Author: Mercedes Milligan

WB, LEGO Group Build ‘Ninjago Movie’ Global Program

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group have joined forces with a crack squad of licensing & merchandising partners to harness the Ninja Warrior Spirit in a comprehensive program inspired by The LEGO Ninjago Movie — in theaters worldwide beginning September 22. Products will begin rolling out this week at retailers worldwide and at www.WBShop.com.

“WBCP continues to find new and exciting ways to build on our partnership with The LEGO Group as we expand our immersive licensing and merchandising program,” said Pam Lifford, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “From never-before-seen LEGO sets to licensed apparel, costumes, publishing, home decor and more, WBCP and The LEGO Group deliver exciting new product for The LEGO Ninjago Movie fans, bringing the fun and lighthearted spirit synonymous with the LEGO film franchise.”

The golden brick in the L&M set are 15+ original LEGO construction sets inspired by the film. The scene and character sets include Spinjitzu Training Dojo, NINJAGO City Chase, Master Falls, Manta Ray Bomber, “Garmadon, Garmadon, GARMADON!,” and the intricate NINJAGO City. Fans can further build their adventures with collectibles like the Water Strider, Jelly Sub, Green Ninja Mech Dragon, Lightning Jet, Garma Mecha Man, Fire Mech, Ice Tank, Temple of the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon, and Destiny’s Bounty.

Worldwide retail support from key partners such as Walmart, Target and Toys ‘R’ Us will host special programs, product displays and all-inclusive “retailtainment” offerings like in-store events and exclusive products. For back to school, WBCP & LEGO have partnered with Handcraft Manufacturing, SGI Apparel, Isaac Morris and Bioworld for a variety of ninja-inspired looks and designs for boys and girls — Fast Forward is also on board for backpacks.

Young fans can put more spinjitzu pizzazz in their lives with collections from Clic Time (watches & clocks), Sakar (phone cases), Hallmark (greetings & gift presentation), Party City (party goods) and Franco Manufacturing (home decor & bedding). On the publishing front, more than 15 tie-in titles from DK Publishing, Scholastic, Ameet and Blue Ocean will cover storybooks, readers, activity books, sticker books, magazines, junior novel, guidebook and more.

Around the world, products will roll out through partner retailers throughout EMEA. In the UK this includes Toys ’R’ Us, with in-store theatre, consumer activations and website take over; Argos, with dedicated-pages in their catalogue and branding of windows and activations with the grocers ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Amazon will support the film across all European territories, featuring its branded shop dedicated to The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Across Europe, partners include FNAC and Joué Club (France); Toys Center and Carrefour (Italy); Juguettos (Spain); Toys’R‘Us, FNAC and El Corte Inglés (Spain & Portugal); and Müller and Kaufhof in Germany – including an assortment of in-store themed displays, promotions, contests, events, photo opportunities, and more.

Moving east, Ninjago will be support by Toyzz Shop (Turkey); Detsky Mir (Russia); key retailer Top Toy Group in the Nordics. Throughout the EMEA region, major fashion and home décor partners include GBG, Character World, and Room Copenhagen; Amscan for party goods; and Sambro with back-to-school products; as well as Pyramid for calendars and posters. In Asia-Pacific Australia/New Zealand, partners such as Caprice cover all ninja warrior needs with apparel, sleepwear, accessories, backpacks and homeware, alongside other key partners featuring products such as costumes, clocks, publishing, etc., with retail support from Toys ‘R’ Us, Big W, Myer and The Warehouse, among others.

LEGO Ninjago Green ninja mech dragon

Clic Time LEGO Ninjago watch

LEGO Ninjago Movie: Shark Attack

LEGO Ninjago Movie: The Conqueror

LEGO Ninago Movie Franco Manufacturing bedset

Isaac Morris LEGO Ninjago Movie hoodie

LEGO Ninago Movie: High Tech Ninja Heroes

August 17, 2017
GKIDS Cuddles Up with ‘Napping Princess’

GKIDS has picked up North American distribution rights to the beautifully animated Japanese sci-fi fantasy Napping Princess, which first bowed in home soil cinemas in March. Having just opened in the UK, Napping Princess will make its US debut in New York (Village East Cinema) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Monica Film Center) on September 8, followed by a national expansion.

Formerly known as Ancien and the Magic Tablet, this is the latest film from writer-director Kenji Kamiyama (East of Eden, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and produced by Signal.MD — the three year old sister studio of Production I.G. The 2D animated feature screened in the official selection at this year’s Annecy animation fest — as Ancien — and recently won the Best Animated Feature Gold award at Fantasia (see all the animation winners here). GKIDS will release Napping Princess both in the original Japanese and as a new English dub.

