Amazon Channels has launched its first branded, on-demand subscription streaming service in the US: Anime Strike. Priced at $4.99 per month, the service offers Prime members over 1,000 episodes of anime series and movies (some dubbed, some subtitled), free of ads.
Amazon holds exclusive streaming rights to anime titles including Chi’s Sweet Adventure, Onihei, The Great Passage, ViVid Strike!, Crayon Shin-chan spinoff Aliens vs. Shinnosuke and Scum’s Wish.
Anime Strike is intended to be updated weekly with fresh content, and certain series including Scum’s Wish and Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga will have same-day streaming debuts when new episodes premiere on Japanese TV. Older features and shows like Akira, Paprika, Akame ga KILL!, and Death Note are also available on the SVOD channel.
“With anime in particular, there’s a strong, passionate audience that is underserved by traditional pay TV,” Amazon’s VP of Digital Video and Head of Amazon Channels, Michael Paull, told Anime News Network.
VIDEO: ‘Justice League Dark’ clip – “Bruce Wayne Shaves”
No wonder Batman is so curmudgeonly, when the other superheroes have like zero boundaries. And, Deadman, someone has to clean that mirror! JLD arrives on Blu-ray Deluxe Giftset, combo pack and DVD Feb. 7, and on Digital HD Jan. 24.
I Have A Question, Koji Yamamura
Chris Robinson’s part deep, part silly Q&A digs into the brainspace of the Japanese filmmaker behind Muybridge’s Strings, Kafka’s A Country Doctor and Mt. Head.
Shout! Factory and Toei Animation have inked a new multi-picture deal to bring the Japanese studio’s popular action-adventure anime film series Digimon Adventure tri. to North American home viewers. The agreement was announced by Shout! Factory founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Toei Animation President Masayuki Endo.
“We’re incredibly excited about this opportunity with Toei Animation. Digimon continues to stand as an enduring global pop culture phenomenon. We look forward to bringing these highly entertaining and immersive movies to anime fans and families,” said Melissa Boag, SVP of Kids & Family Entertainment at Shout! Factory.
The multi-year pact grants Shout! exclusive territory rights for broadcast and home entertainment distribution of the first three feature-length movies (with an English voice cast) from the series — including DVD and Blu-ray, which will also include the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, and electronic sell-through digital rights.
Shout! Is planning a strategic rollout for the flicks, beginning with the first installment Digimon Adventure tri – Reunion, which will hit shelves this year.
“Shout! Factory is an exceptional partner as we prepare to share the exciting new chapter of the Digimon saga with our fans across North America,” said Endo. “Digimon Adventure tri – Reunion not only reunites Digimon‘stalented cast and beloved characters, it reconnects the series with a generation of viewers, and perhaps even their children, who can’t wait to follow the adventure into a new era.”
Reunion is the first Digimon feature since 2000, and picks up where the Digimon Adventure TV series (2002) left off. Six years after that summer when Tai — now in high school — and the rest of the “DigiDestined” crossed into the Digital World, and nearly three years since the frenzied final battle. With the gate to the Digital World closed, time marches on, until the adventure “digivolves” once again.
Toei revamped the popular anime for NorAm audiences by bringing in a highly capable English voice cast that will be familiar to animation fans. Joshua Seth, who voiced the main character Tai Kamiya in the original series, returns to the role for this feature film, alongside Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Toy Story 3) as Sora Takenouchi, Mona Marshall (South Park) as Izzy Izumi, Philece Sampler (The Legend of Korra) as Mimi Tachikawa, Tom Fahn (Digimon: Digital Monsters) as Agumon, Kirk Thornton (Sonic Boom) as Garurumon, Jeff Nimoy (Digimon Data Squad) as Tentomon and Kabuterimon, Melodee Spevack (Digimon: Digital Monsters) as Birdramon, and Dave Mallow (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) as Angemon.
