Having already rescheduled its Easter relese Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway for later this year, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has lead Sony Pictures to push back the live-action/CG hybrid sequel and several major tentpole flicks — including the new Ghostbusters sequel, Marvel antihero movie Morbius and videogame adaptation Uncharted. The studio announced the sweeping reschedule on Monday.
The new release schedule includes:
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (August 7) | January 15, 2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (July 10) | March 5, 2021 Morbius (July 31) | March 19, 2021 Uncharted (March 5, 2021) | October 8, 2021
An Untitled Sony/Marvel project has been bumped from its October 8, 2021 opening and is now undated, as is Tom Hanks’ World War II drama Greyhound, originally slated for June.
Clearing the way for Peter Rabbit, Kevin Hart drama Fatherhood has been moved up to October 23 of this year.
In an act of stuck-at-home solidarity, publisher TokyoPop has pulled together the Covid-19 Community Free Manga Program, offering a special selection of digital download titles until the end of April. TokyoPop creators volunteered their manga for the giveaway — you can check out the full list of available titles and learn more about these talented storytellers here. Additional volumes and chapters will roll out April 7.
The first creator to jump onboard with the effort is Shao Dow, offering his upcoming first volume of The Way of Shao.
“I’m a secret introvert, a self isolation day is a good day for me. But it’s not as fun when you’ve been told that you have to do it. And even less fun when you realise that the people around you are panic buying the essentials and we’re all going to need to start living in vaults underground. OK, I’m being a bit extreme (I hope),” said Dow. “Anyway, for all of those manga and music lovers currently not living in vaults, I wanted to do something nice to help fight the boredom. All I ask is that you enjoy it, share it with your friends and WASH YOUR HANDS.”
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today the winners of the 8th International Emmy Kids Awards. The announcement was made on the Academy’s website and via its social media channels. This route was chosen after the cancellation of MIPTV.
“We decided to keep the winners’ announcement for the same day the awards ceremony would have been held in Cannes,” said International Academy President, Bruce L. Paisner. “And so today, March 31, although we cannot do it on-stage as usual, the International Academy, and our partners MIPTV, TV Kids and Ernst & Young, join us to congratulate the outstanding teams behind the winning programs. These programs entertain, educate and enlighten, with the high standard of quality we expect for our children and their communities at large.”
Kids: Animation – Zog | Magic Light Pictures | United Kingdom
Kids: Preschool – Bluey | Ludo Studios / ABC Australia / BBC Studios / Screen Australia / Screen Queensland | Australia
Kids: Digital – Lik Meg (Like Me) | NRK Super | Norway
Kids: Factual – Nosso Sangue, Nosso Corpo | Fox Lab Brazil / Your Mama | Brazil
Kids: Non-Scripted Entertainment – Nachtraven (Nighthawks) | De Mensen / Ketnet (VRT) | Belgium
Kids: Series – De Regels van Floor (Floor Rules) | NL Film & TV / VPRO | Netherlands
Kids: TV Movie/Mini-Series – Jacqueline Wilson’s Katy | BBC Children’s In-House Productions / CBBC | United Kingdom
CBS All Access, CBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live-streaming service, announced Tuesday morning that production will resume on its new animated variety news series, Tooning Out the News, with the staff and crew working remotely. The series will launch on Tuesday, April 7 in the U.S. and Canada, exclusively on CBS All Access.
Tooning Out the News will feature a cast of animated characters, led by anchor James Smartwood, parodying top news stories and interviewing real-world guests, newsmakers and analysts. New five- to seven-minute segments will be available Tuesday through Friday, culminating in a weekly full episode. The series is executive produced by Stephen Colbert and Chris Licht of CBS’ The Late Showwith Stephen Colbert and RJ Fried and Tim Luecke from Showtime’s Our Cartoon President.
Confirmed guests for Tooning Out the News include Dan Abrams, Alan Dershowitz, Donny Deutsch, Thomas Friedman, Nicholas Kristof, Rep. Barbara Lee, Olivia Nuzzi, Rep. Donna Shalala and Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Regular segments will include:
“Big News” – America’s Most Trusted Source of Conventional Wisdom. James Smartwood hosts this satire of ego-centric cable news anchors who only offer the most conventional takes.
“Inside the Hill” – Where America Turns to Hear Rich People Agree with Each Other. Co-hosts Richard Ballard and Sarah Sabo discuss the latest political headlines with Washington’s elite.
“Hot Take” – The Biggest, Baddest, Bad Faith Arguments on Television. A politically diverse and wildly ill-informed panel weighs in on the news of the day.
“Virtue Signal” – There’s No Cause This White Lady Can’t Make About Herself. Kylie Weaver hosts this satire of liberal cable news anchors who pat themselves on the back for taking up every social and political cause.
“Smart Talk Tonight” – Important discussions, discussed importantly. Come on in, the water’s smart. Kenneth Parsons and Chloe Kline conduct in-depth, in studio, one-on-one interviews with real-life newsmakers.
