After 25 years with the company, Ben Pyne has announced his plans to step away from his post as President of Disney Media Distribution. Pyne will continue to fill the role he’s held since June 2007 through the summer to ease the transition.
“I am honored to have had such an amazing career at The Walt Disney Company, which has been rich with unique experiences and incredible accomplishments, and prepared me well for my next opportunity,” said Pyne. “It has been a special privilege to help build and grow brands, networks and programming that touch and enrich the lives of viewers all around the world. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with fantastic people both at Disney, across the wider industry, as well as around the world, and I would like to thank them all for their passion, commitment and hard work.”
As President of Disney Media Distribution, Pyne is responsible for global distribution and sales of content produced by The Walt Disney Company. Since joining the company in 1992, the longtime exec has played a key role in growing Disney Channel and negotiating deals with major US and global distributors. Pyne was a chief architect in the ABC Owned Station retransmission consent strategy the network’s “clearinghouse” initiative. And he was instrumental in securing high profile VOD and SVOD deals.
Pyne also sits on the board of directors at Hulu as a representative of The Walt Disney Company, which owns a 30% stake through Disney-ABC Television Group.
A sneak peek at the first five minutes of upcoming Original Movie Tangled Before Ever After launched Friday morning on the channel’s YouTube page. The feature-length adventure — which stars Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi reprising their roles as Rapunzel and Eugene (formerly known as Flynn Rider) — premieres Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET. In addition to familiar characters like loyal chameleon Pascal, no-nonsense horse Maximus, and the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs, fans will meet tough-as-nails lady-in-waiting, Cassandra (voiced by Broadway’s Eden Espinosa), who becomes Rapunzel’s confidante.
The movie will be followed a week later by the premiere of Tangled: The Series on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The show has already received a second season order.
Set between the events of the Tangled theatrical feature and the short film Tangled Ever After, the new movie is a visually vibrant, 2D-animated adventure comedy that unfolds as Rapunzel gets to know her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. When she realizes there is so much more she wants to learn about the world before accepting her royal destiny, Rapunzel puts off her coronation to seek adventure — much to the dismay of the king, who missed his daughter’s childhood and must now accept her as an independent young woman. But the princess’s plans get an added, magical kink in them when her long blonde hair suddenly grows back…
Tangled Before Ever AfterTangled Before Ever After
So many fun videos and clips, so little time… Would you like to see a regular video roundup feature separate from our Daily News Bytes? Drop me a line at mercedes@www.animationmagazine.net and let me know!
VIDEOS: Three New ‘Moana’ Featurettes from Disney
Check out the new “Voice of the Islands” tidbits on casting Moana and Maui, plus a look at the filmmaker’s original notion of a Bald Maui. Moana is on DMA now, on disc March 7 (or visit our contest page for your chance to win a Blu-ray copy!)
VIDEO: ‘Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV’ Breakdown Reel from Image Engine
Check out the VFX breakdown of the fully-animated FF feature crafted in collaboration with Square Enix in Japan. Image Engine is a Canadian studio which has previously delivered VFX for Jurassic World, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, Elysium and Chappie.
VIDEO: ‘Justice League Action’ – “Play Date” Clip
When Toyman (voiced by Ken Jeong) takes over the Justice League, he turns our heroes into avatars in a diabolical video game in the episode written by Paul Dini, coming to Cartoon Network on Sat., March 4 at 7:30 a.m.
VIDEO: Birne, Schädel & Haupt – Episode 6 – “Eagle”
Neuer Österreichischer Trickfilm is at it again with the latest misadventure for its three-headed, well-feathered animators … which may cause an international incident.
After assessing some 1,600 films submitted from 76 countries, the organizers of Animafest Zagreb – World Festival of Animated Film has revealed the official selections in its Grand Competition – Short Films, Croatian and Student Film competitions for the 2017 edition, running June 5 to 10.
The entries were narrowed down by festival artistic director Daniel Šuljić, Marko Meštrović and Jelena Oroz for the Grand Competition, while Maša Udovičić and Marko Dješka took part in selection for the Student Film Competition.
