Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Hasbro, Paramount Enter Five Film Partnership

    Hasbro, Paramount Enter Five Film Partnership

    Hasbro and Paramount Pictures will be collaborating on five theatrical features based on the toy company’s properties, to be produced by Hasbro’s film branch Allspark Pictures. The companies hope to produces another box office buster like their Transformers franchise, which has earned $3.8 billion to date.

    The agreement will see the partners establish a “cross-property, interconnected onscreen universe” which will weave together the worlds of G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, M.A.S.K. and ROM.

    “Hasbro and Allspark Pictures put storytelling at the center of everything that we do. These brands are filled with memorable stories and vivid characters, and this Universe creates a framework for how they will become interconnected,” says Brian Goldner, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Hasbro. “Extending our partnership with Paramount allows us to continue our long-term strategy and overall vision to build dynamic worlds for all of our brands, and we are thrilled to collaborate with them as we develop these properties.”

    Paramount Pictures
    Paramount Pictures
  • Disney, Alibaba Bringing DisneyLife OTT in China

    Disney, Alibaba Bringing DisneyLife OTT in China

    The Walt Disney Company and online mobile commerce giant Alibaba Group have inked a multiyear license agreement to bring over-the-top content service DisneyLife to users in China. The service is accessed through a minimalist Mickey Mouse inspired device now available for pre-sale, with a one-year subscription included.

    “Disney and Alibaba share an ambition to exceed our audience’s expectations. DisneyLife directly connects us to China’s digital population and provides millions of kids and families the ability to explore and engage with Disney.”

    DisneyLife, recently launched in the U.K., is a direct-to-consumer digital service that brings subscribers a vast collection of Disney and Pixar movies, animated series, games, e-books, music and even series and resorts and parks information. More information for English readers available at disneylife.co.uk.

    DisneyLife device
    DisneyLife device
  • ‘YooHoo & Friends’ Goes Green for Publishing Deal

    ‘YooHoo & Friends’ Goes Green for Publishing Deal

    Eco-friendly publishing group Green Kids Club (GKC) is teaming up with Aurora World, licensing their YooHoo & Friends endangered species characters for a series of exclusive, globally distributed books.

    The stories will follow GKC’s young environmentalists Victor, Maya and Tiago join forces with furry friends Pammee and YooHoo on a quest to save Earth’s animals and their habitats. The books ar expected to hit shelves by the end of Q1 2016.

    The GKC picture books are designed to teach young children the importance of environmental stewardship, especially the issues surrounding animal-human interaction such as habitat encroachment, poaching and extinction. The series also covers sustainability, mitigation and preservation as it relates to animals and their homes.

    YooHoo & Friends
    YooHoo & Friends
  • JumpStart Adds Second ‘Dragons’ Expansion

    JumpStart Adds Second ‘Dragons’ Expansion

    Learning-based gaming company JumpStart announces a second expansion pack for its popular massively multiplayer online game School of Dragons title, with “Battle for the Edge” launching ahead of the premiere of DreamWorks’ Dragons: Race to the Edge season 2 on Netflix, January 8. The new content follows the highly successful Call of the Death Song expansion and was built using feedback from the School of Dragons online community.

    In School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge, players encounter a seemingly friendly pirate named Harald, who helps the Vikings triumph over the Dragon Hunters that invade the island of Dragon’s Edge. In the aftermath of battle, players must rebuild and fortify their base, learn defense strategies, and keep the Dragon Hunters at bay. For the first time, players can customize their own Viking hideouts, where they can raise and train their dragon, as well as purchase items and decorations.

    The expansion pack challenges players with 22 new quests spread over nine never before seen lands: Dragon’s Edge, Dark Deep, Scuttleclaw Island, Hobblegrunt Island, Armorwing Island, Glacier Island, Mudraker Island, Zippleback Island, and Dragon Hunters’ Outpost. Educational content players encounter spans core scientific concepts like adaptation to environments, the impact of invasive species, and how forces and motion influence the speed and direction of objects.

