Animation Magazine

Tag: featured

  • BBC Children’s Prod. Moves into BBC Studios under New Income Plan

    BBC Children’s Prod. Moves into BBC Studios under New Income Plan

    The BBC (U.K.) has announced its ambition to ‘build commercial income’ — one of four top priorities set out by Tim Davie in his first week as Director-General now underway, along with renewing the BBC’s commitment to impartiality; focusing on unique, high impact content; and extracting more from online. Part of this plan involves moving BBC Children’s Production and BBC Global News into BBC Studios. The company is aiming to increase five-year financial returns by 30%.

    “We are actively building commercial income with ambitious commercial plans for high quality programs, vital funding and international audiences,” said Davie. “The BBC’s commercial activity will become even more important in future as we expand commercial disciplines to new areas, such as children’s production, and — despite a challenging market — seek to achieve the highest possible return from all our assets. This enhances value for licence fee payers and boosts the wider creative economy.”

    Commercial activity has been part of the BBC throughout its history, and today encompasses production and studio facilities, channels and digital services, content sales and ancillaries. This benefits audiences and the U.K.’s creative sector through direct financial contribution; wider enjoyment of BBC content and brands beyond broadcast and BBC iPlayer; and exporting British creativity and journalism to screens across the world.

    In 2019/20, financial returns from the BBC’s largest commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios, totalled £276 million ($385M USD), principally via content investment and dividends. Building on that success, BBC Studios today confirms that it is on track to meet its five year returns commitment of £1.2 billion ($1.7B) by 2021/22, an increase of 18% on the previous five years, despite a significant impact on this year from the COVID-19 pandemic. Against a backdrop of fierce global competition, BBC Studios has committed to grow this total by a further 30% to a new target of £1.5B ($2B) in the five years from 2022/23.

    BBC Children’s Production, makers of Blue Peter, JoJo & Gran Gran, My Mum Tracy Beaker, Something Special, Crackerjack and Ferne and Rory, will transfer into BBC Studios from April 2022. This will enable it to access the commercial model proven in U.K. production since 2017 — competing in the market for commissions and working for a range of customers.

    The global children’s entertainment market has grown dramatically in recent years, bringing more competition for ideas, talent and content from well-funded global players. This transfer will bring together BBC production teams, supported by brands and marketing expertise, to maximise the value of existing Children’s properties and build new global brands for a range of broadcasters and platforms, alongside BBC channels, with a better return on investment from program development.

    Patricia Hidalgo Reina, Director of BBC Children’s & Education, said, “Moving children’s production into BBC Studios will safeguard our specialism within a producer of scale, enabling them to continue to make world-class public service content for our U.K. audiences, and increasing their potential of taking British children’s content to the wider global market.”

    The transfer of Children’s will follow two other moves into BBC Studios this year. BBC Three’s in-house production team, will become part of BBC Studios from April, bringing its multi-genre team into line with the BBC’s model for U.K. production. Meanwhile, BBC Studios will also become responsible for the commercial management of BBC Global News Ltd. (GNL), bringing all international commercial activities under single leadership.

    BBC Studios has seen revenue increase 6% pa and EBITDA 31% pa from 2017/18 to 2019/20. Major drivers include the successful transition to a commercial basis of the BBC’s U.K. television production arm, (Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders, Good Omens); the acquisition of UKTV; continuing transformation of BBC Studios’ global distribution business, entering large-scale multi-year customer partnerships and the BritBox International JV with ITV; and successful equity partnerships with premium British indies built on home-grown talent and ideas.

    BBC Studios has a unique position in British creativity as the U.K.’s leader in new commissions and the world’s leading television distributor outside the U.S. studios. Future business opportunities include unlocking considerable further creative and commercial potential in production, creating valuable new IP across both BBC and third party titles with delivery of a strong slate and future commissions; talent initiatives and strategic content investment; new and expanded customer partnerships; and optimizing content across its linear services.

    At the same time, BBC Studios is putting plans in place to realize new digital revenue streams for the medium to long term outside the U.K. by establishing complementary focused digital services built around British content. Existing digital business plans include further expansion of the BritBox International JV in up to 25 markets, with four now operational or imminent outside the U.K., and new SVOD channel BBC Select, which launched last month in the U.S. and Canada.

  • ‘Central Park’ Gets Early S3 Re-Up from Apple TV+; S2 First Look

    ‘Central Park’ Gets Early S3 Re-Up from Apple TV+; S2 First Look

    Apple TV+ announced that its critically acclaimed, hit animated musical comedy series Central Park has been renewed for a third season. From creator, writer and executive producer Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad and Nora Smith, the first three episodes of the second season of the Emmy and NAACP Image Award-nominated series will debut globally Friday, June 25, and new episodes will premiere weekly every Friday.

    Additionally, a first look at the second season of the Apple Original series, which boasts a star-studded voice cast that includes Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess and Stanley Tucci, was revealed today.

    In S2, the Tillerman family continues to navigate living in and caring for the world’s most famous park. Molly (Raver-Lampman) experiences the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Cole (Burgess) is challenged by a truly embarrassing moment at school, Paige (Hahn) continues to chase down the mayor’s corruption story, and Owen (Odom Jr.) juggles managing the park, his staff and his family all with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, Bitsy (Tucci) inches ever closer to her sinister goal of claiming Central Park as her own; with Helen (Diggs) by her side, eternally wondering whether she’s made it into Bitsy’s will. Every step of the way, we are guided along by our friendly, fumbling, fiddler narrator, Birdie (Gad).

    In the first look at the second season, Helen proclaims her love for her hometown in a special song called “Weehawken Rap.”

    The complete first season of Central Park is now streaming on Apple TV+. After premiering last May, the show has drawn raves from fans and critics alike who have hailed the series as a “joyful and infectious musical comedy with an all-star cast,” and proclaim that “Central Park will make your heart sing.” The series has been recognized with an Emmy Award nomination for star Leslie Odom Jr., and is nominated for this year’s NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Animated Series category.

    Central Park is written and executive produced by Bouchard, alongside Gad and Smith. Halsted Sullivan, Sanjay Shah and Janelle Momary-Neely also executive produce. The series is produced for Apple by 20th Television.

  • ‘Croods 2’ Writers Kevin and Dan Hageman Ink Overall Deal with CBS Studios

    ‘Croods 2’ Writers Kevin and Dan Hageman Ink Overall Deal with CBS Studios

    Emmy Award-winning animation writer/producers (and, according to their bio, “brothers and sworn blood enemies”) Kevin and Dan Hageman have signed a multi-year overall production agreement with CBS Studios. Under the new deal, The Studio has the exclusive rights to produce all television content created and developed by the duo.

    Currently, the brothers are executive producers and showrunners for the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy animated TV series from CBS Studios for Paramount+ and Nickelodeon. Additionally, they are writing the feature film sequel to their 2019 Guillermo del Toro horror hit Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and a live-action feature adaptation of the classic arcade game Dragon’s Lair, starring Ryan Reynolds for Netflix.

    “Dan and Kevin are brilliant creators and master storytellers,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Studios. “They have a unique gift for tapping into the human spirit through a lens of compelling characters, insight and humor. They’ve done an amazing job creating Star Trek: Prodigy for a younger audience, and we can’t wait for kids and families to discover and enjoy it. We feel so fortunate that they will make their home at CBS Studios.”

    “We’re overjoyed about our opportunity to work closely with David Stapf and his entire team at CBS Studios,” said the brothers. “Since Alex Kurtzman made our introduction, we have felt nothing but trust and support while collaborating on Star Trek: Prodigy. Not only are we anticipating big things in animation, but the possibilities in the live-action space have us very excited as well.”

