Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, The Danish Girl) has created one of the most talked-about films of late 2019 … in a way. His adaptation of the hit Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats is a star-studded affair which promised to be a unique visual spectacle, relying on digital fursuits rather than costuming to transform Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Ian McKellan, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson et al into lithe, leg-licking feline hybrids.
Unfortunately, the product’s rush to a Christmas/awards season release — Hooper said he had barely squeaked the CGI-packed film into the can ahead of the World Premiere last week — has run headlong into a wall of merciless, often quite creative, cinema criticism. Many reviewers have noted the unfinished look of the VFX, mostly with the secondary or background cats, but even some of the A-list felines appear to have been overlooked in the final clawing toward the finish.
On the film’s official opening day Friday, releasing studio Universal sent out word to theaters that an updated version of Cats with “some improved visual effects” was on the way, according to Hollywood Reporter. This course of action is unprecedented for a film already in theaters, drawing comparisons to the “Day One Patches” common to video game releases.
As-is, Cats coughed up a fourth place opening this weekend, with a domestic take of $6.5 million from 3,380 locations — placing it in the 20 worst openings of all-time for film playing in 3,000+ locations — and about $4.4M in the U.K. The film, which is estimated to have cost around $100M to make, is set to roll out to 37 international markets this week and more through February. It seems unlikely that even a major VFX facelift can rescue Cats, as the film is sitting on a C+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences, and an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Who knows? Maybe this second life of Cats will turn things around, whether because Tom Hooper’s vision is finally realized and appreciated or whether he has a bit of a Tommy Wiseau moment. Either way, there’s still seven lives left to figure it out.
This isn’t a joke: CATS was rushed into theaters before being finished so a new version is being sent to theaters with updated effects. How do you know if you have the old version? Look for Judi Dench’s human hand, wedding ring and all. pic.twitter.com/VDUOevePU9
Wonder Media, the animation studio co-founded by the former CEO of Klasky Csupo (studio incubator of The Simpsons and Rugrats), is offering free WonderGrove Social Skills instructional animations to U.S. educators. Addressing critical thinking, problem solving and promoting connectedness; the animations are titled “Know How to Handle Bullying” and “Always Tell the Truth.”
The two free lessons will be available December 20, 2019 here.
The suite of 225 lessons inspire children to form emotional attachments with animated characters stimulating effortless learning. WonderGrove Social Skills has been implemented in more than 23,000 classrooms nationwide and the studio forecasts that number to double in 2020.
WonderGrove Social Skills animations were developed to inspire every child to realize his or her full potential before third grade. The lessons are built around the six critical areas of early learning that impact a child’s ability to succeed: social emotional learning, problem solving, classroom behavior, wellness, critical thinking and metacognitive thinking. The initiative uses animated stories to model life skills that can be used inside and outside of the classroom at a time in a child’s life when they are most impressionable and are developing crucial habits that will impact their futures.
“This has been my life’s work. I know the power of animation: both in its ability to communicate complex ideas simply and concisely, and its power to model appropriate behavior for children because of the way connect to the characters,” said Wonder Media CEO, Terry Thoren. “Telling the truth when it is difficult and being kind are skills that will shape a child’s entire future, relationships, career and world. The Centers for Disease Control suggest early implementation of social emotional learning skills in order to help lower incidents of suicide, the second leading cause of death amongst those aged 10-24.”
WonderGrove Social Skills features five animated characters — Chris, Dee, Maria, Marcus and Peter — who are in 2nd grade and model appropriate behaviors in clever stories to connect with students in a profound way. WonderGrove Social Skills are available to educators in English, Spanish and Arabic.
Rapper, actor and producer Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, is venturing into TV animation with Trill League, a new animated series focused on Black superheroes. The Lionsgate projcect is in the works for Quibi, the new mobile short-form streaming service from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman set to launch through T-Mobile on April 6.
In an era of social injustice and internet trolls, a league of black superheroes, “Trill League” is tasked with saving the world from monsters, super villains and haters of all kinds. Get ready for this remixed rendition of your favorite superheroes as the series satirizes modern American society.
Based on Anthony Piper’s graphic novel, Trill League draws from the pop-culture mines of superheroes, anime and hip-hop culture. Piper is co-creating, writing and executive producing the series with Jameel Saleem (Disenchantment, Whiskey Cavalier); exec producers are Jackson and Jermaine Johnson of 3 Arts Entertainment, which is producing with Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television in association with Lionsgate TV.
“I am excited to bring G-Unit Film & Television to an innovative platform like Quibi with my partners at Lionsgate and 3 Arts. Anthony Piper and Jameel Saleem have created a world we haven’t seen before in Trill League, looking forward to sharing it soon,” said Jackson.
Trill League is an animated stand-out amidst the dozens of programs announced for Quibi so far, which range from prank reality series to game shows, docuseries, horrors, thrillers, dramas and comedies from partners like Guillermo del Toro, Sam Raimi, Steven Spielberg, Laurence Fishburn, Anna Kendrick, Chrissy Teigan, Don Cheadle and Idris Elba.
Anthony Piper is a professional illustrator and designer who has worked in animation and comics, as well as creating works for various hip-hop artists. His character design credits include Major Lazer, Axe Cop and HarmonQuest.
Detective Pikachu and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and his Maximum Effort banner have teamed up with Rooster Teeth for a new animated holiday short, The Sweater Returns. The fun and festive project is meant to spread awareness for charity SickKicks, inviting viewers to join the fight against the greatest challenges in child health. Any donations made to Help Ryan Help SickKids” until December 25 will be matched by Reynolds, up to $100,000.
The Sweater Returns is directed by Jordan Cwierz, written by Burnie Burns and Cwiernz and executive produced by Reynolds. The short features the song “They Don’t Know” performed by Tracey Ullman.
Based on Toronto, SickKids (www.sickkidsfoundation.com) works to extend its excellent standards of health care to children around the world, support research into disease and congenital childhood conditions, and enrich the compassionate care that is essential to the lifelong well-being of children and their families. SickKids Foundation operations the Hospital for Sick Children.
