The Actors’ Equity Association announced Friday that it is united with SAG-AFTRA in its picketing of video game studios, and has called on AEA members to not accept voiceover or performance capture work on struck titles from the 11 corporations specified by the union during the ongoing strike.
AEA Executive Director Mary McColl called on the video game corporations to return to the bargaining table and said her union “stands in solidarity with and support of its sister union SAG-AFTRA as it fights for a fair contract for voiceover and motion-capture performers … Equity members are reminded that they cannot accept work from these employers, and they should contact Equity immediately if they are offered any such employment.”
SAG-AFTRA has been actively picketing the 11 companies, most recently at Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank) in Burbank no Nov. 17, where the organization reported having near 450 members on site during the action. The strike was called in late October.
“The video game corporations we’re striking have tried to sow divisions among our membership instead of returning to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “Not only are SAG-AFTRA members united in this strike action, but they have the support of their union brothers and sisters from AEA. I want to thank Mary McColl and the AEA leadership for their strong support.”
Nimble Collective is inviting animators and other creators to apply for the beta test of its virtual streaming production platform, announced during SIGGRAPH this year. The startup founded by animation pioneers and technologists is seeking to reinvent the animation content market by offering studio-caliber capabilities without costly infrastructure.
Those interested can apply to be beta testers at cloud.nimblecollective.com/beta. Initially, a small pool of applicants will be selected for this limited beta, but an expanded testing will be implemented over the next several months. Ideal candidates, either individuals or teams, are those with a strong idea or existing project. Nimble Collective is also looking for those who wish to join a team who have skills in animation, lighting, layout, writing, etc., to test various aspects of the platform.
“This is a huge milestone for Nimble,” said Rex Grignon, co-founder and CEO. “Inviting animation artists of all levels to create on our platform will ensure we’re designing real solutions to real problems. Our goal is to provide the most frictionless workflow possible. We’re excited to be one step closer to offering the power of the studio to a new generation of animation artists.”
The Nimble Collective virtual streaming platform will allow creators to design, collaboratively produce and distribute their content on any computer using only a browser and an internet connection. Whether in 2D or 3D, the platform will offer parallel capabilities to established studios, enabling teams to work together seamlessly to model, rig, texture, light, animate, render, composite and edit projects.
Emilia Clarke Joins the Han Solo Stand-Alone Film Game of Thrones‘ indominible Khaleesi will trade in her dragons for one scruffy-looking nerf herder, playing an as-yet unannounced character opposite Alden Ehrenreich’s Han and Donald Glover’s Lando.
A new web-based platform is looking to create the future of collaborative storyboards: launched in mid-October, Shottio is aimed at filmmakers, animators, game designers, students — and anyone in need of a quick storyboarding tool. Housed in the cloud, Shottio’s goal is to make creation more flexible and remote collaboration more accessible.
To help introduce the tool to creators, Shottio developers Ahead.IO are currently providing a free tier of the program which allows a user to create one story and test the platform’s possibilities, and invite one “teammate” to join in to highlight Shottio’s collaborative capacity. (www.shott.io)
Shottio PRO is slated to be released at the end of November, and will support unlimited teammates, allowing teams dispersed across the globe to work on a single concept together, opening up a new world of collaboration and work distribution. The platform works with real-time synchronization and notifications, so all team members present can interact with the Story and follow changes as they happen. When not online, users can check the notification board to catch up on modifications or new tasks.
Ahead.IO team is already working on future developments for Shottio. “We are testing the ability to add videos, interact directly from Photoshop as well as the ability to release a more advanced showcase area for artists to show off their storyboards,” says CEO Alex Santo. “We’re also looking at a better way for the users to interact with Shottio directly from their phones. We are really excited about the future! We strongly believe Shottio has an incredible potential to help artists organize pre-production workflow and re-imagine storyboards collaboration for the Cloud age.”
