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Cartoon Network and Max announced today the all-Nigerian voice cast for Iyanu, the animated superhero series steeped in Nigerian culture and mythology. A Lion Forge Entertainment production, the show is an adaptation of Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios’ popular graphic novel series Iyanu: Child of Wonder, by award-winning Nigerian creator and producer Roye Okupe.
Leading the cast is Serah Johnson as Iyanu, a teenage heroine who must uncover the mystery behind her newfound powers to save her people from an ancient curse threatening to destroy humanity. Johnson, known for her extensive voiceover work within the animation industry and audiobooks, is the first Nigerian and African to win the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) Award for Outstanding Animation Character – Film or TV – Best African Voiceover for her work on Moji.
The voice roster is made up of promising new talent as well as well-established actors, including:
TV personality and City People Award winner for Fast Rising Male Actor Okey Jude (Hotel Labamba, The Governor’s Daughter) who joins the cast as Biyi, Iyanu’s carefree adventurer friend. Recognized as the official interactive voice response on Nigeria’s largest telecommunications network MTN between 2013 and 2015, Jude also earned an Africa Choice Awards nomination for The Most Promising Male Movie Star of 2022.
Samuel Kugbiyi, a multifaceted artist with a career spanning from childhood, comes on board as Iyanu’s bookworm friend Toye. Kugbiyi both wrote and performed in the acclaimed musical drama Tafiya Lafiya: The Journey.
African Movie Academy Awards winner and Nollywood actress Adesua Etomi-Wellington (King of Boys, Gangs of Lagos), who Vogue named as one of their 14 global superstars in 2019, will voice Olori.
Set to play Toye’s father Kanfo is one of Nollywood’s foremost leading men, Blossom Chukwujekwu (Falling, Stolen Lives) who boasts multiple wins and nominations from the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Best of Nollywood Awards, Golden Movies Awards, and others.
Nigerian-born entertainer and author of Màmá, It’s A GirlStella Damasus (Gone) is set to play Sewa.
Shaffy Bello (The Score, Battleground), a Best of Nollywood Awards nominee, has signed on to voice Emi – The One Mother.
And esteemed actor Ike Ononye (Doc Martin, The Lovers) plays Elder Alapani.
Iyanu is set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, inspired by Nigerian culture, music and mythology. Drawing deeply from Yoruba culture, the animated series follows a teenage orphan girl, Iyanu, who spends her days studying history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers, Biyi and Toye, as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll uncover the truth about her past, her parents, and her ultimate destiny to save the world.
The series is slated for release in the U.S. on Cartoon Network and Max in 2025 and has a 26 episode, two season order.
Brandon Easton (Transformers: War for Cybertron: Seige, Marvel’s Agent Carter) heads the writers’ room, with Roye Okupe serving as the executive producer, writer and director on multiple episodes. Executive producers are David Steward II and Matt Heath from Lion Forge Entertainment, Erica Dupuis of Impact X Capital, Ryan Haidarian of Forefront Media Group, and Doug Schwalbe.
Rosie and Hamylton send up another famous pop-culture pair of castaways in a new clip from Angry Birds Mystery Island. The first eight episodes of the 2D animated adventures for Angry Birds‘ hatchlings debut Tuesday, May 21 on Amazon Kids+ and Prime Video. The first season has 24 episodes on order.
Watch the clip “I’ll Never Let You Go” below!
Synopsis: When three teenage hatchlings and a piglet get stranded on a deserted island, Mia, Buddy, Rosie and Hamylton must overcome their differences and supernatural phenomena in order to make it back home. Each day, the gang hatches a plan to get off the island, but is thwarted by unexpected twists and turns. They face extreme weather, challenging adventures and newfound creatures along the way, often solving one mystery only to reveal another.
The island tests Mia, Buddy, Rosie and Hamylton constantly, but only by passing these tests and going deep into the heart of darkness can our heroes find a way back to the life they once knew.
Angry Birds Mystery Island features an ensemble cast including Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Kate Micucci (Scooby-Doo! franchise), Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings) and Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live). The series was developed by Amazon Kids+ and showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama), and is being produced by Titmouse Inc. (The Legend of Vox Machina).
French producer and distributor Studiocanal has unveiled the first clip from Michel Hazanavicius’ Cannes Competition movie, The Most Precious of Cargoes, which is also competing at the Annecy festival in June. The 2D-animated feature is based on an acclaimed novel by Jean-Claude Grumberg and centers on a Holocaust-surviving Jewish girl who is rescued by a woodcutter and his family after she is thrown from a moving train to Auschwitz.
The French-language film features the voices of Jean-Louis Trintignant, Grégory Gadebois, Denis Podalydedès and Dominque Blanc. Hazanavicius, who is best known for his 2011 five-time-Oscar-winning feature The Artist, co-wrote the script with Grumberg and also drew all the characters for the film. The score is by Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Shape of Water).
“It’s not a preachy movie, neither a film about the victims nor about the executioners. It’s about the people who saved lives,” Hazanvicius told Variety. “We see a beautiful chain of solidarity, of love that sets in motion to save the life of a little girl. You don’t cry because it’s sad, but because it’s beautiful,” said the filmmaker, who has been drawing since he was ten-years-old.
The movie is the first an animated feature is competing for the Palme d’Or in Cannes since Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir debuted at the festival in 2008. The film is produced by Patrick Sobelman and Robert Guédiguian (Ex Nihilo) and Florence Gastaud and Hazanavicius (Les Compagnons de Cinéma). The film will open the Annecy Festival of Animation on Sunday, June 9. Studiocanal will release the movie in France in November.
Spanish distributor-producer Filmax has acquired international rights to Mago Production’s (Barcelona) upcoming family feature The Light of Aisha, and is introducing the CG-animated adventure, inspired by the history of Islamic Spain, to buyers at the Cannes Marché du Film.