The Grand Competition alone received over 800 submissions, from which the selectors picked 44 short films — including six Croatian films and Croatian minority co-productions. Complete list here.
The Student Film Competition continues to see growth year over year in submissions, and this year will screen 46 films. Complete list here.
The Croatian Film Competition will feature 16 films by professionals and students. Complete list here.
Entertainment One has formed a partnership with the Youth Sport Trust that will see its popular animated TV property PJ Masks become a brand ambassador for the charity’s work with young children in the UK. eOne and YST will collaborated on a branded initiative to introduce an “Early Years” day to the annual National School Sport Week, which will roll out to over 9,000 schools and early learning centers nationwide from June 26-30.
The “Power of 3” initiative (named to reflect the trio of heroes starring in PJ Masks) aims to encourage young people to be more active and take part in regular physical activity and school sports. Young children between the ages of 2-5 in primary and pre-school settings will be specifically targeted and encouraged to engage in the 30 minutes of activity per day recommended by the UK Chief Medical Officers in 2016.
During National School Sport Week, participating schools and children’s facilities will get free access to the PJ Masks Power of 3 activity pack, full of physical feats inspired by the strengths of the show’s heroes Catboy, Owlette and Gekko. Registration opens March 27, with free Power of 3 packs going to the first 500 schools to sign up.
“The partnership with Youth Sport Trust is a great fit for PJ Masks as kids love replicating the athletic abilities of Catboy, Owlette and Gekko in the show,” said Rebecca Harvey, Head of Global Marketing at eOne Family. We’re pleased that this appeal can be channelled to positive effect during National School Sport Week and we look forward to working together to make Power of 3 an inspiration for young children throughout the UK.”
PJ Masks airs daily in the UK on Disney Junior and Tiny Pop, and recently launched its first toy and dress up line from Flair’s Just Play. The brand’s national licensing program already boasts 30 partners across key categories, with new products launching in July.
The KLIK Amsterdam Animation Festival has opened its call for entries to professional filmmakers and students worldwide for its 10th edition, taking place October 17 to 22 at EYE Filmmuseum in the Dutch capital. The event celebrates animation of all sorts, from feature and short films to commercials, video games and installations.
KLIK is accepting entries for the competition categories of Animated Short, Animated Student Short, Commissioned Animation, Animated Documentary, Animated Music Video and Animated Virtual Reality, as well as the out of competition program. Selections for the Animated Short and Animated Student Short are eligible for the festival’s Audience Award and KLIK Young Amsterdam Audience Award.
There is no entry fee for the competitions, and each filmmaker may submit up to three separate films. Eligible works must contain a substantial amount of animation of any technique, not exceed 25 minutes’ duration, have been completed after January 1 of 2016, and not been submitted to previous KLIK competitions.
Complete online entry forms and a mailed copy of the film must be received before June 1, 2017 for consideration. Entry form and regulations available at www.klik.amsterdam.
V&S Entertainment and Picturehouse Cinemas have struck a new partnership that will bring the popular animated preschool series Everything’s Rosie to the big screen in the UK as part of weekly Toddler Time screenings in 33 of the company’s cinemas nationwide.
The parent and child theatrical sessions will also feature a giveaway competition for a bundle LEGO DUPLO toys.
Now in effect, the ongoing agreement will bring the adventures of Rosie, the sweet little girl with ragdoll hair, and her best friend Raggles, the blue rabbit, to life in a big way. Everything’s Rosie launched on CBeebies in 2010, and continues to grow in the digital space as well as continuing to debut new episodes on broadcast. Rosie’s latest adventures include volcanoes, changing weather and a bouquet of comedic chaos at a flower show.
Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA announced its latest raft of apparel and accessories partners for The Powerpuff Girls in the UK, following the recent unveiling of London-based fashion label Fyodor Golan’s head-turning Autumn/Winter 2017 collaboration.
The Powerpuff Girls x Fyodor Golan collection caused a stir when it debuted on the catwalk at London Fashion Week in mid-February. The line will launch in July 2017 at select department stores and boutiques worldwide, offering a range of wardrobe staples and stand-outs including outerwear, tops, sweatshirts, skirts, dresses and trousers for women, as well as a “mini-me” collection for young girls.
