Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Corus Toons Up Fall Lineup

    Corus Toons Up Fall Lineup

    Corus Entertainment has unveiled the fall programming lineups for its Canadian kids’ networks, with new fresh titles and new seasons of fan favorites heading to YTV, Treehouse and TELETOON beginning Monday, September 5.

    Animation highlights join the fun from the start during YTV’s “Everything Is Awesome Day” programming on Sept. 5, which will kick off back-to-school season with a sneak peek at hit Nickelodeon series The Loud House, followed by the network debut of The LEGO Movie at 4:30 p.m. These will be followed by live-action Canadian originals, Ride and Tricked. The Loud House (26 x 30) will air regularly Monday to Friday at 4:30 p.m. starting Sept. 6.

    On Treehouse, youngsters will be introduced to Nelvana’s new CG series Ranger Rob (52 x 11) on Sept. 5 at 6:25 p.m. The show follows an adventurous hero whose love of the outdoors inspires kids to explore their surroundings as they follow him on his own adventures in his backyard. Ranger Rob will air Monday through Sunday, joining an existing lineup that includes Octonauts, Peppa Pig and Trucktown.

    And over at TELETOON, things will get superheroic with a daily “power hour” of back-to-back Teen Titans Go! and Powerpuff Girls airing weekdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. starting Sept. 5. The schedule will also feature a Superfan Friday bock with new episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers Dino Super Charge and Avengers Assemble, and weekend morning blocks with new episodes of Alvinnn!!! And The Chipmunks, Camp Lakebottom, Rescue Bots, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, Wabbit and LEGO Nexo Knights (7:30-10 a.m.)

    Corus Entertainment
    Corus Entertainment
  • ‘Plim Plim’ Arrives in Colombia

    ‘Plim Plim’ Arrives in Colombia

    Smilehood Media’s charming animated preschool series Plim Plim continues its international expansion, having last month debuted on Colombian national channel Señal Colombia last month. The show airs two episodes on both Saturday and Sunday through its local broadcast partner.

    Produced by Smilehood in Argentina, Plim Plim is a 2D animated series available in 22-, 7- and 3-minute formats that follows the warm-hearted adventures of a little clown who helps his friends and teaches them important lessons by transporting them to his magical world. The show is designed to emphasize humane values while blending educational, musical, magical, imaginative and comedic elements.

    The award-winning series debuted in 2011 on Disney Junior Latin America and has since traveled to over 35 countries worldwide, including the U.S. on Discovery Family, and to streaming through Netflix Latin America. Smilehood has developed Plim Plim as a 360-degree property, including TV and theatrical content, merchandising, publishing, educational activities, online and mobile apps, music and more.

    Plim Plim
    Plim Plim
  • ‘SpacePOP’ Debuts on Kabillion Girls Rule!, Kid Genius

    ‘SpacePOP’ Debuts on Kabillion Girls Rule!, Kid Genius

    Genius Brands International has inked a deal with Kabillion to debut its hit, music-driven YouTube tween series SpacePOP on Kabillion Girls Rule! Today. Reaching over 50 million U.S. households through outlets including Comcast, Time Warner and Charter, Kabillion Girls Rule! is a top-10 ranking kids On Demand TV Network, and the first dedicated to girl-targeted programs.

    This debut coincides with the show’s launch on GBI’s Kid Genius VOD channel, available to roughly 22 million households in the U.S. through Comcast’s Xfinity On Demand.

    Aimed at viewers ages 6-12, SpacePOP (108 x 3’) is a series featuring original music woven into a narrative that follows five teenage princesses who disguise themselves as musicians and form a band while they secretly plot to vanquish an evil empress who is seeking to enslave the galaxy. SpacePOP offers a colorful blend of music, fashion, beauty, friendship and intergalactic adventures, resulting in an engaging lifestyle brand.

    GBI forged new paths in the children’s media space by utilizing YouTube as its initial distribution path for SpacePOP, which launched on June 20 and has since amassed more than 4 million views. Following the premiere of the first six videos, two new SpacePOP videos have been released on YouTube each week, as well as across other digital platforms, including Toon Goggles, PopJam and BatteryPOP. SpacePOP music is available from Sony Music Entertainment on iTunes and Spotify.

