Rovio Entertainment’s kid-friendly ToonsTV video on demand app — which has so far accrued over 5.6 billion views — is now available worldwide through Apple TV in the App Store. Free to download and with no in-app purchases, ToonsTV features more than 30 channels of family entertainment favorites — including Aardman Animation’s Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, National Geographic’s Zooville and of course, Angry Birds Toons from the Finnish studio.
Launched just in time for the Easter holiday, ToonsTV for Apple TV launched with an “Eggs, Eggs, Eggs” channel full of seasonal content, including an all-new Angry Birds Toons episode, “EggsHaustion.” Main feathered hero Red also starred in a series of Easter Egg “unwrapping” videos in honor of the occasion.
ToonsTV is Rovio’s second app to launch on Apple TV. The first was the racing title Angry Birds Go!, which arrived in February and has since hit number one on the games download charts in 85 countries.
DreamWorks Animation pulled back the curtain and unveiled some of the details of its upcoming Netflix Original Series, Voltron: Legendary Defender at WonderCon in L.A. over the weekend. This included a special sneak peek at the new 13-episode series and the premiere date announcement, with the rebooted toon set to debut June 10.
The release date was revealed during a special Voltron panel with executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery and writer Tim Hedrick — all of whom are veterans of the acclaimed Nickelodeon series The Legend of Korra. The panelists also introduced voice cast members Tyler Labine (Hunk/Yellow Lion), Josh Keaton (Shiro/Black Lion), Jeremy Shada (Lance/Blue Lion), Bex Taylor-Klaus (Pidge/Green Lion), Kimberly Brooks (Princess Allura) and Rhys Darby (Coran) — with Steven Yeun (Keith/Red Lion) checking in with a surprise video greeting.
“As children of the ’80s who grew up with Voltron, what was there not to love? You had 5 awesome lions, piloted by 5 awesome heroes who combined to form a giant, sword wielding Titan!,” say Dos Santos. “It unapologetically married Sci-fi and Fantasy in one incredibly over the top, bombastic package. Fans of the new series [Voltron: Legendary Defender] can look for us to keep all those elements, but also expect a much more fleshed out universe with a rich backstory and characters who will evolve over the course of the series.”
Voltron: Legendary Defender(L-R: Josh Keaton, Steven Yeun, Bex Taylor Klaus, Jeremy Shada, Tyler Labine) (Lauren Montgomery, Joaquim Dos Santos)
Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures are getting in the holiday spirit, offering a special Easter greeting to fans with a special video message starring Kevin Hart’s The Secret Life of Pets character, Snowball — who is not your Hallmark Card idea of an Easter Bunny.
Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney, The Secret Life of Pets also features the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate and Albert Brooks. The CG-animated comedy-adventure about what really happens to our pets when we leave for the day comes out July 8.
Gallery Nucleus in the Los Angeles area is putting on a special tribute exhibition in honor of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s novella, The Little Prince — recently adapted into a CG and Stop-Motion animated feature directed by Mark Osborne (who is one of the participating artists in the show) and coming to Netflix later this year.
An opening reception for The Little Prince: The Art of the Movie will take place Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m., preceded by a panel and signing event from 3-6 p.m. The artwork will be displayed until April 3.
Exhibiting artists include: Alexander Juhasz, Allie Strom, Betsy Bauer, Carrie Liao, Cheyenne Curtis, Chris Appelhans, Heather Franzen, Janice Chu, Kevin Jay Stanton, Leonardo Santamaria, Mark Osborne, Maddie Osborne, Manddy Wyckens, Mathilde Kitteh, Mayumi Nose, Naoshi, Pauline Meriaut, Philip Light, Seb Mesnard, Tiffany Ford, Tran Nguyen, Violane Briat and Zoe Persico.
The Walt Disney Studios has released an interactive 360 video and virtual reality experience inspired by its upcoming live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book — exclusively on Facebook.
