Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • ‘Hunter X Hunter’ Gets English Dub Premiere on Toonami

    ‘Hunter X Hunter’ Gets English Dub Premiere on Toonami

    VIZ Media and Adult Swim have joined forces to bring a brand new English dub of supernatural adventure anime Hunter X Hunter to the U.S. The series will premiere Saturday, April 16 at 1 a.m. ET/PT during Adult Swim’s Toonami block. Episodes will air each Saturday thereafter.

    The latest anime property in VIZ Media’s catalog, Hunter X Hunter was produced in 2011 by MADHOUSE and broadcast in Japan on Nippon TV. The series reboots the popular manga series of the same name by Yoshihiro Togashi (also published in print and digital formats by VIZ Media). The English dub cast features Erica Mendez as Gon Freecss, Cristina Vee as Killua Zoldyck, Matthew Mercer as Leorio, Keith Silverstein as Hisoka and Erika Harlacher as Kurapika.

    Hunter X Hunter is set in a world peppered with abundant riches, hidden treasures, fearsome monsters and exotic creatures where Hunters are a special caste dedicated to tracking down these marvels — once they pass the grueling licensing exam, anyway. The tale centers on a young boy named Gon, who sets out on an epic quest to become a Pro Hunter, meeting other exam applicants along the way.

    VIZ Media is the official North American distributor of the Hunter X Hunter anime series and holds the broadcast rights, digital streaming rights, home video rights and merchandising rights to the series.

    Hunter X Hunter
    Hunter X Hunter
  • ‘Secret Life of Pets’ to Premiere at Annecy

    ‘Secret Life of Pets’ to Premiere at Annecy

    The latest animated family comedy from Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, The Secret Life of Pets will have its world premiere at the 2016 Annecy festival in France. The CG animated urban animal adventure will bow Thursday, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. (in English with French subtitles), presented by director Chris Renaud and co-director Yarrow Cheney.

    The Secret Life of Pets is the fifth collaboration of Illumination and Universal, and is a madcap, action packed comedy about the lives that pets lead after their humans head out for work or school each day. The voice cast is lead by Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart, joined by Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Coogan and Albert Brooks.

    The film is directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) and co-directed by Yarrow Cheney, written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy serve as producers.

    The Annecy festival takes place June 13-18; more information at annecy.org.

    Secret Life of Pets
    The Secret Life of Pets
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Rise of the Black Superhero
    Washington Post’s Comic Riffs paints 2016 as a “watershed year” for black heroes in American pop-culture.

    Peter Pan Live-Action Movie in the Works at Disney
    Pete’s Dragon remake helmer David Lowery to direct from a script by Toby Hallbrooks. Let’s just all forget Pan happened.

    Audio Interview: New PBS Kids Show Inspired by Creator’s Puget Sound Childhood
    Seattle public radio’s Bill Radke talks to Washington native Craig Bartlett about his new animated series Ready, Jet, Go!

    Millimages Names U.K. & Ireland Rep for Molang
    Licensing Link will make a first push for plush, stationery, apparel and accessories partners for the chubby rabbit character.

    TAAFI Job “Maarket” Free to Attend
    The Toronto Animation Arts Maarket job fair and networking event takes place April 23 & 24 during the TAAFI fest — register now.

    Rise of the Black Superhero
    Rise of the Black Superhero
  • Sky Inks Kids Programming Deal with Turner

    Sky Inks Kids Programming Deal with Turner

    Sky in the U.K. has secured a long-term deal that will bring over more kids’ content from Turner Channels Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito. Sky TV customers will be able to watch Turner shows like the upcoming reinvented The Powerpuff Girls and will have exclusive on-demand access to box sets of The Amazing World of Gumball and Adventure Time through the new agreement.

