Adult Swim’s ‘Smiling Friends’ Turns Frowns Upside Down
Co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel’s new adult animated comedy features a company tasked with bringing happiness to a bizarre yet colorful world; start 2022 with a smile - series debuts January 9.
‘Freebird’: Changing Hearts and Minds on the Realities of Down Syndrome
Writer/director Michael McDonald talks about the breakthrough animated short film that uses simple means for a powerful purpose.
‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ Now on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD
A family road trip evolves into a quest to save the world from a machine apocalypse in the hit CG animated comedy adventure; bonus features include Katie Mitchell’s hilarious sock puppet parody short, ‘Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter,’ a look into her filmmaking process, a look behind the making of the movie, as well as tutorials on how to make sock puppets and Katie face cupcakes.
Katie Mitchell Hits Her Stride in ‘Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter’
In the parody short directed by Caitlin VanArsdale, ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ filmmaker heroine creates a sock-puppet action film featuring a redoubtable canine; short releases today as an exclusive bonus feature on the film’s Blu-ray release.
Paramount+ Announces ‘Big Nate’ Voice Cast
The all-new animated series, based on the kids’ books and comics by Lincoln Peirce, will hit the streamer in 2022; voice actors include Rob Delaney, Dove Cameron, and Bryce Charles.
Exclusive: Peacock Drops ‘Babble Bop!’ Trailer and Key Art
Streamer’s newest preschool series, a diverse, one-of-a-kind musical jamboree, brings a new take on classic nursery rhymes for the pre-K set; show debuts December 23.
Maxon to Acquire ZBrush Maker Pixologic
Acquisition will add industry-leading 3D sculpting and painting tools to the developer of Cinema 4D and other top 3D / CG artistic tools.
Genius Brands Adds Zrinka Dekic as CFO, Head of Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions
Entertainment industry and financial markets exec bolsters brands’ international operations following acquisitions of Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media Inc and stake in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG; previous CFO Bob Denton named executive vice president of finance and accounting.
Foundry Releases Katana 5.0
Latest update focuses on artist collaboration and interoperability with render upgrades, workflow improvements, and support of render partners with a new render delegate ‘AVP.’
‘Dune,’ ‘Flee,’ and ‘Big Mouth’ Lead Critics Choice Award Nominations
Denis Villenueve’s sci-fi epic nabs 10 nominations, followed by Guillermo del Toro’s neo-noir thriller with 8, and both ‘Encanto’ and ‘Flee with two each for the upcoming 27th annual awards.
Watch Exclusive Clip from HBO Max’s ‘The Fungies!’
Seth and Pascal buy a VR game after getting stuck inside on a rainy day – but competitiveness turns hurtful; all new episodes hit the streamer December 16.
Nominations Announced for 79th Golden Globe Awards
Disney’s ‘Encanto,’ Neon’s ‘Flee,’ Pixar’s ‘Luca,’ Totem Films’ ‘My Sunny Maad,’ and Disney’s ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ snag best animated feature nominations.
‘The Windshield Wiper’ Reveals the Many Sides of Modern Love
Six years in the making, Alberto Mielgo’s new animated short takes a visually dazzling deep dive into an eternal mystery.
‘Back to the Outback’ Offers Redemption for the Demonized
For co-directors Harry Cripps and Clare Knight, their new 3D/CG animated comedy shows that the deadliest and most feared Australian creatures are highly misunderstood, and just because something is different, doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful; film premieres today on Netflix.
Video and Images from Upcoming ‘South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid’
Paramount+ releases sneak peek of Part 2 of its exclusive ‘Pandemic’ event streaming December 16.
‘Night Bus’: An Exploration of Betrayal and Redemption
Taiwanese animator Joe (Wen-Ming) Hsieh’s 2D short follows 6 bus passengers harboring intense secrets whose lives unravel after a string of unfortunate events, wrongful accusations, and attempts at revenge.
‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ Hits Digital December 15
Unwrap your new best friend from 20th Century Studios and Locksmith Animation as the goofy animated robot comes home; now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.
The Fabulously Fun and Filthy ‘Crossing Swords’ Returns for Season 2
Back for another go are the Emmy Award-winning ‘Robot Chicken’ executive producers and their brilliantly raunchy, violent, and rapid-fire gag-driven stop-motion comedy about a royal squire dealing with the reality his beloved kingdom is a hornet’s nest of horny monarchs, crooks, and charlatans… and now it’s broke; new season debuts December 10 on Hulu.
‘Bad Seeds’ and ‘Affairs of the Art’ Lead LAAF 2021 Winners
Claude Cloutier takes home awards for Best of the Fest and Best Comedy Short, while Best Director and Best Character-Based Short honors go to Joanna Quinn; live awards ceremony honored both 2020 and 2021 winners.
Magic Light Pictures’ ‘Superworm’ Coming for Christmas
Check out the trailer for the delightful new animated family special about a long, strong worm with amazing skills and a big heart; featuring the voices of Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Emmy nominee Matt Smith, and based on the popular picture book of the same name, the show airs on BBC One December 25.
Walt Disney Animation Drops ‘Strange World’ Concept Art
In the studio’s new original animated feature, viewers will experience uncharted and dangerous lands, led by a legendary family on a critical mission; helmed by Oscar-winning director Don Hall, the film is slated for release on November 23, 2022.
Netflix Drops ‘Bubble’ Teaser Trailer and Art
Upcoming anime feature is set in a Tokyo turned upside by gravity-defying bubbles, leaving the city cut off from the world; from director Tetsuro Araki and WIT Studio, the film streams April 28, 2022.
Nelvana and AWN Present ‘A Cosmic Christmas Special’ Screening and Q&A
Celebrate Nelvana’s 50th anniversary with a free virtual screening of its classic, 1977 award-winning animated film, followed by a discussion with industry legends Clive Smith, John Celestri, Lenora Hume and Bill Speers; this not to be missed event is coming December 9 – register now.
Isotropix Clarisse 5.5 Now Available
Early release includes new Angie renderer, enabling CPU and GPU final render based on NVIDIA OptiX; includes full support for OSL allowing greater customization, taking users one step closer to working in real-time.
POW Studios Expands Service Offerings
Best known for its sound services, the post-production company adds VFX, animation, motion graphics, and deliverables.