The Nippon Academy-sho Association has revealed the nominees for the 40th annual Japan Academy Prize honors. The 2017 ceremony will take place March 3 at the International Convention Center Pamir, located in the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa in Tokyo.
While not an animated film, acclaimed Evangelion creative force Hideaki Anno has notably swept the nominations with his ode on a classic, Shin Godzilla, which received nods in 10 categories including Film of the Year and Best Director. Anno wrote and directed the film, which has topped 23 billion yen ($200 million USD) at the box office.
Nominated for Animation of the Year are Oscar-contender Your Name. (Makoto Shinkai; CoMix Wave Films), A Silent Voice (Naoko Yamada; Kyoto Animation), In This Corner of the World (Sunao Katabuchi; MAPPA), Rudolf the Black Cat (Kunihiko Yuyama & Motonori Sakakibara; Sprite Animation/OLM), and One Piece Film: Gold (Hiroaki Miyamoto; Toei Animation) — in select US theaters now through Funimation.
Also of note: Disney’s Zootopia has hopped into the Outstanding Foreign Language Film race. And this year’s Special Award from the Chairman is being bestowed on composer Isao Tomita, whose numerous animation credits include Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight and Dororo.
TBS has greenlit 10 episodes of a new animated comedy series created by and featuring the voices of comedy giants Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks — who last year lent their vocal skills to Illumination Entertainment’s summer hit The Secret Life of Pets. Brooks also reprised the role of Marlin for Pixar’s Finding Dory.
According to the network, the series follows the duo’s characters: “two Los Angeles patrolmen trying their best to protect and serve, sometimes failing at both. Ride with them as they patrol one of the biggest cities in the world, then go home with them and be glad you’re not married to either.”
The Cops is slated to debut sometime in 2018, hyped as TBS’s big year to push into more animated comedy content. It will join Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad!, Carson Mell’s Tarantula and Olan Rogers’ Final Space.
One of pioneering animator Lotte Reiniger’s most highly regarded works is returning to the screen on March 21 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, with Dungen Presents: The Adventures of Prince Achmed. Dungen is a Stockholm-based music group which has composed a new, enchanting score to accompany the film, which premiered in Germany in 1926. The Adventures of Prince Achmed is currently the oldest surviving animated feature known.
The March 21 engagement is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Harold M. Williams Auditorium in the Getty Center. A limited quantity of pre-sale tickets are available now; general ticket sales open February 21.
The film is produced in Reiniger’s distinctive style, which utilizes intricate cut-out silhouettes against moody color-tinted backgrounds. The Adventures of Prince Achmed runs just over an hour as it retells the Arabians Nights tale of a wicked sorcerer who tricks the prince into mounting a magical flying horse. But the prince foils the magician’s plan to send him on a flight to his death, soaring into a series of wondrous adventures instead.
Dungen will be performing the evocative, vivacious new score live alongside the film. The band is known for its blend of psychedelic rock with Swedish and other folk music inspirations. The group released its first album, Ta Det Lugnt, in 2004, and under the direction of multi-instrumentalist Gustav Ejstes has released nine full-length records and toured internationally for the last 15 years.
Nickelodeon networks are off to an animated start in 2017 with the announcements that new preschool series Nella the Princess Knight is heading to the Nickelodeon channel (premiering Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. ET/PT) while Nick Jr. takes flight with Digby Dragon (Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.) and Trucktown is revving on NOGGIN. Nick Jr. is also presenting second seasons of the new Teletubbies, MIffy’s Adventures Big and Small and Hey Duggee.
Nella the Princess Knight
Nella the Princess Knight (40 x half-hours) centers on a confident 8-year old who likes dancing at extravagant balls just as much as she likes meeting fire-breathing dragons. Nella transcends traditional roles and expectations, as she is able to transform into Nella the Princess Knight to protect her kingdom with the help of her glamorous unicorn and best friend, Trinket; loyal knight Sir Garrett; and Clod, Garrett’s trusty steed.
