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U.K.-based animation studio HaZimation announced today that their latest film, RIFT, will screen at the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) for their 2023 Film Festival. Described as a “bold and high-concept animated feature film,” the sci-fi thriller will be one of the first films screening online for festival attendees, slated for February 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
“The TAAFI team is ecstatic to have RIFT as a part of our film lineup for the 2023 festival,” said TAAFI Chair Karen Jackson. “The film’s unique concept and visually stunning animation make it stand out among the competition. We are eagerly looking forward to the audience’s reactions to the film and the impact it will have on the animation community. It’s not every day that a film comes along that pushes the boundaries of the medium, and we are honored to be able to share RIFT with our audiences.”
Passes for TAAFI ’23 are now on sale at taafi.com.
RIFT
Directed by HaZimation founder Hasraf “HaZ” Dulull (The Beyond, Disney’s Fast Layne), whose original concept was turned into a screenplay by Stavros Pamballis, RIFTtells the story of Max, a young boy held captive in a research facility, who uses his ability to create spacetime rifts between parallel universes, searching for the one in which his brother Leon, a former-marine, manages to rescue him. With attempt after attempt ending in Leon’s death, the strain starts to take its toll on both brothers. When Max discovers his captors are using his power against him, he realizes he must stop focusing on how the story ends and rewrite it from the beginning.
The 93-minute film is produced by HaZimation co-founder Paula Crickard (Jolt, The Protege); executive produced by Yariv Lerner (Expendables, The Hitman’s Bodyguard), Amy Gardner (Identicals), and Jason Potter. Bringing RIFT to life on screen are BAFTA-winning actor Jane Perry (Cyberpunk 2077, Returnal), Cade Tropeano (Blackbird) and Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead), with motion-capture performances from Ace Ruele (Marvel’s The Eternals) and Alex Kong (Marvel’s What If…). The film was graded by colourist Vanessa Taylor (The Northman).
“Screening RIFT at TAAFI 2023 Film Festival at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is a momentous occasion for us at HaZimation. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into the making of this film, and to have it showcased at such a prestigious festival is a true honor,” said Dulull. “TAAFI is not just a platform for us to showcase our work, it’s also an opportunity for us to be a part of an incredibly talented community of animators, storytellers and filmmakers from around the world.
“The festival is a celebration of the animation art form and the incredible talent it holds. We are thrilled to be a part of this festival and to have the opportunity to share our unique vision with audiences. RIFT is a film that pushes the boundaries of animation and storytelling and we hope that it will be an immersive and thought-provoking experience for the young adult audiences.”
The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) will take place from February 13-18, starting with online programming and switching to in-person at the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto.
HaZimation is a micro-studio led by Dulull and co-founded by industry veteran Crickard, which develops and produces feature films, television and video games through its propriety pipeline utilizing Unreal Engine. HaZimation develops its own IP / content as well as co-producing with outside studios and producers. The studio’s boutique team is currently in production on various animated feature film projects and video games, all aiming for metaverse extensions. Follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Rubble the bulldog is on the double in high-stakes adventures in Nickelodeon’s new, 26-episode animated preschool series, Rubble & Crew, premiering Friday, February 3, at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT).
Produced by Spin Master Entertainment, the PAW Patrol spinoff follows the fan-favorite character and his furry family as they use their paw-erful construction vehicles to build and repair whatever the town of Builder Cove needs.
In the series premiere, “The Crew Builds a Bridge,” Rubble and his construction pup family gear up to build a bridge, but when villainous Speed Meister has a different idea, it’s up to Rubble and his crew to work together to save the day.
Rubble & Crew will regularly air Fridays at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Rubble & Crew marks the first television spinoff for top-rated preschool series PAW Patrol, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023.
The series is executive produced by Jennifer Dodge, Ronnen Harary, Laura Clunie, Toni Stevens and Bradley Zweig, and is directed by Dianna Basso and supervising director Joey So. Rubble & Crew was developed by Zweig, based on the original PAW Patrol television series created by Keith Chapman. Eryk Casemiro, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content is overseeing for Nickelodeon, with Jen Pace as Production Executive.
Superights announced it will act as global distributor for the new CGI children’s series, Deep in the Bowl (52 x 5’ for kids 8-12). The show is based on the beloved French comic book Le Fond du Bocal by Nicolas Poupon, published by Glénat Editions. It is an original creation of Zeilt Productions, headed by Academy Award-winning producer and director Laurent Witz, and co-produced with Tencent Video and WATT frame.
Currently in production, the show will be completed in March 2023, and will be offered at upcoming trade shows beginning with Kidscreen Summit. Superights, a division of Paris-based prodco Superprod Group, will represent worldwide rights, excluding China and Luxembourg.
Deep in the Bowl’s 52 five-minute episodes are divided into short sketches that center on groups of hilariously existential fish in various fish tanks with different points of view and opinions on the meaning of life, offering a look at the lives fish lead when humans aren’t looking. Five diverse fish crews will explore relationships, joys, hopes, dreams, questions and conflicts that affect their lives in the same way they do humans.
Viewers will follow the Wilsons family trying to stay afloat in the modern world; the Weirdos, young misfits students trying to figure out where they belong; Al, Kat and Raz, a trio of inmates trying to organize their prison break; Leely, a kung-fu fighting fish and her sensei and McFlo, Mobi Di and Jo Star, young wannabe rappers. It turns out that quite a lot happens underwater! Animated in CGI against live-action sets, each episode is a fast-paced variety show of sketches of varying lengths, styles and fishy stars.
“We are delighted to welcome Deep in the Bowl into our catalog. This is the starting point of a great collaboration with Zeilt Productions, whom I thank for their trust,” said Nathalie Pinguet, Deputy General Manager at Superights. “Deep in the Bowl looks like nothing else with its hilarious stories centered around an engaging and charming variety of characters, whose motto is, ‘life in a bowl can really drive you crazy.’ You’ll probably never look at an aquarium in the same way again!”
Witz, series creator and head of Zeilt Prod., added, “We feel that Superights is the perfect partner to represent this very special series and are looking forward to seeing Deep in the Bowl debut all over the world. We are confident that this sketch show like no other will resonate with global audiences, bringing to dynamic life the quirky elements of the comic book into a new form. The use of CGI rather than traditional animation allows us to offer a much more immersive and vivid experience to the audience. The series humorously depicts the strange habits of humans, decoded by fish from their aquariums. In this series we will explore the relationships and problems that affect fish as much as humans — who knew!
Top young adult television destination Adult Swim has ordered a 12th season of the perennial favorite Aqua Teen Hunger Force from original creators Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro. Encompassing five all-new episodes, the order comes on the heels of the latest feature film Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm, which arrives on HBO Max Feb. 8 and on Adult Swim March 12 at midnight.
Dave Willis disguised as Krampus for legitimate reasons. [c/o Adult Swim]
Adult Swim shared:
“We are thrilled to be making more Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes for a new generation of fans, building upon the most impressive collection of IP ever assembled. Success is optimal and leads to quality,” said Maiellaro and Willis simultaneously, almost as if they were programmed by ChatGPT.
“Congratulations!” they added. “You waited just long enough for Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm to be free on the service your parents pay for. I can’t wait for you to discover the project everyone has been talking about, and by everyone, I mean our personal twitter accounts. There is too much stuff to watch already. Breathe, and focus exclusively on Aqua Teen. Delete everything else.”
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm features everyone’s favorite Aqua Teens: the brainy Frylock, the mouthy Master Shake, the loveable Meatwad, and everyone’s favorite perverted neighbor, Carl. They split up then get back together to fight everyone’s favorite corporate overlord, Amazin, led by everyone’s favorite tech mogul, Neil (voiced by everyone’s favorite Peter Serafinowicz) and his trusty scientist sidekick, Elmer (Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser, who is everyone’s favorite).
The feature stars Carey Means (The Brak Show) as Frylock, Dana Snyder (Squidbillies) as Master Shake and co-creator Dave Willis (Squidbillies, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell) as Meatwad. The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus), Robert Smigel (Bob’s Burgers) and Tim Robinson (Detroiters). The movie was written and directed by series creators Willis and Maiellaro and produced by Williams Street Productions.