To mark National Anti-Bullying Week, Cartoon Network in the UK has allied with Childline to produced an original series of “Be a Buddy” animated shorts in conjunction with the launch of the nationwide CN Buddy Network initiative. Childline is the NSPCC’s leading UK helpline for children and young people.
“As the Childline reports show, bullying is a very real and, sadly, growing issue for children and young people today,” said Ian McDonough, SVP and MD for Turner Northern Europe. “Our Cartoon Network audience fall within the prime age group experiencing bullying and it is hugely important for us to address this in a way that is positive, supportive and relevant. This year’s series of bespoke ‘Be a Buddy’ animations make use of real thoughts and commentary from kids, which we hope will be really powerful and engaging for their peers.”
Each episode (which range from 30 to 40 seconds) features animated characters which were originally created in 2D and then modeled, rigged and animated in 3D using Cinema4D and composited onto live-action backplates in After Effects. The voiceovers are genuine, unscripted insights from Year 6 (fifth grade) students who were interviewed and recorded at Barclay Primary School in London, using their own words to articulate positive messages about friendship and appreciating differences.
The CN Buddy Network is a nationwide program aimed at helping kids and young people take positive action against bullying, and offers immediate access to professional advice, relevant tips and support tools online at CartoonNetwork.co.uk/beabuddy.
Ukraine’s FILM.UA Group is toasting a successful American Film Market showing, with more distribution deals secured for its headliner animated feature The Stolen Princess and significant interest generated by the early-stages AFM introduction of Mavka. The Forest Song.
The market was especially productive for The Stolen Princess, which had a work-in-progress screening on Nov. 4 and swiftly sold to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and China, as well as the MENA region. The film had already been presold to South Korea, France and French-speaking Europe & Africa, Poland, Bulgaria, Iran and Israel during previous content markets.
“The screening was attended by 40 guests, including buyers and major animation studios representatives. All the deals with the abovementioned territories were struck after the screening; 10 more territories are in the negotiation process,” says Evgeny Drachov, international sales manager at FILM.UA Group. “We understood that even such work-in-progress screenings are a necessary part for the projects’ international promotion campaign, and we plan to keep using this instrument at the future markets,”
Mavka. The Forest Song received its AFM debut this year, with FILM.UA Group presenting development sketches, WIP video and a brand new poster, bearing an attention-grabbing image of an ethereal “forest princess.” The early buzz about the film a MIPCOM was repeated Stateside, attracting potential co-production partners (now under discussion) and piquing buyers’ interests.
FILM.UA Group’s next stop will be the European Film Market, taking place alongside Berlinale Feb. 9-17, 2017.
The Visual Effects Society has named acclaimed producer and Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Physical Production, Victoria Alonso as the next recipient of its Visionary Award. In recognition of her enormous contributions to visual arts and filmed entertainment, Alonso will be presented with the award at the 15th Annual VES Awards on February 7, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“Victoria has elevated visual effects as an integral element of the art and business of moviemaking,” said Mike Chambers, VES Board Chair. “She is an amazing creative force and powerhouse producer, whose unique vision has delivered some of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Her leadership in the industry is paving the way for future generations of artists and producers and she has helped redefine the profile of visual effects on a global scale. We are very proud to honor such an exemplary role model with the VES Visionary Award.”
Alonso is currently executive producing James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok. In her role at Marvel, she oversees post-production and VFX for the studio’s film slate, and her EP credits at the studio include Doctor Strange, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3 and Marvel’s The Avengers. Alonso also co-produced Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger.
Alonso’s career began at the nascency of the visual effects industry, when she served as a commercial VFX producer. From there, she VFX-produced numerous feature films, working with such directors as Ridley Scott (Kingdom of Heaven), Tim Burton (Big Fish) and Andrew Adamson (Shrek), to name a few. Over the years, Alonso’s dedication to the industry has been admired and her achievements recognized. Alonso was the keynote speaker at the 2014 VES Summit, where she exemplified her role as an advocate for women in the industry. In 2015, she was an honoree of the New York Women in Film & Television’s Muse Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement. This past January, she was presented with the Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award and was recently named to Variety’s 2016 Power of Women L.A. Impact Report, which spotlights creatives and executives who’ve “rocked” the industry in the past year.