Viewers are plopped into Mowgli’s metaphorical shoes as he meets the mesmerizing snake Kaa (voiced by Scarlett Johannson) for the first time in “Through Mowgli’s Eyes Part 1: Trust in Me,” which arrived on The Jungle Book Facebook page Thursday and is available as a VR experience in select AMC IMAX theaters across the country.
Are you brave enough to trussssst her? See Kaa’s Jungle Through Mowgli’s Eyes, a Facebook 360 Experience.
Posted by The Jungle Book on Thursday, March 24, 2016
Following the unprecedented simultaneous release, the studio will release additional content that will transport audiences deeper into the film’s world. Director Jon Favreau personally oversaw production and direction of both experiences, working closely with the VFX teams that created the incredible CG animal characters and settings of the film.
The “Mowgli” VR tour in IMAX will hit AMC Theatres in Los Angeles, Houston and Boston (3/24-3/27); San Diego, Kansas City and New York (4/1-4/3); San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia (4/8-4/10); Seattle, Minneapolis and Washington D.C. (4/14-4/17).
[caption id="attachment_208403" align="aligncenter" width="620"]The Jungle Book[/caption]
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have revealed the nominees for the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, being held Sunday, May 1 — preceded by the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Friday, April 29. The ceremonies will be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and will not be broadcast this year.
Leading the nomination totals for animated series are DreamWorks Animation Television’s slate of original programs for Netflix streaming. PBS and Nickelodeon toons also have a strong showing this year, with Disney Junior, Discovery Family and Amazon Instant Video series also contending for a variety of categories this year.
In addition, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation awards will be presented to Character Designer Chad Weatherford (Dinotrux, Netflix), Storyboard Artist Benjamin Sanders (Peter Rabbit, Nickelodeon), Production Designer Mike Houston (The Mind of a Chef, PBS) and Supervising Animator Michael Granberry (Tumble Leaf, Amazon Instant Video).
Daytime Emmy Nominations
Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Animated Program
Dinosaur Train PBS
Henry Hugglemonster Disney Junior
Peg + Cat PBS
Tumble Leaf Amazon Instant Video
Wallykazam! Nickelodeon
Outstanding Children’s Animated Program
All Hail King Julien Netflix
Dragons: Race to the Edge Netflix
Niko and the Sword of Light Amazon Instant Video
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show Netflix
WordGirl PBS
Outstanding Special Class Animated Program
Miles from Tomorrowland Disney Junior
Peter Rabbit Nickelodeon
Transformers Robots in Disguise Cartoon Network
Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program
Danny Jacobs (King Julien), All Hail King Julien Netflix
Carlos Alazraqui (Mr. Crocker), The Fairly OddParentsNickelodeon
Eric Bauza (Puss in Boots, Sino), The Adventures of Puss in Boots Netflix
Jeff Bennett (Mayor Luskey), Transformers Rescue Bots Discovery Family
Reid Scott (Turbo), Turbo FAST Netflix
Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Animated Program
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood PBS
Doc McStuffins Disney Junior
Peg + Cat PBS
Sheriff Callie’s Wild West Disney Junior
Wallykazam! Nickelodeon
Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program
All Hail King Julien Netflix
Dragons: Race to the Edge Netflix
Nature Cat PBS
Transformers Rescue Bots Discovery Family
Wild Kratts PBS
Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program
All Hail King Julien Netflix
Peg + Cat PBS
Peter Rabbit Nickelodeon
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show Netflix
Tumble Leaf Amazon Instant Video
Outstanding Interactive Media – Enhancement to a Daytime Program or Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show syndicated
Nickelodeon Halo Awards Walk The Moon 360 Experience Nickelodeon
Odd Squad PBS
Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave: Companion App Sprout
Outstanding Sound Mixing Animation
All Hail King Julien Netflix
Dinotrux Netflix
Dragons: Race to the Edge Netflix
Miles from Tomorrowland Disney Junior
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon
Outstanding Sound Editing Animation
All Hail King Julien Netflix
Dinotrux Netflix
Dragons: Race to the Edge Netflix
Miles from Tomorrowland Disney Junior
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon
Outstanding Original Song
“Fairy Tale Wedding,” Peg + CatPBS
“Little Froggie,” Bubble Guppies Nickelodeon
“The Magic Inside,” My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Discovery Family
Turner Broadcasting’s Adult Swim have answered many anime fans’ wishes by announcing that an official sequel to the hit series FLCL (Fooly Cooly) will be arriving on the channel’s Toonami block in late 2017 or early 2018. Adult Swim is teaming up with Japanese studio Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell) for two new six-episode seasons that will continue FLCL’s manic tale, which began to unfold in 2000.