Apple today announced the stellar spring lineup of all-new original series, specials and returning fan favorites for kids and families heading to its Apple TV+ streaming service.
The new series will kick off on Friday, March 31 with the charming animated series Eva the Owlet, inspired by the bestselling book series from Scholastic. The highly-anticipated new series Jane, from Emmy Award winner J.J. Johnson, Sinking Ship Entertainment and the Jane Goodall Institute, launches April 14 and Frog and Toad, based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters of over five decades, launches April 28.
Viewers can look forward to all-new seasons of fan-favorite animated series Pinecone & Pony on February 3; Pretzel and the Puppies, featuring the voice talents of Emmy nominee Mark Duplass and Nasim Pedrad, on February 24; Harriet the Spy, starring SAG Award nominee Beanie Feldstein and Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, on May 5; and Peabody and Daytime Emmy Award-winning series Stillwater on May 19. Plus, the Sago Mini Friends Earth Day special will launch on April 14.
Additionally, even more classic Peanuts titles, including A Charlie Brown Valentine, will be made available to fans — many for the first time in decades.
New and returning animated original series and specials for kids and families premiering globally on Apple TV+ include (in airdate order):
Pinecone & Pony
Pinecone & Pony – Season 2 (Premieres Friday, February 3) Based on the book The Princess and the Pony by New York Times bestselling author Kate Beaton, S2 is an eight-episode animated comedy for kids and families about a young warrior-in-training, Pinecone, and her best friend Pony, whose adventures together teach them how to be brave in the face of adversity, to speak truth to power, and what it truly means to be a hero.
Pinecone & Pony is produced by DreamWorks Animation along with First Generation Films and Atomic Cartoons, and executive produced by showrunner Stephanie Kaliner. Kate Beaton, Christina Piovesan and Mackenzie Lush are executive producers. The series features the voice talents of Maria Nash (Elinor Wonders Why), Alicia Richardson (Mistletoe Time Machine), Andy Hull (What We Do in the Shadows), Rachel House (Foundation), Thom Allison (Coroner), Chase W. Dillon (Haunted Mansion, The Book of Clarence) and Viola Abley (Scaredy Cats, Schmigadoon!).
A Charlie Brown Valentine
Peanuts Classics Special – A Charlie Brown Valentine (Friday, February 9) From Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide, watch as warm and fuzzy feelings fill the air and an inspired Snoopy writes poems about Valentine’s Day. Charlie Brown tries to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl. Sally and Lucy hope to get cards from their crushes. Peppermint Patty asks “Chuck” to the dance.
Pretzel & the Puppies
Pretzel and the Puppies – Season 2 (Friday, February 24) Meet Pretzel, the world’s longest dachshund and a playful, supportive dad to five frisky puppies. Together with his wife, Greta, they encourage their pups to get their paws up to solve problems and “make their bark” on the world. The series stars the voice talents of Emmy nominee Mark Duplass (The Morning Show), Nasim Pedrad (Chad, Aladdin) and newcomers Milo Stein, Alex Jayne Go, Max Mitchell, Amari McCoy and Gracen Newton.
The Apple Original series hails from HarperCollins Productions (Carmen Sandiego, The Oregon Trail), part of HarperCollins Publishers. Pretzel and the Puppies is executive produced by showrunner Steve Altiere (Dinotrux, Dragons: Rescue Riders), Caroline Fraser, Head of HarperCollins Prod., and Ricardo Curtis and Wes Lui from House of Cool. Jennifer Contrucci of HarperCollins Prod. serves as co-executive producer.
The animation studio responsible for design and story is House of Cool (Despicable Me, Trollhunters), and the animation studio responsible for CG is Saturday Animation (Mighty Mike, Zafari). Dr. Tony Wagner, Senior Research Fellow, Learning Policy Institute, and author of the book Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World, serves as the play, passion, purpose expert through the Apple TV+ Changemakers initiative.
Stillwater
Stillwater – New Shorts (Wednesday, March 15) Prior to the launch of the enchanting new season, based on the award-winning and bestselling Scholastic book Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth, Apple TV+ will premiere three all-new shorts on platform and made available for non-subscribers on Scholastic’s YouTube. Just in time for International Panda Day, follow Jasper the cat in Jasper’s Journey on a mindful journey through Stillwater’s garden, join Stillwater in Making Waves as he makes new patterns in his Zen garden, and watch Karl join Stillwater in Breathing to learn how breathing can help make him feel better when he has angry feelings.
The shorts are produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment, and executive produced by Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman, Jef Kaminsky and Rob Hoegee.
Eva the Owlet
Eva the Owlet – New Series (Friday, March 31) The new animated kids and family series is based on the New York Times bestselling Scholastic book series Owl Diaries by award-winning author Rebecca Elliott (now with eight foreign language translations and 11 million copies in print). Eva the Owlet stars Eva, a creative, cheeky owlet who lives next door to her best friend Lucy in the woodland world of Treetopington. With big ideas and an even bigger personality, Eva goes on high-flying adventures, expressing herself in her journal along the way!
Produced by award-winning Scholastic Entertainment (Clifford the Big Red Dog, Goosebumps, The Magic School Bus) with production services and 4K animation by 9 Story Media Group’s Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated studio Brown Bag Films in Dublin and Bali (Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, Octonauts), Eva the Owlet also features original songs by critically acclaimed musician and singer-songwriter Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums.
Voice talent includes Vivienne Rutherford (Eureka!, 911: Lone Star) as the titular character Eva, Jessica DiCicco (The Loud House, Puppy Dog Pals) as Eva’s mom, Dino Andrade (Loud House, We Baby Bears) as Eva’s dad, as well as Sascha Yurchak, Jon Olson (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu), Evie Hsu (Team Mekbots), Sarah Vattano (The Uglies; Rise Up, Sing Out), Pressly James Crosby (General Hospital) and Kenna Ramsey (Rent).
Eva the Owlet is executive produced by Scholastic Ent.’s Peabody and Daytime Emmy-winning team including Iole Lucchese (Clifford the Big Red Dog), Caitlin Friedman (Stillwater) and Jef Kaminsky (Signs of Survival). Head series writers and Daytime Emmy nominees Annabeth Bondor-Stone & Connor White (Helpsters) serve as co-exec producers, and Daytime Emmy nominee Damien O’Connor (Angela’s Christmas) serves as supervising director.
The late Dr. John F. Evans, a writing clinician, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach at Duke Integrative Medicine and the Founder & Executive Director of Wellness & Writing Connections served as the expressive writing expert on the series through Apple TV+’s Changemakers initiative. The series was one of the last significant projects he worked on, hoping to inspire young viewers to write, to find their voices, and to believe in themselves.
Jane
Jane – New Series (Friday, April 14) A new 10-episode mission-driven series for kids and families inspired by the work of Dr. Jane Goodall, from Emmy Award winner J.J. Johnson (Ghostwriter, Dino Dana), Sinking Ship Entertainment and the Jane Goodall Institute. Ava Louise Murchison (Reacher) stars as Jane Garcia, a nine-year-old budding environmentalist on a quest to save endangered animals. Using her powerful imagination, Jane takes her best friends David, played by Mason Blomberg (Shameless), and Greybeard the chimpanzee on epic adventures to help protect wild animals all around the world because, according to her idol Dr. Jane Goodall: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, can they be saved.”
The live action/CGI blended series is created by Sinking Ship partner Johnson, who executive produced alongside Blair Powers, Christin Simms and the Jane Goodall Institute’s Andria Teather. Matt Bishop serves as VFX/animation executive producer. Cast also includes Tamara Almeida (Secrets at the Inn), Dan Abramovici (Wayne), newcomer Jazz Allen and Sam Marra (Stumptown).
