Animation Magazine

81 Animated Short Selected for BIAF2023

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August 1, 2023

The 25th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) announced the selection of 81 animated short films (38 international shorts, 13 graduation films, 11 TV/commissioned projects and 22 South Korean shorts for the national competition). Selected from a submission pool of 3,015 works from 101 countries, these films will screen during this year’s festival from October 20-24.

The selection includes highly anticipated new works by acclaimed directors: Garden of Remembrance by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice), which illustrates how day to day life changes after the loss of a lover, and Nezumikozō Jirokichi, the new short of Galaxy Express 999 director Rintaro. The Day I Became a Bird by Andrew Ruhemann, the Oscar-winning director of The Lost Thing, and Peculiar and Strange by Student Academy Award Gold Medal winner Hanna Kim (The Raccoon and the Light) also feature in the program.

Other notable selections are I’m Hip, the latest work by Disney icon John Musker (director of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Moana); Flutter, produced by Zootopia associated producer Brad Simonson and directed by Adam Levy; Little t, Masha Ellsworth’s directorial debut film, a part of Pixar’s co-op program; and The Brave Locomotive, created by Andrew Chesworth, Oscar- nominated filmmaker of One Small Step.

Along with these globally recognized contenders, three Korean films have been selected for the International Competition: the new film from Love Games director Joung Yumi, The Waves; Yeo Eun-a’s A Long Alone; and See You on the Other Side, from Jeong Haeji, director of the Annecy Festival Jury Distinction prize-winning student film Sura.

Learn more at biaf.or.kr.

BIAF2023 Official Selection

Short Film Competition

27, Flóra Anna Buda
A Long Alone, Eun-a Yeo
About a Cow, Pavla Baštanová
AliEN0089, Valeria Hofmann
Antipolis, Kaspar Jancis
Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal, Alisi Telengut
Canard, Elie Chapuis
Cold Soup, Marta Monteiro
Compound Eyes of Tropical, Zhangxu Zhan
Five Spikelets Law, Yana Ugrekhelidze
Flutter, Adam Levy
Garden of Remembrance, Naoko Yamada
Greylands, Charlotte Waltert, Alvaro Schoeck
Hadis, Nazrin Aghamaliyeva
Harvey, Janice Nadeau
I’m Hip, John Musker
La Perra, Carla Melo Gampert
Little t, Masha Ellsworth
Margarethe 89, Lucas Malbrun
Meddington Hills, Jeanette Jeanenne
Nezumikozō Jirokichi, Rintaro
Peculiar and Strange, Hanna Kim
Peeping Mom / Le sexe de ma mère, Francis Canitrot
See You on the Other Side, Haeji Jeong
Somni, Sonja Rohleder
Such Miracles Do Happen, Barbara Rupik
Sweet Like Lemons, Jenny Jokela
The Brave Locomotive, Andrew Chesworth
The Day I Became a Bird, Andrew Ruhemann
The Family Portrait, Lea Vidakovic
The Miracle, Nienke Deutz
The Night Doctrine; Almudena Toral, Mauricio Rodriguez Pons
The Purple Season / La saison pourpre, Clémence Bouchereau
The Suitcase / La Valise, Chloé Mazlo
The Waiting, Voker Schlecht
The Waves, Yumi Joung
Via Dolorosa, Rachel Gutgarts
World To Roam, Stephen Irwin

Graduation Film Competition

Dede Is Dead, Philippe Kastner
End of Summer, Tara Attarzadeh
First class, After school; Gaon Lee, Seo-yeon Kim, Seo-young Park, Seo-jin Lee
Frenzy Fries, Jeesuk Kim
From the Corner of My Eye, Domonkos Erhardt
Goodbye, Woojoo; Dahyun Jeon
La notte; Martina Generali, Simone Pratola, Francesca Sofia Rosso
Sewing Love, Yuan Xu
The Invincible Swordsman, Anxingzi Zuo
The Last Bar, Arne Hain
The Mijares, Wanying Lolu
The Tornado Outside, Maria Tomazou
Twenty Two, Tong-min Li

TV & Commissioned Competition

All the Best, Pablo Rafael Roldán
Coup de Théâtre, Antonin Niclass
Dododo Choonsik, Jinwoo Lee
I Inside the Old I Dying; Joaquín Cociña, Cristobal León
Meet Again, Ap-sol Kang
Météores; Agnès Patron, Morgane Le Péchon
Mr. Passenger, José Pedro Cavalheiro
Nana’s Secret Garden, Namiko Ishidate
Silica Gel – Budland [M/V], Jihee Nam
TV Anime TRIGUN STAMPEDE Ending Animation, Honami Yano
Would You; Aran Shin, Jieun Son

Korean Short Competition

A Long Alone, Eun-a Yeo
And Then, Gwen Gunyung Lee
Battery Mommy, Seungbae Jeon
Chamber of Shadows, Seyoung Ok
Crisp Dream, Hayeon Song
Diary Booth; Woomin Shim, Jireh Ryu
Don’t Die, Yuseon Park
Hair Universe, Jinuk Choi
Hard to Say, Yong-hae Ahn
Hello!, Dakyoung Lee
In – the middle of quarantine, Sumin Cho
My Father and Me, Chaerin Yoo
Reflected; So-jung Park, Chae-won Jung, Si-on Kim
Resilience, Yoonhyung Choi
See You on the Other Side, Haeji Jeong
Spotlight; Suhyun Nam, Gahee Kim, Dagyo Choi
The Monster; Ruby Yang, Bomin Kim
The Scenes Left Behind, Seungeon Yi
The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns, Jiwon Han
The Waves, Yumi Joung
Unique Time, Yujin Oh
White Phone Call, Hakhyun Kim

Lost Short from Osamu Kobayashi ‘Hypersonic Music Club’ Debuts Online

Mercedes Milligan

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August 1, 2023

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Lost Short from Osamu Kobayashi ‘Hypersonic Music Club’ Debuts Online

Japanese pop culture outlet TokyoScope Blog has unwrapped a gift for sci-fi anime lovers, hosting the online world premiere of HYPERSONIC music club — a never-before-seen short from the late animator Osamu Kobayashi (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Paradise Kiss). The seven-minute film is set in a funky, futuristic school, where a band of misfits accidentally unleashes trouble from another dimension.