Synopsis: Aisha, a 13-year-old girl, lives in 11th century Al-Andalus, where fireworks displays are the most popular entertainment — and the biggest passion of young Aisha, who dreams of becoming a professional rocketeer. One day, the wandering alchemist Txawir comes to town, and turns Aisha’s enthusiasm to his own purposes by convincing her to steal a banned book from the Calipha’s library. Txawir disappears with the book, for which Aisha’s father is blamed. To recover the book and save her father, Aisha embarks on an adventurous journey…
The film is the feature debut of Shadi Adib, an Iranian-born character designer, animator and director based in Germany. After receiving a master’s in animation from Tehran Art Universaity, she continued her studies at the Animationinstitut of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Her student film Fuse screening in competition at more than 150 international film festivals, including the Annecy, Stuttgart and Zagreb animation fests, receiving awards from Bucheon Int’l Animation Festival and the Dresden Film Festival.
The Light of Aisha screenplay is written by Xavier Romero and Llorenç Español, and won the Best Animation Screenplay award from Stuttgart (ITFS). Producers are Peter Keydel, Raúl Berninches, Holger Weiss, Joseph Koh, Carlos Fernandez and Laura Fernandez.
The film is a Spain-Germany-Singapore co-production between Mago Production, Filmax, PBT Films (Peng! Boom! Tschak! Films) and Sangnila. As a project, the film earned financial backing from government agencies ICEC, ICAA, MFG, Media and Eurimages, as well as the participation of Spanish broadcasters 3cat and RTVE.
The English-language production is expected for delivery in 2025.
You can watch a behind-the-scenes video and interview with German news outlet SWR on Adib’s website here.
It just wouldn’t feel like summer without another exciting new chapter in the ever-expanding Jurassic World franchise, and this year we have a hot new animated series titled Chaos Theory thanks to the folks at DreamWorks Animation and Netflix. The great-looking new series is set six years after the events of the previous show, Camp Cretaceous, and finds the members of “The Nublar Six” team struggling to find their footing off the islands and navigate a world filled with dinosaurs and those who want to hurt them.
“With the success of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, there was a lot of interest in a follow-up series from the folks at DreamWorks, Universal and Netflix,” says showrunner and exec producer Scott Kreamer. “My initial reaction was that we had already told the tale of the Nublar Six in a way that made us all very proud. This was before Jurassic World: Dominion had been completed, and my fellow executive producer Aaron Hammersley and I got on a big Zoom call with the folks from Universal and DreamWorks.”
Dinosaur Destruction: Paul-Mikél Williams, Sean Giambrone and Raini Rodriguez are part of the voice cast for ‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory,’ the sequel to DreamWorks’ ‘Camp Cretaceous’ series.
The Plot Thickens
Kreamer, a five-time Emmy-nominated animation veteran whose many credits include Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Pinky Malinky and The Penguins of Madagascar series, says they were walked through the live action. “It was a new chapter in the story that I just couldn’t get out of my head,” he adds. “These kids had become such a big part of our lives that it was tougher to let them go than we had realized. Before long, Aaron, story editor Bethany Armstrong Johnson and I started brainstorming, and the show as a whole began to crystallize into what it would become.”
One of the big differences from Camp Cretaceous is that the kids are all much older in this new adventure. “Our characters are six years older now and at that uncertain age where one is trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world,” explains Kreamer. “They are also dealing with the lasting trauma of their near-daily fight for survival amongst the dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and now the dinosaurs seem to have followed them back to the mainland. Couple this with a tragedy befalling one of their own during the time between the two series and our heroes have an awful lot on their plates.”
Tonally, the show also has a different vibe. As Kreamer points out, “The first show was more of an action-adventure ‘kids working together to survive an island full of dinosaurs,’ while this one is a full-on thriller of ‘young adults trying to figure out who’s trying to use dinosaurs to kill them, and why, before it’s too late.’ Yes, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory still has all the awe, wonder, camaraderie and humor that Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous had, but now seen through a slightly different lens.”
Kreamer says he loves the fact that he and his team were able to continue the hero’s journeys of the original characters from the first show at a different time in their lives. “This is a rare opportunity that isn’t lost on us,” says the showrunner. “Bethany and our amazing writing staff met the challenge head-on as they stayed true to the characters set forth in Camp Cretaceous and then took them to places they hadn’t been before.”
He is also quick to praise the show’s superb lighting and cinematography. “We were able to take our time and let scenes breathe, to establish a tense, uneasy mood and tell stories of a darker tone than usually done in what is traditionally known as children’s TV animation,” says Kreamer. “I love that the team took some big creative swings. But most of all I love this crew. Across every single department — production, writers, artists, editors — each and every one of them put such time, care, thought and effort into everything they did to make something really special. We really wanted to do something new, and the team as a whole answered the call. This was an entirely group effort. I couldn’t be more grateful for, or prouder to be associated with, such an outstanding collection of people.”
The animation was produced by the team at DreamWorks Animation Television in Los Angeles and frequent collaborator CGCG in Taipei, Taiwan, who also worked on such shows as Dragons: The Nine Realms, Abominable and the Invisible City and Curses! According to the producers, about 250 people worked on the show overall. From start to finish each episode takes about 17 months to make. Shot production ends up being around six months, while just animating a single episode takes about 12 weeks.
‘It was a new chapter in the story that I just couldn’t get out of my head … These kids had become such a big part of our lives that it was tougher to let them go than we had realized.’
— Showrunner & executive producer Scott Kreamer
Visually, the team had a wildly eclectic sources of inspiration, many of which were conspiracy thrillers from the 1970s, such as The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor and All the President’s Men. “We wanted to evoke a similar uneasy vibe, putting the main characters at a disadvantage as they try to figure out what’s coming next before it’s too late,” says Kreamer. “As far as the look and feel of the show, we wanted to start with what we did in Camp Cretaceous and evolve it into something new, something darker, more sophisticated.”