    Additionally, key shows from the Turner catalog will be available through the new Sky Kids app, which launched last month. Episodes will also be hosted on the Sky Kids section of the Sky TV homepage, which offers a direct link to all of the kids’ series and features available on demand, all kids’ TV recordings and an overview of what’s airing currently on linear channels including Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

    Even more episodes will join the on-demand offerings starting in May, including Ben 10 and The Regular Show from Cartoon Network and classic Hanna-Barbera series from the Boomerang lineup such as Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes. The Turner deal effectively increases the number of Sky’s on-demand kids’ episodes to 4,500.

    “We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with Sky. This is an important and much-valued relationship, and a testament to our ongoing commitment to deliver the very best curated and connected Turner brand experiences for young audiences and their families.” said Ian McDonough, SVP and Managing Director for Turner – Northern Europe. “This is a thrilling time for our business as we see a stronger slate than ever coming from our powerhouse studios in the U.S. and London. Our kids’ channel and program brands go from strength to strength with more great launches imminent, including the re-versioned and much loved cult hit The Powerpuff Girls and the latest iteration of perennial boy hero Ben 10.”

    The Powerpuff Girls
    The Powerpuff Girls
  • Anima Estudios Partners with CalArts

    Anima Estudios Partners with CalArts

    Leading Latin American animation studio Anima Estudios, together with preeminent animation/production management company Chatrone, announce a new partnership with top-ranking animation school California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). The partnership demonstrates Anima Estudios’ commitment to spearheading and accelerating the growth of the animation industry in Latin America.

    CalArts has embarked on a continuing education pilot program driven by its Office of Global Initiatives to train professional artists and animators in Latin America. The program has brought CalArts’ expertise and distinct approach to teaching art history, storytelling, storyboard and performance animation to Anima Estudios production staff. As the program develops, the goal is to expand to other organizations in Mexico and across Latin America. Anima Estudios and Chatrone will provide program support by facilitating new partnership introductions and logistical support.

    “We see this partnership as a first step in a broader set of professional development and continuing education initiatives,” said CalArts Provost Jeannene Przyblyski. “We are delighted to share our knowledge and experience in teaching the art of animation and storytelling with colleagues in Latin America. With scholarship and internship opportunities available for our students, this relationship broadens our reach beyond fine arts into the entertainment industry in Latin America, which is a strategic area of focus for the Institute.”

    Anima Estudios
    Anima Estudios
  • BimBam Launches Second Webisode of ‘Shaboom!’

    BimBam Launches Second Webisode of ‘Shaboom!’

    Non-profit BimBam (formerly G-dcast) has released the second episode of its 10-part online animated series Shaboom!, a kid-friendly cartoon that teaches everyday values with Jewish tradition, comedy, silly songs and a touch of magic. Episode two, “Bikur Cholim” – Visiting the Sick is available now for free at bimbam.com/shaboom and on YouTube.

    Shaboom! Features the “magical sparks” Gabi and Rafael who work to fix the world while focusing on a special theme in each episode. Each approximately 8-minute adventure is accompanied by a separate short video for parents that explores the value lesson of the episode, explaining “what’s Jewish” and offering suggestions for how parents can model the values for their children.

    New episodes will debut weekly on Wednesdays through May 4, with a second “mini-season” set for this fall, September 7 through October 5.

    Shaboom! Is written by kids’ TV veteran Robert Pincombe and produced by Sarah Lefton and staffer Jeremy Shuback. The Shaboom! early childhood initiative has been funded by leading Jewish philanthropists and foundations including the Peleh Fund, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the PJ Library Alliance, the Bernstein Family Foundation (DC), The Covenant Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. Parent resources are made possible by the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah.

    Shaboom!
    Shaboom!
  • ‘Mouk’ Set to Air on Clan, SM Launches Story Books

    ‘Mouk’ Set to Air on Clan, SM Launches Story Books

    French animated series Mouk will premiere on Spain’s leading children’s channel Clan on April 18. Based on Marc Boutavant’s book Around the World with Mouk, the 104 x 11 series (plus 30 x 1-minute shorts) is commissioned by France Televisions and Disney Channel U.K. and produced by Millimages.