“We fell in love with Kenji Kamiyama’s unique vision in Napping Princess,” said David Jesteadt, President of GKIDS. “His blend of near-future science-fiction, family drama, and detective story results in a high-octane, thought-provoking adventure that all ages can enjoy.”

Synopsis: The year is 2020, three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. While she should be studying for her exams, Kokone Morikawa is often dozing off, stuck between reality and a dream-world full of fantastic motorized contraptions. But after her father, a talented but mysterious mechanic, is kidnapped for stealing technology from a powerful corporation, it’s up to Kokone and her childhood friend Morio to save him.

Together they realize that Kokone’s dream-world holds the answers to the mystery behind the stolen tech, and they embark on a journey that traverses dreams and reality, city and country, and past and present. Their mission uncovers a trail of clues to her father’s disappearance and ultimately a surprising revelation about Kokone’s family.

Napping Princess

Napping Princess

Napping Princess

Napping Princess

August 17, 2017
Daily News Bytes: Watch ‘DuckTales’ Online, ‘Batman & Harley’ Clip, Inside ‘Cuphead’, & More!

‘DuckTales’ – “Woo-oo! Full Episode from Disney XD
With the cord-cutting trend continuing among viewers, the big studios are starting to wake up — which is good news for those of us who are purely internet TV consumers. Case in point: Disney has put the reboot-opening DuckTales TV movie on YouTube in its 44-minute entirety just a couple days after its linear debut. Hopefully this option will continue when the series premieres Sept. 23. (Psst! Read all about the new DuckTales in the upcoming October issue of Animation Magazine.)

‘Batman and Harley Quinn’ – “Booster Clip (On Digital Now)
The latest DC Universe animated adventure has been released on Digital HD, and Warner Bros. Home Ent. has offered up a special little something-something for fans to celebrate. The wacky road trip adventure directed by Sam Liu is accompanied by some fun bonus features, as previously announced. On disc August 29.

Take a Deep Dive into ‘Cuphead’s Animation Process
StudioMDHR animator Jake Clark gives a rundown of the much buzzed-about game’s three-year journey, and bringing its ambitious Fleischer-inspired animation from concept to commerce in this recently uploaded lecture video from GDC 2017. Cuphead will be available for Xbox One and Windows 10 on Sept. 29.

Live Stream with Bill Plympton and Alexia Anastasio – Aug. 21
Submit your questions now for the inimitable King of Indie Animation and the director of documentary Adventures in Plymptoons now for Monday’s livestream Q&A. You’re probably taking the day off to avoid eclipse traffic anyway, right?

’A Scanner Darkly’ with Animator Paul Beck – Aug. 30, Austin
Presented by Austin School of Film, this special screening of Richard Linklater’s sci-fi adaptation at the Alamo Drafthouse will include a Q&A with the film’s head of animation, as well as a collection of his short films.

Batman and harley Quinn

DuckTales

Cuphead

August 16, 2017
20 Project Set for Cinekid Junior Co-Pro Market

Having announced this year’s Script Lab participants, the organizers of Amsterdam’s Cinekid havenow revealed the 20 live-action and animation projects selected for the Junior Co-production Market. Previous successes to come out of this market include Copenhagen Bombay’s animatd feature Next Door Spy — this year’s festival opening film. The 2017 event will take place October 26-27.

The Junior Co-production Market is part of Cinekid for Professionals, an integrated two-day event within the world’s biggest children’s media festival: Cinekid. JCM enables global financiers, broadcasters and producers to assess new and innovative film and television projects. The market starts with a public pitch of all projects, followed by a day and a half of one-on-one meetings between creators and potential partners. Two top pitches will also be selected for the Burny Bos Best Project Award for the best overall project (€2,500 cash prize) and the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award for the best film project with European co-production potential (€20,000).