Kreamer speaks fondly of the work done by art director JP Balmet and his team; the cinematic and moody approach to storyboarding and pacing by executive producer Aaron Hammersley, supervising producer Zesung Kang and the directors, board artists and editors; and the evocative lighting and imagery created by lighting/comp supervisor Eric Hawkins and his lighting team. He also commends to the more realistic, subtler animation overseen by CG supervising producer Dan Godinez, animation director Ryan Donoghue and their in-house team, as well as the animators in Taiwan at CGCG. He adds, “We also had the ambitious work that FX lead Emad Khalili and his team plussed every episode. Combine that with our stellar voice cast led by voice director Sirena Irwin, Leo Birenberg’s spectacular new score, plus the soundscape created by Rob McIntyre and D.J. Lynch at Sound Rebels, and I think the team as a whole achieved something pretty special.”
Dino-Mite Diversions
And why does Kreamer think these giant dinosaurs have won such a huge place in the hearts of young animation fans for so many years? “You know they are the closest real thing we have to mythical creatures, and in the world of the franchise we get to imagine what it would be really like to live alongside them,” he says.
When asked about the overall state of the animation business, Kreamer is brutally honest. “It’s as rough out there as I have ever seen it in the more than 30 years I have been in the industry,” he admits. “It is getting harder and harder for creators to break through with new ideas that aren’t associated with an established IP. We are so lucky to have this giant franchise which allows us to tell what is at its heart a personal, character story. I am hopeful that there is a world where creators focus on making ‘art,’ as opposed to ‘content,’ but we will have to see how things shake out.”
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory premieres on Netflix on May 24.
Ahead of its world premiere in the Annecy Presents Official Selection of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival,The Sloth Lane animated feature has inked multiple territory deals through Sola Media. The sales agent will be debuting a trailer for the new film from award-winning Australian studio Like a Photon Creative as part of its “Sanctuary City” franchise (Daisy Quokka, Combat Wombat).
The all ages flick about a family of restaurateur sloths has sold to more than 40 markets. Partners include NOS (Portugal), ADS (Hungary & Romania), Filmhouse (Israel), AvJet (Taiwan), Tanweer (Greece), TME (Turkey) and Krisco (Middle East).
Synopsis: After a terrifying storm destroys their home, a speedy sloth named Laura and her kooky family move to the big city in their rusted old food truck, hoping to make their business a success. The family’s delicious food catches the eye of a quick-witted cheetah named Dotti who will stop at nothing to revive her failing fast food business, Zoom Fuel.
Directed by Scarygirl duo Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó, the 84-minute CG feature stars Leslie Jones (Ghostbusters, Sing) as ambitious cheetah Dotti Pace, Teo Vergara (Turn Up the Volume) as energetic young sloth Laura, Olivia Vásquez (Thor: Love and Thunder) as Laura’s mum Gabby, Ben Gorroño (Regresar al Final) as big lovable sloth Luis, Facundo Herrera (Standing Up for Sunny) as most sloth-like family member Mani, Remi Hii (Crazy Rich Asians, Spiderman: Far from Home) as Platy the platypus technician and Matteo Romaniuk as optimistic kiwi Arlo. Producers are Kristen Souvlis, Nadine Bates and Ryan Greaves.
Canadian pre- and post-production services studio Lakeside Animation Studio (lakesideanimation.com) announces the completion of two brand-new, original short films for adult audiences, ready to hit the festival circuit this summer.
These new projects follow the studio’s award-winning horror anthology project, Red Iron Road, which launched on AVOD services Prime Video (Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand) Tubi (Ca., U.S., Aus. & N.Z.) and Plex (Can., U.S.) in December.
The Death of James
This summer, director Sam Chou is set to premiere his poignant new animated short film The Death of James, in association with Blue Ant Media and Lakeside Animation Studio.
Drawing from a deeply personal wellspring of true events, the film delves into the tender complexities of friendship, loss and mortality, captured through the narrative of two young friends faced with the heart-wrenching decision to euthanize their beloved pet ferret. Chou once again partners with award-winning writer Ellery Vandooyeweert to explore delicate themes such as grief and euthanasia.
The film features performances from Isaiah Lehtinen (I Like Movies) as the inventive Ellery, Kyle Bailey (Heartland) as Kevin, who carries the emotional weight of their predicament, and Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) as the empathetic veterinarian.
Chou’s previous animated short films VRDLK and In The Heat, from Lakeside’s award-winning Red Iron Road anthology, earned prestigious screening spots at genre festivals such as Fantasia and FilmQuest.
Luz Diabla
Luz Diabla
The second short film launching is Luz Diabla, a modern take on an old folk legend from Argentina and Uruguay known as the ‘Bad Light’. This Spanish-language short is co-produced with Argentinia studio Ojo Raro (ojoraro.com.ar), led by creatives Patricio Plaza, Gervasio Canda, and Paula Boffo.
Luz Diabla stars up-and-coming talent Gianluca Zonzini (Bajo Naranja, 2024) as Martin, a flamboyant city boy, driving in the countryside looking for a rave where his favorite DJ is performing. As he pops some pills, a mysterious light flashes before him, causing a car crash. Confused, he finds himself asking for help at a tavern, where two gauchos — voiced by Argentinian payador David Tokar and Mario Alarcon of Oscar-winning Argentinian film El secreto de sus Ojos, 2009), warn him of a terrifying power that haunts the area. Scared by their foreboding attitude, Martin flees, ignoring their warnings and finds the rave. But as he enters, he finds something much more terrifying.
Focusing on original animated content for adult audiences, Ojo Raro’s works are described as “defiant and disruptive,” spotlighting shorts, series and feature films from creators form the economic south — particularly women filmmakers and those from queer and minority communities — which “put [their] gaze upon the monstrous, the anomalous, the twisted, the silenced.”
