Disney has released a toe-tapping new clip from new studio short Us Again, which makes its digital debut with the early release of fantasy-adventure Raya and the Last Dragon, out today (Friday). Directed by Zach Parrish (Puddles; head of animation, Big Hero 6; supervising animator, Wreck-It Ralph), the wordless film about an older couple who rekindle their youth by getting back in their dancing shoes features choreography by Keone and Mari (World of Dance) and a funk and soul score by Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel).
Raya and the Last Dragonis available now through digital retailers.
Read more about Us Again in Ramin Zahed’s story here.
Beijing Joy Culture Media (China) picked up distribution rights for four seasons of Be-Be-Bears and two seasons of Leo and Tig for local TV. Both series are produced by Paravoz Studio (Russia), commissioned by Digital Television Russia Media Holding and VGTRK, and have been partially dubbed into Chinese already. The partners will collaborate on completing the localization.
Disney Channel (U.S.) confirmed pick-up of the latest two seasons of ZAG hit Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, joining Disney Channels in multiple overseas territories. The U.S. broadcaster will debut S4 this Summer.
Mondo Yan
Imira Ent. (Spain) closed a slew of new deals for hit comedy-adventure Mondo Yan (52 x 12′, CGI, Kids 6-9). Produced by Imira, TV3 Catalunya, Telegael, Toonz Media Group and Melon Produksiyon, the series has recently been snagged by Clan TV (LatAm), Minika (Turkey), Discovery (MENA), Omri Batz (Israel), Trans 7 (Indonesia), Astro (Malaysia) and streamers Primo (U.S. Hispanic) and TTNET.
Media I.M. (U.K.) continues to shine with Sunny Bunnies, from Minsk-based Digital Light Studios. The new preschool series Sunny Bunnies ABC (61 x 1’30”) launches this month on the brand’s YouTube channel (2.7 billion views to-date), created in partnership with WildBrain Spark. TV Cultura (Brazil) has picked up S1-3 of Sunny Bunnies; S5 is headed to streamer Kidoodle (160+ countries); S3-5 head to WildBrain Television (Canada) for its English- and French-speaking channels Family Jr., Telemagino, Family and Family CHRGD. Additional sales and renewals are booked with MBC3 (MENA), Canal Panda (Portugal), Mango TV (China); streamers PlayKids (Brazil), Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel and Tubi (through Janson Media), and Premier ONE (Russia & CIS). New on board is Mena Mobile Technology, acquiring several seasons of SB and Get Busy for its Bostan app.
Sunny Bunnies ABC
Meta Media Ent. (U.K.) has been tapped as worldwide distributor for stop-motion, non-dialogue shorts series Dodohando, from Maara Animation (Turkey). The slightly surreal 13-episode comedy for kids 3-8 has received millions of views on YouTube after being broadcast on TRT.
Mondo TV Iberoamerica will manage TV distribution for the new series Nina & Olga (52 x 7′, 2D HD, Kids 4-6) in Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Spanish-speaking U.S. This follows the news that Beyond Rights (UK.) has picked up int’l rights exclusind Italy and Spanish-language territories. The series is created by Enamiation (Italy) based on the Olga the Cloud publishing property; Mondo TV Prod. Canarias worked on pre-production, while Mondo TV S.p.A. handles animation. Nina & Olga will premiere on Rai Italy and Rai Play later this year.
Moonbug (U.K.) has brought its kids’ hit CoComelon to China with new and broadened partnerships with leading streamers iQIYI and ByteDance/Xigua Video. Content available in Mandarin and English. The leading digital media co. has also partnered with Cartoonito (U.K.) to launch the flagship series, running all episodes starting April 5.
CoComelon
Nelvana (Canada) has partnered with new U.S. Hispanic streamer PrendeTV to make more than 150 hours of its kids’ content available on the platform, dubbed in Spanish. Titles include Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Beyblade, Babar and the Adventures of Badou, Franklin, Little Charmers, Maggie & the Ferocious Beast, Mike the Knight, Miss Spider and Willa’s Wild Life.
One Animation (Singapore) caught a wave of linear broadcast sales across long-form, short-form and seasonal specials of its top pre-k series Oddbodsand adventure-comedy Insectibles:
Televisa (Mexico): S1-2 of Oddbods long-form (7 min.) and S1 of the short-form (1 min.)
WarnerMedia (LatAm): Oddbeard’s Curse (22 min. Halloween special) for Boomerang, Cartoon Network.
teleTOON+ (France): Specials Oddbeard’s Curse, Party Monsters, The Festiva Menace, Zee Force Five.
Distribution agent Zoland secured deals with Studio N (Poland): Free TV/SVOD to S1-3 of Oddbods long-form + four specials; TRO (Russia): Insectibles S1 (52 x 11′) in Tatar; RedHead SARL (South Africa) Insectibles S1 for Free TV.
Bomanbridge Media (Singapore)sold Oddbods long-form S3 + three specials to True Visions Group (Thailand) and Canal+ (Myanmar).
Astro (Malaysia & Brunei): Oddbods long-form S3 for Astro Ceria & Astro GO VOD.
Oddbods
Portfolio Ent. (Canada) purrs along with new broadcast partners for The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That!, including Sky Kids (U.K.) for S2-3 + four educational games based on the series; Unis TV (francophone Canada) for S1-2; and sales for the one-hour holiday movie The Catin the Hat Knows a Lot about Christmas! to KiKa (Germany) and NRK (Norway).
Spacetoon (U.A.E.) inked a deal with pocketw.watch to become master CP licensing agent for Love, Diana in MENA; as part of the deal, the broadcaster scored rights to localize, dub and show two of the brand’s key series on its free TV channel and Spacetoon GO streaming service: Live-action/animation make believe series Love, Diana Adventures and highlight show Kids Diana Show Ultimate Mishmash.