    SpacePOP
    SpacePOP
  • New ‘Rogue One’ Trailer Takes Flight

    New ‘Rogue One’ Trailer Takes Flight

    Disney’s Lucasfilm released a new trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story during Wednesday night’s Olympics coverage. The spot gives more screen time to some of the new-to-screen characters tasked with saving the Rebellion’s hide in this tangential adventure, and plenty of starships, Imperial walkers and blaster bolts. We also get introduced to this installment’s deadpan comedy relief droid (but still no sign of a Bothan).

    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16.

    Set before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One tells the story of the unlikely heroes who band together to steal the plans for the Empire’s dreaded Death Star. The cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed and Forest Whitaker.

    Gareth Edwards directs, with Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel producing. Rogue One is executive produced by John Knoll and Jason McGatlin, and co-produced by John Swartz and Kiri Hart.

    Star Wars: Rogue One
    Star Wars: Rogue One
  • NFB VR Works Slated for POP 03 in Toronto

    NFB VR Works Slated for POP 03 in Toronto

    The National Film Board of Canada is bringing together a slate of six virtual reality and immersive media productions for Toronto’s POP 03 installation, running August 19-21 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The pop-up exhibition showcases new approaches to storytelling, and is presented by the Toronto International Film Festival in collaboration with NFB.

    The selection includes five VR experiences as well as a groundbreaking “film-generating installation.”

    Way to Go from AATOAA studio’s Vincent Morisset, Philippe Lambert, Édouard Lanctôt-Benoit and Caroline Robert is an immersive journey through the woods that combines hand-made animation, 360-degree video capture and music. Produced by Hugues Sweeney for NFB’s French-language Interactive Studio in Montreal and by Boris Razon for France Televisions, Way to Go is the winner of three Webby Awards and marks Morisset’s second collaboration with the NFB, following his 2011 interactive animated film BLA BLA.

    Munro Ferguson’s VR animated film Minotaur takes a journey through seven stages: birth, childhood, mission, labyrinth, monster, battle and death/rebirth. Through abstract moving images, Minotaur conveys corresponding emotional states: calm, love, joy, surprise, fear, anger/hate, and death/rebirth, leading again to calm. Canadian composer Kid Koala’s score accentuates the hero’s quest for redemption. Winner of a Genie Award for his 3D animated short Falling in Love Again, Ferguson is a leader in developing new creative applications for IMAX’s Sandde hand-drawn stereoscopic animation system. The VR producer of Minotaur is Jelena Popovic, with Michael Fukushima as executive producer for the NFB’s Animation Studio.

    Also on tap are Loïc Suty’s The Unknown Photographer — a surreal documentary/dreamscape experience exploring the work of a forgotten WWI photographer (Turbulent/NFB); the Beta for Vincent McCurley’s immersive VR experiment Cardboard Crash (NFB Digital Studio); and the 360 VR documentary Cut-Off, which places viewers in the middle of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s historic visit to First Nation site Shoal Lake 40 (VICE/Occupied VR/NFB/Canadian Film Centre). Forging new ground in interactive storytelling is Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson’s Seances, which allows viewers to “conjure” their own films by selecting text fragments on a 55-inch touch-screen, summoning a collaged story of dynamically reassembled lost films.

    Visit http://tiff.net/pop03 for more details.

    Minotaur
    Minotaur
  • Dave Franco, Justin Theroux & Jackie Chan Join ‘Ninjago’ Cast

    Dave Franco, Justin Theroux & Jackie Chan Join ‘Ninjago’ Cast

    Warner Bros.’ The LEGO Ninjago Movie has lined up raft of voice stars, just over a year before the film’s slated September 22, 2017 release. Filmmakers have cast Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Peña, Zach Woods and Jackie Chan.

    Inspired by the popular building toy line, The LEGO Ninjago Movie will center on Lloyd (voiced by Franco), alias: the Green Ninja, who along with his pals make up a crack squad of secret warriors and Master Builders. Under the guidance of the salty-yet-sage Sensei Wu (Chan), the team set out to defeat the evil Lord Garmadon (Theroux) — a.k.a. The Worst Guy Ever, also-a.k.a. Lloyd’s dad.

    Peña voices Kai, Nanjiani is Jay, Woods is Zane, Armisen is Cole, Jacobson is Nya, and Munn is Koko.