Recent successes include Carne de Dios, which has been traveling the festival circuit for the last two years under Miyu Distribution. The film screened at Annecy and won the Best Animated Short Film awards from the Guadalajara Film Festival and Pixelatl Festival in Mexico, from La Havana Film Festival in Cuba, and several others, and was a nominee for Best Short Subject at the 2024 Annie Awards. Ojo Raro in involved in the curation of LGBTQ content in the program “Hidden Queer Desires” and participated in Women In Animation’s “Authentic Storytelling” panel for Annecy Festival 2024. The studio has also launched a mentoring program for short film creators, Voces Del Sur, in collaboration with Bit Bang Festival.
Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac is taking on the role of Jesus Christ alongside Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker as Peter the Apostle in Mofac Animation’s upcoming The King of Kings. The CG-animated family film is inspired by a little-known short story by Charles Dickens depicting the life and times of Jesus.
Isaac and Whitaker join the growing roster of voices for the faith-based movie, which already includes Academy Award winner Kenneth Branagh (Belfast, My Week with Marilyn) as Charles Dickens, Oscar nominee Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Hysterical Blindness) as Catherine Dickens and Golden Globe nominee Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) as Walter Dickens.
In the film, Charles and Walter Dickens embark on a multi-dimensional adventure as the master storyteller engages his youngest son’s vivid imagination with the fascinating life of Jesus, his well-known trials and tribulations, and his notable colleagues and foes. Animation allows the Dickens pair (and the family cat Willa) to become intrinsically immersed in the ancient tale, interacting with Jesus, his disciples and his detractors.
“A film capturing the epic life of Jesus Christ warrants a stellar cast, and our actors announced to date — Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Roman Griffin Davis — is impressive by any measure,” says producer Anfernee Kim. “Oscar perfectly captures the impactful delivery of Jesus, and Forest’s vocal performance expertly embodies the complicated aspects of Peter.”
Actor, producer and musician Isaac earned a Golden Globe Award for his role on the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero, and an Independent Spirit Award and Golden Globe nomination for his work in the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis. He was nominated for a 2022 SAG and Emmy Award for his role in the HBO limited series Scenes from a Marriage. Additional film and television credits include A Most Violent Year, Ex Machina, Operation Finale, At Eternity’s Gate, The Card Counter, Dune and Moon Knight. Isaac is also known for playing Poe Dameron in a trio of Star Wars films — The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — and all accompanying entertainment, from video games and LEGO specials to read-along storybooks and theme park rides.
In 2019, Isaac and his wife, writer and director Elvira Lind, created their Mad Gene Media production company. Their first project, The Letter Room — a short film written and directed by Lind and starring Isaac — received a nomination at the 2021 Academy Awards. Next up, Isaac will star in and produce — under his Mad Gene banner — the crime thriller In the Hand of Dante, directed by Oscar-nominated Julian Schnabel and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Additionally, Isaac is set to star in Guillermo Del Toro’s Netflix adaptation of Frankenstein as Victor Frankenstein, alongside Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth.
Forest Whitaker voices Peter, the Apostle, in ‘The King of Kings’
Whitaker earned an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role portraying Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2007), a role which also brought home a BAFTA, Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe, the National Board of Review and a SAG Award, amongst many more. He has also won an Emmy (for Door to Door, 2003) alongside two other Emmy nominations (ER, 2007; Brick City, 2010). Whitaker’s performance as the title character of Bird earned the Best Actor award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination. Among his producing credits is Fruitvale Station (2013), which was honored with the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award. Toplined by the Whitney Houston/Angela Bassett starrer Waiting to Exhale (1995) and Sandra Bullock’s Hope Floats (1995), Whitaker has also directed five films and a handful of music videos.
Whitaker’s television work includes series regular status in Godfather of Harlem, The Shield, ER and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and his additional film credits include Arrival, The Butler, Phenomenon, The Crying Game, Good Morning, Vietnam, Platoon, The Color of Money and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He entered the Star Wars universe as Saw Guerra in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and follow-ups in Andor, the animated series Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: Go Rogue, and the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Whitaker was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016.
The King of Kings is in its final stages of production at Mofac Animation, as well as in performance recordings from the United Kingdom to the Hawaiian Islands (and numerous locations in between).
The film is directed by Korean filmmaker and VFX pioneer Seong-ho “Jay” Jang (Joint Security Area, The Taste of Money, Last Knights). The film is co-written by Jang and Rob Edwards (Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and Treasure Planet). Emmy-winning dialog & casting director Jamie Thomason (Spirited Away, The Tigger Movie) and Andrew Mann (Imperium, Gold, Transfusion) serve as executive producers. Anfernee Kim (Last Knights, John Woo’s The Crossing 2) is the film’s producer.
Mofac Animation is currently seeking potential distributors for The King of Kings.
Amsterdam studio PlusOne Pictures has launched its new animated short Screeaam, an independent effort that seeks to express the emotions brought up by human isolation. Directed by Martijn Hogenkamp, the film is available to watch on Vimeo.
Conceived during the second COVID lockdown in February 2021, the film reflects this spectrum of reactions, blending a variety of techniques including 3D CG and frame-by-frame animation.
“Screeaam delves into the depths of the human soul,” says Hogenkamp. “Embracing the labor-intensive yet organic nature of hand-drawn animation enabled us to accentuate the human character, inviting viewers to immerse themselves into a narrative crafted with care and passion.”
The collaborative project enlisted multiple artists to contribute to each frame (a counterpoint to the encroachment of AI-driven work, the producers point out), as well as Amsterdam-based audio designers Kloaq. “From the outset, Screeaam was a labor of love, with countless hours and an abundance of blood, sweat, and tears poured into its creation,” executive producer Marcel Vrieswijk notes.