Draw with Disney Animation: Learn to Sketch ‘Frozen’s Olaf with an Animator!
What better way to pass the many, many, many hours of unprecedented family togetherness than with a drawing tutorial from some of the world’s greatest animation artists? Animation supervisor Hyrum Osmond takes viewers through the process of drawing the beloved snowman in this 16-minute video.
Ann Arbor Film Festival 2020 Winners Announced
The Chris Frayne Award for Best Animated Film — an Oscar-qualifying honor which comes with a $1,000 cash prize — was awarded to Brussels-based artist Soetkin Verstegen for Freeze Frame.
Jim Houston Dies: Engineer and Two-Time Oscar Winner Was 61
The pioneer in motion imaging standards, computer animation and digital restoration passed due to a heart attack on Thursday, March 26 in Pasadena, Calif. Houston worked for 34 years for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pacific Title & Art, Walt Disney Feature Animation and, since February, Samsung Research America. He won two Academy Awards for Scientific and Engineering Achievement.
CALL FOR ENTRIES: Bucheon Int’l Animation Festival
BIAF 2020 will offer ~$42,000 in cash prizes in six categories (Feature, Short, Graduation, TV & Commissioned, Korean Short, VR) at this year’s event, scheduled for Oct. 23-27. There is no fee to submit films through the website or FilmFreeway. Deadline:June 30 (Short, Grad., TV & Comm.) July 31 (Feature, VR)
WATCH: ‘Samurai Jack’ Complete Series
Adult Swim has unlocked every episode of the celebrated Genndy Tartakovsky series to watch for free on its website. Who even remembers what “outside” is, anyway?
Bob Iger to Give Up Salary, Other Senior Disney Executives to Take Pay Cuts
Disney is one of the major companies implementing pay cuts for senior execs in the wake of the COVID-19 upheaval. Bob Chapek, who succeeded Iger as CEO, has taken a 50% pay cut. A memo to staff outlined a 20% reduction in salary for all VP-level execs starting April 5, 25% cut for Senior VPs, and 30% for execs of higher level. The company has committed to paying employees of shuttered Disney theme parks through April 18.
Triple Platinum-selling musician and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Cullum has unveiled the music video for “The Age of Anxiety,” taken from his latest album Taller (Island Records).
Created by Neil Pymer, a creative director at multi-award-winning animation studio Aardman, the video illustrates the message of Cullum’s track about modern society. How attached we are to the digital world and all that goes on within it and our turbulent political landscape all come to life within this video, expertly directed by Pymer and co.
“’Age of Anxiety’ is a hugely pertinent track for the time we live in; to our politics, media, culture and our relationships both digital and personal,” said Pymer. “I wanted to create an intergalactic allegory set in a future world that’s slightly to the left of ours, but not too far away… taking visual inspiration from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Kubrick’s 2001, Bladerunner and ’50s sci-fi art, it observes loneliness, blind acceptance of digital media and crowd mentality, but is ultimately an uplifting love story spanning space and time, prompting us to bypass the rat race and take our own path. We had to get a piano in there too… it is Jamie Cullum after all!”
Cullum commented, “This is the first time I’ve had a song of mine interpreted by an animator like this. I am stunned with the results. It reaches deep within the song and pulls out new resonances. It feels like a real gift. This has been a wonderful process, totally unfettered by any pressure other than to create something that might have the chance to last out there in the noisy and chaotic universe.”
The song is taken from Cullum’s latest album, Taller, which sees him bravely explore personal subject matter with a fresh sense of authenticity, each song reflecting a desire to grow and learn and explore life. There are prominent funk, pop and gospel influences nestled within this album and the powerful “Mankind,” whose lyrics are a soulful collective call for an alienated society.
With 10 million album sales to date and his successful BBC Radio 2 show, Jamie Cullum is a celebrated musician the world over with loyal fans in every corner of the globe. With a career spanning over 20 years, his legendary live shows have seen him perform and work alongside artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock , Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar and Lang Lang, whilst the success of his major label breakthrough, Twentysomething and its follow up Catching Tales saw him nominated for a BRIT, Grammy and numerous other awards around the world.
In addition to his enduringly successful recording career, Cullum has also established himself as a multi-award-winning music broadcaster; his BBC Radio 2 show celebrates 10 years on air this April.
Trioscope Studios – the groundbreaking new studio dedicated to next-generation enhanced hybrid animation – announced on Monday a partnership with longform journalism powerhouse Truly*Adventurous to adapt co-founder Greg Nichols’ article The Havana Job as a television series.
The Havana Job follows three CIA agents as they bungle their way into Fidel Castro’s clutches while attempting to bug diplomatic offices in Havana. On the eve of the most dangerous international standoff of the 20th century, they barely avoid the firing squad and are sentenced to Cuba’s most notorious prison, The Isle of Pines. This is the previously classified story of a Hail Mary plan, a dirty dozen crew of prisoners and a woman who wouldn’t bow to authority as she fought to bring the three CIA agents home.