    Most recently, the Hagemans co-wrote the Golden Globe-nominated film The Croods: A New Age for DreamWorks Animation. They also were co-executive producers and showrunners of the multiple Emmy Award-winning animated series Trollhunters for acclaimed director del Toro and DreamWorks Animation. The brothers won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program and are now writing and executive producing the film finale, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.

    The prolific team also co-created the critically acclaimed The LEGO Movie with producer Dan Lin, director/writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and Warner Brothers Animation. The film has won numerous awards and spawned movie spinoffs, sequels, TV shows and theme park attractions. Off that success, the brothers worked closely with the Danish toy company to write and executive produce LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu for Cartoon Network. It quickly grabbed the imagination of children across the world and grew into a global phenomenon.

    Other theatrical credits for the Hagemans include creating the story for the animated hit film Hotel Transylvania for Adam Sandler and Sony Animation, which has grown into a powerful franchise that includes three sequels and a television series.

    Kevin and Dan Hageman are managed by Trevor Engelson at Underground, and are also represented by Adam Kaller at Hansen Jacobson

  • Adieu, Le Pew: Problematic Skunk Cut from ‘Space Jam 2’ and May Never Return

    Adieu, Le Pew: Problematic Skunk Cut from ‘Space Jam 2’ and May Never Return

    In the wake of the Twitter storm stirred by New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s assertion that the classic cartoon character “added to rape culture,” Deadline reported that a scene featuring Pepé Le Pew had been cut from the upcoming hybrid flick Space Jam: A New Legacy (due out July 16). The Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character, introduced in 1945, appeared in the original 1996 Space Jam voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

    The scene in question was shot (but not yet animated) by the sequel’s first director, Terence Nash, who was replaced in 2019 by Malcolm D. Lee (Girl’s Trip). Deadline‘s sources said that the scene was a black-and-white spoof on Casablanca, with Pepé as a bartender and Greice Santo (Jane the Virgin) as a customer. The stinker begins kissing Santo’s arm, to which she pulls back, slams Pepé onto a stool, pours her drink on him, and slaps him into a spin across the room to be stopped by star LeBron James. James and Bugs Bunny get information on Lola’s whereabouts from the skunk, who then tells our heroes that Penelope has filed a restraining order against him. James tells Pepé he can’t grab other Tunes without consent.

    Santo, who has spoken out about being sexually harassed and heads a non-profit for victims of domestic violence (Glam with Greice), was upset that Lee chose to cut the scene. A spokesperson for the actress-singer told the site, “This was such a big deal for Greice to be in this movie. Even though Pepé is a cartoon character, if anyone was going to slap a sexual harasser like him, Greice wished it would be her. Now the scene is cut, and she doesn’t have that power to influence the world through younger generations who’ll be watching Space Jam 2, to let younger girls and younger boys know that Pepé’s behavior is unacceptable.”

    Linda Jones, daughter of Chuck Jones, told EW.com that her father was a compassionate liberal man who originally made the Pepé cartoons for an adult audience getting ready to watch their movie at the theater on the weekend back in the ’30s and ’40s.  She pointed out, “There’s a difference between the decision to identify these cartoons as not being appropriate now, and that they contributed to the rape culture then.” She said she has no problem with Pepé being cut from the Space Jam movie, and that she’s an advocate of being sensitive to these kinds of issues seeing as she’s been through a lot herself working her way up as an executive of her own company. “The essence of the character might be carried into something that’s more acceptable now,” she said.

    Whereas Looney Tunes Cartoons rehabbed Elmer Fudd by taking away his hunting rifle in light of the country’s gun violence issues, WarnerMedia appears to be putting Le Pew and his inappropriate behavior played to outdated laughs out to pasture. The character has had a cameo in one Looney Tunes Cartoons short (among dozens of other Tunes), but Deadline‘s sources noted that upcoming Warner Bros. Animation projects based on Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies like Bugs Bunny Builders and Tiny Toons Looniverity (both set to join Looney Tunes Cartoons on HBO Max) have no plans to include the mephitidae menace.

    First introduced in Chuck Jones’s Odor-able Kitty (as “Henri”), Pepé’s schtick of being an addled, French-accented Lothario chasing anything with a white stripe (usually Penelope Pussycat) and refusing to take “No” (or blows to the head) as an answer carried him through 18 shorts (mostly directed by Jones), including the Oscar-winning For Scent-imental Reasons. He has had over a dozen voice actors, beginning with Mel Blanc and most recently Eric Bauza in New Looney Tunes and Looney Tunes Cartoons.

    Writer Blow is not the first critic to point out how problematic the character has become in a more understanding age. Comedian Dave Chappelle famously had a bit on Pepé Le Pew in his 2000 stand-up special Killin’ Them Softly, saying: “Good God, what kind of f—ing rapist is this guy?” Back in 2016, a big Comic-Con announcement revealed that Max Landis was penning Le Pew’s first feature film for Warner Bros. … the writer was himself accused of sexual assault the following year.

  • 42 Projects Head to CEE Animation Forum 2021

    42 Projects Head to CEE Animation Forum 2021

    Having received a record number of submissions, CEE Animation Forum has announced a lineup of 42 animated projects. The selections hail from Student Academy Award-winning and shortlisted directors as well as debut filmmakers. Due to the present COVID-19 conditions, the 9th edition will be held online in two stages: The pitch competition, newly expanded to five categories (April 26-29), and additional industry programming in collaboration with Anifilm Int’l Festival of Animated Films (May 4-9).

    The organizers received 116 submissions from 27 countries, from which a committee of international experts selected the participating pitches. The majority of the selected teams come from Central and Eastern Europe: six from Hungary, four from Slovakia, three from Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Slovenia, two from Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and one project each from Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine.

    “We received a record number of submissions this year, with balanced representation of Central and Eastern European countries and the most developed markets of Western Europe. Each year demonstrates that the quality of works originating from the region of Central and Eastern Europe is improving very rapidly, which is very motivating for us and for the industry,” noted Matija Sturm, CEE Animation Forum & Workshop Managing Director. “Compared to 2017, we have almost doubled the number of projects in competition, and from two categories we have increased to a total of five, including Rising Stars, a student short films category we are introducing for the first time this year.”

    This year’s selection shows fairly equal representation for women. Among the 42 projects, the percentage of female directors is 47% and 46% for female producers. Representation in Heads of sections is 100% female: Zofia Jaroszuk (feature films), Reka Temple (series & TV specials), Aneta Ozorek (short films), Manu Weiss (XR projects) and Gyorgyi Falvai (Rising Stars).

    The dual purpose of launching the student-focused Rising Stars section is to increase the quality of school projects through the challenge of experiencing a real market situation, and initiate a dialog between CEE Animation and schools in the region. Students will get the same opportunity as other pitch participants: to meet mentors, get professional feedback, network and possibly win awards.

    “We are all eagerly looking forward to meeting new talents and seeing the future engines of regional animation. Schools are the most important workshops of unrestricted creations where the animation profession can refresh from and where new trends are born, which is why we have to pay attention to them,” explained Gyorgyi Falvai, Head of the section.

    All of the pitching project teams will begin coaching sessions in March. The first session is with Bonnie Williams, which will be followed by 1:1 direct consultations provided by Williams, Matthieu Darras and Katrin Nandelstadt.

    “Each project receives access to the introductory and two individual coaching sessions, so we will provide 84 individual sessions in the upcoming weeks to assist project teams when preparing for both the pre-recorded video pitch and 1:1 meetings with juries and industry representatives,” added Sturm.

