‘Peppa Pig’ Owners Target ‘Wolfoo’ in New Lawsuit
eOne claims that Sconnect’s animated web series is in breach of trademarks related to Astley Baker Davies’ hugely successful preschool program.
Special Event: ‘Only a Child’ Virtual Screening and Q&A
Go behind-the-scenes of the Oscar shortlisted animated short with director Simone Giampaolo and producer Gabriella de Gara, moderated by ‘The Willoughbys’ director Kris Pearn, with special guest Severn Cullis-Suzuki, on Friday, January 28 at 11 am PST.
‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish’: Embracing People with Disabilities in Anime
Kotaro Tamura’s brave, emotional animated love story features one of the first lead characters in a romance anime to use a wheelchair.
Activision Blizzard Declines to Recognize Game Workers Alliance Union
The company’s decision means that the newly formed GWA will now seek certification by way of union election.
Disney is Developing a Live-Action Adaptation of ‘The Aristocats’
Early reports indicate that the forthcoming feature will have a similar look to Disney’s 2019 revamp of ‘Lady and the Tramp.’
WarnerMedia OneFifty Acquires Baobab Studios’ ‘Namoo’ for HBO Max
Oscar-nominated director Erick Oh’s poignant animated short, about the beautiful and heartbreaking moments of a man’s life, to premiere on the streamer January 27.
Skydance Animation’s ‘Luck’ Gets Release Date and Additional Voice Cast
Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, and Lil Rel Howery join Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda on the Peggy Holmes-helmed CG feature about Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, who must unite with magical creatures to turn her luck around; an Apple Original Films and Skydance parnership, the film hits Apple TV+ August 5.
Re-VIEW: ‘Encanto’ - Seeking Beauty in Truth
Experiencing life as the underdog - an outsider - teaches us empathy and a greater understanding of ourselves, our loved ones, and the critical connections that bind us together.
‘Chefclub’ Cooks Up Kids’ Edutainment Series
Popular online cooking brand expands into the world of animation with ‘Chefclub Friends;’ currently in development, the show is set to be presented at Kidscreen and MIPTV.
Epic’s Virtual Production Week Showcases Unreal Engine’s Use Across the Industry
With highlights including production insights on Reel FX and Netflix’s ‘Super Giant Robot Brothers!’ series, event provides aspiring independents and industry vets alike with free online discussions all this week on the evolving influence of the real-time technology.
PBS KIDS ‘Work It Out Wombats!’ Coming in 2023
Produced by GBH KIDS and Pipeline Studios, the animated show about a trio of marsupial siblings will demonstrate computational skills for preschoolers, providing them with powerful tools for self-expression and problem solving.
DNEG Going Public
Leading VFX and animation company enters deal with publicly traded SPAC Sports Ventures; combined company, to be led by current CEO Namit Malhotra, will be listed on the Nasdaq.
‘The Spine of Night’: Redefining Fantasy and Animated Filmmaking
Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King resurrect an older, rotoscoped animation aesthetic, blending it with a blast of new creative storytelling and visual design energy in their epic, bloody, ‘swords and sorcerers’ tale about humanity’s battle between good and evil.
Crypto Investors Buy Jodorowsky’s Fabled ‘Dune’ Book, Plan Animated Series
Spice DAO reportedly purchased the book for 100 times its estimated value and will try to adapt its concept art into a series despite no ownership or rights to ‘Dune’ IP.
Crunchyroll, Fuji TV, and Slow Curve + Ultra Partnership Kicks off with New Anime Titles
Companies shared new programming details at last week’s +Ultra event in Tokyo; previously announced ‘Estab Life: Great Escape’ to debut in April 2022 with newly revealed title ‘Ooyukiumi No Kaina’ coming in January 2023.
Netflix Unveils First Teaser for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’
First look at new footage from the Oscar-winning director’s stop-motion musical introduces us to the humble abode of Sebastian J. Cricket; film set to hit Netflix this December.
‘Big City Greens’ Musical Announced as Disney Renews Series for Season 4
Key members of the animated comedy’s creative team, including Chris and Shane Houghton, have been confirmed as part of the new movie project, which is now in development.
Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse Launches in April
Subscription-based commercial-free kids’ destination to be built on recently acquired Ameba TVs technology platform; enhanced content to include Kartoon Channel! favorites along with custom avatars and emojis, games, branded Kidaverse VR goggles, immersive content and NFTs for kids.
‘The Musician’: Celebrating Human Resilience with Cutout Animation
Expatriate Iranian director Reza Riahi and producer Eleanor Coleman discuss their expertly crafted, dialogueless stop-motion short film about a musician, blinded by Genghis Khan - while taking his girlfriend as a slave/consort - who 50 years later, is summoned to perform at the castle where she is being held.
Heritage Brings ‘Shanghaied’ Mickey Mouse Cel to Auction
Lot coming up for sale includes portfolio containing a rare set of six studio-printed Shanghaied publicity images on 10-by-8-inch photographic paper; auction runs February 4-7.
Adult Swim Promotes Gill Austin to VP/Creative Director
The Cartoon Network veteran began in 1996 as an intern working on ‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast,’ before becoming a production assistant on the launch of Toonami; will now lead creative direction and implement all network promotion, communication, and sponsorships.
Chaos Player Now Part of V-Ray Collection
The fast-loading sequence player allows artists to quickly review animation and supports all industry standard image formats; new features also include floating-point compositing, A/B wipes, and OpenColorIO (OCIO) v2 support.
Crunchyroll Drops ‘FreakAngels’ First Look Clip
Voice cast revealed for upcoming original animated series about a group of psychically powered friends and the dangers that await them; the Crunchyroll Original hits the streamer January 27.
PBS KIDS Celebrates ‘Arthur’s’ 25th Anniversary
Special marathon kicks off February 16 featuring 250 back-to-back episodes and movie specials; GBH Kids to expand content with Podcast, Topical Shorts, and Games rolling out in 2022 and beyond.
Plague Diversions: Gazing at the Shortlist for the Best Animated Short Oscar
AWN’s Animation Pimp and Ottawa Animation Festival artistic director Chris Robinson shares his takes on this year’s set of 15 films shortlisted for a spot as one of five nominated for the upcoming Academy Awards.