Director/EP Hogenkamp adds, “We couldn’t be more proud of the final result, and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the team whose dedication and creativity breathed life into this film.”
The creative team on Screeaam also included producer Thijs Klaassen, storyboard artist Alexandra Marguerita and cel animation lead Amanda Nedermeijer.
At Wednesday’s Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Upfront presentation at Madison Square Garden, Chairman and CEO of U.S. Networks Kathleen Finch underscored the group’s focus on expanding its global franchises and developing new shows that are platform-agnostic, with the ability to both drive linear ratings and engage audiences on WBD’s streaming platform Max. The group is emphasizing a number of categories, including adult animation as well as true crime, food/home and other unscripted content.
With more than 3,000 hours of original content created annually, WBD’s networks, including TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, OWN, ID, TNT, TBS and Adult Swim, make more hours of cable television than any other portfolio. In 2023, its networks accounted for nine of the top 10 freshman shows in cable, including the top new show of the year in cable.
Finch’s presentation spotlighted Rick and Morty: The Anime, the new animated spin-off series to Adult Swim’s Emmy-winning hit Rick and Morty. Created and developed by Takashi Sano (Rick and Morty vs. Genocider, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)) and produced by Studio Deen, Sola Entertainment and Telecom Animation for Adult Swim, the show’s key plot points were revealed:
Rick relaxes in a pseudo-world between multiverses, Summer helps Space Beth fight the evil Galactic Federation, and Morty falls in love with a mysterious girl who happens to be an atemporal being.
Fans have been blessed with two new First Look videos from the series in the last couple of weeks. These have confirmed that the 10-episode series will debut on Adult Swim and Max “sometime this year.”
In the first preview, subtitled “Entropy Bomb,” Summer checks in with her grandpa Rick from home base. Rick explains the actual effects of his latest controversial invention, and we see Morty absorbed in a Sanchez original VR game which may have real-life consequences.
The most recent clip catches up with Morty watching the defeated crash of a beetle-like spaceship and being lauded as a savior of this alien planet.
Yohei Tadano and Keisuke Chiba reprise their roles as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith from the Japanese dub of the original show, created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.
IFC Films has snagged North American rights to feature-length stop-motion drama Memoir of a Snail, from Oscar-winning Australian writer-director Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet, Mary & Max). The deal was inked with Paris-based Charades and London-based Anton, which share international sales duties. The film will make its World Premiere at the Annecy Festival in June.
Synopsis: In 1970s Australia, Grace’s life is troubled by misfortune and loss. After their mother dies during pregnancy, she and her twin brother, Gilbert, are raised by their paraplegic-alcoholic former juggler father, Percy. Despite a life filled with love, tragedy strikes anew when Percy passes away in his sleep.
The siblings are forcibly separated and thrust into separate homes: Gilbert finds himself in the care of a cruel evangelical family, while Grace, grappling with intense loneliness, gradually withdraws into her shell, much like the snails she adopts. As the years pass, and despite new disappointments and sorrows, a glimmer of hope emerges when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly, eccentric woman called Pinky.
The voice cast is led by Emmy winner Sarah Snook (Succession, Koala Man) as Grace Puddle, Eric Bana (Dirty John, Back to the Outback), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Back to the Outback), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog, ParaNorman), Dominique Pinon (Cassandre, White Fang) and Magda Szubanski (Kath & Kim, 100% Wolf).
Elliot wrote and directed Memoir of a Snail, as well as producing alongside Liz Kearney of Victoria-based studio Arenamedia. Executive producers are Robert Connolly and Robert Patterson.
The film is produced by Arena with a major investment by Screen Australia in association with Anton and Charades, developed and produced in association with VicScreen. Financing was also supported by Soundfirm, Mind the Gap Finance, Jameker, Shadowlane and the Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund. Madman is distributing in Australia.
Shonen fans can look forward to a summer of sword fights starting this July: AMC Networks’ anime streaming service HIDIVE announced today that the new fantasy-action-adventure series I Parry Everything! (full title: I Parry Everything to Become the Greatest Adventure!) will stream exclusively as part of its Summer 2024 simulcast season. Ahead of the series’ July premiere, HIDIVE will host the North American premiere of Episodes 1 & 2 on July 4 at Anime Expo 2024 in Los Angeles.
Based on the popular novels written by Nabeshiki, I Parry Everything! is the newest title in the slate of anime TV series acquired as part of Sentai Filmworks’ multi-year agreement with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) announced in March 2023.
“We’re thrilled to offer fans MBS’ new series I Parry Everything! as an exclusive simulcast series this summer,” said John Ledford, President of HIDIVE. “This exciting fantasy action adventure series follows on the heels of My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, the Winter 2024 hit series and most recent title acquired as part of Sentai’s multi-year agreement with MBS. Fans will not want to miss I Parry Everything!”
Synopsis: The Kingdom of Clays faces a dire crisis: an assassination attempt has just been made on its own Princess Lynneburg, and now its neighboring countries eye the aftermath like starving vultures, plotting the Kingdom’s downfall. The ensuing conflict will shape the face of the continent for centuries to come …
… But Noor doesn’t have a clue about any of that! Having freshly arrived at the royal capital after over a decade of rigorous, isolated training at his mountain home, he’s dead set on achieving his childhood dream of becoming an adventurer, even if the only skills he possesses are useless ones. Sure, Noor can “parry” thousands of swords in the span of a single breath, but everybody knows you need more than that if you want to be an adventurer! Our hero’s road to making his dream come true will be long(?) and arduous(?) — but if there’s one thing Noor’s not afraid of, it’s some good ol’ fashioned hard work!
I Parry Everything! is adapted from the currently eight-volume-long Earth Star Novel series written by Nabeshiki and illustrated by Kawaguchi, which is based on the original 2019 web novel acquired by Earth Star Entertainment Separately, a manga series also written by Nabeshiki and illustrated by KRSG is published in Comic Earth Star. Both the light novel and manga series are available in English from J-Novel Club.