    Although the online version can limit personal connections, the organizers have kept their goal of creating a space for networking and exchanging information between film professionals. Everyone registered will have the chance to meet with international co-producers, global sales agents, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, representatives of public funds and financiers in more than 400 individual meetings organized in advance.

    Dreamworld
    Dreamworld

    FEATURE FILMS
    Birds Don’t Look Back | Director: Nadia Nackle, Producer: Sebastien Onomo, Special Touch Studios | France
    Blaise | Director: Dimitri Planchon, Producer: Alexandre Gavras, KG Productions | France
    Dreamworld | Director: Veljko Popovic, Producer: Milivoj Popovic, Prime Render d.o.o. | Croatia
    Grizzlebetter | Producer: Tania Assova, Zographic Films Ltd. | Bulgaria
    Senior Crush | Director: Orsolya Richolm, Producer: Andrea Ausztrics, Umbrella Kreatív Műhely Kft. | Hungary
    The Night Falls over Madrid |  Director: Daniel V. Villamediana, David Epiney, Producer: Eugenia Mumenthaler, Alina film | Switzerland
    Vast Blue Antarctica | Director: Christos Panagos, Producer: Charalambos Margaritis, Kimonos Animation Studio | Cyprus

    What the Old Moon Tells
    What the Old Moon Tells

    TV SERIES
    Anselmo Wannabe | Director: Massimo Ottoni, Producer: Federico Turani, Ibrido | Italy
    Bogboy | Director: Jack O’Shea, Producer: Paul Ruttledge, Bogboy Productions Limited | Ireland
    Deivit and Lisa | Director: Alessandro Di Renzo, Producer: Mario Tarrago | Spain
    Mitch-Match |  Director/Producer: Geza M. Toth, KEDD Animation Studio | Hungary
    Robot and the Martians | Director: Tomasz Niedzwiedz, Producer: Tomasz Paziewski, Badi Badi | Poland
    Rosie and Sapphire | Director: Anna Katalin Lovrity, Producer: Balint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd. | Hungary
    Starting with Hope | Director: Sonia Velvien, Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production | Romania
    The Adventures of Gloria Scott | Director: Matija Pisacic, Producer: Dijana Mladenovic, Kinematograf | Croatia
    The Olive Bunch | Director: Magnus Kravik, Producer: Maria Pavlou, Pixel Giants | Cyprus
    What the Old Moon Tells | Director: Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez, Producer: Carol Ratajczak, Blaue Pampelmuse | Germany
    Zhuzha Fixes the World | Director: Oleksandra Ruban, Producer: Kateryna Kopylova, Sashko Chubko, Trident Film | Ukraine

    Hello Summer
    Hello Summer

    SHORT FILMS
    Albert | Director: Szandra Pataki, Producer: Krisztina Endrenyi, Mythberg Films Kft. | Hungary
    Autumn | Director: Wojciech Sobczyk, Producer: Aneta Zagorska, Robert Sowa, Krakow Film Klaster – Centrum, Animacji w Krakowie | Poland
    Electra. A Poem | Director: Daria Kashcheeva, Producer: Zuzana Krivkova, MAUR film s.r.o. | Czech Republic
    Hello Summer | Director/Producer: Martin Smatana, Studio Bororo | Slovakia
    Ibis | Director: Maria Burgues, Enric Sant, Producer: Maria Burgues, BLISS PICTURES | Spain
    Milu’s Dog | Director: Daniel Gray, Producer: Bella Szederkenyi, CUB Animation | Hungary
    Nut Cake | Director: Meinardas Valkevicius, Producer: Akvile Bliujute – Januse, JSC Meinart | Lithuania
    Patrick in Town | Director: Eszter Sandor, Valentina Huckova, Producer: Valentina Huckova, Young Glass Noodle | Slovakia
    Sivužas (working title) | Director: Ignas Meilunas, Producer: Juste Beniusyte, Vilniaus Primavera | Lithuania
    Sugar, Blood & Insulin. Diary of a Type 1 Diabetic | Director: Thijs Koole, Producer: Diana Hentulescu, Moukda Production | France
    Unspoken | Director: Misia Mormina, Producer: Engin Karabagli, Emegro B.V. | Netherlands

    Finding Frida
    Finding Frida

    XR IMMERSIVE MEDIA
    Finding Frida | Director: Hilde Kristin Kjøs, Producer: Bjørn-Morten Nerland, Stargate Media AS | Norway
    Fruits on the Tube | Director: Klaas-Harm de Boer, Producer: Vincent Lindenboom, Next Empire BV | Netherlands
    Swarm | Director/Producer: Maarten Isaak de Heer, Menetekel Film | Netherlands

    Kurent
    Kurent

    RISING STARS
    Beyond the Face | Director: Anja Resman, Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts – University of Nova Gorica | Slovenia
    Desire to Win | Director: Michaela Rezova, Producer: Zuzana Bukovinska, Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague | Czech Republic
    Forgive | Director: Alzbeta Macakova Misejkova, Producer: Jiri Pecinovsky, Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – FAMU | Czech Republic
    Holes | Director: Sofiya Kruglikova, Producer: Academy of Fine Arts and Design – University of Ljubljana | Slovenia
    Kurent | Director: Miha Reja, Producer: Bostjan Potokar, School of Arts – University of Nova Gorica | Slovenia
    Light Year Apart | Director: Viktoria Taranova, Producer: Michaela Cermakova, Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU | Slovakia
    Orange You Glad | Director/Producer: Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | Germany
    Silo | Director: Ema Nemcovicova, Producer: Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of the Performing Arts – VŠMU | Slovakia
    The Last Drop | Director: Anna Tokes, Producer: Jozsef Fulop, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest – MOME | Hungary
    The Perfect Gift | Director: Kristina Penava, Producer: The Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek | Croatia

  • IDW Powers Up Original Content Ops with Exec Hires

    IDW Entertainment (IDWE) and IDW Publishing (IDWP), divisions of IDW Media Holdings, announced today that after successes such as the adaptation of the IDWP graphic novel, Locke & Key to the now-popular Netflix series, they’ve beefed up their Original Initiative with the appointment of Jonny Gutman as Vice President of Series, IDWE; Mark Doyle as Editorial Director, Originals, IDWP; and Cassie Conaway as Director of Development, IDWE.

    “In their short time with us, so far both Jonny and Cassie have made an incredible impact on IDW Entertainment,” said Lydia Antonini, President of IDWE. “Adding Mark into the mix as a collaborative partner on Originals will no doubt allow the company to continue its tremendous growth as a creative force.”

    As IDWE’s Vice President of Series, Jonny Gutman will be responsible for managing creative development and production strategy for the growth of original scripted content. Gutman was previously the Senior Director of Longform Premium Content at Funny or Die, where he oversaw IP to develop scripted, non-scripted and animation projects. Prior to that, he served as TV Literary and Packaging Agent at William Morris Endeavor Agency, where he was for more than a decade.

    “The past few months have been a creative joy working alongside Lydia, Cassie, the entire Entertainment team, and all of the showrunners, writers, directors and talent associated with the company,” said Gutman. “I’m looking forward to partnering with Mark to continue to break new ground for IDW, and to bring these wonderful story-worlds to life on screen.”

    Mark Doyle signs on as IDWP’s Editorial Director of Originals, responsible for acquiring and developing original materials for comic books and graphic novels. He will also help to drive the Publishing team’s original content by directing the strategic brand positioning and leading the editorial strategy of its portfolio. Doyle comes to the IDW team after previously serving 14 years as DC Comics’s Executive Editor. Prior to his time at DC, he was a Development Assistant at ABC News.

