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Italy’s leading animation event, the VIEW Conference, continues its year-round virtual programming this month with a special presentation of Only a Child, one of the 15 acclaimed films shortlisted for the animated short Oscar this year.
Following the virtual screening, tune into a Q&A moderated by industry veteran Kris Pearn (director, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, The Willoughbys), which will go behind the scenes with director Simone Giampaolo — who supervised the artistic contributions of more than 20 animation directors to the short — and Severn Cullis-Suzuki, whose powerful call for environmental action at the UN’s 1992 Rio Earth Summit as a young girl inspired the film.
The online screening and discussion is scheduled for Friday, January 28 at 11 a.m. PST / 7 p.m. GMT / 8 p.m. CET. Register for the free event here.
This omnibus film, through eloquent images and powerful animated allegories, was a channel for young animators to project their own message: Each artist involved in the Only a Child used their own unique style and technique to bring a segment of Severn’s speech to life, including stop-motion, CGI, traditional 2D, cut-outs, sand animation, paint on glass, and more.
Only a Child has been selected by over 120 festivals worldwide, gaining recognition and winning many prestigious awards including Best in Show at SPARK Animation Festival, Nomination for 2021Swiss Film Prize, Audience Choice Award at SIGGRAPH 2021, Best Youth Film at Festival Regard, Best Film at 3D Wire Fest, Special Achievement Award at VIEW Conference and the Special Mention at the 28th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film.
The film was produced by Amka Films, Gabriella de Gara and prominent Swiss producer Tiziana Soudani (1955-2020), in coproduction with RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera SRG SSR, with the support of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Republic and Canton Ticino, Fondo Filmplus della Svizzera italiana, Ticino Film Commission, Göhner Stiftung and Swiss Film. You can watch the film until February 8 via KIS KIS – keep it short on YouTube.
Read more about Only a Child in our recent interview with Giampaolo, available here.
The star-studded animated comedy feature Blazing Samurai has found a home with Paramount Animation, which has picked up rights from GFM Animation for North America and other territories. Directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, 1994) and veteran animator/story artist Mark Koetsier (Rumble, Illumination’s The Grinch, Pocahontas), the pic is slated for a U.S. release on July 22.
Reimagining the racial tensions of Mel Brooks classic Blazing Saddles, the family-friendly adventure follows Hank (voiced by Michael Cera), a loveable mutt with big dreams of becoming a Samurai. When he becomes the new sheriff of Kakamucho, he finds he may have bitten off more than he can chew: the town is inhabited solely by cats, and the local warlord (Ricky Gervais) who hired him is bent on destroying it for his own gain. Hank’s only shot is to bring the great samurai Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson) out of retirement as his mentor.
The voice cast also features George Takei, Michelle Yeoh, Djimon Hounsou, Kathy Shim, Kylie Kuioka, Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi and 95-year-old comedy legend Brooks himself.
Blazing Samurai is presented by Aniventure and financer Align in association with HB Wink Animation and GFM Animation, animated by Cinesite Montreal in 3D CG. Minkoff and Koetsier direct from an original screenplay by Ed Stone and Nate Hopper, revised by Robert Ben Garant and Minkoff — who also produces alongside Adam Nagle and Guy Collins. Alex Schwartz, Adrian Politowski and Martin Metz exec produce.
Paris-based Zodiak Kids and Family Studio France, part of Banijay, today announced that it has secured a brand-new co-production for its long-running international hit Totally Spies! The series will return for a seventh 26 x 22′ season in 2023, a decade after the last season aired.
Stephane Berry, who has directed five of the six previous seasons, returns to the helm for the iconic trio’s return. Pre-production for season seven is now underway in France, in partnership with Ollenom — the recently launched studio division of Monello Production. Gulli (M6 Group – France) and Discovery Kids LatAm are on board as commissioning broadcast partners.
Totally Spies! has enjoyed global success and been broadcast in over 190 territories with it still reaching new audiences 20 years on from its first broadcast. It has also generated a huge digital following with 300 million hours streams to date and amassing 1.8 billion views.
The series ran for six seasons between 2001 and 2013 and followed the hilarious adventures of Sam, Clover and Alex — three Beverly Hills girls who were hired as secret agents by WOOHP (The World Organization of Human Protection). Now they’re back for a seventh season, which sees them move to a new city with new friends and facing all-new villains from around the world — all while juggling their double lives as super-spies.
“It is an honor and a huge responsibility for us to produce a new season of such an iconic series,” said season seven producer Benoit Di Sabatino (Code Lyoko, Titeuf: The Movie). “We have developed the new season internally with Gary Milne our head of development. I am so pleased to collaborate with the Totally Director! Stephane Berry and very thankful to our partners M6/GULLI and Discovery Kids LatAm.”
Berry commented, “Totally Spies! is a unique phenomenon, and 21 years later, they are still on screen and in our hearts. The girls who have been loved and adored by several generations are back for more international adventures with the same energy, sense of style, incredible accessories, cult one liners with more exuberance and fun than ever. With the same enthusiasm and passion, and a team that have grown up with the coolest spies in the world, I’m back on a mission for 26 brand new adventures packed with new surprises.”
Zodiak Kids and Family Distribution will own all international broadcast rights to the new series.
The Houghton brothers — Chris and Shane — creators and executive producers of the animated comedy Big City Greens, will join the echelon of format-leaping creative talent as their popular series spins off a movie musical for Disney Channel and Disney+. Disney’s #1 show also received a fourth season order from Disney Channel, tallying more than 100 episodes for the Daytime Emmy-winning and Annie Award-nominated comedy. The announcement was made by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television.
Davis said, “Chris, Shane and their crew made this decision an easy one because they consistently turn their wellspring of bold ideas into entertainment that connects with kids and families and appeals to fans of animation everywhere. They’re an important part of our TV animation studio which, guided by Meredith Roberts and her outstanding team, is key to our group’s creative footprint and success. Whether I’m at work or at home with my family, I join the millions of viewers around the world who are looking forward to all that Big City Greens has in store for us.”
Season three of Big City Greens premieres Saturday, February 12 (9 a.m. EST/PST), on Disney Channel. The story arc brings a big change for the optimistic mischief-maker Cricket Green, who moved from the country to the big city with his wildly out of place family: hard-working father Bill, sweet-and-sour Gramma Alice and quirky older sister Tilly, who later in season three will participate in a rite of passage event, one that’s uniquely Green style.
The first and second seasons are available on Disney+. The Houghton humor and creativity are also on display in two short-form Disney Channel series — Broken Karaoke and Random Rings — each featuring characters from Big City Greens.
The series is influenced by the Houghton’s childhood in the small rural town of St. Johns, Michigan, with locations and characters inspired by their real-life family members and townsfolk and their experiences upon departing rural farmland for college in big cities. Big City Greens premiered in 2018, and in 2021, the Houghtons entered into an overall deal at Disney Television Animation.
Big City Greens stars Chris Houghton as Cricket Green, Artemis Pebdani (Scandal) as Gramma Alice, Marieve Herington (How I Met Your Mother) as Tilly Green and Bob Joles (Puss in Boots) as Bill Green.
The movie and series creative team include Michael Coughlin (The Muppets) as producer, Stephen Sandoval (The Owl House) as co-executive producer and Joachim Horsley (Spirit Riding Free) as composer. Big City Greens is a production of Disney Television Animation and carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.
The Houghtons are represented by Julie Kane-Ritsch of The Gotham Group and attorney Matthew Saver.
Apple TV+ today announced that Central Park, the critically acclaimed, hit animated musical comedy series, will return with eight all-new episodes on Friday, March 4 on the streamer. From creator, writer and executive producer Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad and Nora Smith, the second season of the series will debut three new episodes at launch, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday thereafter through April 8, 2022.
Central Park stars a renowned voice cast that includes Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess and Stanley Tucci. New guest stars featured this season include Aparna Nancherla, Billy Porter, Catherine O’Hara, Ellie Kemper and Naomi Ekperigin.
In a first look at the second half of the new season, revealed today, Gad reunited with his Book of Mormon Broadway co-star Rory O’Malley for a catchy musical number, called “You Are the Music.” The song is written by two-time Oscar-winning team Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez (Frozen, Coco) and also features Tituss Burgess and Emmy Raver-Lampman.