    Battle for the Edge is available for free with all School of Dragons membership packages, and available for $9.99 or 10,000 Gems for non-members to purchase. School of Dragons is available to download on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Windows, Steam and at schoolofdragons.com.

    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
    School of Dragons: Battle for the Edge
  • ‘7D’ Season Two Sees Osbourne Family Reunion

    ‘7D’ Season Two Sees Osbourne Family Reunion

    An interesting roster of notable guest stars are lined up for season two of Disney XD’s The 7D — a comedic take on the Seven Dwarfs –which kicks off Saturday, January 23 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. Kelly Osbourne’s real-life parents Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne will even pop up, playing her character Hildy Gloom’s parents: The Duke and Duchess of Drear.

    Other season two guest stars include Fran Drescher as Encyclopedia Enchantica, a talking tome that provides the 7D with a wealth of knowledge; Amy Sedaris as Nocturna, the kooky keeper of nightmares; Jim Belushi as Coach Coachy, the world’s greatest Jollyball coach; Jay Mohr as both King Groucherooney (Grumpy’s cantankerous cousin) and Suave Seashell, a flashy game show host; George Takei as Dr. Sweet Tooth, Jollywood’s cheery dentist; and “Weird Al” Yankovic as Shapeshifter, a villainous sorcerer who can morph into any form.

    The season two premiere episode, “When Pigs Fly/Knight School,” tasks the 7D with stopping a group of flying pigs from eating all the food in Jollywood, then Bashful enrolls in Knight School to win the Queen’s attention back from a charming, dragon-fighting knight.

    Executive produced by Tom Ruegger, the series regularly features the voices of Kelly Osbourne, Jess Harnell (as Grim Gloom), Leigh-Allyn Baker (Queen Delightful), Disney Legend Bill Farmer (Doc), Maurice LaMarche (Grumpy), Kevin Michael Richardson (Happy), Dee Bradley Baker (Dopey), Scott Menville (Sneezy), Stephen Stanton (Sleepy), Billy West (Bashful) and Paul Rugg (Lord Starchbottom).

    ‘7D’ Season Two Sees Osbourne Family Reunion
    7D Season Two Sees Osbourne Family Reunion
  • Salma Hayek Named TheWIFTS Animation Awardee

    Actress, producer and director Salma Hayek has been named as the recipient of The Women’s International Film & Television Showcase (TheWIFTS) Animation Award 2015 for her labor of love adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. Hayek is one of 23 honorees for this year’s International Visionary Awards, being held for the eighth year this month at Knoll, West Hollywood.

    Hayek produced The Prophet and performed as a voice actor in anthology-style animated take on the classic work. Born and raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, Hayek studied International Relations in college in her home country before embarking on her celebrated film and television career. Among her notable roles is Frida Kahlo in the biopic Frida — which she also produced, and for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA Award.

    Also being honored this year is Britt Allcroft, the creator of the hit Thomas & Friends animation franchise. Allcroft will receive The Television Pioneer Award. More information about the honorees and the vent can be found at www.thewifts.org.

    Salma Hayek
    Salma Hayek
  • ‘Force Awakens’ Opening Shatters Multiple Records

    ‘Force Awakens’ Opening Shatters Multiple Records

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first new film in the franchise since Disney’s acquisition, has raked in an estimated $57 million from Thursday evening preview screenings. This handily breaks the previous record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which had held since 2011 at $43.5 million.

    On top of the domestic triumph, Force Awakens has already totted up $72.7 million since it began rolling out internationally on Wednesday with 12 markets, adding 32 more yesterday. This gives the J.J. Abrams-directed saga a global cumulative take of $130 million. Japan and Spain will see openings Friday.

    Other records falling to the hotly anticipated title include all-time Thursday single day B.O., which was previously set at $50 million by Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005); and the December single day record of $37.13 million set by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Force Awakens is expected to surpass on Friday the $84.62 million December opening weekend record also set by The Hobbit. The preview night also broke the IMAX tickets record set by Avengers: Age of Ultron earlier this year, with $5.7 million.