I Parry Everything! North America Premiere Anime Expo 2024
Thursday, July 4 | 1:30 – 2:20 p.m.
Room 403AB
Level 2 Concourse
Los Angeles Convention Center
Morgana Studios, ReachStar and ReDefine Originals — a DNEG Company, announced they are partnering on the animated feature Diamante.
The film will be directed by Mathieu Ratthé, with a screenplay written by Ratthé and Leticia Tonos Paniagua from an original idea by Claudio Lluberes. Animation will be handled by ReDefine Originals which is part of DNEG, an animation and VFX company which has been honored with seven Oscars, seven BAFTAs and numerous other awards in recent years. Casting in currently underway.
“Through its powerful portrayal of friendship, self-discovery and the pursuit of dreams, this film will touch the hearts and souls of viewers around the globe,” said Ratthé.
Synopsis: Set on the lush, culturally-rich Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic, Diamante follows young Luisito’s dream of becoming a pro baseball player. He is crushed by his fear of people until he discovers a mysterious power, leading him on a journey alongside an unlikely companion, to learn the true value of friendship, family and resilience.
Supported by Marianna Vargas Gurilieva, Film Commissioner of the Dominican Republic Film Commission (DGCINE), and Héctor M. Valdez, Diamante aims to highlight this cultural richness, sharing Dominican culture, folklore and landscapes with a wider audience, fostering enduring international appreciation for the “Republic of Baseball,” said Daysi Cruz, of Morgana Studios.
“For many families, baseball offers a promising path to international opportunities and aspirations for a better quality of life, serving as a pillar of Dominican identity and is proud to be known as a major exporter of talent to the MLB,” added Morgana’s Claudio Lluberes.
Steven Thibault of ReachStar Entertainment commented, “At ReachStar, we are committed to telling stories that resonate with audiences worldwide, and Diamante truly showcases this dedication.”
Producers are Ratthé, Caroline Desmarais and Thibault for Reachstar; Miguel Cabañas, Verónica Buide, Lluberes and Cruz for Morgana Studios. Executive producing for ReDefine Originals are Greg Gavanski, John Harvey and Daniel Krech.
Leticia Tonos
Mathieu Ratthé
Mathieu Ratthé, a Canadian filmmaker, ignited his passion for filmmaking at age 10, crafting self-directed shorts. For over a decade, he collaborated with Bryan Turner (founder of Priority Records) at Melee Entertainment, their joint venture with DreamWorks. His accomplishments include the award-winning short film Lovefield and the TV pilot Pretty Wicked for Starz Media. He also directed The Talisman pilot based on Stephen King’s best-seller. Later, Entertainment One released his indie feature The Gracefield Incident globally in theaters and on digital platforms.
Ratthé co-founded ReachStar Entertainment with Caroline Desmarais and Steven Thibault. He is represented by Sisto Entertainment & Business Law Services.
Award-winning Dominican director, screenwriter and producer Leticia Tonos Paniagua graduated from the London Film School in 2001. A pioneer in film co-productions in her country with Spain, France, Puerto Rico and Haiti, among others, Tonos co-founded ADOCINE (Dominican Association of Film Industry Professionals), APRODOMCINE (DR Producers Association), ACCINE-RD (DR Film Academy) and EGEDA Dominicana. Three of her feature films have been selected to represent the Dominican Republic at the Oscars.
In 2020, Tonos was awarded the Medal of Cinematographic Merit, becoming the first woman in the Dominican Republic to receive such distinction. In 2023 she received the Latido Fantastic Award at Marché Du Film at Cannes Film Festival for her sci-fi feature film Aire Just Breathe.
Montreal/Madrid-based international sales and distribution company Pink Parrot Media(PPM) has signed a raft of international deals for Hanna and the Monsters, an animated adventure-comedy produced by Doce Entertainment (Isaac) and Mr. Miyagi Films (The Platform, Isaac) and directed by Lorena Ares (The Swallows of Kabul).
New sales include: Front Row (Middle East), GPI (Baltics), Cinetel (Hungary), Wediacorp (Turkey), Movie Company (Benelux), Boxoo (South Korea) and World Vision (CIS).
In Hanna and the Monsters, monsters live in a hidden world away from humans, whom they fear. The monsters are a very different bunch with diverse interests that have created some rivalries — but Nessy, Yetti, Shewolf and Closet have formed a sort of family. However one night, a four-year-old girl named Hanna discovers Closet in her room and she follows him to Monsterville. But if she is not returned in time, she might get trapped in Monsterville forever — and humans will come looking for her. When the monster group’s rivals Cyclops and Gargoyle kidnap Hanna, the makeshift family will have to put their differences aside to save Hanna from a dark plan.
Additionally, Pink Parrot Media is launching worldwide sales (excl. Spain) at the Cannes Film Market on its newly acquired title in the trilogy: Hanna and the Forgotten Christmas, which is now in production and set to be delivered in Q1 2025. The new feature will mark Elena Ruiz’s directorial debut, following her service as editor on Hanna and the Monsters project. Ruiz was awarded a Goya and a Gaudí Award for Best Editing for The Impossible (directed by J.A. Bayona), and also edited Bayona’s The Orphanage. Her recent credits also include the Netflix series Alma and Bandidos.
In the forthcoming sequel, Hanna and the monsters return home for their first Christmas, but Gargoyle’s desire to control Christmas erases it from everyone’s memory. Determined to restore the holiday, they embark on a quest led by a little monster named Esna to find the missing Spirit of Christmas. They uncover surprising truths and must race against time to save Christmas from disappearing forever. Meanwhile, Gargoyle tries to seize power as the new Spirit of Christmas with the help of her companion Cyclops. Can Hanna and the monsters stop Gargoyle and save Christmas?