The accomplished producer now joins the illustrious ranks of previous VES Visionary Award winners Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee, Alfonso Cuarón, J.J. Abrams and Syd Mead.
VIDEO: ‘Monster Trucks’ (2017) Trailer
Paramount Pictures has released the preview for its kooky CG vehicular-critter flick, in theaters January 13, 2017.
The Pokémon Company International has inked a multiyear distribution deal with Disney XD, making it the new network home for Pokémon animated content in the US. The channel and its related platforms will run the 20th season of the popular anime series, as well as much of the previous toon library including the 19 previous seasons (over 900 episodes) plus 15 movies.
The upcoming season of the TV show, premiering on Disney XD in early 2017, will be titled Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and will feature new characters and action-packed adventures that continue the great storytelling and narrative of the Pokémon universe, following the newly launched game of the same name. Disney XD in the US will also premiere the new feature-length animated film, Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, on Monday, December 5, when viewers will also get a sneak peek at the upcoming season with the debut of the first two episodes.
“During our 20-year celebration, fans’ appetite for Pokémon is at an all-time high, and The Pokémon Company International is thrilled to join forces with Disney XD as the new home for Pokémon animation in the US,” said Emily Arons, SVP at The Pokémon Company Intl. “Disney XD is the perfect way to deliver Pokémon animation to kids and fans across the country on its multiple platforms.”
Animated Pokémon offerings currently air on Disney XD in Europe — additional debut dates for the US will be announced at a later date.
Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical MarvelPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Google Spotlight Stories and Nexus Studios have debuted their new 360, interactive animated story, Rain or Shine — available now on YouTube 360 and the Google Spotlight Stories App for iOS and Android. GSS has also released a behind-the-scenes video, which you can check out below.
Synopsis:
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, there’s a spring in everybody’s step. Everyone in London is enjoying a perfect summer’s day…Until Ella steps outside. Everywhere she goes it rains – is she going to ruin everyone’s day forever? Together with Nexus Studios, Google Spotlight Stories proudly presents Rain or Shine, directed by Felix Massie. The studio’s most interactive short yet — as with other Spotlight Stories, the viewer can look around, and in doing so, can find subplots and surprises, in addition to hold for the viewer to return to main view before returning.
At the Manimation 2016 conference in Manchester, Animation UK announced that after a decade operating as a voluntary group, it is becoming a membership organization in partnership with the UK Screen Association. The new body will operate under the organizational umbrella of the UK Screen Alliance. Animation UK will be run by a council formed under the Alliance with the aim of driving animation policy forward.
UK Screen Association is the trade body for the Visual FX houses, post-production facilities and film studios and has been representing its member companies since 2004. By joining together, the two organizations will have a stronger voice and greater influence, making it easier for Government and these key parts of the screen industries to interact and cooperate.
Since Animation UK’s inception, the children’s animation industry has doubled in size, thanks largely to the Animation Tax Credit that took off in 2013, which the group campaigned for. The animation industry is worth an estimated £1.5 billion pounds a year to the UK economy and £250 million of inward investment a year.
The facilities and animation sectors have large areas of shared interest. Many of the skills and roles in animation and VFX are identical. The sectors face the same challenges with globally mobile workforces and have the same commitment to developing fresh talent in order to maintain the UK’s world leading position. Each group benefits from tax credits and both have a keen interest in maximizing exports. So, the UK Screen Alliance will have joint working groups to develop policies where there are obvious synergies. The efficiencies made by sharing a back office, will enable the employment of extra staff to advance and promote both the animation and facilities remit.