2017 JCM Selected Projects:

FILMS
Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary. Written by Rémi Chayé, Sandra Tosello and Fabrice De Costil. Directed by Rémi Chayé. Produced by Maybe Movies, Sacrebleu Productions (France)
How I Learned to Fly. Written by Ljubica Lukovic. Directed by Radivoje Andric. Produced by SENSE Production (Serbia, Croatia)
Lucy Goes Gangsta. Written by Till Endemann and Andreas Cordes. Directed by Till Endemann. Produced by INDI FILM GmbH (Germany)
Mine, Said Meaty Marta. Written by Petra Revenue. Directed by Petra Revenue and Samir Arabzadeh. Produced by Cinenic Film AB (Sweden, Philippines)
My Name Is Olivia… and I Can’t Do Anything About It. Written by Jowi Scmithz. Directed by Anne de Clercq. Produced by BosBros (The Netherlands)
Pikkuli and the Great White Reindeer. Written and directed by Metsämarja & Antti Aittokoski. Produced by Sun In the Eye Productions (Finland)
RAGGIE. Written by Karsten Kiilerich and Aina Järvine. Directed by Karsten Kiilerich and Meelis Arulepp. Produced by A Film Estonia (Estonia, Denmark)
Sinkhole. Written by Mischa Alexander and Jochum ten Haaf. Directed by Tim Oliehoek. Produced by The Film Kitchen (The Netherlands, Belgium)
Tagli and Telle. Written by Paula Noronen. Directed by Akseli Tuomivaara. Produced by Bufo (Finland)
The Girl with the Blue Shadow. Written and directed by Bart Van den Bempt. Produced by Serendipity Films (Belgium)
The Highest Step in the World. Written by Olivier Pairoux and Eusebio Larrea. Directed by Olivier Pairoux. Produced by Kwassa Films (Belgium)
Too Far Away. Written by Susanne Finken. Directed by Sarah Winkenstette. Produced by Weydemann Bros. GmbH (Germany)
Walking on Water. Written by Wander Theunis. Directed by Sanne Vogel. Produced by Topkapi Films (The Netherlands)

TELEVISION
Hare and the Prisoner. Written and directed by Leevi Lemmetty. Produced by Muste ja Valo, Ink and Light (Finland, Ireland)
Milkshake Bar. Written by Agnė Adomėnė, Marija Kavtaradzė and Urtė Oettinger. Directed by Urtė Oettinger. Produced by ART SHOT (Lithuania)
Planet Z. Written by Maria Björklund, Javi Risco and Bambú Orellana. Directed by Maria Björklund. Produced by Pyjama Films (Finland)
Romy & Khalid. Written by Alexandra Penrhyn Lowe and Alexander de Bruijn. Produced by NL Film & TV (The Netherlands)
StAr. Written by Maria Bolme. Directed by Maria Bolme, Catti Edfeldt. Produced by Munck Studios (Sweden)
The Memets. Written and directed by Ester Vicente Ballester. Produced by Walking The Dog (Belgium, Spain)
The Restaurant. Written by Klas Abrahamsson. Directed by Pernilla Olsson. Produced by Mint ab (Sweden)

The Memets

Pikkuli and the Great White Reindeer

August 16, 2017
‘Mini Beat Power Rockers’ Heads to Discovery Kids LatAm

Music-themed CG-animated series Mini Beat Power Rockers will be making its TV premiere on Discovery Kids in Latin America this month. The show is developed by the broadcaster together with Juan José Campanella’s MundoLoco CGI (Underdogs feature). The 52-episode first season — which features 26 original songs covering a range of genres — will bow August 28.

“Music is a source of entertainment and education, and is also a link that unites parents with their kids,” said Carolina Lightcap, EVP and Chief Content Officer at Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic. “We hope kids as well as adults can enjoy this together and that the entire family will relish in the adventures of this mini band of rockers.”

Mini Beat Power Rockers follows the adventures of four bouncing babies (well, three babies and one baby robot) named Fuz, Wat, Myo and Carlos, who dream of forming the world’s greatest rock band. They spend each day while their parents are at work making the most of daycare by doing what they love best: making music.

Mini Beat Power Rockers

Mini Beat Power Rockers

August 16, 2017
Crunchyroll Announces Programming Highlights for Inaugural Expo

The first-ever Crunchyroll Expo (CRX) is kicking off soon, and the anime experts organizing the event have announced an initial raft of talent appearances, programs and exclusive merchandise. The celebration of all things anime and Japanese pop culture will take place August 25-27 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California’s Bay Area.

Among the special guests will be the writer-illustrator behind The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Kore Yamazaki, who will participate in signing, panels and even create 10 original sketches for a few lucky attendees.

Top names from the world of animation on the roster include Frederator! founder Fred Seibert (producer, Adventure Time, Bee and Puppycat), Butch Hartman (creator, The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom), Amica Kubo (director, URAHARA), veteran animator Hiroshi Shimizu (Princess Mononoke, Jin-Roh, One Piece), Powerhouse Animation CEO Brad Graeber, director Sam Deats (Castlevania), Head of Rooster Teeth Animation Gray G. Haddock, RT director/writer Kerry Shawcross (RWBY), and more.

