Nickelodeon today revealed a first look of the characters in its all-new animated series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, which follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals as they spend their summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest: Kamp Koral!
Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, the series is slated to debut in 2021 exclusively on the newly rebranded Paramount+ streaming video on demand service. Following the season’s run on Paramount+, the series will also air on Nickelodeon later in the year.
In Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, SpongeBob meets Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, Plankton and Mr. Krabs, and the new friends embark on all the joys of camp, including hunting for treasure, slacklining and more. The CG-animated series (13 episodes) is the first original spinoff of Nickelodeon’s iconic hit show SpongeBob SquarePants.
Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years
Original series voices reprise their iconic role in Kamp Koral, which features Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton). Carlos Alazraqui (The Casagrandes) and Kate Higgins (Blaze and the Monster Machines) join as new characters Nobby and Narlene, narwhal siblings who live in the woods surrounding the camp.
Marc Ceccarelli (SpongeBob SquarePants), Vincent Waller (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Jennie Monica (SpongeBob SquarePants) are co-executive producers of the series. Production of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years is overseen by Kelley Gardner, Vice President, Current Series Animation, Nickelodeon.
Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the number-one kids’ animated series on TV for the last 17 years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. It is the most widely distributed property in Viacom International Media Networks history, seen in more than 170 countries and territories, translated in 30+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every month.
SpongeBob SquarePants was created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.
The forthcoming Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years series is part of Nickelodeon’s strategy to be the home of the biggest franchises kids and families love, and it expands Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Blue’s Clues & You!, the all-new animated Star Trek: Prodigy series and recently announced The Smurfs.
Warner Animation Group continues down the Yellow Brick Road with a new companion: Alex Timbers has signed on to direct the studio’s animated musical featurebased on Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz, by award-winning British author and former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo. The film has no release date as yet.
Timbers is co-creator and co-exec producer of Golden Globe winning live-action series Mozart in the Jungle. He is also known for directing and executive producing TV’s musical event Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall and comedy special John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. His credits also include stage directing for The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway TV movie. Toto marks his first animation project.
The helmer will be working from a script by previously announced project writer John August, who penned Guy Ritchie’s billion-dollar live-action Aladdin reimagining, was BAFTA nominated for his script for Tim Burton’s fantasy drama Big Fish and earned an Annie Award nomination for writing Burton’s stop-motion feature Frankenweenie. August received a Grammy nod for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory original tune “Wonka’s Welcome Song” (nominated with Danny Elfman) — he also wrote the screenplay.
Cats and mice have always made great subjects for both children’s books and animated projects. So, it’s not surprising that French animation house Blue Spirit’s wonderful new show Splat & Seymour features a charming cat-and-mouse duo who are also good companions. Based on Rob Scotton’s number-one New York Times best-selling Splat the Cat books, the 52 x 11-minute show is one of the hot properties being showcased at markets like MIPCOM this fall.
“We had known Rob Scotton’s books for a long time and dreamed of being able to turn them into an animated series and bring Splat into animated life,” says the show’s producer Armelle Glorennec. “So when we had the opportunity to buy the rights, we were very happy! We started development in 2017, and very soon French broadcaster TF1 came on board … Now we’re almost at the end of production, and ready for the show’s premiere on TF1.”
Eleanor Coleman, Blue Spirit’s head of international presales and development, believes the preschool show is a great buddy comedy about growing up. “I love the exceptional production value of this show and the way our artists have really captured the uniqueness of Rob Scotton’s drawings and respected Splat’s incredible fur,” she explains. “I also love how Splat uses his innate kindness to navigate the world beyond his garden gate. I am convinced that young viewers will delight in the daily capers of this very unlikely friendship between a cat and a mouse in which kindness and solidarity are both the key message and the key to solving the funny and very identifiable situations Splat finds himself in as he ventures beyond his protective home and family.”
Splat & Seymour
The show’s director Jean Duval, who has worked on numerous hit animated shows such as a Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin, Babar and Mini Ninjas, says the visual inspirations for the project derived from Scotton’s books. “From furry cats (and mouse) to twisted furniture, from lollipop trees to duck sculptures popping up everywhere, it’s all there,” he notes. “However, as Splat & Seymour‘s environment is not precisely depicted in the books, we had to create entirely Splat’s town Moggy Bottom from scratch, while remaining true to Rob’s spirit but adapted to animation storytelling. Our main animation goal was to create a cute and believable friendship between a cat and a mouse. Whether it’s funny or a little bit scary or full of excitement, our storytelling is all about emotions!“
He adds, “By putting the camera to their level and playing with character sizes, by using high quality animation and compositing, strong camera blocking as well as a powerful score, we’ve been able to bring Splat‘s characters and environment to life.”
Splat & Seymour is being produced in-house at Blue Spirit’s studios in Paris and Angouleme, France and Montreal, Canada. The 350-plus team uses 3ds Max software, and faced many challenges as they created the animals’ fur in CG. Glorennec says making Splat’s fur fluffy in CG was not an easy task, but the team is very happy with the final results.
Splat & Seymour
Blue Spirit, which is best known for producing the animation for the Oscar-nominated feature My Life As a Zucchini, is bringing three other shows to the markets this fall: Alice & Lewis (already sold in 100+ territories), the fourth and final season of The Mysterious Cities of Gold, and the second season of the award-winning show Arthur and the Children of the Round Table.
“Blue Spirit is a top-notch Oscar and Golden Globe nominated 3D & 2D hybrid animation studio in France and Canada is devoted to bringing the best stories and production value to all its projects,” notes Coleman. “We treat every project in a bespoke fashion adapting our seamless pipeline across our facilities to provide the best work on time and on budget. Over the past 14 years, more than 40 animated films and series— including Pachamama, Gigantosaurus, Tom Sawyer, The Pirates Next Door, Lilybuds, Jean-Michel Super Caribou, Zorro The Chronicles, Mini Ninjas S1 & S2, Rocket & Groot (Marvel), Ernest & Célestine and The Prince’s Journey – have been created in our studios.
She adds, “The animation scene in France is booming. We have the best schools and strong support from local broadcasters as well as regional and national funds and excellent tax credits. We welcome the growing worldwide animation productions that are flowing into France, and we hope it continues. It’s a great time for animation and artists in France!”
For more information about Splat & Seymour and Blue Spirit, visit www.spirit-prod.com.
This Wednesday, French animation studio Autour de Minuit will launch Animatic, a new Youtube channel devoted to short-form animated festival favorites. The channel will showcase award-winning, cutting-edge animated shorts such as a Logorama, Peripheria, Oh Willy…, Pixels, Carlitopolis and Supervenus.