    Boxofficemojo adds that The Force Awakens is now the largest single day performer of all time in UK/Ireland ($14.4m), Germany ($7.1m), Sweden ($1.7m) and Norway ($1.1.m) and boasts the largest opening day in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland (French-speaking) and Ukraine.

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • 112 Original Scores Advance Towards Oscar Nominations

    112 Original Scores Advance Towards Oscar Nominations

    The Academy has announced that 112 feature scores are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the upcoming 88th Academy Awards, taking place in Hollywood February 28. Nominees will be announced January 14. The scores under consideration are listed below in alphabetical order, with animated features in bold.

    Adult Beginners, Marcelo Zarvos, composer

    The Age of Adaline, Rob Simonsen, composer

    Altered Minds, Edmund Choi, composer

    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Mark Mothersbaugh, composer

    Anomalisa, Carter Burwell, composer

    Ant-Man, Christophe Beck, composer

    Beasts of No Nation, Dan Romer, composer

    The Big Short, Nicholas Britell, composer

    Black Mass, Tom Holkenborg, composer

    Bridge of Spies, Thomas Newman, composer

    Brooklyn, Michael Brook, composer

    Burnt, Rob Simonsen, composer

    By the Sea, Gabriel Yared, composer

    Carol, Carter Burwell, composer

    Cartel Land, H. Scott Salinas and Jackson Greenberg, composers

    Chi-Raq, Terence Blanchard, composer

    Cinderella, Patrick Doyle, composer

    Coming Home, Qigang Chen, composer

    Concussion, James Newton Howard, composer

    Creed, Ludwig Goransson, composer

    The Danish Girl, Alexandre Desplat, composer

    The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Joseph Trapanese, composer

    Dukhtar, Peter Nashel, composer

    The End of the Tour, Danny Elfman, composer

    Everest, Dario Marianelli, composer

    Ex Machina, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, composers

    Far from the Madding Crowd, Craig Armstrong, composer

    Fifty Shades of Grey, Danny Elfman, composer

    5 Flights Up, David Newman, composer

    Frame by Frame, Patrick Jonsson, composer

    Freedom, James Lavino, composer

    Furious Seven, Brian Tyler, composer

    The Good Dinosaur, Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, composers

    Goosebumps, Danny Elfman, composer

    Grandma, Joel P. West, composer

    The Hateful Eight, Ennio Morricone, composer

    He Named Me Malala, Thomas Newman, composer

    Hot Pursuit, Christophe Beck, composer

    Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Christophe Beck, composer

    The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, James Newton Howard, composer

    The Hunting Ground, Miriam Cutler, composer

    I Smile Back, Zack Ryan, composer

    I’ll See You in My Dreams, Keegan DeWitt, composer

    In the Heart of the Sea, Roque Baños, composer

    Inside Out, Michael Giacchino, composer

    The Intern, Theodore Shapiro, composer

    It Follows, Disasterpeace, composer

    Jalam, Ouesppachan, composer

    Jurassic World, Michael Giacchino, composer

    Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, Gabriel Yared, composer

    Kingsman: The Secret Service, Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson, composers

    Krampus, Douglas Pipes, composer

    La Jaula de Oro, Jacobo Lieberman and Leonardo Heiblum, composers

    The Lady in the Van, George Fenton, composer

    The Last Witch Hunter, Steve Jablonsky, composer

    Learning to Drive, Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks, composers

    Legend, Carter Burwell, composer

    Little Accidents, Marcelo Zarvos, composer

    The Longest Ride, Mark Isham, composer

    Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Holkenborg, composer

    The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Daniel Pemberton, composer

    The Martian, Harry Gregson-Williams, composer

    Max, Trevor Rabin, composer

    Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, John Paesano, composer

    Meru, J. Ralph, composer

    Minions, Heitor Pereira, composer

    Mr. Holmes, Carter Burwell, composer

    Mistress America, Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, composers