As season two of Central Park continues to unfold with eight new episodes, the Tillerman family continues to navigate living in and caring for the world’s most famous park. Molly experiences the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Cole is challenged by a truly embarrassing moment at school, Paige continues to chase down the Mayor’s corruption story, and Owen juggles managing the park, his staff, and his family all with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, Bitsy inches ever closer to her sinister goal of claiming Central Park as her own; with Helen by her side, eternally wondering whether she’s made it into Bitsy’s will. Every step of the way, we are guided along by our friendly, fumbling, fiddler narrator, Birdie.
The complete first season and the first half of the second season of Central Park are now streaming on Apple TV+. Since its global debut, the series has been recognized with Emmy Award nominations for stars Leslie Odom Jr., Tituss Burgess and Stanley Tucci, and an NAACP Image Awards nomination in the Outstanding Animated Series category.
Central Park is written and executive produced by Bouchard, alongside Gad and Smith. Steven Davis and Kelvin Yu serve as showrunners and also executive produce. The series is produced for Apple by 20th Television Animation, a part of Disney Television Studios.
Read more about the show in Animation Magazine‘s feature story here.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ David G. Derrick Jr. has been named director of the upcoming musical long-form series Moana, for Disney+. Derrick, a respected story artist in the industry, first joined Disney Animation in order to work on the Moana feature film — and in doing so, reconnected with his family’s Samoan roots. He was deeply involved in the storyboarding of some of the film’s most iconic moments.
“Working on Moana was a gift, personally and professionally,” says Derrick. “The film Moana caught and shared the spirit of Polynesia with the world. I am honored to continue her story and to celebrate the rich and beautiful cultures of the Pacific Islands.”
Derrick joins Oscar-nominated Moana producer, Osnat Shurer, on the series. “Dave’s great story instincts, his visionary cinematic style, and his deep love and commitment to Moana and the Pacific Island cultures that inspired her world, make him a perfect director for the series,” says Shurer.
As Derrick and his story team are in development, the recently-announced new Walt Disney Animation Studios Vancouver, which will be the production home for the series, is ramping up their staffing, as the Studio nears its official 2022 opening.
“We have been elated by the positive response from the community. In the next many months, we are continuing to post staff positions for our studio, and with the talent we have here, and the fact our teams’ first project together will be the Moana series, I can’t imagine a better way to launch the studio,” says Amir Nasrabadi, Head of WDAS Vancouver.
Shurer adds, “Getting to explore the story of Moana further is really exciting for us, particularly in this extremely cinematic, musical, long-form event series, and we can’t wait to meet all the amazing artists who are joining Disney Animation Vancouver to help us bring Moana’s next gorgeous journey to life!”
Since first setting sail with Moana (2016), Derrick has lent his story artist and boarding talents to Jon Favreau’s The Lion King (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto for Disney. Prior to joining the studio, he worked on DreamWorks Animation features including How to Train Your Dragon, MegaMind, Rise of the Guardians and Bee Movie, as well as the series Turbo FAST, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and The LeBrons.
“Words… [are] innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they’re no good anymore…”
Tom Stoppard, The Real Thing
One word that seems in serious danger of having its corners knocked off these days is “anime.” In Japanese, the word is writtenアニメ (ah-nee-may) in katakana, the syllabary used for foreign words (much the way English speakers employ italics). It means animation or animated film — hand-drawn, stop-motion or CG. The “anime” section of a store in the Akihabara district of Tokyo might offer Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, Wallace & Gromit and The Simpsons as well as My Hero Academia, Naruto and Sailor Moon.
In the 1970s, Japanese animated films were often referred to as “Japanimation” in the West, but during the mid-1980s, fans in the U.S. and other countries began using anime as part of a growing vocabulary of borrowed words that includes otaku, yaoi, mecha et al. As the fan base and influence of Japanese animation grew over the next three decades, anime became the term of choice in conversations, publications, etc.
Surprisingly, some mainstream journalists still use the term “Japanese anime,” which is as redundant as “French champagne.” All authentic champagne comes from France, and all real anime comes from Japan. The name “champagne” is legally protected under a treaty signed in 1891 and by subsequent international agreements. But Japan hasn’t fought to protect the word “anime” the way other countries worked to insure the legitimacy of products sold as “Roquefort” or “Parmesan.”
In the last few years, anime has been used to describe features and TV series that were made in China, Korea or the United States with little or no Japanese input. Some of these films are action-adventures that offer more battles and violence than their American counterparts. Japanese artists aren’t bound by the American shibboleth that animation is restricted to “family” entertainment. If the story demands the hero slay the villain, a sword swings and a head goes flying. Japanese villains don’t fall to their doom from great heights, avoiding a graphic demise and leaving the hero with unsoiled hands. For some viewers, anime has become synonymous with hard-hitting action.
It’s not clear whether the trend of using anime to promote non-Japanese films stems from confusion about the accepted meaning of the term or whether it’s a cynical attempt to lure viewers in key younger demographics to a new property. Before the pandemic, there were anime cons every weekend in various North American cities, and most universities in the U.S. — and many high schools — have anime fan clubs, which often rank among the most popular organizations on campus.
Given the flood of animated production in recent years, studios and distributors are desperate to call attention to their offerings. And the lines can grow fuzzy as Netflix and other major streaming services sign deals with Japanese artists to produce content. (Not to mention Speed Racer, Ghost in the Shell and other dismal attempts to transmute Japanese animation into Hollywood live action.)
Despite the boom in production, American animation can’t match the extraordinary diversity of Japanese animation, which may contribute to the confusion over the real meaning of “anime.” There have been more than 4,500 features, TV series and OVAs produced since Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy ushered in the modern era of animation in Japan in 1963. The word “anime” encompasses that extraordinary range of production, from the dark adventures of Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist to the rollicking silliness of School Rumble and Martian Successor Nadesico; from the charming girls’ series Card Captor Sakura and Azumanga Daioh to the dystopian worlds of Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
In recent years, it’s become increasingly difficult to define what is and isn’t an animated film. At a certain point, animators and animation viewers begin to feel like Alice, when she told Humpty Dumpty, “The question is whether you can make words mean so many different things.” But for all its diversity, “anime” refers to animated work made in Japan, regardless of the genre or medium. And if a film wasn’t made in Japan by Japanese artists, it’s either inaccurate or deceptive to present it as anime.
This article was written for the February ’22 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 317).
Charles Solomon’s upcoming bookThe Man Who Leapt through Film: The Art of Mamoru Hosoda will be published this year by Abrams.
Hanna-Barbera’s beloved cat and mouse duo head west for comedic mayhem (complete with musical accompaniment) in Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up, the all-new animated movie from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the rip-roarin’ original toon arriving on Digital and DVD on January 25 ($14.99 SRP/$19.99 SRP Canada).
Ahead of the feature-length adventure’s release, we’re grabbing the bull by the horns with an exclusive clip featuring the Cowboy Up‘s titular tune, courtesy of our friends at WBHE.
Synopsis: The Wild, Wild West just got wilder with Tom and Jerry on the ranch! This time, the rivals team up to help a cowgirl and her brother save their homestead from a greedy land-grabber, and they’re going to need some help! Jerry’s three precocious nephews are all ready for action, and Tom is rounding up a posse of prairie dogs. But can a ragtag band of varmints defeat a deceitful desperado determined to deceive a damsel in distress? No matter what happens with Tom and Jerry in the saddle, it’ll be a rootin’ tootin’ good time!
Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up features the voice talents of George Ackles as The Marshal, Sean Burgos as Bumpy, Trevor Devall as Duke, Chris Edgerly as August Critchley, Georgie Kidder as Scruffy, Justin Michael as Bentley, Kaitlyn Robrock as Betty, Isaac Robinson Smith as Zeb, Kath Soucie as Tuffy, Stephen Stanton as Virgil, Fred Tatasciore as Clem and Kari Wahlgren as Duffy, Jane.
The film is executive produced by Sam Register, produced and directed by Darrell Van Citters (Tom and Jerry in New York, The Tom and Jerry Show). Story by Will Finn and teleplay by William Waldner.