Joining the lineup of adult apparel partners, Bioworld Europe signed on to launch a range of Powerpuff Girls women’s day wear featuring T-shirts, sweatshirts, jumpers/sweaters and leggings, coinciding with London Fashion Week. H&A is developing a line of cosmetics coming to shelves in September. And this autumn will see the retail debut of kids’ fashion bags from Trademark and a line of jewelry and hair accessories from Imagine8.
“The cool credentials and distinct visual aesthetic of The Powerpuff Girls perfectly translates into fashion and accessory products, that are desirable to fans of all ages,” commented Maria Rosaria Milone, Senior Director, Category Management and Agent Markets. “Young women are drawn to the brand’s undeniable heritage and its celebration of female empowerment, while young girls and tweens who are being introduced to the show for the first time are drawn to the property as current, exciting and relevant to them.”
Previously announced UK partners for PPG included Blueprint Collections (stationery), Blues Clothing (girls’ day wear), Branded Clothing International (high street nightwear & underwear), C&M Licensing (mass market nightwear & underwear), Corsair Toiletries (toiletries), Drew Pearson International (headwear & accessories), Forbidden Planet (gifts & accessories), JFS Manchester (ladies’ fashion bags), Poplar Linens (bedding & Christmas decorations), Posh Paws (Back to School bags), Roy Lowe and Sons (socks), Smith & Brooks (girls’ day wear for select retailers), The Janger Limited (clothing hangers & athletic wear) and William Lamb (footwear).
The UK merch rollout was spearheaded in January by global toy partner Spin Master, which launched its range with top national stores Argos, The Entertainer, Smyths, Amazon, Tesco and ASDA. The PPG licensing program will expand significantly starting in May as additional categories including publishing, apparel/accessories, gifts, homewares and more begin to launch.
The Powerpuff Girls x Fyodor GolanThe Powerpuff Girls x Fyodor Golan
T Brand Studio, the brand marketing unit of The New York Times, is seeking animators for its 2017 Selects program, which offers creative professionals the chance to work with the studio on advertising-based client projects, opening doors with high-profile collaborations.
The ideal candidates are animators who “tell stories in exciting, innovative and highly visual ways.” Artists and/or studios are invited to submit one reel and two projects that are truly representative of their work — one of the projects must be a short-form piece running under 60 seconds.
The Selects launched in 2015 with a call for directors and cinematographers, with that class going on to work on more than 20 projects with T Brand Studio for clients including Cartier, Belvedere and UBS.
Top kids’ network Nickelodeon held its annual upfront presentation in New York on Thursday, full of exciting announcements on the animation and broader content front, and punctuated by celebrity appearances by music/TV superstar Gwen Stefani, actor Jace Norman (Henry Danger) and social media influencer JoJo Siwa — and a special performance by multi-platinum artist Pitbull.
Overall, Nick announced that it has nearly 700 new episodes across every genre. These projects are powered by key insights culled from the network’s recent, nationally representative study “The Story of Me,” which reveals that today’s kids are America’s most diverse generation, most likely to grow up to become entrepreneurs, and closer to their parents than previous generations.
“Today’s kids are coming of age in a revolutionary period of change, in tech, entertainment, politics and culture, and these factors have definitely influenced how they see the world,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon Group. “It’s our job to understand everything we can about kids, and connect our audience to relevant content and characters that speak to their need for authenticity and diversity– both on our screens and beyond through on-the- ground experiences.”
A couple animated highlights of this robust slate are The Adventures of Kid Danger and Captain Man, inspired by the live-action Henry Danger (TV’s No. 1 kids’ series); and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a reimagining of the classic amphibian franchise.
Created and executive produced by Dan Schneider (Henry Danger, Game Shakers, iCarly), The Adventures of Kid Danger and Captain Man (10 x half-hour) follows the heroic Kid Danger and Captain Man as they battle bizarre criminals and super villains with their sharp wit and amazing skills. The concept first appeared as a short-form digital series, also created by Schneider and viewed more than 30 million times. The shorts’ producer Powerhouse Animation is also tackling the TV series.