In the Feb. 6 premiere, “Sir Clod/Up All Knight,” Clod loses his invitation to the Royal Cafe Breakfast Buffet and must find it by lunchtime or everyone misses out. Under Nella’s leadership, they brave Gotcha Falls, dodge through a field of poppleberries and traverse the bubbly Sudsycano in order to find it. Also in the episode, a luminous phoenix shines brightly across the kingdom causing Blaine and the rest of Castlehaven to lose sleep. After the phoenix is locked up in the knight brigade tower, Nella must use her knightly skills to free the bird and convince everyone to come together as a group to solve their problem.
Robert Vargas (head writer, Zack and Quack) serves as an executive producer on Nella, and the series is created by Christine Ricci (curriculum advisor, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Dora the Explorer). The show will roll out internationally this spring. NickJR.com and the Nick Jr. App have launched exclusive content ahead of the linear premiere.
Digby Dragon
CG series Digby Dragon (26 x half-hours; distributed by Aardman Animations and produced by Fizzy Prod.) follows a young dragon named Digby who is learning to fly. Along with his best friends Chips, Fizzy Izzy and Grumpy Goblin, Digby sets off on magical adventures in the colorful and enchanted Applecross Wood. In the premiere, “Runaway Scottie/Dragon Rock,” Digby gets the chance to be a courageous hero when he rescues Archie from a runaway train. The series debuted on Nick Jr. in the UK in July 2016, and scored the network’s best weekday launch ever for a new show.
Trucktown
From Corus Ent.’s Nelvana, Trucktown (40 x half-hours) is set in a world populated by young trucks, and centers on Flat Bed Jack and his friends Dump Truck Dan, Monster Truck Max and others as they roar, romp and rock their way through town. The show, based on a book series by children’s author Jon Scieszka (The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales) illustrates that preschoolers can find solutions to any problem through game play and fun.
Season two of Teletubbies (30 x half-hours) is produced by DHX Media. Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small (9 half-hours) is commissioned by Mercis Media BV and produced by Blue Zoo Prod. in London, based on the award-winning book series by Dutch author-illustrator Dick Bruna. And the second season of Hey Duggee (18 half-hours) comes from Studio AKA, produced for BBC Worldwide.
9 Story Media Group has licensed an additional 13 x 22 episode package of its animated comedy series Camp Lakebottom to Disney Channel in Latin America. The third season joins 52 half-hours already snapped up and airing on the channel across the region.
Produced by 9 Story for Teletoon in Canada, seasons of the show have sold to additional international Disney Channels (Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Benelux and MEA, Japan) as well as ABC TV (Australia), Super RTL (Germany), Canal+ Family (France & Africa) and Noga (Israel).
Camp Lakebottom centers on a 12-year-old prankster named McGee, who was headed for an awesome summer at Camp Sunny Smiles when his bus took a wrong turn and dropped him at the old, rundown and ridiculously spooky Camp Lakebottom. But McGee soon discovers that Lakebottom is not just your average camp, it’s the best camp ever!
The show airs Saturday morning on Disney XD in the US.
Entertainment One (eOne) has appointed Christian Fritzsche as Vice President International Sales. Fritzsche will manage eOne’s new and existing content in global markets, with a focus on Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
“We’re delighted to welcome Christian to the team,” said Stuart Baxter, President of eOne Television International. “Germany is a growing market and significant to our business. Christian’s widespread knowledge and strong relationships will be invaluable as we continue to build on our existing partnerships with the German broadcast community across licensing and co-productions.”
Fritzsche joins eOne from BBC Worldwide, where he built up the company’s scripted program business for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He has has experience in production roles in Germany and China.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced a draft of its new pricing regulations for Pay TV. The rules would establish a controlled price regime by mandating a la carte channel supply, setting the cap (by genre) that broadcasting organizations can charge to multichannel program distributors, limiting discounts, prescribing carriage fees, and stipulating a compulsory distribution fee for broadcasters to pay to multichannel distributors.
