercely devoted stay-at-home husband

    Oct. 8

    • A Tale Dark & Grimm (Netflix Family). Based on the best-selling book series by Adam Gidwitz, the animated series follows Hansel and Gretel as they run away from home to find better parents … or at least ones who won’t chop off their heads! As Hansel and Gretel leave their own story and venture through other classic Grimm fairy tales, unexpected narrators’ guide us through their encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons and even the devil himself As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Because once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.
    • Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (Netflix Family). Koko grows up in the jungle with a solitary Zarude. When he meets Ash and Pikachu, he discovers the human world — and a plot threatening his home!

    Oct. 9

    • Blue Period (Netflix Anime). Bored with life, popular high schooler Yatora Yaguchi jumps into the beautiful yet unrelenting world of art after finding inspiration in a painting.

    Oct. 12

    • Bright: Samurai Soul (Netflix Anime). In the early years of Japan’s Meiji Restoration, a human ronin must unite with an orc assassin to save an elf orphan from their common adversary.
    • Mighty Express: Season 5 (Netflix Family). The Mighty Express trains team up on the tracks to deliver a huge rubber ducky, a giant robot and tons of pizza on exciting mega missions!

    Oct. 13

    • Violet Evergarden: The Movie

    Oct. 15

    • CoComelon: Season 4
    • Karma’s World (Netflix Family). Lyrically gifted middle schooler Karma juggles rap dreams and rhyme schemes while using her talent, ambition and heart to solve any problem.
    • Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween (Netflix Family). The Sharkpack gets ready for Halloween with the spooky legend of the “Fearsome Fog” — and Sharkdog must save trick-or-treating from a slimy sea monster!

    Oct. 20

    • Gabby’s Dollhouse: Season 3 (Netflix Family). Gabby, Pandy and their crew of kitty friends are back with even more special deliveries, surprising journeys and make-at-home lessons, too!

    Oct. 21

    • Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 6 (Netflix Family). Beach days, bedtime stories and fun with best friends! Cory Carson’s always on the go for more laughter and heartwarming lessons in Bumperton Hills!
    • Komi Can’t Communicate (Netflix Anime). At a high school full of unique characters, Tadano helps his shy and unsociable classmate Komi reach her goal of making friends with 100 people.

    Oct. 22

    • Inside Job (Netflix Series). For employees of the Deep State, conspiracies aren’t just theories — they’re fact. And keeping them a secret is a full-time job.
    • Maya and the Three (Netflix Family). A Mesoamerican-inspired warrior princess embarks on a quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save humanity from the vengeful gods of the underworld.

    Oct. 29

    • Thomas & Friends Season 25A