It’s the Second Biggest Skadoosh Ever in First ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Trailer
Jack Black returns as Po, called upon by destiny – and Master Shifu - to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace, only to find a wicked, powerful, shapeshifting sorceress, Chameleon, with greedy eyes on the powerful Staff of Wisdom, standing in his way and threatening to unleash every master villain ever vanquished to the spirit realm; from DreamWorks Animation, coming to theaters March 8, 2024.
Lightfold Shares Olan Rogers’ ‘Godspeed’ Trailer
The series, from the creator of ‘Final Space,’ follows a young woman and her sidekick bot, Bowie, as they navigate the desolate landscape and abandoned homes of their crumbling world; the studio’s inaugural project premieres December 15 on YouTube.
‘Slide,’ ‘The Voice in the Hollow’ Lead LAAF 2023 Winners
Indie legend Bill Plympton takes home awards for ‘Best Feature Director’ and ‘Best Music Video’ while the Columbian director nabs ‘Best of the Fest’ and ‘Best Short’ awards.
AOUSD Announces New Members
Organization reveals roadmap in push towards global OpenUSD standardization, development, evolution, and growth; 12 new general members added: Cesium, Chaos, Epic Games, Foundry, Hexagon, IKEA, Lowe's, Meta, OTOY, SideFX, Spatial, and Unity.
Filmmaker Janice Nadeau and NFB Producer Marc Bertrand Talk ‘HARVEY’
A conversation between the director and National Film Board of Canada producer takes us inside their collaboration on the award-winning NFB/Folimage animated short that examines bereavement and coping with the loss of a parent through the imaginative eyes of a child.
‘Robot Dreams’ and ‘Society of the Snow’ Notch European Film Award Wins
Pablo Berger’s film, based on the graphic novel by Sarah Varon and inspired by Buster Keaton and early 20th-century Hollywood films, chronicles the adventures and misfortunes of Dog and Robot in NYC during the '80s; J.A. Bayona’s film tells the harrowing tale of the tragic 1972 Uruguayan Air Andes mountain plane crash.
Ataboy Launches Boston Studio
Led by EPs Ned Biddle and Nick Sterling, the expansion aims to increase use of regional talent while tapping company’s NYC hub.
2024 Annecy Festival Residency Selections Announced
Out of 36 applications, three artists/directors will receive support and mentoring on visual development of their feature-length animated films while living and working in Annecy from April 5 – June 28, 2024.
Netflix Announces ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Season 2 Pickup
Streamer greenlights another season for the beautifully stylized animated series, created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, which follows a mixed-race sword master living a life in disguise and shame while seeking vengeance in Edo-period Japan.
‘Great Pretender – The Complete Series Deluxe Edition’ Coming March 2024
Shout! Studios has just announced the 5-disc Blu-ray collection, featuring all 23 series episodes of the cult anime series, is now available for preorder.
God’s Gang Ltd. Adds Animation Veteran Bruce Daitch
Ex-DreamWorks COO and CFO joins advisory board of company behind ‘God’s Gang’ animated series, led by former Disney exec Nimrod Avraham May; the group’s multinational team is committed to projects free of AI-generated content.
‘Pacemaker’: A Trans-Positive Story of Hope and Acceptance
Christopher Lennertz’s 3DCG heartfelt short about a grandfather’s journey to understand his grandson’s message of love and pride stars 2023 Tony Award winner Alex Newell, the first-ever non-binary actor to win a Tony, and multi-Grammy Award winner Philip Lawrence, with ‘Nimona’s ND Stevenson serving as executive producer.
81st Golden Globe Awards Nominations Announced
‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ lead the Best Motion Picture – Animated category while also getting nods in ‘Cinematic and Box Office Achievement’ and ‘Best Original Score - Motion Picture;’ winners will be announced at an awards ceremony January 7, live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Crunchyroll Reveal New Anime Award 2024 Categories
The event, honoring the best in anime, adds Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Slice of Life in recognition of artistic excellence and variety; ceremony streams live from Tokyo on March 2, 2024.
IBERMEDIA NEXT Announces Co-Development Selections
Out of 104 submissions, 14 projects were chosen for support in development of Ibero-American stories through technological innovation in animation.
Festival du film d'animation d'Abidjan (Abidjan Animation Film Festival) Call for Entries and Pitches
FFAA (Abidjan Animation Film Festival) is a cultural meeting that will offer its participants another vision of animation
Hayao Miyazaki’s Triumphant Return with ‘The Boy and the Heron’
Animation supervisor Takeshi Honda and GKIDS president Dave Jesteadt discuss the emotional impact of what may be the famed director’s final film, his first in 10 years, a semi-autobiographical fantasy set in World War II that embraces life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, releasing in U.S. theaters December 8.
Restored and Remastered 1985 Classic ‘The Raccoons’ Now on Roku
Run With Us Productions launches the series in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the U.K.; now streaming in three languages.
Apple TV+ Offers ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Free Viewing Windows
Based on the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip by Charles M. Schultz, the beloved Xmas special - and family holiday viewing tradition – streams to non-subscribers free on December 16 and 17.
Nomint Creates ‘Up in Smoke’ for WWF to Address the Global Climate Crisis
Released at COP28, the short integrates stop-motion animation with real smoke, immersing viewers in a world where a young girl confronts a smoke-filled environment; experience the film and take a look behind the scenes.
Jeff Kinney Shares the Creepy Creativity of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever’
The hugely successful author and screenwriter admits that his elf-meets-leprechaun ‘Santa Scout’ nestles somewhere between cozy and disturbing in the all-new 3DCG movie, based on his novels, that follows a disaster-prone middle school student who is having an especially stressful holiday season; the film debuts December 8 on Disney+.
Bill Plympton’s ‘Slide’ Sets LA Premiere at LAAF
The tale of a mythical cowboy showdown with eco-villains intent on paving over idyllic Sourdough Creek, the 2D animated film debuts December 9 at the Los Angeles Animation Festival; tickets are now available.
33 Animated Features Eligible for Oscar Consideration
Academy members will vote to determine five nominees for best animated feature film award at the 96th Academy Awards; films also qualify for other categories including best picture.
Illumination Shares ‘Migration: A Look Inside’ Featurette
Awkwafina, Carol Kane, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell and Danny DeVito star in the animated family adventure about a feathered family vacation gone awry; flying into theaters December 22.
Paramount+ Teases ‘The Tiger’s Apprentice’ 3DCG Feature
Boasting an all-star voice line-up that includes Lucy Liu, Bowen Yang, Sandra Oh and Michelle Yeoh, the new original animated film about a Chinese-American teenager who discovers he’s part of a long line of magical protectors known as the Guardians streams in February 2024.
