WildBrain Inks Global Distribution Deal for Animated Series ‘Ray of Sunshine’
The new preschool show from Daily Madness follows Ray, a talkative seven-year-old boy living in Dublin, and highlights the importance of community and diversity.
Apple TV+ Drops ‘Pinecone & Pony’ Clip
Season 2 of the GLAAD Award-nominated series from DreamWorks Animation and First Generation Films debuts globally today.
‘Rick and Morty: Season 6’ Steelbook Blu-ray Box Set Coming March 28
Adult Swim’s two-time Emmy award winning series’ complete sixth season offering comes with all 10 episodes and special features including an all-new featurette ‘Rick and Morty: Inside Season 6.’
Exclusive: Netflix Shares ‘Princess Power’ Featurette
Drew Barrymore and authors Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheimer reflect on their new animated preschool series’ core messages of inclusivity, diversity, community, teamwork, and friendship; the show is now streaming on Netflix.
3D Sparrow Scores New Deals for ‘Booba’ Animated Series
Show’s fourth season just debuted on Netflix; ITVX, STAR, 9GO! and Pro Plus pick up the non-dialogue family show centered on a joyful and curious little hobgoblin.
Stuttgart Animation Festival Celebrates 30 Years
Launched in 1982, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film - ITFS - continues to provide a gathering place for the international animation community while acting as a career springboard for young talent; the event runs April 25-30.
Hulu Drops Marvel’s ‘Hit-Monkey’ Season 2 Announcement
It’s official, the badass monkey and his pal, the assassin ghost, will return with all-new episodes of Yakuza-killing fury; they’re on a mission, and it’s taking them to New York City.
‘Natural Habitat Shorts’: Like ‘Ranger Rick,’ But for Adults
Brennan Brinkley, Nicole Low, and Tyler Kula’s series of 3D shorts, all under 1 minute, throw various anthropomorphic animals - always cute, sometimes quite naughty - into contemporary human situations that play off fun facts about that specific animal, now playing on YouTube and other socials.
Nickelodeon’s Animated Series ‘Bossy Bear’ Debuts March 6
The all-new preschool show follows Bossy Bear and Turtle, two unlikely friends, as they navigate their childhood (mis)adventures; Season 1 features Lance Bass and Michael Turchin in recurring guest voice roles.
Disney+ Drops ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Volume 2 Lineup and Release Date
Lucasfilm’s unique anthology returns May 4 with nine new shorts created by an international line-up of award-winning filmmakers and animation studios, including Cartoon Saloon, Aardman, and Triggerfish, harnessing different animation styles, each offering a new take on the mythos of ‘Star Wars.’
Podcast EP 194: Spiridon Giannakis and Everything About Art Book Publishing
The German art book publisher/magazine editor discusses the world of print media, his career journey, which culminated with establishing his own publishing business, and the ins and outs of the business.
73rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards Nominees Revealed
‘The Bad Guys,’ ‘Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio,’ ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,’ ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,’ and ‘Turning Red’ are nominated in the animated features category; winners will be announced at the March 5 awards ceremony.
Details Aplenty Revealed for New DC Universe Slate
Co-Chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios Peter Safran and James Gunn dive a bit deeper into the next generation of DC films and television series, and how the new core continuity will work.
Animac 2023 Announces Official Selections
Oscar-nominated ‘The Flying Sailor’ leads the 40-film shorts field for the upcoming festival, which runs onsite February 23-26 and online March 3-12.
‘Mickey & Minnie’ Animated Short Collection Celebrates 100 Years of Disney
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new compilation, including ‘Steamboat Willie,’ which first introduced Mickey Mouse, along with ‘Brave Little Tailor,’ ‘Mickey’s Delayed Date,’ ‘Hawaiian Holiday,’ ‘On Ice,’ and 5 others, comes to Blu-ray and DVD February 7.
NVIDIA Updates ‘Instant NeRF’ to Transform 2D Images into 3D/VR
The app can now use real or rendered images - from smartphones, game screenshots, and design applications - to create a virtual reality scene.
Superights Scoops up Distribution for ‘Deep in the Bowl’ Kids’ Series
The new 3DCG show from Zeilt Productions follows the hidden lives of five tanks of hilariously existential fish.
WGA West Blasts Warner Bros. Discovery Merger for Repercussions to Writers and Diversity
Showrunners of ‘Tuca & Bertie,’ ‘Gordita Chronicles,’ and ‘Whistleblower’ contributed personal accounts for the “Broken Promises Bulletin,” an addendum of a larger 2021 report showcasing the creative carnage caused by corporate mega-mergers.
HaZimation’s ‘RIFT’ Sci-Fi Feature Heads to TAAFI 2023
Created entirely in Unreal Engine, the animated feature explores themes of love and redemption through a diverse cast of characters set in a futuristic world; the film screens online as part of next month’s festival in Toronto.
Animated Characters: The Art of Babbitt – Part 1
Animator, director, character designer, teacher, and writer Nancy Beiman shares Part 1 of her extensive, 2-part, 1979 interview with famed animator Art Babbitt, whom she met as a 21-year-old Cal Arts student after visiting Richard Williams’ L.A. studio on a dare.
Silver Spoon Rewrites XR Playbook for Nick Simulcast of CBS Christmas Day Game
The NY-based real-time animation and virtual production studio’s immersive ‘Nickified’ game day viewing experience included technological firsts in AI, real-time AR graphics, and mixed reality resulting in record-breaking viewership.
Aardman Appoints Laura Taylor-Williams as Head of Digital and Strategic Development
In the newly created role, exec will lead a team covering commercial and creative strategies in digital publishing, as well as the strategic direction of digital monetization across AVOD, FAST and EST.
Bruce Smith and Ralph Farquhar Talk ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ Season 2
According to the executive producers, the sophomore season is even ‘louder and prouder,’ with new characters and deeper stories centered on culturally significant experiences within the Black community such as interracial dating and Juneteenth; new season debuts February 1 on Disney+.
Hulu Orders ‘King of the Hill’ Reboot
After getting turned down at FOX, co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels have taken their series resurrection plans elsewhere, along with the original voice cast that includes Kathy Najimy and Pamela Adlon; still set in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, the show takes place in present-day U.S.A.
‘Hidden Worlds: The Films of LAIKA’ Exhibition Opening at Seattle’s MoPOP
The multi-award-winning stop-motion studio's newest and largest exhibit features immersive displays, film artifacts, and interactives spotlighting ‘Coraline;’ ‘ParaNorman;’ ‘The Boxtrolls;’ ‘Kubo and the Two Strings;’ ‘Missing Link;’ and the upcoming ‘Wildwood;’ show kicks off in March and runs through Summer 2024.