Videogyan, a leading preschool YouTube channel based in India, scored the YT Diamond Play Button for its 3D Rhymes channel, which has surpassed 10 million subscribers after 10 years in operation.
Tag along on season two of Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here! as Archibald embraces one misadventure after another. Whether he’s trying to create the ultimate Strutter family photo, eluding an overzealous librarian after an overdue book or accidentally crashing Finly’s band’s performance, Archibald always finds a way to celebrate life’s little moments to the fullest.
Season 2 of the Peacock Original series inspired by the acclaimed children’s book from Tony Hale, Tony Baiggne, Victor Huckabee and Misty Manley premieres on the platform with all six episodes on Thursday, April 22.
DreamWorks Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here! is the next chapter for Archibald Strutter, a chicken who “yes-ands” his way through life. While his adventures don’t always go as planned, Archibald takes it one step at a time with the help of his three siblings, Sage, Finly and Loy, and his trusty sidekick, Bea.
Series voice cast includes Emmy Award-winner Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Adam Pally (The Mindy Project), Jordan Fisher (Hamilton), Chelsea Kane (Fish Hooks), Kari Wahlgren (DuckTales), Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Rosamund Pike (I Care A Lot).
Hale serves as creator and executive producer, alongside executive producer Eric Fogel (Celebrity Deathmatch, Descendants: Wicked World). Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here! is produced by DreamWorks Animation.
Peacock’s kids’ programming lineup also includes Curious George and DreamWorks series TrollsTopia, Madagascar: A Little Wild and The Mighty Ones, as well as Peacock Originals Cleopatra in Space and Where’s Waldo?
Taking a break from announcing new animated shows in development, Fox is making room for the next Animation Domination class by cancelling Emily Spivey’s Bless the Harts. The co-production between Disney-owned 20th Television and Fox Entertainment will not return after wrapping up its second season in May. S2 has been dragging in ratings, with the most recent episode debut pulling a series low of 56,000 same-day viewers.
Created and executive-produced by Emmy winner Emily Spivey (SNL, Parks and Recreation), and featuring a voice cast of comedy all-stars, including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, Ike Barinholtz and Kumail Nanjani, Bless the Harts follows the Harts, a Southern family that is always broke, and forever struggling to make ends meet. They one day hope to achieve the American dream, but they’re already rich – in friends, family and laughter.
A new Easter-themed episode will air Sunday at 7:30/6:30C.
— Animation Domination (@AnimationOnFOX) April 2, 2021
Fox’s primetime comedy animation development/production pipeline includes a fully-owned new toon from Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon set in Ancient Greece, Cocky from the creators of The Knick, supernatural mystery adaptation Crag Banyon P.I., Greater Good, Demi-God, Ocean Village, an untitled Jermaine Fowler project, The X-Files: Albuquerque, Temporary Humans and Housebroken, which premieres May 31.
Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated, Annie-winning director Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai, Wolf Children, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and his Studio Chizu have debuted the trailer for his latest genre-bending feature, Belle — as well as a roster of top creatives from around the world who have boarded the project in a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Japanese animation.
The film follows a modern 17-year-old student named Suzu, who lives in a rural village with her father. The teen feels as if she’s been living as a shadow of her herself for years, until one day she logs on to the massive virtual world of “U.” Amid its 5 billion users, Suzu becomes the pink-haired superstar singer “Belle.” when she meets a mysterious creature, Suzu/Belle is swept up in a challenging journey, on their shared quest to become who they truly are.
Hosoda has previously said of his ninth animated feature: “Belle is the movie that I have always wanted to create and I am only able to make this film a reality because of the culmination of my past works. I explore romance, action and suspense on the one hand, and deeper themes such as life and death on the other. I expect this to be a big entertainment spectacle.”
Longtime Disney animation artist Jin Kim — whose feature credits at the studio span Hercules to Frozen II — is the film’s character designer. British architect/designer Eric Wong created the expansive digiscape of U, based on Hosoda’s design. And Irish animation icons Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart of Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, Secret of Kells) will also lend their talents.
Belle is produced by Studio Chizu’s President, Yuichiro Saito. The film is being represented internationally by Charades — the sales outfit’s co-founder, Yohann Comte, previously worked with Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast while at Gaumont. Nippon TV is handling sales in Asia.
We recently had the chance to chat with Vanessa Ford, COO and Clara Njeru, Chief Product Officer at Kukua, Kenya’s all-female media and tech company, which is focusing on creating educational entertainment content for children.
Last month, Kukua’s first animated series Super Sema premiered as a YouTube Kids & Family original. The show centers on the adventures of a young, African superhero girl, who lives in the neo Africa-futuristic community of Dunia with her brother MB. Sema uses her “technovating” powers fueled by STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) to save her village from a heartless robot uber villain. The series voice stars Academy Award-winning actress and author Lupita Nyong’o.
Here is what Vanessa and Clara told us about their innovative studio:
Kukua
Can you tell us a little bit about the history of the studio and how it was founded?
Vanessa/Clara: Kukua is a startup that operates at the intersection of entertainment and education, leveraging the latest technologies to create experiences that inspire children… We first started with developing fun apps that teach children basic literacy skills through games! The apps had several game and African characters, and the children were really excited about them.They were excited she looked like them, had their hair and accent. We dug deeper into this and noticed this massive gap in African cartoons for children. That’s when we decided it was time to build a franchise from Africa that appealed to a global audience.
When did you start working on Super Sema?
Clara: We started developing the characters, storyworld and a pilot episode in early 2018 and kicked-off the production of Season 1 in the beginning of 2020, a few months before COVID shook the world!
Can you tell us why this show stands out in the busy field of family animation?
Vanessa:Super Sema stands out because it’s Africa Kid Power in a way that’s never been seen before — our series is unapologetically AFRICAN set in an Afro-futuristic world with an all Kenyan cast; our lead is a African superhero GIRL who believes that nothing is impossible; and her “POWERS” are not magical, they are her determination, her creativity and her STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) skills. Our show taps into a basic, yet powerful idea that ALL kids have the power to change the world.
