‘Luca’ Delights with the Sounds of an Italian Summer of Fun
Director Enrico Casarosa and composer Dan Romer expertly blend 50s-60s pop music with opera and a Felliniesque vibe for a lively, energetic, and emotionally satisfying score; Disney and Pixar’s latest gem premieres today on Disney+.
APC Kids’ Zephyr Animation Inks Co-Development Deal with Super RTL
Currently in development, Copernicus Studio’s upcoming 2D animated adventure kids’ series ‘Lana Longbeard’ follows a feisty girl hitting the high seas with her Viking dad; production is slated to begin later this year.
‘Mush-Mush and the Mushables’ Gets Season 2 Greenlight
Season 1 rolls out in 150 territories this year including Cartoon Network and HBO Max in the U.S.; Season 2 will air on Canal+ Family, Piwi+ and MyCanal in France.
Ferly and Toonz Ink Co-Production Deal
The Finnish animation studio teams up with Toonz Media Group on the new animated series ‘Kingdom of None;’ Season 1 is expected to launch mid-2023.
Disney Channel Greenlights ‘Kiff’ Buddy Comedy
The “nutty” animated series about an optimistic but prone to chaos squirrel and her best friend Barry the Bunny, from South African creators Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal, was revealed today at Annecy 2021; series set to debut in 2023.
Paramount+ Lets the Dogs Out in a ‘Paw Patrol’ Summer!
The incredibly popular franchise kicks off its summer of fun with ‘Paw Patrol Live! At Home,’ now streaming, followed by ‘Paw Patrol: The Movie’ in theaters and streaming August 20; Seasons 1-5 of the animated preschool also now available.
Netflix Drops ‘Robin Robin’ First look Teaser and Art
Produced by Aardman Animation and featuring puppets made from felt, the stop-motion musical special, starring Gilliam Anderson and Richard E Grant, hits the streamer in time for the holidays this year; directors share project insights at Annecy 2021 work in progress panel.
Producers Chris Bremble and Aron Warner Unpack Their ‘Wish Dragon’ Journey
For the BASE Media CEO and Oscar-winning ‘Shrek’ franchise producer, nothing was accidental about their critically acclaimed new animated feature, now streaming on Netflix, other than the fact they actually got it made.
HBO Max Drops ‘Tom and Jerry in New York’ Trailer
The crazy duo brings their ‘Cat & Mouse’ antics to the Big Apple, where they leave chaos in their wake; Warner Bros. Animation’s all-new 2D animated series premieres July 1.
Nick Sets Back-to-Back ‘The Patrick Star Show’ and ‘Middlemost Post’ Debuts
Journey to Bikini Bottom and Mount Middlemost in trailers for the network’s all-new series, filled with colorful characters, silly stories, and plenty of physical comedy, premiering July 9.
Weta Digital and Autodesk Team on WetaM Creative Cloud Service
New subscription service productizes Weta’s Oscar-winning Maya-based proprietary VFX tools, providing artists access to one complete stage to screen Maya-based pipeline.
Warner Releases New ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Trailer
The animated/live-action hybrid comedy stars basketball legend LeBron James on an epic adventure to save his kid; in theaters and HBO Max July 16.
NVIDIA Omniverse Design Challenge Now Live
#CreateWithMarbles: Marvelous Machines invites participants to design an outrageous race-track-style contraption for marbles; submission deadline is July 30.
Lenovo Launches New ThinkPad Workstations for Post-Pandemic Work Environments
The next generation ThinkPad P1, P15, and P17, teamed with new ThinkVision P34w-20 monitor and Thunderbolt 4 workstation dock, provide professional users the flexibility to work from anywhere.
Calabash Creates Mischievously Delicious ‘Loki Charms’ Spot for Marvel
The long-time Lucky Charms commercial production house magically transforms Lucky the Leprechaun into something much darker in cross-promotion campaign for the new Disney+ series.
Podcast EP117: Stop-Motion Director Sinem Sakaoglu on Building a Career In Germany
The film, commercial, and music video director shares what it was like moving from Turkey to the U.S., and finally Germany, in pursuit of a creatively fulfilling animation career.
Disney Junior Reveals New ‘Spidey’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’ Preschool Series
‘Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends’ and ‘Mickey Mouse Funhouse’ premiere in August, starring iconic characters set in new stories for kids and families; both series will be simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Reveal ‘Fena: Pirate Princess’ Trailer and Art
Coming this summer from Kazuto Makazawa and Production I.G., anime series follows a young girl and her samurai crew, on the run from pirates and the English Navy, as they hunt for unimaginable treasure and adventure.
Netflix Shares New Images from ‘We the People’ Music Video Series
In their Annecy 2021 panel, creator Chris Nee and directors Peter Ramsey, Trisha Gum, and Jorge R. Gutiérrez harken back to ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ as they discuss the project, executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, that combines music and animation to educate a new generation of young Americans about the power of the people.
WildBrain CPLG Names Jasen Wright North America VP
In newly created role, veteran licensing executive will drive global expansion of entertainment brands and original IP including ‘Strawberry Shortcake,’ ‘Caillou,’ ‘Teletubbies,’ and ‘Chip & Potato.’
Netflix Reveals ‘Arcane League of Legends’ First Look Images and Clip
Co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee talk world building and mythology; based on Riot’s hugely popular MOBA game, the highly anticipated animated series hits Netflix this Fall.
UK Animation Trends and Opportunities Highlighted at Annecy
During an online panel, industry agencies, including Film London, Animation UK, BFI, and Screen Scotland, renewed their sector commitment while sharing business development, investment, and government support insights and strategies in the wake of COVID-19.
Re-VIEW: Love, Death, Robots + Revelation
Volume 2 of Netflix’s ‘Love, Death + Robots’ animated anthology challenges us to see reality through new eyes, encouraging us to be curious and reflect on the intimate connection between beauty and death, and what it means to be human.
Fred Seibert’s FredFilms and DeZerlin Joins Forces to Find Chinese Talent
Company’s new China-based animation incubator project, Hot Pot! Cartoons, seeks innovative creatives and content from the Middle Kingdom to develop for global markets.
2 New ‘How Life Is: Queer Youth Animated’ Shorts Released
As they continue their Pride Month 2021 celebration, The Future Perfect Project shares the next films in their series of 10 personal stories from LGBTQIA+ youth, aged 13-22, about the challenges they routinely face.