Among the special screenings will be My Hero Academia, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Last Man, Restaurant to Another World, A Centaur’s Life and Saiyuki Reload Blast.

CRX also aims to pack the house for special panels on animation and games titles like Netflix’s Castlevania, Rooster Teeth’s RWBY, viral game sensation Dream Daddy and others. Plus themed activities (like the Dragon Ball Super puzzle Hunt), Yoshitaka Amano Art Gallery, amazing cosplay, gaming contest, and exclusive merchandise featuring mascot Crunchyroll-Hime.

Keep up to date with fresh announcements and reserve your tickets at crunchyrollexpo.com.

Crunchyroll

August 16, 2017
John Lasseter to Be Honored at Disney Family Museum Gala

The Walt Disney Family Museum will be holding its third annual fundraising gala on November 7, 2017, and will take the opportunity to honor Disney-Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter with the Diane Disney Miller Lifetime Achievement Award. The accolade recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding impact in the field of arts, education, community involvement, and technological advancements.

Lasseter is being recognized for his contributions to the entertainment industry and for his extraordinary leadership and innovative storytelling, which have been instrumental in elevating and distinguishing the world of animation. The studio leader has been with Pixar since its beginnings, helping build the company’s reputation for distinctive storytelling and cutting-edge CG innovations. Lasseter won his first Academy Award for directing the short film Tin Toy (1988), and received a special achievement honor from the Academy for Toy Story (!995).

Lasseter directed a number of successful features for Pixar, and continues to produce for the studio as CCO of The Walt Disney Co.’s dual feature animation branches. He last co-directed Cars 2 and is currently executive producing the full upcoming Disney-Pixar slate.

The gala is presented by the museum’s Board of Directors, with proceeds supporting the museum’s programs and activities designed to nurture the next generation of creative talent. The limited space event will take place at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco’s Presidio.

Last year’s gala was MCed by Neil Patrick Harris, and honored the recently deceased Marty Sklar with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Learn more about The Walt Disney Family Museum and view the current and upcoming exhibitions at http://waltdisney.org.

John Lasseter. Photo Credit: Deborah Coleman / Pixar

August 16, 2017
Art Directors Guild Introduces Animation Award

The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) has dubbed the 22nd Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards theme “Production Design in Animation: Celebrating 100 Years of Imagination,” and will take the opportunity to present the inaugural Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Feature Film award category. The announcement was made by ADG Event Producers Thomas A. Wash ADG and Thomas Wilkins ADG.

The annual awards gala honoring the best in motion picture, TV, commercial and music video production design will take place Saturday, January 27, 2018 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.

“It is our intention to honor and celebrate great Production Design achievements in the remarkable and evolving art form of animation through this new award,” said Walsh. “By separating feature animation into its own constituent category, we wish to pay tribute to these creative works in a manner equivalent to all our other feature design categories.”

The ADG has previously recognized the achievements of animated titles over the past 11 years with nominations in the “Fantasy Feature Film” category. These nominees have included Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E and The Adventures of Tintin.

Key qualifications for the Animated Feature Film category are:

– Animated feature films representing 2D (hand drawn), 3D (CGI), clay animation/puppet and motion–capture (live-action/CGI hybrid) will all qualify for this award category.

– A feature film must have the majority of its sets and locations created using a frame-by-frame technique, and usually falls into one of the two general fields of animation: narrative or abstract.

– Some of the techniques of animating films include but are not limited to hand-drawn animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, pixilation, cutout animation, pinscreen, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects created frame-by-frame, and drawing on the film frame itself.

– Motion capture and real-time puppetry are not by themselves animation techniques.

– Animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time.

– A narrative animated film must have a significant number of the Top 8 major characters animated.

– If the picture is created in a cinematic style that could be mistaken for live action, producers must submit information supporting how and why the picture is substantially a work of animation rather than live action.

Complete rules available here.

Submissions will be open online Oct. 5 – Nov. 9, 2017. Nomination voting will be open Dec. 6, 2017 – Jan. 3, 2018 and announced Jan. 4. Final voting will take place Jan. 8 – Jan. 25, 2018. These dates and more info can be tracked here.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn earned a nomination for Robert Stromberg at the ADG’s 2011 awards.

August 16, 2017
LA Anime Fest Reveals Full Film Lineup

The Los Angeles Anime Film Festival (LA-AFF) has set its opening and closing night films, as well as the full lineup in between. Taking place September 15-17 in Downtown LA, the event will kick off with No Game No Life Zero — the highly anticipated prequel film to the popular series No Game No Life, from Madhouse studio and director Ishizuka Atsuko — and will close with Katsuhiro Otomo’s cyberpunk masterpiece Akira, which will mark its 30th anniversary next year. LA-AFF is this year toasting the 100th anniversary of Japanese animation.

