Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Nelvana Scores Sales for ‘Trucktown,’ ‘Mike the Knight’

    Nelvana Scores Sales for ‘Trucktown,’ ‘Mike the Knight’

    Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana announces new broadcast deals with Discovery Latin America and Societe Radio-Canada (SRC) for two seasons of animated preschool series Trucktown (80 x 11) as well as the third season of tyke-targeted fantasy adventure Mike the Knight and its 60-minute television specials.

    Discovery Latin America will premiere Trucktown in the region on Discovery Kids, and has picked up Mike the Knight season three and the Mike’s Bravest Mission special.

    Canada’s SRC will bring the already locally popular Trucktown to French Canadian audiences in Quebec for the first time, along with season three of Mike and both 60-minute specials Mike’s Bravest Mission and Journey to Dragon Mountain.

    Trucktown
    Trucktown
  • AFM: Parallax Announces Grimm ‘Musical’

    AFM: Parallax Announces Grimm ‘Musical’

    Parallax Media Ventures has announced it has nearly completed pre-production for Musical — an animated take on the classic Grimm’s fairy tale The Bremen Town Musicians, about four unlikely animals who form a band to enter a big music contest in the German town. The project carries a proposed budget of $60 million and is slated for a 2017 release. A first act animatic will be available for private viewing following the American Film Market.

    “Tonally, Musical is Shrek meets Frozen meets Lord of the Rings, with danger lurking in the shadows. I’ve always wanted to see an animated feature that shows characters focused on overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, inflexible cultural beliefs, and self doubt,” said Kevin Richardson, executive producer and founder of Parallax Media Ventures. “I think the Grimm Brothers would approve of our story adaptation and the way our animation brings the characters to life, and respects the core themes.”

    Parallax was founded earlier this year by Richardson, whose experience as an entertainment executive and senior producer covers stints at Nickelodeon, Electronic Arts and Mattel and films for LucasFilm, Disney and Colossal. The Musical key crew likewise boasts high profile feature and TV animation veterans leading art, story and production teams.

    Musical
    Musical
  • Hot Topic Gets ‘Steven Universe’, ‘Stakes’ Exclusives

    Hot Topic Gets ‘Steven Universe’, ‘Stakes’ Exclusives

    Cartoon Network announces that Hot Topic has launched a new, exclusive retail program featuring merchandise and content based on hit animated series Steven Universe and Adventure Time’s Marceline the Vampire Queen, who stars in an eight-part special titled “Stakes” which kicks off Monday, November 16. The goods are available now at Hot Topic stores in the U.S. and on hottopic.com.

    To celebrate Marceline’s dedicated programming event, Hot Topic is offering an assortment of products based on the red-sucking rocker, including an exclusive vinyl figure from Funko’s POP! line, men’s and juniors’ t-shirts, a hinge wallet and vinyl record.

    Plus, shoppers can get a Marceline-themed comic book from Boom! Comics as a gift with any $25 purchase of Adventure Time products in stores or online (starting Nov. 9, while supplies last). Hot Topic also has a special “Hot Minute” interview with the Marceline on its YouTube channel.

    The magical merch dedicated to Steven Universe’s heroic boy and his Crystal Gems pals Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl include a range of licensed apparel and accessories from Bioworld and Mighty Fine (available in men’s and juniors’ sizes), plus exclusive Funko POP! vinyl figures for all four main characters.

    Adventure Time
    Adventure Time
    Steven Universe
    Steven Universe
  • A-List Cast Announced for ‘Blazing Samurai’

    A-List Cast Announced for ‘Blazing Samurai’

    The producers of upcoming animated family comedy Blazing Samurai (slated for August 4, 2017) have announced that Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Cera and Mel Brooks will lead the film’s all-star voice cast, which also includes George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Mel B. and newcomer Heavenly Joy Jerkins, a five-year-old singing sensation who appeared on season 10 of America’s Got Talent.