The short was written and directed by Kobayashi, who died in 2021 at age 57 from kidney cancer. The piece is adapted from a webcomic written by TokyoScope’s Patrick Macias (who shares in the post that Kobayashi storyboarded the entire thing in a one-night marathon). The HYPERSONIC music club team also features character designer/animation director Takashi Mukouda (Evangelion Rebuild, Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Madoka Magica) and animators Hisashi Mori (Spirited Away), Mitsuo Iso (The End of Evangelion) and Yoshimichi Kameda (One Punch Man).

A talented animator and music lover, Kobayashi began working as a designer and manga artist straight out of high school, and went on to work on anime titles including Blue Submarine No. 6, Gurrenn Lagann, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Lupin the 3rd Part IV, Dororo and Naruto Shippuden. His first short, table&fishman, was included in the Studio 4°C collection Digital Juice in 2002.

Watch HYPERSONIC music club and read more about the project on the TokyoScope Blog.

Seth MacFarlane Donates $1 Million to Support SAG, WGA Strikers

Animation Magazine

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August 1, 2023

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Seth MacFarlane Donates $1 Million to Support SAG, WGA Strikers

Seth MacFarlane, the creator of hit animated sitcoms Family Guy and American Dad! as well as the live-action sci-fi comedy The Orville and feature films Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West, has donated $1 million to The Entertainment Community Fund. Formerly known as The Actors Fund, the organization is collecting donations to provide financial assistance to entertainment industry workers during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

The fund has seen a significant increase in requests for emergency aid amidst the work stoppages ordered by the historic two-union strike. The ECF reportedly has had to increase weekly distribution of financial support to $400,000 to $500,000, compared to an average of $75,000 per week in the first half of 2023. The fund has received more than $6.3 million in donations since the WGA strike began May 1, with more than 7,500 supporters donating to the cause. Other notable contributors to the ECF strike fundraising include Steven Spielberg, The Katie McGrath & JJ Abrams Family Foundation and Georgia politician Stacey Abrams.

In a statement provided to Variety, ECF chair Annette Bening said, “The Entertainment Community Fund is overcome with gratitude to the prominent leaders in our community who have donated in support of film and television workers in need. Each day, the calls for help increase; these gifts will immediately assist so many in our industry who are still struggling to recover after the pandemic. We also hope that these impactful gifts will inspire others, if they can, to donate to support our crucial work.”

MacFarlane’s generous donation follows a historic “seven-figure donation” made by actor-producer Dwayne Johnson to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance and Disaster Relief Fund. The action star is well known to animation fans as the voice of Maui in Disney’s animated feature Moana.

You can donate to the Entertainment Community Fund or apply for Emergency Financial Assistance at entertainmentcommunity.org.

[Source: Variety]

Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk & NVIDIA Form OpenUSD Alliance to Drive Open Standards for 3D Content

Mercedes Milligan

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August 1, 2023

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Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk & NVIDIA Form OpenUSD Alliance to Drive Open Standards for 3D Content

Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk and NVIDIA, together with the Joint Development Foundation (JDF), an affiliate of the Linux Foundation, today announced the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) to promote the standardization, development, evolution and growth of Pixar’s Universal Scene Description technology.

The alliance seeks to standardize the 3D ecosystem by advancing the capabilities of Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD). By promoting greater interoperability of 3D tools and data, the alliance will enable developers and content creators to describe, compose and simulate large-scale 3D projects and build an ever-widening range of 3D-enabled products and services.

Created by Pixar Animation Studios, OpenUSD is a high-performance 3D scene description technology that offers robust interoperability across tools, data and workflows. Already known for its ability to collaboratively capture artistic expression and streamline cinematic content production, OpenUSD’s power and flexibility make it an ideal content platform to embrace the needs of new industries and applications.

Image of OpenUSD scene “the Pixar kitchen” from clay render (left) to full-render (right).

“Universal Scene Description was invented at Pixar and is the technological foundation of our state-of-the-art animation pipeline,” said Steve May, Chief Technology Officer at Pixar and Chairperson of AOUSD. “OpenUSD is based on years of research and application in Pixar filmmaking. We open-sourced the project in 2016, and the influence of OpenUSD now expands beyond film, visual effects, and animation and into other industries that increasingly rely on 3D data for media interchange. With the announcement of AOUSD, we signal the exciting next step: the continued evolution of OpenUSD as a technology and its position as an international standard.”

The alliance will develop written specifications detailing the features of OpenUSD. This will enable greater compatibility and wider adoption, integration and implementation, and allows inclusion by other standards bodies into their specifications. The Linux Foundation’s JDF was chosen to house the project, as it will enable open, efficient, and effective development of OpenUSD specifications, while providing a path to recognition through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

AOUSD will also provide the primary forum for the collaborative definition of enhancements to the technology by the greater industry. The alliance invites a broad range of companies and organizations to join and participate in shaping the future of OpenUSD.

Diagram of OpenUSD that demonstrates it’s power as a technology for large scale, industrial workflows.

AOUSD steering committee members will be speaking at both the Academy Software Foundation’s Open Source Days on August 6 (watch view the website) and at the SIGGRAPH conference in Los Angeles at the Autodesk Vision Series on August 8 at 1 p.m. PT in Room 404A.

“We are excited to support the launch of the AOUSD and efforts to standardize OpenUSD,” said ASF Executive Director David Morin. “The Academy Software Foundation’s thriving 800+ member USD Working Group focuses on sharing best practices for deployment of USD technologies and providing vetted solutions for common USD issues and will serve as a liaison with the AOUSD. We look forward to working with the AOUSD to represent the interests, ideas and techniques developed by our communities for use in the motion picture industry.”

To learn more about AOUSD and how to get involved, visit aousd.org.

Kartoon Studios Celebrates ‘Bee and PuppyCat’ 10th Anniversary

Mercedes Milligan

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August 1, 2023

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Kartoon Studios Celebrates ‘Bee and PuppyCat’ 10th Anniversary

Amassing millions of fans across multiple platforms over the past decade, Kartoon Studios celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Frederator Networks’ critically-acclaimed, hit original Netflix series, Bee and PuppyCat.