    Ninjago is being directed by first-time helmer Charlie Bean, from a screenplay by Hilary Winston, Bob Logan & Paul Fisher (story by Kevin Hageman & Dan Hageman). The film is a production of Warner Animation Group, LEGO, Animal Logic animation studio, Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures and RatPac-Dune Entertainment. Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Roy Lee serve as producers.

    The LEGO Ninjagogo Movie
    The LEGO Ninjagogo Movie
  • Shout! Sets U.S. Release for ‘Long Way North’

    Shout! Sets U.S. Release for ‘Long Way North’

    Shout! Factory Films will be bringing Annecy Audience Award-winning animated feature Long Way North to theaters on September 30. The film, which also won the Grand Prize and Governor of Tokyo Award at this year’s Tokyo Animation Festival, will debut in Los Angeles, New York and select major markets, rolling out to additional cities.

    Directed by animator and filmmaker Rémi Chayé (first AD and head of storyboard for The Secret of Kells and The Painting), Long Way North is a co- production of Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinema and 2 MInutes. The PG-rated, 2D feature follows a young heroine on a challenging journey to find her grandfather.

    Set in late 19th century Saint Petersburg, the film centers on Sacha, a young girl from the Russian aristocracy. She has always been fascinated by the adventurous life of her grandfather Oloukine, a renowned scientist and arctic explorer who has gone missing on his latest expedition to the North Pole. Dreaming of the Great North and uninterested in her parents’ plans to marry her off, Sacha steals from home to launch her own quest in search of Oloukine and his lost ship.

    The English-language voice cast features Chloe Dunn, Vivienne Vermes, Peter Hudson, Antony Hickling, Tom Perkins, Geoffrey Greenhill, Clair Harrison-Bullett, Bibi Jacob, Martin Lewis, Tom Morton, Leslie Clack, Kester Lovelace and Damian Corcoran. Learn more at longwaynorththemovie.com.

    Long Way North
    Long Way North
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Regina Spektor – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Official Video (from Kubo and the Two Strings)
    Hold on to your heartsrings: Ms. Spektor’s performance of the George Harrison classic in combination with footage from LAIKA’s latest stop-mo masterpiece is about to give them a good tug.

    Q&A with AwesomenessTV’s Kelly Day
    Chief Digital Officer — and no, that’s not some sort of TRON police force title — talks new partnerships, co-productions and brand extension with WorldScreen.

    Fans Reimagine and Pay Tribute to ‘Akira’ Using CG Animation
    28 years after the post-apocalyptic anime classic began blowing minds, Brad Kremer and Dean Fowler collaborate on a jaw-dropping labor of love in tribute.

    10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nicktoons, 25 Years Later
    I mean, Animation Magazine readers probably knew, but who can resist a good chunk of clickbait?

    See ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live in London
    Lifelike Touring will present three shows a day for Scooby-Doo! Live Musical Mysteries at the London Palladium, August 18-21. Zoiks!

    Regina Spektor
    Regina Spektor
  • DC’s First Gay Superhero Gets Animated for CW Seed

    DC’s First Gay Superhero Gets Animated for CW Seed

    The CW Network’s digital channel CW Seed has announced that 2017 will see the launch of animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray, based on DC comics characters and produced by Warner Bros.’ Blue Ribbon Content — which opened in 2014 under the guidance of toon icon Sam Register. The Ray will mark the first series lead by a gay superhero (since J.J. Sedelmaier’s Ambiguously Gay Duo was a bit vague).

    Announced at CW’s Television Critics Association panel on Thursday, Freedom Fighters: The Ray hails from Berlanti Productions in association with Blue Ribbon, and will be executive produced by go-to superhero showmen Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who have previously joined forces on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.

    The show will center on Ray Terrill, who first appeared in his own comic book in 1992, conceived by Jack Harris and Joe Quesada. His story begins when as a reporter he discovers a a secret government science project to turn light into a destructive new weapon. Before he can spill the beans, the project head exposes Ray to a “genetic light bomb,” which fails to kill him but does gift him with special light-based abilities. Taking on the mantle of “The Ray,” the reporter turned hero is recruited by Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters.

    Freedom Fighters: The Ray
    Freedom Fighters: The Ray
  • The Sequence Group Turns 10

    The Sequence Group Turns 10

    Award-winning creative studio The Sequence Group has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Based in Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia (opened this year), The Sequence Group has expanded from motion comics to high-end 3D services over the years.