    Nottingham Forest, the licensing and merchandising agent for Mouk in Spain and Portugal, has also finalized an agreement with Ediciones SM for the development of a of story books in Spain based on the series. SM has launched four storybooks with activities (Mouk in Japan, Mouk in Canada, Mouk in Senegal and Mouk in India) as well as the Activity Book of Mouk. SM previously published Around the World with Mouk in October 2014.

    Additionally, SM Group’s Cruilla imprint has published La volta al mon de Mukand Activitats per descubrir el mon amb el Muk for Catalonia in the regional language. All the books are available at major bookstores throughout Spain.

    Mouk the animated series is directed by Francois Narboux and centers on Mouk and his buddy Chavapa, two globetrotters who explore the world on their bicycles.

    Mouk
    Mouk
  • Bridging the Gap Animation Lab Deadline Extended

    Bridging the Gap Animation Lab Deadline Extended

    The second annual international Bridging the Gap animation lab — being held this year in Valencia, Spain July 18-23 — has extended its call for projects deadlines. The new deadline to submit animated feature film, series and short film projects in pre-production, development or active production phases is now April 25.

    Bridging the Gap is an intensive workshop with industry experts offering the keys to producing, distributing and selling animated projects. The program is open to young animation artists, professionals and students working on an animated feature film or series — short film projects with the potential to evolve into a feature or series may also be considered. A maximum of 12 projects will be selected to participate in the workshop, which includes masterclasses, lectures and individual meetings with international experts.

    BTG will also provide partial scholarships for the participation of a maximum of five projects from Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara, Palestinian Territories, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and the Philippines.

    Included in the activities will be a chance to pitch projects to gatekeepers at international channels like Cartoon Network, RTVE and Movistar+. Confirmed experts participating this year include Eric Goossens (director, Walking the Dog), Charlotte De La Gournerie (producer, The Reward), Nicolas Schmerkin (producer, Logorama), Guillermo Garcia Carsi (creator, Pocoyo), Shamik Majumdar (creative director, Walt Disney Europe), Manuel Cristobal (producer, Wrinkles), Guadalupe Arensburg (head of short film acquisitions, Movistar+), Paco Rodriguez (consultant and executive producer), and representatives from Silly Walks studio.

    Rules and regulations, course content, registration costs, conditions of grants and application form are available on the BTG website.

    Bridging the Gap
    Bridging the Gap
  • ‘Nefertine on the Nile’ Best Pilot at Cartoons on the Bay

    ‘Nefertine on the Nile’ Best Pilot at Cartoons on the Bay

    Italian-French coproduction Nefertine on the Nile — a hybrid 2D & 3D animated 52 x 11 series from Graphilm and Cyber Group Studios — has won the Pulcinella Award for Best Pilot at the 2016 Cartoons on the Bay event. The comedy-adventure is currently in development and is aimed at kids ages 5-7.

    “After receiving the prestigious Pulcinella award for best international studio of the year in 2014, we are extremely gratified to receive this new award for our pilot of Nefertine coproduced with award winning studio Graphilm,” said Cyber Group’s Chairman & CEO Pierre Sissmann.

    Based on the book series All’ombra della piramidi (“In the Shadow of the Pyramids”) by Janna Carioli and Luisa Mattia, Nefertine on the Nile recounts the adventures of Nefertine: a special little girl endowed with lively intelligence, inexhaustible curiosity and plenty of courage. She dreams of being the first female scribe in the history of Egypt, so she can describe the wonderful world of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs with its many unique customs, traditions, colors and flavors. The budding young journalist uses her papyrus-diary to jot down the adventures she has with her best friend, Piramses.

    Cartoons on the Bay, home of the Pulcinella Awards, is an international television and transmedia animation festival held each year in Italy. The 2016 edition, held April 7-9 in Venice, marked the festival’s 20th anniversary.