MWM Interactive (MWMi), a leading creator of story-driven VR and interactive entertainment, today released Chained: A Victorian Nightmare, a virtual reality retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, on Steam and HTC Vive for $5.99. A bone-chilling journey of self-discovery, Chained is the perfect dark and creepy holiday story to dive into during the festive season, complete with stunning visuals and ghostly apparitions.
The immersive adaptation is faithful to the grim, moody atmosphere of the classic novel. Previously available as a location-based immersive experience to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles and New York City, this version transports audiences to an eerie Victorian London setting within the comfort of their home.
Chained is created and directed by Justin Denton, maker of the immersive Legion experience at San Diego Comic-Con 2017, and executive produced by MWMi’s EVP of Content Ethan Stearns.
“This version of Chained takes the visually beautiful, atmospheric feeling of the installation and distills it into an experience audiences can have from the comfort of their home,” said Stearns. “Our hope for Chained is to create an immersive theater experience at home through the power of virtual reality.”
Learn more at BecomeChained.com.
Chained: A Victorian NightmareChained: A Victorian NightmareChained: A Victorian Nightmare
Fox TV is adopting a new addition to its Animation Domination lineup, giving a series order to Housebroken (formerly titled Therapy Dog), which already has Friends star Lisa Kudrow tapped for the lead voice role. The half-hour comedy comes from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Fox Entertainment and Fox-owned Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers).
The series will be an irreverent look at human dysfunction through the eyes of a group of suburban neighborhood animals. Lisa Kudrow is attached to star alongside Clea DuVall, with Sharon Horgan, Will Forte, Nat Faxon, Tony Hale, Jason Mantzoukas, Sam Richardson, Bresha Webb and Greta Lee rounding out the cast.
DuVall (The Intervention), Jennifer Crittenden (Veep, The Simpsons) and Gabrielle Allan (Veep, Scrubs) will be writing executive producers. Kaplan, Horgan, Dana Honor (A Million Little Things) and Clelia Mountford (Frayed) will be non-writing exec producers.
Home to longstanding hits The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers, Fox’s Animation Domination block welcomed Emily Spivey’s Bless the Harts at the end of September and has ordered a second season. Duncanville, from Amy Poehler and Simpsons alums Mike and Julie Scully, will premiere February 16. Also set for 2020 is The Great North, from Bob’s Burgers creator/exec producer Loren Bouchard and writers/exec producers Lizzie Molyneux and Wendy Molyneux.
Netflix is making room for more of the critically-acclaimed animated series Green Eggs and Ham! The second season of 10 half-hour episodes, produced in lovely hand-drawn 2D by Warner Bros. Animation, is titled Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving.
Synopsis: Sam and Guy’s adventures continue in an all-new season that takes them around the globe and outside their comfort zones as they get caught between two sides of a delicious conflict!
The series is created by Jared Stern, executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres, Jared Stern, Sam Register, Mike Karz, David Dobkin and Jeff Kleeman, and produced by Helen Kalafatic.
Green Eggs and Ham is currently streaming worldwide, only on Netflix.
Celebrating France’s rich tradition as a pioneer of animation, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) presents the 2020 Animation First Festival, showcasing the vast history, enduring ingenuity and diversity of France’s renowned animation studios and schools. Benefitting from a burgeoning animation field poised to enter a historic awards season, this year’s schedule includes 15 premieres, award-winning features and shorts, immersive exhibits, virtual reality and video game demonstrations, insightful panels with filmmakers, and more.
The Festival runs from Friday, February 7 to Sunday, February 9. Tickets are available at fiaf.org/animation.
Animation First opens with the U.S. Premiere of The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily (2019) by noted illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti on Friday, February 7. This adaptation of the beloved 1945 Italian children’s book by Dino Buzzati marks the debut feature film by Mattotti, who is known for his celebrated New Yorker covers and graphic novels.
The Prince’s Voyage
The Festival continues on Saturday, February 8, with the U.S. Premiere of The Prince’s Voyage (2019), the most recent film by legendary director Jean-François Laguionie, this year’s guest of honor, as well as his Louise by the Shore (2016). Laguionie is one of the most important contemporary animation filmmakers, and he has been fittingly celebrated with awards, retrospectives, exhibitions, and restorations of his early works. On Sunday, February 9, FIAF will present a newly restored print of his debut feature Gwen and the Book of Sand (1982), and a program of his shorts including his breakthrough Rowing Across the Atlantic, which received a Palme d’Or at Cannes. Laguionie’s acclaimed feature The Painting (2011) will be shown in two programs geared toward young audiences (Feb. 5 and Feb. 7), and the director himself will discuss his storied career and preview excerpts of his forthcoming film Slocum (Feb. 8). In conjunction with the Festival, Laguionie will conduct masterclasses with students at the Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts.
Jean-Francois Laguionie
The NY Premiere of Anca Damian’s Marona’s Fantastic Tale (2019), nominated for Best Feature at the 2019 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, is another of Sunday’s highlights. The festival will close with its annual presentation of the 2020 César-Nominated Short Animated films, showcasing France’s most notable achievements in this category over the past year.
Notre Dame de Paris, The Age of the Builders
Around town, Animation First partners with the New York Institute of Technology to present the U.S. premiere of Notre Dame de Paris, The Age of the Builders (2019), on Monday, February 10. This timely look at the grand cathedral’s 850-year history, leading up to the tragic fire on April 16, 2019, will be followed by a Q&A with director Emmanuel Blanchard and motion-capture specialist Jean-François Szlapka.
A special presentation of the critically hailed movie The Swallows of Kabul (2019), the debut film from Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec, anchors Saturday’s program. This adaptation of the eponymous novel by Yasmina Khadra was introduced to New York audiences during a Work-In-Progress presentation at the 2019 edition of Animation First.