WarnerMedia Access Canada and Think Tank Training Centre have partnered to sponsor five full-time tuition scholarships for the Think Tank Online 16-month Digital Asset Creation Program, starting on February 7, 2022. The scholarship competition was open to people of all genders, abilities, and identities from underrepresented communities in Canada, including but not limited to members of Indigenous, Black and racialized groups, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ and Francophone minority communities.
With more than 100 quality applications submitted, WarnerMedia Access Canada and Think Tank have awarded the scholarships to:
Alli Thornley from Victoria, BC
Brittany Blaker from Toronto, ON
Fatouma Mohamed from Toronto, ON
Aubrey Garcia from Toronto, ON
Alejandro Mondragon Martinez from Surrey, BC
These talented individuals will develop marketable skills, benefit from mentorship opportunities, and gain unprecedented connections to industry knowledge from the Think Tank community and WarnerMedia Access Canada executives and creatives.
“We had many exceptional applications, and it was definitely challenging to choose just five,” said Scott Thompson, Owner of Think Tank Training Centre. “Those awarded the scholarships showed talent, creativity and a desire to further their knowledge and skills – and we are excited to welcome them to Think Tank.”
“With so many qualified applications, we offered 50 percent scholarships to an additional 10 individuals,” he added. “The scholarships will advance the careers of these students in television, feature film, visual effects or video games through the opportunity to develop their digital art skills. We look forward to seeing what they will do as the Doers and Dreamers Digital Arts Scholarship recipients.”
Deanna Cadette, Executive Director of WarnerMedia Access Canada, commented, “This program is a wonderful addition to WarnerMedia Access Canada’s suite of innovative initiatives. With the rapid growth in career opportunities across animation, VFX and games, these students will learn invaluable skills that will set them up for success as they enter the industry. We are thrilled to partner with Think Tank Training Centre in breaking down barriers and expanding industry access for the next generation of talent.”
Established in 2020, WarnerMedia Access Canada elevates, activates, and connects Canadian talent from communities that have been historically marginalized with global opportunities and global audiences. (warner-access.com)
Founded in 2005, Think Tank Training Centre specializes in training “dreamers and doers” in the latest software, techniques and technologies that cater to the needs of the film, television and video game industries. TTTC was ranked in the top three best creative and entertainment schools in the world by the prestigious Rookies online community in 2021.
To learn more about the incredible backgrounds of the selected participants, visit www.tttc.ca.
Chaos has added Chaos Player, its fast-loading image sequence player, to V-Ray Collection, giving artists and designers access to 15 high-end visualization products from a single license. To further elevate VFX and animation workflows, the feature set is also expanding to include floating-point compositing, A/B wipes, OpenColorIO (OCIO) v2 support and more, making a fast product even more attuned to the needs of high-end productions.
“When it’s time to review animation, you don’t want to jump through a bunch of hoops to see it in action,” said Alexander Yolov, product manager at Chaos. “With Chaos Player, both animators and supervisors can playback high-resolution sequences almost instantaneously, so they can make decisions on the fly.”
Broadcast and collaborate with your teams with intuitive markup & annotation tools in Chaos Player.
Chaos Player (formerly Pdplayer) delivers smooth playback of ultra-high-definition image sequences, so 3D artists, animators and supervisors can review and rapidly approve animations. Today, Chaos Player supports all industry-standard image formats — including multichannel EXR renders — and brings live multilayer compositing, interactive color adjustments and collaborative markup tools into a single standalone application.
“Chaos Player is part of our daily workflow for nearly every project that comes through our door, as it’s always saving us time, whether we are working on feature films or streaming content from Netflix and HBO,” said Dmitry Vinnik, technical director at Silhouette Images. “The ability to load multiple 4K multichannel EXR sequences at once and cycle through layers is absolutely crucial to our team. At every stage there seems to be another little feature that helps, whether it’s switching aspect ratios or converting files. It all adds up.”
Chaos Player allows users to composite, color grade and edit layers while playback is running.
Chaos Player now includes:
Floating-point compositing — Supports layered compositing of 32-bit, high-dynamic range image sequences with real-time playback.
A/B wipes — Animators can now compare up to four versions of a shot in playback in real time.
MP4 video support — Edits, compositions and frame sequences can now be exported to MP4.
OCIO v2 support — The latest version of one of visual effects’ most commonly used color management solutions now has full support in Chaos Player.
High-DPI interface — The UI is now fully compatible with high-density and high-resolution displays.
Review your own or your team’s animation output in playback right after the rendering finishes; see new and updated frames instantly in Chaos Player.
Chaos Player is available now for Linux, MacOS and Windows. It can be purchased through an annual subscription, priced at $99, or through V-Ray Collection, an annual plan that gives users full access to 15 Chaos products and services for $699/year.
Award-winning independent animation studio Solis Animation and internationally celebrated music group Rare Americans have joined forces to launch Crooked City Studios; a creative hub for animated content headquartered in Toronto.
This is a natural evolution, beginning in 2019, when they collaborated together on creating 16 viral animated narrative music videos for Rare Americans garnering 119+ million views on YouTube alone. Leah Solis, Les Solis and Lou Solis from Solis Animation, along with James Priestner and Jared Priestner from Rare Americans, form Crooked City Studios’ leadership team.
Under the new banner, there will be 15 new music videos slated for 2022, along with two original animated projects in development: episodic series Crooked City and a Brittle Bones Nicky movie. Both are created by James and Jared Priestner, who will also executive produce both projects. Leah Solis (John Ware Reclaimed, Gary and His Demons) will oversee both productions as the producer.
Crooked City Studios
Crooked City, the company’s namesake, is an 8 x 30′ series about a struggling young musician plucked from Earth and offered fame and fortune on an alien planet. When he discovers that he is merely a pawn in a game of galactic domination, he is faced with a difficult choice: achieve super stardom or start a revolution. James Priestner will voice the lead role as the struggling young musician, and it will be directed by Lou Solis. Crooked City‘s pilot episode will be completed Spring 2022, with the remaining episodes finished in late 2022.
Brittle Bones Nicky is slated as a feature film directed by Les Solis. It is about the sharp-witted young Nicky’s quest for family and a safe haven, as he is forced to navigate a broken social system with the help of his future dead self. The project is inspired by the music video by Rare Americans, which garnered 100M+ streams and thousands of comments from fans looking for the story to continue. Brittle Bones Nicky will be completed at the end of 2022.
“We’re thrilled to embark on this new venture with the Rare Americans crew and welcome everyone to this animated universe of ours,” said Leah Solis, Crooked City Studios’ co-founder. “The stellar combination of the band’s songs and our visual storytelling really seem to resonate with people and it’s been such a joy to witness their fans gravitate towards our animated videos. Building Crooked City Studios is an exciting opportunity to develop fresh content and introduce new viewers to an already growing engaged audience.”
Co-founder James Priestner added, “When we made the decision in early 2019 to enlist Solis Animation to animate three videos, it was really the turning point for Rare Americans. That spawned the beginning of an animated universe that’s now grown to over 300M listeners worldwide. This is just the beginning and we can’t wait to see what Rare Americans and Crooked City Studios are able to accomplish together. With a series, two films, and several music videos already in development, we are going to fly out of the gate as an original studio in 2022. Our goal has always been to make a positive impact on people’s lives and to tackle tough subject matter that kids are dealing with everyday. Our work will always reflect that core mission.”
Since 2010, Solis Animation has provided directing and visual services on a wide selection of works. Notable projects include Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans and Moonbeam City, Gord Downie’s The Secret Path, Gary and His Demons and other music videos for Jessie Reyez and Pup. Solis also animated the International Interactive Emmy-nominated series Zimmer Twins, as well as Charlie Hankin’s The Summoner for NBC and Evan Goldberg’s short film Reel Start Organization.
Rare Americans launched in 2018, and have since garnered over 300M cross-platform streams, 1M+ social media followers, a top 100 Billboard charting album and a sold-out North American tour in 2022. Besides the Priestner brothers who founded it, the band’s roster also includes Slovak guitar virtuosos Lubo Ivan and Jan Cajka, and Duran Ritz on drums.
Ramsey Naito, President of Animation for Paramount and Nickelodeon, announced today two new creative leadership positions across both animation film and series divisions, both based in Los Angeles and reporting to her.