Local content creators and international rights holders fear that India’s firm hand with film and TV regulations have impeded these industries’ economic growth, and are calling for an open market. The Indian media industry is valued at $17 billion, according to CASBAA.
“As India continues to develop its thriving creative industry, a transparent, market-based environment free from mandated tariffs is essential to build investor confidence and to foster the creation of quality content benefiting India’s consumers and its economy,” Siddharth Roy Kapur, President of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India, told The Economic Times.
CASBAA — Asia-Pacific’s largest non-profit media organization — has come out in support of the newly instigated judicial review of the proposed Pay TV rate regulations. International copyright owners are hoping to shake off tighter price controls in the country, and the court has ordered TRAI not to put the new rules in effect until Madras High Court has reviewed the issues. A hearing is set for January 19.
“India’s pay-TV regulations have long been among the strictest in the world,” said CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter. “The proposed new rules are highly intrusive and would make the environment much worse. Such a heavy-handed regulatory regime will inevitably hit foreign companies’ interest in investing in India.”
The key point of contention is the fact that Indian law allows copyright owners to price and sell their creative works. Petitioning broadcast organizations who filed the Madras suit aver that the TRAI regulations are contrary to the law, as well as international treaties with India. Slaughter points out that India has one of the most competitive TV content markets in the world, thanks to a variety of viewing options.
“As convergence and greater competition sweep the TV economy, other governments around the world are eliminating rate controls, to give more scope to competition among traditional and new online providers,” noted CASBAA’s Chief Policy Officer, John Medeiros. “In the last few years, Korea and Taiwan have both undertaken to liberalize their pay-TV price controls, leaving India as the last market economy in Asia with a hyper-regulatory regime. The proposed new rules would take India in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.”
VIDEO: ‘Gleep-Glorp & Lasertag’
Justin Michael (Friendship All-Stars of Friendship, Monster Island) is back with a new short, in collaboration with artist Tom Smith and stop-mo wizard Harry Chaskin. Meet Gleep-Glorp and Lasertag, two radical alien dudes with a penchant for solving mysteries and giving high-fives. (Oh, and watch out for space parasites.)
Turner Expands Presence of Boing Africa
The broadcasting giant has tapped AzamTV to extend the reach of the cartoon-focused kids’ channel, bringing it to young audiences in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania.
As of Monday, January 16, the first ever nationwide 24-hour PBS KIDS channel launches in the US, provide by member stations across the map on TV and via live streaming on digital platforms, giving children and caregivers even more flexibility in accessing PBS’ educational content. The launch was announced by PBS President & CEO Paula A. Kerger at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour on Sunday.
“By offering PBS KIDS programming 24/7, PBS stations will extend the reach and impact that they already have in their communities, where they provide essential services for families,” said Kerger. “With the launch of the multi-platform 24/7 PBS KIDS channel, all of America’s children will be able to access our trusted educational content anywhere, anytime and through any device. As the only free national 24/7 kids’ TV service in the U.S., the PBS KIDS channel will be a game changer for all families – especially our nation’s most underserved, many of whom do not attend preschool and rely solely on over-the-air television for media content.”
108 PBS licensees are expected to launch the channel by the end of the year, making it available to 90 percent of US TV households. The January 16 debut will occur across 75 licensees, with additional roll-outs in the coming month. PBS KIDS 24/7 will also stream on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Video app. Later this year, the stream will introduce a first-of-its-kind integrated games feature.
At launch, PBS KIDS 24/7 will feature 21 series in its schedule: Arthur, Bob the Builder, Caillou, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That!, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Cyberchase, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Dinosaur Train, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, Nature Cat, Odd Squad, Peg + Cat, Ready Jet Go!, Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Splash and Bubbles, Super Why!, Thomas & Friends, Wild Kratts, WordGirl and WordWorld.