Swallows of Kabul
Building on its legacy of sharing sneak peaks of anticipated works and insider looks at noteworthy projects, Animation First will offer fascinating insights across several revealing programs. On Saturday, Benjamin Massoubre, editor of the award-winning I Lost My Body (2019), will give a behind-the-scenes presentation into the creation of this film, following a free screening of the feature. Later that day, Laguionie will present excerpts of his next film, Slocum, as part of a wide-ranging discussion, and directors Phuong Mai Nguyen and Charlotte Cambon de Lavalette will discuss the process of adapting Penelope Bagieu’s best-selling graphic novel Brazen, highlighting the lives of 30 extraordinary women.
On Sunday, Cambon de Lavalette and Nguyen will be joined by director Anca Damian, writer Anik Leray, and producer Valérie Schermann for a Women in Animation panel covering equal representation in the industry; Lorenzo Mattotti will discuss his debut feature film, The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily, as well as his work as an illustrator with New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly; and director Jérémie Périn (Lastman) will present clips from his debut feature film, sci-fi thriller Mars Express, along with screenwriter Laurent Sarfati and producer Didier Crest.
Gloomy Eyes
Throughout the festival, visitors will be able to sample an array of new video games and virtual reality programs benefiting from France’s prolific animation industry for free in the FIAF gallery. This year’s exhibition includes the 14-minute documentary Accused #2, Walter Sisulu, which takes you inside the trial of Walter Sisulu, an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, using the restored audio recordings. Also on display is the interactive virtual reality puzzle, A Fisherman’s Tale, a surrealistic adventure game, and Gloomy Eyes, a virtual reality experience, voiced by Colin Farrell.
“As we launch our third Animation First festival, we see this medium excel at sharing the untellable and depicting the unimaginable,” said festival co-curators Delphine Selles-Alvarez, FIAF Film Curator, and Catherine Lamairesse, Director of Special Projects at FIAF. “Jean-François Laguionie was a pioneer in pushing animation beyond children’s stories to the realms of philosophy. Meanwhile Zabou Breitman and Elea Gobbé-Mévellec find humanity in the depths of unthinkable cruelty through the ethereal The Swallows of Kabul. And this year we see the grandeur — before tragedy hit — of Paris’s most beloved monument come to life through 3D technology in Notre Dame du Paris, The Age of Builders. Each work presents its own world with a unique aesthetic and memorable characters, and we are thrilled to share them with New York audiences.”
Visit fiaf.org/animation for tickets and up-to-date program information.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed the first wave of category nominees for the 2020 Producers Guild Awards, including the 12 programs nominated in the inaugural Innovation Award race for emerging media such as VR, AR and experiential entertainment.
Netflix has the most nominations so far with eight nods in the announced categories, including four of the five Outstanding Children’s Program slots: Carmen Sandiego (seasons 1 and 2), Green Eggs and Ham (season 1), Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance(season 1) and A Series of Unfortunate Events (season 3), vying with HBO’s Sesame Street (season 49).
The Innovation Award contenders are:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: An Interactive Adventure | Super 78 Studios for Moody Gardens
Artificial | Twitch
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch | Netflix
Bonfire | Baobab Studios
Cosmos Within Us | Satore Studio, A_Bhan, Satore Tech
Eleven Eleven | Syfy
First Man VR | Universal Pictures, RYOT, CreateVR
How to Train Your Dragon: Fly with Toothless VR | DreamWorks Animation
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Virtual Tour | Spatial& for DreamWorks Animation/Walmart
Interactive Play at Sesame Street Land, SeaWorld, Orlando | SeaWorld Parks & Ent., Sesame Workshop, Beaudry Interactive
Mesmerica | James Hood, Vortex Immersion Media
Tree VR | Milica Zec & Winslow Turner Porter III, New Reality Company
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode I | ILMxLAB
You vs. Wild | Netflix
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode IGreen Eggs and HamJim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of ResistanceCarmen SandiegoBonfire
Netflix has added another big animation name to its already fantastic collection of creators: Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward is working on a new show with comedian and host Duncan Trussell titled The Midnight Gospel, which will premiere in 2020.
The eight-episode show, which is being animated at Titmouse, is set in a fantastic universe and is inspired by Trussell’s podcast Duncan Trussell Family House. The series focuses on the adventures of Clancy, a “spacecaster with a malfunctioning multiverse simulator [who] leaves the comfort of his home to interview beings living in dying worlds,” according to Netflix.
Ward, which won three Emmys and a BAFTA for creating and exec producing Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time (April 2010- Sep. 2018) is also working on the Adventure Time: Distant Lands miniseries for HBO Max, which debuts in May. Ward also created Bravest Warriors and various Adventure Time video games.
Among Trussell’s credits as writer are This Is Not Happening, Pretend Time, and Funny or Die Presents… He has also lent his voice to Adventure Time, HBO’s Animals, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and more. The Duncan Trussell Family Hour showcases a wide variety of guests including Dr. Drew, Mitch Horowitz and Rick & Morty co-creator Dan Harmon.
Sergio Pablos’ Santa Claus origin story Klaus has racked up neary 30 million views in its first month, delivering joy to households around the world over Netflix. The hand-drawn animated adventure is now among the streaming service’s most-watched original movies, according to data Netflix provided to Reuters.
Netflix only selectively releases viewership figures for programming it considers a hit, and the numbers are not verified by a third party. The company counts a view when an account streams at least 70% of a movie. Klaus has attracted high repeat viewing that is not included in the nearly 30 million figure, Netflix said. The number reflects viewership over the first 28 days since its Nov. 15 debut.
Klaus synopsis: When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy’s worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar winner J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care.
The world’s largest streaming service, Netflix connects with more than 158 million subscribers around the globe. As the “streaming wars” heat up with new competitors — notably Disney+, which has seen popular Disney Studios pictures pulled from Netflix — the company has been ramping up its family-friendly originals and its animation offerings for all age ranges.
Klaus is the first Netflix animated original feature. The platform is set to debut several original animated features in 2020, per Original Animation VP Melissa Cobb, including comedic kids’ book adaptation The Willoughbys (directed by Kris Pearn) and CG musical Over the Moon (Glen Keane).
Dedicated short-form entertainment platform ShortsTV (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, will open “The 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films” program on more than 500 screens across the United States on January 31, presenting the Academy Award contenders for the 15th consecutive year.