    “I’ve been making comics for more than 14 years and have always been an avid IDW fan,” said Doyle. “My passion has always been working with talent and telling original stories, so I’m excited to be a part of this growing team. I know we’re going to make great things together.”

    Cassie Conaway joins the team as IDWE’s Director of Development, taking on the management of development for a slate of drama and comedy programming based on graphic novels, prose and other source material. She will be tasked with working closely with the senior development staff, showrunners, executives and other partners to develop, package and sell a variety of formats for streaming, cable, broadcast networks and other platforms.

    Prior to joining IDWE, Conaway served as a Creative Executive at AGBO Films where she worked directly with writers and directors to develop, hone and sell projects to both SVOD and cable networks. Additionally, she was one of the AGBO points on shows such as SYFY’s Deadly Class and Amazon’s Citadel, and was charged with staffing along with managing episodic director needs.

    “I’m thrilled to be joining the IDW team and supporting Jonny and Lydia as we build out story-worlds through television and films,” said Conaway. “IDW’s clear dedication to creators and original materials is inspired and I’m looking forward to all of the future growth that this team will ignite.”

    Additionally, IDWE announced the promotion of Andy Behling to Senior Coordinator, Development and Production. Behling has been a key player across the Drama, Comedy and Kids & Family divisions helping to staff and support all active shows.

  • ‘Atchoo!’ S2 Underway with Co-Pro Partners Campadelli, Cartobaleno & Digitoonz

    ‘Atchoo!’ S2 Underway with Co-Pro Partners Campadelli, Cartobaleno & Digitoonz

    Italy’s Studio Campedelli (Milan), Cartobaleno (Florenc) and India-based Digitoonz have teamed up to deliver Atchoo! Season 2 (52 x 11′) to the global market. The new season is currently in production and already pre-sold to Rai Ragazzi (Italy) and Kids Central (U.S.), with a release window in April 2022.

    Atchoo! centers on Teo, a nine-year-old boy with a curious bodily reaction: he turns into an animal every time he sneezes. Following 204 sneezes turning him into more than 156 animals, Teo is back with some hilarious new adventures. And there’s more surprises in store. Peter, Teo’s gluttonous friend with a chicken phobia, has decided: no more constant snacking, or record-breaking lollipops. To find a new activity to absorb all his attention, Peter will be constantly attempting a new hobby in every episode, with hilariously unexpected results. The biggest new development are Teo’s new neighbors, the Plummers: Barbara, a remarkably unattractive, possessive and totally unpredictable seven-year-old girl, who falls in love with Teo; and Berto, her Bear Grylls-type father.

    Studio Campedelli is a production company founded in 2008 by veteran international manager and executive producer Pietro Campedelli, with the new aim of developing own properties and producing high potential animation products.

    Cartobaleno is a TV production company which has been developing and producing innovative projects for over 20 years. The studio specializes in 2D animation and project development for TV series in collaboration with major partners.

    Digitoonz is an animation studio in India operating from two different locations (New Delhi and Kolkata), founded in 2009 by Vikas Kumar. With global presence in animation, the studio specializes in producing 2D and CGI TV series and feature films. Digitoonz has worked on various projects in diverse categories including children’s, adult, entertainment and edutainment.

  • L’Atelier Animation, Director Chris Jenkins Board GFM’s ’10 Lives’

    L’Atelier Animation, Director Chris Jenkins Board GFM’s ’10 Lives’

    GFM Animation today announced that Montreal-based L’Atelier Animation has boarded its animated family comedy 10 Lives, and that Chris Jenkins has joined the production as director.

    L’Atelier Animation will act as the film’s sole animation studio, with early production underway and CG animation due to start in mid-2021. L’Atelier has been closely collaborating with GFM to bring to life the unique story of a cat who is granted a new set of lives – with a twist. The boutique service house specializes in high-end animation projects, with credits including Ballerina (a.k.a. Leap!), the animated series Robozuna and the upcoming CG-animated feature Fireheart.

    GFM Animation recently worked with director Jenkins on Original Force’s Duck, Duck, Goose which received a theatrical release in 2018. Jenkins also wrote the project. He was also producer on DreamWorks’ Home and writer/producer on Sony’s Surf’s Up.

    10 Lives is being produced by GFM Animation, who acquired the film from Original Force with a recent script rewrite by Jenkins and voice casting underway under the supervision of Robyn Klein.

    “For me, the film’s logline is in its title: 10 Lives. Everyone loves cats and knows that ordinarily, they have nine lives… but not so for our hero Beckett, who manages to charm his way into another set of lives. That’s what makes this story stand out so much,” commented GFM Animation’s London-based Head of Production, Sean Feeney. “Chris, Louis-Philippe and the team all feel the same — this will be a wonderful film that the whole family can enjoy. With L’Atelier’s fabulous character animation skills and Chris’ direction bringing the movie to life, we’re in for a great ride.”

    L’Atelier’s Executive Producer Louis-Philippe Vermette remarked, “What a pleasure it is to join GFM Animation’s team and Chris Jenkins in telling the adventures of Beckett’s 10 Lives. This project resonates with its fresh, fun, and unique story, and audiences will no doubt have a blast watching it. GFM Animation’s decision to involve us early on completely syncs with how we as animators can best contribute to a project’s success. We look forward to seeing how this wonderful synergy will play out on the screen.”

    10 Lives tells the story of Becket, a scrawny little street cat who is sure he deserves a better life. When he is almost hit by a truck, he uses his charm to endear himself to the driver, Rose, and winds up in the perfect forever home with someone who needs him just as much as he needs her. Beckett settles into living the perfect life — totally spoiled, growing fatter, more vain and more selfish of Rose’s love and attention. But his careless escapades see him use up his ninth life. As a result, he finds himself making a deal for a new set of lives on the condition that he promises to use them to learn to be a more considerate and loving cat. He readily agrees, unaware that the new set of lives will see him return as a variety of different animals … with hilarious consequences!

    gfmanimation.com | latelieranimation.com

  • 52 Projects Selected for Animation Production Days 2021

    52 Projects Selected for Animation Production Days 2021

    The votes are in and the jury has selected 52 projects from 22 countries to take part in this year’s Animation Production Days (APD). A total of 97 projects were submitted, a new record in the event’s 15-year history.

    The curated business platform is taking place from May 4-7 as an online or hybrid event. In pre-planned, one-to-one video meetings, producers will have the opportunity to introduce their selected projects to potential co-production and financing partners. APD is a joint venture with the simultaneously held events Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and FMX – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media.

    Sex Symbols (TV series, tweens 9-13) © admirablefilms / TVON; Paloma Mora, Spain
    Sex Symbols (TV series, tweens 9-13) © admirablefilms / TVON; Paloma Mora, Spain

    As the organizers point out, the global COVID crisis has not impeded creativity in the animation industry. On the contrary, they note the variety of genres, styles and topics among this year’s submissions was extraordinary. For adult audiences alone, almost every taste is catered to — from gothic thrillers to cyberpunk heists, drama and comedy. Amongst the projects for older children (9-12 years) and teenagers, topics such as diversity, sexuality, cultural background and identity play a major role. And as always, there is an abundance of comedy and adventure material for younger children.

    Around 60% of the projects are TV series. Feature films are also well represented at 20%, with a further 20% being cross-media projects, which include books, a game, mobile formats, etc., in addition to a series or film. In terms of animation techniques, the range extends from stop-motion and puppet animation through classic 2D and CGI to motion capture. Hybrid forms combining live action and animation are also featured.