    Blazing Samurai is an animated action-comedy about a scrappy dreamer of a dog named Hank (voiced by Michael Cera) who longs to become a great warrior and fights to save the town of Kakamucho from becoming the litter box of a nefarious feline warlord, transforming society and himself on his quest to become a true samurai. It is equal parts inspired by and an homage to Mel Brooks’ classic Western spoof Blazing Saddles.

    Samuel L. Jackson voices Jimbo, a cat who used to be a great warrior but now hits the catnip a little too hard. Nevertheless, he takes Hank under his wing and teaches him the ways of the samurai. Mel Brooks plays the misguided but benevolent Shogun. George Takei is the warlord’s enforcer Ohga, Djimon Hounsou is gentle giant Sumo, Aasif Mandvi and Gabriel Iglesias are Laurel & Hardy style cats Ichiro and Chuck, Sandra Tsing Loh plays cranky grand dame Little Mama, Heavenly Joy Jerkins is feisty fightin’ kitten Emiko, Michelle Yeoh is Emiko’s overly protective mom Yuki, and Mel B. is the Giraffe who sees herself as a cat.

    Blazing Samurai is being produced by Mass Animation, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, Flying Tigers Entertainment and GFM Films. It is directed by Chris Bailey (Kim Possible, Clerks) and fellow animation veteran Mark Koetsier from a screenplay by Ed Stone and Nate Hopper.

    Open Road Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights for Blazing Samurai — Producers Rob Minkoff, Yair Landau and Mel Brooks will present footage and visual development during AFM.

    Arc Productions (Gnomeo & Juliet) is the lead animation service studio on the film.

    Samuel L Jackson
    Samuel L Jackson
  • Tom Felton, Ruby Rose Voicing ‘Sheep ‘n’ Wolves’

    Tom Felton, Ruby Rose Voicing ‘Sheep ‘n’ Wolves’

    Wizart Animation has found the stars for its English-language version of Sheep ‘n’ Wolves — it’s new, original CG animated feature produced with CTB Film Company due to premiere next spring.

    Leading the cast list are Tom Felton (Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy) and Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) voice the protagonist and his lady love, and China Anne McClain (Grown Ups, A.N.T. Farm) will voice Lyra and sing the film’s theme, “Raised High.”

    Synopsis:

    In a magical faraway land there lives a flock of carefree sheep. Their pastoral life is interrupted when a pack of wolves sets up camp in the nearby ravine. While the sheep are trying to figure out how to live side by side with their new neighbors, the wolves are about the choose a successor to their aging leader. Popular but hopelessly goofy wolf Grey (Felton) is one of the candidates for the pack’s throne — and beautiful she-wolf Bianca’s heart… That is, until a magic potion transforms him into a ram!

    Casting and voice direction/production is handled by Todd Resnick at Burbank, CA’s The Voice Company. Sheep ‘n’ Wolves is screening at AFM November 4 and 7.

    Sheep 'n' Wolves
    Sheep ‘n’ Wolves
  • Lost Disney Oswald Short Uncovered in London

    Lost Disney Oswald Short Uncovered in London

    A researcher working at the British Film Institute in London has found in its archives the only known copy of a long-lost Walt Disney film starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit — Mickey Mouse’s precursor. The six-minute film, Sleigh Bells, will be screened for the first time since its release in 1928 next month at the BFI, having been restored by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

    “What a joyful treat to discover a long-lost Walt Disney film in the BFI national archive and to be able to show it to a whole new audience 87 years after it was made,” said the archive’s head curator Robin Baker. “The restoration of this film will introduce many audiences to Disney’s work in the silent period.”

    The film was stashed in the archives 34 years ago as part of a lot from a closed London film lab, labeled only with the title (“There must be a hundred things called Sleigh Bells,” a BFI spokesperson told The Guardian) and the date 1931. The researcher who unearthed it was browsing the roughly million-item catalog for lost Disney titles and realized the potential significance of the seemingly generic title.