Back for the new season is FLCL series creator Kazuya Tsurumaki, serving as supervisor with director Katsuyuki Motohiro (Psycho-Pass) and character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Also joining this season is writer Hideto Iwai (Last Dinner).
The fresh adventures pick up many years after 12-year-old Naota and the woman who changes his life forever, Haruhara Haruko, first crosses paths. Meanwhile, the war between the Medical Mechanica and the Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who doesn’t expect much from her average life — until anew teacher named Haruko arrives, shortly followed by the attacking Medical Mechanica. It is then that Hidomi discovers a secret within hre that could save everyone, but that only Haruko can unlock.
…But why did Haruko return to Earth? What happened to her Rickenbacker 4001 that she left with Naota? And where did the human-type robot Canti go? Fans will have to wait until FLCL returns to airwaves to find out.
The fandom debates about the caliber of live-action flick Batman v Superman continue to rage, but there’s one thing we can probably all agree on: WB’s new teaser for LEGO Batman is all we had hoped for. Slated for release on February 10, 2017, the CG adventure-comedy is produced by Warner Animation Group, Animal Logic and DC Entertainment.
Having become an established favorite of LEGO/DC’s irreverent animated originals for home video — and stolen the show as part of WB and Animal Logic’s surprise smash-hit The LEGO Movie (2014) — LEGO Batman now gets his very own theatrical adventure. We don’t have an official synopsis yet, but the teaser offers a glimpse of the off-the-chain action, cocksure comedy and delicious lobster thermidor audiences can expect.
Will Arnett returns as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne, with Rosario Dawson as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth, Michael Cera as Robin/Dick Grayson, Zach Galifianakis as The Joker, and Mariah Carey as Mayor Marion Grange. Robot Chicken writer-director Chris McKay is helming the spinoff — he served as animation co-director and supervisor on the prior LEGO flick.
KQED’s Film School Shorts has acquired Kesley Goldych’s Savannah College of Art and Design animation film Trash Cat, following its screening at SXSW in Austin. The short joins the Film School Shorts lineup and will air as part of the half-hour weekly series showcasing student film works from across the country. The next season premieres in September.
Trash Cat tells the story of a feisty kitty getting into the ultimate mischief. Filmmaker Kelsey Goldych is a San Diego-based director and writer, and graduated from SCAD with a BFA in animation.
“For animation students at SCAD, our final project is to make a short film, so that’s how Trash Cat came about!” says Goldych. “I knew I wanted to make something about a girl and her cat, and I think I got lucky enough to have a lot of personal experience with that. The film is inspired by a lot of similar shenanigans my own cat pulls and I think you can see a lot of her personality shine through in the film’s main star. It was great to be able to work with such a talented cast and crew. The film would not be what it is without them!”
Gaumont Vice-CEO Christophe Riandee has announced that the company is expanding its animation activities in the U.S., growing its animated feature division and increasing activity for its established animate series business. To spearhead these efforts, Gaumont has tapped industry veteran Nicolas Atlan for the newly created position of President of Animation, and Terry Kalagian as Vice President, Creative for Animation.