    “10 years is a huge accomplishment, and we couldn’t be more proud of what the team has achieved in that time,” said founder and creative director Ian Kirby. “We’ve come such a long way, from our early work on the first ever motion comics and Batman and Harry Potter franchises, through to our work today on the Halo, Star Wars and Marvel IPs. We continue to explore new ways to push our creative thinking, from ice projections for the Dallas Stars to commercials that blend live action with the latest in VFX. It’s an exciting time: we can’t wait to see what comes in the next ten years.”

    The Sequence Group was established in 2006 with a focus on broadcast design and motion comics — founder Ian Kirby and art director Andrew West worked on one of the first motion comics, Broken Saints, which they labored over in Kirby’s basement 15 years ago. This project helped them get the attention of major studios looking to create engaging backstories for films like I Am Legend, Inception and Prince of Persia.

    Today, the boutique creative house has grown into a capable team of directors, artists, designers and animators working with a high-end 3D pipeline. Notable projects include Halo: Fall of Reach, Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2 Civil War, Star Wars: Commander and stop-motion inspired CG short Here in My Car with Giant Ant for messaging app Slack. Recent clients include 343 Industries, Disney Interactive, ABC, Kabam, Dallas Stars, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Sega and DC Entertainment.

    “Sequence has been fortunate to establish an impressive roster of world-class clients from the beginning,” comments executive producer Dan Sioui. “While our projects, runtimes and visibility have all grown, it’s ultimately Sequence’s dedication, creative input and professionalism that keeps partners coming back.”

    You can check out a 10 year highlight reel on The Sequence Group’s Instagram page here.

    The Sequence Group
    The Sequence Group
  • First Ever DIGILITY AR/VR Conference Announced

    First Ever DIGILITY AR/VR Conference Announced

    The first DIGILITY international conference and expo for augmented and virtual reality will take place in Cologne, Germany September 22-23, tackling topics relating to AR/VR, wearable computing, hardware and software, 360-degree imaging and artificial intelligence. The event will take place alongside photokina, which is expecting some 180,000 visitors.

    DIGILITY 2016 will focus on established best practices for brands and business, as well as developing opportunities in AR and VR. International brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, DHL and Media Saturn; European start-ups including RE’FLEKT, Gamewheel and Vectorform; and research institutes like the Fraunhofer Institute and the University of Hamburg will present innovations ranging from Hyperloop AR windows to walk-in Star Trek holodecks.

    Well-known blogger and tech-evangelist Robert Scoble (Upload VR) will discuss the trends and business models expected over the next 10 years. Alysha Naples – who until recently was the Senior Director of User Experience and Interaction at Magic Leap – will be at DIGILITY to point out the challenges that developers face from the new user interfaces for mixed realities. The Berliner Philharmonic will present a completely new sound and experience world in 360° videos. The two Munich companies RE’FLEKT and Innoactive will hold workshops to demonstrate how they are developing applications for Microsoft’s latest coup, the HoloLens smartglasses.

    “New technological innovations require new business models”, says Jan-Raphael Spitzhorn, Head of DIGILITY. “The diversity of our speakers and exhibitors is intended to enable closer interlinking of the relevant branches and create a space for investment and new business opportunities.”

    Visit www.digility.de for more info.

    Digility
    Digility
  • DHX Bringing Teletubbies, Twirlywoos & Night Garden to BLE

    DHX Bringing Teletubbies, Twirlywoos & Night Garden to BLE

    Brand Licensing Europe will kick off in London on October 11, and DHX Brands will be on deck at stand C30 to present a diverse slate of properties for 2016 and beyond. DHX’s offerings will be headlined by preschool favorites Teletubbies, In the Night Garden and Twirlywoos.

    Originally created in 1997, Teletubbies relaunched with new CG animation elements on CBeebies in the U.K. in 2015, with season one currently airing on top broadcasters around the world including Nick Jr. (US), Family Jr. (Canada) and ABC (Australia), with a 60-episode second season in production. As of May 2016, the series is the UK’s number one new preschool property, and airs in over 120 territories and boasting a significant online fan base.

    The Teletubbies global licensing program comprises more than 75 top-tier partners so far, including Character Options (award-winning Master Toy line), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and publishing partners Egmont (global, exc. North America and China) and Simon & Schuster (North America).

    Twirlywoos is an innovative series combining inspiration and slapstick humor for young viewers, created by producer Anne Wood with input from early-years expert Prof. Cathy Nutbrown. Recently, DHX Media and show creator Ragdoll Prod. announced a further 25 episodes will be produced for CBeebies.