    Sleigh Bells features silent, black and white animation by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, and shows Oswald at an ice hockey game in winter with all the surreal comedy touches expected of early 20th century animation — Oswald removes his ear to use as a balloon, a laughing donkey gets a puck in the kisser, there’s an elephant for some reason, etc.

    Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in Sleigh Bells will have its world premiere as part of BFI’s “It’s a Disney Christmas: Seasonal Shorts” program on December 12.

    Sleigh Bells
    Sleigh Bells
  • ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Gets New Trailer

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Gets New Trailer

    DreamWorks Animation and theatrical release partner 20th Century Fox have unveiled a spankin’ new trailer for upcoming CG saga Kung Fu Panda 3, in theaters January 29, 2016. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, the film marks the first feature co-production between DWA and Oriental DreamWorks in Shanghai. KFP3 features the voices of Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Kate Hudson, James Hong and Randall Duk Kim.

    SYNOPSIS

    When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas!

    Kung Fu Panda 3
    Kung Fu Panda 3
  • AFM: Shout! Nabs NorAm Rights for ‘Albert’

    AFM: Shout! Nabs NorAm Rights for ‘Albert’

    Shout! Factory and Sola Media GmbH have inked a deal that will bring the new animated feature Albert – Up, Up and Away to the U.S. and Canada. The CG film, directed by Karsten Kiilerich (The Ugly Duckling and Me) and produced by M&M Productions, has already proven popular in Europe and Asia.

    Albert – Up, Up and Away centers on a little boy living in the village of Kalleby, where the older and more narrow-minded residents are not amused by his mischievous antics when he accidentally destroys a statue of a local hero. Albert decides he too will become a hero, and sets out into the world with the dream of being a hot air balloon captain with his best friend (and aspiring pirate) Egon.

    Shout! Factory has secured exclusive U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to the movie, including digital, broadcast, theatrical and home entertainment rights. Shout! is planning to roll out Albert across multiple platforms and all packaged media through its Shout! Factory Kids imprint in 2016.

    The agreement was announced during the American Film Market by Shout! founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and Sola Media’s managing director Solveig Langeland and sales associate Tania Pinto Da Cunha.

    Albert - Up, Up and Away
    Albert – Up, Up and Away
  • Spacetoon Launches First Co-Pro ‘Mia’

    Spacetoon Launches First Co-Pro ‘Mia’

    Free-to-air kids’ channel Spacetoon, which broadcasts in Arabic to 22 countries and over 130 million viewers, announces the arrival of its first co-production, the CG-animated preschool show Mia. The comedy-adventure is based on the award winning, globally successful educational software from Kutoka Interactive.

    Mia centers on Mia the mouse, her grandmother Mimi and their friends — a spider, a frog, a turtle, a bat and a rat — who share The Big House on Victoria Street. The animals live in the house’s nooks and crannies, making ingenious use of the items the human inhabitants leave lying around. Everyday items like sardine tins, jars, stamps and whisks become furniture, art and even parts for a moon buggy.

    The series is a co-production of Spacetoon affiliate Lalune Light Studio, Cyber Group Studios (France) and Sardine Productions (Canada) and will debut on Spacetoon in Q4 2015, as well as in Malaysia, Indonesia, France (TiJi), Canada (SRC) and a number of European broadcasters.

    Spacetoon and Lalune Light Studio will be managing the licensing campaign for Mia across a number of major territories. The Mia toy line was presented at this year’s Brand Licensing Europe, and will be shown at the London Toy Fair and Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair in January as well.

    Mia
    Mia
  • ‘Mermaids on Mars’ Takes Animation Prize at Carmel Fest

    ‘Mermaids on Mars’ Takes Animation Prize at Carmel Fest

    Athena Studios of Emeryville, California announces that its original stop-motion animated short Mermaids on Mars was awarded the Best Animation honors at the 2015 Carmel International Film Festival. Athena did all of the animation and production work on the film, which was adapted from the book by Nancy Guettier, who also produced the film.