And starting April 21, the channel will present “PBS KIDS Family Night.” a weekly program event featuring movie specials or themed programming every Friday from 7-9 p.m., with encores Saturday and Sunday evenings. “Family Night” will kick off with favorites Odd Squad: The Movie, Splash and Bubbles: One Big Ocean and Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief, and will premiere Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Tiger Family Trip, Wild Kratts Alaska: Hero’s Journey (working title), Ready Jet Go!: Return to Bortron 7 and Arthur and the Haunted Treehouse.
“We know from years of research that PBS KIDS helps children build important social-emotional and school readiness skills, and that the learning potential of media is multiplied when parents co-view with their children,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We are encouraged to see how much parents value family viewing time, ranking PBS KIDS as the number-one use of family screen time, because parent involvement is critical to our long-term vision of using the power of media to create a personalized learning experience that engages and meets the needs of kids, parents and teachers.”
Michael Lynton Stepping Down at Sony
As of Feb. 12, the exec will vacate his role as sole CEO of Sony Entertainment to focus on chairing the board of Snap Inc. He will remain as co-CEO of SPE overseeing films and music, and CEO of Sony Corp. of America.
A Musician Animated His Own Music Video and It’s Amazing The Creators Project catches up with singer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beaudreau to discuss his hypnotic, transportive, labor-of-love video for “I’m Right This Time” off his new album Ambassadors of Earth.
Acclaimed feature animation studio LAIKA is once again pushing the stop-motion envelope with its latest feat, Kubo and the Two Strings. The magic-infused epic set in ancient Japan has been racking up recognition this awards season. On top of numerous honors from critics’ associations, Kubo has been nominated for the animated feature Golden Globe and BAFTA, is one of 27 films contending for an Oscar nomination in the category and has also made the Best Visual Effects Oscar shortlist.
The latest groundbreaking moment for Kubo has come from an entirely new frontier for animated films, as the film’s costume designer Deborah Cook has been nominated for the Excellence in Fantasy Film award by the Costume Designers Guild — the first time the Guild has included an animated feature in its nominations.
“The CDG recognizing Kubo and the Two Strings means so much to me it’s beyond words. What an honor!” Cook told Animation Magazine via email. “I feel huge gratitude. I truly appreciate that this is a first for our animation industry and I couldn’t be happier or prouder or more excited to be in such fine company indeed.”
Read on for fascinating insights into the world of dressing Hollywood’s smallest stars…
ANIMAG:What is your education background? How did you come to specialize in costuming for stop-motion?
Deborah Cook: I studied Fine Art Sculpture at St Martin’s College in London. During that time, I learned upholstery and metalworking skills alongside my sculpture practice in which I worked mainly in fabrics and textiles. I’ve worked in animation and costume specifically since then.
What is your design process like for stop-motion films?
Cook: I design with scissors and paper to preserve the integrity of my textile designs and how I’ve created them. It feels more direct to collage them together and also lends itself to being a technical illustration to guide fabrication. I begin design research with an in-depth study of the characters and story, noting every aspect of the characters personality, actions and role.
I also look at fine artists, high fashion and fashion photography; vintage clothing, textile engineers and any new fabricating techniques that have a note of ingenuity and innovation that I could work to our best advantage, both from historical methods and contemporary.
What are some of the factors you need to consider that are different from live-action costume design?
Cook: I often design over images of our actual puppet body shapes, much like a live-action costume is designed over a real body shape and the costume moves with the body. That motion is intrinsic and comes free with the movement of the human body, but in animation we need to engineer this movement and make it an integral part of the costume build.
We’ve devised our own way of “tailoring” movements into the costume with complex engineered understructures.
We created our own weighted lining to give gravity to our 1/5th scale costumes and often use various gauge wires and other materials of different weights, flexibility and properties for backings, anchoring them invisibly within the actual puppet armature so the costume can be controlled for each of the 24 frames a second and still allow movement between frames.