    Malika (adult audiences hybrid feature/game) © Trickstudio Lutterbeck / Heimatfilm, Germany
    Malika (adult audiences hybrid feature/game) © Trickstudio Lutterbeck / Heimatfilm, Germany

    Of the projects, 48 are from Europe, with 16 coming from Germany. Spain, Denmark and Belgium are also strongly represented, with projects from a total of 22 countries overall being selected. Those coming from outside of Europe include Mexico and Kenya, while two projects from China have also been invited following their nomination via a partnership with the International Cartoon Animation Venture-Capital Conference (ICAVC).

    For the APD Talent Program, eight fantastic projects have been selected from 24 submissions. At APD, the young producers and creatives have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with experienced industry experts, develop contacts and find partners for their projects. This year, the short film project Nothing we say can change what we’ve been through by Francesca de Bassa (director) and Arantxa Martin (producer) qualified for the Talent Program as part of the APD’s cooperation with the European Animation Sans Frontières training program.

    An overview of all selected projects can be found on the APD website.

    Riot5 (TV series - APD Talent Program) © Violeta Fellay, Denmark
    Riot5 (TV series – APD Talent Program) © Violeta Fellay, Denmark

    Representatives of broadcasters, streamers and world sales agents can find exciting new projects at APD, meet up-and-coming talents and give producers feedback on the requirements of the various European markets. Numerous important industry players have already confirmed their attendance including Amazon Prime Video, ARTE, Blue Zoo Rights, Canal+, De Agostini Editore, Edel Germany, Ferly, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), Gaumont, Global Screen, Imira Entertainment, Jetpack Distribution, KiKA – the Children’s Channel of ARD & ZDF, Koch Films, Meta Media Entertainment, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), Nickelodeon International, Pink Parrot Media, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), SilkWayFilms, Sola Media, Sony Pictures Television, Studio Hamburg Enterprises, Südwestrundfunk (SWR/ARD), Superights, SUPER RTL, The Walt Disney Company, WarnerMedia, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Windrose, WDR mediagroup, WildBrain, Wildseed Studios, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) and Zodiak Kids. National and international funding institutions will also be present.

    The registration deadline for investors and financial partners is March 11, 2021.

  • ‘Liberator’ Studio Trioscope Partners with Quality Films on Development Slate

    ‘Liberator’ Studio Trioscope Partners with Quality Films on Development Slate

    Trioscope Studios, the animation studio behind the distinctive hybrid Netflix series The Liberator, has entered a co-production partnership with media conglomerate QC Media Holdings subsidiary Quality Films — sibling company to hip-hop label co. Quality Control Music.

    Under the deal, Trioscope’s chiefs L.C. Crowley, Greg Jonkajtys and Brandon Barr will partner with Quality Control’s Co-Founders CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas and COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee as well as Quality Films President Brian Sher to access the media giant’s roster of artists and athletes and develop a robust slate of scripted content.

    Known for its next-generation enhanced hybrid animation, which marries human performances with animated environments, Trioscope is already in development with Quality Films on a TV series. The project, based on a graphic novel, is a unique action-horror take on the African-American struggle in America.

    Marking the first of a series of co-produced projects, Trioscope says the collaboration underscores the studio’s commitment to aligning with innovative talent to blaze new trails with its proprietary style of animation.

    “We’re prioritizing opportunities that redefine how our animated drama platform can shape how stories are experienced,” said Crowley, Trioscope Studio’s Co-Founder & CEO. “Quality Control has revolutionized the music industry and influenced American pop culture monumentally; through our partnership, we’ll create a unique fusion of culture and animation to take television to the next level.”

    Lee, Quality Control’s Co-Founder & COO, added, “We are excited to partner with the Trioscope team and technology to tell unique and compelling stories that speak to every facet of the Black experience. This is what Quality Films is all about.”

    The news follows an already busy year for Trioscope. In addition to launching The Liberator on Netflix, which reached No. 3 worldwide for the platform, the company has partnered with Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, Netflix and Unique Features for unannounced projects.

  • Roller Derby Graphic Novel Adaptation ‘Slam!’ Skates to HBO Max

    WarnerMedia’s Rooster Teeth Studios announced development on a new animated series for HBO Max: Slam!, based on the critically-acclaimed BOOM! Studios graphic novels created by author-screenwriter Pam Ribon (Ralph Breaks the Internet, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Moana)and artist Veronica Fish (Spider-Woman, Archie). Ribon will adapt and executive produce the series, which is being produced by Rooster Teeth Studios, BOOM! Studios and Minnow Mountain.

    Slam! is an adult animated half-hour series set in the fast-paced, hard-hitting, super cheeky, all-female world of banked track roller derby, following two young women who will have to decide if their budding friendship is stronger than the pull of a team when a win is on the line. The series will be brought to life using a groundbreaking combination of rotoscoped and 3D animation to take viewers into the sport in a way never visualized on screen before.

    “I’m so fortunate to have the coolest, talented-est, Austin-est animation studios in the world partnering to bring Slam! to life as a television series,” said Ribon, who herself skated with the L.A. Derby DOlls for several years. “Billy Wee and the team at HBO Max geeked out just as hard as we did when talking about where this could go in storytelling and animation. That’s when we knew we’d found the perfect home. We’re so excited to make this rough and tumble, emotional, honest show about what it means to surrender your life (and your knees!) to roller derby.”

    “We are beyond thrilled to be working with BOOM! Studios and Minnow Mountain to bring Slam! to life in animation,” said Ryan P. Hall, Head of Rooster Teeth Studios. “Pam Ribon is one of the best storytellers in the business and Slam! is a truly inspiring story, so we can’t wait to share this world with the HBO Max audience.”

    Rooster Teeth Studios’ growing slate of content includes Brian Michael Bendis’ Cover in development at HBO Max, gen:LOCK Season 2 in production at HBO Max, and Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy currently airing on Netflix. As a development arm within Rooster Teeth, RTS leverages an in-house animation studio that produces original CG, 2D and mixed media content. Rooster Teeth produces the award-winning Halo satire Red vs. Blue, the longest-running web series in history, and global phenomenon RWBY, the first western anime series to be distributed in Japan. Rooster Teeth Studios is represented by CAA.

    BOOM! Studios, one of the largest comic-book publishers in North America, has published some of the highest-selling original comics of the last decade, including Lumberjanes, Something Is Killing the Children, Once & Future and Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR. The company is currently in production on a live-action adaptation of their R.L. Stine graphic novel series Just Beyond for Disney+, with other adaptations in development at Apple, HBO Max, Amazon, Paramount+ and at Netflix through their first-look TV deal. BOOM! Studios is represented by UTA and attorney Matt Saver.

    Minnow Mountain is a creative partnership between animator Craig Staggs and producer Steph Swope that began in 2012. The Austin, Texas-based studio is the groundbreaking animation team behind Amazon’s critically acclaimed new series Undone, and the Emmy-winning animated documentary Tower for PBS.

    Pamela Ribon is a screenwriter, TV writer, best-selling novelist and Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow. She has previously written about her roller derby experiences for Oprah.com, the Disney Channel and in the novel Going in Circles. She has adapted her critically-acclaimed graphic novel My Boyfriend Is a Bear (co-created with Cat Farris) as a feature film screenplay for Legendary and Atlas Ente. and is attached to direct (with Paul Franklin). She was the writer of the upcoming Disney/Blue Sky Animation feature Nimona until the recent studio closure. She is currently adapting her comedic memoir Notes to Boys (And Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public) as an animated series for FX’s CAKE.