Presented by Sentai Filmworks, No Game No Life Zero takes place six thousand years before Sora and Shiro were even a blink in the history of Disboard. War consumed the land, tearing apart the heavens, destroying stars, and even threatening to wipe out the human race. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man named Riku leads humanity toward the tomorrow his heart believed in. One day, in the ruins of an Elf city, he meets Shuvi, a female exiled “ex-machina” android who asks him to teach her what it means to have a human heart.

To mark the anime centennial, LA-AFF will screen one of the first Japanese animated short films, Junichi Kouichi’s Namakura Katana (1917), during the opening ceremony on Sept. 15.

The event will also host the North American Premiere of King of Prism by PrettyRhythm which earned over 7 million dollars in Japanese box offices. One of the key features that led to this film’s major success lies in the unique “cheering screening style,” which allows the audience to engage with the movie just as they would during a live music event by bringing their own glow sticks and cheering the characters during the presentation.

Program highlights will also include Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro and Porco Rosso, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Love Live! The School Idol Movie, Metropolis, Paprika in 35mm, The Red Turtle and Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. LA-AFF has planned a diverse slate of features — including new releases and fan-favorites — as well as special events such as Q&A sessions with talent and creators and an opening night red carpet gala.

All screenings will take place at the Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center. LA-AFF is presented by international creative company Rydgen Inc., in partnership with LA-based film distribution company Azoland Pictures.

Full lineup and tickets available now at www.la-aff.com.

No Game No Life Zero

August 15, 2017
Daily News Bytes: Casting ‘Pooh,’ Stone Newman Joins Pocket.Watch, SCAD Wraps 1st Fest, & More

Disney’s Live-Action ‘Christopher Robin’ Has Cast Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and More
This return to the fictional world created by A.A. Milne will star Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Christopher Robin opposite Hayley Atwell, with his cuddly toy bear to be voiced by longtime Pooh voicer Jim Cummings. Brad Garrett will bray as Eeyore, while Alan Tudyk bounces along as Tigger. The plot will be a bit like 1991’s Hook, with a disillusioned adult Christopher reconnecting with his “imaginary” friends. No release date announced.

This project is not to be confused with Fox Searchlight’s upcoming Goodbye Christopher Robin, which retells the true story behind the birth of the books and looks like a real emotional gut-punch per the recently debuted trailer. This film stars The Force Awakens villain Domhnall Gleeson as Milne, Margot Robbie as his wife Daphne and Will Tilston as the young Christopher Robin, with Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Campbell Moore, Alex Lawther, Richard McCabe, Nico Mirallegro, Geraldine Somerville, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. (Oct. 13)

Pocket.Watch Expands Leadership Team, Names Former Genius Brands President as Chief Revenue Officer
Nascent kids’ media brand brings on Stone Newman, who will focus on brand integration sales of pocket.watch’s YouTube channels and creator partnerships, driving L&M initiatives, and bringing new premium series to the global TV and streaming market. Newman joined Genius Brands in 2014 and rose up the ranks over the ensuing years.

Inaugural SCAD AnimationFest Wraps in Atlanta, GA
Savannah College of Art and Design marked its first animation event with the US premiere of Weinstein Co.’s Leap! (out Aug. 30) and welcomed the film’s animation director Ted Ty of L’Atelier Animation. Industry panelists also included reps from Blue Sky, Fox Animation, Primal Screen, Original Force and others.

AUDIO: ‘The Ryan Tubridy Show’ Featuring Cartoon Saloon’s Nora Twomey
Monday’s edition of the RTE Radio show in Ireland welcomed the celebrated director to discuss her latest project, The Breadwinner. The film will have its World Premiere at TIFF next month and will be released by production partner GKIDS in the States this fall.

Jim Cummings / Brad Garrett / Alan Tudyk

Winnie The Pooh

August 15, 2017
‘Batman vs. Two-Face’ Is Late Adam West’s Final Role

Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment have announced that two titans of TV history unite in the upcoming Batman vs. Two-Face from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The animated feature stars the late Adam West — the original television Batman, reprising the role; and William Shatner — Star Trek‘s Captain Kirk, voicing his coin-flipping nemesis. The title comes home October 17 on Blu-ray Combo Pack (SRP $24.98) and DVD ($19.98).

(Fun fact: West and Shatner first teamed up in a 1963 pilot for Alexander the Great — a project which never took off. And yes, you can find it online.)