Super Sema
Where is the animation produced?
Clara: The animation was a global effort between Kenya, Nigeria and Italy, and our franchise team in the U.S. All of the production was managed from Nairobi, and we had different parts of the animation process being done across these countries. We had about 40 people working at varying stages of the production. The animation was done using Adobe Animate.
What were some of the visual inspirations for the show, its overall look and feel?
Clara: The basis of the show’s visual inspirations is ‘Africa meets the future.’ When most people think of Afrofuturism today, they think of Black Panther’s Wakanda, an African country that hides sophisticated technology from the world. But it was important for all our team involved creatively to be exposed to the themes of Afrofuturism firsthand, so we brought our entire team together, including those who were based internationally, to visit the cities, communities, houses, villages, and iconic buildings across Kenya to understand this cultural aesthetic and way of thinking. Combining futuristic technology and architecture with traditional African elements into the design gives Super Sema an overall iconic look and feel, and gives children a looking glass into the future of the experience and perspective of our diasporic communities.
What was your biggest challenge as you proceeded to develop and produce the show?
Clara: The biggest challenge was definitely having the main production stage of the show happen during a pandemic! We were already working across three different time zones and now having to factor in all team members working from home just made things more complicated and we had to reinvent the wheel of communication.
We believe everything can be learned, so we fostered an active mentorship within the team, pairing very senior, award-winning talent with a team of first-time producers and animators. The learning curve was steep but that combination was pure magic and everyone grew exponentially from the production. This is part of our mission going forward to train a lot more talent locally because the creativity and talent across Africa is extraordinary, but not many are given the opportunity to work on bigger productions.
Super Sema
What are some of the priorities of your studio in the months ahead?
Vanessa: Keeping up with the demand! We’ve had over a million views since the first week of launch and we want to immerse YouTube with meaningful content, and we’re already in pre-production for Season 2. We’ve always wanted to translate all the “technovating” happening on screen into the real world, to take our viewers offline so they can make, invent and play with intention and eventually learn something new. So the next step is sealing a toy deal so we can start seeing these inventions in the real world. Whether it’s STEAM kits, toys, books, music and merchandise … they will all be undeniably African, innovative and spark the magic of learning. The ability to explore, to invent, or to make new friends; the confidence to speak up for what’s right and think for yourself; the skills to get your foot in that door and take your seat at that table — all of that starts with the enormous learning potential that lies in our own backyard, in fun games and toys, and in immersive role play.
What makes the ideal Kukua animation project?
Vanessa: Every Kukua animation project is more than just the story, it’s about instilling a sense of purpose. Super Sema is about a super African girl with “technovating” powers that change the world, but it’s also about being yourself and how positivity, unrelenting creativity, and determination can make this world a better place. Super Sema is set in an afro-futuristic universe with STEAM inventions at their fingertips, but it’s also about the importance of raising future leaders with global mindsets and taking them off the screens and into the creation process. This is what makes a Kukua animation project timeless and unforgettable. You will never outgrow Super Sema episodes because they only transform in value as you get old enough to appreciate them.
What do you want the world to know about Kukua and its projects?
Vanessa: Super Sema is entertainment paired with motivation and education. We’re building the next big edutainment empire from Africa to the world … stay tuned!
Netflix has unveiled the teaser trailer and new artwork for all-new anime original Yasuke, from creator/exec producer/director LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) and MAPPA studio (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen). The new spot lifts the veil on the fantasy-tinged feudal Japan where this historically-inspired hero proves “Honor Has a New Name.”
Synopsis: In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords.
Yasuke features character designs by director/animator Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), music by Grammy Award-nominated artist Flying Lotus and award-winning actor LaKeith Stanfield serving as executive producer and the voice of Yasuke. Additional key staff announced today:
Connecticut auditors revealed in a report released Wednesday that Greenwich animation landmark Blue Sky Studios — owned by Walt Disney Co. since its takeover of Fox and now closing up shop — received $49 million more state tax credits than it was eligible for. The Ice Age and Rio franchise studio is officially shuttering this month after more than 30 years, dispersing 450 employees, and no one answered calls from AP reporter Dave Collins for a statement.
Blue Sky received roughly $94.4M in state film production tax credits for the fiscal years 2017 through 2019. The auditors claim that the company was only eligible for the Connecticut digital animation tax credit, which are capped at $15M per year for all companies combined. (A quick search turns up about a dozen animation studios in the state, including non-entertainment/visualization specialists.) The Conn. economic development agency, DECD, issued the maximum animation credit to Blue Sky in 2016, but shifted the studio to the film production program the next fiscal year. Said program credits companies that incur more than a million in production expenses 30% of said expenses.
While state auditor John Geragosian told the AP, “The way they did this doesn’t appear to have followed the spirit of the law,” the DECD countered: “A digital animation production company is eligible for film production tax credit under … Connecticut general statutes,” noting “[Blue Sky Studios] produces motion pictures, which is a statutorily qualified medium.”
AMC today announced the first round of voice casting for its new half-hour, stop-motion, animated baby doll series Ultra City Smiths, created by Steve Conrad (Patriot, Perpetual Grace) and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken, Crossing Swords).
