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Poppy and Branch will return for another technicolor, tuneful adventure soon, with Universal Pictures announcing a third Trolls movie from DreamWorks Animation will arrive November 17, 2023. No details on where the story will take our upbeat heroes or the creative team were revealed; however, it is likely that Trolls World Tour director Walt Dohrn will return to the helm in light of his overall deal with the studio.
Trolls 3 will get the big screen treatment with a 17-day exclusive theatrical window before arriving on PVOD. The previous outing, Trolls World Tour, enjoyed breakout success going straight to home audiences during the COVID-19 theatrical shutdown last year, earning over $100 million from digital rentals (on top of $47M in worldwide box office). This move led to a row between Universal and AMC Theaters, with other cinema chains joining in, and sparked debate about how to deal with exclusivity windows and related agreements during the pandemic. The sequel did enjoy a small big screen run in drive-in theaters across the U.S.
The franchise kicked off with 2016’s Trolls, directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Dohrn from a script by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Burger (inspired by the popular Good Luck Trolls dolls), introducing the super-positive Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and curmudgeonly paranoiac Branch (Justin Timberlake). Released by 20th Century Fox, the glittery musical grossed $346M in worldwide box office and earned four Annie Award nominations as well as Best Original Song nods from the Oscars, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards for “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — which won the Grammy for Song Written for Visual Media.
HBO Max is ready to sleigh the holidays with its seasonal Max Original adult animated series, Santa Inc., from Lionsgate Television and Seth Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures. The streamer has officially unveiled the key art and first-look images and expletive-laden trailer for the project, announced in May 2020.
Santa Inc.
Starring co-creator Sarah Silverman as a disgruntled elf ready to shake up the white male hegemony of the North Pole, all eight stop-motion episodes drop Thursday, December 2.
Watch the not-for-kids Red Band trailer below (we warned you)…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=aEx_CBxNrXY
Santa Inc. centers on intrepid elf Candy Smalls (Silverman), who will do anything to be named as the first female Santa — even if she has to fight like a man to get it. The Series also features the voices of Rogen, Leslie Grossman, Gabourey Sidibe, Craig Robinson, Nicholas Braun, Maria Bamford and Joel Kim Booster.
A Lionsgate Television Production, the series is created and written by showrunner and executive producer, Alexandra Rushfield (Shrill, Parks and Recreation). Executive producers include Silverman and Amy Zvi; Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Joshua Fagen for Point Grey Pictures; Rosa Tran, Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner and Chris Waters. Directed by Harry Chaskin.
Silvergate Media is readying the release of Hilda and the Mountain King — an epic 80-minute movie special which will launch exclusively on Netflix’ global streaming platform from December 30. Adapted from Luke Pearson’s sixth graphic novel in the Hilda series, Hilda and the Mountain King picks up where the shocking cliff-hanger ending of Hilda Season 2 left off: Finding Hilda stranded in troll country with the body of a troll.
In the movie, Hilda’s quest to change back into her human form and reunite with her mum and friends brings her deeper into the world of trolls: their customs, their cuisine, and their legends; namely the infamous Mountain King. Meanwhile, as tensions rise between the gathering trolls and the city of Trolberg, Hilda’s mum scours the mountainside desperate to find her daughter before the conflict erupts into a full blown war.
“We’re really excited to bring audiences a new feature length format with the release of Hilda and the Mountain King. The epic scope of the storyline gives us the opportunity to explore the full potential of Hilda’s fascinating mythical world and we think fans are going to love getting lost in the hidden depths of Trolberg this holiday season,” said Ron Allen, EVP Commercial at Silvergate Media.
Co-produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Films, Hilda and the Mountain King is a triumphant end to a year filled with numerous critical accolades. The show’s second season was awarded two Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Children’s Animated Series, plus three Annie Awards, including Best Animated TV Production for Children.
Silvergate is an international media company whose other award-winning productions include Octonauts, Peter Rabbit and Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt for Netflix, and Sunny Day for Nickelodeon. The studio’s world-renowned content is created by its talented team of Executive Producers in New York, while its London-based commercial team builds global IP franchises via content distribution, consumer products, live entertainment and attractions partners, with China a particular area of expertise.
GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights for Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyoko no Nikuko-chan), the latest feature from the lauded Studio 4°C (Tekkonkinkreet). The producer-distributor will release the festival favorite theatrically early next year in its latest collaboration with the Japanese studio, having handled local distribution forChildren of the Sea, Mind Game, MFKZ, Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond.
Planned and produced by Japanese comedy legend Sanma Akashiya out of his love for the original novel by Kanako Nishi, and directed by the esteemed Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko follows the lives of loud and boisterous single mother Nikuko and her quiet daughter Kikuko, whose otherwise quiet life in a small seaside village is frequently disrupted by her mother’s comedic antics.
“We’re thrilled to work with director Ayumu Watanabe and creative producer Sanma Akashiya on a film that puts their unique artistry and talents on full display,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a big-hearted coming-of-age story with unforgettable characters and a poignant mix of comedy and drama, that is sure to leave an impact on audiences here next year.”
Watanabe stated in the announcement, “To everyone in the United States! This is terrific news! I am very excited that this film will be shown to you all. Occasionally, I feel that I am inspired by the art that is American entertainment. I’m revealing this for the first time here, but back when Nikuko didn’t have a soundtrack or theme song, and I was planning out this film, there was a song I always listened to. I heard that a long time ago, Americans hummed this song to overcome predicaments. It’s a great story that makes you perceive the power of entertainment. It had a substantial influence on the spirit of this movie. It would be nice if that’s conveyed to you all! Many thanks to the excellent song from America, ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’…”
Synopsis: Nikuko is a brash, jolly, scattered and passionate woman in an otherwise sleepy seaside town in northern Japan. She’s also the single mother of 11-year-old Kikuko, who is her opposite in many ways. Kikuko is a string-bean of a young girl, pensive, quietly curious, and methodical in how she approaches life in this small harbor town.
Nikuko embarrasses Kikuko as any mom of a preteen would, but Nikuko’s bold spirit makes her especially well-known in a town where Kikuko herself wants nothing more than to simply blend in. As Kikuko navigates the everyday social dramas of middle school, enhanced with touches of magical realism from her ever-present imagination, a shocking revelation from the past threatens to uproot the pair’s tender relationship.