The 2020 Oscars season kicked off this week, with the Official Shortlist of Oscar Nominees announced on December 16. ShortsTV’s release The 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Film will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short-film nominees’ compilation.
The program will debut January 29 at the IFC Center in New York City and select markets, rolling out across the U.S. and Europe on Jan. 31.
A stunning showcase of talent and diversity of subjects, the annual theatrical event continues to gain popularity. In 2019, the Oscar Nominated Short Films earned over $3.5 million in North American box-office gross. The program has increased its gross every year since its inception.
“Short movies are the fastest-growing genre of film. They tell authentic, diverse and groundbreaking stories that always leave our audiences hungry for more,” said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive at ShortsTV. “This year’s nominees are the year’s best filmmaking and some of the best shorts ever, in equal measure exciting and heart-stirring, and absolutely shouldn’t be missed.”
The shortlist’s countries of origin span the globe and include the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Sweden, Russia, China, Philippines, Korea, Tunisia, Qatar, Syria, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Guatemala and the U.S, which has the most shortlisted films this year. Thirteen of the films under consideration are directed by women. And at least four of the 20 contenders in have been previously nominated for an Oscar.
Final nominees will be announced January 22.
The Academy Awards will be held Sunday, February 9.
A critically-acclaimed film from one of the world’s most visionary animators will be returning to the big screen, as GKIDS has acquired North American theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights for Tokyo Godfathers, by director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika).
The producer/distributor previously re-released a remastered version of Kon’s groundbreaking psychological thriller Perfect Blue in 2018, and ASIFA-Hollywood recently announced that Kon would posthumously receive their Winsor McCay Award, the organization’s award for lifetime achievement in animation. GKIDS will release a new 4K restoration of Tokyo Godfathers early next year, in both the original Japanese language and a new English-language dub.
“Satoshi Kon remains one of the animated medium’s most celebrated and visionary storytellers,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “With the re-release of Tokyo Godfathers, a timely work of deep humanism and beauty, we are proud to play a part in sharing his legacy with audiences old and new.”
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.
Disney Channel is conjuring a new year full of animated magic with the January 10 premiere of The Owl House (read all about it in the February issue of Animation Magazine, available soon). Add in enchanting episode premieres preschool favorites Fancy Nancy and The Rocketeer, quests big and small in Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure and Big City Greens, and Disney XD action with Big Hero 6 and Star Wars Resistance, and you have a full month to of reasons to celebrate the arrival of 2020.
Disney TV animation highlights for January include:
Saturday, Jan. 4
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Big Hero 6 The Series “Hiro The Villain” Momakase blackmails Hiro into helping her steal her family’s knives from Yama’s safe.
Sunday, Jan. 5
6:00-6:30 P.M. EST (Disney XD)/10:00-10:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Star Wars Resistance “The Mutiny” Kragan buys a secret weapon to capture the Colossus and take over. When Synara discovers this plan, she tries to warn Kaz and crew, but it may be too late. Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) and Daveed Diggs (Broadway’s Hamilton) guest star as Ax Tagrin and Norath Kev, respectively.
Friday, Jan. 10
11:00-11:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Rocketeer “X-Treme Hero/Hot on the Trail” The Rocketeer introduces Tesh to his extreme sports idol, Xena Treme, after rescuing her during a snowboarding competition. | Kit joins Tesh and his dad, with their Hughesville Trailbazer troop, on a hike to the famed Gemstone Firefall waterfall and must stop Laura and Harley from stealing the precious gemstone that lies within. Rahul Kohli (iZombie) guest stars as Tesh’s dad, Mr. Cheena. Ian Chen (Fresh off the Boat), Maria Bamford (Arrested Development) and Kari Wahlgren (DC Superhero Girls) recur as Logan, Laura and Harley, respectively.
1:00-1:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Fancy Nancy “Nancy’s Parfait Birthday/Nancy Finds a Rainbow” Nancy wants to have the perfect birthday party, but things don’t go as planned. | Nancy desperately tries to see her first rainbow.
1:30-2:00 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Elena of Avalor “The Birthday Cruise” Elena throws a birthday party for Princess Chloe aboard the royal sailboat, but things go awry when they wash ashore a magical isle inhabited by a cursed sea nymph. Sofia Carson (Descendants franchise) guest stars as Maliga. Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) and Chrissie Fit (Pitch Perfect) return as Princess Chloe, Princess Rebeca and Princess Valentina, respectively.
8:46-9:10 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) SERIES PREMIERE The Owl House “A Lying Witch and a Warden” Luz, a self-assured teenage girl, accidentally stumbles upon a portal to a magical world where she befriends a rebellious witch, Eda, and an adorably tiny warrior, King. In order to get home, Luz must help them with a mission.
Saturday, Jan. 11
9:30-10:00 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Big City Greens “Impopstar/Football Camp” Cricket is mistaken for a tween pop star and exploits the situation for all the
perks of fame. | Remy and Cricket attend football camp in an attempt to impress Remy’s Dad. Colton Dunn (Superstore) and Danny Trejo (Machete) return as Russell Remington and Vasquez, respectively.
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Big Hero 6 The Series “Portal Enemy” Megan confronts Hiro about being a vigilante and threatens to tell Chief Cruz the truth. Jessica Paré (Mad Men) guest stars as circus acrobat and physicist, Sirque.
Sunday, Jan. 12
7:05-7:28 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure “Pascal’s Dragon” When Pascal befriends a baby dragon, he must decide between his new friend and the safety of Corona.
6:00-6:30 P.M. EST (Disney XD)/10:00-10:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Star Wars Resistance “The New World” Doza takes the Colossus to a hidden world on the outer rim, only to find it’s inhabited by beings who don’t like them.
6:30-7:00 P.M. EST (Disney XD)/10:30-11:00 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Star Wars Resistance “No Place Safe” Kaz decides to join up with Poe and the Resistance, but things go awry when he discovers the First Order has located the Colossus. Lucy Lawless (Ash vs Evil Dead) guest stars as Aeosian Queen.