Kid Danger features the voices of the original live-action cast playing their younger cartoon characters: Jace Norman as “Henry Hart/Kid Danger,” Cooper Barnes as “Ray/Captain Man,” Riele Downs as “Charlotte,” Sean Ryan Fox as “Jasper,” Ella Anderson as “Piper Hart,” Michael D. Cohen as “Schwoz” and Jeffrey Nicholas Brown as “Mr. Hart.”
Fans will also get to see new areas of the superheroes’ headquarters thanks to the magic of animation, including the Man Cave’s tube-based hero-delivery system, garage full of vehicles and gadgets; and meet all new friends and foes.
“We are giving the characters that kids love, the opportunity to play in fresh new ways,” said Zarghami. “Animating Dan Schneider’s incredible Henry Danger, while keeping the voices of the current series, signals to the audience that we are working hard to serve them on all platforms.”
Set to launch in Fall 2018, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (working title) is an all-new 26-episode, 2D animated series inspired by the iconic heroes on a half-shell. The show is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer on current TMNT series) at Nickelodeon’s Burbank studios.
Rise will send Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo on all-new adventures as they seek to unlock the mystical secrets of New York City. From the tallest skyscraper to the dankest sewer drain, the Turtles will encounter absurd new mutants and battle bizarre creatures — while enjoying a tasty slice of pizza. Tapping into mystic, ninja powers they never knew existed, the turtle brothers must learn to work together and navigate the perils of the modern age and hidden realms in order to fulfill their destiny to become a team of heroes.
“The Turtles is a property that has reinvention in its DNA, which keeps it fresh and relevant to every new generation while satisfying the demand from its adult fans,” said Zarghami. “Turtles has been an incredibly important franchise for us since we reignited it five years ago, and we’re excited for the new series to take the characters in a different direction with more humor, a younger and lighter feel and all-new dimensions to explore.”
A new season of the CG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will premiere Sunday, March 19 at 9 a.m. ET/PT.
Oh boy! Ahead of the highly anticipated summer premiere of the all-new modern take on classic cartoon DuckTales, Disney XD has ordered a second season of the animated comedy. To celebrate, the channel has released a sweet 90-second first-look video to wet your beaks.
Based on the Emmy Award-winning series (in turn inspired by Carl Barks’ Disney comic books), the contemporary Disney Television Animation cartoon stars David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck; Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan as Huey, Dewey and Louie; Kate Micucci as Webby Vanderquack; Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack, and Toks Olagundoye as Mrs. Beakley.
On top of the comedy cred in the cast roster, the show’s creative team is headed by Annie Award nominee Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse) as executive producer, with Francisco Angones (Wander Over Yonder) as story editor and co-producer, and Sean Jimenez (Gravity Falls) as art director.
The pre-premiere season 2 order was announced today by Marc Buhaj, Disney XD’s SVP of Programming and General Manager. “Fans around the world are eager and we’re looking forward to introducing viewers to the all-new DuckTales. This early season two order is a testament to the quality work the creative team, led by Matt and Frank, and the cast are delivering.”
Check out the first-look video below — destined to follow in the footsteps of December’s delightful cast theme song singalone, which reached No. 1 on YouTube and has racked up over 8 million views across YouTube and Facebook to-date.
Global Mechanic Launches New Website
Vancouver studio/artist community has a spiffy new online presence to showcase their distinctive work. (Like the charming, somewhat Hertzfeldtian Bananas).
The lovable little spherical stars of Russian animation are rolling onto DVD in North America next week as Shout! Factory Kids releases Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon, produced by Riki Group and directed by Dennis Chernov. The franchise’s second feature debuted in Russian theaters in March 2016 and has since sold to 25 countries.
Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon is a CG animated adventure following the round furry friends from Kikoriki island on a hilarious new adventure, when their local scientist invents an “Improverizer” meant to pass skills and abilities from one being to another. But things don’t quite work out for poor Wally, who finds out the Improverizer is more of a body-switcherizer.