Among the channel’s exclusive offerings is the online premiere of Dutch director Rosto’s 2011 project The Monster of Nix. The channel will also stream Bavure by Donato Sansone, Soy Una Tumba by Khris Cembe, Blood of a Unicorn by Alberto Vazquez, Fast Film by Virgil Widrich and many other cult films, including new short film by Donato Sansone Il Gatto (The Cat). New films will be uploaded every Wednesday and Saturday through November.
The Monster of Nix
Autour de Minuit is a production company created in 2001 by Nicolas Schmerkin to launch innovative projects. The company began distributing animated films and digital experiences with a catalog of over 300 titles. The company has produced more than 70 short films and also produced or co-produced TV specials (Trinkets, Panique au village and Non-Non Rétrécit) and animated series for young audiences such as Non-Non, Piwi and Jean-Michel Super Caribou. Among the other TV projects in development are Galaxy Camp (52×13 ’) and the adult series The Wind-Ups (26×3’). The company also produced Alberto Vazquez’s acclaimed Spanish feature Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (winner of the 2017 Goya) and is working on Oscar-winner Suzie Templeton’s upcoming features Spistbergen and Return to Nix as well as Vazquez’s new movie Unicorn Wars.
ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) confirmed a new development deal for the animated children’s series Gloria Wants to Know It All, alongside Marc Anthony’s Magnus Studios, Juan José Campanella’s Mundoloco Animation Studios and Laguno Media Inc.
Gloria Wants to Know It All is an animated series for preschool children that tells the story of Gloria, an eight-year-old alpaca from the big city. The adventure begins when Gloria goes to spend her vacation at her grandfather’s house in Pueblo Lanugo, an incredible small town that is a vibrant example of the richness of Latin American culture, where there is much to learn and she wants to know everything. There she will encounter not only a new and marvelous world to explore, but amazing friends, as they face new challenges together. The show’s tagline: “know your roots to understand your destiny.”
Created by Carla Curiel, Roberto Castro, Felipe Pimiento and Gaston Gorali and written by Doreen Spicer, Maria Escobedo and Diego Labat, the series will feature the music of the outstanding U.S. singer, songwriter and actor Marc Anthony, who will executive produce the project and serve as the show’s executive musical producer.
“We are truly excited to produce this wonderful series alongside partners who are as talented and respected in the industry as are Marc Anthony and Juan José Campanella” said Federico Cuervo, SVP and Head of ViacomCBS International Studios. “We are thrilled to work on this project because it’s a new challenge for our studio to produce an animated series, a new genre for us to explore.”
Award-winning animation company Omens Studios is expanding its global footprint, opening an office in London to be led by new appointment Harry Teper as Managing Director.
Reporting to Omens Studios’ CEO Chi Sim Tang, Teper will manage the day-to-day running of the new London office with a specific remit of creating global brands for the company’s IP through distribution, co-production, marketing and digital activity. He will also be responsible for Omens Studios’ third-party service work managed via the London office.
The new London base will act as Omens Studios’ pre-production hub, with all new IP development — as well as some production — being managed out of the U.K. It will also have a focus on working with both U.K. and European-based creative talent and broadcast partners. The first two projects to be run from the London studio are Omens Studios’ brand new titles targeting the 13+ demographic, Amy & the Afterlife and Dragon Lizzardo.
“It’s exciting to grow our business into new markets led by the creative and dynamic Harry Teper and we certainly look forward to adding to our slate of titles and produce even more amazing content for our viewers and partners from around the world,” said CEO Chi Sim Tang. “To complement our roster of preschool titles, Harry’s remit will include overseeing a robust slate of older skewing tween comedy action IP development, including our new shows Amy & the Afterlife and Dragon Lizzardo, working with a talented and renowned international crew including Paul Nicholson (The Amazing World of Gumball), Silas Hickey (Monster Beach, Lamput, Ben 10), Tonel Dura and Adam Modiano (Venture Bros., Ballmastrz: 9009).”
Dragon Lizzardo
Prior to joining Omens Studios, Harry Teper held the position of SVP Content Development, Digital & Programming, ZooMoo at Blue Ant Media, Global Networks where he developed, acquired, co-produced and commissioned content for ZooMoo. Other key roles include Marketing & Strategy Director for Screen Rebels and Senior Director, Content & Creative Services for Fox International Channels, Taiwan.
Created by Ian Milne and executive produced by Silas Hickey, Dragon Lizzardo is a 26 x 11’ action comedy series for teens. Extreme slapstick action with an anime twist, Dragon Lizzardo is about an exiled teen Dragon warrior who gets a second chance at life and is forced to lead a rag-tag group of misfits against his former queen to save not just a city, but an entire millennia of civilization.
Amy & the Afterlife is created by Paul Nicholson and Executive Produced by Silas Hickey. The 26 x 11’ paranormal high school comedy is aimed at a teen audience. A goofy ghost, Amy, comes back from the dead after a bizarre accident, to help her boyfriend Josh navigate the bewildering world of high school and the afterlife.
With offices in Singapore, Malaysia, U.K., U.S.A., China and India, Omens Studios is an award-winning creator, co-producer, IP owner and distributor of animated TV series, short films, interactive media and commercials. www.omens-studios.com
In case you need reminding: 2020 has been a wild, unpredictable ride. With COVID-19 lockdown orders and precautions keeping movie audiences at home, the entertainment industry’s shift to streaming has accelerated, and now one of the biggest players in the game has announced a streamlining of its corporate structure that addresses these changes and is, hopefully, suited to those yet to come.
The Walt Disney Company is refocusing its AV media efforts on developing and producing original content for its streaming services, such as Disney+, as well as legacy platforms. Distribution and commercialization will be streamlined into a single, global “Media and Entertainment Distribution” unit led by 14-year Disney veteran Kareem Daniel, formerly President of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing.
Daniel previously held the post of President of Imagineering Operations, Product Creation, Publishing & Games, where he steered major projects like the creation of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World and Disneyland. He also served as SVP of Strategy & Business Development for Consumer Products & Interactive Media, and VP of Distribution Strategy for Walt Disney Studios. The 46-year-old Chicago native has enjoyed a meteoric rise at the company after getting his foot in the door as a grad school intern.
The announcement did not include mention of any more layoffs.
“Given the incredible success of Disney+ and our plans to accelerate our direct-to-consumer business, we are strategically positioning our company to more effectively support our growth strategy and increase shareholder value,” said CEO Bob Chapek. “Managing content creation distinct from distribution will allow us to be more effective and nimble in making the content consumers want most, delivered in the way they prefer to consume it. Our creative teams will concentrate on what they do best — making world-class, franchise-based content — while our newly centralized global distribution team will focus on delivering and monetizing that content in the most optimal way across all platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the coming Star international streaming service.”