    My All American, John Paesano, composer

    Nachom-ia Kumpasar, Ronnie Monsorate, composer

    99 Homes, Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales, composers

    Our Brand Is Crisis, David Wingo, composer

    Pan, John Powell, composer

    Paper Towns, Son Lux, composer

    Paranoid Girls, Javier del Santo, composer

    Pawn Sacrifice, James Newton Howard, composer

    The Peanuts Movie, Christophe Beck, composer

    Pixels, Henry Jackman, composer

    Poached, Mark Orton, composer

    Pod, Giona Ostinelli, composer

    Poltergeist, Marc Streitenfeld, composer

    Racing Extinction, J. Ralph, composer

    Room, Stephen Rennicks, composer

    Salt Bridge, Marciano Telese, composer

    San Andreas, Andrew Lockington, composer

    The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Thomas Newman, composer

    Set Fire to the Stars, Gruff Rhys, composer

    Shaun the Sheep Movie, Ilan Eshkeri, composer

    Sicario, Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer

    Southpaw, James Horner, composer

    Spectre, Thomas Newman, composer

    The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, John Debney, composer

    Spotlight, Howard Shore, composer

    Spy, Theodore Shapiro, composer

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Williams, composer

    Steve Jobs, Daniel Pemberton, composer

    Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, Jim Copperthwaite, composer

    Stonewall, Rob Simonsen, composer

    Suffragette, Alexandre Desplat, composer

    Taken 3, Nathaniel Mechaly, composer

    Ted 2, Walter Murphy, composer

    Testament of Youth, Max Richter, composer

    The 33, James Horner, composer

    Tomorrowland, Michael Giacchino, composer

    True Story, Marco Beltrami, composer

    Trumbo, Theodore Shapiro, composer

    Truth, Brian Tyler, composer

    Victor Frankenstein, Craig Armstrong, composer

    The Walk, Alan Silvestri, composer

    The Water Diviner, David Hirschfelder, composer

    Wolf Totem, James Horner, composer

    Z for Zachariah, Heather McIntosh, composer

    Oscars
    Oscars
  • Clips: ‘Dawn of the Croods’ Arrives Dec. 24

    Clips: ‘Dawn of the Croods’ Arrives Dec. 24

    DreamWorks Animation Television’s Dawn of the Croods will premiere on Netflix worldwide on December 24, but you can get a first look at the series adaptation of the popular prehistoric family flick. In this original animated sitcom, Eep, Grug, Thunk, Ugga, Sandy and Gran take the Croodaceous era by storm as they deal with modern day problems for the first time in history — things like school, slumber parties, elections and more. Cast includes Laraine Newman (Gran, One-Eyed Amber), Chris Parnell (Snoot) and Ana Gasteyer (Meep).

    Dawn of the Croods
    When the snooty Boors move into the cave next to the Croods, Grug and Ugga quickly realize that neighbors don’t always get along.  Tune in to see if the stubborn Croods can resolve the first family feud when Dawn of the Croods debuts exclusively on Netflix on 12/24. Photo: DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks Dawn of the Croods 2015 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved
    Dawn of the Croods
    Eep and Thunk are competing for a spot in the “in” crowd (inside the predator defense circle, that is), but first they’ll have to prove they have the guts to hang with a pair of Ahhh! Valley’s biggest predators: the Ramu’s.  You can find out which of the siblings gets to run with the cool kids when Dawn of the Croods debuts 12/24, exclusively on Netflix. Photo: DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks Dawn of the Croods 2015 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved

  • Hopster Lands in Iceland

    Hopster Lands in Iceland

    Education and entertainment kids’ content service Hopster has inked a deal with Vodafone in Iceland which will bring the fun to the mobile and IPTV producer’s SVOD platform, Vodafone PLAY. Hopster is now available on all three subscriptions — Vodafone PLAY, Vodafone PLAY M and Vodafone PLAY L — and will offer hundreds of local-language episodes of its selectively picked shows to kids across the country.