Latifa Ouaou
Entertainment industry veteran Latifa Ouaou has been appointed Executive Vice President, Movies and Global Franchises, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, overseeing theatricals and streaming film content across both studios. Upcoming theatrical titles under Ouaou’s purview include: Paramount’s next animated feature The Tiger’s Apprentice (February 10, 2023), starring Henry Golding and directed by Raman Hui and co-directed by Paul Watling & YongDuk Jhun; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Chapter (August 4, 2023), produced in partnership with award-winning Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver and directed by Jeff Rowe; the theatrical sequel PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (October 13, 2023), in partnership with Spin Master Entertainment and directed by Cal Brunker; and the movie strategy for Avatar Studios.
Ouaou joins Paramount and Nickelodeon from Illumination, where she served as executive producer on such films as The Grinch and the upcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru. Prior to that, she was a producer at DreamWorks Animation working on one of their biggest franchises, Shrek. She also produced the Academy Award-nominated Puss in Boots and co-produced Monsters vs. Aliens, with an eye toward building both franchises into specials and series.
Eryk Casemiro
Eryk Casemiro, who formerly served as Nickelodeon’s Senior Vice President of Preschool, will now assume the role of Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content, leading animation series content for preschool and Kids 6-11 across all formats and platforms for the Nickelodeon Animation Studio. His creativity and leadership has helped grow Nickelodeon’s animation division, translating into the ongoing success of preschool hits including Baby Shark’s Big Show!, Blue’s Clues & You!, PAW Patrol and Santiago of the Seas, as well as Rugrats. Series highlights for 2022 under Casemiro’s team include Big Nate (Paramount+), Tiny Chef,Monster High, Transformers, Star Trek: Prodigy season two, Rugrats season two, SpongeBob SquarePants, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, Hamsterdale, Zokie Sparkleby, Rock, Paper, Scissors from the Intergalactic Shorts Program, Max and the Midknights and the series strategy for Avatar Studios.
Casemiro is an Emmy Award-winning producer who most recently executive produced Nickelodeon’s reboot Rugrats. He worked on the original series as Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs at Klasky-Csupo Productions. There, Casemiro was also responsible for the development and production of beloved Nickelodeon shows such as The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power, As Told By Ginger and All Grown Up!, earning the studio three Ark Trust Awards, four Humanitas Awards, 10 Emmy nominations, and an Emmy Award. He also led the development and production of feature films for Paramount Pictures including Rugrats Go Wild, The Wild Thornberrys Movie (Academy Award nominated for Best Song), Rugrats in Paris and The Rugrats Movie.
Prior to that, Casemiro was the CCO for Zodiak Kids Studios, where he produced Kody Kapow for Sprout NBC/Universal; Lilybuds for France Televisions/Discovery Kids Latin America; and Magiki for DeA Kids/Planeta. Before that, he was CCO for Marathon Media, overseeing the production of Get Blake for Nickelodeon Global and LoliRock, a Disney/France Televisions co-production. Casemiro also worked as a writer/producer on OLIVIA, Poppy Cat and The Mr. Men Show, for which he received his 11th Emmy nomination (Best Writing in a Children’s Series). He began his career with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, where he produced Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Candles, Snow and Mistletoe for CBC, Lassie’s 40th Special and the long-running hit Frosty Returns, now in its 29th year on CBS.
Under Casemiro, Claudia Spinelli, formerly Senior Vice President, Animation Development, will now assume the title of Senior Vice President, Series Animation for Big Kids, overseeing all Kids 6-11 animation development and current series for Nickelodeon with both creative teams reporting to her. Nickelodeon preschool will continue to report to Casemiro.
Mary Parent
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today that film producer, Mary Parent, will be honored with the 2022 David O. Selznick Achievement Award, recognizing producers for their outstanding body of work in motion pictures. She will accept the honor at the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards on March 19 at the Fairmont Century Plaza. The Vice Chairman of Worldwide Production at Legendary Entertainment has actively been involved in films amassing over $20 billion at the global box office. She most recently produced Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Godzilla vs Kong.
While at Legendary, Parent also produced Enola Holmes, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Carne y Arena VR (Special Achievement Oscar winner). Prior, she was founder and CEO of Disruption Ent., where she produced Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Kong: Skull Island and The Revenant, for which Parent received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, a PGA Awards nomination for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, and won a BAFTA for Best Film. Before that, she served as Vice Chairman of Worldwide Production at Universal Pictures and Chairman of MGM.
Parent also co-founded the production company Stuber/Parent. She began her career as an agent trainee at ICM before joining New Line Cinema as a Creative Executive. Parent is a member of AMPAS, the PGA and was recently named Variety’s Billion Dollar Producer. She has also been featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s 100 Most Powerful People in Entertainment, the Variety 500, Vanity Fair’s New Establishment List, Wall Street Journal’s 50 Women to Watch and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Women in Entertainment.
Rolf Giesen
World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb Festival Council decided to present the 2022 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies to leading critic and scholar, Rolf Giesen. His contributions span insights regarding character building and acting in animation, as well as animation in Nazi Germany, big subjects such as Chinese animation (e.g. in the book Chinese Animation: A History and Filmography, 1922-2012) and puppetry – ranging from historical sources to digital revolution, from tricks in live action film to fully animated films (Puppetry, Puppet Animation and the Digital Age). The award will be presented at the 32nd Animafest (June 6-11); Giesesn will also be a keynote speaker at the Animafest Scanner IX symposium (June 7-8).
Tyler Kirkham | FCBD 2022 illustration
Diamond Comic Distributors revealed the commemorative artwork for Free Comic Book Day 2022 (May 7). Prolific artist Tyler Kirkham created a one-of-a-kind design emphasizing the imagination, creativity and friendship that come from exploring the pages of a comic book for this year’s commemorative t-shirt (MSRP $15-18) and poster ($12), available in shops Jan. 26 and in the Feb. issue of Previews. Kirkham’s artwork has featured in Strykeforce, Witchblade, Tomb Raider, Ultimate Fantastic Four, X-Men: Phoenix Warsong, New Avengers/Transformers, Green Lantern Corps and Deathstroke, as well as video game concept artwork and covers.
“I wanted to create a cover that emphasized imagination, creativity, friendship and family,” said Kirkham. “I imagined this as a story leaping from an action-adventure sci-fi comic. A story of two young siblings that have created some sort of energy that can construct things they imagine. Unifying them in a way. I pictured them creating a big brother robot to help them defeat some off panel threat. I really just had a lot of fun designing and drawing this. I think it makes for a fun FCBD design!”
Beth Parker
Finland’s Gigglebug Entertainment has named Beth Parker as Managing Director. The appointment comes as the animation IP studio continues with its ambitious international expansion plans, including a brand-new studio in Helsinki and plans to staff up to 100+, and gives further momentum to an already exciting year, with two new shows set to launch on major broadcasters this year (The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti on Disney, Best & Bester on Nickelodeon) and a raft of others in the pipeline. Parker will work closely with CEO Anttu Harlin, co-founder/Creative Director Joonas Utti and Creative Producer Lucy Pryke to set strategy and drive the studio. She will focus on delivering original and service productions.
Parker is a senior animation executive with a strong creative and management track record acquired in the U.K., France and Germany. With almost 20 years’ experience in the sector, she brings creativity, insight and a wealth of strategic and operational knowledge to the table. She worked with Gigglebug on 101 Dalmatian Street during her time as Senior Manager, Production at Disney Channels EMEA (June 2014-Feb. 2020), where she was responsible for the production of all EMEA-based wholly owned, co-produced and acquired animated series in development and production for all non-theatrical Disney platforms, including Miraculous, Tales of Ladybugand Cat Noir and PJ Masks. Parker has since been a freelance executive producing for clients such as Aardman Animation and Passion Pictures. Until her recent move to Finland, she Co-Chaired Animated Women U.K., and features regularly on diversity panels aimed at audiences from school children to professional peers.
Michael Downey
Addressing the need for talent created by an ever-increasing production pipeline, Lighthouse Studios (El Deafo for Apple TV+, Little Ellen for HBOMax, The Cuphead Show! for Netflix, The Bob’s Burgers Movie) has appointed long-time animation consultant Michael Downey to the newly created position of Talent Management Director for the Kilkenny-based Irish studio. The announcement was made by Managing Director Claire Finn.