“Across our slate, we’re committed to bringing magical, humorous and adventurous stories that will bring the whole family together — and the Hanna and the Monsters trilogy is perfect suited to deliver just that,” said ania Pinto Da Cunha, Partner/VP and Head of International Sales & Acquisitions at Pink Parrot Media. “We’ve had a fantastic response to the first instalment already, and can’t wait to share the new follow-up with our partners, which we believe has the potential to become a festive family favorite around the world.”
At Cannes Film Festival, PPM will host a screening of its animated feature slate — which also includes Elli and her Monster Team, Superklaus and Norbert on Friday, May 17 at 4 p.m. CEST (Lerins 1). Additionally, Elli and her Monster Team will have a market screening on Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. CEST (Riviera 2).
10 Lives, the new CG-animated, heartwarming comedy-adventure about the connection between pets and their humans, is purring along with international theatrical deals following its Sundance premiere earlier this year. Produced by GFM Animation (U.K.) and 10 Lives Productions with animation by L’Atelier in Montreal. the pic has been picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment for North America, releasing in theaters on October 11.
Additionally, London-based Taost Entertainment has acquired Chinese distribution rights for the feature. Release plans were not detailed.
Synopsis: Beckett is a pampered and selfish cat who totally takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt.All that is about to change, however, when he carelessly loses his ninth life.
With no lives left and faced with the inevitable, Beckett pleads for things to be back to how they were.At first his request is refused but in a moment of exceptional empathy, the ‘Gatekeeper’ has a change of heart and allows him to return to Earth with a whole new set of lives.
What he doesn’t realize immediately, however, is that each of these new lives will see him return in a variety of different forms … each one teaching him a valuable and timely lesson.
It is a journey that sees Beckett turn from gloriously self-absorbed pet to a self-sacrificing hero; because sometimes you must travel many different roads to find the very best version of yourself.
The voice cast, led by comedian/TV host Mo Gilligan as Beckett, features pop star Zayn Malik, Simone Ashley (Bridgerton), Sophie Okonedo (The Wheel of Time), Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso), Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) and the esteemed Bill Nighy — winner of two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, an Annie Award for voice acting (Arthur Christmas) and nominations for an Oscar and a Tony.
The film is GFM’s first “home-grown” animation production. The studio tapped director Chris Jenkins (Duck Duck Goose, Home, Surf’s Up), who also penned the screenplay with Ken Cinnamon and Karen Wengrod. Guy Collins and Sean Feeney are producers. Briarcliff CEO Tom Ortenberg will board as an executive producers.
The North American rights deal was arranged by Victoria Romley at WME for 10 Lives Prod., Jessica Rose and Ortenberg for Briarcliff, and Collins for GFM.
Read more about the movie in Animation Magazine‘s exclusive interview here.
The fate of an adorably destructive kaiju orphan is tied to a young man’s heroic coming-of-age in Ultraman: Rising. The official trailer for the new 3D CG feature, based on Tsubaraya Productions’ iconic tokusatsu franchise, offers a neon-lit look at the city-smashing adventures of supersized superhero Ultraman and his adopted monster, who is being hunted by a shadowy organization.
Ultraman: Rising premieres on Netflix on June 14. (Don’t miss Animation Magazine‘s feature story on the film in the June/July ’24 issue, available soon.)
Synopsis: With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he reluctantly adopts a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Sato must rise above his ego to balance work and parenthood while protecting the baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans.
In partnership with Netflix, Tsuburaya Productions, and Industrial Light & Magic, Ultraman: Rising is written by Emmy winner Shannon Tindle (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) and Marc Haimes continuing their collaboration on Kubo and the Two Strings and event series Lost Ollie. Tindle also serves as director, with John Aoshima (DuckTales, Gravity Falls; head of story on Kubo and the Two Strings) as co-director. Tom Knott and Lisa M. Poole are producers.
The film features the voices of Christopher Sean as Ken Sato/Ultraman, Gedde Watanabe as Professor Sato, Tamlyn Tomita as Emiko, Keone Young as Dr. Onda and Julia Harriman as Ami. The project also features original songs by Diplo, Oliver Tree and Alicia Creti.
Award-winning VFX, animation and interactive studio Platige Image is opening its newest office in Las Palmas, on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. The Warsaw-headquartered company joins more than a dozen other production outfits which have opened locations in the capital, taking advantage of tax incentives and crucial support framework.
The team at the newly established office will be tasked with acquiring film and TV series projects, with a heavy emphasis on VFX production. Platige Image is internationally renowned for its experience in the area, delivering visual effects work on popular titles such as The Witcher, Shadow and Bone and Obliterated for Netflix. The studio also worked on the Cannes- and Annecy-selected animated documentary Another Day of Life.
The Canary Islands now offer rebates and tax credits (up to 50%) to businesses and individuals investing in the local film industry, with the effort designed to attract filmmakers from all over the globe. “Given the financial incentives and the sheer number of attractive locations available, the Islands are well on their way to becoming one of Europe’s prime spots for film production,” says Karol Żbikowski, CEO of Platige Image.
Working with over 300 specialists from all corners of the globe, including supervising producers, animators and award-winning directors and art directors, the studio delivers comprehensive production services for film projects around the world. By opening the new branch, the Platige Image is looking to boost its VFX and CGI portfolio, ensuring continued growth and new work on global productions while leveraging the financial incentives offered by the Islands.
“We’ve been a part of the film industry for years. And we’ve been thinking of such a move for quite some time now,” says Jarosław Szewko, Co-Founder & Executive Producer at Platige Image. “I believe that the right moment has finally come.”