The co. has pulled three major movie releases from theaters so far this year in favor of Disney+ openings. Hamilton kicked things off as a title available to subscribers at no additional cost, while the big live-action Mulan reimagining came with a $30 price tag. Viewership and virtual box office numbers for the Chinese epic have yet to be released, but upcoming Pixar animation original Soulwill arrive December 25 with no additional fee for Disney+ subscribers.
Disney’s MED will handle all content monetization and oversee operations of the company’s streaming service, as well as holding sole profit & loss accountability for its media and entertainment businesses. Content creation will be sorted into “Studios,” “General Entertainment” and “Sports,” all headed by current Disney executives. An investor day will be held December 10 to explain further details of the reorg and the company’s plans.
Chapek told CNBC in an interview Monday night that the restructuring is not a reaction to the pandemic, but that the global crises “accelerated the rate at which we made this transition.”
The MED Studios group — including Walt Disney Animation, Pixar Animation, Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures — will be overseen by Alan Horn and Alan Bergman as Chairmen, Studios Content, and charged with creating theatrical and episodic fare for exhibition, Disney+ and the co.’s other streamers. Horn and Bergman report directly to Chapek.
MED General Entertainment will focus on episodic and long-form content for streaming platforms, cable & broadcast networks (including Disney Channels, FX, 20th Television, et al). The group will be headed by Chairman Peter Rice, a longtime Fox exec who folded into Disney’s corporate structure after the acquisition in 2018.
Rebecca Campbell, who had succeeded Kevin Mayer as Head of Direct to Consumer & International and was formerly President – EMEA for Walt Disney Co., will now be Chairman of International Operations & Direct to Consumer, reporting to Chapek on global matters and to Daniel regarding direct-to-consumer operations for streaming.
MED Sports will be headed by Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. Josh D’Amaro remains chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, reporting to Chapek. Executive Chairman Bob Iger will continue to oversee creative endeavors.
In addition to the big hit to movie box offices, Disney’s diverse media and entertainment interests provided more points of vulnerability to the economic impact of the pandemic. Cut downs and shut downs for theme parks, vacation travel, live sports and TV advertising have left Disney+ as a rare bright spot in its first months of existence. But, even though subscriber predictions have been far surpassed (reaching its five-year goal with 60.5 million in August) the company had told investors pre-launch that it might be years before the new streamer made a profit.
After the pro-streaming streamlining announcement Monday, Disney shares rose 5% in early trading, spiking above the vast flats and dips of the markets. The company’s stock climbed over $131 Tuesday, marking its highest point in nearly a month. Disney started 2020 with shares at $145. Analysts were enthusiastic about the pivot, predicting a snowballing of content heading to Disney+, Hulu and Star, including features originally intended for theaters.
Netflix, 9 Story Media Group and Karma’s World Entertainment announce a new CG animated series, Karma’s World, created by multi-award-winning American rapper, actor, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (Fast and Furious france, Fear Factor, Crash).
The 40 x 11′ series for children ages 6-9 is a coming of age story about a young Black girl finding her voice and using it to change her world — originally inspired by Bridges’ oldest daughter, Karma, and based on the interactive educational website of the same name created by Karma’s World Entertainment in 2009.
“I’ve had a lot of accomplishments in my life, but everything that I’ve experienced seems to have led up to this point to where I can leave a legacy for all my daughters,” said Bridges. “Karma’s World is one of those legacies. I hope this series will show kids that there are many ways to overcome difficult situations. This show is going to move hip hop culture forward, and show young girls that they have the power to change the world. This project has been a long time in the making and I can’t wait to bring Karma’s World to the entire world.”
Chris Bridges and daughter Karma, then and now!
Karma’s World follows 10-year-old Karma Grant, an aspiring musical artist and rapper with big talent and an even bigger heart. Smart, resilient, and deeply empathetic, Karma pours her soul into songwriting, channeling her feelings into whip-smart rhymes with passion, courage and her signature brand of humor. In this series, Karma is only beginning to grasp the incredible emotional power that words and music can have. She doesn’t just want to share her music with the world … she wants to change the world with it!
The series is produced in partnership with 9 Story’s Oscar-nominated, Dublin-based studio Brown Bag Films and its Emmy Award-winning Creative Affairs Group as well as Karma’s World Entertainment, Bridges’ production company. Bridges is creator and executive producer; also executive producing are Vince Commisso, Cathal Gaffney, Darragh O’Connell, Angela C. Santomero, Wendy Harris and Jennie Stacey from 9 Story Media Group (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Blue’s Clues).
Karma’s World will feature original songs which tackle issues such as self-esteem, body positivity, discrimination, creativity, expressing emotions, friendship, family, leadership, celebrating differences and more. Sound design and original music are created and supervised by Chris Bridges and James Bennett Jr., and produced by Gerald Keys.
“It has been an absolute privilege to work with Chris to bring his vision of Karma to life,” said Angela Santomero, Chief Creative Officer for 9 Story Media Group. “Karma is a character who does not yet exist on kids’ TV. She is a powerful, empowering role model who uses her words and music to bring about change in her community. Kids who watch Karma’s World will be inspired to use creativity as a vehicle for self-expression, and the series furthers 9 Story’s commitment to creating diverse content for children that encourages them to find their voice and follow their dreams.”
Every drink has a story, and every story has a drink to accompany it… Hidden in the Ginza district’s back alleys in Tokyo, we find Eden Hall, an intimate bar run by Ryuu Sasakura, the bartender prodigy known to mix the most incredible cocktails anyone has ever tasted. However, not anyone can find Eden Hall, but it must find you!
Anime series Bartender, based on the best-selling Japanese manga of the same name by Araki Joh and illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo, is a charming and heartfelt anthology series that brims with captivating slice-of-life narratives and scrumptious-looking anime. Since its initial debut in 2006, Bartender developed a worldwide cult following. This acclaimed series was directed by Masaki Watanabe (Battle Spirits, Bakumatsu, KADO – The Right Answer), written by Yasuhiro Imagawa (Giant Robo the Animation) and produced by Palm Studios.
Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of this highly sought-after pop culture series, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Anime Limited, is proud to present Bartender: 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition on national home entertainment shelves and digital on January 19, 2021. Debuting for the first time on Blu-ray in North America, Bartender: 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (List Price: $69.98 USD) comes housed in an elegant home entertainment packaging which collects the entire series and bonus content in a two-disc Blu-ray set, cocktail recipes and, or course, coasters.