Sago Mini Friends “Treasure It”
Sago Mini Friends – Earth Day Special (Friday, April 14) In “Treasure It,” an old lunch box finds new life when Harvey transforms it into a treasure box full of unique items for his friends. Produced by Spin Master Entertainment, animated by 9 Story Media Group’s Brown Bag Films — Toronto, and based on the award-winning Sago Mini World app, developed by Sago Mini, the Sago Mini Friends series is an adorable nod to gratitude, featuring Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit and Robin the bird. Along with a unique cast of residents as colorful as their own whimsical world, the four friends play, explore, imagine and celebrate daily in their joyful town of Sagoville. In each episode, Harvey and all his friends express their true thankfulness for all things big and small, through optimism, kindness, preschool-friendly humor and unforgettable original songs!
The animated preschool series is executive produced by Jennifer Dodge, Ronnen Harary, Tone Thyne, Dustin Ferrer, Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens, with Chad Hicks as series director. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and expert in the science of happiness, serves as the gratitude expert on the series through Apple TV+’s Changemakers initiative.
Frog and Toad
Frog and Toad – New Series (Friday, April 28) Frog is a frog. Toad is a toad. They have a lot in common… but they are also very different. Frog and Toad are best friends who know that the true secret to friendship is not only enjoying the things you have in common, but embracing the things that make you different. Our differences are what makes us special, and Frog and Toad celebrate them in what makes them unique.
Frog and Toad is based on the beloved Caldecott and Newbery Award-winning four-book series by Arnold Lobel published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. Emmy Award winner Rob Hoegee (Stillwater, Niko & the Sword of Light) serves as showrunner for the series and Emmy-winning studio Titmouse (Big Mouth, Star Trek: Lower Decks, The Legend of Vox Machina) produces the animation. Hoegee executive produces alongside Adrianne Lobel, Adam Lobel and Titmouse’s Chris Prynoski (The Legend of Vox Machina), Shannon Prynoski (Fairfax), Antonio Canobbio (Arlo the Alligator Boy) and Ben Kalina (Big Mouth).
The talented voice cast includes Academy Award winner Nat Faxon (Our Flag Means Death, The Connors) and Emmy nominee Kevin Michael Richardson (The Simpsons, Family Guy) as Frog and Toad, as well as appearances by Ron Funches (Trolls), Fortune Feimster (Good Fortune, Kenan), Cole Escola (At Home with Amy Sedaris), Aparna Nancherla (The Great North), John Hodgman (Up Here), Yvette Nicole Brown (Disenchanted, Act Your Age), Stephen Tobolowsky (The Goldbergs), Emmy nominee Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Selene Luna (Coco), Emmy nominee Margaret Cho (Fire Island) and Betsy Sodaro (Duncanville).
Peanuts Anthology III– New to Apple TV+ (Friday, May 5) Fans of the beloved Peanuts gang will have more classics available to watch from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide in the Peanuts Classics collection on Apple TV+, including It’s an Adventure, Charlie Brown; It’s Spring Training, Charlie Brown; Emmy Award winner Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown; Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown; Emmy-nominated Play it Again, Charlie Brown; Emmy-nominated Snoopy’s Getting Married, Charlie Brown and Emmy winner You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown.
Harriet the Spy
Harriet the Spy – Season 2 (Friday, May 5) Produced by The Jim Henson Company, the animated series based on Louise Fitzhugh’s iconic children’s novel stars acclaimed actor Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird, Booksmart) as Harriet, a fiercely independent and adventurous 11-year-old girl, alongside Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Ole Golly, Harriet’s larger-than-life, no-nonsense nanny.
Set in 1960s New York (when the original book was published), Harriet the Spy follows the outspoken and perpetually curious 11-year-old Harriet M. Welsch. More than anything, Harriet wants to be a writer, and in order to be a good writer, she’ll need to know everything. And to know everything means she’ll need to spy … on everyone! This season, follow Harriet as she navigates letting go, growing up, and celebrating the gift of today.
The series also features Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) as Marion Hawthorne, the ringleader of a group of popular girls at Harriet’s school, and additional voice cast Kimberly Brooks (Baby Shark’s Big Show), Crispin Freeman (Young Justice), Grey Griffin (The Loud House), Bumper Robinson (The Owl House) and Charlie Schlatter (Big Nate, For All Mankind). Guest stars this season include Jaeden Martell (It), Emmy Award winner Brad Garrett (High Desert, Bupkis), Emmy nominee Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl) and many more.
The Apple Original series is produced by The Jim Henson Company, and written and executive produced by Will McRobb (The Adventures of Pete & Pete) with Sidney Clifton (Black Panther animated series; Me, Eloise) as producer. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford executive produce on behalf of The Jim Henson Company with John W. Hyde, Nancy Steingard and Wendy Moss-Klein also serving as executive producers, and Terissa Kelton as co-executive producer. Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski and Ben Kalina executive produce for animation studio Titmouse.
Stillwater
Stillwater – Season 3 (Friday, May 19) The Peabody and Daytime Emmy Award-winning series centers on siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges.
Stillwater is based on the award-winning and bestselling Scholastic book Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth and is produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment. The series is executive produced by Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman, Jef Kaminsky, Jun Falkenstein and Rob Hoegee, and features the voice talents of James Sie, Eva Binder, Tucker Chandler and Judah Mackey.
The series was developed in collaboration with awareness and intention expert Mallika Chopra, author of Buddha and the Rose and and the Just Be series for kids, and CEO of Chopra Global, through Apple TV+’s Changemakers initiative. The Stillwater team partnered with Chopra to imagine and deliver a series that teaches children how to be more mindful and meditative, and how to slow down to make thoughtful, empathetic decisions. Since its debut, the series has been globally praised and recognized with awards for its positive impact on kids’ families around the world.
Adult Swim has cut ties with Justin Roiland, the co-creator and star of the popular show, Rick and Morty. In a statement posted to the show’s Twitter account, it said the show would continue and that the “talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7.” Roiland’s voice roles are set to be played by new actors, The Hollywood Reporter reported, according to anonymous sources.
Roiland is facing two felony charges related to an allegeddomestic violence incident from 2020. Roiland, 42, was charged in Orange County, Calif., in 2020 for the alleged incident that occurred in January of that year, the complaint states. Roiland’snext hearing is scheduled for April 27.
According to NBC News, Roiland was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020 and arraigned in October of that year. He pleaded not guilty. Roiland’s attorney T. Edward Welbourn stated in a statement on Jan. 14: “It is hard to overstate how inaccurate the recent media coverage of this situation has been. To be clear, not only is Justin innocent but we also have every expectation that this matter is on course to be dismissed once the District Attorney’s office has completed its methodical review of the evidence. We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible.”
Roiland is best known for creating Rick and Morty with Dan Harmon as well as voicingthe titular characters. Chris Parnell, Spencer Graham and Sarah Chalke voice the rest of Rick and Morty’s family. The show began its life as an animated short parody of Back to the Future, created by Roiland for Dan Harmon’s short film festival Channel 101.
The show, which premiered on Adult Swim in 2013, has been nominated for three Emmys for Best Outstanding Animated Program and won the award in 2018 and 2020. It has also won two Annie Awards. The popularity of the show launched a hundred-million dollar merchandising and media franchise.
The 10-episode sixth season of Rick and Morty began its run in September 2022. A seventh season was confirmed as part of a long-term deal with Cartoon Network that ordered 70 new episodes at the time.
Roiland also co-created Hulu’s animated show Solar Opposites with Mike McMahan. That series was renewed for a fifth season in October.
Update: On Wednesday morning, it was announced that Roiland had been dropped from Solar Opposites by Hulu, which is also removing him as executive producer and voice actor of the recently premiered Koala Man. The production company for both series, 20th Television Animation — which had an overall deal with Roiland — has also ended its association with the animator.
Spin Master Entertainment, Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures today revealed a star-studded lineup of new and returning talent who will join Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson (Empire, Muppets Haunted Mansion) for PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, the sequel to the canine crew’s 2021 adventure PAW Patrol: The Movie. The CGI animated film, a Spin Master Ent. production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is set for an exclusive theatrical release on October 13.