    Nefertine on the Nile
    Nefertine on the Nile
  • DWA Adds Volume and Lustre to ‘Trolls’ Cast List

    DWA Adds Volume and Lustre to ‘Trolls’ Cast List

    The “mane” cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls continues grow with the announced addition of Hollywood notables Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Quvenzhané Wallis and John Cleese –who joins the previously announced musical star-studded cast lead by Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.

    Directed by Mike Mitchell (Shrek Forever After, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water) and co-directed by Walt Dohrn (head of story, Shrek Forever After), DreamWorks’ Trolls is a colorful, musical, fresh and funny take on the classic toy brand which introduces viewers to a wondrous world inhabited by the optimistic Trolls and the comedically pessimistic (and hungry) Bergens. Gina Shay serves as producer.

    Trolls features original music from Justin Timberlake as well as mash-ups of popular tunes. Previously announced cast members include Russell Brand, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, duo Icona Pop and Gwen Stefani.

    20th Century Fox begins the Trolls international theatrical rollout in select European market beginning October 13, with the U.S. release set for November 4.

    Trolls
    Trolls
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    The Next Scooby-Doo Movie Will Launch a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe
    WB’s CinemaCon presentation reveals the 2018 reboot, S.C.O.O.B., will unlock a Marvel-esque run of interconnected movies.

    See How Cuphead’s Incredible Cartoon Graphics Are Made
    Lead artist Chad Moldenhauer discusses hand-drawn, Fleischer-inspired animation in the inventive game, coming later this year to Xbox One and PC.

    Yorkshire Animation and 3D Firm to Launch Manchester Operation
    Virtual Resolution is staffing up its creative team, with Anthony Fraine to lead the new Northern England studio.

    Watch: Game of Thrones 360-Degree Video Dives into Virtual World
    The Seven Kingdoms come alive in an immersive version of the HBO show’s iconic title sequence, launched exclusively on Facebook.

    Boomerang to Roll Out Across Turkey
    Turner’s second flagship channel in the country will launch on National Children’s Day.

    Scooby Doo
    Scooby Doo
  • Latest ‘Secret Life of Pets’ Trailer Unleashed

    Latest ‘Secret Life of Pets’ Trailer Unleashed

    Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures have been turning out spots for their fifth animated feature The Secret Life of Pets with fair regularity, and now we get a third proper preview to show us a little bit more of the bitter “sibling” rivalry between loyal dog Max and his new adopted brother Duke, the chaos it leads to and the even more chaotic-chaos that ensues when Max’s pampered pet pals join forces with urban street animals and one power-mad puffball of a bunny in order to save the day.

    Coming out July 8, The Secret Life of Pets is directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio. The CG-animated comedy-adventure features the voices of Louis C.K. as Max, Eric Stonestreet as Duke, Lake Bell as Chloe, Ellie Kemper, Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks, Hannibal Buress, and Kevin Hart as our new favorite lapine lunatic, Snowball.

    The Secret Life of Pets
    The Secret Life of Pets
  • Director Ben Hibon Joins Psyop Film & TV

    Director Ben Hibon Joins Psyop Film & TV

    Award-winning director Ben Hibon has signed on with Psyop Film and Television, and will be joining the studio’s Vancouver office team as the company continues to expand its present in feature film and TV visual effects, visual development and creative direction.

    Hibon is a celebrated artist and animation director, having notably helmed the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of Three Brothers animated sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. He has worked as a creative collaborator with a number of major Hollywood directors, including Zack Snyder and Tarsem Singh. Hibon has also recently leant his skills as a designer to Rupert Sanders’ Snow White and the Huntsman and Breck Eisner’s The Last Witch Hunter.

    In addition to directing short films, Hibon has turned out TV commercials, branded content and videogame projects for clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Microsoft, Sony, Activision, Riot Games and Electronic Arts. You can check out his reel on the Pysop site.

    Psyop Film and Television is a premiere visual effects company with facilities in L.A. and Vancouver. Recent projects featuring Psyop’s work include David O. Russell’s Joy, the Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar! and the rebooted X-Files on FOX.