  • Crunchyroll Unveils Epic ‘Attack on Titan’ Finale Trailer

    Crunchyroll Unveils Epic ‘Attack on Titan’ Finale Trailer

    Crunchyroll today revealed an intense new trailer celebrating the season finale of mega-hit Attack on Titan Final Season. With just a few episodes left before the dark fantasy action series comes to a close, fans and anime lovers curious about AoT can head to the platform to get caught up with all the story twists and sinister secrets uncovered so far.

    The Attack on Titan anime launched in 2013, and centers around a society living behind giant walls to protect them from the grotesque giants known as Titans. The series follows Eren Jaeger and his friends as their lives are forever changed as the Titans push humanity again to the brink of extinction. Season four takes place four years after season three wraps up and expands the universe of Attack on Titan Final Season, culminating in an epic war that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

    It’s been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline, and the world looks different now. Things are heating up as the fate of the Scout Regiment — and the people of Paradis — are determined at last. However, Eren is missing. Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars?

    Attack on Titan is based on the award-winning and New York Times bestselling manga series, which has sold more than 100 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga titles of all time. The anime also has a number of famous fans, including John Boyega, Michael B. Jordan and Joey Bosa, defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers. Attack on Titan-inspired fashion also makes a quick cameo in the music video for “Throw Sum Mo” from Rae Sremmurd, Nicki Minaj and Young Thug.

    Attack on Titan Final Season is animated by powerhouse studio MAPPA (JUJUTSU KAISEN, Crunchyroll Original The God of High School). All four seasons are available to watch with subtitles on Crunchyroll. The latest chapters of the hit manga are also available now on Crunchyroll manga and through Kodansha Comics.

    Attack on Titan
    Attack on Titan
  • BAFTA Announces EE British Academy Film Awards Nominees

    BAFTA Announces EE British Academy Film Awards Nominees

    The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2021, celebrating the very best in film of the past year. A total of 50 feature films received nominations, with Nomadland and Rocks leading the pack with seven nods each. In a first for BAFTA, four women have been nominated in the Director category — three of the nominated directors are also nominated for Film Not in the English Language. Aisling Bea and Susan Wokoma hosted the announcement from the Royal Albert Hall in London.

    The feature animation race is between Cartoon Saloon / Melusine’s Wolfwalkers, Onward and Soul (both Pixar). Music-laced Soul is also nominated in the Sound category.

    “The last year has seen the COVID-19 pandemic impact everyone, and the film industry is no exception. I would like to thank all those who have supported us and enabled BAFTA to continue to celebrate the very best work in film, from our members who embraced the changes we made to the voting process to the distributors for ensuring that many more films were available for online viewing,” said Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA. “Film has always held an essential place in our culture but I think we can all agree that it has been even more important during this time. I very much look forward to celebrating the incredible talent of all our nominees on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April.”

    “This year’s nominations showcase and celebrate the remarkable range of performances and nominees behind the camera from 50 films and we’re delighted to recognise such high-quality work. We are also delighted to see the strength of British film shine through in all categories,” said BAFTA Chair Krishnendu Majumdar. “After last year’s nominations, we started the BAFTA Review process with the intention of levelling the playing field and introduced​ a range of measures to ensure that all entered films were seen by our members and judged on merit. We hope today you can see some of those changes reflected in the breadth and depth of those nominated and we congratulate all our nominees.”

    Select category nominees below; find the full list here.

    Animated Film
    Onward | Dan Scanlon, Kori Rae
    Soul | Pete Docter, Dana Murray
    Wolfwalkers | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young

    Special Visual Effects
    Greyhound | Pete Bebb, Nathan McGuinness, Sebastian von Overheidt
    The Midnight Sky | Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, David Watkins
    Mulan | Sean Faden, Steve Ingram, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury
    The One and Only Ivan | Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher
    Tenet | Scott Fisher, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley

    British Short Animation
    The Fire Next Time | Renaldho Pelle, Yanling Wang, Kerry Jade Kolbe
    The Owl and the Pussycat | Mole Hill, Laura Duncalf
    The Song of a Lost Boy | Daniel Quirke, Jamie MacDonald, Brid Arnstein

    Sound
    Greyhound | TBC
    News of the World | Michael Fentum, William Miller, Mike Prestwood Smith, John Pritchett, Oliver Tarney
    Nomadland | Sergio Diaz, Zach Seivers, M. Wolf Snyder
    Soul | Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, David Parker
    Sound of Metal | Jaime Baksht, Nicolas Becker, Phillip Bladh, Carlos Cortés, Michelle Couttolenc

  • WOW!, Frederator Bring Steampunk Fantasy ‘Parasol Protectorate’ to Animation

    WOW!, Frederator Bring Steampunk Fantasy ‘Parasol Protectorate’ to Animation

    Frederator Studios, a WOW! Unlimited Media Inc. company, has acquired the rights to develop a new, original animated series based on the New York Times best-selling, award-winning steampunk urban fantasy novel series, the Parasol Protectorate, by author Gail Carriger.

    “As a massive fan of animation, I am so excited and honored to have this series in their talented hands,” Carriger said. “I can’t wait to collaborate and see them work their story magic on Alexia and all her friends. I think it’s going to be ridiculously fun.”

    With over a million copies in print, the Parasol Protectorate series (which includes the books Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless) has been translated into more than a dozen different languages and turned into graphic novels. It’s a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, with Kirkus praising the books by calling them “witty, engaging and fun.”

    “Parasol Protectorate is a wickedly fun, addictive and refreshing paranormal adventure and will be an incredibly exciting and wonderful addition to the animation space,” says Frederator CEO, Michael Hirsh.

    Set in anachronistic Victorian London, the Parasol Protectorate stories follow the exploits of Alexia Tarabotti, who finds herself caught in a mystery concerning London’s paranormal high society alongside the gorgeous Scottish werewolf, Lord Maccoon.

    The animated series will be executive produced by Carriger, Hirsh and Kevin Kolde, VP Production for Frederator Studios.

  • ‘Megalobox 2: Nomad’ Steps into Funimation’s Spring Anime Ring

    ‘Megalobox 2: Nomad’ Steps into Funimation’s Spring Anime Ring

    Fans of high-octane ringside action can watch the next chapter of Gearless Joe’s adventure unfold on Funimation this year. Megalobox 2: Nomad has joined the anime destination’s Spring 2021 lineup through its partnership with TMS Entertainment. New key art for the sequel series was also revealed.

    Megalobox 2: Nomad
    Megalobox 2: Nomad

    Based on the manga Tomorrow’s Joe by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba, Megalobox debuted in 2018 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration for the classic sci-fi-sports series. Set in a futuristic Japan, the story follows a mysterious young man making his way in the sport of Megalo Boxing — fights in which the boxers are braced by metal frames to increase their deadly power. Known only by his ring name Junk Dog, our hero survives by fighting in rigged, underground matches — until the day he encounters Yuri, the reigning official champion, and earns a new fighting moniker.

    (Read more about Megalobox in Charles Solomon’s review for Animation Magazine here.)

    Nomad continues Gearless Joe’s journey, picking up seven years after the final episode of Season 1. A stylish and hard-hitting teaser was debuted by TMS in January:

  • All-Star Toybox: Netflix Sets Cast for ‘Lost Ollie’ Limited Series

    All-Star Toybox: Netflix Sets Cast for ‘Lost Ollie’ Limited Series

    Netflix today revealed the stellar main cast for upcoming limited series Lost Ollie, announced in October. Jonathan Groff, Mary J. Blige, Tim Blake Nelson, Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson and Kesler Talbot will star in the 4 x 45′ live-action/CGI project from Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings, Coraline), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Shadow and Bone).