Synopsis: Situated in the Ginza district of Tokyo is the Eden Hall, a quiet bar that few people manage to come across. It is run by the legendary bartender Ryu Sasakura, a genius at mixing the right drink for the right customer. Throughout his period at Eden Hall, customers from all walks of life, carrying all sorts of burdens, arrive for a godly glass at the Hall and a kind word with Ryu, both of which assist in clearing their problems up and reviving them for another go at life.
Monsta’s new action-comedy animated series Mechamato has been picked up by Cartoon Network as part of its 2021 line up for the Asia Pacific region. The title will spawn a featured-length movie followed by a full series (26 x 22′) which is set to premiere in Q4 next year.
Mechamato will follow the adventures of a young boy named Amato who inadvertently becomes the master of MechaBot, a ‘Power Sphera’ with the power to mechanize any daily life object into high tech devices. Together they can combine into the titular armored hero, Mechamato. With the help of his best friends, Mechamato is on a mission to defeat and capture bad robots before they cause more chaos in the city.
The show will feature a diverse cast of characters who will use their wits to solve their problems, and inspire young viewers to be more creative and innovative.
Earlier in April, Monsta released a three-minute first-look video for the Mechamato series, which has so far garnered almost 10 million views in total across Monsta’s digital platforms.
Mechamato is now open for pre-sales, and several different rights such as VOD, OTT and Free TV are still available for broadcasters and content platforms.
It is Monsta’s policy to maintain a high level of quality in their animation. Its main focus from the very beginning has been to use its characters and stories to inspire curiosity among kids, showing togetherness, and promoting good moral values to the viewers.
As of today, Monsta is made up of more than 120 young and talented artists with a diverse set of skills and specialties who are committed to producing fresh new ideas and content for all of their series and movies.
Mechamato
COVID-19 had a big impact on everyone. It changed the way people consume content, and brought more consumers to digital platforms especially social media and AVOD. Observing the spike in content consumption, additional effort has to be injected to push out more content in order to meet the demand from various platforms and audiences.
After the phenomenal success of BoBoiBoy with 5 billion views on digital platforms, Monsta is setting its sights on the wider global audience through its latest animated series, Mechamato. But that’s not all, as Monsta already has multiple content lined up for the next five years, with their own cast of characters and unique stories which will be interconnected within a larger shared universe called the ‘Power Sphera Universe’.
Mechamato
Learn more about Monsta’s plans by tuning into CEO Nizam Abd Razak’s recent conference talk about Mechamoto, available on the studio’s Facebook page.
Monsta (Animonsta Studios Sdn. Bhd.) is a character and intellectual property company which has been producing animated series, films, and consumer products for more than a decade. The company is well-known for its popular animated franchise BoBoiBoy, Papa Pipi, the travel show Fly With Yaya and their highly-anticipated upcoming animated series Mechamato. BoBoiBoy is a phenomenal success in the Asia region with more than 6 billion views on YouTube to date.
Atlantyca Entertainment has secured multiple sales deals for some of its popular animated series. New licenses include Norway’s NRK, renewing the second season of flagship property Geronimo Stilton and acquiring season 3. MTVA (Hungary) has renewed the first two seasons of the series and picked-up the third season as well.
Greece’s, dedicated children’s channel, Smile TV, has licensed the first season of Atlantyca’s delightful spooky animated comedy, Bat Pat.
In addition, the Atlantyca’s new fun-filled spy action series, Berry Bees, premiered this fall in Central and Eastern Europe: on Minika in Turkey and on the Minimax Channel in Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia; and is set to premiere on VRT (Belgium) in December. Berry Bees has been on air on Rai Gulp since last December and is currently available on Rai Play, the digital platform of RAI. The animated series has been on air on Australia’s NINE Network 9GO since last fall and launched successfully in 2020 on STAN, Australia’s leading online streaming service.
Oddbods
Award-winning Singaporean studio One Animation has secured a deal with Disney Channels U.S. for a package of long-form seasonal specials and shorts of the International Emmy Kids Award-nominated comedy series Oddbods.
The Halloween-themed special “Party Monsters” (1 x 22′) and the Christmas-themed special “The Festive Menace” (1 x 22′) will air on Disney XD, Disney Junior,\ and in DisneyNOW. Also part of the package is pirate adventure “Oddbeard’s Curse” (1 x 22′), and additional Halloween (4 x 1′) and Christmas shorts (4 x 1′), which will air on Disney XD and in DisneyNOW.
This deal builds upon Disney Channel U.S. previous acquisition of season one of Oddbods short-form episodes (40 x 1’), which first debuted on Disney XD in 2015 and later in DisneyNOW.
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
Freeform channel is getting in the holiday spirit early with its Kickoff to Christmas month-long movie marathon programming event, starting Nov. 1. New additions to the lineup include Christopher Robin, Black Nativity and It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, while familiar animated favorites airing through the month include The Incredibles movies, Frozen, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2, network debuts of Minions and Despicable Me 3, Coco, Shrek, Lilo & Stitch, Inside Out, Early Man, The Boxtrolls, Zootopia, The Nightmare Before Christmas and much more!
Matt Hatter Chronicles
Following a raft of high profile broadcast deals the IP enjoyed at launch, Platinum Films have appointed Serious Lunch to manage worldwide content rights for Matt Hatter Chronicles. Serious Lunch will also be collaborating with Bomanbridge Media for Asian sales. The 52 x 26′ series follows an ordinary schoolboy who discovers a hidden portal in his family’s movie theater and becomes the defender of the Multiverse — protecting the realms of his world and the mirror dimension from super villains on a mission to save his grandpa.
“Matt Hatter is a groundbreaking property that enjoyed early success since launching on Citv in the U.K. and gained an impressive screen presence on major international linear platforms including Clan TVE Spain, Gulli & Canal J in France, Canal Panda in Portugal, Jeem TV, Teletoon Canada, Network 10, Cartoon Network India, MENA, Greece & Turkey, and many more. The brand also enjoyed a theatrical release in 2015 and a TV movie 2018. We look forward to identifying new markets as well as relishing the existing 20 language versions available for the series, by developing the IP’s digital presence primarily with VOD partners,” says Leila Ouledcheikh, Director of Global Sales for Serious Lunch.
Riki Group
Leading Russian animation company Riki Group has partnered with VlogBox to grow its audiences across new markets and serve their content via the CTV environment, starting with CTV apps for Fixies, Kikoriki and PinCode. VlogBox will also fully support its new partner in reaching CTV viewers across the U.S.A. and Canada. As Riki Group shows are broadcast in over 90 countries, entering the new markets of North America will widen their coverage.
Mia and Me
Studio 100 Group and TV Cultura have joined forces for the live action/CGI hybrid series Mia and me. Already a high-promising YouTube star in Brazil, the first two seasons will air on Brazilian free television network TV Cultura commencing Monday (Brazil’s Children’s Day). With a daily slot within TV Cultura’s kids’ programming schedule, at least one episode of the series for girls aged 6 to 12 will air Monday to Friday for the next two consecutive years.