Kate O’Connor and Helen Brunsdon will continue to support the work of the Alliance and ensure that the Animation sector is represented and the agreed priorities are taken forward. Chair and founder of Animation UK, Oli Hyatt MBE, will continue to be involved as the group transitions into the new body as a leading figure on the Animation UK Council and on the UK Screen Alliance board of directors. O’Connor will be Executive Chair of the Animation UK Council and provide wider support for policy with Brunsdon taking the position of Animation UK Director.
“I could not be more proud of what Animation UK has achieved to date, and the work and effort our industry has put in get us to this point,” said Hyatt. “This is a new beginning for the organisation, and partnering with Neil Hatton’s team at UK Screen is absolutely the most effective way to drive our industry forwards.”
Neil Hatton, currently chief executive of UK Screen Association will become CEO of the overall UK Screen Alliance and will continue to head up the existing facilities remit: “We are incredibly excited to be joining forces with Animation UK. Oli and I have often found ourselves attending the same meetings, dealing with the same people in government departments and sharing very similar viewpoints on the issues that really matter to the sectors we represent. It makes an enormous amount of sense for us to pool our efforts and resources so that together we can provide more advocacy and benefit for our respective members. This really does feel like the whole will be greater than the sum of the parts.”
Madrid-based Imira Entertainment has strengthened its catalogue of premium kids’ content ahead of the MIP Cancun confab, adding eight new series and over 250 half-hours of programming specifically aimed at the Latin America and US Hispanic markets. These include several fresh animated offerings, as well brand new live-action series CantaJuego: Viva mi Planeta (21 x 13) and CantaJuego (100 x 3) for Kids 4-6, from Diver Music and Sony Music.
Also premiering at MIP Cancun alongside those music-driven series is the Spanish-language educational adventure Creators (39 x 24), a CG/live-action hybrid series about two brilliant inventors who develop a portal into a virtual world, focused on real-world problem solving and innovation. The series is produced by Aula365, which has developed it as a transmedia property with Creapolis.
Imira’s animation catalogue is led by new acquisition Badanamu (52 x 8 and 100 x 2), a preschool-targeted learning program that has proven a hit on YouTube. Imira is shopping the series to LatAm, Southern Europe and US Hispanics. Produced by Calm Island, Badanamu premiered at MIPCOM this year, and the eight-minute format will debut at Kidscreen 2017.
The company is bringing an unprecedented five preschool series to MIP Cancun, including two more toon additions: Hogie the Globehopper (52 x 11, worldwide) from Malaysia’s Lil Critter Workshop, about a curious tree frog’s comedic worldwide adventures; and DinoCore (39 x 15, three seasons), a new boys’ action series set on a peaceful Dino Island under threat from an evil alien threat from Tuba in Korea (Larva), which already boasts strong ratings and a consumer products line in its home country.
“Imira Entertainment will attend MIP Cancun with a totally renewed catalogue and with the objective of offering new premium kids content to broadcasters and platforms at the market, covering kids from preschool to tweens,” said Sergi Reitg, CEO of Imira Ent. “We are looking forward to introducing all this new content (more than 300 half-hours) in addition to our powerful catalogue to support all our customers in their programming needs, and for the launches of new channels linear and SVOD platforms.”
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP has been named Law Firm of the Year for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television by U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Lawyers list. Manatt’s movies and TV group, led by chair Lindsay Conner, also received the highest national ranking and the highest metropolitan rankings for LA, New York City and Washington DC.
The firm also took the top Advertising Law honors in this year’s ranking. Manatt also earned this recognition from U.S. News in its 2015 roundup.
Manatt’s entertainment group notably boasts Sony Pictures as a client, and recently helped Chinese film company Perfect World secure an investment deal with Universal Studios, giving Perfect World a significant stake in a slate of 50 films — reportedly to the tune of half a billion dollars.