Slated to premiere Summer 2021, the series will star:
Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, Black Mirror) as Detective David Mills
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite Is My Name, The United States vs Billie Holiday) as Detective Gail Johnson
John C. Reilly (Moonbase 8, Ralph Breaks the Internet) as Donovan Smith
Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago, Cheers) as Lady Andrea The Giant
Jason Mantzoukas (Big Mouth, Infinite) as Tim the TMZ reporter
Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Underground Railroad) as Street Hustler Boy
Melissa Villaseñor (Saturday Night Live, Toy Story 4) as Sister Mary Margaret
Kurtwood Smith (That ’70s Show, RoboCop) as Carpenter K. Smith
Tim Heidecker (Moonbase 8; Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) as Mayor Kevin de Maximum
Chris Conrad (Patriot, Perpetual Grace, LTD) as Nico Onasis
Hana Mae Lee (Patriot, The Babysitter: Killer Queen) as Christina
“We have been very grateful to partner with actors whose talents are as unique, expressive and affecting as the world we all hope to have created in Ultra City and the stories that are found there,” said Conrad.
Additional cast to be announced at a later date.
From AMC Studios and created by Conrad, the Ultra City Smiths (formerly Mega City Smiths) story unfolds via the stop-motion animation of baby dolls repurposed as a grown-up cast of characters. The series hinges on an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of fictional metropolis Ultra City’s most famous magnate (Smith). Two intrepid detectives (Simpson and Randolph) follow the case, rallying to fight against their city’s dangerous corruption, at a high cost to themselves and their families, all in pursuit of a gentler place to call home.
Conrad will serve as showrunner. Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner and Chris Waters will serve as executive producers along with Jennifer Scher, Jeff Dieter and Thomas J. Glynn.
AMC Studios Content Distribution is managing worldwide sales of the series.
Chris Conrad is represented by Industry Entertainment and Derek Kroeger; Tim Heidecker is represented by UTA and Rise Management; Damon Herriman is represented by APA, Art/Work Entertainment, and LMCM in Australia; Hana Mae Lee is represented by Thirty Three Management, Vox and Barry LIttman; Jason Mantzoukas is represented by Rise Management, UTA and Morris Yorn; Bebe Neuwirth is represented by ICM Partners; Da’Vine Joy Randolph is represented by Lighthouse Entertainment, Paradigm Talent Agency and Fox Rothschild; John C. Reilly is represented by WME and Framework Entertainment; Jimmi Simpson is represented by Industry Entertainment, ICM Partners and Bruce Gelman; Kurtwood Smith is represented by Imperium 7 Talent Agency and Pop Art Management and Melissa Villaseñor is represented by WME, Compound Management and Cohen Gardner.
Marking April Fool’s Day and the onset of National Humor Month, The Jim Henson Company crafted a special video starring Ned and Cornelius from the critically acclaimed Disney+ puppet talk show Earth to Ned. In the clip, our alien pals attempt some classic Earthling jokes — and deliver an out-of-this-world Straight Man/Wise Guy act.
Available to stream on Disney+, Earth to Ned centers on alien commander Ned (puppeteered by Paul Rugg), who is sent to conquer Earth at the behest of his admiral father, but calls off the invasion after falling in love with our pop culture and celebrities. Instead of blowing the planet up, Ned buries his ship beneath the Earth’s crust, sets up a studio on the deck, and enlists the help of his sidekick Cornelius (puppeteered by Michael Oosterom) along with his reluctant ship’s AI B.E.T.I. (puppeteered by Colleen Smith), and a gaggle of small monster-like creatures known as the CLODs, all so that he can star in his own talk show and learn more about Earth’s greatest resource….celebrities!
Ned, Cornelius, their Artificial Intelligence B.E.T.I., and CLODs are brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the team behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic characters.
The show’s guests include Joshua Bassett, Rachel Bilson, Michael Ian Black, Rachel Bloom, RuPaul, Taye Diggs, Lil Rel Howery, Bindi and Robert Irwin, Gillian Jacobs, NeNe Leakes, Thomas Lennon, Joel McHale, Andy Richter, Olivia Rodrigo, Eli Roth, Kristen Schaal, Paul Scheer, Jenny Slate, Raven Symoné, Reggie Watts, Billy Dee Williams, Jason Ritter, Ginnifer Goodwin, Aisha Tyler, Mayim Bialik, Margaret Cho, and more.
Arcana Studios (Howard Lovecraft, Hallowaiian) has unveiled the trailer for Panda vs. Aliens — CG-animated feature film based on characters licensed from Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment. Directed by studio founder Sean O’Reilly, the mixed-signals action comedy will roll out across North American theaters on April 9.
Synopsis: When an alien race believes that Pandy’s action-adventure TV series is “real news” broadcasting through the galaxy, they come to planet Nuwa seeking the powerful medallion Pandy’s character uses in his TV show. Luckily, our hero’s castmates come together to beat the interstellar menace King Karoth which brings the cast together in this challenging time. The family-friendly flick is packed with heroes, villains, super powers, spaceships, friendship and laughter.
Panda vs. Aliens features the voices of Chevy Chase (National Lampoon’s Vacation), Scott McNeill (Riverdale, Dragon Ball Z), Ashleigh Ball (My Little Pony), Dan Payne (Watchmen, Star Trek Beyond), Sean Patrick O’Reilly (Howard Lovecraft series), Andrew Gray (Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Legendary Battle), Kiefer O’Reilly (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), Geoff Gustafson (Go Fish) and David Milchard (Altered Carbon).
With licensed characters from Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment, The Unknowns (Crusher, Glyder, Blaster, Rollins), this Chinese/Canadian co-production is directed by Arcana Studios founder Sean O’Reilly, with Stan Lee and Gil Champion as executive producers. Produced by Baiyi Chen, Steve Chicorel and Michelle O’Reilly. Music by George Streicher, Adam Lasher and Jaime Silverman. Digital animation consulting services provided by Frentity Studios.
Mori Chack’s adorable mauler Gloomy Bear is keeping his 20th anniversary celebration roaring with the approaching debut of his anime series Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly and the announcement of new voice stars. Actors from beloved series Demon Slayer and Cowboy Bebop have joined the show, which premieres April 12 on Tokyo MX — available worldwide.