Featuring the voices of Shinobu Otake, Cocomi and Natsuki Hanae, the film’s creative team also includes screenwriter Satomi Oshima, art director Shinji Kumra (Tekkonkinkreet, Children of the Sea, Dorohedoro), supervising animation director Kenichi Konishi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Children of the Sea) and composer Takatsugu Muramatsu. Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. Ltd. is the production partner.
Big Bad Boo Studios announces the official greenlight of their new original, animated series Galapagos X with commissioning Canadian broadcasters TVOKids, SRC Radio-Canada, Knowledge Kids and TFO. Directed by Shabnam Rezaei, the new series focuses on climate change with relevant, exciting, and empowering stories.
“With Galapagos X, we hope to give kids fun stories, lots of comedy and practical, everyday tips on ways to prevent future environmental disasters from happening,” said Rezaei.
Galapagos X focuses on a group of four life science explorers and their blue-footed booby bird who come to the present from a future that has taken the wrong turn. Our heros Orchid, Zeph, Oshie and Rae set off on adventures to solve environmental problems.
Galapagos X
Galapagos X will be trekking new territory — both literally and figuratively — as Big Bad Boo will develop an interactive virtual reality component that sees its audience explore different ecosystems in addition to creating a traditional television series and digital storybook.
The series’ voice cast will feature Schitt’s Creek star Jennifer Robertson as the voice of power-hungry and oblivious Doc Crock.
Writer/director Chris Perry and animator Raf Anzovin have received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games which will be used to create a new animated short film titled Little Bird. A teaser trailer for the short was released today.
Featuring the voices of animation legends Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Futurama) and Cree Summer (Rugrats, Inspector Gadget), Little Bird tells the story of a young astronaut trying to rescue her father.
“The story for Little Bird came to me in late 2019 when I had to be away from my kids due to work,” says Perry. “When I pitched it to Raf, he thought it would make a great next challenge for our ever-evolving stylized CG pipeline.”
Little Bird
Prior to Little Bird, the duo collaborated onMonkey Test, which features a stylized CG character easily mistaken for 2D due to its free-form gestural posing and cel-inspired lighting and shading. It was created using Anzovin’s custom “ephemeral” rigging system, with a stylized look created by rendering multiple passes and stitching them together carefully in compositing.
Excited to create a stylized look for Little Bird that’s infused with painterly qualities, Perry and Anzovin have enlisted the help of Jill Daniels (Infinity Train, Phineas and Ferb) as art director and associate producer on the short.
“We want every shot of Little Bird to be informed by the art of traditional painting. We’re talking color, composition, and even the presence of brush marks,” says Perry. “In Jill we’ve found a gifted artist who is excited to help us figure out how to bring a rich painterly sense into the 3D world of our short.”
Little Bird
In addition to producing the film, Perry and Anzovin are using the Epic MegaGrant to migrate their layer-based shading and lighting pipeline from an offline process into a fully real-time one within Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. They are writing two custom Unreal plugins to support this effort.
“We love innovating stylistically, but it’s super frustrating to manage all the layers going in and out of these different software platforms,” says Perry. “Unreal Engine allows us to render and composite our multiple passes in real time, without ever needing to write them out to disk. It turns a nightmare of asset management across multiple packages into a completely internalized process that’s easy to art direct and tweak.”
Little Bird
The team plans an open source release of their two plugins so other creatives can take advantage of their multi-layered approach within Unreal.
“Unreal Engine is known as a great tool for real-time photorealistic production,” says Anzovin, “and everyone wants the speed, but not everyone wants the photorealism. Our plugins allow us to produce animated content in Unreal that is infused with stylistic elements from 2D animation and painterly art, but without sacrificing all the advantages of real-time production. The shot-centric approach means that the process is going to feel very familiar to anyone coming from a background in conventional CG animation.”
Chris Perry | Raf Anzovin self portrait | Jill Daniels
In addition to pushing boundaries on the rendering front, Anzovin used Little Bird to test out the latest version of the ephemeral rigging system. Developed for Autodesk’s Maya with Tagore Smith of Notional Pipe, the ephemeral system eschews conventional CG character animation concepts like hierarchical rigs and interpolated keyframes. Instead, the animator is given a set of tools that allow fast and fluid pose creation, and creates poses and in-betweens much as a traditional drawn animator would.
“The ephemeral approach removes a lot of the technical red tape that gums up the works for animators, and lets you work a lot faster and more loosely than the conventional CG animation process would allow,” says Anzovin. “It fits perfectly into a stylized production like Little Bird.”
Little Bird
Aliyah, the lead character in Little Bird, is the first character to be animated using the latest iteration of the system. Anzovin also leveraged Contour Rig Tools, an upcoming product from Notional Pipe, for its spline-based deformer.
The project’s progress is being tracked on Instagram (instagram.com/little_bird_animation), while Anzovin is chronicling some of the behind-the-scenes R&D work on his personal blog (justtodosomethingbad.com), covering ephemeral rigging and stylized real-time rendering in Unreal Engine.
The visual spectacles that have delighted streaming audiences in recent years are getting a boost at Netflix, with the platform/producer/distributor announcing its acquisition of acclaimed visual effects house Scanline VFX. Netflix will invest in Scanline’s pipeline, infrastructure and workforce and continue to support the pioneering work of its virtual production division, Eyeline Studios.
“From the interstellar landscape of Cowboy Bebop and the ravenous vampires of Blood Red Sky to the exploding underground reactor in Stranger Things 3, we want to surprise and delight our members by pushing the boundaries of visual effects. So we’re pleased to announce today our plans to acquire Scanline VFX, one of the most creative and innovative VFX studios in the world,” Amy Reinhard, VP of Studio Operations for Netflix, wrote in Monday’s blog post announcement.