Michael LeSieur (Keeping Up with the Joneses) will write the adaptation. Executive producers for Trioscope include L.C. Crowley, Brandon Barr, Greg Jonkajtys and Brian Lavin as well as Greg Nichols and Matthew Pearl for Truly*Adventurous.
Launched earlier this year, Trioscope is currently in production on the upcoming World War II animated drama Netflix series The Liberator, written by Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive), directed by Greg Jonkajtys and produced by A&E Studios and Unique Features. Additionally, Trioscope has also already partnered with Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, Unique Features and Hulu for unannounced projects.
Truly*Adventurous is currently in production across projects for Amazon Studios, Paramount TV and Endeavor Content.
While the Berkeley, California festival was canceled, GLAS has announced the 2020 winners of its film competition. In addition to the juried prizes, an Audience Prize will be determined at the fall edition of GLAS Animation Festival being planned for Los Angeles, which will include screenings of all competition selections, showcases and more.
For the first time since the founding of the festival, GLAS is providing cash awards to the official competition winners. The Grand Prix will receive $2,000, High Risk $1,000 and New Talent Award $1,000. The Official Competition Jury consists of Barbara Cerro, Sam Rolfes and Paul Wenninger. The Family + U.S. Competition Jury includes Sarina Nihei and Vincent Oliver.
Daughter
The FXX Elevation Award recognizes excellence in animated filmmaking and honors a film in competition that embodies distinctive characters, bold storytelling and a singular point of view. The winning director will receive a $25,000 grant to develop an original animated project with FXX.
The Cartoon Brew Filmmaker to Watch Award will be presented to one of the short films screening across all categories of competition. This award aims to highlight a filmmaker in the early stages of their career who has created a bold and exciting piece of animated filmmaking that suggests the promise of great work to come. The winning filmmaker will receive an award of $1,000 from Cartoon Brew.
For the fifth year in a row, GLAS teamed up with GIPHY Arts to create the Best GIF Award. Filmmakers from all over the world submitted their favorite gifs which will be featured at the GLAS Animation Festival Hub. The winner of this award will receive $500 and will be determined by a selected group of judges during the festival.
2020 GLAS Animation Festival Winners:
GRAND PRIX: Genius Loci by Adrien Merigeau
Jury statement: Beautiful chaos. Through an unpredictable mixture of visuals and sounds, we contemplate the night of a loner woman that seems to be guided by a mystical unity.
NEW TALENT: Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva
Jury statement: The impressive camera movements align satisfyingly with the story, framing the love and hate between generations. We see what we don’t see: the absence of the mother; the little bird has to fly into a closed window, facing death, before she is able to take flight. Poetic and well done.
HIGH RISK: Swatted by Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis
Jury statement: A brilliantly executed examination of real-world violence within a digital subculture, repurposing the very games that are being played by the subjects. In Swatted, the medium is inextricably tied to the subject matter and the deconstruction of the playable digital spaces is incredibly poignant.
SPECIAL MENTION: Entropia by Flóra Anna Bud
Jury statement: Honest, energetic, sensual and symbolic, it submerges us in an oniric universe full of vibrant colors and playful sounds.
SPECIAL MENTION: The Six by Xi Chen
Jury statement: Whether the film follows a traditional form of Chinese shadow theater or rather employs its repetitive motifs to develop a cinematic language, the film fascinates with its poetry and composition.
SPECIAL MENTION: Movements by Dahee Jeong
Jury statement: Incredibly fun vignettes of spatial play, and the surrealist combinations of character studies are striking and memorable. A joyous, disorienting piece.
FXX Elevation Award: Genius Loci by Adrien Merigeau
Statement: In its shifting lines, morphing colors and elegant writing, the film immerses us into the mind of the lonely soul, seamlessly capturing her fears, joys, relationships and eventual peace. A beautiful film that explores the chaos of our world while celebrating the subjectivity of the human experience.
Riviera
Cartoon Brew Filmmaker to Watch Award: Riviera by Jonas Schloesing
Statement: The film adopts a slow pace — always a risk — as it builds up a rich atmosphere. We experience the character’s disorientation and feel the oppressive heat of his environment. With humor, poignancy, and discipline, Riviera gives us an insight into true isolation.
U.S. Competition Winner: Cage Match by Bryan Lee
Jury statement: Using subtle sound effects and weird dialogue, this story leads us to such an original and surreal world. The uncanny but somehow beautiful characters made us laugh. This is perfectly entertaining.
U.S. Special Mention: Mizuko by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo
Jury statement: Using such a beautiful hand-drawn technique, live-action footage and paper craft, this film deeply reminded me of a childhood memory and yarning. I was moved by every shot in this film.
Family Competition Winner: Front Door by Ye-jin Lee
Jury statement: Shut the front door! A strikingly simple story, elegantly crafted. A lesson in empathy for kids of all ages!
Family Competition Special Mention: Friends Love by Miss.Diya M
Jury statement: A touching, brutally concise, tale of platonic love. If you aren’t instantly enveloped by the world of Friends Love, we’ve got this message to send to you: To those with a heart, you are invited.