Conceived by the Osaka-based artist as a sweet bear cub adopted by a little boy (named Pitty) who becomes increasingly wild as he grows up, Gloomy Bear first debuted as a character in 2000. His unusual relationship with Pitty — full equal parts cuteness, violence and surprising emotional depth — generated a wave of merchandise and high-profiled collaborations in Japan and eventually won fans all over the world.
Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly
Veteran voice actor Koichi Yamadera (Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop) has been cast as Gloomy, with Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer) as Pitty. A special episode, featuring a chat between Chack, Yamadera and Hanae, will air ahead of the series premiere on April 4.
Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly will air Mondays at 12:57 a.m. on Tokyo MX. Episodes will also be shared globally via Gloomy’s social sites, including YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
The series is directed by Kubotabee, whose animation style mash-up video for Livetune’s “Transfer” (directed with Fantasista Utamaro) made a big splash in 2012. Writers are Meg Yagi and Manami Morotome, Hitomi Sato is art director, Kunihiko Mita and Yumiko Abe are 3D CGI directors, Takumi Yoshida and Toshikazu Kano are cinematographers, and creator Mori Chack handles series composition and animation direction.
You can watch a special 20th anniversary video featuring Mori Chack here (in Japanese).
When the pandemic took away Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts Middle School’s stage, Cox wanted to use technology to bring it back. Instead of a typical school play, these students are using performance capture to voice and puppeteer their own characters in an animated short, from the safety of their own homes.
This week, Cox unveiled a sneak peek at this distinctive film project, Drawn Closer, created by real middle school drama students with the help of Oscar-winning director Patrick Osborne (Feast, Pearl). The full animated short hits screens this May.
As schools struggle to return to normal, many extracurriculars and “nonessential” activities have been sidelined, leaving kids without a vital outlet for creativity and peer connection. According to a survey conducted by the Educational Theatre Association, 85% of schools cancelled performances in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Like many institutions, Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts is working to make extracurriculars happen for their students despite social distancing,” said Mark Greatrex, EVP, chief marketing & sales officer for Cox Communications. “Hearing their story, we wanted to do our part to help. Hopefully, this will ignite the imaginations of students across the country.”
Students have been fully hands-on throughout the process, even stepping into a virtual booth to record their lines, while being directed by Osborne over Zoom. Facial capture technology has been used to record each of the students’ performances and expressions to make their characters in the animated film as true to life as possible. To top off the experience, the animated short will be debuted in a Hollywood-inspired virtual premier party where students will walk the virtual red carpet and celebrate with their fellow students and families.
Thurman White Academy drama students like Ava used real-time facial mo-cap to animate their characters in Drawn Closer.
“We are grateful to Cox for recognizing you can’t dim the lights on creativity and passion,” said Candy Wilder, drama teacher at Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts. “Cox has provided our students with a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Working with these kids was easily the best part of the project. They were endless wells of enthusiasm and natural performers,” Osborne noted. “Each student brought a unique sensibility to the characters that elevated the story to a hugely entertaining and emotional plain.”
This film was produced by Cox, in collaboration with ad agency 180LA and Nexus Studios to inspire all of us to stay connected and show the power technology has to bring us closer to one another during difficult times.
Watch the inspiring behind-the-scenes video here and keep your eyes peel for the full film — curtains come up Mother’s Day (May 9) on Cox Yurview!
Oscar winner Patrick Osborne directed the project, lending his creative expertise in animation.
Netflix’s charming live-action puppet series Waffles + Mochi has been one of the unexpected delights of the spring season. Produced by showrunners Erika Thormahlen and Jeremy Konner, Tonia Davis, Priya Swaminathan and Barack and Michelle Obama, the 10 x 20-minute show features former First Lady Michelle Obama and two delightful puppet friends (named Waffles and Mochi) as they travel the world and teach young viewers about cooking and healthy eating.
In addition to guest stars such as Samin Nosrat, José Andrés, Massimo Bottura and Preeti Mistry, the show features over a hundred animated segments, produced by L.A.’s Six Point Harness under the direction of the studio’s creative director Musa Brooker. A stop-motion animation veteran whose numerous credits include shows such as Robot Chicken, Tumble Leaf, SpongeBob SquarePants and Titan Maximum, Brooker began work on the series in the fall of 2019.
He says he was very pleased when producers Swaminathan and Konner contacted him to join the project. “I was excited when they reached out to me about the project,” he recalls. “Separately, around the same time, I was also contacted by Six Point Harness as I knew the head of production Barbara Cimity, as we worked together at Stoopid Buddy.”
Brooker says what was clear from the very beginning was that producers had a very definite idea about the role animation was going to play in the series. “They wanted to have animation integrated throughout the show, so we helped them develop the different styles and visuals they were looking for,” he explains.
The director says he got his initial cues by attending the show’s writers room. “Because none of the writers came from an animation background, I listened to what they were looking for and understood the genesis of their ideas,” says Brooker. “We had a lot of different style references. There was a cool wall in the room of images and references that they loved, which looked like this giant mood board. We were able to work together to pull from a lot of visuals both from animation history and contemporary work. The producers wanted different visuals for the different segments — we were going for the feel of a collection from indie animators.”
Brooker and his team of about 30 designers, animators and some freelance vendors worked on the show’s animated segments for about a year. “We animated Mochi’s mouth, and he’s in every episode,” he points out. Other animated spots feature the “Taste Buds” who live inside Mochi’s mouth. He notes, “I really enjoyed working on the Buds. We also did the ‘pizzazz lines’ (the on-screen painted lines) that play around with the live-action elements. There are these patches and animated transitions created for the end of the scenes. We used a variety of animation tools, from drawing and designing in Photoshop to animating in Harmony and Adobe Animate, and some After Effects for compositing.”