The popular preschool heroes return to the big screen with new voice talent including Golden Globe nominee Kristen Bell (Frozen, Zootopia), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Mckenna Grace (Gifted, The Handmaid’s Tale), Lil Rel Howery (Get Out, Free Guy), James Marsden (Disenchanted, Sonic the Hedgehog), Finn Lee-Epp (Let Him Go) as Ryder, and tennis ace Serena Williams.
A trio of new doggie do-gooders also join the ranks, voiced by Critics Choice Award winner Alan Kim (Minari), TikTok star Brice Gonzalez of EnkyBoys and North West, who joins her mom Kim Kardashian returning as Delores from the first movie, along with a cameo from brother Saint West. Additional cast members reprising their roles include Marsai Martin (Liberty), Ron Pardo (Mayor Humdinger) and Callum Shoniker (Rocky).
Additional new cast members include Luxton Handspiker (Slumberland, PAW Patrol TV series), Christian Corrao (Dino Dana) and Nylan Parthipan (PAW Patrol TV series).
The film’s score is composed and produced by Emmy nominee Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel, The Lost City).
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the PAW Patrol franchise and what better way to celebrate than the release of our second feature film,” said producer Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master’s President of Entertainment. “As we continue to expand the PAW Patrol universe for fans, we’ll follow the pups on mightier missions and explore their backstories, this time with a heartwarming tale centered around our heroine, Skye. With this cast of dynamic voice talent, we’re bringing a whole new level of excitement to the big screen.”
Ramsey Naito, President of Nickelodeon Animation & Paramount Animation, added, “Following the historic success of the first film, which truly reinforced the global love for this franchise, we knew that this sequel called not only for an equally great story, but for world-class talent to bring these characters to life once again.”
The powerhouse franchise’s first feature film premiered in theaters in 2021, opening in the No. 1 spot in more than 25 countries and amassing over $150 million worldwide at the box office. With a simultaneous day and date release on Paramount+ in the U.S., the film quickly became one of the most watched Paramount+ originals. Since the service’s launch, PAW Patrol: The Movie has been watched five times on average per subscriber household, making it the most consumed movie on the service.
The follow-up feature sees veteran animation director Cal Brunker (PAW Patrol: The Movie, Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature) return to direct where he has reunited with his writing partner Bob Barlen (PAW Patrol: The Movie, Bigfoot Family), who takes on the role as associate producer. Dodge, with Spin Master’s SVP Development Current Series & Feature Film Laura Clunie and SVP Entertainment Production & Operations Toni Stevens, produce the film. Spin Master’s Co-Founder Ronnen Harary, Executive Vice President Adam Beder and Peter Schlessel executive produce.
Synopsis: When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups! 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’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the superpowers and turn themselves into supervillains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it’s too late, and Skye will need to learn that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.
Burbank-based Astro-Nomical Entertainment is joining forces with South Korea’s TubaN Studio to develop and produce an animated feature film based on the popular Larva IP, announcing plans to start production on a brand-new CGI feature film this year.
Written by Erica Rivinoja (Trolls, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, The Addams Family), the movie will take the comedic Red and Yellow Larva duo on a time-traveling, globetrotting action-adventure promising extreme comedy, aimed at a four-quadrant audience.
Ahead of the heroic grubs’ big screen project, Season 4 of the Larva series has launched worldwide, as well as the Netflix Original series Larva Island.
Starting production in 2011, 4 seasons of the Larva series have been released worldwide, including the Larva Island series launched as a Netflix Original. First produced in 2011, Larva boasts more than 5 billion views in the U.S., and over 59 billion views in China.
Astro-Nomical shares that it already has strong interest from Pelagius Productions, Joe Fries and Natalie Khoury to serve as lead investors and executive producers on the movie. “We are very excited to by the prospect of working on this project, it fits our business model on many levels,” said Joe Fries. Khoury adds, “We love everything about it, the creative direction is strong, and the brand is hugely popular.”
Larva
Astro-Nomical and TubaN will take the lead in securing financing, setting up the production pipeline and handling global sales & distribution including China, looking to collaborate with Pelagius.
“My partner, producer Jay Ahn (The Nut Job), has many strong relationships in Korea, he has brought us several exciting projects, and this one is amazing,” says Chris Henderson, co-Founder of Astro-Nomical. The studio previously teamed up with another Korean studio and provided IP development and consulting for Young Toys’ preschool brand Kongsuni and Friends.
“I am delighted that Larva, an established global IP is to be made into a feature film partnered with Astro-Nomical. The two companies will work closely together to make a great film that will appeal to global audiences,” said Kim Kwang-yong, CEO of TubaN.
Larva
Founded in 2017 by Ahn and Henderson, Astro-Nomical has been rapidly growing its global presence, and has already marked down a success with A Tale Dark & Grimm, which was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Animated Series in 2022. The 10-episode fairytale adventure was produced in collaboration with Novo Media Group and Boat Rocker Studios, streaming on Netflix. Going forward, Astro-Nomical plans to develop and produce its own and third party animated series, adult-skewing comedy projects, animated feature films and live action series.
Pelagius Productions LLC was founded in 2005 by Fries and Khoury. The independent content, finance and production company has produced award-winning films (Talk To Me, Adjust Your Color) and developed multiple projects in all genres. Pelagius currently has projects set up with Cedric the Entertainer, Pure Imagination Australia and Zero Gravity Management, among others.
TubaN, the IP owner and production company of Larva’ is a global content specialist that develops and produces new contents focused on 3D animation and has been expanding its business into L&M, game development and distribution. Its current IP lineup includes Larva, Dino Core, Winkle Bear, Rotary Park and Oscar’s Oasis, among others.
Lloyd N. Morrisett Jr., PhD, the co-creator of pioneering children’s television classic Sesame Street , has died at 93 years of age. The news was shared Monday by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the iconic show, which Morrisett co-founded with fellow series creator Joan Ganz Cooney in 1968.
“Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street,” Cooney shared in the official Twitter thread. “It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and number. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over 50 years, and he will be sorely missed.”
Sesame Workshop remembered Morrisett, who received a Philosophy degree form Oberlin College in 1951 before attaining his doctorate in Experimental Psychology from Yale, as leaving “an outsized and indelible legacy among generations of children the world over.” Morrisett had been a Lifetime Honorary Trustee of the org since retiring as chairman of the board in 2000.
Morrisett brought his work in early education as a member of the philanthropic Carnegie Corporation to the entertainment business in the mid-1960s, when he noticed that his three-year-old daughter was fascinated by television. He thought that the catchy ad jingles she had memorized could work as a new kind of learning tool. This inspired Cooney to write a report on The Potential Uses of Television in Pre-School Education, and the duo secured funding to start up Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop).
Sesame Street, starring kid-friendly characters from Muppets creator Jim Henson, premiered in fall of 1969, and has been on the air ever since. The puppet, live-action and animation variety show has run for a whopping 53 seasons (more than 4,600 episodes) and has been adapted to serve children all over the world. As of 2021, it had won 205 Emmy Awards (more than any other television series) and won for Outstanding Preschool Series and Best Original Song at December’s 1st Annual Children’s & Family Emmys.
As early as 1970, the show had inked deals to air in English-speaking Canada and for U.S. military families in 16 different countries. By the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street in 2019, the gentle and entertaining antics of Big Bird (or one of his many cousins) and co. were available to 190 million children in over 160 localized versions in 70 languages.
[Sources: Sesame Workshop, Variety, Davis Michaels’ Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street]
Web3, media and entertainment brand Doodles announced that it has agreed on terms to acquire Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Golden Wolf in a move towards evolving its NFT world into an innovative franchise. Golden Wolf’s team will bring expert experience in animation, visual storytelling and global content creation into the Doodles fold to strengthen its original content arm.
Following the closing, Golden Wolf and world-renowned artist Burnt Toast will collaborate on original narrative content and the development of Doodles characters and story across the board — from brand collaborations to original series and video games. Founded in 2013, Golden Wolf has built a global reputation working with major brands and networks such as Adult Swim (Rick and Morty), Netflix (Farzar), Disney (The Owl House,DuckTales), WEBTOON, TikTok and Blizzard (Overwatch).