This kind of costume design is a challenge particular to stop frame animation costumes and beyond the realm of costume design for live action.
Where did you find inspiration for your designs for Kubo?
Cook: Inspiration for Kubo and the Two Strings costumes came from reading the story and an in-depth study of the culture and costume of ancient feudal Japan from the Jōmon era, 300BC, through Heian, Edo and Meiji eras.
I visited Japan to research the modern takeaway through the eyes of the people of Japan and how their clothes are worn today. I wanted the costumes to revere our love of Japanese culture and its films and have resonance. Fabric samples I collected there from vintage clothing informed the color of our costumes.
I also looked at historic Japanese artists such as Kiyoshi Saito, Yoshitoshi and the designs of Issey Miyake, as well as how kimonos were made historically and the social significance of the surface illustrations.
I was also influenced by the appearance of the graphic fold lines that you’d see in a worn, ancient garment and brought those ideas together in a map over the costumes to engineer weak line areas in the surface of the fabric in particular areas so that it would isolate a graphic fold line that would always fall in the same place, and also invest an origami folding appearance and language to follow through all of the costumes and work well for consistency in costume movement.
Researching the emblems of Japan played a part, too, such as family crests and the significance of the image of waves, grasses, certain flowers, mountains, fish and birds and how kimonos were worn by different age groups, social ranks and genders.
What was your biggest challenge on this film?
Cook: It’s always our hero character that proves most challenging. Once Kubo was designed, all the other characters resonate the language of his costume — where the folds are, how it moves. The engineering we’ve created for his costumes follows through the entire cast.
He’s the main adventure, where the style of the costumes are found through many iterations and experiments.
Do you have a favorite costume or character in Kubo?
Cook: My favorite is the adventure of “finding” our hero’s costume, and so the artistry and style of all of the movie’s costumes.
The Sisters are up there too, as they are one step further into the story’s magical kingdom and inhabit a more mystical realm and so more unusual textiles and techniques could be employed. They were driven by looking at the legacy of a historical Japan, laced with legends and ghost stories. They were heavily influenced by the ninja women of the Heian era; Tomoe Gozen, a female samurai warrior; Onryo from the Japanese spirit world — who are spirits that have returned to the physical world to seek vengeance — with a smattering of predatory bird talons and feather configurations.
Stop-motion has a reputation for repurposing some unusual materials to create props — what is the most surprising “fabric” you’ve worked with for a film?
Cook: All kinds of fabrics and materials have proved useful to us, we’re always looking for new and interesting properties to work with.
In this instance, Tyvek paper has proven to be pretty useful in the costumes … and I’m guessing everyone knows about the popcorn trees in Coraline?
[You can go behind the scenes of Coraline in the March 2009 issue of Animation Magazine!]
Which films do you love to watch just for the costumes?:
Cook: Barbarella (Paco Rabanne), Grand Budapest Hotel (Milena Canonero), Salome (Vita Tzykun), Hugo / Velvet Goldmine (Sandy Powell), Funny Face / Roman Holiday (Edith Head), American Hustle (Michael Wilkinson) — I could go on…
If you could pick, what genre or era setting for a film would you love to design for?
Cook: That’s a hard one, I have so many ideas. Something futuristic, perhaps.
… And for fun, do you have any good dinner party-worthy anecdotes from the production of Kubo you can share?
Cook: It’s been great fun to watch our animators dress and act the parts for their live-action video prompts!
Also, our Kubo exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum has been a highlight for me, to hear that the costumes resonate authentically within the Japanese community.
GO-N Production’s newest animated series Simon (52 x 5) is proving a hit with young audiences in France, ranking among France Televisions’ top preschool shows according to Mediametrie. The 2D HD cartoon has totted up 600,000 viewers and a 37% market share for kids 4-10.