    Studio founder Jon V. Peters directed Mermaids on Mars, which was scripted by Jarrett Galante and co-produced by Kat Alioshin, whose credits include The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline. Other notable crewmembers assembled by Athena for the project were director of photography Pete Kozachik (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Corpse Bride), cinematographer Timothy Taylor (Frankenweenie, Coraline), art director Tom Proost (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, James and the Giant Peach) and puppet fabricator Victoria Rose Zalewski (Coraline, Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas).

    Following the Carmel Film Festival win, director Peters, producer Alioshin and lead animator Justin Kohn (Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, The Simpsons) presented a panel on “The Making of Mermaids on Mars” at the 2015 World Animation Celebration.

    Athena is now back in active development on another original project: a stop-motion feature titled Auntie Claus, which the team is collaborating on with Nate Hopper (Blazing Samurai, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). Based on the award-winning book by Elise Primavera, the film will present the tale of a young girl who discovers the true meaning of the Christmas season through her adventures at the North Pole with her great aunt — who just happens to be the sister of Santa Claus.

    Mermaids on Mars
    Mermaids on Mars
    Mermaids Author Nancy Guettier and Producer Jon Peters
    Mermaids Author Nancy Guettier and Producer Jon Peters
    Mermaids PANEL left to right - Kat Alioshin, Justin Kohn, Jon Peters and moderator Michael Dietz
    Mermaids PANEL left to right – Kat Alioshin, Justin Kohn, Jon Peters and moderator Michael Dietz
  • Henson, France TV Partner on ‘Dinosaur Train’ Shorts

    Henson, France TV Partner on ‘Dinosaur Train’ Shorts

    The Jim Henson Company has teamed up with France Televisions for the production of a series of alphabet-themed educational shorts based on the Emmy-nominated animated series Dinosaur Train, currently in production for a fourth season at Henson. The new shorts will debut on France 5 in December.

    “The Dinosaur Train franchise has proven to be incredibly popular in France, and giving fans value-added content on television and online will further strengthen the brand’s popularity with parents, educators and the children themselves,” said Richard Goldsmith, Executive Vice President, Global Distribution for The Jim Henson Company.

    Paris-based Kayenta Productions was commissioned to develop and produce the 26 three-minute shorts. Each short takes Buddy and his friends on the Dinosaur train to one of 26 islands — one for each letter of the alphabet — where they encounter animals, plants and other objects that begin with that island’s letter, helping young viewers associate the letter with everyday words.

    Dinosaur Train
    Dinosaur Train
  • Jason Isaacs Sinks Teeth into ‘Happy Family’ Role

    British actor Jason Isaacs, perhaps best known for his turn as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has signed on to voice the villain of Timeless Films and Ambient Entertainment’s upcoming animated kiddie feature, Happy Family. He joins previously announced stars Catherine Tate (Doctor Who), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Celia Imrie (Bridget Jones’ Diary) and Emily Watson (The Book Thief).

    Based on the best-selling book by Emmy winning writer David Safier, the CG flick centers on a family fallen prey to a strange spell. Isaacs will play a Dracula-like baddy who, after falling for Emma Wishbone (Watson), orders a witch to transform his monster love into a vampire — but his plan goes haywire when the rest of the family is morphed into their Halloween costumes as well, turning them into a clan of monsters. Emma is understandably displeased, and the lovelorn vampire takes out his rejection on the entire world!

    Holger Tappe (Animals United) is directed from a script written by Safier and German TV writer/producer Catharina Junk.

    Jason Isaacs is no stranger to voice acting, having performed for Star Wars Rebels (The Inquisitor), Justice League: Gods and Monsters (Lex Luthor), Cars 2 (Leland Turbo) and other animation and videogame projects, in addition to his live action work.

    Happy Family
    Happy Family
  • Saban Brands Appoints Five New Execs

    Saban Brands Appoints Five New Execs

    Saban Brands continues to make new executive appointments, naming five new top level people to key positions. The new appointments go to Tori Cook, now SVP of Global Retail Business Development; Marcy George, VP of Global Consumer Products; Jennifer Wesler, SVP of Marketing; Stan Wan, Creative Director of Saban Brands Lifestyle Group; and Scott Rosenbaum, SVP of Business and Legal Affairs.