“We are excited about the prospect of welcoming the Golden Wolf team to Doodles,” said Julian Holguin, CEO of Doodles. “Web3 is powering a new generation of collecting, fandom, and consumer mindset. This investment is a move that advances our strategic priorities of creating world class content, leveraging technology to incubate new formats and ultimately, spreading joy to millions around the world.”
As a part of the acquisition, Golden Wolf’s CEO & Founder Ingi Erlingsson would join the Doodles team as Chief Content Officer. He brings a deep background working with global brands and networks such as Nike, Meta, Gatorade, Disney, Adidas and Adult Swim, among others. Erlingsson will continue to oversee and operate both the London and New York offices of Golden Wolf.
“I’m thrilled by the idea of joining Burnt Toast and the rest of the Doodles team on this journey,” said Erlingsson. “This partnership will unlock boundless potential within each of our businesses, accelerating our goal of redefining entertainment through engaging storytelling and worlds.”
In addition, Doodles will leverage Golden Wolf’s strategic partnership with Psyop studio (psyop.com) to launch a joint venture, Active Ingredient, with the mission to “reinvent storytelling and the tools used to make them a reality” using the latest in AI and blockchain technology to create innovative tools and techniques for brands, filmmakers, producers and prosumers. As part of the deal, Psyop will also be investing in Doodles. The long-term goal of the joint venture is to create a dynamic 360-degree animation production ecosystem where creators can create stories in new ways at a fraction of the established price tag.
Spring is just around the corner, and at least one fuzzy woodland creature is ready to come out of hibernation! Disney Branded Television announced today that its new animated buddy comedy Kiffwill scurry to its Disney Channel premiere onFriday, March 10 at 8 p.m. EST/PST, followed by a launch on Disney+ streaming on March 15. The show’s full theme song video was also unveiled, watch it below!
The show stars Kimiko Glenn (Orange Is the New Black, Centaurworld) as the optimistic squirrel, Kiff, whose thirst for life takes her on countless adventures through the city alongside her chill bunny bestie, Barry, voiced by H Michael Croner (Craig of the Creek). Joining the cast in recurring roles are:
James Monroe Iglehart (Broadway’s Aladdin) and Lauren Ash (Superstore) as Kiff’s parents, Martin and Beryl
Deedee Magno Hall (Steven Universe) as Kiff’s teacher, Miss Deer Teacher
Eugene Cordero (Loki) as Kiff’s neighbor, The Pone, and the school secretary, Secretary Prince
Josh Johnson (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah) as Barry’s brother, Harry Buns
Eric Bauza (Looney Toons) as TV producer Roy Fox and Kiff’s classmate Reggie
Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Kiff’s classmate Candle Fox
Steve Little (Adventure Time) as the town city manager, Glarbin Gloobin
Kent Osborne (Phineas and Ferb) as the school janitor, Sweepy Steve
Gary Anthony Williams (Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur) as artist manager Flam Bingo
Mary Mack (Solar Opposites) as Kiff’s classmate Renee
Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death) as a troll living under a bridge, Trollie
Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Kiff’s classmates Trevor, Gareth and Darryn
Katie Crown (Amphibia) as town barista, Pawva
Kate Flannery (The Office) as laundromat owner and Helen’s sister, Agnes
Nichole Sakura (Superstore) as Barry’s sister, Terri Buns
Rachel House (Thor: Ragnarok) as Barry’s mom, Mary Buns
From creators and executive producers Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal, the series follows Kiff and Barry as they navigate school, relationships and their often-eccentric community in Table Town, a world where animals and magical oddballs tackle day-to-day life together.
Inspired by the people and places Heavens and Smal experienced when they were growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, each half-hour episode, comprised of two 11-minute stories, will include a new original song. In addition to their creative roles, Heavens and Smal also voice characters in the series: Heavens as Kiff’s drama teacher, Helen, and Smal as the principal of Table Town School, Principal Secretary.
In addition to Heavens and Smal, the creative team includes Emmy Award-winning Kent Osborne (Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time), who will serve as co-producer and story editor, and Winnie Chaffee (Captain Planet and the Planeteers) as producer. Kiff is produced by Titmouse, the Emmy Award-winning animation production company, in association with Disney Channel.
Also available March 10, planned extensions for the series include the Kiff Original Soundtrack from Walt Disney Records and a stand-alone vertical-scrolling adventure game, which will be available in the DisneyNOW app and on DisneyNow.com.
A beloved reindeer will soar once more in Niko — Beyond The Northern Lights, the third installment in the popular European franchise. Global Screen has just picked up international sales rights to the CG animated feature, which arrives more than 10 years after Niko & The Way to the Stars (2008; a.k.a. The Flight Before Christmas) and Niko — Little Brother, Big Trouble (2012).
Directed once again by Kari Juusonen, the third movie will find Nko the flying reindeer making a play to become part of Santa Claus’ top flight team. When a talented girl reindeer beats him out for the job, Niko must choose between trust and loyalty. Jørgen Lerdam is co-directing, from a screenplay by Juusonen, producer Hannu Tuomainen and Marteinn Thorisson.
Niko — Beyond The Northern Lights is a pan-European co-production, reuniting franchise producers Tuomainen and Antti Haikala at Animaker in Finland with co-producers Emely Christians at Ulysses Filmproduktion in Germany (The Amazing Maurice, Two by Two: Overboard! / Ooops! 2), Moe Honan at Moetion Films in Ireland (Two by Two: Overboard!) and Anders Mastrup at A. Film Production in Denmark (The Little Vampire,Checkered Ninja).
“After having sold the first two Niko movies to practically every territory around the globe, we firmly believe that this new heartwarming story will also be a hit with buyers around the world,” said Alice Buquoy, Senior VP of International Sales & Acquisitions for Global Screen. “We are very pleased that our Niko, who is now a pre-teen, will be joined by a female company in the third part.”
Global Screen is a brand of distributor Telepool, which will once again be releasing Niko’s latest adventure in Germany. The first two outings totted up more than 750,000 admissions in that country alone, having sold to 120 different territories. Niko’s debut pic was distributed in the U.S. by The Weinstein Company as The Flight Before Christmas; Grindstone released the sequel stateside.
Niko — Beyond The Northern Lights is supported by the Finnish Film Foundation, German Federal Film Fund, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, German Federal Film Board, Eurimages, Business Finland, Screen Ireland, Danish Film Institute, Section 481, Estonian Film Institute, Telepool, Nordisk Film, BAC Films, MTV-CMore, RTÉ, DR and Global Screen.
Following this morning’s announcement of the nominees for the 95th Academy Awards, the filmmakers behind this year’s Oscar-nominated animated features and shorts are sharing their joy and gratitude. The awards ceremony will be held Sunday, March 12, televised live on ABC. Read on!
“We are so grateful to the Academy and humbled to be honored alongside such other great nominees. The diversity of the year’s animation is a reminder that it’s a medium that can paint any type of story. We made this film to reaffirm what it means to be human and to share a fable about life, love, and loss. We thank all of our collaborators, our amazing cast, and dedicated family of crew & animators who have painstakingly given their all throughout the many years it took to bring our Pinocchio to life.”
“I am deeply flattered and beside myself, and holy sh*t, just a pile on the floor. Thank you to the Academy for championing new voices and recognizing all our hard work over the last decade. This film is all about family and community, and this honor belongs most of all to the one that helped me make this film.”
— Dean Fleischer Camp, director/writer
Jenny Slate [c/o A24/Getty]
“I thought I’d be more energetic, but I’m really shocked. ..I sort of felt like a bit smoothed over and I felt really calm … now I just can’t stop crying. We try to think of [Marcel’s] house as sort of ‘as big as a country,’ so there’s a lot of places that we still haven’t explored. I think it would be pretty incredible to bring him somewhere like a botanical garden, where he could just see for scale, how big he is, not even to a palm tree but like a smaller bush. It’s always exciting to be putting him in situations where his perspective and scale reminds us of our own perspective and scale in the actual universe.”