    Young viewers in Iceland will now be able to enjoy popular international preschool series in their native language, with translations of shows like Thomas & Friends, Pingu and Bob the Builder, in addition to some popular local nursery rhymes, all supporting Hopster’s special early years curriculum. Other localized versions of shows including Max & Ruby, Wanda and the Alien and Peg + Cat are in the works.

    Vodafone launched PLAY in April 2015. An accompanying mobile app similar to the English version is set to launch in Iceland early next year, and will include Hopster’s suite of educational games and interactive interface, all in Icelandic.

    Hopster Lands in Iceland
    Hopster Lands in Iceland
  • Aardman Launches ‘Shaun’ Game Ahead of Special

    Aardman Launches ‘Shaun’ Game Ahead of Special

    Aardman has unveiled their newest official Shuan the Sheep online game, Llama League, is now available. The charming diversion ties in to the premiere of the animation studio’s latest half-hour special, Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas, coming to BBC One in the U.K. on Boxing Day (Dec. 26th) at 6:15 p.m.

    Available for iOS and Android devices, Llama League is a hilarious, free to play football (the one that’s actually played with feet) game. Play as one of the unruly new additions to Mossy Bottom Farm and see if your llama has what it takes to become a star striker.

    The game has both single player (play against the flock) or competitive two-player modes and a range of crazy environments, from a lunar landscape to a Christmas-themed barn, a basketball court and an ice-covered lake. Players can earn rewards every time they score and can customize their kit and mix up gameplay with different arenas and even swap out their football for a beach ball, tennis ball or an “invisiball.”

    Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas
    Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas
    Llama League
    Llama League
    Llama League
    Llama League
    Llama League
    Llama League
  • Warner Bros. ‘Storks’ Teaser Delivers

    Warner Bros. ‘Storks’ Teaser Delivers

    Warner Bros. is offering up a glimpse at the fruits of its labors with the first teaser trailer for upcoming CG comedy Storks, set to hit theaters on September 23, 2016. The studio also released a first-look poster for the flick.

    Co-directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland from a script by Stoller, Storks blends an age-old folktale with the trials of modern commerce. Once the go-to baby delivery birds, storks nowadays deliver packages for giant global e-tailer CornerStore.com. Junior, their top delivery story, is on the verge of promotion when he accidentally switches on the Baby Making Machine and creates an unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to hand off the little bundle before his boss notices, Junior and his human friend Tulip set out on their first-ever, totally wild baby delivery mission.

    Storks features the voices of Andy Samberg, Kelsey Grammer, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Nicholas Stoller is best known for writing and directing live-action comedy features such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. Doug Sweetland is a Pixar feature animation veteran and also directed the short Presto.

    Storks
    Storks
  • Animation Production Day Open for Submissions

    Animation Production Day Open for Submissions

    The Animation Production Day (APD), taking place for the 10th year on April 28-29, 2016 during the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film and FMX, is now open for Project Submissions.

    German and international producers may enter by February 22. Each year, 30 to 35 animation projects for film, TV, games and transmedia are selected to participate, with a large number of participants finding production and financing partners at the event. Nearly a third of projects from recent editions have been produced.

    APD has been evolving over the last decade. The 2015 events hosted a special series dedicated to producers and contractors looking to network and seek out co-production opportunities, or offer special skills and services to potential projects. The 2016 APD will again feature this “Producers for Co-Production” series with additional improvements, such as more involvement from the games industry.

    Learn more at animationproductionday.de.

    Animation Production Day Open for Submissions
    Animation Production Day Open for Submissions
  • DHX, Mattel Launch Content Partnership

    DHX, Mattel Launch Content Partnership

    DHX Media and Mattel Inc. are entering a long-term partnership for the development, production and distribution of a range of new, multi-platform content for young audiences inspired by hit Mattel properties Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Little People and Polly Pocket.