Founded in 1989, Scanline is known for creating complex, photorealistic effects and expertise in virtual production. In addition to the above-mentioned Netflix titles, the studio is working to support creators’ visions with VFX for upcoming titles Don’t Look Up, The Gray Man, Slumberland, The Adam Project and Stranger Things 4. Beyond Netflix, Scanline has delivered groundbreaking work for a range of projects including Game of Thrones, Gozilla vs. Kong and Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Scanline is currently led by trailblazing VFX supervisor Stephan Trojansky, whose proprietary fluid rending system Flowline won a Technical Achievement Oscar in 2008. The company has offices in Vancouver, Montreal, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Stuttgart and Seoul. (Learn more at www.scanlinevfx.com.)
Completion of the transaction, the terms of which were not revealed, is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Netflix expects to close the deal in Q1 of 2022.
Netflix will continue to work with other studios around the world to fulfill VFX demands for its productions, and Scanline will continue to operate as a standalone business working with a variety of clients.
Entrepreneur Josh Jones has acquired the animated film and television rights to Groo the Wanderer, legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragonés’ beloved comics character, with the intent of producing the character’s first-ever animated entertainment via Jones’ Did I Err Productions company.
Groo the Wanderer, now in its landmark 40th year of publication, is the longest currently-running independent and “creator-owned” comic-book property — outlasting many of the companies that published it. The brainchild of Aragonés, who creates the stories along with wordsmith Mark Evanier, the Eisner Award-winning comic has been published by Dark Horse Comics since 1998.
Jones and his Did I Err partner Scott Nocas will serve as executive producers on the film and/or series, with Aragonés and Evanier. Did I Err is focused on partnering with creative talent who understand Aragonés’ vision and characters. Projects are being packaged for streaming services and global distribution, with Did I Err able to co-finance as needed.
“After drawing and living with Groo for so many years, so many comics, so many pages, you can imagine I have drawn Groo in every position imaginable,” Aragonés explains. “Mark and I wondered so many times how he — Groo, not Mark — would look animated. We studied what we have seen on the screen by different animators and laughed plenty. Now, I know that we are going in the right direction and I can assure the fans that they will love Groo the way Mark and I do.”
Groo the Wanderer follows the exploits of a barbarian warrior who is invincible in battle,
but negotiates his days with an I.Q. three points lower than a boulder. With his trusty canine sidekick Rufferto, he wanders an ancient land of mystery, magic and mayhem, looking only for a warm place to sleep, a few coins or a taste of cheese dip.
“I’ve loved Groo the Wanderer since I was eight years old, and to have the honor of bringing the character to on-screen life is, quite literally, a lifelong dream come true,” Jones says. “Sergio’s style, the characters, the world, and especially the humor have always appealed to me. I just want to help bring what I’ve loved for so long to the next generation!”
Mark Evanier (Photo: Gabrielle Muttone) | Josh Jones | Scott Nocas (Photo: Trish Allison Photography)
Jones’ wide portfolio of businesses go far beyond his role as the head of Did I Err Productions: The visionary entrepreneur also owns and operates Kill Capital, a hybrid VC firm and family office; Gondola Ventures, a transportation infrastructure firm; FlyCoin, a crypto rewards program; and Ravn Alaska and its sister airline Northern Pacific Airways. Jones became a Bitcoin proponent in 2010 and has built an outstanding reputation throughout the cryptocurrency industry as a prolific investor and technical expert. He also co-founded DreamHost, a popular web hosting provider, while an undergraduate at Harvey Mudd College. He is a founder of HMC INQ, an investment network offering mentorship and startup support to HMC students and alumni. He currently serves on the board of Represent.Us and The Aquarium of the Pacific.
Aragonés is the most honored cartoonist on the planet, having won every major award in the field, including the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award and the Will Eisner Hall of Fame Award. His irresistible cartoons have appeared in MAD since 1963, including as the subject of “All-Sergio” special editions of the magazine. His artistic creations have been seen in DC Comics, Marvel Comics and just about every major publisher of funnybooks, and his work has been translated into more than 100 languages. Paperback collections of his work and graphic novels have sold into the millions.
Evanier is renowned for his writing in several mediums. The Los Angeles native has written comic books for the characters of The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studios and Hanna-Barbera, and the three-time Emmy Award nominee’s robust resume of television writing for both live-action and animated series includes Welcome Back Kotter, That’s Incredible, Pryor’s Place, the Scooby-Doo franchise, Superman: The Animated Series, Thundarr the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Garfield & Friends and The Garfield Show. An assistant to comics legend Jack Kirby, Evanier honored his one-time employer in 2008 by writing a book entitled Kirby: King of Comics. Evanier has earned several Eisner Awards and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Animation Writing by the Writers Guild of America.
Growing up a huge comic-book collector and Groo fan, Nocas has a long career investing in and launching media, consumer and education businesses. He has launched and produced content for next-generation platforms and communities with Xbox, Sony, Vuguru, Marvel creator Stan Lee, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Army and many others. Nocas currently serves as Managing Director of Jones’ Kill Capital, and as a venture partner with NextGen Ventures — in addition to his producer role with Did I Err Productions.
In preparation for the anticipated production(s), the franchise’s website – Groo.com – has been refreshed, and fans can keep up with the latest Groo news and connect with fellow members of the Groo community on Twitter (twitter.com/OfficialGroo), Instagram (www.instagram.com/officialgroo), Facebook (www.facebook.com/Officialgroothewanderer) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/c/GrooTheWanderer).
Ron’s Gone Wrong from 20th Century Studios and Locksmith Animation – and Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes – starts streaming on Disney+ just in time for the holidays on December 15. Witness the crazy adventures between a B*Bot and his human best friend, as they discover self-acceptance and courage along the way. In addition to streaming on Disney+, the movie will be available to stream on HBO Max on December 15.
In Ron’s Gone Wrong, things go hilariously awry when Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler, receives a malfunctioning, digitally connected device that’s supposed to be his “best friend out of the box.” In this action-packed animated story set against the backdrop of the social media age, a boy and his robot discover the wonderful messiness of true friendship.
The movie is directed by Sarah Smith and Jean-Philippe Vine and co-directed by Octavio E. Rodriguez. Julie Lockhart and Lara Breay produce with executive producers Sarah Smith, Peter Baynham and Elisabeth Murdoch. The movie is written by Smith and Baynham, with music by Henry Jackman.