    As SVP – global retail, Tori Cook will focus on developing relationships and programs with retailers around the world across all product categories for the company’s catalog of properties. Cook previously was VP of retail business development for Sanrio and held retail development and marketing positions at 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema and Sears Holdings.

    VP – global consumer Marcy George will develop and execute a united worldwide licensing strategy across Saban’s entertainment brands, working closely with Dan Castle to support the lifestyle portfolio. George founded and was CEO of David & Goliath Licensing, was VP of licensing and global sales and brand management for MGA Ent. and held licensing positions with Lucky Brand, Dungarees and Liz Claibourne.

    SVP – marketing Jennifer Wexler has moved into a fulltime role after consulting for Saban Brands Lifestyle Group for the last six months. Wexler will oversee global marketing strategies and brand campaigns for the entertainment and lifestyle brands. She previously worked at Iconix Brand Group, Haute Hippie and Wexler Consulting Group.

    Creative directer – SBLG Stan Wan will manage the lifestyle business on all aspects of the brands’ visual communication, including brand ethos and product authenticity. Wan started out at Saban as a consultant out of the company’s Sydney office. His resume includes serving as director and co-owner at North Hill, working on international brands Modern Amusement, Saturday’s Surf and Top Shop.

    SVP – business and legal Scott Rosenbaum will handle all of Saban Brands’ legal affairs, including management and oversight of the company’s legal department across all areas including entertainment and media, marketing, acquisitions, licensing, merchandising and intellectual property. He joins the company after being with Mattel for over 15 years, where he oversaw the company’s business and legal affairs in North America, as well as global consumer product licensing programs.

    Saban Brands
    Saban Brands
  • ‘Wild Kratts’ a Go in Oz

    ‘Wild Kratts’ a Go in Oz

    9 Story Media Group has secured several deals for Australian distribution of its hit animated adventure series Wild Kratts, including a broadcast agreement with Channel Nine’s Go! Channel. The show will begin airing on Go! on weekdays at 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. beginning November 14, and weekends at 1:30 p.m. starting November 21.

    In addition to coming to broadcast, Wild Kratts has been picked up for home video by Roadshow Entertainment, and master toy licensee Wicked Cool Toys has appointed Hunter Products the territory’s distributor for the toy line.

    Co-produced by Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group, Wild Kratts is now in production on its fourth 26-episode season, which will begin rolling out in the U.S. on PBS KIDS in late 2015. The show has proven an international success, airing in over 180 countries in 18 different languages.

    Master toy licensee Wicked Cool Toys last year launched a broad range of toys at Toys “R” Us, including creature power suits, action figures, talking plush and vehicle sets, which have recently rolled out to Kmart and select Target stores. Random House Kids has released the first Wild Kratts books in the U.S. and Canada as part of its “Step Into Reading” program; an expanded book line is in the works due to their success.

    Wild Kratts
    Wild Kratts
  • Cottonwood Sets Asia TV Forum Slate

    Cottonwood Sets Asia TV Forum Slate

    David Michel’s Cottonwood Media will be bringing two animated series based on Random House publishing properties to the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), taking place December 2-4 at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. SVP of Co-productions and Sales, Monica Levy will be exhibiting The Ollie & Moon Show and Squish with parent company Federation Ent. at stand E10-F10.

    The Ollie & Moon Show, which has already sold to NBC Sprout, is a slapstick comedy based on th books by Emmy-winning producer, director and illustrator Diane Kredensor. The show follows two animated cats traversing a live-action globe, introducing kids to “the joys of serendipity, unlikely friendships and global citizenship.” Moon is a hep cat who takes pride in his stylish ats and delights in happy accidents, while Ollie is a die-hard planner.