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is about appreciating your life and the people you choose to spend it with. To have our film nominated for an Oscar is a testament to the work of an enormously talented and passionate family of cast and crew that never stopped striving to tell the most heartfelt, poignant story possible and I truly appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you so much to the members of the Academy for recognizing our work. To be in the company alongside filmmakers that I hold in such high regard is truly humbling and a moment I’ll treasure.”
— Joel Crawford, director
Mark Swift
“What a truly amazing honor for our cast and crew. It’s been over a decade since our fearless hero graced the big screen and over 400 dedicated people worked tirelessly with great care to make sure we got his story just right. I’ve been lucky to work on animated movies for over 30 years and this film is incredibly special to me. It has been wonderful to see how it has connected with audiences in such a meaningful way. I’m so proud of the team that brought this to the big screen and on behalf of them my heartfelt thanks to the Academy for nominating our film.”
— Mark Swift, producer
Chris Williams [ph: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images for Netflix]The Sea Beast
“I’m especially grateful that The Sea Beast was nominated, given that it was an incredible year for animation. There were so many great films that were nominated, and many more that easily could have been.
Our intrepid crew poured their hearts into this film and gave it everything they had. They deserve this recognition, and I’m so proud of them.”
“I’m mostly over the moon and excited, but still kind of in shock. To be honest, with all of the crazy shit that’s been happening in California with the shootings, I’m still trying to process that, but also this amazing news that our film has gotten nominated and what it means for the Asian community and what it means for me to have this film that’s so personal be recognized by such a global audience. I hope that for all of the kids and young adults dealing with the messiness of puberty and growing up, and fighting with their moms, that this movie can help heal them, can make them laugh and can help them understand and process the crazy emotions inside of them.”
“We are absolutely blown away by this fabulous news and, like our sailor, we’re flying high! The National Film Board of Canada has our endless gratitude for their unwavering support, and for making films like ours possible in the first place. We share this honor with our stellar creative team, especially producer David Christensen and sound designer Luigi Allemano.”
— Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis, directors
Director João Gonzalez at MIFF [c/o Portuguese Short Film Agency]
“Making Ice Merchants brought us so much joy; it was a safe harbor in the crazy times we all went through in these last few years and it gave us purpose as well as a sense of accomplishment that filled our hearts, a feeling that can only be rivalled by the amazing feedback we have been getting by its audience worldwide. The short has now the distinct honor to be the first ever Portuguese film nominated for the Academy Awards, and our small independent cooperative, COLA Animation, couldn’t be more humbled by this.”
“Thank you for all the love and support and joyous cheers that this nomination has brought to our film that celebrates young hearts and minds. My phone is basically a vibrator now. May it never stop.”
— Pamela Ribbon, creator/writer
“If just announcing our title can get that level of giggles (Thanks, Riz [Ahmed] and Allison! [Williams]), we can’t wait to see what’ll happen when you watch the film. We are so grateful for the nomination from our animation community, and for this chance to share such a personal story of awkward, teenage wonder with a worldwide audience. Thank you, thank you.”
— Team Statement
Sara Gunnarsdóttir
“Our film, My Year of Dicks, has been nominated for an Oscar!!! It’s thrilling! I’m so proud of us all, every single artist that lent us their magic to this film. High five for teenage girls, young and old. Sincerely, thank you!”
— Sara Gunnarsdóttir, director
“My Year of Dicks got nominated for Best Animated Short! I’m so proud of our team. It has been such an incredible experience to work alongside Pam and Sara. Thanks to everyone that was a part of this and thank you to the Animation Showcase for all of your support. And thank you FX for letting us make this crazy film! We can’t wait to see what happens in the next stage.”
Director Lachlan Pendragon, who created the Student Academy Award Gold-winning short at the Griffith Film School in Australia, shared a very eloquent, if wordless, reaction video!
This morning, the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were announced at 5:30 in 24 categories. Here are this year’s animation and vfx-related nominees:
Best Animated Feature:
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Directed by del Toro, Mark Gustafson) Netflix
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On(Dir: Dean Fleischer Camp) A24
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Dir: Joel Crawford) DreamWorks/Universal
The Sea Bast (Dir: Chris Williams) Netflix
Turning Red (Dir: Domee Shi) Disney/Pixar
Best Animated Short:
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy U.S.)
The Flying Sailor (Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Canada)
Ice Merchants (João Gonzalez, Portugal, France, U.K.)
My Year of Dicks (Sara Gunnarsdóttir, U.S.)
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It (Lachlan Pendragon, Australia)
The 2022 Oscar nominated shorts are The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, The Flying Sailor, My Year of Dicks, Ice Merchants, and An Ostrich Told Me the World Was Fake and I Think I Believe It!
Best Visual Effects:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar)
Avatar: The Way of Water (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett)
The Batman (Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick)
Top Gun: Maverick (Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher)
Most award experts had predicted that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Dean Fleischer’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes On would land on the nominees’ list, as all three had appeared on most of the year-end best-of lists, critics’ picks and guild prize shortlists. Two other critically acclaimed pictures Turning Red from Pixar and Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast took the remaining two spots. Feature no-shows were Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon (Cartoon Saloon/Netflix) Masaaki Yuasa’s Inu-oh (GKIDS), Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, (Netflix), Kyle Balda’s Minions: The Rise of Gru (Illumination/Universal) and Angus MacLane’s Lightyear (Pixar).
With the exception of Apple’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, the Best Animated Shorts nominees were all indie projects which had fared well at festivals around the world over the past year. Absent from this category were any studio-produced shorts, from big players such as Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Netflix, Illumination or Warner Bros. Animation. In fact, the nominees in this category could very well be competing at one of the popular global animation festivals such as Annecy, Ottawa Int. Animation Festival or Animafest. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was shortlisted for Best Song and Best Soundtrack, but it failed to make it to other categories beyond the Best Animated Picture race.
Last year, Disney’s critical and commercial success Encanto took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, while the prize for Best Animated Short went to Alberto Mielgo’s Windshield Wiper. Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Dune was the winner of the Best Visual Effects Oscar.
The 95th edition of the Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 12th, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
With the turning of the Lunar New Year on Sunday, we enter a new Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac. To celebrate this lucky animal’s reign over the year, studio Hornet has teamed up with Ogilvy Shanghai for the second Lunar New Year in a row to deliver a magical campaign for Coca-Cola, brought to life by director Yves Geleyn and a team of artists including celebrated character designer Peter de Sève.
Celebrating Together Is Magic
Titled Celebrating Together Is Magic, the CG-animated piece is a poignant story about a family of rabbits who overcome their differences and unite for a holiday meal — complete with bunny-sized bottles of Coca-Cola and many other narrative details that augment the intimacy of the scene.
“A compelling narrative, cinematic whimsy, and rich textural details. It’s everything you could want in a film like this, and more,” says Geleyn.
Grandma Rabbit’s home concept
Grandson Rabbit’s home concept
Geleyn opted to heighten the film’s underlying message through contrast and a macro lens, shrinking the viewer down to the rabbits’ perspective while juxtaposing Chinese-inspired landscapes and details. The soft, organic look of the traditional family home contrasts with the stony, angular modern bunny apartments. The filmmakers helped tie these divergent locations together with warm, homey lighting.
Feature film character designer and illustrator de Sève helped give Grandma and Grandson Rabbit designs that showed a family connection, yet also expressed their distinct personalities. “Peter has an unparalleled ability to express emotions with the flick of a pencil’s line,” notes Geleyn. “His contours and features bestow a human-like manner that allows these anthropomorphized animals to carry the weight of this story’s dramatic arc.”
Character designs by Peter de Sève
The rabbit characters also nod to old traditions with their fuzzy, felted look and red embroidered silk patterns. Their New Year’s feast also contrasts the them of “old” and “new” worlds uniting in the film; Grandma’s classic dumplings are served in a simple bamboo steamer, surrounded by an elegantly plated modern spread.
You can learn more about the making of Celebrating Together Is Magic and see a special behind-the-scenes video at hellohornet.com.
Kids2, a global company focused on holistic solutions for early-stage parents and families, announced the launch of Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers, a new STEAM-focused ocean adventure edutainment series produced in conjunction with a comprehensive line of two dozen products for children, including toys and baby gear.