The voice cast roster features Jack Dylan Grazer as Barney Pudowski, Zach Galifianakis as Ron, Olivia Colman as Donka Pudowski, Ed Helms as Graham Pudowski, Justice Smith as Marc Wydell Rob Delaney as Andrew Morris, Kylie Cantrall as Savannah Meades, Marcus Scribner as Alex, Ricardo Hurtado as Rich and Thomas Barbusca as Jayden.
The movie will also be available on Blu-ray and at all digital stores such as Apple TV, Prime Video and Vudu with exclusive bonus features.
Read more about Ron’s Gone Wrong in Animation Magazine‘s feature story from the November ’21 issuehere.
Tubi announced the premiere episode of its first-ever original animated series, The Freak Brothers, delivered the platform’s most-watched episode, ranking #1 in total viewing time (TVT) since it launched on Sunday on FOX Entertainment’s free streaming service. Additionally, the new toon based on the cult classic underground comic series, delivered +80% more viewers than the #2 series on the platform.
“In just its first week, we’re seeing viewers gather en masse to tune in to The Freak Brothers,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “Tubi’s new hit is a result of the synthesis between great content, a stellar cast, superb marketing, new viewer engagement and organic viewership driven by our Content Personalization Engine.”
The Freak Brothers marks Tubi’s first foray into adult animation, as it expands its adult comedy collection in the coming months. The additional episodes from Season One will drop on Sundays, one every week, through the finale, Sunday, Dec. 26. The eight-episode series chronicles the escapades of a trio of stoner anti-establishment characters and their cat who wake up from a 50-year nap after smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969, and must adjust to life with a new family in present-day San Francisco.
Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Tiffany Haddish and Pete Davidson, the series is produced by WTG Enterprises and distributed by Lionsgate.
The Freak Brothers is executive-produced by Courtney Solomon (AFTER, Mr. Church,” Cake) and Mark Canton (STARZ’s POWER UNIVERSE, 300, Den of Thieves), along with award-winning producers Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland (King of the Hill, American Dad!). Woody Harrelson, Tiffany Haddish, Pete Davidson, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Gilbert Shelton and Manfred Mroczkowski also serve as executive producers on the series.
Crunchyroll announced a huge slate of new and upcoming anime series at Anime NYC, including the highly anticipated SPY x FAMILY, based on the award-winning manga of the same name, alongside Aoashi, A Couple of Cuckoos and more. The brand also premiered an exclusive clip from Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
SPY x FAMILY follows the life of an undercover spy who unknowingly marries an assassin as he tries to further his mission of infiltrating an elite academy. He enrolls his adoptive daughter into the academy, not knowing that she is a telepath! The anime will stream on Crunchyroll in 2022. The series is produced by WIT STUDIO and CloverWorks, with Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Hunter x Hunter 1999, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn) on board as director and Kazuaki Shimada (The Promised Neverland) serving as character designer. Based on the award-winning manga by Tatsuya Endo, which has been serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ with more than 12.5 million copies currently in print.
Additional new anime series heading to Crunchyroll include:
Aoashi– This anime is based on the cutting edge soccer manga of the same name, following a young soccer ace as he takes his career to the next level.Coming to Crunchyroll April 2022.
A Couple of Cuckoos – This chaotic romantic comedy follows two high school students who were mixed up at birth and find themselves in a pretend romance! Coming soon to Crunchyroll.
Dance Dance Danseur – The first anime adaptation from popular manga artist Asakura George follows the passionate adolescence of a group of ballet dancers. The upcoming series will be produced by MAPPA and directed by Sakai Munehisa.
The Dawn of the Witch – This new anime follows a normal boy and his companions who set out to truly find themselves as they encounter the magical and extraordinary. Coming April 2022.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – This romantic comedy follows sweet Shikimori who transforms into a heartthrob when her boyfriend is in trouble! Coming April 2022.
In/Spectre Season 2 – This Crunchyroll Original series follows the supernatural romance of Kotoko and Kuro as they solve new mysteries. Coming 2022.
Tomodachi Game – This series questions the nature of humanity when faced with the ultimate psychological game and is based on the popular comic series that has sold more than two million copies. Coming April 2022.
In advance of One Piece’s 1,000th episode (“1000 LOGS”) this weekend, Toei Animation in Japan released special anniversary artwork featuring Monkey D. Luffy. Fans worldwide are invited to post their own milestone episode messages to social media— whether they be memories of enjoying the show, favorite moments from the franchise or just a quick congrats to the creative team — using this commemorative artwork along with the hashtag #OnePiece1000LOGS.
One Piece 1000 LOGS Anniversary
This was followed during the weekend with the reveal of the poster for the animated feature One Piece Film: Red and a teaser clip in a special TV spot. From an original story by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, who serves as the flick’s general producer, the new movie will be directed by Goro Taniguchi from a screenplay by Tsutomu Kurowa, and is due out in Japan on August 6, 2022.
The teaser visual on a red background unveils an original movie character designed by Oda, wearing a headset microphone and depicted singing to the sky. No details have been revealed about this newcomer. The “singing voice” and “red-haired” catchphrases sparked speculation from fans and are raising expectations for the events of One Piece Film: Red.
Red
With musical notes overflowing from the score, the teaser video introduces the mysterious new character created by Oda. It is clear she holds the key to the story as the narrator poses an ominous question about “her voice.” The teaser closes with the face of Red-Haired Shanks — the pirate who inspired Luffy to go on his journey.
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Taniguchi, whose credits include the series CODE GEASS, s-CRY-ed, PLANETES and revisions, made his directorial debut with One Piece Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack! – the first animated adaptation of One Piece for “Jump Super Anime Tour ’98.” One Piece Film: Red marks his return to the franchise for the first time in 23 years.
Screenwriter Kuroiwa’s credits include the film KINGDOM and the drama series TOKYO MER: Mobile Emergency Room. He previously wrote the screenplay for One Piece Film: Gold.
Emmy-nominated voice actor, singer-songwriter and author Will Ryan, known for playing Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete in numerous Disney animation projects as well as Petrie in Don Bluth’s 1988 feature The Land Before Time, died Friday, November 19 at age 72 from cancer. Ryan, who was also at one time president of international animation organization ASIFA, was residing in Santa Monica, California at the time of his death.