Friday, Jan. 17
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Vampirina “The Great Esmeralda/Frog’s Breath” Vee gets a reading from The Great Esmeralda saying that she will lose one of her friends, so she sets out to make sure her fortune doesn’t come true. Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) guest stars as the infamous fortune teller, Esmeralda. | Vee accidentally turns herself into a frog when she tries practicing a potion from the advanced section of her magic book.
11:00-11:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Rocketeer “Valerie the Valkyrie/Follow that Bulldog” Feeling that the Rocketeer is stealing her thunder, Valerie creates her own superhero identity, The Valkyrie. Navia Robinson (Raven’s Home) returns as Valerie. The Cast-Iron Chef attempts to steal Kit’s family cookbook from the Bulldog Café. Ted Allen (Chopped) guest stars as Cast-Iron Chef.
8:46-9:08 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “Witches Before Wizards” An ancient wizard gives Luz a map for a mystical quest.
Saturday, Jan. 18
9:30-10:00 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Big City Greens “Heat Beaters/Bill-iever” Cricket and Remy play a contentious game of “H-O-R-S-E” on the hottest day of the year. NBA All-Star Karl Anthony Towns guest stars as Wizard Williams and Ricky Stork. Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) returns as Nancy Green. In order to avoid punishment, Cricket must make his dad believe in aliens.
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Big Hero 6 The Series “Fred the Fugitive” Fred’s invisibility function on his suit glitches during patrol.
Sunday, Jan. 19
6:00-6:30 P.M. EST (Disney XD)/10:00-10:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Star Wars Resistance “Rebuilding the Resistance” Resistance recruits need an escort getting off of Dantooine, but, unfortunately, Tam is assigned to destroy the recruits. Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) and Lucy Lawless (Ash vs Evil Dead) return as Norath Kev and Aeosian Queen, respectively.
Friday, Jan. 24
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) T.O.T.S. “The Valentine Spirit/Shell Games” Freddy and Pip rush to deliver Valentines to the babies they’ve delivered to make it back in time for the Valentine’s Day Party. | Freddy, Pip and K.C. try to get a shy turtle out of her shell.
11:00-11:30 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Rocketeer “Recipe for Disaster/The Critter Gang” When Kit and Sareena refuse to expose the secret ingredients in their renowned family recipes, Cast-Iron Chef tries to steal them. Ted Allen (Chopped) returns as Cast-Iron Chef. Kit investigates a string of robberies across Hughesville that seem to be committed by wild animals.
8:46-9:08 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “I Was a Teenage Abomination” Luz sneaks into the local magic school to help a friend and makes a new enemy in the process. Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) guest stars as Willow, Mae Whitman (The DUFF) guest stars as Amity and Issac Ryan Brown (Raven’s Home) guest stars as Gus.
Saturday, Jan. 25
9:30-10:00 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Big City Greens “Shark Objects/Dream Weaver” When the Greens try to spend an eventful day at the beach, Cricket tries to prank the beach-goers. Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) guest stars as Life Guard and Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) returns as Nancy Green. | Cricket discovers he can influence the family’s dreams to disastrous real-life results.
10:00-10:30 A.M. EST (Disney XD) Big Hero 6 The Series “Major Blast” A new villain, Major Blast, appears in the city and targets Fred.
Sunday, Jan. 26
7:05-7:50 A.M. EST (Disney Channel) Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure “Cassandra’s Revenge” When Rapunzel feels ready to settle down and begin living a normal life, Cassandra returns to Corona with a score to settle.
6:00-7:00 P.M. EST (Disney XD)/10:00-11:00 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Star Wars Resistance “The Escape” Kaz and Yeager attempt to rescue Tam from the First Order while trying to evade capture on a Star Destroyer. Meanwhile, the Colossus is in trouble and faces an impossible choice.
Friday, Jan. 31
1:00-1:30 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) Fancy Nancy “Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet/Operation: Fix Marabelle!” Nancy gets jealous when Bree gets the part she was hoping to play. | Nancy discovers she’s an exceptional doll surgeon who stays calm under pressure.
8:46-9:08 P.M. EST (Disney Channel) The Owl House “The Intruder” Luz and King must defend The Owl House from a mysterious intruder.
Warner Bros. has picked Dave Green to direct Wile E. Coyote’s upcoming live-action/CG hybrid feature. The movie, which is titled Coyote vs. Acme, will be produced by LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay ad writers Jon and Josh Silberman. Green, who directed the 2016 pic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, also helmed the kids-help-alien movie Earth To Echo (2014). The TMNT movie was released by Paramount and earned over $245 million worldwide.
Created by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese, Wile E. Coyote first appeared in September of 1949 in the Looney Tune short Fast and Furryous, the first of 49 cartoons in which the embattled desert dweller tries in vain to capture the clever and elusive Road Runner. He has been voiced by a range of actors including Mel Blanc, Joe Alaskey, Dee Bradley Baker, Maurice LaMarche, James Arnold Taylor, JP Karliak, and most recently, by Eric Bauza. Warner Animation Group is also rebooting more of the classic Looney Tunes characters in a Space Jam sequel, starring LeBron James and Bugs Bunny, and a hybrid movie based on popular Hanna-Barbera characters Tom and Jerry.
Japanese broadcaster TV Tokyo has announced plans to launch a new animation company in China in February, per Nikkei Asian Review. The new studio will distribute existing Japanese anime shows in China as well as develop new content created for the local market in the country. In the past, TV Tokyo has had great success with distributing its shows such as Naruto in China. Among the broadcaster’s other popular show are Boruto, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Black Clover, Bleach and Pokemon.\
As foreign-owned companies are not allowed by the Chinese government to independently create shows the country, the new company will fund projects with local partners, and have local companies handle production as well. The shows will then be streamed on Chinese video platforms. TV Tokyo’s new company will team up with a major corporation that owns the original rights for its first series, with the goal of streaming it in 2022, in hopes of turning a profit by 2024. TV Tokyo will provide the 2 billion yen ($18.3 million) in initial capital.
The Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) Committee has selected the 12 Gold Sponsor comic book titles for the comic book industry’s most anticipated annual event: Free Comic Book Day! FCBD happens each year on the first Saturday in May at participating comic book shops worldwide, with next year’s event taking place on May 2.