    Twirlywoos licensees include master toy partner Golden Bear, which has produced a best-selling and award-winning line of innovative products — most recently, Twirlywoos Run Along Fun Sounds toys (2016 Right Start Best Toy). Products launched in Australia this summer following the show’s successful launch on ABC. Twirlywoos will have its first live event this month at The Big Festival.

    Preschool phenomenon In the Night Garden — produced by Ragdoll and represented by DHX Brands — continues to cement its position as one of the most popular and best-selling brands in the U.K., boosted with new branding, website, integrated social media and marketing, high-profile events and a new style guide. The show is currently number one for kids across all children’s channels in the UK, and the number four preschool license with an 11% growth over last year.

    The In the Night Garden live stage show entered its seventh consecutive year this summer, selling 50,000 tickets in just one week and getting a great response outside the UK — notably in China. DHX recently announced the launch of a dedicated Night Garden baby product range, coming to retail next spring. 2017 will also see celebratory events and promotions for the show’s 10th anniversary.

    In the Night Garden
    In the Night Garden
  • ‘Rick and Morty’ Score New Apparel & Accessories Partners

    ‘Rick and Morty’ Score New Apparel & Accessories Partners

    Cartoon Network Enterprises has signed on new apparel and accessories partners for Adult Swim’s critically-acclaimed animated sci-fi comedy, Rick and Morty. Joining current partners Ripple Junction and Zen Monkey will be Underboss, Bioworld, Hot Properties Merchandising, Daylight Curfew, Hyp and Surreal Entertainment.

    Created and exec produced by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, Rick and Morty follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. The season two premiere in July 2015 ranked No. 1 in its time period across all key adult demographics. Season three is now in production.

    The new licensing partners are announced just ahead of MAGIC Las Vegas (Aug. 15-17), where many of the new products will be on display:

    Bioworld (booth #25099): Accessories including bags, wallets, belts, headwear, wristbands and more, available at specialty stores nationwide this fall.

    Hot Properties Merchandising: Key chains, magnets, patches, buttons and stickers coming this fall to specialty stores nationwide.

    Ripple Junction (booth #26019): Adding to its existing line of t-shirts and sweatshirts for men and women, new enamel pins were introduced earlier this year.

    Daylight Curfew: Available on DaylightCurfew.com are limited edition, co-branded apparel, including t-shirts and sweatshirts as well as a collaboration with Run The Jewels introduced in May.

    Hyp: Hosiery to be introduced this fall at specialty stores.

    Surreal Entertainment (booth #25014): Assorted glassware, coin banks and other beverageware products coming this fall to specialty stores.

    Rick and Morty sweater
    Rick and Morty sweater
    Rick and Morty mug
    Rick and Morty mug
    Rick and Morty tshirt
    Rick and Morty tshirt
  • Nick Brings Back ‘Rocko’s Modern Life’ for One-Hour Special

    Nick Brings Back ‘Rocko’s Modern Life’ for One-Hour Special

    August 11 marks the 25th anniversary of the first original animated Nickelodeon series arriving on air, and Nickelodeon has given us all a gift to mark the occasion. The network has announced that classic ‘90s toon Rocko’s Modern Life will make a return to in a new one-hour TV special, with original series creator Joe Murray on board as executive producer.

    The Rocko’s Modern Life special will bring back the show’s classic characters and offer some “surprising new takes on life in O-Town,” Nickelodeon teases. The premiere date and casting information will be revealed in the coming months.

    “I’m very happy to be rejoining Rocko and my friends from O-Town again,” said Murray. “What I have found by bringing these characters back is that it’s not so much about nostalgia, but a sense that they still feel relevant and fresh to me, and after twenty years, they can’t wait to comment on modern life in the 21st century. They still have a lot to say.”

    Rocko’s Modern Life originally aired from 1993 to 1996, and followed the 2D animated adventures of an Australian wallaby named Rocko and his two best friends, Heffer Wolfe (a steer raised by wolves) and Filburt (a Woody Allen-esque turtle), as they navigated life in O-Town.

    Nickelodeon had previously announced that a new Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie animated TV special is coming in 2017, as well as a live-action TV movie based on Legends of the Hidden Temple coming this fall.