Born William Frank Ryan on May 21, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, the multi-hyphenate talent began his creative career as a singer, teaming up with Phil Baron to form Willio and Phillio in the 1970s, performing regularly for radio, TV and in clubs. The duo also voiced best friends Teddy Ruxpin (Baron) and Grubby the Octopede (Ryan) in the book & tape series as well as the 1986 animated series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
After moving to California, Ryan began to write and record songs for The Walt Disney Company and began his long voice-acting partnership with Disney as Rabbit, Tigger and the singing voice for Eeyore on Disney channel’s Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983) as well as other Winnie the Pooh cartoons. The same year he debuted as Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Ryan lent his vocal talents to several other ’80s cartoon hits, including G.I. Joe (Rock ‘n Roll), Dumbo’s Circus (Barnaby), DuckTales, The Smurfs, The Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Teen Wolf, The Little Mermaid (Seahorse Herald) and An American Tail (Digit). In 1987, he began his long run on Focus on the Family radio drama/video shorts series Adventures in Odyssey, for which he performed over 100 characters (Ryan began his 34th season as a regular on the show this year).
Throughout the ’90s, Ryan provided voices for the series Garfield and Friends, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat and Courage the Cowardly Dog (the Duck Brothers), as well as feature films, specials and video titles including Thumbelina, Rock-A-Doodle, A Troll in Central Park, A Flintstones Christmas Carol, The Story of Santa Claus and The Pebble and the Penguin. He was a writer and consulting producer for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996), earning his Primetime Emmy nomination as well as a WGA Award nomination.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Ryan reprised Willie the Giant and Peg-Leg Pete for series, shorts and specials in the new millennium, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, for which he shared an ensemble award from Behind the Voice Actors in 2014, and 2021 series Mickey Mouse Funhouse. His 2000s voice credits also include Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and guest spots on Family Guy and Wonder Showzen.
As a songwriter, Ryan earned two Gold Records from the R.I.A.A., a Pioneer Award from BMI and an Annie Award nomination for the track “The Elmo Aardvark Song.” His band, Will Ryan & The Cactus County Cowboys released five CDs, and he wrote over 100 songs for Disney and the Jim Henson Company. He also penned a number of books, including Duke and Me and The Tiny Little Book of Cowboy Haiku.
Ryan is survived by his wife, Nancy Niparko Ryan, and siblings Patty Ryan, Marsha Ryan Russo and George Ryan.
GKIDS announced Friday it has added exclusive IMAX preview shows of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s latest feature, Belle. Previews begin Wednesday, January 12 in select markets, ahead of the film’s nationwide theatrical opening on January 14. The studio also revealed a new theatrical poster for the highly anticipated film. Tickets for IMAX showings and select markets are on sale now at BelleFilm.com.
Belle
This original retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” set partially in an expansive virtual world was released in theater (including IMAX screens) in Japan starting July 16, and topped the box office for three consecutive weekends. The film marks Hosoda’s first title to have IMAX screenings, and played in 38 IMAX theaters throughout Japan. Belle has crossed 6.52 billion yen (approx. 59.2 million USD) in box office to date, becoming Hosoda’s highest-grossing film ever by beating the lifetime gross of Boy and the Beast. (Read all about the film in Animation Magazine‘s feature story here!)
Hilda (Netflix) won the 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday it will debut a Children’s & Family Emmy Awards beginning in 2022. Details and dates for the standalone competition and ceremony will be announced next year. The first Emmy expansion since the Sports and News & Documentary sections spun off in 1979, the move comes as NATAS has seen an explosion in submissions to the kids & family categories (currently 27 as part of the Daytime Emmys) and a 23% increase in programming for this audience in the past two years.
Top children’s animation honors for this year went to The Adventures of Paddington, Hilda and Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth (review the list of winners here). They were honored during the Children’s and Animation portion of this year’s Daytime Emmy trio of virtual ceremonies held in July. NATAS also received more than 300 submissions for the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys’ juried Individual Achievement in Animation honors — the most for any category, resulting in six honorees.
HPA Award winners (from left): Abbigail Keller, The Mandalorian (top), 9-1-1: The New Abnormal (bottom), Black Widow
On Thursday, the 2021 HPA Awards celebrated exceptional work in color grading, sound, editing and visual effects in commercial, episodic, and feature projects. Returning to a sold-out gala after a virtual event in 2020, this year’s HPA Awards brought Hollywood golden era flavor to 2021. Presenters for the evening included Barry Meyer, Karol Urban, Anna Behlmer, Brooke Breton, Sabrina Plisco and Patricia Riggen. The complete list of winners is available here. This year’s VFX winners are:
Outstanding Visual Effects – Theatrical Feature (Sponsored by Zeiss): Black Widow – David Hodgins, Hanzhi Tang, Ryan Duhaime, James Reid, Edmond Smith III; Digital Domain
Outstanding Visual Effects – Episodic (Under 13 Episodes) or Non-theatrical Feature (Sponsored by Zeiss): The Mandalorian “Chapter 9: The Marshal” – Joe Bauer, Richard Bluff, Abbigail Keller, Hal Hickel, Jeff Capogreco; Industrial Light & Magic
Outstanding Visual Effects – Episodic (Over 13 Episodes) (Sponsored by Zeiss): 9-1-1 – The New Abnormal – Jon Massey, Tony Pirzadeh, Timothy Cairns, Bryant Reif, Josephine Noh; FuseFX
Courtesy TMS Entertainment USA, Inc.
TMS Entertainment USA, Inc. will host screenings of both the 27th Lupin the 3rd TV special and delayed but highly anticipated 24th movie in the Case Closed franchise at this year’s Anime NYC Convention at the Javits Center in New York this weekend.
Lupin the 3rd: Prison of the Past English Dub Premiere | Nov. 21, 3:30 p.m., Panel 4 | Making special appearances for the screening will be English voice cast members Tony Oliver (Lupin III), Richard Epcar (Daisuke Jigen), Lex Lang (Goemon Ishikawa), Michelle Ruff (Fujiko Mine) and Doug Erholtz (Inspector Zenigata). The cast will host a trivia and giveaway contest at the screening. All attendees will also receive an Anime NYC exclusive Lupin the 3rd face mask specially designed for the premiere.