The Amazon Original Kids Special Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure is premiering on Prime Video in the US and UK on Friday, December 2, ahead the CG series debut in 2017. The animated action-adventure comedy was part of Amazon Studios’ 2015 summer pilot season, earning 4.9 out of 5 stars in customer ratings. This special includes the original pilot, plus 40 minutes’ worth of “extended adventure.”
Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure stars 12-year-old Dorothy Gale (voiced by Ashley Boettcher), who discovers her mother’s magical travel journal from Oz hidden beneath the floorboards of their Kansas home. The book triggers a tornado, sending the house — and Dorothy and her little dog, too — soaring to Oz. In this modern, magical metropolis, Dorothy learns that to get home she must collect every magical element in Oz, which is currently facing the worst magic crisis in eons. Dorothy and Toto find unlikely allies in West (Nika Futterman), a young street-smart witch grappling with dark magic temptations, and Ojo (Jorge Diaz), a half-Munchkin full of heart. Dorothy realizes the only way to get the magic she needs is to find Glinda, the elusive, most powerful witch in Oz.
Based on the books by L. Frank Baum, Lost in Oz is developed and executive produced by Abram Makowka, Darin Mark, Jared Mark and Mark Warshaw (East Los High). The pilot is currently available to stream via the Amazon Video app or online at amazon.com/originals.
The feature animation adaptation of Jeff Smith’s Bone is finally picking up steam, with Warner Bros. tapping Oscar-nominated Kung Fu Panda and The Little Prince director Mark Osborne for the project. WB picked up rights to Bone in 2008 and is planning a trilogy of films.
The script will be co-written by Adam Kline and Osborne, who is also serving as executive producer alongside Mark Bauch of Lin Pictures. Dan Lin’s Lin Pictures is producing Bone with fellow The LEGO Movie alum, Animal Logic’s Zareh Nalbandian.
“Bone is very special and unconventional because it blends elements together that you don’t necessarily expect — soft, little comic characters and epic high-stakes fantasy adventure,” Osborne told The Hollywood Reporter. “To carry this into the cinematic realm presents both an opportunity to represent what readers of all ages have loved about the series, while pushing animated storytelling into exciting and different areas.”
Published from 1991 to 2004 — and in recent years rediscovered by a new generation of readers thanks to Scholastic’s full-color graphic novel releases — Jeff Smith’s Bone follows the epic fantasy-adventure of three cousins: Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone. Run out of their home of Boneville, the trio are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wondrous and terrifying creatures.
Bone won 11 Harvey Awards and 10 Eisner Awards, including Best Cartoonist and Best Humor Publication, and was named Best Comic Book by the National Cartoonists Society. Bone has also won awards in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Finland and Norway.
The Bone animated movie project has been its own long-running saga, first set to be produced by Nickelodeon before WB snagged the rights eight years ago. Multiple scripts have been submitted and rejected since; most recently, P.J. Hogan (Confessions of a Shopaholic, Muriel’s Wedding) was attached to direct from a script by Patrick Sean Smith (creator of ABC Family’s Greek).
VIDEO: Happy Holidays from ‘Sing’
Illumination and Universal offer a festive (and funky) seasonal greeting in this sweet spot. Sing arrives in theaters December 21.
First Annual FEMMEBIT Festival
Human Resources hosts the inaugural event focusing on L.A. women working in video art and related technologies, Nov. 18-20.
Paris-based animation producer Xilam has crunched its digital distribution numbers, and has found that its shows are performing exceptionally well with viewers worldwide — just as they have for over 20 years on traditional TV channels across the globe.
On YouTube, Xilam series primarily aimed at small children (0-3) and families have accumulated 3.5 billion views and 23 billion minutes watched (an average of 6+ minutes per viewing) — an unprecedented record for a French company. And Xilam’s global reputation is clearly growing: in the first half of 2016, YouTube views for its content topped 1.1 billion, a 159% increase over the first half of 2015 (215 million views).