    Rocko's Modern Life
    Rocko’s Modern Life
  • ‘Elena’ Continues Disney Junior Reign with Second Season

    ‘Elena’ Continues Disney Junior Reign with Second Season

    Latin culture and folklore-inspired CG animated series Elena of Avalor has been greenlit for a second season, following its successful premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior last month. The season two announcement coincides with Princess Elena’s character debut at Walt Disney World in Orlando (she will make her first royal appearance at Disneyland in Anaheim tsi fall). The news was announced by Nancy Kanter, EVP and General Manager for Disney Junior Worldwide.

    “It’s just a few weeks into the launch of Elena of Avalor and we are already seeing what an impact and connection she is making with kids and families,” said Kanter. “We’re eager to make sure that we will have many new stories of bravery, adventure and leadership for our audience to enjoy and are delighted to begin production on our second season and continue to find ways for her story to be heard both on and off screen.”

    Elena’s simulcast premiere on July 22 ranks as 2016’s No. 1 series telecast among all kid-targeted TV networks in Total Viewers (4.5 million), Kids 2-11 (2.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.2 million). Elena of Avalor has reached over 24 million Total Viewers and delivered over 8.6 million viewer engagements on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior apps to-date.

    In addition to the Princess’ debut at Disney’s U.S. parks, extensions for the series include print and e-book titles from Disney Publishing; dolls, role-play products, accessories, home decor and apparel from Disney Store and licensees including Hasbro, Jakks Pacific, Franco Manufacturing and Children’s Apparel Network; an EP soundtrack from Walt Disney Records; and a DVD coming later this year.

    Created and executive produced by Craig Gerber, Elena of Avalor is a timeless fable incorporating influences from Latin and Hispanic cultures. Elena is a brave, adventurous teen who saves her kingdom from an evil sorceress and now must learn to rule as crown princess. More on the show and a behind the scenes look in our prior coverage.

    Elena of Avalor
    Elena of Avalor
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    ’Star Trek Discovery’: Series Reboot to Have Female Lead as Casting Heats Up
    Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva hears that the Trekkieverse is taking a cue from Rey’s breakout role in Star Wars. Uhura would be proud.

    Disney Q3 Profit and Revenue Rise on Box Office Breakout
    Walt Disney Co. just keeps swimming in it thanks to Finding Dory and Zootopia (and probably some other, less adorable stuff).

    ’Suicide Squad’ Shoots Down August Record with $135 Million Opening
    2016 has seen its third opening weekend record fall to a comic-book movie, with the WB/DC antihero spectacle snapping up the August title belt.

    Visual-Effects Coordinator Edward L. Williams Blasted into Industry with ‘Star Trek’
    “I was not a Star Trek geek or a sci-fi geek at all,” Williams tells Variety. “I looked at it as another experience, growing my knowledge of visual effects, and working on a top show…”

    Five Sectors in Media & Entertainment Where 3D Visualisation Is Becoming Essential
    Traditional media is beginning to show cracks in its impregnable facade, and the future belongs to VR, ART, 3D printing, AI, photogrammetry and their myriad mind-blowing applications.

    Star Trek Discovery
    Star Trek Discovery
  • Screen Yug Announces 360 Property ‘Amazing Kids’

    Screen Yug Announces 360 Property ‘Amazing Kids’

    Multi-disciplinary studio Screen Yug is building its animated series catalog (which includes War of Heroes and Mary Kom Jr.) with a new 360-degree property titled Amazing Kids. In addition to a 52 x 22 package of Flash and 3D animated TV episodes, the creative house is building an augmented reality game it tags as “India’s answer to Pokemon Go” as well as a reality show for real kids all built around the property’s maze and puzzles themes.

    Amazing Kids centers on a kid named Abacus, who is challenged by an evil alien named EATO to solve mazes, with the fate of the world hanging on his success. Analytical Abacus turns to four gifted friends: Neon, the gadget guru; Geo, the human GPS; Maya, an explorer with a knack for history; and Flora, a nature lover who knows a lot about plants and animals. EATO’s sinister plan is the remove the elements from Earth, one by one. The kids must tackle each maze that the alien has placed throughout the world, but though the mazes seem like normal cities or places, they exist independent of time and space and contain unique challenges, adding to EATO’s enjoyment of his strange “reality show.”