Simon’s well above-average ratings were a major contribution to a new all-time record for France TV’s Zouzous preschool block, which hit an 18% market share no weekdays for kids 4-10. The show also scores high with other key demographics, notably stay at home mothers (13.5% market share).
In the nonlinear sphere, Simon is a top rated tile on the Zouzous catch-up service, reaching up to 1.9 million video views during the two week Christmas holiday.
Simon premiered on France TV’s Zouzous in December, and now airs two back-to-back episodes every Saturday on France 5. GO-N International holds global distribution rights and will be announcing a slate of new deals and partnerships soon.
Based on the bestselling book series by Stephanie Blake, the animated series follows Simon, an adorable little rabbit, who exudes all the vitality of childhood. He’s at an age when little rabbits (and indeed little children!) are starting to come into their own — challenging relationships with parents, embarking upon school life, learning about the world in general, dealing with authority and of course, language. Kids can use Simon as an example when standing their ground, they can learn from him, his mishaps and the way he has to get down off his high horse, but always with humor and good grace.
Disney’s Oscar-contending seafaring tale Moana will be sailing home in the next couple months, arriving on Digital HD/3D and Disney Movies Anywhere on February 21, followed by a Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and On-Demand release on March 7.
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog) and co-directed by Chris Williams & Don Hall (Big Hero 6), the film follows a determined teen named Moana (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) who teams up with the egoistic demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an epic quest to become an open-ocean navigator and discover her own identity. The voice cast also features Temuera Morrison, Rachel House, Nicole Scherzinger, Jemaine Clement and Alan Tudyk.
The DVD release includes the short Inner Workings, music video for “How Far I’ll Go” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and audio commentary. BD 3D, BD & Digital special features include:
Inner Workings – Theatrical short film by Leo Matsuda, with introduction by the filmmakers.
Maui Mini-Movie: “Gone Fishing” – When Maui decides it’s time to take charge of the ocean and catch his next meal, Moana must show him the error of his ways … with a little help from her friends!
Voice of the Islands – How Pacific Island people and cultures inspired the filmmakers.
Things You Didn’t Know About… – Q&A with Dwayne Johnson, Auli‘i Cravalho, and directors Ron and John; and musical team Q&A with Opetaia Foa‘i, Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Island Fashion – With costume designer Neysa Bové.
They Know the Way: Making the Music of Moana – With musicians Opetaia Foa‘I, Marc Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Fishing for Easter Eggs
The Elements of …
– “Mini Maui” (animated by Eric Goldberg) – Explore how the 2D world collides with CG animation to bring the demigod’s tattoos to life.
– “Water” – How the ocean as a character is given a personality, along with the technical feats of creating a believable waterscape.
– “Lava” – The challenges of making lava creature Te Kā, an animated creature of massive scale brought to fiery life by character, technical and effects animators.
– “Hair” – One of the greatest technical achievements of the film was the animation of the beautiful, curly hair on Moana and Maui. Take a look at the hair-raising detail that goes into animating each strand.
Deleted Song: “Warrior Face” – With intro by songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Deleted Scenes – Ron and John introduce “Race the Wind/Ties that Bind;” “Discussing Moana’s Future;” “Under the Sea;” “Grandmother’s Warning/Legend of Maui;” “Education of Moana;” “Father, Daughter, Boat;” and “Canoe Race.”
Music Video: “How Far I’ll Go” – Performed by Alessia Cara.
“How Far I’ll Go Around the World” – Multi-language reel of the song “How Far I’ll Go.”
The Cinema Audio Society has revealed the nominees for its 53rd annual CAS Awards, recognizing outstanding achievement in sound mixing. The awards feature seven categories, including “Motion Picture – Animated,” which will be a soundcraft showdown between Pixar’s Finding Dory, LAIKA’s Kubo and the Two Strings, Disney’s Moana, Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets and Disney’s Zootopia.