Case Closed: The Scarlet Bullet English Dub Premiere | Nov. 22, 11:30 a.m. | Panel 4 | The screening will be followed by a trivia and giveaway contest: Fans will be able to test their knowledge of the series for exclusive Case Closed prizes to celebrate the premiere of the highly anticipated theatrical addition to the beloved series.
The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks
Winners in the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (asiapacificscreenawards.com) were announced Nov. 11, with Best Animated Feature Film awarded to Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh, Russian Federation). The award was determined by the Youth, Animation, Documentary International Jury comprised of Jury Chair Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand), Screen International Deputy Asia Editor and Korea Correspondent Jean Noh (Republic of Korea) and internationally sought-after New Zealand animator, Antony Elworthy.
The Jury Citation read, “The Nose or the Conspiracy of Mavericks stood out amongst the strong field of animated films with its originality, and clear and powerful message. The Nose is a very unusual and fresh film, skillfully realised with traditional animation techniques, yet with a post-modern twist. Mixing live-action and historical footage with collage and ink animation, and with occasional glimpses of the animators working on the scenes as they unfold, the film itself is like a collage. A celebration of Russian literature and theater, but also a look at suppression of the arts in a dark chapter of Soviet history, The Nose stands as a defiant and poignant rejection of tyranny.”
In accepting the Award, Khrzhanovsky said, “Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear members of the jury. First of all, thank you very much for this prize. It is a really great honor for me. It is very important to receive this Prize here in Asia, because Asian culture and art is a great phenomenon in general. I would like to wish to all people in the world to be healthy, with good health and prosperity.”
Danaé Gosset | Kiyotaka Mizukoshi
In addition to celebrating the full class of 32 winners from 14 countries at the Young Guns 19 awards ceremony in New York, The One Club for Creativity presented additional special recognition to two honorees.
Kiyotaka Mizukoshi, founder and president at Mozu Studios in Tokyo, received the Young Guns 19 Creative Choice Award. The accolade is the result of a public vote by the global creative community who reviewed work of all YG19 winners and picked the one they believe stands above all others. Mizukoshi works in three different fields: stop-motion animation, miniatures and trick art. He created his first miniature at the age of 17, and it looked so real that it went viral on social media and was featured on TV. His stop-motion animation Out of Order won the top prize at Digicon6, one of the largest film festivals in Asia. Mizukoshi hosted his first exhibition this past July and is still touring Japan.
Danaé Gosset, an animation director, art director and designer based in Paris, was presented with the eight-annual Artist In Residence Award from international artists management agency and Young Guns sponsor Levine/Leavitt. The honor is bestowed annually to a newly crowned Young Gun whose body of work truly stands out, as judged by an advisory board of industry professionals across a range of disciplines. As this year’s winner, Gossert receives a full year of professional development, guidance and mentorship from Levine/Leavitt to help advance her career. She specializes in the craft of mixed-media moving images, and aims to make people feel in different ways through various cross techniques and powerful narratives. Gosset’s work has been recognized by organizations including the Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club, SXSW, D&AD, Graphis Annual, Indigo Awards and Adobe.
Reeducated
Red Sea: Immersive, part of the Red Sea Int’l Film Festival, announced its 21-strong program of virtual reality experiences, running from Dec. 7-15, presented in collaboration with Art Jameel and hosted at Jeddah’s new creative complex, Hayy Jameel.
In competition: Kevin Mack’s Anandala, David Adler’s End of Night, Joerg Courtial’s Genesis, Benjamin Cleary & Michael O’Connor’s Glimpse, May Abdalla & Barry Gene Murphy’s Goliath: Playing with Reality, Felix Gaedkte & Gayatri Parameswaran’s Kusunda, Asif Kapadia’s Laika, Amir Admoni & Fabito Rychter’s Lavrynthos, Blanca Li’s Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li, Benjamin Steiger Levin’s Marco & Polo Go Round, Sam Wolson’s Reeducated, Hsin-Chien Huang’s Samsara (Lun Hui) and Tang Zhi-Zhong & Huang Yun-Hsien’s The Sick Rose.
Out of competition: Randall Okita’s The Book of Distance, Michelle & Uri Kranot’s The Hangman at Home, Rui Guerreiro’s Mare, Balthazar Auxietre’s Maskmaker, German Heller & Federico Carlini’s Paperbirds 1 & 2, Jonathan Hagard’s Replacements (Penggantian), Rose Troche’s We Live Here and global collab VRChat Worlds Collection.
RedSeaIFF also announced it will present the Arab premieres of Illumination’s Sing 2 and Mamoru Hsoda’s Belle as part of its Red Sea: Next Generation section for younger audiences. The program will also feature a selection of short films from various directors, Kiddomania. The inaugural RedSeaIFF takes place Dec. 6-15 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dates, Submissions & Selections Bytes:
Anime Frontier Powered by Crunchyroll, a new experiential event from LeftField Media (Anime NYC), opens its doors in Texas with its debut con next month in the Fort Worth Convention Center. 3-5, 2021 | animefrontier.com
FMX 2022 confirms an exclusive online program as part of its hybrid plans, opening May 6 and available on VOD until May 31. May 3-5 / 6, 2022 | fmx.de
Free Comic Book Day (U.S.) returns the first Saturday in May, featuring 45 free titles at participating shops. May 7, 2022 | freecomicbookday.com
Seoul POPCON brings a new pop culture con to the Korean capital next summer, focused on comics, film/TV and games as well as new fields like metaverses and NFTs. 25-28, 2022 | seoulpopcon.org
DEADLINE EXTENDED: CEE Animation Workshop. For European animation projects in short, feature, TV series/special, documentary, hybrid or XR format. New deadline: Nov. 22, 2021
REGISTRATION OPEN: Cartoon Business conference in Gran Canaria (Spain). 8-10
***This article originally appeared in the December ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 315)***
In recent years, I have helped develop two preschool shows that have mindfulness moments and themes: Tiny Island and True and Rainbow Kingdom. There are many other shows that cover similar grounds, but how often do we actually take a breath and practice what we preach?