Both execs will be based in Los Angeles and report directly to Riandee and CEO Sidonie Dumas. Atlan will split his time between the L.A. and Paris offices and work closely with president of sales Cecile Gaget for movies, president of Gaumont Television US Gene Stein, and president of international distribution for Gaumont Television Erik Pack. In Paris, Pierre Belaisch will continue to serve as president of animation with a focus on European TV series, and will report to Atlan.
Atlan joins Gaumont from Splash Entertainment, where he has been co-CEO since February 2014 following the company’s rebranding from Moonscoop. He has also served as president of VOD platform Kabillion. Atlan joined Moonscoop in 1994, working in its Paris HQ for 15 years. In 2009, he relocated to Moonscoop’s L.A. office, where he oversaw daily studio operations. Atlan’s executive producer credits include Code Lyoko, Fantastic 4, Sabrina: Secret of a Teenage Witch and the recently announced Netflix original Kulipari: An Army of Frogs.
New animation veep Terry Kalagian is a multitalented entertainment executive with almost 20 years of experience across various facets of the industry. She has assisted both U.S. and international entertainment companies and organizations drive new business and develop, acquire and produce new properties for kids and family audiences. Kalagian has worked with internationally respected companies like Mattel, Marvel, Starz Media, Cartoon Network, Polygon Pictures, ADK and Blink Studios. Prior to joining Gaumont, she was VP of business development for Rainmaker Entertainment. During her tenure at Turner, she led acquisitions and co-productions for Cartoon Network and Boomerang in the U.S.
DHX Media has secured 10 new broadcast deals for its updated Teletubbies series with networks across the globe. The preschool series has been licensed to: TVE’s Clan (Spain), BBC Worldwide’s CBeebies (Africa, Asia, Poland), Hop! Media Group (Israel), Nickelodeon (Greece), NPO Zappelin (Netherlands), MTVA’s M2 (Hungary), JimJam (Benelux), SIC (Portugal), e-Junior (Middle East) and Ultra (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia).
These join previously announced broadcasting partners CBeebies (U.K.), Nick Jr. (U.S.), Family Jr. (Canada), Gulli (France), Rai YoYo (Italy) and ABC Kids (Australia).
Featuring the voices of notable British actors including Jim Broadbent, Jane Horrocks, Daniel Rigby, Fearne Cotton and Antonia Thomas, the new iteration of Teletubbies follows the same well-loved characters and styling of the original 1997 series but incorporates visual enhancements with a refreshed, contemporary look and feel. The contemporary show also incorporates 21st century elements like the Touch Screen tummy TVs and hi-tech Tubby Phone.
Amazon Original Kids Series Thunderbirds Are Go will be debuting on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. on April 22. Prime members will be able to check out a sneak preview on April 15 with the one-hour, two part special Ring of Fire. All 13 episodes of the first season will be available April 22 for streaming and download, with subsequent Prime Video rollouts to the U.K., Germany and Austria to follow thanks to a deal with international distribution partner ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
A reinvention of the classic puppet series, Thunderbirds Are Go features the world’s most famous family of heroes, International Rescue. Starring Rosamund Pike as Lady Penelope, the show follows the five brave Tracy brothers as they perform impossible rescues around the globe with the help of their cutting-edge Thunderbird vehicles, which help them tackle all challenges from the depths of the ocean to the highest reaches of space.
Thunderbirds Are Go combines CGI animation and live-action model sets, and is produced by ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures in collaboration with Weta Workshop. The series is produced by Estelle Hughes (Driver Dan’s Story Train), Giles Ridge (Pocoyo), Richard Taylor (The Lord of the Rings) and Andrew Smith (District 9), written by Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, Teen Titans) and directed by David Scott (LEGO Star Wars) and Theo Baynton (The Wotwots).