    Ben Hibon
    Ben Hibon
  • New Trailer for ‘Angry Birds’ Hatches

    New Trailer for ‘Angry Birds’ Hatches

    Rovio Entertainment’s long-awaited Angry Birds movie catapults into theaters on May 20, and the studio has let loose a new action-packed trailer that will hit you right in the giblets. The spot offers a glimpse into the source of Red’s anger, how the piggy invaders manage to make off with everyone’s eggs, and some of the cool powers the birds bust out to take revenge.

    The filmmakers have also come up with a fun new web game with Angrify.me, where you can snap or upload a selfie and customize your very own “angry” eyebrows before sharing your new look on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

    Directed by veteran Disney animator Clay Kaytis and SPA storyboard artist Fergal Reilly from a script by Jon Vitti, Angry Birds features the voices of Jason Sudeikis as Red, Josh Gad (Chuck), Danny McBride (Bomb), Kate McKinnon (Stella), Maya Rudolph (Matilda), Peter Dinklage (Mighty Eagle), Bill Hader, Keegan-Michael Key, Hannibal Buress and others.

    Angry Birds
    Angry Birds
  • Eko Launches Interactive Series ‘Charlie Gets Fired’

    Eko Launches Interactive Series ‘Charlie Gets Fired’

    Eko, a new platform for interactive entertainment, has launched original adult-targeted animated comedy series Charlie Gets Fired, now on helloeko.com.

    The premise hinges on Charlie, an unfortunate young man suffering from “User-Interactivitis” — a rare brain condition that makes a person say random words in the middle of a sentence. In Charlie’s world, the viewer picks what he’s going to blurt out, guiding his extremely awkward destiny.

    Charlie Gets Fired is the creation of Or & Tom, the Israeli comedy duo behind web series Ahmed & Salim and the viral Gag Quartet musical Internet meme-medley.

    Charlie Gets Fired
    Charlie Gets Fired
  • Sequence Group Opens Aussie Studio

    Sequence Group Opens Aussie Studio

    Award-winning Vancouver-based animation, design and VFX outfit The Sequence Group has opened a new studio in Melbourne, Australia. Creative director Luke Bicevskis will lead the Melbourne team in their work for high-profile clients like Disney and Microsoft.

    Dubbed Sequence Melbourne, the new facility will partner with Sequence headquarters in Vancouver on existing animation and film projects, and provide a powerful transnational resource to Australia and Asia’s booming creative sectors, while boosting overall working capacity and headcount.

    Sequence has made a name for itself with its design-centric animation and VFX work on narrative extensions for brands like Halo and Star Wars. The studio has won several industry honors, including an IAWTV Award, Bass Award and an Audience Award from the Sundance Online Film Festival. Recently, Sequence received an Accolade Global Film Competition Award for its animation work on Halo: Fall of Reach.

    The Sequence Group
    The Sequence Group
  • Corus & Netflix Ink Nickelodeon Content Streaming Deal in Canada

    Corus & Netflix Ink Nickelodeon Content Streaming Deal in Canada

    Corus Entertainment, the exclusive brand partner for Nickelodeon in Canada, announces a new content deal with Netflix which gives the streaming giant exclusive rights for the critically acclaimed Nick animated series The Legend of Korra, as well as live-action hits like iCarly, Sam & Cat and Victorious.

    As sole Canadian rights holder of Nickelodeon’s catalog of current content and library titles, Corus has the exclusive right to distribute digital content in Canada. Nickelodeon’s current lineup currently airs on Corus kids networks YTV and Nickelodeon Canada.

    Corus Entertainment
    Corus Entertainment
  • Vision Releases ‘Moomins and the Comet Chase’

    Vision Releases ‘Moomins and the Comet Chase’

    Vision Films, in conjunction with Global 3 Media, has accomplished the North American VOD & DVD release of Moomins and the Comet Chase — the family-friendly animated feature film based on the award-winning children’s books by Tove Jansson.