The titles were curated by over twenty comic shop retailers who make up the FCBD Selection Committee. This year’s comic book lineup features something for everyone: from superheroes, to popular television shows and video games, to beloved franchises, and all-ages favorites. The Gold Sponsor titles come from the industry’s top publishers, including DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Archie Comics, BOOM! Studios, Macmillan/First Second Books, Valiant Entertainment, Random House Children’s Books, Ten Speed Press, and VIZ Media.
“The quality of titles from publisher applicants made for some tough choices this year,” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “It’s a solid indicator that Free Comic Book Day truly is the ideal event to showcase the best titles you can find in comic book shops. We can’t wait to once again share the FCBD experience with fans and everyone who loves comic books.”
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: GOLD COMICS
Archie Comics | ARCHIE BLUE RIBBON PRESENTS
BOOM! Studios | POWER RANGERS FCBD 2020 SPECIAL
Dark Horse Comics | NORSE MYTHOLOGY/ CRITICAL ROLE
DC Comics | DC COMICS TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK
IDW Publishing | MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC
Image Comics | FIREPOWER #1 – ROBERT KIRKMAN & CHRIS SAMNEE
Macmillan/ First Second Books| INVESTIGATORS: TAKE THE PLUNGE SNEAK PEEK
Marvel Comics | X-MEN
Random House Children’s Books | ONLY A MATTER OF SPACE TIME
Ten Speed Press | JACK KIRBY: THE EPIC LIFE OF THE KING OF COMICS
Valiant Entertainment | VALIANT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
VIZ Media | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS / SPLATOON: SQUID KIDS COMEDY SHOW
Diamond Comic Distributors is revealed the artwork for the commemorative artist T-shirts available for Free Comic Book Day 2020. Award winning artist and illustrator, Jeffrey Brown, has created a one-of-kind design emphasizing the timelessness of comic books for this year’s FCBD 2020 T-shirt. The T-shirt is available for pre-order at comic book shops starting December 20 and is featured in the January issue of Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog. Available in men’s sizes (MSRP: $14.99-$17.99) in black and navy, in women’s sizes (MSRP: $14.99-$17.99) in black and forest green, and in youth sizes (MSRP: $11.99) in black and light blue.
Jeffrey Brown began his comics career alternating between intimate, sincere auto-biographical works including the critically acclaimed Clumsy and humorous parodies such as Incredible Change-Bots. Brown combined his personal style and deep fan knowledge of Star Wars into the New York Times bestsellers Darth Vader and Son and Vader’s Little Princess, and followed up with the middle grade series Jedi Academy. He has also explored prehistoric cave-kid life with Lucy & Andy Neanderthal and elementary school with his picture book My Teacher Is A Robot. Jeffrey returned to everyday life in the Star Wars universe with Rey and Pals, and the first volume of his new science fiction series Space-Time! launches in June 2020, with a preview available at participating comic shops as a Free Comic Book Day 2020 Gold sponsor title.
Brown’s artwork for the FCBD 2020 Commemorative T-Shirt captures the timelessness of comic books while highlighting the enduring ability of comic book shops to bring together pop culture fans and forge a sense of community.
“I’m honored to have been asked to draw this year’s shirt for Free Comic Book Day. Comic shops have been a constant in my life going back to when I was a kid getting off the bus two stops early so I could shop at my local store before walking home. There wasn’t a free comic book day back then, but they did occasionally give me free comics – whenever I was listlessly searching the shelves for something new, they would inevitably put a comic in my hands and say ‘try this’, sending me on my way with the latest issue of a series (that would inevitably be added to my pull list when I came back the following week),” said Brown. “It’s great that now we have Free Comic Book Day to not just get new readers to try comics or old readers to read something they haven’t, but also to celebrate these comic shops that are such a big part of our lives as readers.”
Free Comic Book Day
Organizers also announced the upcoming release of this year’s Free Comic Book Day PREVIEWS Exclusive (PX) collectible merchandise available only during the event.
Funko leads the way with their first-ever PREVIEWS Exclusive Mystery Box (JAN200050-64; SRP: $34.99)! The mystery box features a brand-new Marvel Comics POP! PX bobble-head figure, an exclusive PX Marvel Funko Variant Comic Book (title TBA) and a PX Funko POP! Character Tee! POP! figure comes in standard Funko window box packaging for easy display, while the Marvel comic book features cover art in the Funko style, depicting the Mystery Box’s featured POP! character in three randomly distributed designs: Main Variant Cover (65%), No Logo Variant (25%), Gold Logo Cover (10%)! There are three Mystery boxes to choose from, A, B, and C, each with its own exclusive T-Shirt design of the featured POP! character. The featured character in the box is a mystery for now, but Funko and Free Comic Book Day will be announcing the featured character in mid-March!
Try to keep your mind clear when you look at FCBD’s Diamond Select Toys sculpture of the X-Men’s resident Femme Fatale, Emma Frost (OCT190014; SRP $49.99)! Shipping exclusively to stores participating in Free Comic Book Day, this approximately 12-inch PREVIEWS Exclusive PVC diorama features detailed sculpting and paint applications and comes packaged in a full-color window box for display.
Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, thrilled audiences in the animated blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Now, this PREVIEWS Exclusive 1.2″ hard enamel pin of Miles Morales (OCT190015; SRP $10.00) from Mondo Tees will be just as exciting to your customers on Free Comic Book Day! The butterfly clutch pin comes on an Into the Spider-Verse backing card.
The PREVIEWS Exclusive Black Widow HeroClix Figure from Wizkids/NECA is based on Marvel Studios’ upcoming Black Widow movie! The Exclusive FCBD 2020 Marvel HeroClix Exclusive Figure will include an exclusive HeroClix figure and character card in a polybag with a hangtag.