Musa Brooker
Quick Adapters
Brooker, who has also been the creative director at Six Point Harness and is overseeing many of the studio’s upcoming projects, says one of the challenges of the production was adapting to the pandemic shutdown in March. “It all happened relatively quickly. Our studio CEO Brendan [Burch] made the decision to have anyone who felt like working from home do so on a Friday, and on Monday, the whole city shut down. We didn’t miss a beat. By Tuesday that week we were up and running. But there’s something amazing about being with other artists in a studio. When you work from home, you have to set up Zoom meetings versus just walking over to someone’s desk to share something.”
The director says diving back to the world of 2D animation after years of working in stop-motion was also interesting. “So many of the same principles apply, so it was fun to go back to the world of 2D. Collaboration is always a challenge as you want to facilitate ideas and make sure everyone’s ideas are heard. It’s all about making something that is greater than any collaborator can do individually. It was exciting and meaningful to places where I hadn’t gone before.”
Of course, we had to find out what it was like to work with Michelle Obama. Unfortunately, Brooker said because he didn’t interact with the puppets, he didn’t get to meet the former First Lady in person. “I hope to meet her when we get a second season,” he says laughing. “I love everything about this show. It was really exciting to be part of a project that is trying to do good and is thoughtful, entertaining and fun to watch as well. For me, personally, it was a chance to return to 2D animation, which is where I first got my start. It is very rare when you get to work and play in all these different styles for the same project.”
You can watch Waffles + Mochi on Netflix. To find out more about Six Point Harness and its projects (which include Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Season 2 of Lazor Wulf and Amazon’s Guava Island), visit sixpointharness.com.
“To capture the different flavors of the places Waffles and Mochi visit, Higher Ground wanted us to capture different flavors of animation. The different styles of animation reflect the varied styles of food and nutrition found around the world, and it’s been a great joy to work on a project designed to broaden both the minds and palates of young viewers.” — Animation director Musa Brooker
The Teletubbies announced today that, in response to the overwhelming global demand for cryptocurrencies, they have launched TubbyCoin, an innovative new cryptocurrency employing the groundbreaking power of HugTech. Developed at WildBrain Labs, a secure research facility in the Coachella Valley, TubbyCoin is a new virtual system that employs cutting-edge cryptographology to convey the inherent value of Big Hugs! in the form of exchangeable TubbyCoin “BigHugs!” Tokens, featuring none other than Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po.
WildBrain Labs
To mine TubbyCoin, all users need to do is share Big Hugs! tokens on social media with anyone who needs a hug, accompanied by the hashtag #TubbyCoin. Then, sit back and let HugTech do the rest, as your TubbyCoin grows in value by collecting good vibes from being so nice.
As part of the initial offering of TubbyCoin, WildBrain will be making a base donation of $5,000 CAD to Kids Help Phone, and for every TubbyCoin shared or liked on social media, they will add one additional dollar to the total donation, up to a total of $10,000 Canadian dollars. Be sure to use the hashtag #TubbyCoin. Kids Help Phone gives millions of youth a safe, trusted space to talk over phone or through text or in self-directed support in any moment of crisis or need. In 2020, Kids Help Phone had 4.5 million connections with young people, reflecting a 137% increase over 2019.
Teletubbies
According to Dr. Rolf P. Solia, Principal Scientist and Head of Cleverness & Fabrication at WildBrain Labs, “We have finally arrived at the unachievable! Everyone knows the Teletubbies spread joy and delight across the world. But until now, few outside WildBrain Labs knew those special powers emanated from their antennae. Now, through the magic of cryptographology WildBrain Labs has harnessed that power to offer people around the world the opportunity to share the ebullience of the Teletubbies through TubbyCoin.”
Teletubbies spokestubby Tinky Winky added: “Eh-oh! Big hugs!”
Gotcha! Happy April Fools’ Day!
Michael Riley, Chief Brands Officer of Teletubbies owner WildBrain, said: “I’d like to wish everyone a Happy April Fools’ Day! Although TubbyCoin is not really a cryptocurrency, our hope is that you’ll still enjoy sharing TubbyCoins with friends, family and anyone who needs a hug – all to bring some very real smiles to faces. And the part about WildBrain’s donation to charity is no joke. To help ensure kids have the assistance they need in these difficult times, we’ll be making a $5,000 donation to Kids Help Phone and adding one dollar to our donation for every TubbyCoin shared on social media up to a total of $10,000. So, share those virtual BigHugs!”
Nickelodeon to Deliver Virtual PAW Patrol Show in April
If the young ones have been pining for more PAW Patrol-themed entertainment at home, Nickelodeon has just the right thing for you. The cabler is planning a live interactive streaming event titled PAW Patrol Live! At Home slated for Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25. The virtual 45-minute extravaganza promises to kids at the center of the action; an opportunity to watch the show in a shared viewing room with friends and family; and an immersive pre-show area with games, videos, printable activities and more.
The PAW Patrol Live! At Home show, which will be available in English and Spanish, was originally conceived for the stage by VStar Entertainment as PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue. This reimagined production recreates a communal theater-like experience enhanced by the interactive livestream production of lili Studios. Families can enjoy a pre-show immersive experience, a fully customizable AR avatar called the Cheer Squad Chicken and a PupPad, a virtual, customizable screen overlay version of Ryder’s communication device that allows guests to click on the badge of one of the members of the PAW Patrol and have their virtual pad display in the core colors of that pup. Their selected character will also speak directly to them during select moments in the show.
Sesame Workshop’s Olexa Hewryk Promoted to Head of Animation
Sesame Workshop has announced the promotion of Olexa Hewryk to VP & Head of Animation, where he will oversee Sesame Workshop’s vast animation efforts. Hewryk was instrumental in the production of Esme & Roy, which launched in 2018 as Sesame Workshop’s first new animated series in nearly a decade, and led efforts to create the first-ever animated Sesame Street special The Monster at the End of This Story. In this expanded role, Hewryk will oversee production for Sesame Workshop’s forthcoming Sesame Street animated spinoff Mecha Builders and recently-announced Bea’s Block, as well as other specials and shorts. He will also manage the Workshop’s in-house animation team and relationships with external animation partners.