    Squish is an animated comedy aimed at kids 6-11, has been snapped up by France’s Gulli and officially selected for Cartoon Forum. Based on the New York Times best-selling books by Jennifer Holm and Eisner Award-winning creator Matthew Holm, the show takes place in the world of an Amoeba trying to survive in the cutthroat world of single-cell organisms — not to mention school.

    The Ollie & Moon Show
    The Ollie & Moon Show
  • Best of Animayo Fest Coming to L.A.

    Best of Animayo Fest Coming to L.A.

    Highlights from the Animayo animation, VFX and videogames festival — which this year celebrated its tenth anniversary in Gran Canaria, Spain — will be presented in Los Angeles for the fifth consecutive year. Taking place at The Los Angeles Film School on November 13, the event will present the winners of the 2015 festival, culled from over 1,500 submitted works.

    The program will also feature an Animation Master Class with director and producer Raul Garcia — the accomplished Disney veteran who put together recently released Edgar Allan Poe anthology Extraordinary Tales — and a Visual Effects Master Class with Roger Kuppelian, a matte painter and concept artist whose credits include the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Pirates of the Caribbean.

    The 2015 Animayo film award winners include The Bigger Picture (Daisy Jacobs & Jennifer Majka), The Present (Jacob Frey & Fabio Coala), Beach Flags (Sarah Saidan), Confusion through Sand (Danny Madden), A Single Life (Job, Joris & Marieke), Amir and Amira (Martial Andre, Sara Ayoub, Benjamin Condy, Arlane Dedulle, Cecillia Maturi, Tatiana Tchournakova) and other internationally acclaimed works. Admission is free with RSVP to produccion [at] animayo [dot] com.

    Best of Animayo Fest Coming to L.A.
    Best of Animayo Fest Coming to L.A.
  • Disney-Pixar Classics in Countdown to Christmas on ABC

    Disney-Pixar Classics in Countdown to Christmas on ABC

    ABC Family’s annual “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” programming event will be extra animated this year as it celebrate beloved characters from the Disney-Pixar universe. The Countdown will air Sunday, November 22 to Monday, November 30. In addition to marking the 20th anniversary of Toy Story, Disney-Pixar CG hits and other toon features from Disney’s studios will mix it up with family favorites and new original specials for Pretty Little Liars and Young & Hungry.

    Animation programming highlights of “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” include:

    Toy Story – Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT; Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m.

    Toy Story 2 – Nov. 22 at 10 p.m.; Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

    Finding Nemo – Nov. 23 at 8:30 p.m.; Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m.

    Cinderella (1950) – Nov. 25 at 4:30 p.m.; Nov. 26 at 1:45 p.m.

    Monsters, Inc. – Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 26 at 3:45 p.m.

    Ratatouille – Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m.; Nov. 26 at 6 p.m.

    Planes – Nov. 26 at 8:45 p.m.; Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

    Tarzan – Nov. 27 at 3:30 p.m.; Nov. 28 at 1:30 p.m.

    The Incredibles – Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 29 at 5:30

    Wreck-It Ralph – Nov. 28 at 9 p.m.; Nov. 29 at 8 p.m.

    The Polar Express – Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.

    ABC Family's Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas
    ABC Family’s “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas”
  • Brenda Gilbert Named President of Bron Animation

    Brenda Gilbert Named President of Bron Animation

    Following the recent reorganization of Brone Media Corp., Brenda Gilbert has been appointed President of Bron Animation, expanding on her responsibilities on the Bron Media board. Gilbert has in turn appointed three vice presidents to Bron Animation: Adam Wood, VP Creatives; Teunis de Raat, VP Digital; and Luke Carroll, VP Production & Development.

    Bron Animation’s current projects include the animated feature Henchmen, featuring the voices of James Marsden, Thomas Middleditch, Rosario Dawson and Alfred Molina. The company recently expanded from its Burnaby, BC headquarters with a new production facility in Duncan on Vancouver Island.

    Adam Wood joined Bron in 2012 and is a driving force behind the studio’s Mighty Mighty Monsters and in-production feature Henchmen, which he wrote and is directing. Wood previously worked at Pixar on Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.