In July 2013, Frederator Networks’ Cartoon Hangover YouTube channel premiered Bee and PuppyCat, created by Natasha Allegri — a charming animated tale of a 20-something temp worker named Bee (voiced by Allyn Rachel) and her mysterious companion PuppyCat as the two travel on fantastic adventures across space while taking on various intergalactic odd jobs to help make rent. What followed was a historic grassroots crowdfunding campaign, a full season on YouTube followed by a full season debut on Netflix, a comic book series, cosplayers, fanart and a global community of fans.

Since its start as an animated short, Bee and PuppyCat has amassed over 70 million views to date, in addition to 2.5 million fans and counting across all social media channels — success which fueled the Netflix premiere of Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space on September 6, 2022, where it topped the “Best New Shows to Watch on Netflix” lists in New York Times, Forbes, LA Times and more.

“Frederator Studios is proud of the success of Bee and PuppyCat, which takes a prominent place among our lineup of hits that also includes Adventure Time, Castlevania and Fairly OddParents,” said Michael Hirsch, CEO of WOW! Unlimited Media, a subsidiary of Kartoon Studios and parent company of Frederator Networks. “Natasha Allegri is an amazing artist who has created and directed one of the best animated series of our time.”

On July 14, Sony released a two-volume digital album of music from Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space from renowned composer Will Wiesenfeld, who is best known for releasing music under aliases “Baths” and “Geotic.” The albums include Wiesenfeld’s “What’s Your Favorite Color? (Extended)” and “Galactic Boom.” The soundtrack has garnered over 1 million streams in less than 10 days.

In the retail space, Kartoon Studios’ partners Hot Topic, Crowdmade, Youtooz and Toynk have released limited-edition Bee and PuppyCat-branded products. Hot Topic is expanding their line from t-shirts to include jewelry, accessories, buttons and more. Trends International (posters, stickers), BOOM! Studios (comic books) and Toy Factory (plush, amusement channel) will also release new products in 2023/2024.

“The amazing response to the album release and limited-edition products speaks to the growing popularity of this fun and quirky series that has found a broad and solid fan base over the past 10 years,” noted Karen McTier, Licensing Consultant for Kartoon Studios. “As we continue to celebrate this brand milestone, we look forward to working with our partners to deliver unique products to the market as well as expand our merchandise categories into publishing, home, gaming and stationery.”

In 2022, Kartoon Studios, through its WOW! Unlimited Media subsidiary Frederator Networks, partnered with TOHO International, who acquired a 50% stake in Bee and PuppyCat, to co-produce new content and expand the global reach of the property. Kartoon Studios’ consumer products team manages the worldwide consumer products program for Bee and PuppyCat, excluding Asia, which is handled by TOHO International.

For more information, visit the Bee and PuppyCat official website or follow them on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms.

Watch: Stars of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Preview Home Video Release

Mercedes Milligan

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August 1, 2023

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Watch: Stars of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Preview Home Video Release

Miles Morales and the multidimensional spider-crew are ready to swing to home video this summer, when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Digital on August 8 and on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs on September 5. The animated Marvel adventure comes home with 90-plus minutes of bonus content to enhance the whole Spidey-sense-tingling experience.

To get fans pumped for the release, Sony Pictures Entertainment today launched a preview of the special features, featuring voice stars Shameik Moore (Miles Morales), Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacy), Jake Johnson (Peter B. Parker); writers-producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord; and directors Justin K. Thompson, Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers.

Synopsis: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga (2018, Best Animated Feature Film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

Bonus Materials

4K, Blu-ray & Digital

Exclusives:

- Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
- Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
- “I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
- Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
- Designing Spiders and Spots
- Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
- Escape from Spider-Society
- Across the Comics-Verse
- Lyric Videos
- Filmmaker Commentary

Also Includes:

- Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
- Raising a Hero
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast

DVD

- Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
- Raising a Hero
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast

New ‘Open Season’ Series in the Works at 9 Story

Mercedes Milligan

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August 1, 2023

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New ‘Open Season’ Series in the Works at 9 Story

9 Story Media Group is pleased to announce that production is underway for a new 2D animated comedy series Open Season: Call of Nature (52 x 11’), based on characters from the Sony Pictures Animation motion pictures. The series will be premiering on ABC Australia, WildBrain (Canada), Discovery Kids (Latin America) and France Télévisions in 2024.

9 Story Distribution International has worldwide distribution rights for the series and 9 Story Brands has worldwide merchandising rights. 9 Story has licensed home entertainment rights in the U.S. and master toy rights worldwide to Sony Pictures Animation.

Created for kids 6-11, Open Season: Call of Nature follows best friends Boog, a lovable, risk-averse grizzly bear, and Elliot, a fast-talking, ‘act-first, think-later’ deer. When the pair discover an abandoned summer camp in the middle of nowhere, they embark on a brave and hilarious adventure to create a new place to live where animals get to embrace their inner wild!

Open Season: Call of Nature is produced by 9 Story Media Group’s award-winning animation studio Brown Bag Films (Toronto), and directed by Mark Thornton (Total Drama Island, Corner Gas Animated, True and the Rainbow Kingdom) and Todd Kauffman (Total Drama Island, Corner Gas Animated, Grojband). Alan Keane (Space Chickens in Space, The Oddbods Show) serves as executive story editor. The series is executive produced by Sony Pictures Animation producer Rick Mischel (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs series) along with Vince Commisso, Natalie Osborne and Blake Tohana for 9 Story.

“Open Season is a classic animated film franchise that has entertained kids all over the world since debuting in 2006,” said Vince Commisso, President & CEO of 9 Story. “We are thrilled to be working with Sony Pictures Animation to bring their beloved characters to new audiences with a brand-new action- packed comedy series.”

Watch: Netflix Unveils Trailer and Images for Fifth and Final Season of ‘Disenchantment’

Animation Magazine

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August 1, 2023

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Watch: Netflix Unveils Trailer and Images for Fifth and Final Season of ‘Disenchantment’

Netflix has released the new trailer and images for the fifth and final season of Matt Groening’s animated series Disenchantment. The streamer will premiere the 10-episode season five of the fantasy-comedy series on Sept. 1^st.