Developing these shows often includes much discussion about what is “good” for a preschool audience. We talk about “what skills do children need in these troubling times?” — grit, gratitude, empathy, listening … The list goes on. How can we cover all these skills?! How do we reflect a pause in a show that has to keep children’s attention? How do we reflect the art of listening in a fun, engaging way?
True and the Rainbow Kingdom
Let’s take a deep breath. One option: the classic Dora method with the helpful “what do you think?” question. But, as COVID rolled in, I was pushed to really pay attention to all these qualities. Has it done the same for you? I really do try and find mindfulness and gratitude in my day. I journal. I breathe deeply. I drink water. And now I am starting to say “thank you” to video conferencing.
Let’s call it “Zoom.” What a fun, preschool word. Remember the PBS Kids show Zoom, which first premiered in 1972 and then made a comeback in 1999? There are several of these wonderful onomatopoeias in tech-verse (I made that up). What about “Google?” Sounds like “giggle.” “Yahoo” — used to be a child’s cry of excitement! “Ice cream! Yahoo!” Do tech-verse do better when they are childhood friendly? Now we are developing vocabulary for children’s shows while marketing titans are doing the same thing. But that’s another story. Lateral thinking will get me nowhere.
Zoom (1972) was produced by WGBH-TV for PBS
I have worked with a Zoom-like service since about 2004, when I lived in London and could speak to colleagues in other countries online, it meant less time away from my little boy. I was happy for the convenience but just assumed it was like a telephone — just the new, improved version: the old Jetsons screen calls were now a reality. It was a tool. Even though I still marvel at how The Jetsons, a Hanna-Barbera show from 1962, could have got it so right. (I am feeling Jane Jeston’s “morning mask” right now!) Which brings me to another tangent: do kids’ shows create the future?
The pandemic has made us all see into each other’s lives and homes and families. So many traditional boundaries have been crossed — encapsulated in that video of the BBC News interviewee watching his child run into his home office, and his partner run in after! But still, I did not feel grateful for these insights. It is curious, but my imagination had always been pretty vivid about people “outside” the office. It was almost a little let down to know the reality was regular. But my dreams of characters still “went there.” Even when Zoom told me otherwise, I continued to write soap operas in my mind.
The Jetsons
Global Connections
My Zoom gratitude did not really begin until I was mentoring a group of amazing people through Women in Animation. We got together once a week online, mostly from all over North America. We also had an artist, Maha (@poichanchan) join us from Pakistan — she was busy trying to get her animation project made. She got up at 3:30 a.m. to join the call; we could all see the darkness at her home. She was trying not to make too much noise, so she wouldn’t wake her parents. I can now see the word “transformative.” She could be part of our lives from her part of the world. We all got to meet Maha because of Zoom. Without the technology, we would not have known that she was trying to learn and connect from Karachi.
We also had Patricia in our group, another artist who lives in Nicaragua. Her project is a book that she is writing with some friends. Her WiFi was not always the greatest, but she joined sometimes with her video off. I miss connecting with people at the office, but honestly connecting with this group and with Patricia and Maha felt like an opportunity to connect with the world. Humans of the Planet.
OIAF21 Women in the Director’s Chair Panel
Then, I had a Zoom pitch through an online conference with a couple from Lebanon. These artists were working and doing gorgeous work for commercials, but they had a fun and silly idea for a children’s detective show. It was wonderful and universal. It was my privilege to hear them pitch. I probably can not imagine what daily struggles they go through to be up at 10:30 at night to pitch me a story. How very grateful I am to be in a Zoom call with them.
Zoom has allowed me to hear so many new stories and connect from my home in Toronto to this world — in a way the markets do not, as only the privileged can pay the fees, flights, etc. The mindfulness I learn every day from these Zoom calls is astounding. I do not always get it right, but I take a deep breath and try again. Do you have that feeling, too? I hope it does become part of the new normal. I hope we can create this same feeling in a show for children today. Let’s try.
Mary Bredin is an acclaimed children and family content veteran who is currently Creative Development Producer with TeamTO, where she developed Jade Armor,which will launch on HBO Max in 2022. Bredin has worked at Guru Studio, Disney, Nelvana, Viasat and Canal+ over the past two decades. She developed and was an EP on Justin Time and True and the Rainbow Kingdom, and is one of the co-creators of Pikwik Pack for Disney Junior.
A&N Productions (founded by animator/producer Adam Yaniv), Aircraft Pictures (producers of the Academy Award-nominated animated feature film The Breadwinner and Emmy-nominated series Holly Hobbie) and Yeti Farm Creative (Pete the Cat, Hotel Transylvania: The Series) announced today the start of key animation on the new 2D-animated series, Summer Memories. Commissioned by WildBrain Television’s Family Channel, the 20 x half-hour episode series is distributed internationally by WildBrain Ltd.
Created by Yaniv, Summer Memories began as a short film produced as part of the Nickelodeon Animated Shorts Program. The series follows the time-and-space-bending adventures of best friends Jason and Ronnie as Jason looks back on the most pivotal summer of his life (which was just a few weeks ago).
The series voice stars Tricia Black (Second City, Baroness Von Sketch), Yaniv, Jonathan Langdon (No Tomorrow, Utopia Falls), Dani Kind (Workin’ Moms, Wynonna Earp) and Rakhee Morzaria (My Spy, Note to Self) and features guest stars including Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills 90210).
“Wholly original, yet full of relatable themes, Summer Memories is a wonderful take on childhood through the unbelievably talented and inventive lens of Adam Yaniv,” said Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, co-founders of Aircraft Pictures. “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with A&N Productions, Yeti Farm Creative and WildBrain Television in bringing this new series to life.”
Yaniv served as an animator and animation supervisor on such family features as Night at the Museum, Hop and The Chronicles of Narnia, and currently serves as supervising producer on Nickelodeon’s Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks television series.
“I’m so proud to share our authentic and hilarious characters and their seriously massive totally the best you’ve ever seen life-changing friendship with everybody. I think kids and their families everywhere will get a kick out of it,” said Yaniv.