Among the most popular Xilam properties available to kids and families on YouTube are Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko, which have distinguished themselves by joining the ranks of the most-watched series on YouTube worldwide. These two shows watched most by viewers in the US, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe, and already boast more than 1.2 million active subscribers.
Given these strong performances, Xilam — already a long-time strategic partner for YouTube — will be a benchmark partner for the launch of the new YouTube Kids app in France. Xilam’s catalog will naturally be well represented on the kid-safe iOS/Android app at its launch by Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko. These hit shows have already contributed to the app’s successful launch in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Spain.
In response to the growing demand for content on digital platforms, Xilam established a dedicated team tasked with creating original content as well as maximizing its existing catalog. Thus, the company today boasts 20 channels on YouTube and close to 15 active social media fan communities, like its 3.3 million-follower Facebook group.
“With the digital revolution and changing usage, Xilam enjoys direct and privileged access to the final consumer,” said F. Xavier de Maistre, Director of Marketing & Digital. “This major transformation allows Xilam to add to its model of B to B content production a B to C model that opens new growth prospects. It also gives us access to a more refined and immediate understanding of the expectations of our audience.”
In addition to its success on YouTube, Xilam is also a major player on leading SVOD platforms as one of the principal French content suppliers to Netflix and Amazon, which both feature a broad range of Xilam animation.
Project Greenlight Digital Studios (PGLDS), a digital content initiative from Adaptive Studios (HBO’s Project Greenlight), and Tongal, an award-winning creative company, have joined forces to launch an incubator to find and create the next breakout animated series. The partnership was announced Wednesday with a call for original pitches, which the two companies will help sift through for a winning concept to receive mentorship and funding to produce and market a pilot.
“The animation world is full of originality and imagination, two qualities we encourage in filmmaking and in our Project Greenlight Digital Studios video contests,” said Brittany Turner, VP of Digital at Adaptive Studios. “Working with Tongal on this project is the perfect fit as we share a goal of providing opportunities for filmmakers to showcase their creative ideas and bring them to life.”
The two companies have already helped launch the careers of many emerging filmmakers. With this new initiative, they will jointly select five finalists and award them $5,000 each to create a proof of concept based on their original idea. The public will then have a chance to vote for the winning concept on tongal.com, along with a panel of industry judges. The winner will receive $70,000 to produce an 11-minute pilot episode for their original property.
Now through December 14, 2016, one- to three-minute pitch videos can be submitted to tongal.com/nextgreatanimatedseries. These entry videos must include a concept and treatment, and can include character animations, concept art and scripts. Series can be aimed at adults, kids, or both, and a wide range of techniques are accepted (2D, 3D, CGI, stop-motion, claymation, papercraft, mixed media). PGLDS and Tongal are looking for “unforgettable characters, fun conflict, compelling storylines, strong formats, engaging worlds and clever points of view” — and out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged.
It’s official, the next DC Universe Original Movie from Warner Bros. Animation and DC Ent. — Justice League Dark — is hitting shelves through Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on February 7, 2017. The new 2D adventure will see Batman team up with a superhero team of a more supernatural bent, lead by occult specialist John Constantine.
Justice League Dark will be available as a Blu-ray Deluxe Gift Set (SRP $39.99), featuring an exclusive Constantine figure; Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98); and DVD ($19.98). The full-length feature will be available to own via Digital starting January 24, 2017 ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD).
Synopsis: When innocent civilians begin committing unthinkable crimes across Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond, Batman must call up some mystical assistance to eradicate this demonic threat to the planet. Enter Justice League Dark, reluctantly led by the Hellblazer himself, John Constantine. Like Batman, Constantine is a cunning, often cynical loner who is the best at his chosen profession – but quickly realizes the sinister forces plaguing the planet will require help from other supernatural allies. Forming a new “league” with sorceress Zatanna, the otherworldly Deadman, and Jason Blood and his powerful alter ego Etrigan the Demon, Constantine and his team of Dark Arts specialists must unravel the mystery of Earth’s supernatural plague and contend with the rising, powerful villainous forces behind the siege – before it’s too late for all of mankind.