“It all endeth here” reads the official release. “The misadventures of hard-hitting, hard-drinking Queen Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo and her personal demon Luci culminate in an epic battle for Dreamland in the fifth and final installment of Matt Groening’s comedy fantasy series Disenchantment.”

To save Dreamland from Queen Dagmar’s wicked rule, Bean must vanquish her mother and outrun a prophecy that foretells she will kill someone she loves. The stakes are as high as ever as our heroes face Satan, a headless corpse, an evil scientist and most terrifying of all- their true destiny.

Disenchantment: Part 5. (L to R) Meredith Hagner as Mora and Abbi Jacobson as Bean in Disenchantment: Part 5. Cr. NETFLIX © 2023

The series features the voice talents of Abbi Jacobson (“Bean”), Eric Andre (“Luci”) and Nat Faxon (“Elfo”) along with John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Noel Fielding, Meredith Hagner, David Herman, Sharon Horgan, Maurice LaMarche, Lucy Montgomery and Billy West. The show is exec produced by Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Claudia Katz, Eric Horsted, Bill Oakley, Patric M. Veronne, and produced by Reid Harrison, David X. Cohen, Deanna Maclellan, Lee Supercinski, Jeny Batten, M. Dickson and Rich Fulcher.

Disenchantment: Part 5. (L to R) Nat Faxon as Elfo, Lauren Tom as Miri, and Eric Andre as Luci in Disenchantment: Part 5. Cr. NETFLIX © 2023

Disenchantment first premiered on Netflix in August of 2018. Subsequent seasons arrived in Sept. 2019, Jan. 2021 and Feb. 2022.

Watch the Season 5 trailer below:

Disenchantment: Part 5. (L to R) Abbi Jacobson as Bean and Nat Faxon as Elfo in Disenchantment: Part 5. Cr. NETFLIX © 2023

Watch: ‘Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning’ Launches New Trailer, Poster

Animation Magazine

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July 31, 2023

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Watch: ‘Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning’ Launches New Trailer, Poster

Toei Animation revealed a new trailer and poster image for director Tomohisa Taguchi’s upcoming movie Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning at the Digi Fes 2023 event on Sunday. The film, which opens in Japan on Oct. 27, is set after the events of Digimon Adventure tri and the movie Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna. The storyline centers on a grown-up version of Daisuke Motomiya (Davis Motomiya) and other main characters at the age of 20.

Junko Noda, Arthur Lounsbery, Naozumi Takahashi, Ayaka Asai and Kouichi Toochika are among the returning cast members. Director Taguchi, screenwriter Akatsuki Yamatoya, studio Yumeta Company and Toei Animation are all returning after working on the previous feature Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, which was released in 2020.

According to producer Yosuke Kinoshita (Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna), the sequel will will revolve around the characters from Digimon Adventure 02. He told Anime News Network that the creative team wanted to tell a story about Daisuke and his friends because they have a different appeal, compared to Taichi/Tai and his friends from the first Digimon Adventure television anime.

You can watch the new trailer below:

Source: Anime News Network

Epic Games Releases Open Source xSTUDIO Port for Windows on GitHub

Ramin Zahed

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July 31, 2023

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Epic Games Releases Open Source xSTUDIO Port for Windows on GitHub

Epic Games, creator of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, has teamed up with Ahead, innovation studio and creator of Cezanne Studio, to build the open source Windows port of xSTUDIO, available now on GitHub. Designed by visual entertainment services company DNEG, xSTUDIO is a modern, flexible and feature-rich playback and review application that was contributed to the Academy Software Foundation as an open source project in early 2023 to meet the needs of content creators throughout the production process.

Initially open sourced for Linux, this release marks the first step to make xSTUDIO a cross-platform solution for the open source community, and to extend xSTUDIO as a candidate for deployment as a playback and review solution across workflows.

xSTUDIO has been engineered to meet the diverse needs of a broad range of review scenarios, whether on set, in the office, in remote reviews or across teams of connected users. Heavily customizable, xSTUDIO can be used as a standalone player or be integrated into any pipeline via plugins and Python scripting APIs.

The collaboration between Epic and Ahead on the Windows port signals the ongoing evolution and broader adoption of xSTUDIO, which is a part of the Academy Software Foundation’s Open Review Initiative (ORI), an umbrella project working to build a unified open source toolset for playback, review and approval of motion picture and related professional media. Both Epic and DNEG are founding members of the Academy Software Foundation, while Ahead is an active contributor to open source and released the OpenAnnotationIO project in 2020.

“Accelerating the development of open standards and investing in open source software is foundational to building the open metaverse,” said Sebastien Miglio, VP of Product Management and Engineering at Epic Games. “We are thrilled to contribute the Windows port of xSTUDIO to the open source community and, by extension, to all creators and storytellers.”

The open source code for xSTUDIO is available now on GitHub: github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/xstudio and information about the application’s features and capabilities are available at dneg.com/xstudio.

Software engineers, developers and users interested in learning more or getting involved are invited to attend the Academy Software Foundation’s annual Open Source Days event, which includes a new Virtual Town Hall Series leading up to the Main Program taking place in-person and virtually on August 6 in Los Angeles.

Additional information on xSTUDIO is also available via dneg.com/xstudio, the ASWF Open Review Initiative Slack channel and the Open Review Initiative mailing list. To express an interest in collaboration opportunities or to find out more about xSTUDIO, contact xstudio-info@dneg.com

GKIDS/Shout! to Release Collector’s Edition Set, Standard Release Versions of ‘Evangelion 3.0+1.01’ in Oct.

Ramin Zahed

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July 31, 2023

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GKIDS/Shout! to Release Collector’s Edition Set, Standard Release Versions of ‘Evangelion 3.0+1.01’ in Oct.

GKIDS and Shout! Studios have announced plans for the release of an expansive 4K UHD Collector’s Edition Set, Standard Edition Blu-ray, and digital download-to-own version of the acclaimed Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time feature, which was a critical and popular success in Japanese theaters in 2001. The movie became the highest grossing film of the year in Japan with ¥10.28 billion (~85 million) in local box office.