Downey’s primary goal will be to source out mid to senior-level animation talent, initiating and driving a strategic and holistic ‘top to tail’ approach to identifying and retaining talent to work on Lighthouse’s original IP development and service project slates. He will report directly to Operations Director Erik Speekenbrink, and will work closely with Finn, Head Creative Gilly Fogg and internal teams to understand talent needs and initiate training and development as required. He will also work with the studio’s communication manager to oversee recruitment campaigns directed at various audiences to attract new talent and promote existing talent and will ensure that Lighthouse’s policies on equity, diversity and inclusion are front of mind when recruiting and creating campaigns. Downey will also represent Lighthouse at key industry markets, events and educational facilities.
Prior to joining Lighthouse, Downey served as the Lead Recruiter at Boulder Media, based in Dublin. He worked on recruiting talent for the studio’s first 3D theatrical feature based on a Hasbro property My Little Pony. Downey has also been managing his own successful animation consultancy, working with various studios to find and recruit much sought-after, high-level industry talent. His work includes several animated features and TV series in both 2D and 3D. Downey received a degree in Human Resources Management & Services from National College of Ireland and a Postgraduate Certificate in Animation Production Management at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
Harold and Jennifer Chizick
ChizComm Ltd. and ChizComm Beacon Media founders Harold and Jennifer Chizick filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the State of New York, New York County against ChizComm and Genius Brands, which claims they were wrongfully terminated despite having founded and made ChizComm successful and performing loyally and in the best interest of ChizComm and Genius Brands. A copy of the complaint can be found here. Animation Magazine is awaiting a response from Genius Brands to a request for comment on this development.
More exec moves:
Trisha Husson was named Head of Strategy, Business Operations & Finance for Disney General Entertainment by the group’s chairman, Peter Rice, to whom she will report. Husson will have oversight of these functions, which include Content Research, Insights & Scheduling, Content Valuation, Music Business Affairs and Labor Relations. Eric Marcotte takes on oversight of the Strategy & Business Operations team for DGE as Senior Vice President.
Genius Brands International appointmented former senior Walt Disney Co. exec Todd Steinman as Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer of the Company’s recently announced Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse.
Priya Dogra, President, WarnerMedia EMEA & Asia (excluding China) announced the appointment of Thomas J. Ciampa as Country Manager, Italy, Spain and Portugal; Ciampa has been with the company since joining Warner Village U.K. as a Sales Manager in 2002. He takes over for Barbara Salabè, who decided to leave the company after over a decade in senior leadership roles at Warner and more than three decades in the media and entertainment industry.
Caroline Kusser joined MEDIAWAN & LEONINE Studios as Executive Vice President for International Coproduction. She was also named EVP of Global Sales of LEONINE Studios. The co-pro and licensing vet was most recently EVP, Co-Production & Distribution at Fremantle Media International.
Diamond Comic Distributors has promoted Mike Schimmel to Vice President of Sales, responsible for guiding and developing merchandise sales efforts for the company.
The Board of Directors for ASIFA-Hollywood announced today that its 49th Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation will move to a virtual format instead of a live ceremony that was originally set for Saturday, February 26. Reasons for the change are due primarily to the growing concern over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The Annies will stream live on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. PT. The link for the livestream will be free and available to everyone who wants to view the ceremony and a complete recording of the livestream will be available on the Annie Awards website the following day (www.annieawards.org).
“When we announced that the Annies would be in-person this year on February 26, the Omicron variant was not even on the horizon,” commented Frank Gladstone, ASIFA’s executive director. “But now it is here and so highly infectious that, after much debate and discussion, ASIFA’s board of directors has decided, in an abundance of caution, to once again move to a virtual ceremony. We’ve also moved the date of the event by two weeks to give our production crew time to gather and edit the huge amount of additional material it takes to construct the virtual ceremony.”
The Annie Awards covers 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Sponsored Films, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards.
The highly anticipated Ukrainian animated feature Mavka. The Forest Song will finally bring its tradition-rooted magic tale to theaters December 29, 2022, launching in Ukraine before rolling out internationally. Animagrad Studio (FILM.UA Group) will present new video materials to distributors at the European Film Market in Berlin next month, as well as two online screenings (Feb. 10-17).
Ahead of its EFM appearance, a new international trailer and imagery have been released, showing more of Mavka’s world and the characters she meets on her journey. “Mavka is undoubtedly the most anticipated release in the animation industry of Ukraine,” says Animagrad Studio CEO and producer Egor Olesov. “This story is epic, touching and funny all at the same time, which we hope will captivate the audiences worldwide.”
The movie tells the story of Mavka – the Soul of the Forest, a strong, unique female protagonist from classical literary fiction and mythology, set in a world that blends ancient Slavic myths and legends with the modern narrative and novel 3D animation technologies. The filmmakers took inspiration from ancient traditions and rituals, ornaments and patterns, authentic visual symbols in costumes, folk melodies of Slavic peoples and also from classic fairytale drama “The Forest Song” by Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka.
Mavka serves as the Guardian of the Heart of the magic Forest and its Soul, and her journey begins with falling in love with a gifted musician named Lukas, an ordinary village boy. Her feelings force her to face an impossible choice between love and her duty to protect her world. Mavka is the embodiment of virtues of selfless love, protection of nature, harmony and unity of two universes: the World of the Forest and the World of People.
Mavka. The Forest Song
In the new trailer, viewers also meet Mavka’s faithful friends Swampy the Kittyfrog, the grumpy forest noisekeeper Hush, and beautiful water nymph Ondine as well as the main antagonist, the insidious and greedy Kylina, and her henchmen: Frol (a fashion designer and Kylina’s head minion) and Eric & Derek (two strong, tough and straightforward mercenary brothers).
Mavka. The Forest Song
The studio has also revealed some of the star-studded Ukrainian voice cast, listing popular singers and celebrities. Though the voices of lead character Mavka and some other creatures are yet to be announced, the international audiences can expect a similarly shining roster.
The movie is also notable for its attention to environmental details. Consultants from the WWF-Ukraine helped artists create fantasy locations inspired by unique landscapes of Ukrainian forests and mountains. These are natural habitats for many rare and disappearing species of animals and plants that the animated filmmakers hope to draw attention to by implementing them into the plot and settings.
Mavka. The Forest Song
Mavka. The Forest Song first made waves internationally when the initial teaser was presented at the 2017 MIFA content market in Annecy. It then became the only Ukrainian project selected for Europe’s forum Cartoon Movie pitches in Bordeaux for two years in a row.
“The distribution rights to the film have already been acquired by 10 companies that operate on 20 international territories, including countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa,” notes Evgeniy Drachov of FILM.UA Distribution, which is handling international sales.
Mavka. The Forest Song
Over the years of its development and production, the project has grown into a cross-media multi-platform IP with a very high level of knowledge among local audiences – “Mavka Universe,” which brings together people from the creative, technological and business spheres, scientific and public institutions, government agencies. A number of licensing products have already launched (foods, books, apparel, accessories, branding of spaces, etc.) and many more are in the pipeline, including stationary and toys. The film is created with the support of the Ukrainian State Film Agency (USFA), the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine (ICIP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Crunchyroll has plenty on its plate today, with the announcement of two new titles on the way for its +Ultra programming partnership, as well as the voice cast reveal and first episode preview of its latest original series.
Fans get a first look at FreakAngels, the upcoming Crunchyroll Original series following a small group of psychics fighting to survive in London’s last neighborhood, with the full English-language voice cast revealed. Based on the post-apocalyptic graphic novel by Warren Elllis, the series premiere January 27 across 200 countries and territories, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian and Arabic.
Synopsis: Welcome to Whitechapel: last bastion of humanity. Six years ago, the world “ended” in a single, apocalyptic event, trapping Great Britain behind a mysterious dome of purple energy. London’s last neighborhood has persevered thanks to the protection of the “FreakAngels” — a small group of psychically-powered twenty-three-year-olds. Their fragile peace becomes threatened, however, when an exiled friend returns, exposing past conspiracies and new conflicts within their fractured, makeshift family. Can Whitechapel survive? Featuring character design by Hiroshi Shimizu (MEGALOBOX, Blue Exorcist, Lupin III) and art direction by Studio Ghibli alum Osamu Masuyama (Made in Abyss).