A sequel to 2016’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, the new adventure brings Batman and Robin (voiced again by West’s old crime fightin’ colleague Burt Ward) back to colorful comics-inspired 1960s action. When the mutilated master of multiplicity Two-Face (Shatner) begins staging a daring crime wave across Gotham. Our heroes must work double-time to discover his mysterious secret identity before they can halt his evil-doing…all the while combating an onslaught of nefarious villains.

The voice cast also features Tony Award winner Julie Newmar reprising her role as Catwoman, with Jeff Bergman (Joker, Bookworm, Desmond Dumas), Sirena Irwin (Dr. Quinzel), Thomas Lennon (Chief O’Hara), Lee Meriwether (Lucilee Diamond), William Salyers (Penguin), Lynne Marie Stewart (Aunt Harriet), Jim Ward (Hugo Strange, Commissioner Gordon), Steven Weber (Alfred, Two-Face henchmen) and Wally Wingert (Riddler, King Tut).

Batman vs. Two-Face brings back the core Crusaders team, with Rick Morales (Justice League: Cosmic Clash) directing from a script by Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!) and James Tucker (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract). Tucker and Jelenic are also supervising producer and producer, respectively. Sam Register is executive producer. Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan are executive producers.

Blu-ray and DVD special features include:

– “The Wonderful World of Burt Ward” (featurette) – Spotlighting Ward’s life away from acting, particularly his many benevolent activities, and his lifelong devotion to the health and welfare of dogs.

– Adam West Tribute Panel – At the 2017 Comic-Con International in San Diego, a panel celebrated the life and times of West, the legendary “Bright Knight.” Fans laughed, cried and cheered as actress Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 1966 Batman movie), director/writer/actor Kevin Smith, actor/radio personality Ralph Garman, producer James Tucker and moderator Gary Miereanu captivated the audience with anecdotes and tales about Adam West.

– Actors Burt Ward and Julie Newmar discussing various aspects of their lives, ambitions and inspirations.

“Batman vs. Two-Face is a must-have for all Batman fans, featuring a cavalcade of his foes, and an amazing cast including two giants of pop culture, Adam West and William Shatner,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is excited to bring these beloved characters to animated life, and proud to have been associated with an actor as impressive, gracious and entertaining as Adam West. We salute his extensive contributions to the legacy of the character, and we are greatly appreciative of his cooperation and support in bringing this animated film to fruition. He will be greatly missed.”

Batman vs. Two-Face

August 15, 2017
Clip: Inside ‘The Lion King’ Story Room, on Digital HD Today!

Disney’s double Oscar-winning animated musical The Lion King makes its Walt Disney Signature Collection debut on Digital HD today, which includes lots of fun, informative extras to give you even more insight into the 1994 classic. For instance, this great clip that takes you inside the story room with directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers as they perform an earlier iteration of the “Hakuna Matata” song. (And what a performance!)

The Lion King Signature Collection release will also arrive on Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98) and DVD on August 29. The Digital release includes the exclusive feature Musical Journey and BD bonuses, which include sing-along version, deleted & alternate scenes, bloopers & outtakes, The Recording Sessions, Visualizing A Villain, Inside the Story Room, and Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation. Purchase or pre-order at http://movies.disney.com/the-lion-king.

Inside The Lion King Story Room

August 15, 2017
Genius Brands’ ‘Rainbow Rangers’ Scores New Licensees

Genius Brands International’s colorful upcoming preschool series Rainbow Rangers (52 x 11 min.) building a bright licensing future with new key licensees recently signed on. These include Global Design Concepts (bags & luggage), Handcraft (underwear) and Taste Beauty (bath & beauty).

Previously announced partners include H.E.R. Accessories (accessories), Bentex (apparel) and Franco Manufacturing (bedding & home decor), complementing a comprehensive retail program spearheaded by master toy partner Fisher-Price. Rainbow Rangers is set to premiere on Nick Jr. in 2018.

“The industry’s response to Rainbow Rangers continues to bolster are expectations for this colorful, engaging and empowering series for young viewers,” said Genius Brand’s SVP of Worldwide Consumer Products Lloyd Mintz. “Each new partner and every branded product line we introduce in support of Rainbow Rangers fuels greater interest and ultimately, will bolster what is already anticipated to be a tremendously successful new preschool brand.”

More about Rainbow Rangers in our previous coverage.

Rainbow Rangers

August 15, 2017
VIEW Conference Calls for Game Boot Camp Submissions

A call for submissions has been issued for the Games Development Boot Camp Accelerator Program, part of Turin, Italy’s 2017 VIEW Conference running October 23-27. The program offers six winners in early stages of videogame creation the chance to secure financing, mentoring and more.