The digital download version will be available for purchase on Oct. 3, while the Collector’s Edition 4K UHD and Standard Edition Blu-ray Disc will be out on Oct. 17.

Created by Hideaki Anno, the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise is considered one of the most influential animated sagas of all time. Since the 1995 premiere of the original television series, the story of teenager Shinji Ikari has remained one of the most iconic titles in animation history, and a global pop culture phenomenon. Following the conclusion of the popular 1995 television show, the legendary project received new life as the Evangelion movie series. The theatrical film series began with Evangelion:1.11 You Are (Not) Alone. (2007), followed by Evangelion:2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (2009), Evangelion:3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. (2012), and culminating with the finale Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time.

GKIDS and Shout! will release expansive Collector’s Edition DVD/Blu-ray versions of “Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon A Time ” this fall.

GKIDS previously released the original 26 episode TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as Evengelion: Death (True) 2 and The End of Evangelion on Blu-ray and Digital Download for the first time in N. America. Last year, GKIDS released Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time in U.S. Theaters.

The 4K UHD Collector’s Edition of Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon A Time is a three-disc set that includes one 4K UHD disc featuring the film, a Blu-ray of the feature film, and a disc of brand-new bonus features encased in a rigid box case. Featuring both the original Japanese language version and an English dub, the set includes a 28-page book, art cards, and a poster, as well as bonus features character promotion reels, stage greeting and trailers.

The official synopsis reads: “Misato and her anti-NERV group Wille arrive at Paris, a city now red from core-ization. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower. They only have 720 seconds to restore the city. When a horde of NERV Evas appear, Mari’s improved Eva Unit 8 must intercept. Meanwhile, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei (Provisional Name) wander about Japan.”

For more info, visit GKIDS.com

You can watch the trailer below:

Paramount’s ‘PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Releases New Poster and Trailer

Animation Magazine

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July 31, 2023

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Paramount’s ‘PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Releases New Poster and Trailer

Paramount, Nickelodeon Movies and Spin Master Entertainment have released a new poster for their upcoming fall feature Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. The sequel to the popular 2021 movie is directed by Cal Brunker, with a script penned by Brunker and Bob Barlen.

Based on Keith Chapman’s popular TV series, the movie finds the PAW Patrol pups gaining superpowers after a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City. As the official synopsis reads: “For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ arch-rival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the superpowers and turn themselves into super-villains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the super-villains before it’s too late, and Skye will need to learn that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.”

Produced by Jennifer Dodge, Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens, the movie is exec produced by Ronnen Harary, Adam Beder and Peter Schlessel. The voice cast includes Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Ron Pardo, Lil Rel Howery, Kim Kardashian, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, Alan Kim, Brice Gonzalez, North West, Saint West, Christian Corrao, Luxton Handspiker, Nylan Parthipan, Callum Shoniker, with James Marsden and Kristen Bell.

Also directed by Cal Brunker, the first Paw Patrol movie was released in August 2021 and grossed over $40.1 million in the U.S. and Canada and $144.3 million worldwide. Paramount will release the new movie in theaters on Sept. 29.

Cinesite Conjures Up VFX Clips and Details About ‘The Witcher’s’ Third Season

VFX

Animation Magazine

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July 31, 2023

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Cinesite Conjures Up VFX Clips and Details About ‘The Witcher’s’ Third Season

London-based vfx house Cinesite has released new images and details about the eye-popping vfx work its team delivered on the third season of Netflix’s The Witcher, which has garnered over 20 million viewing hours since its premiere on June 29. Having been part of the BAFTA award-winning team from season 2, Cinesite was once more entrusted with creating some ambitious vfx on the series, overseen by studio vfx supervisor Tim Crosbie and vfx producers Angie Wills and David Stephens.

Cinesite previously delivered the Kikimora, the first monster glimpsed in the opening shots of the first season, and the second season’s terrifying basilisks and Chernobog. So the team had a history of working closely with the production team to develop classic Witcher creatures. Cinesite VFX Supervisor Richard Reed notes, “We were earmarked early on to tackle the complex, multi-limbed Flesh Monster, as well as the crocodile-like Aeschna in Episode 4. It was truly exciting and fulfilling to bring these creatures to life.”

Geralt encounters the Flesh Monster in the dungeons of Vuilpanne Castle, a horrific fusion of the torsos and limbs of women which moves crab-like in the darkness, attacking with multiple arms simultaneously. Cinesite’s team was closely involved in developing the look of the creature, which needed to fit seamlessly into the live action fight captured with three stunt performers fighting side by side.

Cinesite head of assets and vis development Maddie Scott-Spencer was integral to the process of conceiving the look of the Flesh Monster and its movement throughout the sequence. “We started with the initial brief of a creature composed of multiple human bodies fused into one and developed a series of Zbrush concepts. The challenge was to create a multiple limbed surrealist creature which would read clearly in motion and in the dark. We explored ways to create striking silhouettes, with such a complex creature shape in motion. We aimed for a design that would read as both horrifying and elegant in its proportions and form. As part of the design journey we incorporated a two stage posture where the Flesh Monster rears up into an upright pose revealing a towering, threatening display of arms, legs, and disturbing negative space. It was a great challenge which we addressed across multiple concept rounds, refining the design into the final sculpting and modeling phase.”

The destruction of Aretuza is one of the visual highlights of episode 7 of the third season. [All images courtesy of Cinesite.]

The Aeschna features in the fourth episode, jumping suddenly from the water onto the deck of the chain ferry. Animating a large creature within the confined space of the chain ferry deck was a challenge our team rose to meet with careful choreography and clever animation. They created whole and tail-less versions of the monstrous amphibian, as well as its dismembered tail, which is ripped off by the ship’s gear mechanism. Details like sea-water drips, blood and drool were also added to enhance the creature’s terrifying impact.

Other impactful VFX created by the Cinesite team include the Ring of Fire, an entirely CG structure which hovers magnificently above the courtyard at Aretuza, where a conclave is taking place. When fighting breaks out it is destroyed spectacularly towards the end of the season, dripping like liquid napalm as it disintegrates and falls.