Characters and cast:
KK voiced by Marsha Thomason (Castlevania). A swaggering gearhead, the sort of cool mechanic girl who’ll drink all your beer, set light to your house and drive off on your motorbike. KK is the spiky, violent big sister of the FreakAngels.
Arkady voiced by Julie Nathanson (Great Pretender). Eccentric, can seem like a playful child. Arkady is the most powerful person in the world, but she’s dizzy and fragile. In private, she’s exploring her powers. A gentle woman with a storm inside her.
Jack voiced by Tru Valentino (The Cuphead Show!). A loner and a sailor who prefers to work with his hands, Jack keeps busy using his boat to scavenge flooded London for supplies and fend off raiders. He’s the classic model of stoic manhood.
Sirkka voiced by Nazneen Contractor (Star Wars Resistance). She’s a sincere pacifist, but her high morals and polyamorous lifestyle can sometimes cause friction with the other FreakAngels, especially Jack.
Connor voiced by Christian Lees (PISTOL). The damaged soul. Connor is up in his own head. He thinks too much. He’s warm and emotional, with thin skin. He’s going to have to pull himself together to pull the group together in the face of the threats to come.
Mark voiced by Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries). Mark is the FreakAngel who was exiled. He used his powers to control people, and they threw him out. Since then, he’s been roaming Britain, getting stronger, laying plans.
Luke voiced by Chris Geere (Animaniacs, Detective Pikachu). A rogue intellectual with a university poshness. He’s broken, toxic, impossibly charming until you see his damage up close.
Kat voiced by Victoria Atkin (Assassin’s Creed). Self-appointed “cop” of Whitechapel. She is quite mad, but devoted to everyone’s safety. Solitary but intimidating.
Miki voiced by Mallory Low (DC Super Hero Girls, Final Fantasy VII Remake). The medic. Her wit is razor sharp. Good at healing people, not so good at talking to them.
Caz voiced by Anniwaa Buachie (X-Men ‘97). An urban engineer. She will build her way to a better future. She is the most mature and self-aware member of the group.
Karl voiced by Darren Jacobs (Death Stranding, Genshin Impact). Telepathy is strong with Karl; he isolates in his garden for mental quiet. Kirk is the only one he can stand. Prefers to tend to his garden, alone.
Kirk voiced by Tru Valentino (The Cuphead Show!). Totally devoted to Karl, pissed off with everything else. He misses the old world, and is slow to trust anyone while very quick to anger.
Alice voiced by Della Saba (Ralph Breaks the Internet, Steven Universe). Resourceful and takes no shit. She was barely a teen when “the world ended,” and grew up with no support and no pity.
Estab Life: Great Escape | Ooyukiumi No Kaina
From the +Ultra event aired from the Fuji TV Multi Theater in Tokyo, Crunchyroll, Fuji TV and Slow Curve shared new details of their previously announced anime and revealed a new title in the works. These series are the first of many to come from the trio’s +Ultra programming partnership, announced in 2021, for joint co-development and co-production of anime series for broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV’s +Ultra midnight anime block (launched Oct. 2018) and for streaming on Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries and territories.
An original anime title by hit producer and chief director Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), ESTAB LIFE: GREAT ESCAPE takes place in the experimental city “Tokyo,” which is managed by artificial intelligence and home to a mix of various human races. Hiroyuki Hashimoto (Is the Order a Rabbit?) is the series director with Shoji Kato (Full Metal Panic!) for series composition and screenplay, Yusuke Kozaki (Pokémon Go) for character design concept and Polygon Pictures (Knight of Sidonia) for animation. The series will premiere in April 2022.
Square Enix (Dragon Quest; Final Fantasy series) will develop the tie-in mobile game. The theatrical anime feature, Estab-Life Revengers’ Road, will tell a new story, building on the anime series and the mobile game, with Goro Taniguchi set to direct and write the script.
Ooyukiumi No Kaina concept art
An original new story from popular manga artist Tsutomu Nihei (Aposimz, Knight of Sidonia, BLAME!), Ooyukiumi No Kaina (working title) follows the journey of Kaina and Liliha (working name), two young people from different worlds,whose journey to save the world begins upon their introduction. Hiroaki Ando (Listeners; Ajin: Demi-Human) serves as the anime series director. Polygon Pictures (BLAME!, Knight of Sidonia) will be developing the animation. The series will debut in January 2023.
A manga of the series will be drawn by Itoe Takemoto (The Beast Player) and published in Monthly Shōnen Sirius by Kodansha starting February 26, 2022. Kodansha will be making the English manga simulpub available on Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll will exclusively stream each series worldwide outside of Asia, day and date with the premiere on +Ultra, and manage the licensing and consumer products rights for each title worldwide outside of Asia.
In a blog post authored by Aardman Animations co-Founder & Creative Director Peter Lord and Netflix’s Director of Film – Animation Aram Yacoubian, the entertainment powerhouses detailed two exciting stop-motion movie projects sure to delight fans: The return of Chicken Run next year and a brand-new Wallace & Gromit misadventure!
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time (released in 2000), is pecking its way to a Netflix premiere in 2023. Lord writes, “Over the years, a sequel was often discussed at Aardman but the studio needed the right story and the right partner. Following Robin Robin, another collaboration seemed like a no-brainer and the perfect time to bring back our poultry heroes to the world.” New cast info and a first-look image debuted today.
Synopsis: Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger (voiced by Thandiwe Newton) has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky (Zachary Levi) hatch a little girl called Molly (Bella Ramsey), Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland, the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
Directed by Sam Fell (Flushed Away, The Tale of Despereaux, ParaNorman) from a script by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, the comedy-adventure sequel also features the voices of Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), Lynn Ferguson (Mac), Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher) and Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry).
Peter Lord, Carla Shelley, Karey Kirkpatrick and Nick Park are returning as executive producers. Steve Pegram (Arthur Christmas) and Leyla Hobart are producers.
Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park (photo: Matt Crockett for Aardman)As for the next grand outing for the lovable but rather harebrained inventor and his taciturn canine foil, the as-yet untitled Wallace & Gromit film will premiere in 2024 exclusively on Netflix around the world — except in the U.K., where it will debut first on the BBC before also coming to Netflix.
The Oscar-winning duo’s original creator Nick Park returns to his roots to direct alongside Aardman’s Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit, Merlin Crossingham (2nd unit director, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit; animation director, Early Man), with Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shaun the Sheep Movie) onboard to write. Writing and storyboarding are underway. Claire Jennings (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Coraline) produces.
In the new movie,Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own … As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces — or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
Stay tuned for further announcements! (And make sure your trousers are safely powered off before you run out to spread the news.)
Today, the nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced, with RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 finalist Gottmik revealing select categories live via GLAAD’s TikTok channel. GLAAD announced 246 nominees in 30 categories for 2022, including two new categories: Outstanding New TV Series and Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology.
“Media can create positive change and this year’s nominees represent powerful projects, stories, and creators that positively shifted culture and enlightened audiences with new and impactful LGBTQ stories,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “There are more nominees this year than ever before, highlighting a growing landscape of LGBTQ visibility, and serving as a reminder to the critical role that film, television, music, journalism, and other forms of media can play in growing LGBTQ acceptance in the face of ongoing attacks against our community.”
Key trends in nominated titles from the past year include transgender and nonbinary character representation, notably in many nominees across video games, comics and graphic novels; as well as stories about LGBTQ people of color, such as those portrayed in Danish animated documentary feature Fleeand Disney Channel animated series The Owl Houseand Amphibia.
“After decades of LGBTQ characters being excluded, sidelined or misrepresented on television, it is incredibly powerful to see how many series introduced fresh, impactful, and fully developed LGBTQ characters and storylines in their first season, many of which were some of the most beloved shows of the year,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The introduction of the Outstanding New TV Series category recognizes the shows and creators getting LGBTQ inclusion right from the beginning, and encourages other showrunners to include LGBTQ characters and stories that enlighten and entertain in new projects.”
Select category nominees follow, find the full list of 2022 GLAAD Media Awards nominees here.