This opportunity is open to console, mobile, social, casual and online game companies with no restriction on genre, platform or distribution method. Middleware, publishing and distribution companies are also eligible.

Submissions will be reviewed by an international panel of judges, who will select the half-dozen projects which will receive guidance from industry experts and equity partners who invest in the industry or have a financial interest in the sector. The program includes one week of online mentorship and one hands-on week during the VIEW Conference itself. After the boot camp, participants will be invited to pitch to potential investors in an investment forum.

Entries can be submitted to info@viewconference.it; the deadline is August 31, 2017. Complete information and submission rules available at www.viewconference.it/games-bootcamp.

VIEW Conference

August 15, 2017
Clip: ‘Dinotrux’ Enters the Tunnel of Dread in New Season Launching Friday

Prepare for some prehistoric, gear-grinding action as a fresh fifth season of DreamWorks Animation’s original series Dinotrux arrives on Friday, August 18 exclusively on Netflix streaming. You can get an advance peek at what’s in store for the trux gang in the special clip below.

Dinotrux season 5 synopsis: After building an epic bridge and fending off D-Structs and his crew of bad guys once again, all is well in the crater, and the Dinotrux are back to their daily builds and wild adventures. But when an enormous threat hits the valley, the Dinotrux must put their differences aside and work together with D-Structs to protect their home and all of their neighbors.

In the “Tunnel of Dread” clip, our favorite group of reptools bravely venture into a mysterious cave… Or is it a cave? Why is it moving?! Whatever it is, Click-Clack is definitely not going to like it!

Dinotrux

August 14, 2017
Crunchyroll Sets Encore Presentation of ‘Ancient Magus’ Bride’

The anime experts of Crunchyroll, in partnership with Screenvision Media and KAOS Connect, are giving fans another chance to catch a big screen presentation of the highly anticipated new series The Ancient Magus’ Bride. This weekend, Crunchyroll Movie Night (formerly known as Anime Movie Night) will hold an encore of last month’s screening event in 50-plus theaters across the US and Canada, with showtimes August 19-21.

From Wit Studio (Attack on Titan) and Production I.G, and based on the best selling manga from Seven Seas Entertainment, The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a shounen fantasy tale that has already won over fans thanks to the prequel OVAs available via Crunchyroll. The debut at last month’s Crunchyroll Movie Night saw a 175% spike in attendance over the previous event.

The screening will open with an exclusive, first-look at Crunchyroll original Children of Ether, created by LeSean Thomas. Theater information and tickets available via www.animemovienight.com.

Otaku headed to Crunchyroll Expo (crunchyrollexpo.com) in the Bay Area Aug. 25-27 will another chance to catch the screening, with series creator Kore Yamazaki in attendance.

Synopsis: Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride

August 14, 2017
Oakstudios Kicks Off Artella Project ‘Robot and the Ant’

Miami-based Oakstudios has announced its next project, a CG-animated short film titled The Robot and the Ant, to be produced over the new virtual studio system Artella. A teaser trailer si currently available, and the team plans to have the film festival-ready later this year.

“We had just finished the animated series Spaceship Delivery, and I was very excited to employ all the techniques we learned on this new project,” said CEO George Carvalho.

“Artella is a game changer. No longer is it necessary to have artists physically in-house, or have a variety of freelancers using multiple computer systems. Artella allows us to collaborate with some of the best artists around the world to to deliver the best possible product in one virtual space. Everything is created and assembled in their own cloud architecture. And it’s free.”

More info and full episodes of Oakstudios’ web series Spaceship Delivery at spaceshipdelivery.com.

The Robot and the Ant

The Robot and the Ant

The Robot and the Ant

August 14, 2017
VIZ Picks Up Comedy Series ‘Mr. Osomatsu’ for North & Latin America

At Otakon this past weekend, VIZ Media announced at its official panel that it has acquired the rambunctious big-family comedy series Mr. Osomatsu for distribution in North and Latin America. The deal covers digital streaming, EST, home video and merchandise rights for the anime, which debuted its first season in Japan in 2015 and is about to premiere its second in the fall.

Synopsis: Forget double the fun because here’s a series that amps up the insanity six silly ways! The Matsuno sextuplets are quite a bunch. One’s always hanging out at the local Pachinko joint, one un-ironically wears sequined pants, one is a total otaku with a fancy for idols while another brother would rather just loaf around with some cats and his own ennui. The fifth brother loves baseball but was probably dropped on his head a couple times. And then there’s the youngest, who really leans into that sweet baby brother angle, if you know what we mean. None of them have jobs, but they do have one heck of a tab run up at the local Oden stand! With so many brothers with too much time on their hands, there’s sure to be some crazy (and raunchy) adventures!