Ring of Fire, created by Cinesite for “The Witcher: Season 3.”

Destruction around this battle at Aretuza also includes a 30-second long-shot through an interior courtyard, among other interior battle shots. Richard Reed observes, “Cinesite was tasked with enhancing and developing Aretuza from previous seasons, so that we get to see some new hero views and ultimately, the destruction of a good portion of it. I’m incredibly proud of the whole team’s work; everyone stepped up to the challenge.”

The final episodes of The Witcher’s third season were released on 28th July and are now streaming on Netflix.

Watch the behind the scenes videos below:

You can read more about the vfx work here:

Beloved Actor, Comedian, Creator Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman) Dies of Cancer at 70

Ramin Zahed

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July 31, 2023

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Beloved Actor, Comedian, Creator Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman) Dies of Cancer at 70

The entertainment world is mourning the passing of comedian, actor, writer, producer and children’s entertainer Paul Reubens, who died on Sunday at age 70 after a six-year battle with cancer. Reubens was best known for his hugely popular character Pee-wee Herman and The Pee-wee Herman Show, which first began as a character created for the L.A. comedy troupe The Groundlings, and then a live show, which led to an acclaimed special for HBO and inspired the influential CBS Saturday morning children’s show Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” the statement on Facebook read.“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

The success of his child-like and iconic Pee-Wee Herman character led to two successful feature films Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) directed by Tim Burton and its sequel Big Top Pee-wee (1988). The first Pee-Wee movie was one of the big hits of 1985, making over $45 million at the box office. In 2015, Netflix released the third Pee-wee movie titled Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, directed by John Lee and produced by Reubens and Judd Apatow.

Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which featured charming stop-motion animated segments, also introduced family audiences to actors such as Phil Hartman, John Paragon, Lynee Marie Stewart, Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson. It also showcased the creative design of influential animation artists such as Wayne White, Gary Panter, Craig Bartlett, Nick Park, Richard Goleszowski, Gregory Harrison, Ric Heitzman and Phil Trubmo. The show, which ran for five seasons (1986-1991), won 15 Daytime Emmys.

In addition to his many memorable live-action roles, Reubens also lent his voice to a wide range of characters in animated series, specials and video-games. Among them: voice of Hermie the Elf (Rugrats), God/Devil (Tripping the Rift), Golly Gopher (Re-Animated), Reuben (Chowder), Bat-Mite (Batman: The Brave and the Bold), Gnome Ruler (Adventure Time), Pavel (Tron: Uprising), The Riddler (Robot Chicken), Ju-Long (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), Martin Milton/Sir Malachi (TMNT), Benji Warlin (Sanjay and Craig), RX-24 (Star Wars Rebels), Professor Paranthesis (Phineas and Ferb), Wyatt Borden (American Dad!), Swap Shap Owner (Voltron: Legendary Defender) and Pat (Bob’s Burgers).

Director Tim Burton shared a tribute on Instagram:

Watch the animated Penny segment (directed by Craig Bartlett) and the show’s high-energy opening on Pee-wee’s Playhouse below:

‘Exploding Kittens’ Launches New Game Tied to Netflix Toon

Mercedes Milligan

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July 31, 2023

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‘Exploding Kittens’ Launches New Game Tied to Netflix Toon

Gaming and entertainment company Exploding Kittens today announced the launch of its newest tabletop game, Exploding Kittens: Good vs. Evil, based on the franchise’s upcoming adult animated Netflix series, also titled Exploding Kittens. This new standalone version of the company’s original card game was designed within the fictional world of the TV series.

“Adapting Exploding Kittens into a TV show has been one of our most satisfying creative endeavors,” said Elan Lee, Co-Creator & CEO of Exploding Kittens. “Not only will fans of the upcoming show get to see their new favorite characters on all the Good vs. Evil cards, but new and existing fans will get an exciting gameplay experience with a new game mechanic that pits players against each other in a battle of wits to compete for the most powerful card in the game!”

Exploding Kittens: Good vs. Evil offers the same gameplay — a kitty-powered version of Russian roulette — that fans know and love from the flagship card game. However, the new title flips the script by bringing fans into the narrative world of the show, introducing new character cards from the upcoming series. These include a Godcat card, deemed “the most powerful card ever created” in the Exploding Kittens universe, and Devilcat, which causes a player to immediately explode without the protection of a defuse card. The game also offers four new card powers with clever thematic nods to the show, including “Armageddon” and “Raising Heck” cards that each feature new gameplay mechanics to provide fans with a fresh experience.

Set in the world of the upcoming Netflix series, the new game introduces the super-powerful Godcat and Devilcat character cards.

“Creating the Exploding Kittens series with Netflix has been a dream come true,” said Matthew Inman, Exploding Kittens’ Chief Creative Officer and Creator of The Oatmeal. “Good vs. Evil allowed us to give fans a first look into what the show has in store, and we hope they have just as much fun playing the game as we had creating it.”

Best for players ages seven and up, Exploding Kittens: Good vs. Evil is easy to learn, takes around 15 minutes to play, and can be enjoyed by groups of two to five players. The game is available now for $21.99 both in-store and online at Walmart and Target, and fans can order on ExplodingKittens.com on August 1.

explodingkittens.com | netflix.com/explodingkittens

The Next Generation of ‘Bakugan’ Is Ready to Brawl on Netflix & Disney XD

Mercedes Milligan

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July 31, 2023

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The Next Generation of ‘Bakugan’ Is Ready to Brawl on Netflix & Disney XD

Spin Master Corp. today announced the launch of an all-new Bakugan series, introducing a revamped anime style that will premiere on Netflix (U.S., Canada, Australia, Nordics and Middle East) on September 1, and air on Disney XD in the U.S. on September 23. Alongside the series’ fresh aesthetic, characters and storyline, fans will be able to immerse in the brawling action with a new battle-ready spin on Bakugan toys.

The all new, enhanced animation will be first revealed on Roblox, uniting fans once again in a shared streaming experience first run by the partners in 2021. Fans can converge within All-Star Tower Defense, a top experience on the platform developed by metaverse game developers Gamefam, to stream the first two episodes of Bakugan in both English and Japanese, starting Friday, August 4 at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. PT through until Sunday, August 13 — four weeks ahead of the Netflix premiere.