Created in partnership with child development experts Hello Einstein Studios and EDH Animation, each Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers five-minute episode reinforces early learning skills through repetition and interactivity as beloved Baby Einstein characters Cal, Neptune, Opus, Tinker and Dean discover undersea and seaside wonders together with young viewers.
“Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers is our biggest launch of content and product yet,” said Ryan Gunnigle, CEO and Owner of Kids2 and Founder of Hello Einstein Studios. “From its expert-led creative direction to its unique format, the show reimagines how entertainment can engage, teach, and inspire young viewers. Plus, we bring the nautical theme to life with more than two dozen products that integrate the series’ songs, characters and themes.”
Children and their parents co-view the engaging and educational episodes, which help introduce early STEAM concepts and support key developmental milestones through multi-sensorial engagement. During each adventure, children and their caregivers dive deep into the ocean ecosystem using inquiry skills like observation while interacting with Cal and friends above and below the sea.
Hello Einstein Studios, a media entertainment company that creates trusted, best-in-class children’s educational entertainment, has partnered with Moonbug, the award-winning global entertainment company behind some of the most popular kids’ titles including CoComelon and Blippi, on distribution and new series development to bring a host of Baby Einstein shows including Ocean Explorers, Sandbox and Baby Einstein Classics to new audiences looking for preschool STEAM-based edutainment.
Dan’l Hewitt, Moonbug Entertainment’s Vice President of Brand Partnerships said, “We are big fans of Baby Einstein and Kids2. Moonbug is incredibly excited about the opportunity to work on this new series together provoking children’s natural curiosity.”
“Each episode was created to spark curiosity while supporting key development milestones,” said Rochelle Wainer, Ph.D. and Senior Vice President of Global Insights and Analytics at Kids2. “The series also offers practical contextual learning through the combination of animation and real-world imagery of the ocean’s plants and animals.”
Ocean Explorers is now streaming. A new episode will drop each week through March on the Baby Einstein YouTube channel. The series will soon be available on other streaming platforms and there are plans to localize and distribute in French, Spanish, German, and Japanese in Spring 2023. Hello Einstein Studios and Moonbug have also partnered to create 20 original music videos featuring even more ocean learning to come later this year.
Parents and children can explore the wonders of the shoreline at home through an assortment of Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers products available in Q1:
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Pop & Explore Stingray
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Airplane Adventure 2-in-1 Jumper
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Neptune’s Cuddly Composer Musical Plush Toy
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Sea of Sensory Teether
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Sea of Support 2-in-1 Sit-Up Floor Seat
The Amazing Maurice: The Art of the Film
Curl up with the coolest new cat in town, whose animated exploits are brought to life in this coffee table hardback chock full of exclusive concept designs, character sketches, storyboards and production art. See how the German and U.K. animation teams collaborated to bring this fairytale corner of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to screens, with unique insights from the artists and animators. (Character supervisor Sophie Vickers’ observation that “the trick with rats is to balance the appeal with the fact that they are actually rats” may go down as the most adaptable, situationally relevant animation quote of the year.) [Titan Books | $50]
The Art of Avatar: The Way of Water
Dive into the expanded world of James Cameron’s Pandora over a decade in the making in this 256-page hardcover tome, packed to the gills with stunning art and intricately detailed concepts for the sequel’s characters, new marine creatures, costume and vehicle designs and more. Written by NYT bestselling author/entertainment journalist Tara Bennett in collaboration with the filmmakers, this four pounder is a deep dive into the creative and technical mastery behind the blockbuster, featuring an introduction by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. [DK | $50]
Shudder’s Creepshow: From Script to Scream
October doesn’t have a monopoly on spooky vibes! Keep the shivers going all winter long and into the new year with this tantalizing glimpse beyond the veil of the critically acclaimed anthology series. Grab a lantern and enter the creative crypt wherein lie the secrets of the show’s origins, inspirations, production and extra-sinister special effects. This 240-page epitaph gets an extra boost of creep cred with a foreword from horror icon Stephen King and afterword by fright fan Kirk Hammett (lead guitarist for Metallica). [Titan Books | $50]
[Insight Editions | $50]
[VIZ | $40]
The first graphic novel (middle grade fantasy) from Triggerfish animation studio. [Catalyst Press | $20 | Jan. 31]
Yu Yu Hakusho – 30th Anniversary Box Set
All four seasons (112 eps.) of teenage delinquent turned Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi’s anime adventures, plus two never-before-dubbed OVAs with the original cast and over 90 minutes of legacy special features — packaged with special 30th Anniversary artwork sure to keep the demons at bay. [Crunchyroll | $90 | Jan. 31]
Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts Vol. 1
Celebrate 100 magical years of Disney with this collection of 10 classic animated shorts, with new introductions by the marvelous mice themselves! Includes Mickey’s debut Steamboat Willie, Brave Little Tailor, On Ice and more. [Disney | Feb. 7]
Inu-Oh
Masaaki Yuasa’s show-stopping 14th century glam-rock opera arrives home after wowing festival audiences and animation lovers all year. Watchable in both the original Japanese (starring J-rock icon Avu-chan) and English dub versions, the Blu-ray set includes an interview with Yuasa, U.S. premiere Q&A, “Yuasa Draws Inu-Oh” and scene breakdown. [GKIDS/Shout! Factory | $27 | Jan. 24]
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio by Funko
Show your love for one of the year’s most critically acclaimed animated features with new Pop! figures based on Pinocchio and Cricket (pictured), Geppetto, Wood Sprite and Black Rabbit. [funko.com | $12 each]
Lil Gator Game
The cutie-wootiest widdle open world title for reptile fans! Climb, swim and glide around your island playground meeting new friends and solving creative problems in this feel-good adventure. [MegaWobble/Playtonic Friends | $20 | Steam/Nintendo Switch]
Loungefly Jetsons & Flintstones Collections
Celebrate cartoon classics on the go with colorful mini backpacks [$75] and wallets [$40] created in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, featuring popping graphics, useful organization and fun details on vegan leather. [loungefly.com]
The talented team at AnimSchool Studios has delivered a great-looking pilot for their new CG-animated action-adventure series titled MechWest. The imaginative new show takes place in an alternate Old West where robots called “mechs” are household helpers and four distinct nations inspired by real-life desert cultures collide—and their mechs.
AnimSchool Studios is a branch of AnimSchool (animschool.edu), an accredited online school where industry professionals teach the fundamentals and mastery of computer animation. The school was founded in 2010 by David Gallagher, animator, rigger and former Character Development Supervisor at Blue Sky Studios. David was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about their cool new project:
Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the origins of the show? How did you come up with the concept?
David Gallagher
David Gallagher: AnimSchool comes out with yearly student showcases that get a lot of views and attention. We wanted to put our collective talents to use in a way that could bring more awareness to what we do. We started AnimSchool Studios to do that and explored ideas for a short or 3D animated show. There are so many ideas and looks out there so I was looking for something different. I had a flash of inspiration of an old west world with robots, but robots that somehow look like they belong to that era. The robots “mechs” would be able to understand people but wouldn’t be able to talk except though a letter readout that’s a bit like an old-time cash register display.
When did you start working on it?
It was first imagined in 2015 and developed into a simple pitch document for a traditional tv network but that wasn’t picked up. Eventually the opportunity came to start developing it ourselves starting mid 2020. It began slowly, with Dave Gallagher (creator of MechWest and CEO of AnimSchool) and Noah Gallagher (writer and story editor) coming up with a basic plot and characters, soon joined by writer Clifford James Taylor. We went through a long design process to find the look for the world and characters. AnimSchool already had great resources for making great models, rigs and animation, so soon we were on our way.
How many people worked on the trailer? Where was the animation produced?
We have had over 100 people working on the show so far, most of those part time. We formed AnimSchool Studios and are producing the animation internally.
Which animation tools did you use to create the show’s great CG animation?
We use Maya and ZBrush with some cloth simulation in Houdini, and rendering is done in Cinema 4D and Redshift. We had already been developing a proprietary Maya rigging framework for more than a year when we began, so that has been instrumental in getting high-quality results.
