Riding a wave of animated success from its 2022 slate, Netflix is returning to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to debut exclusive looks at its upcoming film and series slate. The studio-streamer recently scored its first wins for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) and Outstanding Animated Program at the Primetime Emmys (Arcane), as well as sweeping the animation categories at the inaugural Children’s & Family Emmys.
Annecy attendees will be formally introduced to highly anticipated projects at the “From Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget to Blue Eye Samurai – See What’s Next @ Netflix” panel, a special screening of the animated feature film Nimona, adapted from the New York Times best-selling graphic novel and a “Making Of” session with the filmmaking team.
Synopsis: A knight (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to destroy. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.
Also voice starring Eugene Lee Yang, Nimona is due for release this summer.
Fans will also have the opportunity to join the team at a “Making Of” session on Thursday, June 15 at Petite Salle Bonlieu at 11:30 a.m.
The “See What’s Next @ Netflix” panel, packed with exclusive clips and creator discussions, will take place at the Theatre Bonlieu on Wednesday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m., and will include:
♦ A special sneak peek at the coming-of-age animated musical comedy Leo (Fall 2023) starring Adam Sandler, directed by Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti and David Wachtenheim and produced by Happy Madison.
Synopsis: Actor and comedian Adam Sandler delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school — as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74 year-old lizard Leo (Sandler) has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside, but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
The voice cast also features Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, Robert Smigel, Jo Koy and Stephanie Hsu.
♦ A conversation with the creative team behind the series Blue Eye Samurai, featuring Michael Green (creator & executive producer), Amber Noizumi (creator & executive producer) and Jane Wu (supervising director), discussing their vision for the story of a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise while seeking revenge in Edo-period Japan.
Coming soon. Voice starring Maya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka, Randall Park, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Song, Darren Barnet and Kenneth Branagh. Executive produced by Erwin Stoff.
♦ An exclusive clip from Exploding Kittens, a new adult animated comedy series starring Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu, coming soon. Showrunners are Shane Kosakowski and Matthew Inman.
Synopsis: The eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell reaches epic proportions when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth — in the bodies of chunky house cats.
The voice cast also features Ally Maki, Mark Proksch and Sasheer Zamata. Executive producers are Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis of Bandera Entertainment; Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for the Chernin Entertainment Group; and Exploding Kittens franchise creators Elan Lee and The Oatmeal’s Inman.
♦ A conversation with the multi-award-winning industry legends Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep) on the eagerly awaited stop-motion film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. The creative team led by Sam Fell (director), Peter Lord (executive producer) and Leyla Hobart (producer) will talk about their vision and what the poultry heroes face this time around in the sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animation of all time.
Synopsis: Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger 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 hatch a little girl called Molly, 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!
Starring Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays and Nick Mohammed.
… And more surprises and debuts from Netflix’s slate of upcoming animated series and films, including The Monkey King (Summer 2023), directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls), produced by Peilin Chou (Over the Moon, Abominable) and exec produced by Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7).
Synopsis: The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.
Voice cast features Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.