    Lost Ollie is the story of a lost toy on an epic adventure, searching across the country for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend. A heartwarming journey to reunite in the face of all the dangers that childhood can throw at them. The limited series is inspired by the book Ollie’s Odyssey by renowned author and illustrator William Joyce.

    Jonathan Groff [photo: Jason Bell], Mary J. Blige, Tim Blake Nelson
    Jonathan Groff [photo: Jason Bell], Mary J. Blige, Tim Blake Nelson

    Voice actors:

    • Jonathan Groff (Frozen, Hamilton) will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown, Ollie puts on a brave face and sets off to find Billy, meeting other toys to help him along the way.
    • Mary J. Blige (Mudbound, Power Book II: Ghost) will voice Rosy, a raggedy teddy bear stitched together from other toys. Rosy is a fearless warrior who is deeply passionate with inspiring confidence. While unsure of Ollie at first, she becomes an important ally as she joins them on their journey.
    • Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) will voice Zozo, a clown doll who is an old toy and an even older soul. Zozo is a true gentleman with a good sense of humor, and after meeting Ollie and hearing his story, he agrees to help Ollie on his journey.
    Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson [photo: Getty Images], Kesler Talbot
    Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson [photo: Getty Images], Kesler Talbot

    Live actors are:

    • Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin, Kajillionaire) will play Momma. Billy’s mother Sharon is a loving woman who inspires creativity and imagination in her son. She makes sure to cherish their time together, teaching Billy all the things he’ll need to know to find happiness in the future.
    • Jake Johnson (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Jurassic World) will play Daddy. Billy’s father James is overworked and stressed, doing his best to take care of Billy and his wife, Sharon. Sometimes that stress leads to being short with Billy, but he’s doing all he can to make a good life for his son.
    • Kesler Talbot (50 States of Fright) will play Billy, a young boy with a mind bursting with creativity. He shares a magical bond with his toy Ollie, a homemade rabbit made by his beloved mother, who joins him on all of his adventures. When Ollie gets lost, Billy embarks on a mission to find him.

    Tindle serves as series creator, writer and executive producer, while Ramsey is series director and executive producer. Shawn Levy and Josh Barry exec produce for 21 Laps, along with Brandon Oldenburg (CCO, Flight School Studio) and Lampton Enochs; Emily Morris is co-exec producer.

    Production for Lost Ollie is currently underway in Vancouver, Canada. Industrial Light & Magic (The Mandalorian) is creating the show’s CGI characters.

  • Netflix Sneak Peeks ‘Yasuke’ Anime from LeSean Thomas, Coming in April

    Netflix Sneak Peeks ‘Yasuke’ Anime from LeSean Thomas, Coming in April

    In a company blog post Monday, Netflix VP of Japan & Anime John Derderian and series creator/producer/director LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) unveiled a first look at Yasuke — the new six-episode series inspired by the historic samurai which, they say, is “redefining what anime can be.” The post also set the show’s debut date as April 29.

    Produced at Japanese studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen), with designs by director/animator Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine) and music by Grammy-nominated artist Flying Lotus, Yasuke is set in alternate, fantastical version of feudal Japan, and stars award-winning actor LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah, BoJack Horseman).

    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
    Yasuke

    “The story, just like the passionate creative team, transcends borders, cultures and languages and is one that we’re so proud to tell at Netflix and share with the world,” writes Derderian.

    Thomas wrote in his creator’s statement: “There is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about an African who goes to Japan to live amongst the Japanese elite and become a warrior. Part of me deep down feels I was meant to create this adventure series with MAPPA, Flying Lotus, LaKeith & the rest of this talented team.

    “Yasuke is a fascinating, mysterious figure in Japanese history that’s drawn a growing interest in today’s media over the decades. I first learned of Yasuke’s role in Japanese history over a decade or so. The children’s book, Kuro-suke by Kurusu Yoshio, featured images that piqued my curiosity. To eventually learn that he wasn’t just a fictional character, but a real person, was exciting material for an adventure story.

    “I’m so excited for both longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy our reimagined take on this historical figure.”

    Yasuke premieres on Netflix April 29.

    Yasuke
    Yasuke
  • ‘Raya’ Starts with a Slow Roll in $26.2M Global Debut

    ‘Raya’ Starts with a Slow Roll in $26.2M Global Debut

    Disney’s new warrior heroine has a tough fight on her hands, as Raya and the Last Dragon got a somewhat lukewarm welcome at the global box office. The Southeast Asia culture/folklore-inspired fantasy-adventure premiered Friday, March 5 in select theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access for a $30 digital rental fee. Happily, the pic has been well-received by critics, scoring a 95% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Domestically, the film earned $8.6 million at 2,045 theaters over the weekend — 41% under Tom & Jerry‘s $14.1M opening for Warner Bros. the previous weekend (the hybrid family comedy also launched free for subscribers on HBO Max) and less than the $9.7M three-day take for DreamWorks sequel Croods: A New Age (now sitting at a $157.7M global total). The title’s boycott by certain exhibitors, including Cinemark, over Disney’s decision to go day-and-date with an in-home release is one element at play … although the Mouse does get to keep all of that PVOD rental cheese.

    Raya‘s international picture is a bit rosier. The new release scored $17.6M across 32 markets — a rare double-digit-millions pandemic opening. However, in China (the only fully operational major territory for theatrical releases), the film took in just $8.4M despite lots of positive buzz. Raya also did well in Russia (No. 1, $2.8M), Korea ($1M) and Japan ($700K), and hit No. 1 in Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ukraine, U.A.E., Qatar, Oman, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Trinidad.

    Besides the domestic PVOD option, facets in Raya‘s lower than expected pull posited by BO watchers include it being a non-franchise film lacking the built-in fan base and roiling anticipation of a Toy Story sequel, or a Marvel or Star Wars release — though the new pic’s China opening is 51% bigger than Pixar’s Soul, also a new IP, which nevertheless went on to become the studio’s second-highest-grossing release ever in the market.

    Still, Disney’s willingness to break away from the studio-exhibitor status quo is raising concerns about the future, which Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro goes into here.

  • Sony Plans Action-Packed Musical Movie ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunters’

    Sony Plans Action-Packed Musical Movie ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunters’

    A new team of animated girl power idols could be hitting screens in the near future, with Sony Pictures Animation revealing to Variety that it is working on an original feature film about a group of female K-Pop stars who spend their offstage hours slaying evil spirits, tentatively titled K-Pop: Demon Hunters. A release date has not been announced.

    The studio behind Oscar winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has tapped Maggie Kang and Annie nominee Chris Applehans to direct, with Oscar winner Aron Warner producing (Shrek, Wish Dragon). The film’s key creative team also includes production designer Mingjue Helen Chen (Raya and the Last Dragon, Big Hero 6) and art director Ami Thompson (Raya and the Last Dragon, Ralph Breaks the Internet).

    The film is described as a musical action adventure that follows the story of a world-renowned K-Pop girl group, as they balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as bad-ass demon hunters, set against a colorful backdrop of fashion, food, style and the most popular music movement of this generation.

    Kang, who has worked as a story artist and storyboarder on a slew of DreamWorks Animation projects including The Croods: A New Age.The story is inspired by director Kang’s culture, and pays homage to her Korean pride and the K-Pop she grew up listening to. Music will play an integral role in the storytelling of the film. The first time feature director’s credits also include The Grinch, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda 3, Rio 2, Puss in Boots, Over the Hedge and head of story on The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

    “Having been a fan of the genre since its beginnings in the ’90s, this film is my love letter to K-Pop and my Korean roots,” said Kang. “It encompasses and celebrates everything K-Pop is – it’s the film I would want to see as a lifelong fan and I hope the millions of K-Pop fans out there in the world will feel the same.”