Best GIF: High Five Business by Christopher Rutledge
Digital Media Rights (DMR), a leading global distributor of movies and television programs, and publisher of popular OTT channels, has launched RetroCrush, a new digital channel. Devoted to streaming classic anime TV and movies, including more than 100 series and 40 features at launch, RetroCrush is available now with new VOD apps on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and smart TVs, and on desktop at www.retrocrush.tv.
RetroCrush joins DMR’s expanding family of OTT channels that also includes AsianCrush, Midnight Pulp, YuyuTV, Cocoro and KMTV.
“Via our distribution partnerships, we are able to provide classic anime fans with a vast library of the best series and films available in the world today,” said DMR CEO David Chu. “The launch of RetroCrush further cements our company’s leadership position in the classic anime genre.”
RetroCrush comes online today with popular anime titles from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, available as a free, ad-supported video on-demand (AVOD) service. Will Chao and Mary Gibson are RetroCrush’s content curators, with Selin Kilic and John Stack providing acquisitions support.
Chao remarked, “What makes this channel exciting is its focus on shows that have exhibited an influence on the creation of the current crop of hit anime series.”
Gibson added, “As a longtime anime devotee, I’m always uncovering classic series that are as fun and exciting as many of my current favorites, and we’re eager to share those shows so that other fans can discover them, too.”
RetroCrush programming highlights at launch include:
Devil Lady (TV series, 26 episodes) – A supermodel attacked by a monster which brings her inner devil out is recruited by a secret government agency to help them fight the demonic forces that secretly threaten Japan and the world.
Creamy Mami (TV series, 52 episodes) – In this anime classic, ordinary schoolgirl Yuu Morisawa leads a double life as the magical singer Creamy Mami.
Magical Emi, the Magical Star (TV series, 38 episodes) – Elementary student Kozuki Mai is eager (but too young) to be a magician and perform in her family’s magic act. But a magical encounter gives her the power to turn into the 18-year-old magician “Magical Emi.”
Persia, the Magical Fairy (TV series, 48 episodes) – 11-year-old Persia grows up among the animals of the Serengeti in Africa. Returning to Japan with her family, she is summoned to “Lovely Dream,” the land where dreams are born and grow, to help become its protector.
Pastel Yumi, the Magical Idol (TV series, 25 episodes) – Gifted with a magic cane and pendant by flower fairies, schoolgirl Yumi can now summon anything she draws with the cane into reality. But her mischievous nature has a way of getting her into trouble sometimes.
Cybersix – A genetically engineered super-soldier; one of the creations of the former Nazi Dr. Von Reichter’s diabolic experiments, rebels against her creator and vows to protect the world from his evil creations.
Cat’s Eye – The three Kisugi sisters rob art galleries as the smart and mysterious thief “Cat’s Eye” in the hope that his works can give them clues about their artist father’s mysterious vanishing.
Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer – In this movie sequel to the beloved ’80s anime series, teen alien Lum and her earthling friends find themselves stuck reliving the same day over and over. Directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell).
Black Jack: The Movie – A genius (but unlicensed) surgeon specializes in super-powered mutant medical cases, uncovering a dark conspiracy along the way, in this movie adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga.
Golgo 13: The Movie – This action-packed anime tells the story of a hitman who becomes the target of American soldiers and superhuman killers after killing the son of a powerful oil tycoon.
Arcadia of My Youth – Returning to Earth from the front lines of an interstellar war, Captain Harlock finds that his home has been occupied by an oppressive alien species, The Illumidus Empire.
Galaxy Express 999 – The adventures of a brave young boy who travels from planet to planet in a determined quest to avenge his mother’s death.
Space Adventure Cobra – Based on Buichi Terasawa’s 1978 manga Cobra, specifically on Cobra involvement with the Royal Sisters, and his fight against Crystal Boy, which was the first major arc of the manga.
…With many more to come!
In addition to the above, select clips and other RetroCrush content can be found on the channel’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Heartbreaking, hilarious and highly original, Tokyo Godfathers is a humanist masterpiece from the legendary director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue). Co-written by Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop) and featuring a whimsical score by Keiichi Suzuki, this beautiful tale of hope and redemption in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds makes its Blu-ray debut June 2, as a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack from GKIDS and Shout! Factory.
Restored and remastered from a 4K transfer, the release also marks the first time the film is available with an English dub in addition to the original Japanese audio track. Tokyo Godfathers also includes a number of bonus features, including a new interview with English voice cast actress Shakina Nayfack (Transparent, Difficult People), featurettes about the creation of the film, Satoshi Kon’s short film Ohayo, available on disc for the first time outside of Japan, and more!
Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com. Those who order directly from Shout! Factory will also receive a limited edition 18” x 24” lithograph of the cover art, while supplies last.
Synopsis: In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people’s lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together.