Animation Magazine editor-in-chief Tom McLean will be moderating a panel on Thunderbirds Are Go during WonderCon at the Los Angeles Convention Center tomorrow (Friday, March 25). McLean will be joined by head writer Rob Hoegee, David Graham (voice of Parker), David Menkin (voice of Virgil and Gordon Tracy) and Andres Williams (voice of The Hood) at 5 p.m. in room 151.
Corus Entertainment has appointed Deirdre Brennan as Vice President of Content for Corus Kids. A globally respected leader in children’s content, Brennan will oversee all content aspects of the Corus Kids portfolio, which includes YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon, TELETOON, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD in Canada.
Based at the Toronto headquarters at Corus Quay, Brennan will lead Corus Kids’ original programming, acquisitions and scheduling teams, and will be responsible for the development, management and execution of the entire Corus Kids slate of programming. She will also play a key role in expanding Corus Kids’ global partnerships with children broadcasters, creators and talent. She will report to Colin Bohm, Executive Vice President, Corus Kids.
Brennan was most recently at ABC TV as Head of Children’s overseeing ABC KIDS, ABC3, ABC Children’s iview and online. Her previous roles include General Manager, BBC Worldwide where she managed the BBC Worldwide portfolio of channels in Australia/New Zealand, and Director of Programming for Nickelodeon Australia. Deirdre is a member of the International Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences.
Leading European producer-distributor Mondo TV will be bringing a strong slate of animated content to the MIPTV market in Cannes next month. These include forthcoming co-productions as well as planned or ongoing third party representations.
Among the highlights are a trio of imminent new titles for younger viewers. Adventures in Duckport (52 x 11; Kids 4-8) features many of the popular characters of the Suzy’s Zoo publishing brand as they save the day or get into trouble (sometimes both). Eddie Is a Yeti (52 x 3) is a comedic story about an unlikely friendship between a little girl and a mythic creature. And Nori Roller Coaster Boy (52 x 11) centers on a little boy roller coaster living in Nori Park, who must defend his home from scheming bad guys.
Action-adventure offerings include car racing meets space travel series Drakers (26 x 26), sci-fi epic Partidel (26 x 13), in which a group of youngsters fight a tyrannical robot; Dinofroz Dragons’ Revenge (52 x 26), about a mysterious board game opens a portal to a dimension where kids become dinosaurs; and Secret Wings Pollen Princesses (26 x 13), which follows Ladybird princess Poppy on her quest to discover the magic wings that will help her save her world of Pollen Island from the evil Lavender.
Also on tap are the historically-inspired, romantic Sissi the Young Empress (52 x 26), R.L. Stevenson re-imagining The Treasure Island (26 x 26); and preschool series Playtime Buddies (26 x 13), Yoohoo & Friends 3D The New Adventure (52 x 11) and Cuby Zoo (52 x 11).
Mondo TV will be exhibiting at booth P-1.N1 / P-1M2 at MIPTV.
PBS Kids is preparing to debut the first-ever Peg + Cat television movie, Peg and Cat Save the World. Premiering March 28, the one-hour special will be followed by a week of fresh, math-inspired adventures of the Emmy-winning Fred Rogers Company series, beginning April 4.
Peg and Cat Save the World sends the duo to Washington, D.C., where they help the President of the United States (voiced by Sandra Oh) avert a major crisis. When strange signals are coming from space, Peg and Cat must use shapes to study patterns of the signals to save Earth. After learning about a major problem in the nation’s capital, they call everyone they know to help save Earth from a planet-sized pig. The two-part movie highlights math and problem-solving skills.
The special will air throughout the week of March 28, and will be avialable for free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App. Peg + Cat is co-created and executive produced by Jennifer Oxley (Little Bill, The Wonder Pets) and Billy Aronson (Rent, Postcards from Buster) and produced by The Fred Rogers Company for PBS KIds. Production partner 9 Story Media’s Kevin Morrison and Vince Commisso also serve as EPs.
Additional info on new episodes of Peg + Cat available here.