    “Mattel is a truly iconic company and this deal builds upon DHX’s existing strategies for long-term global growth,” said Dana Landry, CEO of DHX Media. “The partnership plays extremely well to our complementary strengths – global content creation and distribution for DHX, and brand management and development for Mattel – and creates an amazing opportunity to amplify these celebrated Mattel franchises throughout the world.”

    Through the partnership, the companies will jointly fund, co-develop and co-produce new episodic, short-form and long-form content for the properties designed for traditional and digital platforms. Covering multiple revenue streams, the partnership takes effect January 1, though Mattel and DHX will begin creative and strategic collaboration immediately. DHX Distribution will manage global sales of existing and new content for the named properties.

    Bob the Builder
    Bob the Builder
  • ‘Little Charmers’ Enchants Agents Worldwide

    ‘Little Charmers’ Enchants Agents Worldwide

    Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana announces it has added on new licensing agents to build the Little Charmers brand worldwide. This includes new broadcast, home entertainment and L&M partnerships.

    In Australia and New Zealand, licensing representation rights have gone to The Fusion Agency. Plus, broadcast rights for these territories have been awarded to free-to-air digital channel Go!, operated by Channel Nine, and Roadshow Entertainment will handle home entertainment products.

    Other new agents charmed by the brand include Agosin Licensing in Chile; AMV Licensing in Peru and Bolivia; Big Star across the Caribbean; Exim Argentina (Eximtrading S.A.) in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay; Empire Multimedia Corporation in South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and India; and Arabian Licensing Company in the Middle East and Africa.

    Little Charmers
    Little Charmers
  • LAIKA Celebrates 10th Anniversary in 2016

    LAIKA Celebrates 10th Anniversary in 2016

    Portland, Oregon stop-motion house LAIKA — the award-winning studio behind hit films Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and the upcoming original adventure Kubo and the Two Strings — will be celebrating a decade of quality filmmaking in 2016. The company, which takes its name from the Russian word for “little barker,” is planning to make even more noise going forward, according to President & CEO Travis Knight (who is directing Kubo).

    “When LAIKA began we had a simple goal: to make movies that matter,” says Knight, who also is lead animator and a producer on the studio’s films. “LAIKA is devoted to telling new and original stories in new and original ways.”

    “We aspire to make films that are bold, distinctive, and enduring,” Knight continues. “We are committed to telling stories that are thematically challenging, aesthetically beautiful, emotionally resonant, and a wee bit subversive. By combining stop-motion animation with cutting-edge creative approaches, we’ve embraced the fusion of art and craft and technology, honoring tradition while looking toward the future. We invented new systems and technologies for liberating the camera, to make our films more cinematic. We created new techniques for building and animating our puppets, to make our characters more lifelike and to connect more immediately and intimately with audiences. We discovered new processes for integrating practical and digital visual effects, to make our worlds more authentic. But we’re never satisfied. There’s an inherent restlessness at LAIKA. We always want to challenge ourselves.”

    On top of numerous critics’ awards and multiple Annie Awards, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014) have all been nominated for Academy Awards, BAFTA and PGA Awards. Boxtrolls also received a Golden Globe nomination, while ParaNorman was named the best animated feature of the year by more critics’ groups than any other film in 2012, and Coraline was named one of the Top 10 Films of the year by the American Film Institute.

    “Stripping everything else away, we’re simple storytellers,” Knight concludes. “We’re the heirs of flamboyant stage magicians, plainspoken raconteurs spinning yarns around a campfire, and knuckle-dragging troglodytes scrawling stick figures on a cave wall. We believe telling stories is one of the prime functions of the human mind and spirit. A good story can elicit empathy, opening us up to new possibilities, to new ways of thinking, to recognizing the shared humanity in which we all participate. And, in the end, that’s ultimately LAIKA’s reason for being.”

    LAIKA Celebrates 10th Anniversary in 2016
    LAIKA Celebrates 10th Anniversary in 2016
  • ‘Snow Queen 2’ Bests Big Studios at Slovakia B.O.

    ‘Snow Queen 2’ Bests Big Studios at Slovakia B.O.