WizKids/NECA! have also paired up with Marvel and DC to offer fans a selection of PREVIEWS Exclusive Dice Masters Team Packs. The Dice Masters Marvel and DC FCBD 2020 promotion offers gamers deal pricing on three backlist Dice Masters Team Packs, giving retailers an opportunity to introduce the Marvel and DC Dice Masters game to their customers at a low price point. The Dice Masters Team Pack from Marvel (OCT190017; SRP $11.25) includes the Dark X-Men Team Pack, Defenders Team Pack, and the Kree Invasion Team Pack. The Dice Masters Team Pack from DC (OCT190016; SRP $11.25) includes the Harley Quinn Team Pack, Mystics Team Pack, and the Doom Patrol Team Pack.
It’s time to run with the big dogs when Arctic Dogs arrives on Digital January 28 and and Blu-ray Combo Pack (SRP $39.99), DVD (SRP $29.95) and On Demand February 4 from Lionsgate.
A fun ride for the whole family, Arctic Dogs features the voice talents of an all-star cast, including Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (The Town, Avengers), Primetime Emmy winner Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin (The Cooler, Boss Baby), Academy Award nominee James Franco (127 Hours, The Disaster Artist), and Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston (Prizzi’s Honor, John Wick 3).
Arctic Dogs follows the hilarious misadventures of Swifty the Arctic Fox (Renner), who stumbles upon a dark scheme by the villainous Otto Von Walrus (John Cleese) to melt the Arctic. To stop this sinister plot, Swifty enlists the help of his ragtag group of friends: PB (Baldwin), a neurotic polar bear; Lemmy (Franco), a scatterbrained albatross; Jade Fox (Klum), a brainy engineer; Leopold (Omar Sy) and Bertha (Klum), two conspiracy theorist otters; and Magda (Huston), his grouchy boss.
Celebrate a mind-bending start to the New Year on Cartoon Network with the second season premiere of Infinity Train on Monday, January 6 (7:30 p.m. ET/PT). Over a five-night event, fans can watch all 10 episodes from the newest season to follow Mirror Tulip, an escaped reflection from the mirror world, and Jesse Cosay, a 14-year-old jock from Arizona. As the pair finds themselves on the run from the mirror police, themes of identity, friendship and peer pressure arise.
Fans can keep the 2020 welcome train rolling with new episodes of Apple & Onion, Ben 10, Total Dramarama and debuting through January.
Transformers: Cyberverse January premieres on Cartoon Network:
Saturday, Jan. 4
6:30 a.m. Transformers: Cyberverse “The Crossroads” Seeking a shortcut to Cybertron, the Autobots use a damaged SpaceBridge that takes them somewhere completely unexpected.
12:30 p.m. Ninjago “Krag’s Lament” Cole awakens inside an icy cavern belonging to a legendary beast, and attempts to escape, only to discover a surprising truth.
“Secret of the Wolf” The Ice Emperor summons an enormous ice Behemoth to attack Lloyd and his faithful wolf companion.
Ninjago
Sunday, Jan. 5
7:00 a.m. Bakugan: Battle Planet “At the Beginning, an Ending/This Late Hour” At the Beginning, an Ending: When Shun and Lia track down Ichiro and Masato on their quest for more allies, they are forced to battle a Bakuzoned Ichiro! | Shun, Lia and Masato must square off against the Dusk Forces, but they are not alone when they are joined by Lt. Brenan and Kino.
Monday, Jan. 6
7:30 p.m. Infinity Train “The Black Market Car” Mirror Tulip tries to create a new life for herself outside the Mirror World.
“The Family Tree Car” Mirror Tulip and Jesse climb down a real live family tree.
Tuesday, Jan. 7
7:30 p.m. Infinity Train “The Map Car” Mirror Tulip tries to help Jesse get his number down.
“The Toad Car” Mirror Tulip and Jesse get stuck in a car and face an unusual dilemma.
Infinity Train
Wednesday, Jan. 8
7:30 p.m. Infinity Train “The Parasite Car” Mirror Tulip and Jesse gain an unexpected companion.
“The Lucky Cat Car” Mirror Tulip and Jesse enter a carnival car and have to compete for the exit.
Thursday, Jan. 9
7:30 p.m. Infinity Train “The Mall Car” Someone mysterious invites Jesse and Mirror Tulip into a mall car.
“The Wasteland” Mirror Tulip finds herself in the wasteland outside the train.
Friday, Jan. 10
7:30 p.m. Infinity Train “The Tape Car” Mirror Tulip searches for answers.
“The Number Car” Mirror Tulip fights for her right to make her own choices.
Apple & Onion
Saturday, Jan. 11
9:00 a.m. Total Dramarama “Glove Glove Me Do” Owen’s newly found gloves make him great at everything. But this greatness comes at a high price.
9:30 a.m. Apple & Onion “Sausage and Sweetie Smash” Apple and Onion must conquer their obsessions of sausages and a video game.
12:30 p.m. Ninjago “The Last of the Formlings” Akita tells the story of the “Choosing” and how she, and her twin brother, Kataru, went into the wilds to discover their animal forms.
“My Enemy, My Friend” The Ice Emperor’s terrible Ice Dragon strikes again, laying waste to the Ice Fisher’s village, forcing the ninja to go after Lloyd…
Sunday, Jan. 12
7:00 a.m. Bakugan: Battle Planet “Bakuzon at the Gates” Part 1: As the Dusk Forces storm the Numena Core Cell, infighting between the Awesome Ones and their allies threatens to tear them all apart. | Part 2: Tiko/Dusk Forces have coalesced into global power and are waging a no holds barred assault on the Numena Core Cell.
Total Dramarama
Saturday, Jan. 18
9:00 a.m. Total Dramarama “Robo Teacher” When a substitute teacher fills in for Chef, Duncan thinks it’s going to be the best day ever. He’s wrong.
9:30 a.m. Apple & Onion “Selfish Shellfish” Apple and Onion have to prove that they’re not selfish when they do their good deeds.
12:30 p.m. Ninjago “The Kaiju Protocol” Back in Ninjago City, Wu and Pixal attempt to locate the Never-Realm, and accidentally unleash a dreaded creature from the Departed Realm…
“Corruption” The story of Zane’s arrival in the Never-Realm and how he fell under the sway of the villainous Vex.