    Released April 12, the film features an all-star cast including Max von Sydow, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard, Mads Mikkelsen, Peter Stormare and Helena Mattsson, with original music composed and performed by Bjork. Comet Chase was produced by Filmkompaniet, Filmoteka Narodowa, Jupiter Film and Moomin Characters.

    Moomins and the Comet Chase was written by Joel Backström, Iivo Baric, Minna Karvonen and Anders Larsson and directed by Maria Lindberg. With the help of his father, Moominpappa (Stellan Skarsgård), Moomintroll (Alexander Skarsgård) and his worried friends embark on a journey to the observatory to find out why everything in their valley is covered in thick grey dust and the sky continues to get redder by the day. They discover a comet is heading straight for them, but can they make it back to Moominhouse to get everyone to safety in time?

    Moomins and the Comet Chase
    Moomins and the Comet Chase

  • Rainmaker Appoints Gregory Little SVP of Content

    Vancouver-based Rainmaker Entertainment — the studio behind the first-ever CG animated TV series, ReBoot — has appointed veteran content exec Gregory R. Little to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Content, effective immediately. Rainmaker is currently anticipating the April 29 release of the videogame inspired feature animation Ratchet & Clank, which it produced and served as lead financier for.

    Based in Los Angeles, Little will head the studio’s content efforts, anchoring both the creative and strategic sides of the business. Little will oversee creative development, content strategy and sales. His role includes developing business strategies that take advantage of emerging platforms and new distribution models. He will report to Rainmaker’s President and CCO, Michael Hefferon.

    The new appointment marks Little’s return to the studio, where he was previously Head of Development and Executive Producer on Rainmaker’s first 3D CG theatrical feature, Escape from Planet Earth, which he brought to the company as a pitch.

    From 2010-2014, Little was executive producer and head of the U.S. operations of Dublin-based Brown Bag Films (Doc McStuffins, Peter Rabbit). Prior to this, he was VP of Development for The Gotham Group, overseeing the company’s first-look deal with Sony Pictures Animation for hybrid and animated features. As Head of Development at Rainmaker from 2005-2009, Little spearheaded the studio’s original content creation with Escape from Planet Earth. His production credits also include DVD titles The Nutty Professor: Face the Fear and Tony Hawk in Boom-Boom Sabotage. Little began his career in feature development as a vice president with the Mark Gordon Company in 2001.

    In addition to looking forward to the imminent release of Ratchet & Clank — based on the popular Playstation games from Sony and Insomniac Games — Rainmaker’s television division, Mainframe, is busy completing production on HIT Entertainment’s new, updated Bob the Builder preschool series, and preparing to begin production on ReBoot: The Guardian Code, a hybrid live-action/CG 26-episode series which will incorporate cutting-edge technology and multi-platform reach.

    Rainmaker Entertainment
    Rainmaker Entertainment
  • Funimation Digs Up ‘Empire of Corpses’ Trailer

    Funimation Digs Up ‘Empire of Corpses’ Trailer

    Funimation has released the official trailer for the English dubbed version of Ryoutarou Makihara and WIT Studio’s The Empire of Corpses. The North American anime specialists will present the film in theaters across the U.S. on April 19 & 20 — showtimes, more information and tickets available here.

    Synopsis:

    In an alternate version of 19th century London, the world has been revolutionized by “corpse reanimation technology” creating armies of undead who serve the living as laborers across the globe. In an attempt to revive his dearly departed friend, young medical student John Watson becomes obsessed with replicating the work of Dr. Victor Frankenstein-the legendary corpse engineer whose research produced the only re-animated corpse to possess a soul. But when his illegal experiments put him at odds with the British government, Watson is drafted into a worldwide race to find the lost research notes of Victor Frankenstein before the secrets of the human soul fall into the wrong hands.

    The Empire of Corpses
    The Empire of Corpses