The Gardener and the Wild Vines (Finite Reflection Studios)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
Life Is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine Games/Square Enix)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan (ManaVoid Entertainment/Skybound Games)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft)
Unpacking (Witch Beam /Humble Games)
UNSIGHTED (Studio Pixel Punk /Humble Games)
Outstanding Comic Book
Aquaman: The Becoming, by Brandon Thomas, Diego Olortegui, Skylar Patridge, Scott Koblish, Wade Von Grawbadger, Adriano Lucas, Alex Guimarães, Andworld Design (DC Comics)
Barbalien: Red Planet, by Tate Brombal, Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Hernández Walta, Jordie Bellaire, Aditya Bidikar (Dark Horse Comics)
Crush & Lobo, by Mariko Tamaki, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain, Nick Filardi, Ariana Maher (DC Comics)
The Dreaming: Waking Hours, by G. Willow Wilson, Javier Rodriguez, Nick Robles, M.K. Perker Matheus Lopes, Chris Sotomayor, Simon Bowland (DC Comics)
Guardians of the Galaxy, by Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blee, Cory Petit (Marvel Comics)
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour, by Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, Erich Owen, Marissa Louise, Taylor Esposito (DC Comics)
Killer Queens, by David M. Booher, Claudia Balboni, Harry Saxon, Lucas Gattoni (Dark Horse Comics)
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, by Alyssa Wong, Minkyu Jung, Ray-Anthony Height, Federico Sabbatini, Victor Olazaba, Rachelle Rosenberg, Joe Caramagna (Marvel Comics)
Superman: Son of Kal-El, by Tom Taylor, John Timms, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Steve Pugh, Clayton Henry, Gabe Eltaeb, Hi-Fi, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Steve Buccellato, Dave Sharpe (DC Comics)
Wynd, by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas, Andworld Design (BOOM! Studios)
Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology
Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms, by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise, Oscar O. Jupiter (Oni Press)
DC Pride [anthology] (DC Comics)
Eighty Days, by A.C. Esguerra (Archaia/BOOM! Studios)
The Girl from the Sea, by Molly Ostertag, Maarta Laiho (Graphix/Scholastic)
Girl Haven, by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter, Joamette Gil (Oni Press)
I Am Not Starfire, by Mariko Tamaki, Yoshi Yoshitani, Aditya Bidikar (DC Comics)
Marvel’s Voices: Pride [anthology] (Marvel Comics)
Renegade Rule, by Ben Kahn, Rachel Silverstein, Sam Beck, Jim Campbell (Dark Horse Comics)
The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel, Holly Rae Taylor (Mariner Books/HMH)
Shadow Life, by Hiromi Goto, Ann Xu (First Second/Macmillan)
The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally. The 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Ketel One Family Made Vodka.
The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies, which fund GLAAD’s work to accelerate LGBTQ acceptance, will be held in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, April 2 and in New York at the Hilton Midtown on Friday, May 6.
U.S. family pubcaster PBS KIDS is marking major anniversaries for two of its beloved animated series, toasting these toon favorites with new content, marathons and more.
PBS KIDS and GBH Kids announced that Arthur, the iconic Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning series based on the bestselling books by Marc Brown, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special marathon, including four new episodes, which culminate in a much-anticipated ending that gives a glimpse into what’s in store for the future of these beloved characters.
The marathon will feature more than 250 episodes and movie specials back-to-back on the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and livestream, as well as on the PBS KIDS YouTube channel from February 16 at 9 a.m. EST to February 21 at 5 p.m. EST. The four brand-new episodes will air on PBS stations (check local listings) and stream free on PBS KIDS on February 21, concluding the show’s 25th and final television season.
“For more than 25 years, Arthur and his friends have kept viewers learning and growing through their true-to-life experiences,” said Sara DeWitt, SVP and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We can’t wait to debut these episodes and introduce new Arthur content that will give fans more ways to engage with their favorite aardvark.”
Arthur is the longest-running kids’ animated series on TV and is known for teaching kindness, empathy and inclusion through everyday adventures and many groundbreaking moments. In the new episodes, Arthur and his friends solve a mystery, see a silent movie, find out what it’s like to be a reporter, learn how to help a grieving friend, go on a family vacation, and get a hint of their futures from a mysterious fortune-telling game. New Arthur content will continue rolling out in 2022 and beyond, including a podcast, video shorts that tackle timely and compelling topics, and digital games. The 25 TV seasons (250+ episodes) will continue to be available on PBS KIDS.
“It’s been a privilege to work with an extraordinary and talented team to bring to Arthur to public television audiences for more than two decades,” said Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer, GBH Kids. “We’re excited about Arthur’s next chapter – sharing the stories and experiences of Arthur and his Elwood City community to the media platforms where the next generation of kids and families will connect with them for years to come.”
Brown, the author of the “Arthur Adventure” book series (65 million+ copies sold in the U.S. alone), is also releasing a new book, Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), on January 25. “It’s amazing that what began as a simple bedtime story for my son eventually evolved into over a hundred books and a collaboration with GBH and PBS KIDS that would last 25 years,” said Brown. “Now more than ever the last line of my first book Arthur’s Nose rings true: ‘There is a lot more to Arthur than his nose.’”
Cyberchase 20 Years
Meanwhile, it’s been 20 years – and counting – for Cyberchase, America’s longest-running math series for kids ages 6-8. The WNET Group’s Emmy-winning animated series that builds children’s math power and environmental literacy celebrates its 20th anniversary with new episodes and more this year.
“Cyberchase engages young thinkers with exciting stories that explore important mathematics and environmental concepts and illustrate creative and collaborative problem solving,” said Sandra Sheppard, series executive producer and Kids’ Media & Education for The WNET Group. “We look forward to celebrating this special anniversary with kids and families nationwide and continuing our mission to educate and entertain our audience.”
To mark the occasion, a special marathon of six Cyberchase episodes selected by fans airs during “PBS KIDS Family Night,” Friday, January 21-Sunday, January 23, 7-10 p.m. ET on the PBS KIDS channel. The marathon features classic episodes from past seasons, including the series premiere, “Lost My Marbles,” along with other beloved stories such as “R-Fair City,” “Clock Like an Egyptian,” “Inside Hacker” and more. In addition, six special anniversary segments celebrating the show’s characters, content and impact will air ahead of each episode.
Season 13 of Cyberchase will premiere 10 new adventures during “PBS KIDS Family Night,” 7-9 p.m. ET on PBS KIDS, on Friday, February 25; Friday, April 29 in celebration of Arbor Day; and in May. The new episodes find the intrepid heroes, Jackie, Matt, Inez, and Digit, tackling a variety of timely environmental topics – from light and water pollution, invasive species and coral reefs to sustainable design, transportation, biodiversity and trees – using their math and problem-solving skills all along the way to save the day. Each episode will be accompanied by live-action epilogues, titled “Cyberchase: For Real,” that link the math and environmental concepts shown in the animation into the real world. A theme throughout the season is how the environment is interconnected, how one part can impact another and how even small actions can lead to big changes.
“I love playing The Hacker because he’s so self-important and yet so silly,” said Christopher Lloyd, who has been with the series from its inception and reprises his Emmy-nominated role in the new season. “I feel good about doing something for young people that is both imaginative and educational. When kids think through how the characters solve problems using logic and math, the solutions they come up with can be applied in their own lives as well. It’s been a wonderful experience to have a part in that.”
In addition to Lloyd, the series has welcomed numerous celebrity guest stars over the years, including Matthew Broderick, Jane Curtin, Jasmine Guy, Tony Hawk, Marcus Samuelsson, Jaden Michael, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelly McCreary, Rico Rodriguez, Danica McKellar and Al Roker.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate 20 years of Cyberchase on PBS KIDS,” added DeWitt. “Kids across the country continue to connect with these characters, stories, and as a viewer noted, ‘cool ways to do math.’ We’re looking forward to more great content for families.” New interactive activities and resources that support the learning goals of the innovative series will also roll out on the Cyberchase website the same month.
A phoenix will descend from above when Shenmue the Animation premieres Saturday, February 5 at 9:30 p.m.PST on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim. The English dubbed version will air in North America on Toonami, Adult Swim’s signature anime block, and Crunchyroll will stream the subtitled version worldwide outside of Japan and China.