    Russian studio Wizart is celebrating a box office triumph as its CG fantasy adventure The Snow Queen 2 is topping the charts in Slovakia in its second week of release. According to Box Office Mojo, the sequel has seen an incredible 395.5% leap over its opening since expanding to more screens.

    The Snow Queen 2 is currently leading over acclaimed French animated feature The Little Prince, Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur in the country. The 2014 release is directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin. Wizart is planning two new CG features for 2016: Original concept Sheep and Wolves and a third Snow Queen film.

    Synopsis:

    After defeating the Snow Queen, the trolls have developed a taste for freedom. Having played a major role in this triumph, the troll Orm becomes a hero to everyone. However, glory is not enough for him. Comically exaggerating his exploits and achievements, he spins a web of lies, claiming that he himself defeated the Snow Queen, and that he is destined to marry the princess and inherit the great power and riches… But what will Orm’s stories lead him to? In this lively and perilous adventure, Orm learns that friends, happiness, and true love cannot be won through deceit!

    The Snow Queen 2
    The Snow Queen 2
  • First Look at Netflix Original ‘Glitter Force’

    First Look at Netflix Original ‘Glitter Force’

    Saban Brands has released a first-look at its new original kids’ series for Netflix, Glitter Force, which will debut on the streaming service worldwide (excluding Asia) on December 18. The series is an adapted version of Japanese anime Smile PreCure!, and will launch with a 20-episode first season.

    Glitter Force follows five preteen girls who learn they are a destined to be a legendary superhero squad. As the Glitter Force, the fabulous friends transform from ordinary school girls into super-powered cool girls to defend Earth from evil fairytale villains. The team always manages to win the day with the power of friendship.

    Glitter Force
    Glitter Force
  • Triggerfish Makes Story Lab Selections

    Triggerfish Makes Story Lab Selections

    South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios has selected four features and four TV series to be developed through the inaugural Triggerfish Story Lab incubator, established with the support of The Department of Trade and Industry and The Walt Disney Company. The eight projects were selected from 1,378 entries from 30 countries across Africa which were shortlisted by a panel of experts.

    “From misfit Zambian girls who become low-budget superhero-super-spies to a stubborn 12-year-old Kenyan girl who defies tradition by racing camels, from a young South African scientist who accidentally turns her annoying little sister into a new source of electricity to a timid lemming who must defy his nature, these are characters we fell in love with,” says Anthony Silverston, head of development at Triggerfish. “We’re excited by the range of stories, that explore everything from contemporary urban to Afro-futuristic worlds. We’re looking forward to bringing something fresh to the screen.”

    The feature film projects are: The Camel Racer (Wanuri Kahiu and Nnedi Okorafor, Kenya/Nigeria), Dropped (Ian Tucker, South Africa), Lights (Kay Carmichael, South Africa) and The Wild Waste (Naseem Hoosen, South Africa).

    The television series projects are: Bru and Boegie (Mike Scott, South Africa), KC’s Super 4 (Malenga Mulendema, Zambia), Ninja Princess (Marc Dey and Kelly Dillon, South Africa) and Wormholes (Lucy Heavens, South Africa).

    Creators of the selected projects will begin the new year with a two week immersive mentorship experience at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California. Triggerfish plans to invest up to R44 million ($2.8 million US) in The Story Lab over the next three years. Each development phase will be supported by Triggerfish with financing, workspace and expert guidance as well as a route to market through Hollywood agency William Morris Endeavor.

    Triggerfish Makes Story Lab Selections
    Triggerfish Makes Story Lab Selections
  • Welcome Back to Earth with ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Trailer

    Welcome Back to Earth with ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Trailer

    Fox has unveiled the destructive wrath of the return of the aliens that audiences can expect from upcoming sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, slated to hit theaters June 24, 2016. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film is set 20 years after the events of the first flick and stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, and a whole lot of CG military tech and extra terrestrial demolition. (But no Will Smith.)

    We always knew they were coming back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

    Independence Day: Resurgence
    Independence Day: Resurgence