Synopsis: In the exciting new season of Bakugan, the Vestroian galaxy is made up of six planets each home to a different species of Bakugan (Avian, Dragon, Insect, Beast, Aquatic and Dinosaur). Constantly at war with one another, the use of experimental weaponry causes the Bakugan to be inadvertently transported to Earth. Baku-balls rain down from the sky like meteors and crash into cities, forests and oceans. And when the balls unroll, humans meet the 10-foot-tall Bakugan for the very first time.

Thankfully, humanity welcomes these displaced creatures, embraces their culture, and particularly falls in love with their long-standing tradition of brawling . That is, until teenagers start pairing with Bakugan and miraculously give them the ability to grow to giant kaiju size! The world was filled with fear, and it was during this time The Catastrophe happened…

Relaunched in 2019, a decade after its debut, Bakugan has proven to be an evergreen brand with a strong following. “The Bakugan franchise will elevate to epic new heights as we further enhance the experience across entertainment and power up the gameplay through toys,” said Jeremy Tucker, Spin Master’s EVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer. “We’ll deliver these new and unique experiences, driving collectability, and introducing new ways for Bakugan fans of all ages to battle and connect with the brand.”

The Bakugan toy brand has also proven popular with consumers, reaching the number one property in the battling toys and playsets class in the U.S. and Australia in Q1 2023 (Source: Circana / Retail Tracking Service / U.S., Australia / Projected USD / Q1 ’23). The new Bakugan series toy line introduces a whole new way to brawl. Highlights of the new line include:

Bakugan Special Attack: Spin into battle like never before with the all-new customizable Special Attack Bakugan toys. Combine and stack the Special Attack Bakugan, then brawl into action with all new hyper spin action, ripping the cord to spin the Bakugan on the metal Gate CardTM and watch the Bakugan transform with its iconic pop open transformation. Combine the character with the Special Attack Card for new stats to level up the gameplay. (SRP $9.99; Age 6+)
Battle ArenaTM: Step into the ultimate space for battles with the Battle Arena playset. Featuring multiple launch points, obstacles, storage, and built-in camera stands to film all the action on your mobile device. This new playset is ready for an epic Bakugan Brawl. (SRP $39.99; Age 6+)

The new Bakugan toy collection will also include Power Gear tokens found in pack and redeemable for a digital Bakugan-themed accessory or power-up within Roblox. Eagle eyes can also spot hidden Power Gear codes within content on the official Bakugan YouTube channel.

The new Bakugan toy line is available at all major retailers from August 1.

spinmaster.com

Disney, Pokémon, Mattel Among Top 10 Global Licensors

Mercedes Milligan

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July 28, 2023

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License Global has revealed its annual study, The Top Global Licensors report. This year’s report totaled $278 billion in retail sales of licensed consumer products in 2022, with over 40 brands in the report seeing collective growth of more than $29 billion. The report collects global retail sales of licensed consumer products and experiences from the biggest global brands spanning sectors such as entertainment, sports, gaming, toys, corporate brands, fashion and apparel, among several other categories.

Entertainment continues to drive the highest revenue for the licensing industry with $111.1 billion generated from the top five global licensors alone. The Walt Disney Company showed the most substantial growth in 2022, with retail sales of licensed consumer products totaling an increase of $5.5 billion.

“The modern brand licensing model has evolved, innovated and thrived, despite global economic issues impacting consumer confidence and disrupting industries across all verticals,” says Ben Roberts, EMEA Content Director, License Global. “The results of the Top Global Licensors report show resounding market growth for 2022, as businesses seek to meet fans and consumers in new and interesting ways.”

Mattel reports the most significant growth over time, reporting an increase in sales of licensed consumer products growing from $2 billion in retail sales of licensed goods in 2019 to $8 billion in 2022. Case studies like Mattel’s brand extensions in support of its blockbuster film, Barbie, showcase how successful IP extension can translate to retail momentum.

Scrooge McDuck [Disney’s ‘DuckTales’]

The 10 Top Global Licensors for 2023:

1. The Walt Disney Company – $61.7B
2. Dotdash Meredith – $31.5B
3. Authentic Brands Group – $24.1B
4. Warner Bros. Discovery – $15.8B
5. The Pokémon Company International – $11.6B
6. Hasbro – $11.5B
7. NBC Universal/Universal Products & Experiences – $10.5B
8. Mattel – $8B
9. Bluestar Alliance – $7.5B
10. WHP Global – $6.75B

New companies to the 2023 Top Global Licensors report include Jazwares, ZAG (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir), Scholl’s Wellness Company, Just Born Quality Confections, Toikido, Fleischer Studios (Betty Boop), AC Milan, B. Duck, Cardio Bunny and
Duke Kahanamoku, among others.

In addition to company disclosed financials, License Global predicts the future of the industry in its Brandscape report, which uses survey data to forecast trends for 2024 and beyond. Fashion was significantly highlighted by 60% of respondents as the most important area in which to grow engagement, create impact and build awareness through brand-on-brand collaborations. 62% also indicated Fashion as a core category of focus when working with licensees in 2024.

“The Top 10 Global Licensors alone equate to a combined average growth of 19% year-over-year, showcasing the expanding opportunities and continuing trajectory of the licensed consumer product market and shopper appetite for brand extensions at retail,” states Amanda Cioletti, VP of Content and Strategy for Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, which includes the License Global media brand as well as Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe and the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit.

“The industry is thriving, and the data shown in the report validates the excellence and strength that the business strategy of licensing offers brand owners, product manufacturers and retailers. No matter what the economy looks like, people will gravitate to trusted brands and franchises they love. Licensing offers a proven road to consumer sell-through.”

To download the complete Top Global Licensors Report 2023, visit licenseglobal.com.

Strikes Shake Up Sony Schedule, ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Now TBD

Animation Magazine

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July 28, 2023

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Strikes Shake Up Sony Schedule, ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Now TBD

Sony Pictures has announced date shuffles for its 2024 theatrical release calendar, with many of the affected titles being knocked back by the SAG-AFTRA strike. Unfortunately for fans of Sony Pictures Animation’s stunning Spider-Verse films, the third pic Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has been pushed from its Easter weekend release date, due to a number of voiceovers that need to be recorded. Beyond the Spider-Verse is now undated.