Hewryk’s promotion is one of several promotions across Sesame Workshop’s production team. It was also announced that Sal Perez was promoted to Supervising Producer and Vice President for Sesame Street Productions, overseeing the domestic productions of Sesame Street, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and all other U.S.-based production efforts for live action content, and Ben Lehmann, Executive Producer of Sesame Street, was also named Senior Vice President & Head of Live Action, adding oversight of production for Sesame Workshop series The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Helpsters, and Ghostwriter, and special projects to his slate.
Mondo Yan
Imira Opens Up New Territories for Mondo Yan
Spanish kids and family entertainment company Imira Entertainment, has announced a fresh slate of deals across territories for its comedy adventure series Mondo Yan. The 52×12’ CGI series is a co-production between Imira, TV3 of Catalunya, Telegael, Toonz Media Group and Melon Prodüksiyon, Istanbul. Imira is handling the global distribution of the series. Recent broadcast partners include Clan TV in LATAM, Minika in Turkey, Discovery in MENA, Omri Batz in Israel, Trans 7 in Indonesia and Astro in Malaysia, besides the streamers Primo in US Hispanic and TTNETTargeted at 6-9 year olds.
The original animated series centers on three unlikely heroes who have been chosen to protect their peaceful, mystical land from a power-obsessed villain and his mutant monsters. Set in two distinct, eye-catching worlds, the series boasts of multiple backgrounds and elaborately developed characters. While the series has already been picked up by Primo and Minikka, TV3 will go live with the show in Spain in July 2021.
Wow Kids and Twinkl Launch Educational Tie-Ins for ‘Vir: The Robot Boy’
India and Singapore-based studio Cosmos-Maya’s Wow Kids has made a new publishing deal with leading educational material provider Twinkl for its popular animated show Vir: The Robot Boy. The new jointly-created teaching resources aim to inspire children and engage them in learning by featuring one of India’s favorite cartoon robots. The animated superhero character’s show, owned by Cosmos-Maya, is currently streaming on 50 digital video platforms worldwide.
Children can enjoy Vir: The Robot Boy-themed material as they develop skills in a wide range of topics that are suitable for ages 3 to 11.. Covering subjects such as literacy and art, the resources on Twinkl include activities such as sentence formations, creative writing prompts and coloring sheets. The educational materials are free to use and accessible to everyone through the Twinkl website. For more info, visit twinkl.co.in.
Miraculous Ladybug Puzzle RPG
ZAG Games and CrazyLabs Develop New ‘Miraculous’ Game ZAG Games has partnered with game developer and publisher CrazyLabs to create a second mobile game for the property, Miraculous Ladybug Puzzle RPG. The game is the second project to move forward at ZAG Games since the division was established in October 2020, led by industry executive Elinor Schops who serves as VP. The first is an adventure quest game for the Roblox platform, set for release May 3, 2021. The Miraculous Ladybug Puzzle RPG—slated for debut to coincide with the holiday 2021 premiere of the Miraculous theatrical movie, Ladybug and Cat Noir: Awakening—is a new take on bubble shooter puzzle games combining RPG elements that feature challenging fighting levels designed for a new generation of players. In the game, users will form their own superhero team starring the show’s beloved characters.
The company also announced the addition of Eran Holzman as creative director at ZAG Games, who will be working closely with CrazyLabs on the development of the game. Holzman joins ZAG from Matific where he served as senior game designer and producer developing games to make math learning enjoyable for children, overseeing all aspects of the game’s features, rules, story, mechanics and goals. Prior, he was product manager and game designer at Jelly Button Games.
Doug Schwalbe, a former senior VP of co-production for Dreamworks Animation Television, is launching the Co-Production Company, a boutique production firm specializing in finance and distribution arrangements for high end international productions. The new venture has support from France’s Superprod Group and deals with Michael Poryes and Impact X Capital, and partnerships with DreamWorks Animation, New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures, Singapore’s August Media, Brazil’s Chatrone and Mexico’s Anima Estudios.
Currently, Schwalbe has a partnership with Hannah Montana creator Michael Poryes to develop programming for the international marketplace. Schwalbe also has multi-series deals with UK Private Equity Firm Impact X Capital, for African-inspired shows with Roye Okupe’s YouNeek Studios, including Iyanu, Child of Wonder from Dark Horse Comics, as well as others.
Schwalbe is also working with former DreamWorks and Nickelodeon EVP Mark Taylor, raising equity finance for highly branded animated films with leading animation studios in Asia. Prior to launching The Co-Production Company, Doug Schwalbe was the senior VP of copros at DreamWorks Animation Television where he structured and managed coproduction arrangements for numerous properties for Netflix, TFI/CBS All Access, Nickelodeon/Teletoon, France Televisions and Universal Kids. He also structured development deals with Sky, Peacock and CBC, a live action fantasy adventure series with the BBC. Previously, he worked as exec VP, managing director at Classic Media. He also served as the international distributor for Miramax Television and headed up domestic and international sales at HBO, as well as international sales at MGM International Television and Twentieth Century Fox International in Paris.
A second season of the popular animated series Mira, Royal Detective will premiere on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW on Monday, April 5 at 5 p.m. New episodes of the show will debut on consecutive Mondays.
Inspired by the cultures and customs of India, the series follows the brave and resourceful Mira, a young girl who travels throughout the fictional land of Jalpur solving mysteries for her friends, family and extended community. Season two will include an episode highlighting the Eid al-Fitr holiday debuting Monday, May 3 (5:00 p.m. EDT), and episodes celebrating the festivals of Teej and Dasara, as well as four extended-length music- and dance-filled specials. Season one of the series will begin streaming on Disney+ on Friday, April 30.