A story of revenge and self-discovery, Shenmue debuted as a video game by SEGA for the Dreamcast on December 29, 1999. Since then, its captivating characters and riveting storytelling have created a cult following around the globe. Now over 20 years later, the 13-episode anime adaptation aims to capture the same essence of mystery and thrilling martial arts.
Synopsis: 1986, Yokosuka. Ryo Hazuki has trained to master the Hazuki Style Jujitsu under his strict father in the Hazuki Dojo from his childhood. However, one day a mysterious man named Lan Di murders his father and takes the “mirror” his father was protecting. Ryo is determined to find the truth behind his father’s murder, but soon finds himself getting stuck in a war between the underground organizations…. Traveling from Yokosuka to Hong Kong, Ryo’s long journey begins!
Characters and voice cast:
Ryo Hazuki voiced by Masaya Matsukaze (Japanese) and Austin Tindle (English): A high school boy and heir to the Hazuki style martial arts. When his father is murdered by a mysterious man named Lan Di, Ryo begins a journey to polish his martial arts and uncover the truth behind his father’s death.
Lan Di voiced by Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese) and Scott Gibbs (English): A high-ranking member of the underground organization Chi You Men who murders Ryo’s father and steals the Dragon Mirror.
Shenhua voiced by Natalie Rial (English): A young girl who lives in a rural village in Guilin under the care of her foster father. Pure and simple, she has vast knowledge of plants, animals, and other natural survival skills.
Nozomi Harasaki voiced by Cat Thomas (English): Ryo’s classmate who has secretly admired him ever since he saved her from bullies in middle school. Strong and considerate, she usually spends her time helping in her grandmother’s flower shop.
Guizhang Chen voiced by Jeremy Gee (English): Guizhang was born in Yokohama and taught martial arts by his father from a young age. Since Ryo has a similar upbringing, although Guizhang acts cold he feels close to Ryo.
Chai voiced by Greg Ayres (English): A member of Chi You Men. He has a unique condition allowing him to do superhuman-like moves. After Lan Di has taken the Dragon mirror, he begins looking for the second mirror.
Wong voiced by Bryson Baugus (English): A member of Heavens. He looks up to Ren like a brother and aspires to be like him.
Joy voiced by Luci Christian (English): Joy is a young woman who loves motorcycles. Her father runs a trade business and is highly trusted by many. Like Ryo, Joy has also lost her mother at a young age.
Xiuying Hong voiced by Christine Auten (English): Her priest name is Lishao Tao. Although she is young, she is known as the grand master of Bajiquan. Her facial expression is always calm, but her clear eyes look like she can see through people’s hearts and intentions.
Ren voiced by Cody House (English): The charismatic head of Heavens, a street gang that operates in Beverly Hills Wharf. He is obsessed with money and does not trust anyone other than his friends. Ren is rivals with the Yellow Heads gang and plans to beat them one day.
Dou Niu voiced by Joe Daniels (English): While being the boss of Yellow Heads, Dou Niu is also part of Chi You Men. To gain trust from Lan Di, he also begins looking for Yuanda Zhu. Dou Niu has a large bear-like body, which puts Ryo and his friends in a difficult situation when fighting him.
Additional voice actors will be announced soon.
Shenmue the Animation is a Crunchyroll and Adult Swim original series directed by Chikara Sakurai (One Punch Man Season 2) with animation production by Telecom Animation Film and production management provided by Sola Entertainment. Original opening music “UNDEAD-NOID” will be performed by Ito Kashitaro. Video game creator Yu Suzuki is credited with the original concept. Kensuke Ishikawa (Tower of God) will serve as chief animation director, with scripts from Kento Shimoyama (We Rent Tsukumogami, BLEACH) and original character design from Udaka.
Additional Crunchyroll and Adult Swim original series include Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Fena: Pirate Princess.
WarnerMedia Kids & Family announced today two new project greenlights and a series renewal that will expand the storytelling universe of the hit Emmy-, GLAAD- and NAACP Image Award-nominated Craig of the Creek. Establishing itself as a premier animated kids franchise, project greenlights include a preschool spinoff series Jessica’s Big Little World, and an original animated movie, Craig of the Creek: The Movie, plus a season five series renewal.
“In Craig of the Creek, Matt Burnett, Ben Levin, Tiffany Ford and the entire crew created a charming, imaginative, and inclusive world that represents the best in kids animation,” said Sam Register, President, Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation. “We could not ask for a better foundation as we expand the stories of the Creek into preschool and long-form projects ensuring that Craig of the Creek is well on its way to becoming our studio’s next big kids franchise.”
“Since its debut, Craig of the Creek has been an instant audience favorite, capturing the joy of being a kid along with the humor and heart of family life,” said Amy Friedman, Head of Kids & Family Programming, Warner Bros. “We are so thrilled with how Cartoon Network Studios has opened up Craig’s world and that his hilarious little sister Jessica, a breakout character, will now have her own show!”
Jessica’s Big Little World
Jessica’s Big Little World – No task is too big, even when you’re little! Set to debut in 2023, this preschool spinoff centers on the Creek’s favorite resilient little sister, Jessica, as she navigates her way through a world where everything seems much bigger than she is. Although she’s the youngest and still needs help with a lot, Jessica is inspired by the grown-ups and bigger kids around her and is persistent in her quest to conquer monumental kid tasks like creating a bedtime routine or saying hi to a new classmate. With the help of her friends, imaginary and real, Jessica sets off to take on the world, even if she still does suck her thumb … sometimes.
Following Cartoonito’s framework of Humancentric Learning, Jessica’s Big Little World aims to mirror important moments and milestones in children’s lives to help them recognize and appreciate that difficult experiences and feelings are universal. The preschool series will weave themes of communication, imaginative play, perseverance and embracing age-appropriate strategies for overcoming obstacles throughout.
Craig of the Creek: The Movie – An origin story of the Creek’s bravest explorer that could only be told through the scope of a movie. Craig Williams is the shy, new kid in town, longing for his old home and life. Little does he know, he’ll soon set off on the biggest adventure he could ever dream of. Treasure maps, pirate ships, and a villain who wants to destroy the Creek are just the beginning in this treasure hunting epic! Craig of the Creek: The Movie is expected to premiere in 2023.
Craig of the Creek Season Five – Craig of the Creek follows the precocious Craig and his best friends Kelsey and J.P., as they transform everyday afternoons into extraordinary adventures through imaginative play at the neighborhood creek. Season five delves deeper into the endless world of the Creek as Craig embarks on more journeys with friends new and old, finding adventure, mystery and fun around every bend. Season five is scheduled to premiere early next year.
Craig of the Creek
Craig of the Creek, Craig of the Creek: The Movie and Jessica’s Big Little World are executive produced and co-created by Emmy-nominated Steven Universe writers Matt Burnett and Ben Levin. Jessica’s Big Little World is executive produced and co-created by former Craig of the Creek supervising director, Tiffany Ford.
“Seeing how viewers automatically fell in love with Jessica, the littlest member of the Williams family, and her big belief that she can do what everyone else does, developing Jessica’s Big Little World was a natural next step in the Craig universe,” said Burnett and Levin. “Tiffany has been part of the Craig of the Creek family since the beginning and there isn’t a better voice to bring our pint-sized heroine’s journey to preschoolers.”
Added Ford, “I’m very much looking forward to the stories we’re going to tell on Jessica’s Big Little World. We hope to bring forth relatable adventures that kids and parents can both connect to. I personally feel close to Jessica — she reminds me of people in my family, experiences that I’ve had, and friends that I’ve known. As we continue to develop this very special show, Jessica’s journey to becoming a big kid has also inspired me to find a more kind and compassionate approach to the even smallest moments in life.”
Craig of the Creek is consistently recognized for its authentic storytelling and representation of Black family life. Highlighted also by the diverse talent behind the scenes, the show has been praised for its inclusive storylines, relatable characters and accurate portrayal and normalization of Black culture. The series has garnered multiple award nominations since its 2018 premiere and received a Common Sense Seal for diversity in television. The fourth season of Craig of the Creek premiered Monday, Jan. 17 on Cartoon Network and will be followed by Thursday, Feb. 17 on HBO Max.
![Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park [photo: Matt Crockett for Aardman]](https://www.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/a-person-sitting-at-a-table-with-two-stuffed-anima.jpeg "Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park [photo: Matt Crockett for Aardman]")