    Currently writing & directing SPA’s Wish Dragon (coming to Netflix this year) Applehans has worked as a character designer, concept artist, vizdev and story artist for both live-action and animated features, including Wonder Park, The Angry Birds Movie, Rise of the Guardians, Puss in Boots, The Princess and the Frog, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Monster House. He was nominated for an Annie Award for best feature film production design for Coraline (2009).

    “I’ve always wanted to do a film about the power of music – to unite, bring joy, build community,” said Appelhans. “K-Pop is the greatest embodiment of this in our lifetime, and we’re really excited to honor and showcase that through the lens of animation.”

    K-Pop: Demon Hunters
    K-Pop: Demon Hunters
  • Indian Rhapsody: Gitanjali Rao Shares the Creative Journey of ‘Bombay Rose’

    Indian Rhapsody: Gitanjali Rao Shares the Creative Journey of ‘Bombay Rose’

    ***This article originally appeared in Animation Magazine***

    Gitanjali Rao’s exquisitely crafted debut feature Bombay Rose is hailed as one of the year’s most inspired, original and colorful animated offerings. The hand-painted feature, which reportedly took about six years to complete, is infused with the sights and sounds of Mumbai and chronicles three very different tales of the heart. After making a splash at the Cannes, Venice and Toronto festivals last year, Bombay Rose premieres on Netflix today, marking International Women’s Day. We had the chance to speak with Rao, who wrote, designed, edited and directed this feature. Here is an edited transcript of our conversation:

    Gitanjali Rao
    Gitanjali Rao

    Animag: First of all, big congratulations on the release of your wonderful feature. Can you tell us a little about the development history of Bombay Rose?

    Gitanjali Rao: I had an idea for a film six years ago. It was a different one, and I didn’t find the finances for it. Girgit was about three migrants to Mumbai, and was six months into production before being abandoned. I took one idea from that to make the short film, TrueLoveStory, which was shown at Cannes in 2014. I also took some ideas from another unfinished film, Shadows of the Mahabharata, especially the folk art style. In 2016, I found the French producers Les Films d’Ici and they decided to support the film. By 2017, Cinestaan, an Indian film company based out of the U.K., had also come on board. The pre-production process took 18 months.

    Pre-production in animation is very specific, and is about making a dummy film, really — bringing together the screenplay, the animatic (the animated storyboard), the design and look and feel of the characters, the colors and concepts, the scratch voices. The rough cut of the film becomes its blueprint. This blueprint can often take longer than the production itself. Once this was done, I approached Mumbai-based Paperboat Animation Studios to make the entire production of this frame-by-frame painted film!

    Bombay Rose
    Bombay Rose

    How did you come up with the folkloric, distinctive and highly original animation style and designs of the movie?

    In Bombay Rose, since I had the luxury of a long format, my characters move seamlessly into their dream worlds from reality. I use different art styles that I have been drawn to and inspired by, but essentially belong to the character’s place of origin and culture, to enable them to escape into their dream or what might have been a reality ages ago.

    The film has four styles that seamlessly merge into each other. The reality is constructed in an impressionistic style, characteristic of my earlier short film TrueLoveStory. But within that, I go into the mindscape of my protagonist Kamala, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, using the Kangra miniature painting style. For Salim, the hero of the film who hails from Kashmir and is a truck driver’s son, I used the truck-art style of Pakistan. The other important character in the film is an Anglo-Indian woman who used to be an ‘extra’ dancer in Hindi films from the 1950s, so for her my style changes into the black and white vintage style of an older Bombay.

    What were your biggest sources of inspiration for the movie?

    I have often traveled across Bombay as a student, then when working at different studios … in buses, trains, autos and taxis. Traffic congestion would ensure one spent hours and hours in these travels. In those days before smartphones, one looked out of the windows to see life spilling out of the streets. Even today, I feel Bombay is a city that (as a dweller) passes you by more than you live in it. I would see young girls and boys selling flowers and flirting and wonder how they express their love coming from different states, speaking different languages with only Bollywood as their reference to express love. Somewhere in these travels within Bombay and outside in the rest of India, I found the story of my protagonists Kamala and Salim. In a city which they literally build, clean and construct, they have no citizenship and are vulnerable to the dangers of poverty and exclusion yet they cannot leave or go back. Their life and their spirit of survival drew me to their stories.

    Bombay Rose
    Bombay Rose

    Why do you think animation was the perfect medium to tell your heroine’s story?

    In all my films, reality proceeds into the imaginary world of the characters. Be it Orange, where the woman’s spirit takes on the form of a butterfly, or Printed Rainbow, where the matchbox is the trigger for the old woman’s fantasy — even in Chai, where I transit from live action into animation to bring alive the lost world of the characters. Similarly, in TrueLoveStory the fantasy world of Bollywood is the protagonist’s escape from reality. The audience is wont to expect something beyond reality when they watch animation. However, unlike conventional animation films, my dream worlds are fantastical in the psychological way, not just in space and time. I do not make fantasy creatures or an unreal world: I simply recreate the time and world as it must have been in times of peace and beauty, more like an inner world of the mind and soul.

    Did you face a lot of challenges as a woman auteur working in animation?

    Animation, the kind I do, is very niche in India and there isn’t yet money or power enough for the gender parity to be evident. Most of my challenges are common to filmmakers of both genders, such as financing, etc. Apart from that, since not even men have ventured to make the films that I have, I have nothing to compare to. But another fact is that more than 37 percent of the team of Bombay Rose is composed of women, specifically in lead roles like direction, executive production, production design, etc.

    Bombay Rose
    Bombay Rose

    Where was the animation produced and which animation tools did you use?

    In a studio in Mumbai called Paperboat Animation Studios. The entire film was made in Adobe Photoshop, Flash and Adobe After Effects. Nothing very complicated.

    How many people worked on the movie?

    We started with 20 artists and then expanded to about 80 in the final six months.

    Was it disappointing to have the movie come out during the pandemic, when many people cannot enjoy the film’s vibrant colors and beautiful images on the big screen?

    It is far less disappointing what has happened to my colleague’s films that have been completed this year! With a year like 2020, it would be foolhardy to not feel positive about a release — any kind of release. I am not greedy!

    What is your take on the Indian animation industry?

    It is tough being a non-commercial filmmaker in India. There is no state support. The big players in the industry and markets are not interested in us — unless we make children’s films. Not just India, this conception is prevalent even in the West when it comes to commerce. It is the release strategy that has proven that children make the largest audience for animated films, therefore, the market is uninterested in other types of animation. Bombay Rose works perfectly for children, young adults as well as old people. Contemporary themes are interesting to everyone if told in a way that engages them as well as entertaining them.

    Bombay Rose
    Bombay Rose

    When did you know you wanted to work in animation?

    Sometime during the end of my time at art school, I watched European animation in film festivals and especially fell in love with Polish and Eastern European styles of animation back in the ’90s. Jerzy Kucia’s films actually made me decide to take up animation as a powerful medium of emoting through movement. I have always wanted to paint as well as tell stories, so, since the two come together in animation, that became my voice.

    Do you have any advice for other women who want to break barriers in the animation industry?

    The fact that a woman, any woman, wants to break barriers in any industry itself means she needs no generic advice from other women. Generic advice is a bore — but yes, give me a bunch of women from the industry over a drink and we’d all have lots of advice to give to each other in a mutual, not exclusive, way!

    Bombay Rose is available to stream on Netflix.

    For more info on the director, please visit gitanjalirao.com.