Bonus Features:
Interview with actress Shakina Nayfack
The Process of Animation featurette
The Unexpected Tours featurette
Making of Tokyo Godfathers featurette
Film Introduction by K.F. Watanabe, Deputy Director of Film for the Japan Society, New York City
Adult Swim goes down under for its next original series, YOLO: Crystal Fantasy, which hails from YouTube creator Michael Cusack — well known for his animated comedies. The new series premieres later this year.
YOLO: Crystal Fantasy follows two Australian party girls, Sarah and Rachel, looking for fun times, new experiences, positive vibes and hopeful horoscopes in the bizarre town of Wollongong. Sarah’s quest is to find love, whereas Rachel hungers for chaos, often bringing them into conflict as they encounter surreal Australiana, strange bush creatures and eccentric nomads.
The quarter-hour animated series is created by Cusack (Bushworld Adventures, Ciggy Butt Brain) and produced by Cusack and Mike Cowap. Executive producers include Cusack, Greta Lee Jackson and Emma Fitzsimons. The series is produced by Princess Pictures.
Cusack’s viral hit Ciggy Butt Brain first caught the eye of Justin Roiland, who later asked him to create an Australian version of Rick and Morty, giving life to Bushworld Adventures. Cusack’s animation is known for combining his brand of biting satire with his own somewhat unpolished drawing style.
Bagdasarian Productions’ extremely successful series ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks is heading to China with Senyu, marking the first time the show will appear in the territory. PGS Entertainment, the international distributor (excluding France), secured the deal. Produced in collaboration with Technicolor Animation Productions, the show was recently ranked by Mediametrie as the #1 series of the decade in Europe.
Originally created in 1958, The Chipmunks are one of the largest family franchises in the world, with a multi-generational, international following. Janice Karman and her husband Ross Bagdasarian are the owners of the franchise and producers of the ’80s hit TV series, as well as of four blockbuster Chipmunk movies.
Currently, the new ALVINNN!!! series, created by Karman, is being aired on more than 70 Nickelodeon channels internationally, as well as over 110 leading free-to-air platforms. Season 5 has recently gone into production with all first-run partners on-board, including Nickelodeon (for international channels including the U.S., excluding Brazil), Super RTL in Germany, Gloob in Brazil, and Telequebec (French) and Family Channel (English) in Canada.
“We are pleased to bring our franchise to one of largest markets in the world” said Bagdasarian.
“ALVINNN!!! has proven to be a beloved hit for boys and girls of all ages across the world, and we’re gratified that China is now on-board, bringing this incredible series to so many new viewers there. We’re proud to be a part of this extraordinary series, with its unrivaled ratings success story, and couldn’t be more excited about this partnership in China,” said Technicolor Animation’s Sandrine Nguyen.
“Securing broadcast in China for ALVINNN!!! was a priority for us. It’s one of the biggest territories, which will boost viewership and awareness significantly when it launches,” said Philippe Soutter, co-founder of PGS. “We’re committed to continuing our role of placing ALVINNN!!! on premium networks across the world, and this new partnership with Senyu will help us build an even brighter future for ALVINNN!!! for many years to come.”
“Introduced to China in 2010 and 2016, the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies have achieved great successes in box office. It also made the three chipmunks known and loved by Chinese audiences. Today, Senyu is very happy to announce that the brand-new animated series ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks will be brought to China, and will meet the Chinese audience in 2020. Meanwhile, we also notice that this series has reached high ratings around the globe. I believe these three cute chipmunks will bring more joy to the Chinese family audience!” said Chang Fan, VP of Shanghai Senyu Media Co., Ltd., “Senyu cherishes the partnership with PGS and we together achieve the intense preparation work for the arrival of ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks in China. We hope to continue our collaboration to enrich animation content for family audience in China.”
Presented in CGI-animation, ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks reflects the trials and tribulations of a single parent, David Seville, trying to raise six hyperactive Chipmunks. Like most parents, Dave’s patience will be pushed to the limit, forcing him to end many sentences with the iconic, “ALVINNN!!!” The series takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride of music, laughter, and stories geared to entertain the Chipmunks’ generations of fans. Each episode features a new, original Chipmunks song.
Entertainment One (eOne) is gearing up for the much-anticipated debut of Ricky Zoom on Channel 5’s multiplatform preschool brand, Milkshake! which is set to air episodes from Season 1 daily (Monday-Friday) starting April 20. To crank up excitement around the show’s terrestrial launch in the U.K., Milkshake! is supporting with pre-promotional on-air exposure and social media support nearer the premiere.
eOne is backing its latest pre-school property with an investment in PR and digital marketing activity to drive tune-in. Building on the company’s previous success with music releases for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, eOne is readying the digital release of three Ricky Zoom songs — an extended version of the theme tune and two all-new original songs — which will be available on streaming platforms from mid-April.
A nationwide influencer outreach campaign spanning parenting influencers, with a combined platform of 1.2million across the U.K., will promote the positive brand values of fun and family to encourage co-viewing and kids to create their own outdoor bike-style adventures together.