Production on the series is currently underway in Kelowna, Toronto and Jerusalem. Summer Memories is a Canada-Israel treaty co-production with Yaniv, Paul B. Cummings (Adult Swim, Comedy Central), Irene Weibel (Moon & Me, Hotel Transylvania: The Series), Oded Turgeman, Aircraft’s Leo and Rosen and Yeti Farm’s Ashley Ramsay and Jay Surridge serving as executive producers. Production services in Jerusalem provided by The Hive Studio.
“Summer Memories is a unique and endearing series, equal parts funny and heartwarming,” said Katie Wilson, VP Channels and Curation, WildBrain Television. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with A&N Productions, Aircraft Pictures and Yeti Farm to commission this primetime animated series for Family Channel. I can’t wait to introduce Canadian families to Ronnie, Jason and the rest of the Summer Memories cast of characters.”
Summer Memories is produced with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund and the Jerusalem Film & Television Fund at the Jerusalem Development Authority. The series is slated to debut in Canada on Family Channel in Summer 2022.
Award-winning Brazilian studio Hype Animation has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, which will be used to accelerate the production of the studio’s upcoming musical series Kaia’s Discoveries. In this preschool show, each episode will embody a day in the life of the curious and delightful protagonist, Kaia. Through music and melodies, Kaia and her friends will showcase an exciting world of discoveries underlaid by themes of diversity, empathy, technology and science.
The project aims to challenge how we think about music and animation. In addition to using Epic’s Unreal Engine to automate various stages of production, the project uses state-of-the-art technology to generate music with artificial intelligence and data analysis. With this, Kaia’s Discoveries aims to make the animation process itself a leaner and more efficient endeavour while helping to shape the education of a new generation.
“Today, animation still has the stigma of being an expensive and time-consuming process. Along with the use of Unreal Engine — which is a perfect way to spur innovation in media production — together with the use of AI algorithms, we want to test the limits of where technology can enhance human creativity,” explains Gabriel Garcia, CEO of Hype.
Kaia’s Discoveries – cred. Hype Animation
Launched in 2019, Epic MegaGrants is a $100 million program designed to support the work of talented teams and individuals worldwide who are working with Unreal Engine, the real-time 3D tool used to create state-of-the-art interactive experiences and entertainment.
Hype’s most recent works include the animated series Taina and the Amazon’s Guardians (2018) and Guitar & Drum (2019), co-produced with Punkrobot. Hype is part of the largest collective animation studio in Latin America, Los Amigos, responsible for Angry Birds Bubble Trouble (2020). The studio also produced the series Dino Adventures (2015). Hype’s productions have participated in over 100 festivals throughout 35 countries. The studio has already distributed its titles to channels such as Discovery Kids, Disney, Nickelodeon and Netflix.
We’ve been through a lot. Everything has changed. What will the future hold?…
Paramount+ has dropped the teaser trailer for the first in a planned series of 14 original South Park films (which, we learn, are not feature-length movies or specials but rather, “exclusive events”). Premiering November 25 on the streamer, South Park: Post COVID introduces adult versions of Stan and Kyle as they reconnect in an imagined world beyond these challenging times.
Logline: What happened to the children who lived through the Pandemic? Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny survived but will never be the same Post Covid.
As previously announced, the second South Park Exclusive Event is due to arrive on Paramount+ in December. No further details have been announced. These extra installments follow up on 2020’s Emmy-nominated The Pandemic Special (cable’s #1 scripted telecast of the year and South Park‘s 19th Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program) and the South ParQ Vaccination Special, which ranked as the top cable telecast of 2021 with nearly 3.5 million total viewers across its premiere night.
South Park launched on August 13, 1997. The series is created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who also executive produce alongside Anne Garefino and Frank C. Agnone II. Eric Stough, Adrien Beard, Bruce Howell and Vernon Chatman are producers. Chris Brion is the creative director of South Park Digital Studios. Renewed by Comedy Central through to 2027, the series has earned five Emmy Awards to date and a George Foster Peabody Award.
Interplay Entertainment, which holds the rights to the Earthworm Jim video game franchise, has teamed up with APA to develop a new animated TV series based on the annelid action hero. The project hails from Interplay’s newly formed studio division headed by Michel K. Parandi, who is working with producer Aaron Billet and animation studio Passion Pictures, led by animation producer Marc Bodin-Joyeux, to develop the company’s game properties into TV and film content.
The series will continue the adventures of Earthworm Jim — an invertebrate spacefarer in a high-tech robotic suit who travels the galaxy fighting evil — and introduce new characters as he travels a galaxy full of planets populated by anthropomorphic animals on his quest to return to his fabled home planet: Earth.
“I remember loving Earthworm Jim as a kid, and there’s so much potential in this story universe: a galaxy full of animals battling for power,” Parandi told Variety. “Jim is an earthworm in a universe where Earth is nothing more than a myth. His struggle to find meaning is surreal and comical, but it’s also relatable.”
Earthworm Jim debuted as a game for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994, releasing three sequels through to 1999. An animated series from Universal Cartoon Studios ran for two seasons on the Kids’ WB block from 1995-96, voice starring Dan Castellaneta of Homer Simpson fame.
The announcement did not mention whether Jim’s controversial creator Doug TenNapel has any involvement in the new project. Last year, he told GamesBeat that he had participated in a brainstorming session for the long stymied game Earthworm Jim 4 and was “open for unpaid consulting” on the property.
Originally slated to arrive in October, “love letter to the anime industry” Shirobako The Movie will now be released on digital download and on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack on December 7, from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory. The fan-favorite anime about making anime makes its home debut following a North American theatrical release this summer.
Bonus features on physical release include a teaser and trailer never before seen in North America, and a four-page booklet with stunning character art.
Shirobako The Movie is the eagerly awaited sequel to the television anime series of the same name, which has also been adapted as a manga series. Director Tsutomu Mizushima (Girls und Panzer, Prison School) and screenwriter Michiko Yokote (Naruto, Cowboy Bebop) lend their talents to the movie after working on the beloved series.
The Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is available for pre-order from Shout! Factory.
Synopsis: Four years after the events of the series, Musashino Animation has gone through drastic changes and things are looking bleak for the studio. One day, Aoi Miyamori is offered a role managing a new theatrical animation project. With only a few months left before the deadline, can MUSANI complete the project in its current state? It’s up to Aoi to work alongside both familiar faces and new to finish the project in time!