The free TV launch of the successful series Mia and me will be supported by a broad marketing and social media campaign in collaboration with Studio 100 Media’s assigned local license agency Brandhouse Licensing. The agency is also working on a broad range of licensed products including toys, apparel and publishing. The Brazilian YouTube Channel for Mia and me accounts for more than 400,000 subscribers with over 135 million views. TV Cultura reaches out to in excess of 150 million people in 26 states and federal districts in 2,200 cities through its national network of affiliates and retransmitter partners.
Space Yogurt
Your Family Entertainment AG announced a content cooperation with Atem Entertainment, a Stockholm-based company that develops and produces IP around the popular flagship show Space Yoghurt. Starting soon, YFE will air the animated TV series on its linear and non-linear national and international kids and family channels.
Space Yogurt depicts the adventures of three green, one-eyed space friends — Captain Migol, Lookout Popodom and engineer Drod — through an exciting and colorful universe. In each episode, the three space friends experience unusual problems in space that they manage to solve in equally unusual and funny ways. And everything ends well with a great laugh.
Power Players
ZAG Heroez Power Players(78 x 11’), a groundbreaking 3D animated/live-action hybrid action-comedy for 6- to 11-year-old boys, premiered on Boing in Spain on July 13, and is achieving constant audience growth with an average audience of 106,000, with a peak of 167,000 viewers. Developed by Jeremy Zag and Man of Action (Ben 10, Big Hero 6) and co-produced by ZAG, ON kids & family (Mediawan) and Planeta Junior, Power Players follows the adventures of Axel, a boy who transforms into a living action figure, and his unlikely team of toy heroes as they embark on the biggest “small” adventures a kid could ever imagine.
Power Players is currently available across the globe on Cartoon Network U.S., EMEA, and Asia Pacific, on France Télévisions and Okoo in France, Germany’s KiKa, Ukraine’s PLUSPLUS, Russia’s Karusel, Australia’s Channel 9, Canada’s YVT and Teletoon, Brazil’s Gloob, Discovery Kids Latin America, and Netflix. In Brazil, the series premiered on Gloob as the #1 animated series among kids.
Claytime
Superights announced a second season of the highly successful Clay Time series, which will now include 60 x 3’ + 60 live tutorial episodes! Produced for France Televisions by French studio REAZ, Clay Time enhances the imagination of young viewers by engaging them in a universally enjoyable activity: modeling clay. Live-action tutorials throughout the series guide kids in the satisfying creation of their own clay world at home.
Both seasons have already been picked up by the national Free TV broadcasters Télé-Québec in French-speaking Canada, TV5 Monde, LTV in Latvia, RTV in Slovakia, and Art Motion Media in Kosovo, in addition to the Pay TV Channel Daekyo Kids in South Korea and VOD platforms JY Entertainment in China, Now TV in Hong Kong, and RTS in Switzerland. In addition, the first season was recently acquired by Bein (Middle East), Curious World (U.S.), CJ (South Korea), SBB (Ex Yugoslavia), Canal + (France), TVB (Hong Kong), Tim Vision (Italy), RSI (Switzerland), TFou Max, and Truevisions (Thailand). Many other significant deals are currently under discussion.
Enchufe.tv
Arturo Yépez, CEO at Ecuadorian production company Touché Films, Fernando De Fuentes S., CEO and José C. García de Letona, COO at international family entertainment company Ánima, announced a joint venture to produce new, original animated content based on the Enchufe.tv universe. Although the project’s name or its release date hasn’t been revealed, the audience can expect for a family comedy with a bit of thriller, romance and fantasy situations starring by Enchufe.tv’s characters.
9 Story Media Group has announced new additions to its senior team of global executives across distribution, development, legal and technology. The strategic additions are pivotal in continuing to build the company’s growth internationally while developing its in-house capabilities and best practices.
“Each of our newly appointed senior executives bring an impressive background and skill set in children’s media and we are extremely proud to welcome them to 9 Story Media Group,” said Vince Commisso, President and CEO of 9 Story. “9 Story is a global leader in children’s content and this talented team provides tremendous bench strength to support our ongoing growth efforts.”
Joss Duffield joins the Distribution team as VP, Distribution Europe and is based out of London, U.K. Reporting to Alix Wiseman, SVP Distribution and Acquisitions, Duffield will be responsible for 9 Story Distribution International’s business across Western Europe, continuing to build and bolster the division’s growth within these markets. With over 20 years’ experience in international distribution, sales and licensing, Duffield has a proven track record of securing successful target driven strategic alliances and partnerships. As Head of International Sales at eOne Entertainment, she was instrumental in the relaunch and world-wide rollout of the iconic Peppa Pig brand, transforming it from a local U.K. brand into the global phenomenon it is today. Most recently, Duffield served as Director of Content – Northern Europe at Turner, where she was responsible for a multi-genre distribution portfolio including drama (TNT), local European drama (TNT Germany), comedy (Adult Swim), non-scripted (Tru TV) and children’s (Cartoon Network) programming.
Gráinne McNamara steps into the new role of VP Live Action, Development & Production, reporting to Chief Creative Officer Angela Santomero. With over 20 years’ experience within the children’s sector, McNamara will be responsible for leading the company’s overall development efforts for original television series in live action kids and family. McNamara is joining from King Bert Productions where she successfully grew a children’s development slate and produced the hugely successful Malory Towers for CBBC and Family Channel Canada. Prior to King Bert, McNamara worked as Head of Live-Action Development for Disney Channels EMEA and before that as VP Development for Cake Entertainment, where her credits included the award-winning Bottersnikes and Gumbles and Space Chickens in Space.
Jennifer Bol will be heading the global 9 Story legal team as SVP, Legal & Business Affairs. Responsible for establishing the global in-house practices that will set the strategic direction for 9 Story’s legal services worldwide, Bol will also be developing and implementing the organization’s legal and regulatory framework and collaborating with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to execute business strategies. Bol is a Canadian and U.K. qualified lawyer with two decades of experience in entertainment law covering a wide range of areas including television and digital development and production, broadcasting and all aspects of distribution including television, format and merchandising licensing. Bol comes most recently from Blue Ant Media, where she served as Senior Legal Counsel. She previously worked at 9 Story from 2012-2015 as Director of Legal & Business Affairs, where she was instrumental in the acquisition of the CCI Kids and Family catalogue, and has also worked as Senior Director at DHX (now Wildbrain) and Company Lawyer for Entertainment Rights (now DreamWorks Classics).
