Netflix, Tomorrow Studios and Shueisha have revealed new additions to the cast of its previously announced live-action One Piece series (netflix.com/onepiece), based on smash-hit manga by Eiichiro Oda. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda serve as writers, showrunners and exec producers on the project, and it was just announced that new talent are joining the cast roster alongside the headliners Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar.
Now boarding the pirate ship:
- Morgan Davies (they/them; The End, The Evil Dead: Rise) will play Koby.
- Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (she/her; The Sex Lives of College Girls, Me Time) will play Alvida
- Aidan Scott (he/him; Action Point, Between the Devil) will play Helmeppo
- Jeff Ward (he/him; Brand New Cherry Flavor, Hacks) will play Buggy
- McKinley Belcher III (he/him; Ozark, The Good Lord Bird) will play Arlong
- Vincent Regan (he/him; Troy, 300) will play Garp
Brand-new episodes of Molly of Denali will return to PBS KIDS (pbskids.org) from March 14-17. Just in time for March Madness, the first new adventure is a two-part special featuring University of Hawaii star forward Kamaka Hepa! In “Basketball Blues” (Mon. March 14), Molly gets into a shooting slump just as her team is set to play in the big basketball tournament — with a little help from Kamaka and Tooey’s game plan, the team regains the confidence they need to play their best and learn the importance of working together.
The week’s new episodes will also see Molly and her friends whip up a fireweed feast, skate a frozen river, learn about natural medicine, investigate mysterious bubbles on Lake Qyah, defend their Trading Post sleepover from a ladybug invasion and solve a sea lion mystery. It’s the next best thing to exploring the taiga yourself!
Award-winning, full-service creative studio & post-production house Bang Zoom! Entertainment — which produces English-language versions of leading anime titles like Demon Slayer as well as working on animated series like Lost in Oz and recording for Rick and Morty — is stretching its creative wings with the new interactive adventure game, KoroKoro. Created by CEO Eric “Herman” Sherman (The Spaceman), the project is described as an “Audio Anime” of 10 x 30″, the game is hosted in free-to-play metaverse platform Gather.town and tasks players with finding the little lost dog Koro and return him to his owner, Takeshi, by exploring Sumomo City — cafe, ramen shop, alien spacecraft and all. Get started at findkoro.com!
The world of KoroKoro was built with the help of interactive narrative leaders Sunweaver Creative. It features the voices of veteran and up-and-coming voice actors, including Japanese performers Nana Mizuki (Naruto) and Ayumi Ito (Tifa Lockheart in Final Fantasy; Swallowtail Butterfly). The project is also supported by pet insurer Pumpkin (pumpkin.care); Hera the Dog Vodka (herathedogvodka.com), which donates 100% of proceeds from each bottle to grassroots animal rescues around the world; and farm animal rescue/outreach The Gentle Barn (gentlebarn.org).
Lionsgate is bringing animated family adventure My Sweet Monster to home audiences next month. Featuring the voice talents of Pauly Shore (Bio-Dome, Encino Man), Haylie Duff (Blending Christmas, Napoleon Dynamite) and Jon Heder (Blades of Glory, Napoleon Dynamite), the CTB Film Company production will be available on Digital, On Demand and DVD from April 12.
Synopsis: After rebellious Princess Barbara flees the kingdom on the day sheʼs set to marry Bundy, an evil postman, she meets Bogey, an odd, semi-human beast who is king of the wilderness. So when Bundy then plots to rob the forestʼs supply of a magical, life-giving elixir called Spark, itʼs up to Bogey, Barbara, and their bouncy friend Bunny to stop him. But can they defeat Bundyʼs vicious army of giant robotic rats? This enchanting musical adventure is one every family will enjoy!
Full Sail University (fullsail.edu) has officially opened the doors to one of the first, one of the largest and one of the most technologically advanced virtual production studios on any college or university campus in the nation, Studio V1: Virtual Production (read more). The studio will offer unique learning opportunities for students across numerous degree programs, including Computer Animation Bachelors, Game Art/Design/Development Bachelors, Simulation & Visualization Bachelors and more.
“Full Sail University is honored to cut the ribbon on our latest innovative facility, Studio V1,” said Rick Ramsey, Education Director of Visual Arts at Full Sail University. “Our Virtual Production Studio will allow our students to gain real world industry knowledge utilizing the latest technology, while also attracting professional projects to the region. We look forward to the future projects and learning opportunities this studio will provide.” Ramsey was joined at the ribbon cutting by FSU President Garry Jones and Winter Park Mayor Phil Anderson.
In honor of International Women’s Day, tech co. Evenness has launched a new initiative called The RESPECT Project, a completely virtual gallery featuring the triumphant stories of Black women and other people of color. Using a webcam to capture their unique facial features, guests can be catapulted into the gallery, to walk around freely taking in the wealth of information. The company specialized in creating webXR, VR and 3D solutions for interactive events, remote collaboration, virtual learning and more.
Offering an opportunity to learn about the challenges and achievements of these esteemed individuals, RESPECT was also created by an all-female, ethnically diverse team. In addition to immersing themselves in the gallery, from now through November 2022 virtual visitors can attend monthly “meet-ups” in the metaverse that will feature the stories of current inspirational figures, engaging in knowledge sharing across the globe. Learn more at evenness.rocks.
Final Pixel, the global creative studio specializing in end-to-end virtual production for film, TV and advertising, has launched a podcast called The Secrets of Virtual Production, available to stream and subscribe on all directories including Apple, Google and Spotify. The show offers an overview of the process, technology and opportunities in the field, covering topics from the technology to creative and logistics. In each episode, Final Pixel speaks to specialists in the industry who talk about their area of specialism.
The first two episodes are ready to stream and download now (find them here). The first episode is an interview with CEO and Co-Founder of Final Pixel, Michael McKenna, where he explains in detail the process of virtual production, which includes the use of LED walls and gaming technology. The second episode is an interview with Allan Rankin, Co-Founder and Director of Target3D, where he speaks about their tracking solutions, virtual production training and recent case studies using virtual production.