The founders of animation studio Assorted Nuts, Magnus Jansson and Erik Öhrner, have cracked open a new venture with The Nuttery Entertainment — a digital-first studio targeting new and emerging platforms and markets. The announcement was made at the opening of GDC in San Francisco on Wednesday, accompanied by the premiere of the outfit’s first game: Whiskey ‘n’ Zombies.
”We are looking to create great content for an audience with new and changing media consumption patterns. The studio will be digital-first but also fan-centric in creating content, involving the audience from the development stage and onward. With all the new platforms emerging, so does the tremendous opportunities to create fans in new ways” said Jansson, Co-Founder & CEO of The Nuttery.
The Nuttery’s development slate ranges from animation projects to games, AR/VR and non-scripted music-based content. First out of the pipe is Whiskey ‘n’ Zombies, a four-person co-op console and PC game slated for release later this year.
The game is set in the Deep South, as four individuals who really really don’t like each other find themselves in a zombie apocalypse predicament. The title incorporates new technology and next-gen narrative game engine to deliver a unique experience as players embark on a comical and surprising trek through back-country America in search of safety.
“The reception from players and fans have been great and we look forward to developing the game further with everybody. Whiskey ‘n’ Zombies is our first announcement but we have even bigger things coming up. We have incredible partnerships with major brands and bleeding-edge technology companies for our upcoming,” said Co-Founder and COO Öhrner. “It’s a diverse slate but what connects them to us as a studio is the inclusive and fan-centric development process and going digital platforms first.”
Digital art software Corel Painter has debuted an exciting new challenge for comic/manga illustrators, concept artists, animators, and anyone who enjoys crafting amazing character designs with its Epic Character Contest. Now live on Drawcrowd and running through April 14, the Contest gives entrants a chance at three amazing prize packs filled by Wacom, Nintendo, ImagineFX, Smith Micro/Celsys, Corel, etc., and great professional opportunities.
The Epic Character Contest challenge is quite self evident: create the most epic original character ever using the industry-leading apps Corel Painter and/or Clip Studio Paint Pro, and submit it along with a narration of your inspiration or the character’s unique backstory through drawcrowd.com/epiccharacter (rules and details on the page).
“Corel Painter and Clip Studio Paint Pro are both extremely powerful art apps. By bringing these tools together, artists will discover a sketch and paint workflow that’s a phenomenal game-changer,” said Chris Pierce, Product Manager for Digital Arts at Corel. “We want to show off your most epic original character creations and we’ve put some awesome prize packs up for grabs – plus, this is your chance to see your art appear in ImagineFX!”
The top three submissions and their stories will be features in an upcoming issue of digital arts magazine ImagineFX. The Grand Prize includes an exclusive one-on-one mentorship with professional concept artist and illustrator Harvey Bunda (harveybunda.com), a Wacom Cintiq 13HD, Painter 2017 (plus Manga brush pack), ParticleShop (plus Fantasy brush pack), Clip Studio Paint Pro, Poser 11 Pro and a subscription to ImageFX.
The 1st Runner-Up will receive a Nintendo Switch, Painter 2017 (plus Manga brushes), ParticleShop (plus Fantasy brushes), Clip Studio Paint Pro and Poser 11 Pro. And the 2nd Runner-Up wins Painter 2017 (plus Manga brushes), ParticleShop (plus Fantasy brushes), Clip Studio Paint Pro, Poser 11 Pro, and a Wacom Intuos Pro Small.
To help you get a leg up on the contest, Corel is offering a special offer for the Epic Character Contest software bundle which amounts to nearly 50% savings on both apps — details at http://corl.co/EpicCharacter.
Next week, an international consortium of children’s entertainment professionals and analysts will collect in Angoulême, France for the third edition of the Global Kids Media Congress. Organized by the Pôle Image Magelis economic development program, the event will take place March 6 to 8 at the Charente County Council.
GKMC 2017 will focus on the major issues of today, especially emerging digital platforms, the challenges of national and European public funding, and the societal and psychological responsibilities of the children’s media industry in an increasingly globalized, interactive world.