For the past 25 years, Platige Image has been a leader among Polish production and postproduction studios. Specializing in computer graphics, 3D animation and VFX work for film, entertainment, and advertising. Its work has brought it a number of prizes and honors, including a BAFTA Award, a European Film Award, a Goya Award and a SIGGRAPH Award, alongside nominations for Academy Awards, the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
In February of 2022, the Platige Image Group established a subsidiary in the U.S. Headed by Aurélien Simon, the branch has been tasked with acquiring and producing projects in the advertising market. Implementing its growth strategy, in May 2023, Platige opened the biggest motion-capture studio in its part of Europe. Epic Games has named the studio an Unreal Engine Service Partner.
Visit platige.com to learn more about the studio and check out the new showreel released this week below.
Watch your fatback, Porky: U.K. based international agent GFM Animation is ready to introduce a new porcine animation star to the market, launching sales for Hitpig. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Berkeley Breathed’s New York Times bestseller Pickles & Peanut, the CG feature is produced by Aniventure with animation by Cinesite; the studios previously delivered Paws of Fury (also sold by GFM) and are working together on a new Animal Farm adaptation.
Synopsis: Hitpig is a pig hired by humans to bring back their escaped animals. It’s not easy, but it’s a living!
His latest hit is Pickles, a naive but vivacious elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil Vegas showman. Though Hitpig initially sets out to capture the perky pachyderm for big cash, the unlikely pair find themselves on an unexpected adventure criss-crossing the globe that brings out the best in both of them.
Set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, Hitpig proves sometimes what we want isn’t what we need.
The voice cast features an impressive roster of talents, including LillySingh (The Muppets Mayhem), RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Hannah Gadsby (Please Like Me), Charlie Adler (Starscream in the Transformers franchise) and Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta. Originally set to be voiced by Peter Dinklage, the titular Hitpig is now being played by Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso).
Hitpig is directed by Cinzia Angelini and David Feiss, from a screenplay written by Breathed (Bloom County), Tyler Werrin and Dave Rosenbaum. Isabella Summers (a.k.a. The Machine of Florence + The Machine) is scoring the film. Producers for Aniventure are Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum.
Leading into its Cannes Film Festival premiere as an official selection in the Un Certain Regard section — dedicated to artistically and narratively bolder works — award-winning Latvian animator Gints Zilbalodis (Away, Oasis) has released a sneak peek from his new 3D CG feature film, Flow. The dialog-free animal adventure, which the director describes as “life-affirming … exciting, sad and funny” will also screen at Annecy in June.
Produced by Dream Well Studio (Latvia) with Sacrebleu Productions (France) and Take Five (Belgium), the 85-minute film is set in a world nearing its end, littered with the leftovers of human civilization: A solitary Cat loses his home to a great flood, and finds refuge on a boat with an affable Capybara, codependent Dog, hoarder Lemur and a Secretary bird rejected by its flock. As the boat drifts through water-buried landscapes, these refugees must overcome their differences and adapt to the new challenges and dangers of this world.
“All the characters are animals and we wanted them to behave like animals, to keep it grounded this way. It’s not a Disney film,” Zilbalodis told Variety in a new interview. “I can’t tell the audience what’s going on in their heads. This silence allowed me to be more expressive with other filmmaking tools. I could really focus on the camera, for example.”
The director, who himself had to adapt to working with others after his breakout solo feature Away, added that the aesthetic goal was to create an “immersive and simplified” universe reminiscent of found footage. And yes, the animators watched a lot of internet cat videos (for research).
Zilbalodis directed Flow and wrote the no-dialog screenplay with Matīss Kaža (Neon Spring, The Taste of Water). The helmer also helped compose the music, another task he performed for Away, with Rihards Zaļupe (1906, Fear No One).
The preview clip can be viewed on the Festival du Cannes website here, or watch below courtesy of AlloCiné.
Disney Branded Television today announced ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, an expansion of the live-action ZOMBIES movie franchise, featuring the same characters. The musical comedy-adventure series will debut Friday, June 28, (8 p.m. EDT) on Disney Channel and next day on Disney+.
Synopsis:ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series follows the daily lives of Zed, Addison, and the entire Seabrook crew. Using A-spen’s alien time warp technology, Zed and Addison start their senior year all over again, so they can redo it with all their friends. And this senior year is going to be the best one ever, with the crew hanging out, having fun, and doing everything from saving the town to saving their favorite drink in the cafeteria. At Seabrook, even an ordinary day in high school can turn into a wild, ridiculous adventure.
Each episode features brand new original songs performed by the stars of the ZOMBIES franchise. A ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series Original Soundtrack will be released June 28 on Walt Disney Records.
ZOMBIES franchise stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly reprise their roles as Seabrook’s star-crossed zombie/cheerleader couple, Zed and Addison, in Re-Aniamted. Also returning are Terry Hu as outer space alien A-Spen; Chandler Kinney, Pearce Joza and Ariel Martin as werewolves Willa, Wyatt and Wynter; Carla Jeffery and Trevor Tordjman as cheerleaders Bree and Bucky; and Kylee Russell and James Godfrey as lovable zombies Eliza and Bonzo. Kahyun Kim joins the cast as Dae, a witch/alchemist, who is awkward in a quirky, upbeat, “adorkable” way.
From Disney Branded Television and produced by Disney Television Animation, ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series is executive produced by Aliki Theofilopoulos, Jack Ferraiolo, Gary Marsh, David Light and Joseph Raso.
One of Disney Branded Television’s most successful franchises, the premiere telecasts of the first three ZOMBIES films ranked No. 1 among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 when they debuted (2018, 2020, 2022), and have logged 253 million hours watched across linear and streaming since launch. ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires is currently in production in New Zealand.
The films’ music has amassed over 2.7 billion streams across YouTube Music, Disney Channel YouTube and Disney Music Vevo, while soundtracks for ZOMBIES and ZOMBIES 3 hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Kid Albums chart. Overall, the franchise has earned one certified platinum single and five certified gold singles from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