    Teunis de Raat also came aboard in 2012, having held senior-level positions at Pixar Canada, Disney and ImageMovers. His animation credits include A Christmas Carol, Mars Needs Moms, Bolt and  Meet the Robinsons.

    Luke Carroll has been with Bron since 2013 and is currently serving as producer on Henchmen. Previously, he produced a number of CG films including Weinstein Co.’s Escape from Planet Earth. Carroll is also an independent filmmaker whose work has screened at over 50 international festivals. He holds an MFA in Film Production and Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

    Brenda Gilbert
    Brenda Gilbert
  • ‘Open Season: Scared Silly’ Set for March

    ‘Open Season: Scared Silly’ Set for March

    Just in time for Open Season’s 10th anniversary, Sony Pictures Animation will release a new CG feature for the franchise on disc and digital platforms. Open Season: Scared Silly will arrive on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on March 8, 2016 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and reunites Elliot, Boog and the rest of the woodland crew.

    This fourth Open Season outing is a comedic mystery-adventure, directed by David Feiss — who was head of story on the original film and created Cow and Chicken — and produced by John Bush. The animation is provided by Rainmaker Entertainment.

    “My affection for these characters has only grown since we introduced them in Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature,” says Feiss. “We’re having a lot of fun bringing them back for a new adventure—it feels like a big party with old friends.” Feiss also directed the four mini-movies included with the home entertainment release for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.

    Synopsis:

    When a case of mistaken identity leads both humans and animals to believe there is a monstrous werewolf on the prowl in Timberline National Forest, former hunter Shaw (voiced by Trevor Devall) seizes on the opportunity to re-open open season. With Shaw on the loose and all the animals at risk, it’s now up to Boog (Donny Lucas), Elliot and Mr. Weenie (Will Townsend) to face their fears, track down the elusive werewolf, and get open season closed permanently. Additional voices: Kathleen Barr (Edna & Bobbi), Garry Chalk (Ed), Melissa Sturm (Giselle).

    Blu-ray exclusive special features include Stepping into the Spotlight – Mr. Weenie’s Process, bloopers and outtakes and Scaredy Pants: The Fears of Open Season: Scared Silly. DVD and Blu-ray both come with Open Season “Super Speedy Re-Cap,” feature commentary with David Feiss and a Director Profile on Feiss.

    Open Season: Scared Silly
    Open Season: Scared Silly
  • CreateVR Wins at Digital Hollywood, Clios

    CreateVR Wins at Digital Hollywood, Clios

    CreateVR — the virtual reality production house parented by Create Advertising — has been doubly honored in recent days with top awards at two prestigious industry events. The marketing agency nabbed Best in Virtual Reality Based on a Cinematic or Television Experience for its “Can You Walk the Walk” VR project at last week’s Digital Hollywood. The company also took home the Silver statue for Best Theatrical: Engagement/Experiential at the Clio Key Art Awards.

    “Can You Walk the Walk,” CreateVR’s inaugural project, was designed to support Sony Pictures feature The Walk, directed by Robert Zemeckis. The immersive experience allows users to simulate Philippe Petit’s history making high-wire walk between the towers of New York’s World Trade Center in 1974. The experience was designed for the PlayStation VR headset and was made available for the public at select IMAX theaters and industry events such as SIGGRAPH and CineEurope.

    Competition for the Digital Hollywood award category included The Avengers: Age of Ultron, “The Wall from Game of Thrones,” “The Sleepy Hollow: VR Experience,” “The Strain VR” (which was also recognized) and “Wild – The Experience.” In the Clio Key Art Awards, other Experiential contenders were “Ex Machina: SXSW Tinder Turing Test,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Interstellar” and “Minions Cinerama Dome Takeover.”

    Create received 10 additional honors at the Clio Key Art Awards, including Gold for the Minions – “Fifty” spot. Learn more at create-vr.com.

    Philippe Petit
    Philippe Petit