Highlights of the program include keynotes by Linda Simensky of PBS KIDS (“The challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly shifting industry”), France Televisions’ Julien Borde and Google/YouTube’s Gregory Dray (“What VOD?”), Harald Trettenbrein of Creative Europe MEDIA (“Which rules & supports for kids TV and independent producers”), and Alison Stewart of the BBC (“Keeping up with the kids”). There will also be seven roundtable discussions, covering social media, kids’ TV, global content trends, content diversification, funding, new digital distribution and next steps.
In addition to a diverse assembly of broadcasters and digital platforms, GKMC will also welcome partners France Televisions, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Broadcasting Union, C21 magazine, the European Center for Children’s Products (CEPE – University of Poitiers) and UNICEF, which will once again present the GKMC Distinction award during a gala dinner March 7 at the Domaine des Etangs – Massignac.
The Distinction award recognizes an interesting, innovative and strong media initiative which celebrates and helps children around the world. In both previous editions, the winners were animated features: Simon Rouby’s Adama in 2015, and Claude Barras’ My Life as a Courgette in 2016.
Participants include Cartoon Network, YouTube, Hopster and Kidjo (worldwide); RTBF and VRT (Belgium); DHX (Canada); Senal (Colombia); YLE (Finland); France Televisions, Canal+, Gulli, Canal J and Tiji (France); Super RTL and WDR (Germany); BBC and Channel 5 (Great Britain); De Agostini (Italy); NRK (Norway); RTP (Portugal); SK Media (South Korea); RTVE (Spain); TRT Çocuk (Turkey); and PBS (US).
The event will also feature experts from Creative Europe MEDIA Unit of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, Brinck-Lund Media Aps (Denmark), Médiamétrie-Eurodata and Féérik (France), Da Vinci Learning (Germany); IHS, Dubit, Ampere, Westminster University and Tomorrow’s Child (Great Britain).
Turner announced the promotion of Valerie Meraz to the post of Senior Vice President, Content Acquisitions & Strategy for the broadcasting giant’s entertainment networks.
Based in Atlanta, Meraz will negotiate for movies and series pickups on behalf of animation destinations Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, as well as TBS, TNT, truTV, Turner Classic Movies and FilmStruck. She will report to Michael Quigley, EVP Commercial Operations, Content Strategy & Monetization for TBS & TNT.
“Over the past five years, Valerie has built a highly effective acquisitions team that has been aggressively filling Turner’s library with valuable content and representing the company in an extremely dynamic and rapidly changing marketplace,” said Quigley. “We’re very fortunate to have someone with her experience and leadership in our corner.”
Since joining Turner in 2012 as VP Program Acquisitions, Meraz has negotiated the licensing of hit toons Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers for Adult Swim; live-action comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine for TBS; a slate of blockbuster features for TBS and TNT which includes the Star Wars franchise, DC and Marvel comic-book flicks, and the complete Hunger Games and Divergent series.
Prior to Turner, Meraz was VP Content Acquisitions for Showtime Networks, and previously worked in feature film development for Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group. She began her entertainment career at 20th Century Fox as a sales trainee with the exhibitor services group.
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have officially announced a sequel to 2016’s mega-colorful musical comedy Trolls, which will see Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake reprising their roles as Poppy and Branch in theaters April 10, 2020.
Trolls, directed by Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell, opened last November and has since grossed $153.4 million at the domestic box office, plus $186 million overseas (performing especially well in the UK, France and Australia). The CG-animated adventure follows unlikely partners Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and Branch, a curmudgeonly type, as they set out to save their friends from the Trolls natural enemy: the pessimistic Bergens.
Timberlake crafted the film’s Oscar-nominated song “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” which he performed at the recent Academy Awards ceremony.
Trolls 2 is the furthest out film on DreamWorks Animation’s release slate, which also includes this year’s The Boss Baby (March 31) and Captain Underpants (June 2); followed by Larrikins (Feb. 16, 2018), How to Train Your Dragon 3 (March 1, 2019) and Everest (Sept. 27, 2019).