Bakugan
Sunday, Jan. 19
7:00 a.m. Bakugan: Battle Planet “Planet-Ception/United We Stand” The final showdown between Tiko and AO with the future of Earth and Vestroia in balance. | The Awesome Ones return home as heroes, wondering what battles await them in the future.
10:00 a.m. Ben 10 “Tokyo Fun Part 1: Big Bugg Bash” While in Tokyo, Team Tennyson comes face to face with a horrible secret, Japan’s hottest new restaurant is being run by the Bugg Brothers as a nefarious scheme to make loads of money off an unsuspecting public.
“Tokyo Fun Part 2: Slamming It Up” While on a visit to the Sumo Slammers Amusement Park in Tokyo, Team Tennyson gets to watch a genuine sumo wrestling match as part of the Global Games, but when the mischievous Twain Twins crash the event to avenge their mother’s medal snub years earlier, Ben must think things through if he is to stop the polarizing family!
10:30 a.m. Power Players “Sand Trap” Axel and the team take to the desert dunes of a playground sandbox as Madcap attempts to unearth an army of Spy Lizards from the same line as Galileo!
“Dodge City” Axel embraces the spirit of dodgeball to stop Madcap and Princess SugarSalt’s battle over who is the better villain from spilling over into Zoe and Cleo’s argument over who is the better coach!
Power Players
Saturday, Jan. 25
9:00 a.m. Total Dramarama “The Tooth About Zombies” When Gwen’s favorite event, the Zombie March, falls on the same day as Noah’s nightmare event, dental hygienist check up day, Gwen and Noah find a way to help each other out.
9:30 a.m. Apple & Onion “Apple’s Formula” Apple needs to find a funny formula that will land him a comedic in a movie.
12:30 p.m. Ninjago “A Fragile Hope” Having discovered the terrible truth of Zane’s fate, Lloyd finds himself imprisoned and alone in the clutches of the Ice Emperor.
“Once and for All” Nya, Jay, Cole and Kai face off against the Ice Emperor’s dreaded dragon, while Lloyd and his newfound allies, Kataru and Grimfax, confront the Ice Emperor himself.
Ben 10
Sunday, Jan. 26
10:00 a.m. Ben 10 “Chicken in Chichen Itza Part 1: Pyramid Scheme” Team Tennyson visits the monuments of Chichen Itza, but when Ben learns about the possible existence of a mythical creature, the Quetzalcoatl, the hero takes it upon himself to find the feathered serpent himself.
“Chicken in Chichen Itza Part 2: The Wages of Fear” Team Tennyson help transport a caged Quetzalcoatl through the Yucatan jungle, only to encounter a saboteur, La Grange, who hijacks the precious cargo and leads our heroes on a high-octane off-road chase!
10:30 a.m. Power Players “The Best Team” When Madcap and his minions crash a soapbox derby, the team must stop the baddies and help Axel – stuck in a car with Luka – cross the finish line!
“Joyride” At a rummage sale with Uncle Andrew, Axel and Zoe must stop Madcap from turning her long-lost tank toy, Joyride, into an agent of mayhem!
Caroline Duvochel, new CEO of the French production companies of the Groupe Média-Participations (Ellipsanime Productions, Dargaud Media, Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel and Ellipse Studio) following the departure last September of Maïa Tubiana, to whom she was previously deputy, has strengthened her team:
Malika Aït Gherbi Palmer, who joined the Group on October 1, has been appointed Director of Content. As such she is in charge of consistency and progress of projects initiated and produced by the division.
Jules Garcia was appointed on December 2 to the newly created position of Director of Ellipse Studio (Paris and Angoulême), one of the Group’s production studios, working notably on the animated feature Yakari and the series The Smurfs, Kid Lucky and Roger and His Humans.
Another new post has been created for Julien Martin, who has just been recruited as Director of Research and Development for the division. Martin is due to start in February.
And Julien Papelier now heads up audiovisual activities of Média-Participations in France and Belgium.
With a Masters in Association Management and Engineering from the IAE in Paris and a DEA in film studies from the Sorbonne, and a successful period in cultural development, Malika Aït Gherbi Palmer went on to work within the AFCAE (Association Française des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai) for the development of Arthouse cinemas. She joined the Plaine Commune urban authority to contribute to the “territory of creation” project in the Parisian metropolitan dynamic plan. She then headed the Greater Paris Media Centre, a cluster dedicated to the Image sector in the Ile de France. In this capacity, she was a member of the Executive Board of Cap Digital. In 2013, she launched the Louvre Lens Vallée, a cluster dedicated to creative and cultural industries resulting from the territorial dynamic around the Louvre in Lens. For five years, she was director of the Pictanovo, Pôle Images Hauts-de-France cluster.
After technical and academic audiovisual studies, Jules Garcia began his career at Télé Images Production as Coordinator, then Production Manager and finally Production Director. He then became Director of Productions at Zodiak Kids Studio before joining Watch Next Media as Studio Director.
With a doctorate in computer sciences and degrees in logical programming and artificial intelligence from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Julien Martin began his career in 2000 as R&D Engineer on the 3D feature 3D Kaena. He then created the pipeline and production management system of the Franco-Canadian series Bravo Gudule. In 2010 he joined Imaginatio as research engineer before becoming manager in 2014. In Early 2016 he designed and developed DataShare, a collective investigative journalism programme, in the ICIJ, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
European leaders in animation production (series, features, transmedia content), Ellipsanime Productions, Dargaud Media, Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel have over several decades produced programs for all audiences, in a variety of technologies and graphic styles, with the constant search for innovation and renewal. Action, adventure, comedy, preschool, educational, animation for adults… all genres and formats are represented.
Groupe Média-Participations works closely with its French broadcasting partners and also in international coproduction. Dargaud Shanghai, based in Beijing, supports business and outreach development in China. Their catalogue is distributed around the world by Mediatoon International Distribution.
Ellipse Studio is the Groupe’s production studio based in Paris and Angoulême. Madlab, partner studio for mutualised services between Ankama and Ellipsanime Productions, is based in Roubaix.