The news comes a month after Vulture reported that animators on this summer’s smash-hit Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (which has grossed $376.9 million domestically since its June 2 release, $677M worldwide) claimed they were made to work under stressful, unstable conditions. One source said production on Beyond the Spider-Verse had made made very little progress and that there was “no way” the film would make its March ’24 date, since the production on Across the Spider-Verse wrapped up “barely crossing the finish line.”

The sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife is taking Spidey’s March 29 release date, bumped back from December of this year. Additional date changes and announcements for 2023/2024 include:

Gran Turismo — August 25, 2023
Madame Web (Sony/Marvel) — February 14, 2024
Bad Boys 4 — June 14
Venom 3 — July 12
Kraven the Hunter (Sony/Marvel) — August 30
The Karate Kid — December 13
They Listen (Blumhouse) — Undated

[Source: Deadline]

‘Hello Kitty Island Adventure’ Brings Sanrio’s Charming Crew to Apple Arcade

Mercedes Milligan

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July 28, 2023

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Starting today, players can join Hello Kitty and Friends on a grand adventure to restore an abandoned theme park to its former glory, as Hello Kitty Island Adventure brings the beloved, bow-wearing star of Sanrio’s character lineup to the Apple Arcade in an exclusive game release.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a life simulation game where players will build friendships with their favorite Sanrio characters, like Kuromi, Badtz-Maru and Cinnamoroll, as they explore a massive island with a magical underwater world filled with puzzles, challenges and mysterious treasures. The game has more than 40 hours of gameplay, with more to be added over time.

Players can invite a friend into the game to play together, or play solo, as they traverse through a world teeming with adorable creatures and many mysteries to unravel. They will discover unique stories, participate in mini games, solve puzzles and uncover rare treasures to create the ultimate island paradise.

“We set out to create a game that Hello Kitty and Friends fans would love — an open world adventure combined with the cozy, customizable life simulation gameplay that delivers a deep and captivating experience, all wrapped in the incomparable charm of Sanrio’s beloved cast,” said Julian Farrior, founder of game developer Sunblink. “It’s an ongoing living world that will continue to honor and celebrate what fans love most about Hello Kitty.”

As players discover more of the island, they will have the opportunity to exchange gifts, chat, unlock character-specific quests and storylines with their friends and earn the ability to take a character around the world with them. Each character will also provide unique bonuses to help in the player’s exploration: Splash around with Keroppi, soar high with Cinnamoroll or get extra cooking help from Hello Kitty. Players can attract even more Sanrio characters by repairing, customizing and decorating visitor cabins across the island.

“Combining our core values of friendship, kindness, and inclusivity, and Apple Arcade’s inclusive and family-friendly offering, we aim to unite a community around the world through friendship, play, and positive connections with the launch of Hello Kitty Island Adventure,” said Craig Takiguchi, COO of Sanrio, Inc.

Apple Arcade is available for $4.99 per month with a one-month free trial. One subscription gives a family of up to six unlimited access to all the games in its catalog with 200+ titles, all free from ads and in-app purchases. The platform is home to hit games like Stardew Valley+, Cooking Mama: Cuisine! and Sneaky Sasquatch.

Ramsey Naito: Paramount/Nickelodeon “Absolutely Committed to Making Original Animated Films”

Animation Magazine

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July 28, 2023

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Ramsey Naito: Paramount/Nickelodeon “Absolutely Committed to Making Original Animated Films”

In a brief interview in Variety discussing animation strategy, the new pic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and her own career arc, Nickelodeon Animation & Paramount Animation President Ramsey Naito clarified a statement made by Brian Robbins about the future of original animation at the studio which caused some uproar in the toon community.

In a cover story for the trade, Robbins was quoted saying, “We’re not going to release an expensive original animated movie and just pray people will come.” Filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro and Christopher Miller — evangelists of the ‘animation is cinema’ message — took to social media to decry the implied abandonment of non-IP films.

Noting that Robbins was “one of the creators who really helped define the [Nickelodeon] brand” and his instatement as CEO of Paramount was a major factor in her decision to join the studio, Naito clarified that Paramount/Nickelodeon is not cutting original concepts out of its animated feature slate.

Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation & Paramount Animation

Acknowledging that “we [at Paramount] have to be careful about the concepts we decide to embrace for theatrical and make sure they are big and juicy and that there’s hooks in them,” Naito explained:

“We are absolutely committed to making original animated films and are in development on a handful of projects. Brian and I believe we are nothing without fresh voices, faces and narratives and it’s our responsibility to add new perspectives, modern characters, and vernacular to our culture of storytelling. Originals speak authentically to today’s audience, must be handled with care, and make their own mark in our legacy library… and hopefully stand the test of time. That said, we’re not a one-size-fits-all kind of studio and our budgets are designed to support the scope of our storytelling.”

For those curious about Nick’s mega-IP, SpongeBob SquarePants, Naito also shared that the SpongeBob Universe will continue to expand with more spinoff series and a raft of movies in the works for both Paramount+ streaming and theatrical release. Paramount/Nickelodeon has Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie directed by animation newcomer Liza Johnson (Elvis & Nixon, The Last of Us, A Series of Unfortunate Events [2019]) slated for 2024, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants helmed by veteran animator/SpongeBob comics story writer Derek Drymon (Hotel Transylvania: Transformania).

“The next one is going to be set in the deep sea, somewhere the series has never gone before. And the plan is that, like Avatar 2 or Wakanda Forever, we’re going to be immersed in this extraordinary underwater world,” Naito revealed.

You can ready Naito’s full interview here.

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The 10 Top Global Licensors for 2023:

Strikes Shake Up Sony Schedule, ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Now TBD

‘Hello Kitty Island Adventure’ Brings Sanrio’s Charming Crew to Apple Arcade

Ramsey Naito: Paramount/Nickelodeon “Absolutely Committed to Making Original Animated Films”

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