Actor Matt Ryan reprises the role of Constantine from his turn on the WB live-action TV series, with Jason O’Mara (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Batman, Camilla Luddington (Grey’s Anatomy) as Zatanna, Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue) as Deadman, Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV game) as Jason Blood, Roger R. Cross (Arrow) as Green Lantern and Swamp Thing, Jeremy Davies (Justified) as Ritchie Simpson, Rosario Dawson (Daredevil) as Wonder Woman, Jerry O’Connell (Stand By Me) as Superman, Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint) as Felix Faust, and Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code) as Destiny.
Justice League Dark is directed by Jay Oliva (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) from a story by J.M. DeMatteis and Ernie Altbacker (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) and teleplay by Altbacker. Sam Register is Executive Producer, with Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight trilogy) as co-executive producers and James Tucker (Batman: Bad Blood, Return of the Caped Crusaders) as Supervising Producer.
BD set special features include a sneak peek at the next DCU movie Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (also on DVD); The Story of Swamp Thing featurette, Did You Know?: Constantine origin, Color of Magic, Black Orchid, and Deadman Casting; 2016 NY Comic Con Panel; sneak peeks at Justice League: Gods and Monsters and Justice League: Doom; and two bonus episodes from the DC Vault: Batman: The Brave and the Bold “Dawn of the Dead Man!” & “Trials of the Demon!”
L.A.-based Tonko House and Fox Animation are partnering to develop a feature film based on The Dam Keeper, the 2015 Academy Award-nominated animated short written and directed by Tonko House founders Robert Kondo and Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi.
Kondo and Tsutsumi — former art directors at Pixar (Toy Story 3, Monster’s University, Ratatouille) — will direct the film, which will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Independent producer Kane Lee, formerly of Jane Startz Prod. and Blue Sky Studios, will lead produce. Screenwriter John Henry Hinkel, originally brought on by Tonko House, is also on board.
The Tonko House team developed a pitch deepening and expanding the characters and world of the short, well loved by critics and audiences alike. Fox Animation executive Darlene Caamaño Loquet shepherded the pitch and will continue to oversee the project for the studio.
“Since we began working on the story for a feature set in the world of The Dam Keeper, we wondered who the right partners would be to help us take the next steps with Pig and Fox and guide us in introducing them to audiences in this rapidly changing world,” said Kondo and Tsutsumi in a joint statement. “We feel that 20th Century Fox, with both its longstanding track record and the exciting direction it’s headed, is the ideal home for our characters. We are so excited about the risks we are taking together and the new storytelling possibilities that exist.”
The Dam Keeper feature picks up several years after the events of the short film and addresses the most intriguing questions it raised with viewers. In a departure from the non-dialog 2D short film, created with over 8,000 digital paintings, the new project will have dialog and is intended to be made primarily in CG, with early animation tests already developed under the supervision of Tonko House.
“We are thrilled to return to making CG-animated feature films, having worked for over a decade at studios like Pixar and Blue Sky,” added Kondo and Tsutsumi. “We’re hungry to stand out in the crowded CG animation market and believe we can achieve something new. With Tonko House’s cultural roots being in Japan, it’s possible that we may be able to bridge both East and West to bring out the best of both animation traditions.”
The Tonko House duo are also currently in the midst of writing and illustrating a trilogy of The Dam Keeper graphic novels. The first volume will be released in 2017 by First Second Books (a Macmillan imprint). And last week, the studio announced a deal with Hulu in Japan to produce a 10-episode series centered on the friendship of Pig and Fox. Recent Tonko House hire Erick Oh — animation supervisor for the short and another Pixar alum — is directing the series, coming Summer 2017.