Boris Beaubien has signed on to 9 Story’s Toronto team as VP, Technology, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Cathal Gaffney. Beaubien is an Emmy nominated technologist and a veteran in the media industry, with over 20 years of experience across television production technology. Beaubien began his career as a technical manager on the hit series Blue’s Clues at Nickelodeon, eventually moving up to become VP of TV Production Technologies, overseeing all technical and pipeline support at the Nick Jr. animation studio. He was also instrumental in the start-up of Nickelodeon’s CG animation studio in California, where he helped design and build their Burbank Animation and Live-Action Studios. Most recently, Beaubien worked with Sesame Workshop to upgrade and refresh Sesame Street‘s 50th season and develop the technology for their slate of series for AppleTV.
9 Story Media Group is a leading creator, producer and distributor of kids and family focused intellectual property. Its award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films, is recognized around the world for best- in-class brands such as Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Octonauts, Wild Kratts, Blue’s Clues and You and The Magic School Bus: Rides Again. The company’s international distribution arm, 9 Story Distribution International based in Dublin, represents 4,200 half-hours of animated and live-action programming. Its in-house consumer products division, 9 Story Brands, builds international entertainment brands for kids. 9 Story’s Creative Affairs Group creates, develops and produces award-winning branded properties using groundbreaking formative research. With facilities in Toronto, Dublin, Manchester, New York and Bali, 9 Story Media Group employs nearly 1,100 creative and corporate staff.
www.9story.com
Joss Duffield, Gráinne McNamara, Jennifer Bo, Boris Beaubien
One of the most influential characters in anime returns with a new adventure as Lupin III: The First makes its way to home entertainment this winter, following a North American theatrical run. Introducing the beloved characters in CG animation for the first time, the film will be released on digital download-to-own on December 15, and on Blu-ray + DVD combo pack, as a standalone DVD and as a SteelBook edition of the Blu-ray combo on January 12, 2021 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory.
This release will be presented in both the original Japanese version and a new English dubbed version, featuring the return of the beloved English cast that has voiced previous Lupin films and series. Bonus features exclusive to the Blu-ray include interviews with director Takashi Yamazaki and the Japanese voice cast. The SteelBook edition also includes a beautiful, 16-page booklet featuring character concept art. Fans who order their Blu-ray + DVD combo pack or SteelBook copies from shoutfactory.com will receive an exclusive 18×24” lithograph, while supplies last — pre-orders are now open.
Synopsis: The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning caper, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made Lupin the 3rd one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in this electric adventure that is sure to steal the hearts of fans old and new.
The all-new English language dub film will feature the voices of Tony Oliver, Doug Erholtz, Michelle Ruff, Richard Epcar and Lex Lang returning to their roles within the franchise, and Laurie C. Hymes, J. David Brimmer and Paul Guyet joining the cast for this latest adventure.
SteelBook, Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features:
Interviews with Director and Japanese Cast (SteelBook & Blu-ray exclusive)
The 2020 online edition of Poland’s ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum drew to a close Saturday, with the announcement of this year’s ANIMARKT Pitching winners. The novel virtual event gathered over half a thousand participants from 34 countries and facilitated more than 260 meetings for potential partners. Fifteen projects in the first stages of scripting and visual concept took part in the Pitching competition.
“I was very impressed with the variety of themes and the dynamic poetics of the final projects,” says jury member Markéta Šantrochová, who also emphasized that the online event was organized not only professionally, but also with a great understanding of the participants’ needs.
The Day Vladimir Died
Out of these impressive presentations, eight films received awards. The Day Vladimir Died was the biggest winner with four awards: a voucher worth PLN 40,000 to be used at CeTA Studio in Wrocław, purchase of a license by Ale kino +, RADIATOR IP SALES distribution award and expert consultation with Marcin Zalewski. This project, directed by Fadi Syriani, tells the story of an inhabitant of Beirut, a regular at funerals looking for his own obituary.
The Family Portrait
The jury also appreciated the minimalist but perfectly elegant aesthetics and the captivating rhythm of The Family Portrait, directed by Lea Vidakovic. The project was awarded a CeTA Studio voucher worth PLN 60,000. A two-week residency at the Quirino Cristiani Animation Center in Cordoba, Argentina, an award funded by APALAB, was received by the project Skin, directed by Gabriel Nunes do Carmo.
The prize sponsored by Dragonframe was given to the project Carcassonne-Acapulco directed by Marjorie Caup and Olivier Heraud, and industry accreditation for the MIFA 2021 fair in Annecy, went to the project Fia directed by Luciana Martinez and Iván Stur. The CEE Animation Forum accreditation was awarded to the creators of Labra Cadabra, Klaipeda Jazz. The second Ale Kino + award in the form of a license purchase went to the creator of Sweater, Kinga Górak.
Electra. A Poem
A Special Distinction in the form of accreditation for next year’s ANIMARKT in recognition of the touching and thrilling story and outstanding artistic quality was granted to the project Electra. A Poem by Daria Kashcheeva — a new concept from the creator of Oscar-nominated short Daughter.
The awards gala ended this year’s fifth jubilee edition of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum. It included nearly 40 events that were broadcasted on a virtual platform all over the world. The online formula of the event made it possible to gather in one place representatives of the stop motion industry from Europe, Latin America, the United States to India.
“It would definitely not be possible to meet in such a large group with participants from such distant countries, especially in the conditions of a pandemic,” asserts Agnieszka Kowalewska-Skowron from MOMAKIN, the event organizer. She notes that the biggest challenge of the online edition was the organization of workshops, which was complex for reasons such as the participation of people from different time zones, among others.
“Nevertheless, the online formula was also proved to be successful,” says Paulina Zacharek. “Our greatest concerns about whether the forum will retain its character and continue to be a place where the entire stop motion industry gathers and exchanges opinions were groundless. It turned out that this community actually functions online, truly experiences this event, actively participates and comment. You could feel this energy exchange during chats and conversations.”
ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Cultural Promotion Fund, International Visegrad Fund and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The main partners of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum 2020 are EC1 Łódź – City of culture and Lodz Film Commission.
MOMAKIN connects the world of animated film makers with the international production, distribution and promotion market. It specializes in stop-motion projects, supporting animations at each stage of their creation: from planning and financing all the way to distribution. It runs a talent agency and initiates and carries out film projects in Poland and abroad.
Netflix has unveiled the official teaser-trailer for The Liberator — a limited series World War II drama crafted with a distinctive animation technique which blends performance capture and CGI. Premiering on Veterans Day (November 11), The Liberator is produced by A&E Studios and Unique Features for Netflix, with animation powered by Trioscope Studios.