Mira, Royal Detective celebrates authentic Indian music, dance, food, fashion, language and art by incorporating the diversity of the culture into the mystery-filled storylines. The series voice cast includes Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla and Aasif Mandvi. Leela Ladnier stars as the voice of Mira. Recurring guest stars include Danny Pudi, Kunal Nayyar, Hari Kondabolu, Karen David and Aarti Sequeira.
In the special Eid al-Fitr episode, titled “The Eid Mystery,” Mira’s friend Sadia asks for her help in solving the case when they find a lost holiday eidi gift envelope on the ground. Recurring cast member Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek) stars alongside his real-life daughter, Ayana Manji as Mr. Khan and his daughter Sadia. Zehra Fazal and Kausar Mohammed also guest star. Cultural consulting firm SILA Consulting advised on the episode.
Season two also features guest voices such as Ritesh Rajan (Disney’s The Jungle Book), Lilly Singh (A Little Late with Lilly Singh), Aly Mawji (Silicon Valley), Tiya Sircar (The Good Place), Usman Ally (Lifeline) and world-renowned musician Zakir Hussain.
Mira, Royal Detective is exec produced by Emmy-nominated veteran Sascha Paladino (Miles from Tomorrowland) and developed by Becca Topol (Elena of Avalor), who also serves as story editor and co-producer. The series is produced by Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior, with animation provided by Technicolor India.
DreamWorks has unveiled a new trailer for its upcoming summer release Spirit Untamed.
Directed by Elaine Bogan (Netflix and DreamWorks TV’s Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia) and produced by Karen Foster (co-producer, How to Train Your Dragon), the film is billed as an epic adventure about a headstrong girl longing for a place to belong who discovers a kindred spirit when her life intersects with a wild horse. Lucky has grown up in an East Coast city under her aunt’s (Julianna Moore) watchful eyes. But when she presses her own luck with one too many risky escapades, her aunt moves her with Lucky’s father, Jim (Jake Gyllenhaal).
Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved franchise that began with the 2002 Oscar-nominated film Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron and includes an Emmy-winning TV series. The film’s co-director is Ennio Torresan (head of story, The Boss Baby), and the film’s score is by composer Amie Doherty (Amazon’s Undone, DreamWorks Marooned).
The first season of Paramount+ original animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks beams onto Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition steelbook on May 18 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.
As well as all 10 episodes from the debut season, Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season One is packed with hours of exclusive special features, including “Lower Decktionary,” a multi-part exploration of the series’ music, art design, animation process and more; exclusive interviews with the voice cast; deleted and extended scenes; and a fan-forward exploration of the series’ many Easter eggs.
From two-time Emmy Award winning creator Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites) and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard), Star Trek: Lower Decks is the first animated Star Trek series in almost 50 years. It focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380:
Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Ensign Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Ensign D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The Starfleet characters that comprise the ship’s bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis), Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman).
Kurtzman (Secret Hideout), Heather Kadin (Secret Hideout), Rod Roddenberry (Roddenberry Ent.), Trevor Roth (Roddenberry Ent.) and Katie Krentz (219 Productions) serve as executive producers, alongside creator and showrunner McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, serves as a co-executive producer. Season 1 also features notable guest stars, including Paul Scheer (The League), Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Kurtwood Smith (That ’70s Show), and more.
Blu-ray/DVD/SteelBook special features:
Crisis Point: The Rise of Vindicta Trailer (Exclusive) – An exclusive, over-the-top action trailer based on the in-episode movie from “Crisis Point.”
Faces of the Fleet – A deep dive into the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos, alongside producers, writers and the cast. Highlighting character backstories and the behind-the-scenes development of their hilarious on-screen personalities, this exclusive featurette takes a look at Ensigns Beckett Mariner, Ensign Brad Boimler, Ensign Samanthan Rutherford, Ensign D’Vana Tendi and more.
Hiding in Plain Sight (Exclusive) – An inside look at canon and hidden Easter eggs throughout the series, including freeze frame images and insightful commentary from producers, creatives and cast.
Lower Decktionary:
Joining Starfleet (Episode 101) (Exclusive) – Producers and crew discuss the development of season one from storyline to visual artistry.
Aliens Among Us (Episode 102) (Exclusive) – Dives into the different aliens Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner encounter as they escort K’orin to the Tulgana 4 planet.
The Animation Process (Episode 103) (Exclusive) – A look at the efficiency and creativity needed to put together an episode of Lower Decks in this other-worldly look at the animation process.
The Main Titles (Episode 104) (Exclusive) – Immersed in the creation of the episode’s title sequence, the featurette explores the graphic design and thematic music developed for Lower Decks.
Art Design (Episode 105) (Exclusive) – A look at characters’ style and the sets that elevate the animated on-screen adventures of the U.S.S. Cerritos.
The Holodeck (Episode 106) (Exclusive) – Including interviews with cast and creatives, the featurette highlights what Holodeck experience they would like, how characters use it, and how it’s not only used for skills training, but sanity.
Division 14 (Episode 107) (Exclusive) – Not everything goes right for Starfleet — catch up with Division 14, who is tasked with dealing with all the unexpected mishaps.
Deck Dynamics (Episode 108) (Exclusive) – A dive into the upper and lower deck dynamics, and how their comedic interactions contribute to the storyline throughout season one.
The Music of Lower Decks (Episode 109) (Exclusive) – Star Trek music is iconic. Explore how traditional themes have been integrated into Lower Decks and the episode’s in-story movie in this deep dive into the differences of scoring for animation versus live action, and comedy versus drama.
All in the Family (Episode 110) – As the debut comes to a close, fans can take a look at the evolution of the crew and their relationships over the last year, and how Lower Decks fits into the Star Trek family as a few legacy characters appear.