“Adding to our existing strong roster of international broadcasters we’re thrilled to be bringing Ricky Zoom to the #1 weekday preschool destination in the U.K.,” said eOne’s Monica Candiani, EVP, Content Sales, Family & Brands. “The show is full of enjoyable all-bike adventures that will ignite young imaginations and we look forward to introducing the colourful world of Wheelford to future fans in the U.K. ahead of the consumer products rollout later this year.”
The launch of Ricky Zoom on Channel 5 follows a strong debut for the show last autumn on Nick Jr. in the U.K., where it has been viewed by nearly 1.5 million to date. The show will join Nick Jr.’s promotional slate in Easter with a seasonal episode special set to air for audiences during the school holidays. The growing broadcast exposure will drive awareness for Ricky Zoom as eOne builds up to the consumer products rollout in autumn which will see additional toys released by master toy partner, TOMY.
Ollie, his two best friends and an otherworldly backpack embark on monstrous adventures with the premiere of Nickelodeon’s original action-comedy series Ollie’s Pack, on Monday, April 6 at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Produced by Nelvana, the 26-episode, 2D-animated series combines the struggles of tween life with the responsibility of controlling an entire dimension of monsters.
Nickelodeon will air premiere episodes of Ollie’s Pack Mondays through Thursdays the weeks of April 6 and April 13. The series is slated to debut internationally later this year, reaching over 170 countries and territories.
“Ollie’s Pack is filled with excitement, humor, and heart, and we are thrilled to welcome Ollie and his friends to Nickelodeon’s incredible family of original characters,” said Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Nickelodeon.
Chris Rose, Vice President of Animation Production and Development, Nickelodeon, added, “I can’t wait to introduce a new generation to the timeless tale of a boy growing up and finding his place, while simultaneously trying to save the world.”
Ollie’s Pack follows Ollie and his backpack, which doubles as a powerful portal allowing an array of monsters to travel from the Monsterverse into Ollie’s world on Earth. Throughout the series, Ollie and his two best friends must protect Earth from the horrifying monsters that have escaped, while often utilizing the helpful monsters who assist with their everyday tween problems, like sneaking into a movie or winning their school’s Battle of the Bands contest. No matter the circumstances, Ollie’s thirst for adventure undoubtedly gets him into trouble that only he and his friends can resolve.
In the first episode, “The Chosen One…Stinks,” Ollie’s stinky sweat is a hot commodity in the Monsterverse, so he exchanges it with a monster who offers to do his laundry. Then, in “Not Another Superhero Movie,” Ollie and his friends utilize a monster’s powers to make an epic superhero movie for their film club.
The series stars James Hartnett (Cupcake & Dino) as Ollie, an ordinary, impulsive, and creative kid who has been given the status of Chosen One and Keeper of the Pack; Ana Sani (Mysticons) as Cleo, the brave and adventurous comic relief; and David Berni (Rocket Monkeys) as Bernie, the nervy and logical voice of reason.
Along the way, audiences will be introduced to some larger-than-life monsters including Andre and Bev, a bounty hunting double act; Major Snooch, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Chosen One Affairs; and Rance, a weaselly petty thief in utter denial about his boldfaced stealing.
A pre-released episode is currently available on the Nick App and Nick On Demand, and will be available on YouTube starting Saturday, April 4.
The series originated from Monster Pack, an original short made for Nickelodeon’s 2013 Animated Shorts Program. Creators Pedro Eboli (Cupcake & Dino) and Graham Peterson (Rick and Morty) met at the Vancouver Film School and have now been friends for over 10 years. Eboli is a creator, producer, director and animator from Rio de Janeiro, while Peterson is an animation supervisor and instructor at local and overseas studios.
Learn more about Ollie’s Pack straight from the creators in Ramin Zahed’s feature story from the April issue of Animation Magazine.
Animators stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic can hone their skills thanks to a new free online offering from Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy. Announced on the official Pixar Twitter feed, “Pixar in a Box” covers a variety of topics, from animation and storytelling basics to simulations, lighting, effects and more.
Ever wondered how we create water ?or fire ?in our films? Discover the science that makes our films shine with Pixar in a Box, a free online learning tool that teaches animation through math, science, and art. pic.twitter.com/ydIueht2pE
Pixar in a Box is a behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar artists do their jobs. You will be able to animate bouncing balls, build a swarm of robots, and make virtual fireworks explode. The subjects you learn in school — math, science, computer science, and humanities — are used every day to create amazing movies at Pixar. This collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy is sponsored by Disney.
The Disney Imagineers have also teamed up with Khan Academy to create the free kid-friendly program Imagineering in a Box, which lays out how these world-building whizzes create the immersive lands of Disney parks and attractions — from conceiving of novel areas and animatronic characters inhabiting them, down to the minute details of the sights, sounds and smells which bring them to life.
Dragon’s Lair, the classic 1980s video game franchise created by Rick Dyer and animation icon Don Bluth, is getting a live-action feature revisit by Netflix, with Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Detective Pikachu) in talks to produce and star in the picture.