The Liberator tells the riveting true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield odyssey of maverick U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks (played by Bradley James) and his infantry unit as they fought for over five hundred days to liberate Europe. Based on the book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey by Alex Kershaw, the series was created and written by Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive) and directed by Greg Jonkajtys.
Alongside Bradley (Medici, Merlin), the cast also features Jose Miguel Vasquez (Brian Banks, The Walking Dead) and Martin Sensmeier (Westworld, Yellowstone).
The four-part series will be the first ever produced in Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation, a new patent-pending technology combining state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance, bringing an unprecedented level of emotion and fidelity to the animated drama experience. Jonkajtys developed the Trioscope technology together with School of Humans’ L.C. Crowley.
Good things come in small packages! The Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie – are back with an all-new series featuring brand-new adorable character designs inspired by Japanese Chibi-style animation in My Little Pony: Pony Life, premiering Saturday, November 7 at 11:30/10:30c on Discovery Family. The eOne produced series will also stream live and on demand on Discovery Family GO, the network’s TV Everywhere app.
Featuring the same iconic voice actors who made the Mane 6 famous in the mega-hit My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, the new series is a departure from the Equestria that viewers were introduced to in 2010. Featuring a more playful tone combined with completely reimagined characters, My Little Pony: Pony Life explores the funny side of friendship set in Sugarcube Corner – the center of the world and home away from home for the ponies. Here, Pinkie Pie serves up frosted cupcakes to the best customers in the world – her friends! Together, the Mane 6 run into all sorts of cupcake conundrums, delicious disasters, and magical mishaps. And thanks to a mysterious source of magical potions, everyday adventures are about to get really ridiculous!
My Little Pony: Pony Life
Each 11-minute bite-sized episode of My Little Pony: Pony Life features playful stories grounded in modern-kid dilemmas with over-the-top humor and tons of magic. Viewers should expect the unexpected with dialed-up personalities, energy and tone. Plus, each pony now has a signature “adorability” power that boosts their personality in an outrageously wacky way!
In the series premiere episodes titled “Princess Probz & The Best of the Worst,” the ponies help Pinkie Pie audition for a televised cooking competition called the Royal Jelly Juggernaut. But when the rest of the Mane 6 are caught in a sticky situation, Pinkie Pie has to audition all on her own. Later, Rainbow Dash’s competitive spirit is put to the test when a new pony challenges her to a contest unlike any other: being the best of the worst!
My Little Pony: Pony Life is produced by eOne for Discovery Family. Stephen Davis is the executive producer.
Disney Channel has ordered the sibling superhero comedy Hamster & Gretel from Emmy Award winner Dan Povenmire (of the beloved global hit series Phineas and Ferb). Povenmire will executive produce the new animated series, which is inspired by his relationship with his younger sister. The announcement was revealed with an energetic “elevator pitch” video, which you can watch below.
Povenmire’s most recent success is Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe, which premiered August 2020 on Disney+. Both it and his new series continue his 15-year affiliation with Disney Television Animation.
The music-filled Hamster & Gretel introduces Kevin and younger sister Gretel, who are about to be bestowed super powers by space aliens. But something goes awry, and it’s Gretel and her pet hamster (named Hamster) who suddenly have new abilities. Now, protective older brother Kevin must figure out how to work with both Gretel and her pet Hamster to protect their city from mysterious dangers.
“My sister is 10 years younger than me, and I had never seen our kind of sibling age gap portrayed in a cartoon, so I thought it would be an interesting dynamic to explore,” said Povenmire. “The show focuses on how their relationship shifts due to her new superpowers and how they both navigate through it. Of course, it is also about cartoon villains, aliens, a talking Hamster with superpowers, and a lot of comedy.”
Meredith Roberts, SVP/General Manager, Television Animation, Disney Channels, said, “An incredibly gifted storyteller, Dan has been an esteemed member of the Disney family for many years, consistently showcasing his knack for creating universally appealing shows that resonate with both kids and families. His signature blend of heart, humor and music are a perfect fit for Disney, and we’re delighted that he will continue our winning partnership with us once again on Hamster & Gretel.”
In addition to co-creating and executive-producing Disney’s five-time Emmy Award-winning Phineas and Ferb, for which he earned 10 Emmy Award nominations, Povenmire also co-created and executive-produced Disney’s Milo Murphy’s Law. An animation veteran with over 25 years of experience in directing, storyboarding and writing, he has worked on multiple critically acclaimed animated series including Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Simpsons, Rocko’s Modern Life and Hey Arnold!
A jam-packed virtual comics, entertainment and pop culture smorgasbord was laid out for fan communities of all descriptions during NYCC X MCM Metaverse (www.findthemetaverse.com) this weekend. Here’s a quick rundown of the animation newsmakers.
Miss some of the panels on your list? Not to worry! You can still watch them on YouTube and through the Metaverse portal.
Hulu delved into quite a few of its highly anticipated originals, including two buzzworthy toons. On Friday night, Marvel fans were treated to the first look at M.O.D.O.K., presented by creators Patton Oswalt and Jordan Bloom and voice cast Aimee Garcia, Ben Schwartz and Melissa Fumero. Watch the full panel here.
The streamer also offered a sneak peek at this fall’s reboot of beloved ’90s toon Animaniacs. On Sunday, exec producer Wellesley Wild, co-exec producer Gabe Swarr and voice cast members Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille, Jess Harnell and Maurice LaMarche slipped in a clip of the first episode’s “very Spielbergian” cold opening. (“How… zany ARE they?” “…To the max.”) Watch the panel here and look out for our feature story in the December issue of Animation Magazine, coming soon.
Animaniacs
Amazon Prime got things moving Thursday by revealing the teaser for Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, which we covered already, but you can watch Kirkman’s intro in full here.
The creative team behind BAFTA-winning graphic novel adaptation Hilda gathered to talk Season 2 and share an early clip (featuring everyone’s favorite deerfox, Twig!) from Hilda’s strange new adventures, coming to Netflix this winter. The panel, which you can watch here, featured creator and co-exec producer Luke Pearson; voice of Hilda, Bella Ramsey; director Andy Coyle; head writer/co-exec producer Stephanie Simpson and producer Emerald Wright-Collie as moderator.
Hilda
Netflix also gathered the cast and crew of DreamWorks Animation’s Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, which is debuting its third season Monday, October 12. Exec producers Radford Sechrist and Bill Wolkoff, story editors Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, and voice cast members Karen Fukuhara, Sydney Mikayla and Coy Stewart preview the out-of-this-world series’ epic finale season and the hunt for the evil Dr. Emilia — watch here.