Distributor Open Road Films has released the official trailer and poster for action-packed animated comedy feature Spark: A Space Tail, in theaters April 14. The spot shows off a colorful planetary world populated by animal beings (with sweet martial arts skills) and promises a tale of destiny, justice, and just enough monkey business.
Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Aaron Woodley (who is also helming the upcoming Arctic Justice), Spark: A Space Tail centers on Spark (voiced by Jace Norman), a wisecracking teen living on an abandoned planet with his friends Chunk (Rob deLeeuw) and Vix (Jessica Biel). Thirteen years prior, the power-hungry General Zhong (A.C. Peterson) seized control of their planet Beta, wiping out Spark’s family and sending him into hiding. But discovering who he really is and learning of Zhong’s plan to unleash a deadly space Kraken to wipe out the universe, Spark and his friends embark on an epic adventure to put a stop to it.
The film also voice stars Susan Sarandon, Patrick Stewart and Hilary Swank. Spark is produced by Youngki Lee, Harry Linden, Wookyung Jung, Tracy Grant and Jun Zheng as a Canada-South Korea co-pro of Red Rover International, Toonbox Entertainment and Gulfstream Pictures.
The Belgian region of Flanders will be a guest of honor at this year’s Cartoon Movie feature animation confab, taking place March 8-10 in Bordeaux, France. About a dozen animation production companies from Flanders will present themselves during the spotlight event “Flandriens of Animation,” a reference to the do-or-die racing cyclists of the region. Three Flemish projects and five co-productions from Flanders are among the year’s 55 selected pitch projects.
Presenting during “Flandriens of Animation” will be:
Cyborn, a 3D animation specialist currently co-producing feature films Ploey and Hubris.
Fabrique Fantastique, currently animated kids’ TV series Sir Mouse and Eric and the Tick-Tocks.
Lunanime, a 2D focused studio which has contributed to films like A Cat in Paris and Phantom Boy, and has in the pipeline co-productions including Funan, Tulip, The Siren and I Lost My Body.
Thuristar, creator of the hit short film 850 Meters and co-producer of the spin-off TV series My Knight and Me, is currently developing TV projects Roger Flambé: (Animated) Actor and Mush-Mush and the Mushables, as well as the feature film Mêh, Sheep in Wolf’s Armor.
Walking The Dog — and indie studio which boasts feature credits on The Congress, A Monster in Paris and Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart — is currently working on Another Day of Life, and co-productions Hieronymus, Hump and Charlotte.
Tondo Films, producer of the WWI film Cafard, has teamed up with director Jan Bultheel again for his second feature based on European history, Canaan, which will be pitched at Cartoon Movie.
In addition to Canaan, Flanders (co-)productions in the pitch sessions will include Crazy Island from Grid Animation (co-producer, Ooops! Noah Is Gone…), which is also in development on Troll and the Oliver, Marnie’s World and Harvie and the Magic Museum. Potemkino and SANCTA will be pitching the third Flemish project, ZOOks.
The spotlight on Flanders is organized by the economic fund Screen Flanders, an initiative under the aegis of Flemish Economic Affairs Minister Philippe Muyters and Flemish Cultural Affairs Minister Sven Gatz, in co-operation with Casa Kafka Pictures, Galaxy Studios, t-theater, Ketnet, Creative Europe Media Desk Flanders and the General Representation of the Government of Flanders in France.
Flanders is home to more than 20 animation production companies, 10 of which have their own studios, which have released 11 feature films and 12 series (including minority co-productions) between 2013 and 2016, and now have 25 features and 30 series in the works for 2017-18. Last year, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) / Film Fund gave over 2.1 million EUR to 22 animated projects (including co-pros), while the VAF / Media Fund provided 1.26 million EUR to 11 animated series.
Screen Flanders, which supports audiovisual productions that spend part of their budget within the region, provides an annual average of 912,000 EUR to animation projects. And an additional average of 14 million EUR in private investment flows into animation every year from Flanders, thanks to the Tax Shelter Incentive.