The feature adaptation is being produced by Roy Lee — whose credits include the LEGO and IT movies as well as co-producer credits on all three How to Train Your Dragon installments — through his Vertigo Entertainment label, as well as Trevor Engelson of Underground, Bluth, Gary Goldman and Jon Pomeroy. Daniel and Kevin Hageman (The Croods 2) are writing the screenplay.
Recognized for its western cinematic animation style and superior graphics for the time, Dragon’s Lair first debuted in arcades in 1983 and soon after inspired a short-lived animated series on ABC. The storyline follows the brave knight Dirk the Daring on his quest to rescue Princess Daphne from an evil dragon named Singe and Mordoc the wizard.
Bluth and Goldman previously crowdfunded production of an feature-length animated feature based on the game, raising over $700,000 in 2016. A former Disney studios animator, Bluth made his mark directing beloved ’80s and ’90s features out of Don Bluth Productions (founded with Goldman, Pomeroy and nine other Disney alums) including The Secret of NIMH and All Dogs Go to Heaven; Steven Spielberg collaborations An American Tail and The Land Before Time; and Fox Animation’s Anastasia.
Jeffrey Katzenberg on Launching Quibi in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
The former DreamWorks head is debuting a new short-form streaming service April 6, close to the launches for HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. The service has partnered with tons of top talent for intriguing new projects, including animated series Gloop World from Justin Roiland, Micro Mayhem from Stoopid Buddy and comic-book inspired Trill League, produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
China Moves to Re-Shutter All Cinemas Nationwide
While most new cases of novel coronavirus being detected have originated outside of China, the national film bureau rescinded the go-ahead given by municipal authorities to re-open cinemas, just hours after Shanghai gave the OK to more than 200 movie houses. Around 500 cinemas have opened backup under local authorization in the past week, although screenings average less than one person per day and box office take trickles in the low thousands.
WIA Launches Community Resource Database
In an email to members sent out Friday, Women in Animation President Marge Dean announced the launch of a database housed on the org’s website that provides information on valuable resources for those in our industry struggling professionally and personally during this difficult time. The list covers everything from labor assistance to entertainment to mental health services, and user submissions are encouraged. Check it out and spread the word!
Awards Season Upended by COVID-19
Upcoming awards ceremonies for film and TV are undergoing major reshuffling during the global health crisis. While the Daytime and Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies have been canceled, the Primetime Emmys are still set for Sept. 20 — but all “For Your Consideration” events for the long campaign season are off. The Board of Governors for the TV Academy has opted to shift the first round of voting until late June, with nominations voting running July 2-13 and nominations to be announced July 28.
The Hollywood Foreign Press made the game-changing announcement that films can qualify for the 2021 Golden Globes without the usual “bona fide theatrical release” requirement and “may instead be released first on a television format (e.g. subscription streaming service, subscription cable channel, broadcast television, etc.)” Movie theaters across Los Angeles — as in many places around the globe — have been closed to help prevent the spread of the virus. The ceremony date has not been announced, but the Globes are usually presented in early January.
‘Lucas the Spider’ Inspires Newly-Discovered Species
We all know that animation has a big impact on our world — even down to the tiniest parts of it! Arachnologist and taxonomist Alireza Zamani reached out to Animag to introduce Salticus lucasi: A new species of jumping spider found in Iran, named after the web’s most famous arachnid, Lucas the Spider. Currently known from three male specimens collected in Isfahan Province, the little creature was described in a paper in Arachnology Letters by Zamani and his colleagues Marzieh Sadat Hosseini and Majid Moradmand.
“Although my main goals are the discovery of new species and moving toward a better classification system of these wonderful animals, being an avid spider enthusiast since childhood, I also care about outreach and clearing the bad image of spiders in the public view. When Lucas the Spider came into existence, it was astonishing that so many arachnophobes previously unable to even look at a spider-like shape, not only found that animated character likeable, but even formed a connection to it. For that matter, I think the animator Josh Slice has done a marvelous job, as it is not easy to make spiders ‘likeable’ in the public view, considering the relatively high rate of arachnophobia around the world,” Zamani explained.
Famous figures and fictional characters are increasingly popular with scientists seeking novel names for species. Last year, an entomologist discovered a whopping 103 unnamed weevils in Sulawesi and got creative with some Asterix inspired names (Trigonopterus asterix, T. obelix & T. idefix) as well as Star Wars (T. yoda). A porous-looking mushroom discovered in 2010 was named for Nickelodeons’ SpongeBob SquarePants (Spongiforma squarepantsii). Famed Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson has a parasitic louse named for him. And there’s even a gene acronymed as SMURF1.
Comedy, romance and mystery are in the air this spring as Funimation will exclusively air two anime series from Aniplex.The romantic comedy series Kaguya-sama: Love Is War Season 2 (Subtitled and English Dub) begins airing on Funimation in April. For fans eagerly awaiting the launch of the new season, Funimation is streaming all the subtitled episodes of season 1, with an English dub of both seasons airing later this year. And the mystery tale The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED will debut with a subtitled version this spring, with English dub to follow later in 2020.