    The Amaze Game will be an AR game in the vein of Pokemon Go, in which players encounter virtual doors created by EATO in their own local environments. Each door opens onto a challenge to collect the element under threat by the alien. Players must collect or trade for the necessary elements before joining forces with other gamers to battle and capture Maze Monsters.

    “Creating an immersive experience for the viewers is critical today,” Amazing Kids creator Anand Pandey tells Animation Xpress. “The series will ensure that exciting stories continues to engage the audience, while the immersive experience will be extended over the digital gaming and reality shows. The audience will be encouraged to share their experience and achievements on our online Amazing Kids portal.”

    Amazing Kids
    Amazing Kids
  • 25th ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Release Invites Royal Guests

    25th ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Release Invites Royal Guests

    In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of its Best Picture Oscar-nominated animated feature Beauty and the Beast, Disney is not only preparing a lovely new home entertainment release to escort Belle out of the vault, but the Mouse House is also presenting unprecedented access to all the Disney Princess films.

    On September 6, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise’s acclaimed 2D musical adaptation of the classic fairytale will join The Walt Disney Signature Collection with the release of the Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere, followed on September 20 by Blu-ray and DVD sets. The film broke ground as the first animated feature nominated in the coveted Best Picture Academy Award category, and won two Oscars for best original song and score as well as a Golden Globe for best comedy/musical.

    The new home entertainment edition features four versions of Beauty and the Beast, including a never-before-released for home sing-along version. All-new bonus features include a gathering of some of Disney’s greatest composers, singing and sharing how they’ve been inspired by the film’s music; a look at how Walt Disney himself sought to adapt the story; a nostalgic look back with Paige O’Hara (the voice of Belle); behind-the-scenes access to cast recordings; and a sneak-peek of the upcoming live-action reimagining heading to theaters next year.

    Between September 6 and October 17, all 11 Disney Princess films will be made available to bring home at the same time. The royal entourage coming to Disney Movies Anywhere, Digital HD/SD, Blu-ray and DVD includes: Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Tangled (Blu-ray 3D available), Cinderella, The LIttle Mermaid (BD 3D avail.), Sleeping Beauty, The Princess and the Frog, Brave (BD 3D avail.), Pocahontas and Mulan.

    Beauty and the Beast
    Beauty and the Beast
  • Amazon Gets ‘Stinky & Dirty’ Sept. 2

    Amazon Gets ‘Stinky & Dirty’ Sept. 2

    One of the latest titles in Amazon Prime Video’s growing roster of greenlit original series, The Stinky & Dirty Show will introduce preschool viewers to a mess of animated fun when it debuts on the streaming service in the U.S. and U.K. on September 2. The show will roll out to Germany, Austria and Japan later this year.

    Based on Kate and Jim McMullan’s kids book series of anthropomorphic vehicle adventures (including I Stink! and I’m Dirty!, funnily enough), the animated series follows the good natured yet grimy exploits of best friends Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty the backhoe loader. The Stinky & Dirty Show is written and developed by Guy Toubes (Little Pet Shop, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) and animated by Brown Bag Films in Ireland.

    The Stinky & Dirty Show  was part of Amazon’s 2015 kids pilot season, and will launch with nine episodes —  also to be available to download for offline viewing through Amazon.

    The Stinky & Dirty Show
    The Stinky & Dirty Show
  • ‘Croods 2’ Release Regresses to 2018

    ‘Croods 2’ Release Regresses to 2018

    20th Century Fox has pushed DreamWorks Animations’ prehistoric sequel The Croods 2 back to an unspecified date in 2018. The follow-up film was originally slated for December 22, 2017, but Fox has moved its storybook adaptation Ferdinand into the holiday slot — relocated from its previously announced July 21, 2017 opening.

    The Croods was a big hit for DreamWorks when it was released in 2013, racking up $587.2 million at the global box office. The heartfelt family comedy adventure set in prehistory was written and directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, who are returning to direct the sequel. Leslie Mann and Kat Dennings are set to join the voice cast, which originally featured Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman.

    Fox has been distribution DWA’s films since 2013 — starting with The Croods — but this relationship’s future is unclear after the NBCUniversal acquisition announced in April. The deal is expected to close by year’s end. As it stands, the DWA release schedule through next summer includes Trolls (Nov. 4), Boss Baby (March 31) and Captain Underpants (June 2).

    Ferdinand is being produced by Blue Sky Studios for Fox.

    The Croods 2
    The Croods 2