What do you love about this show?
It really feels like something that we haven’t seen before. The classic genre of the Western itself was overdone and fell out of fashion. But as a setting, the American Southwest is so majestic and beautiful. The Old West setting is still well-liked throughout the world and the “flavor” of the Old West has appeal.
Typical Western stories were aimed more to adult audiences with gritty stories centered on masculine cowboy characters, saloons and shootouts. That’s not what we’re making. We’ve taken the Old West setting and added cute, rusty robots people kick around and depend upon for menial tasks. Then we’ve placed a teen girl with no love of the cowboy life in the starring role.
We love the look we’ve been able to create thanks to all the talented people involved. The animation, texturing, and render quality are top-level for a TV production.
We love the story. It’s sweet — the main character, Pearl, shows others how to treat mechs with care, and then she and the other protagonists learn how to see the value in the different surrounding cultures.
What would you say have been your biggest challenges?
The biggest challenge is making an animated show from scratch with limited resources. That means most of the artists are remote freelance and mostly part time which means a slower production speed. Now comes the challenge of looking for partners and distribution for our show.
Who is the target audience?
We’re primarily targeting kids around ages 8-14, but above all we’re striving to create an all-ages action adventure show that the entire family can sit down and enjoy, eager to see what happens in the next episode.
What were the key visual inspirations for the overall look?
Classic Disney, Pixar films, Star Wars.
Who are your biggest animation heroes?
Walt Disney, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, Sergio Pablos, James Baxter, Brad Bird, Chuck Jones.
Nominees for the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize were announced today (Jan. 23), naming five winners of the semi-final “Excellent Animation of the Year” honors. Anime-inspired works were also recognized across the live-action categories. The winners, including “Best Animation of the Year,” will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 10 in Tokyo.
The animation contenders are Masaaki Yuasa’s Inu-oh (Science SARU/Aniplex/GKIDS [NorAm]), Keiichi Hara’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror (A-1 Pictures) [trailer], Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume (CoMix Wave, STORY inc) [trailer], Goro Taniguchi’s One Piece Film Red (Toei) and Takehiko Inoue’s The First Slam Dunk (Toei) [trailer].
Both One Piece Film Red and The First Slam Dunk have been major hits for Toei Animation. The 15th One Piece film is the highest-grossing in the studio’s history, and the highest-grossing film of 2022 in Japan. The Japan Academy previously announced that One Piece Film Red is the winner of this year’s Special Award, which recognizes a person or group’s outstanding achievement for the year. It is also the sixth One Piece film to be nominated for the Japan Academy prize.
Shinkai’s previous hit films have been recognized by the Japan Academy; his most recent feature Weathering with You won Animation of the Year in 2020, while Your Name. earned a nomination in the category as well as a nomination for Shinkai for best director in 2017. Suzume will be rolling out to international theaters beginning in April, following its overseas premiere at the Berlinale.
Inu-oh has already won some prestigious honors, including Fantasia Fest’s Satoshi Kon Award and the Ofuji Noburo Award from the Mainichi Film Awards (also nominated for Best Animation Film). Yuasa’s Night Is Short, Walk on Girl won the Japan Academy prize for animation in 2018.
Based on the award-winning novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, Lonely Castle in the Mirror marks the third nomination in the category for Hara, having previously competed with Miss Hokusai in 2016, Colorful in 2011 and Summer Days with Coo in 2008.
Another adaptation of Tsujimura’s work, the live-action Anime Supremacy! — about a first-time animation director determined to outdo the success of the difficult, but brilliant anime visionary who inspired her — was notably nominated in 10 categories, including Picture of the Year, Director (Kohei Yoshino), Screenplay (Yosuke Masaike) and Art Direction (Satoshi Kanda). You can watch the trailer here.
Multi-award-winning independent animation studio Aardman today announced its plans for the 30th anniversary celebrations of Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. Released in 1993, it the first film starring the beloved duo to win an Oscar and introduced fan favorite Feathers McGraw — a villainous penguin with ambitions to put Wallace’s inventions to criminal use.
The 30th anniversary celebrations coincide with the production of a brand-new Wallace & Gromit film — the first since 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was the U.K.’s most-viewed TV program of the 2000s with over 16.2 million viewers tuning in to watch. This brand-new, as-yet untitled adventure will premiere exclusively on Netflix around the world except in the U.K., where it will debut first on the BBC before also coming to Netflix. It is set for release in 2024.
Also currently in production is an interactive, narrative-led, single player VR experience for the Meta Quest all-in-one VR headset. The Grand Getaway will enable users to walk around, explore and get hands-on (or paws-on) within the world of Wallace & Gromit and truly be a part of the pair’s adventures for the first time.
“It’s very exciting to have some brand-new Wallace & Gromit stories in the works as we celebrate the anniversary of such an important moment in the characters’ history,” said Aardman co-founder Nick Park, who created the characters and directed the celebrated short. “The Wrong Trousers was a special film for all of us at Aardman. It’s wonderful that it continues to find new fans today, and that we can bring those fans more adventures — and more inventions, more mishaps and more problems for Gromit to solve.”
The Wrong Trousers x Olympia Le Tan
Some highlights of The Wrong Trousers 30th anniversary activities include:
A limited edition The Wrong Trousers x Olympia Le Tan designer clutch bag which will sell only 77 numbered copies. From the original hand-embroidery in thread and felt appliqué, to the unique Liberty-printed lining, every detail is carefully considered. One clutch can take up to 300 hours of work. The clutch bag will be available exclusively from olympialetan.com as of today (January 23).
Aardman exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in London, opening in September 2023 with an exciting never-before-seen exhibition running until April 2024. Visit the museum to see the only remaining clips, storyboards and movie materials that exist for the classic The Wrong Trousers. Alongside this, the Cartoon Museum will be running multiple events for the public from August 2023.
A Grand Way Out, the new Wallace & Gromit-themed escape room adventure, which invites fans to assist the much-loved duo in a race against time. With little over an hour until the village science fete, and eager to show off his new invention, Wallace has forgotten the code to his workshop. With the help of Gromit, players will don the Memory-O-Matic helmet and take a trip down memory lane to help him remember it — before it’s too late! The locked room adventure has been piloted at Locked In A Room, Bristol’s largest escape game experience located in the heart of the city on Millennium Square, and two further rooms will open in March 2023.
The Wrong Trousers
Further anniversary plans include:
New Wallace & Gromit products and ranges from licensees, including jewelery company Licensed to Charm, paper engineers Paper Engine and eco-conscious independent tea mixology company Bird & Blend Tea Co., who are launching a themed tin containing 20 tea bags that have been specially blended with Wallace & Gromit in mind — an energizing everyday brew, perfect for inventors! Plus, a partnership with Carrs Pasties to launch a new Wallace & Gromit inspired ‘More Cheese, Ham & Jam Pasty’, containing a blend of four cheeses (Wensleydale, Red Leicester, Mature Cheddar, Mozzarella), pulled ham and caramelized onion.
A celebration of Wallace & Gromit’s Wrong Trousers Day on Friday, June 30, the annual fundraising event from Aardman’s charity partner The Grand Appeal, which encourages people to wear their wackiest legwear and donate for the right to look wrong. The Grand Appeal is the dedicated charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital.
The annual Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and Aardman ‘Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas’ competition, which this year will have the theme ‘make The Wrong Trousers right’. Budding inventors will be tasked with the challenge of re-inventing Wallace’s ‘Techno-Trousers’ and turning them into something that can do good for our planet. The competition will be supported by teaching resources, home study packs and a series of events in partnership with regional science centers and museums.
Expanded retail presence for Wallace & Gromit — particularly at HMV stores across the U.K.
Screenings across the U.K. of The Wrong Trousers with the soundtrack performed live by the WFEL Fairey Band, one of the world’s finest brass bands.
Model-making workshops taking place at family festivals all over the U.K., where fans can learn how to make their own Gromit and Feathers McGraw models from modelling clay.
Keep up to date with all of Wallace & Gromit’s news and activities at wallaceandgromit.com.