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War Season 2 continues the story of Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya, who lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy’s student council as near equals. Everyone thinks they’d make a great couple, but pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! A-1 Pictures’ animation brilliantly brings to life the romantic power struggle between Kaguya and Miyuki. Beyond the battle between the arrogant but lovable protagonists, side characters with surprisingly involved backstories also shine. This new season will introduce two additional characters, Miko Iino and Kobachi Osaragi.
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is created by Aka Akasaka and stars Japanese voice actors Aoi Koga (Black Clover, Kemono Michi: Rise Up) as Kaguya Shinomiya, Makoto Furukawa (Dr. STONE, Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life) as Miyuki Shirogane, Konomi Kohara (HANEBADO!, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Chika, Ryouta Suzuki (Hinomaru Sumo, number24) as Yu, Miyu Tomita (We Never Learn: BOKUBEN, Overlord) as new character Miko Iino, and Rina Hidaka (The Rising of the Shield Hero, The Rolling Girls) as new character Kobachi Osaragi.
The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED follows detective Daisuke Kambe and partner Haru Kato as they work on cases at the Modern Crime Prevention Task Force (MCPTF) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, where only people who’ve caused problems for the police end up. Daisuke is a bit materialistic, using his vast wealth to solve crimes, becoming ever-detached to the human element of it all. Haru, on the other hand, believes money isn’t everything and is repulsed by Daisuke’s lack of compassion. These two investigators will have to overcome their stark differences if they’re going to solve the mysteries ahead of them!
The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED is created by Yasutaka Tsutsui (Paprika, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and directed by Tomohiko Ito (Death Note, Sword Art Online). The series stars Japanese voice actors Yusuke Onuki as Daisuke Kambe and Mamoru Miyano (Death Note, Steins;Gate, Bungo Stray Dogs) as Haru Kato.
Funimation, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, is a top destination for anime on streaming, home entertainment, theatrical distribution and broadcast TV. Learn more at funimation.com.
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is WarThe Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED
Anime destination Crunchyroll is ensuring a steady lineup of fan-favorite series for subscribers, adding culinary battle-comedy Food Wars! The Fifth Plate to its blooming spring season, while the second season of Re:ZERO will heat up the slate in summer.
Food Wars! manga illustrator Shun Saeki and writer Yuto Tsukuda joined anime producer Noriko Dohi at Crunchyroll Expo in September to sneak-peek the fifth and final season. Food Wars! The Fifth Plate continues to follow Soma Yukihira as he pursues his dreams of becoming an elite chef at the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute. He’s honed his skills studying hard with friends and competing in shokugeki battles, and attained the first seat at the Totsuki Ten Masters Council. Now, an invitation to the world-class cooking competition “BLUE” arrives at Totsuki — but this year, the prestigious gastronomic tournament has changed the system, and the young chefs will have to face new rivals in themed contests that are all out of the ordinary.
Fans can keep an eye on Crunchyroll’s Spring Slate homepage to keep tabs on the release date for Food Wars! and other exciting titles, including: Tower of God (Crunchyroll Original), The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2, IDOLiSH7 Second BEAT! and Sword Art Online Alicization War of Underworld.
Arriving in July, Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World center on Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, who finds himself transported to another world while on his way home from the convenience store one day. As he was lost and confused in a new world where he doesn’t even know left from right, the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her somehow for saving him from his own despair, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for…
The streamer’s in-house streetwear brand Crunchyroll Loves has also launched an exclusive Re:ZERO collection for fans. A number of figures, plushes and other items inspired by the show are also available for pre-order on the Crunchyroll Store.
As hospital staff members in the U.K. — many being parents with young children — continue to support the community and show their commitment to care in response to the global crisis, kids’ media co. Azoomee is showing appreciation for these dedicated National Health Service workers. With school closures and Easter holidays next week, many NHS employees need an immediate solution to educating and entertaining their kids at home, so they can offer the medical care that’s urgently needed.
Azoomee — which offers safe, positive screen time for kids on all streaming platforms and mobile devices — is therefore offering a three-month subscription to all NHS workers completely free of charge. To access Azoomee for free, NHS staff just need to sign up using their NHS email address at https://get.azoomee.com/nhs.
“The NHS is saving lives every day, and we want to thank all NHS workers for their hard work and sacrifice during this crisis,” said Estelle Lloyd, COO of Azoomee. “We’re incredibly grateful for their commitment, and we’d like to offer a small token of our appreciation.”
Azoomee has thousands of TV episodes, videos and tutorials for kids, along with more than 300 brain-boosting games and interactive activities. In response to the coronavirus crisis, Azoomee has created weekly Home Learning guides, with content focusing on fun learning themes like coding, crafts, nature, ocean exploration and more. Kids will have a blast discovering the easy-to-navigate videos and DIY activities, so parents at the NHS can do the essential work required to combat the global pandemic.