Based on the classic manga series Osomatsu-kun by Fujio Akatsuka, the anime is produced by Studio Pierrot.

“Mr. Osomatsu depicts the hilarious exploits of the sextuplet Matsuno brothers, and each sibling’s unique personality and their fumbling antics will endear them to audiences,” said VIZ Media’s VP of Animation, Brian Ige. “Whether they are attempting to find employment or land girlfriends, the quirky lives of these brothers are never dull! We look forward to announcing more details on Mr. Osomatsu in the coming months and to North American audiences discovering this fun series.”

Mr. Osomatsu

August 14, 2017
SC Films Snags Sales Rights to ‘King Solomon’

London-based SC Films International continues to grow its animated family features slate with the the acquisition of international rights to The Legend of King Solomon, ScreenDaily reports. The Biblical story adaptation is the first co-production of Israel and Hungary, from Cinemon Ent. and Eden Productions. SC will begin shopping the film at the Toronto Int’l Film Festival.

“My intention in The Legend of King Solomon is to show the mutual respect between the diverse cultures of this Mediterranean area, and the quest for a shared heritage amongst its races and realms,” director Albert Hanan Kaminski told the outlet. “The strong sense of identity, which characterizes the region’s cultures, has often provoked war, but also long periods of peace and prosperity. I hope that this film, with an Arab Princess and a Jewish King as protagonists, will be a kind of prophecy and a message of hope for the young generations.”

Kaminski also co-wrote the film, also known as Being Solomon, with Gyula Böszörményi. The English-language adventure features an Israeli voice cast and follows a young Solomon in his quest to save Jerusalem from the power-hungry demon Asmodeus, with the help of the beautiful Princess Naama of Petra. The project’s composer is Ady Cohen (musical director, Enchanted), and the art director is Michael Faust (artist, Waltz with Bashir).

King Solomon opens in Hungary on Sept. 28, and is available for immediate delivery. United King holds rights in Israel. SC’s animation catalog also includes Gnome Alone 3D, Wish 3D, White Fang 3D, Charming 3D, Pachamama and Around the World in 80 Dates: The Reef 3. See more on their website.

King Solomon

August 14, 2017
Daily News Bytes: Ice King Gets Crated, ‘Dahufa’ Causes a Stir, the Rise of Rooster Teeth & More

Cartoon Network, Loot Crate Offer Exclusive ‘Adventure Time’ Figure The August “Kingdom” themed crate will include a heart-melting “Nice King & Gunter” figure, which features the notorious princess-napping Ice King and four of his intimidating penguin guards. The crate, which also includes items from Lord of the Rings and Legend of Zelda, is on sale until Aug. 19 via LootCrate.com.

Get an exclusive AT item in @lootcrate‘s KINGDOM crate! Order by 8/19 using code “MATHEMATICAL” to save 10%: https://t.co/3RpTkDOFn0 pic.twitter.com/3KhhKZPAkX — Cartoon Network (@cartoonnetwork) August 13, 2017

Adventure Time Loot Crate

Animation ‘Dahufa’ Stirs Up Controversy in China
Van Busi’s crowdfunded Flash film (previously known as The Black Peanut) is winning praise for its unique aesthetic blend and raising eyebrows with its animated violence and metaphorical hints at modern China. Reviewer Mascha Menzel believes the film “is a great example of the possibilities that flash animation provides for independent animators, as well as for the future of the Chinese animation market.”

From Bedroom Closet to Recording Booth: The Meteoric Rise of Rooster Teeth Animation
Tubefilter goes behind the scenes of the rapidly growing Austin company behind animated web hits such as RWBY, Red vs. Blue and Camp Camp, which recently drew more than 60k attendees to its local RTX convention.

Netflix Retains Disney Rights in LatAm, Spain
Following the announcement that Disney would be launching a new OTT and leaving the streaming giant behind, it emerged that some regions will still be able to stream animation, Marvel and Star Wars movies via Netflix.

VIDEO: Tennyson “L’Oiseau Qui Danse”
Jean-Marie Marbach directed this part hypnotic, part geometrically trippy flight-of-the-hummingbird for Canadian electronic band Tennyson, which features some enchanting particle effects animation created with Trapcode.

Tennyson “L’Oiseau Qui Danse”

August 14, 2017