Sunday evening, Crunchryoll offered up a tasty sampler of all the great Crunchyroll Originals for 2020 — plus, a closer look at Onyx Equinox with exclusive content. The presentation also showed off trailers for Tower of God, The God of High School and Noblesse. Watch here and look out for our feature story on Onyx Equinox in the December issue of Animation Magazine!
Learn more about how CBS All Access show teams boldly go where no one has gone before in Starfleet adventures, including animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks, in this packed one-hour panel. Watch here.
What’s it like to have a ghostly companion who can never ghost you? Find out as The Ghost and Molly McGee cast Ashly Burch, Dana Snyder, along with creator/EPs Bill Motz, Bob Roth and exec producers Steve Loter discuss their influences for the show and reveal an exclusive sneak-peek months before it airs on Disney Channel! Watch here.
The Ghost and Molly McGee
Return to San Fransokyo with Big Hero 6 The Series stars Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, Brooks Wheelan, Khary Payton and Lucas Neff and executive producers Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley and Nick Filippi as they discuss the beloved superhero comedy and share sneak peeks at season 3, coming to Disney XD. Watch here.
VIZ and Powerhouse Animation presented a deep dive into Seis Manos, revealing favorite moment and behind-the-scenes secrets from creatives and cast, including co-creators Brad Graeber & Álvaro Rodríguez, writer Daniel Dominguez, director Willis Bulliner, Jonny Cruz (voice of Jesus) and Angélica Vale (voice of Garcia). Watch here.
Adult Swim offered more insight into the critically acclaimed hit Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal. Tartakovsky and crew took fans on a journey through the show’s creation, from the original ideas through drawings and the evolution of Primal‘s animation, storytelling and music. Watch here.
In the first-ever con panel featuring the four core voices of Mystery Inc., Frank Welker, Grey Griffin, Matthew Lillard and Kate Micucci joined director/producer/writer Maxwell Atoms and special guest star Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) to preview the first eight minutes of Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!The all-new seasonal spooktacular is available now on DVD and Digital HD from Warner Bros. Watch here.
Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!
WBHE also gave a fascinating look at its first-ever interactive film presentation, Batman: Death in the Family. Producer/director/writer Brandon Vietti, actors Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella and Zehra Fazal went in-depth about this innovative film, which anchors an exciting short film anthology being released on Blu-ray and Digital October 13. Watch here.
Fans of classic animation won’t want to miss The Flintstones Take New York!, celebrating the first toon clan of primetime TV’s 60th anniversary. Panelists Tony Cervone (director/producer), Jeff Bergman, Grey Griffin and Eric Bauza (the voices of Fred Flintstone, Betty Rubble and Bam-Bam & Dino, respectively); animation historian & author Jerry Beck and moderator Yvette Nicole Brown discussed the landmark series ahead of the Blu-ray release of the new, fully remastered complete series box set of all 166 episodes and two feature-length films (on digital now, on BD Oct. 13). Watch here.
Need more anime celebrations, revisits to fave series and more animated insights? Check out:
Netflix has ordered animated action series Blue Eye Samurai from Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, setting an impressive voice cast including Maya Erskine, George Takei and Masi Oka.
Creators Green and Noizumi will serve as writers, executive producers and showrunners. Jane Wu (Men in Black: The Series, Jackie Chan Adventures, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot) will serve as supervising director and a producer. Erwin Stoff (Edge of Tomorrow, 13 Hours, Call of the Wild) will serve as a non-writing exec producer.
The new series falls under Green’s overall TV deal with Netflix.
“Our story is a larger-than-life action-adventure that takes place 400 years ago, yet Blue Eye Samurai’s themes are of the moment and the inspiration is deeply personal,” Green and Noizumi commented. “We are grateful for Netflix’s passion for this story and for their bold vision for sophisticated animated drama.”
The voice cast includes: Maya Erskine (Pen15, Plus One), George Takei (Star Trek, The Terror: Infamy, Heroes, The Big Bang Theory), Masi Oka (Heroes, Spies in Disguise, The Meg), Randall Park (Always Be My Maybe, Fresh Off the Boat, Wandavision, Aquaman, Ant-man and The Wasp), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Man in the High Castle, Mortal Kombat, The Last Emperor), Brenda Song (Dollface, Changeland, Secret Obsession) and Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, This Is Us).
Netflix will be bringing joy to their customers through a new partnership with The Lumistella Company, home to the perennial best seller The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, The streamer has acquired AV rights to develop original stories from the company’s entire portfolio of brands; including but not limited to: The Elf on the Shelf, Elf Pets and Elf Mates. The news was announced with a festive poem which you can read below.
Netflix will develop engaging original content — live action and animated — in partnership with the creators of the beloved Christmas classics, for preschool audiences as well as for family audiences through both series and film. Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee (The LEGO Movie, How to Train Your Dragon) and Miri Yoon will serve as producers on all “The Elf on the Shelf” content.
“The Elf On The Shelf” creators Chanda Bell, Christa Pitts and Carol Aebersold will remain involved and serve as producers and executive producers on upcoming films and shows.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Netflix to create immersive and engaging original stories of Santa’s North Pole while providing heartfelt family-entertainment to fans all over the world,” said Bell, Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer of The Lumistella Company. “We are also pleased that fans in North America don’t have to wait to delve into the world of The Elf on the Shelf and their friendly Elf Pets, with the streaming giant carrying our newest animated Elf Pets titles this Christmas. We relish the opportunity to collaborate with Netflix to bring joyful family moments to life. This moment is a dream come true.”
Additionally, two of The Lumistella Company’s existing animated short films, Elf Pets: Santa’s Reindeer Rescue and Elf Pets: A Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale will be on Netflix in North America this holiday season. (See more of Netflix’s holiday 2020 debuts here.)
‘Twas early October and the crew at Netflix were already keen for a holiday fix. Though some said, “Too early! It’s too warm to care,” the crew knew a special guest soon would be there. No longer a secret to keep for themself… What’s heading to Netflix? The Elf on the Shelf!
Throughout the North Pole, the work has begun on series, and movies, and specials to run. Animation… live action… both will appear to deliver the world some holiday cheer. In Tokyo. In Mumbai. From Montreal to Rome. On a plane, on a train or in the comfort of home. Whatever the name that you’ve given your elf, soon Scout Elves will stream from Netflix’s shelf!
Santa’s own press room was quick to provide a glimpse of what’s coming, and stated with pride: “We’re thrilled to share stories of our North Pole friends, bringing tales from the region where joy never ends! The Elf Pets, our pals, will join us, of course! You’ll get brand-new stories, straight from the source! Our love for the world will be easy to see, you’ll soon hear us sing in Italian, Thai and Hindi. While we’re hard at work creating more stories and cheer, there’s two Elf Pets specials on Netflix this year!”