Final balloting will open Wednesday, January 25 and close Sunday, February 12. The winners will be revealed at a dinner ceremony February in the Bunker Ballroom of the OMNI Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. This year’s CAS Career Achievement Award, the organization’s highest honor, will be presented to Production Mixer John Pritchett, CAS, and the CAS Filmmaker Award will be given to Jon Favreau.
Below is a select list of nominees — see the CAS website for a complete list.
Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill creator Mike Judge is returning to animation after successfully launching a live-action career with HBO’s Silicon Valley (going into its fourth season). HBO’s sister network Cinemax has placed an eight half-hour episode order for the country-music themed cartoon Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus, according to Deadline.
The move marks Cinemax’s first go at an original comedy series, let alone an animated show.
Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus is co-created by Judge, musician Richard Mullins and Dub Cornett (co-writer, The Last Ride). The series will chronicle the on-the-road adventures of eccentric country music stars. Judge and Cornett executive producer, with Bob Engelman (The Mask) as co-EP and Mullins as producer.
Judge was recently named the recipient of the Animation Writers Caucus 2016 Animation Writing Award for lifetime achievement, presented by the Writegers Guild of America, West. He took home the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program for King of the Hill. Judge has also received two Annie Award nominations for his voice work as Hank in King of the Hill, and won the Winsor McCay Award “for career contributions to the art of animation” in 2009, as well as a Certificate of Merit (shared with Don Hertzfeldt) in 2004.
Silicon Valley has also generated a raft of honors, including a Critics Choice TV Award, two Golden Globe series nominations and a raft of Emmy nods, including three consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series nominations.
Nickelodeon Networks Australia & New Zealand has tapped Ben Cox as its Vice President and General Manager. In his new role, Cox will take on day-to-day management of Nickelodeon brands in the region, which include a 24-hour subscription TV network, digital platforms, live events, recreation destinations, consumer products, local production and program sales.
Cox arrives at Nick after serving as General Manager of Content Aggregation at Foxtel, where he previously served as head of channel partnerships and as business development manager since joining the company in 2008. He has also been a strategy analyst and product manager for Austar Ent.
“Ben has always championed the value kids’ brands bring to Foxtel, and he comes into this role with a nuanced expertise I’m confident will continue to drive Nickelodeon’s success,” said Ben Richardson, SVP and GM for VIMN Australia & New Zealand. “His familiarity with our business combined with a top-notch reputation makes him the perfect choice to lead the Nickelodeon business in Australia and New Zealand.”
The new veep is also an alternate director on the board of Nickelodeon Australia Management Pty., the joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and Foxtel that operates Nick business in Australia and New Zealand.
In recognition of his work bringing the first animated feature adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic novella The Little Prince to screens worldwide, director Mark Osborne is being named a Chevalier (or knight) of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, Deadline reports.
Osborne will be presented with a medal signifying his entrance into the cultural Order in a March ceremony held at the French Embassy in New York, led by cultural counselor Bénédicte de Montlaur. The Order was established in 1957 and is awarded to “Chevaliers,” “Officiers” and “Commandeurs” for “significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.”
Osborne directed and executive produced The Little Prince, which has won international acclaim and proved to be France’s best performing animated export in 20-some years, grossing more than $100 million worldwide. The story’s massive following and the inventive craftsmanship of the film helped word spread quickly following The Little Prince’s debut at Cannes in 2015.
Despite a hiccup with Paramount dropping US theatrical rights, Netflix was quick to pick up the film. The Little Prince has scored a number of high profile awards — including the César for Best Animated Feature and the first annual French Cinema Award — and is one of 27 animated films in contention for this year’s Oscar race.
Soon to be Chevalier Mark Osborne’s previous credits include Oscar nominees Kung Fu Panda and short film More. Other members of the Order of Arts and Letters with ties to animation include Katsuhiro Otomo, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam and Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
