TRAILER: Netflix Announces Fall Lineup
Netflix has announced an exciting Fall Lineup, releasing exclusive stills from Spellbound, dates for Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Season 2, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 2, Mighty MonsterWheelies, and more. As students prepare to head back to school, the streaming platform is offering a variety of family-centered entertainment that ranges from series’ to feature-length films. […]
Ketchup Entertainment Acquires “THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE”
Ketchup Entertainment has officially acquired the North American rights to The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from Warner Bros. Animation. GFM Animation is overseeing the process of worldwide distribution sales of this enthusiastically well-regarded film that premiered this year at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. The CEO of […]
TRAILER: DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot”
DreamWorks Animation has released a new trailer for the studio’s upcoming feature, The Wild Robot. Based on Peter Brown’s #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot is an epic story of “a bond like no other”.
INTERVIEW: Cartoon Curator Bill from MeTV’s “Toon In With ME”
Since January 4th, the cable network (and over-the-air broadcast sub-channel) MeTV has been running a weekday hour of classic cartoons from the MGM, Warner Bros. and Paramount Popeye and Betty Boop libraries. Telecast at 7am and formatted as a vintage kids show, hosted by “cartoon curator” Bill Leff and his puppet companion “Toony, the Tuna”, […]
Midwell – 5
November 17th, 2022 
David Derks TOHO To Acquire GKIDS
October 15th, 2024 Jerry Beck Japanese entertainment leader Toho Co., Ltd. announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire a 100% equity share of GKIDS, Inc., the Academy Award-winning North American animation producer and distributor. Financial terms were not disclosed.
GKIDS, which maintains offices in New York and Los Angeles, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Los Angeles-based Toho International. GKIDS Founder Eric Beckman will remain as CEO, and Dave Jesteadt will remain as President of the company. The two have run GKIDS together since the company first released the Academy Award-nominated film The Secret of Kells as a two-person company in 2009. Together, they have grown GKIDS into a powerful force in the U.S. animation scene, amassing an outstanding thirteen Best Animated Feature nominations at the Academy Awards, and a win last year for Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron.
INTERVIEW: The Tales Of “Max & The Midknights”
October 15th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Nickelodeon’s new animated comedy Max & the Midknights (premiering Wednesday October 30th at 7pm) is adapted from Big Nate author Lincoln Peirce’s popular book. Co-Executive Producers Sharon Flynn and David Skelly discuss the show’s unique tone, visual perspectives and inspirations. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: NICK)
Jackson Murphy: How does it feel that it’s coming to TV Oct. 30 and the first two episodes have already been on YouTube for a few months — and has been very well received?
Sharon Flynn: It feels great!
David Skelly: Yeah, so exciting. Finally the public gets to see what we’ve been working on for so long.
INTERVIEW: The Keys To “Kensuke’s Kingdom”
October 14th, 2024 Jackson Murphy A new hand-drawn animated feature film adaptation of the classic novel Kensuke’s Kingdom opens in theaters this Friday Oct. 18. Directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry take me on an adventure, describing what went into the story, music, visual design and much more. Plus, find out what Oscar winner Cillian Murphy did to enhance his vocal performance. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Neil, this is an adaptation of a 25 year old novel. How did you feel that animation was an excellent way to take this story, put it on the screen, and make the story truly yours as well?
Neil Boyle: Well, there were boring logistical things which would make this very hard to make… all very expensive and very hard to make… as a live action movie, because of the age of the young man that it’s about, the 11 year old boy Michael. But to be honest, Kirk and I love animation. We obviously work in animation, but we love hand-drawn animation, and it has this kind of classic, timeless feel. And it just takes you straight into the story and straight into the heart of the story really quickly. That’s what’s so terrific about animation, but it also allows us to put the audience inside the heads of the characters.
“Bella Dona x BETTY BOOP” Collection To Debut October 11
October 9th, 2024 Jerry Beck Bella Doña, the innovative brand rooted in Chicano and LA culture and co-founded by best friends LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo, together with leading brand-licensing agency Global Icons and Fleischer Studios, owner of Betty Boop and a number of other classic animated characters, have announced a new licensing collaboration for the beloved Queen of Cartoons with popular apparel and accessories.
INTERVIEW: Spooky Season Treat “Mighty Monsterwheelies”
October 9th, 2024 Jackson Murphy DreamWorks Mighty Monsterwheelies morphs classic movie monsters and monster trucks, creating a fun group of characters and episodes for families as we approach Halloween. It premieres Monday October 14th on Netflix. Kyel White developed the series and serves as story editor. Stephanie Simpson is the four-time Emmy-winning executive producer and showrunner. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Stephanie, your credits include “Arthur” and Dr. Seuss shows. “Octonauts”. I watched “Postcards From Buster” when I was younger. “Hilda”. You have been in children’s entertainment for a long time. What has this aspect of animation and entertainment given you? And now here working on this “Mighty Monsterwheelies” show.
Stephanie Simpson: First of all, I love the kid audience. I think it’s the most important audience because you are definitely entering their imaginations right at the beginning. You feel like they’ll return to the things that they watch that you create for the rest of their lives, hopefully, for inspiration, for remembering things that made them laugh. Fond memories of their childhood and then to share it with their own kids when they get older. And on “Mighty Monsterwheelies”, the thing that’s been so fun is I’m a huge Universal monsters classic movies fan. So I didn’t think I’d ever get to, in the preschool world, honor my love of those monsters, but getting to work with Kyle on this show to bring those monsters to life for a really young audience and be the very first introduction to them was so much fun. And then to do it with all the action and the heart — it was really a joy.
INTERVIEW: A Decade Of “Blaze And The Monster Machines”
October 8th, 2024 Jackson Murphy One of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated shows, Blaze and the Monster Machines, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on the air. A special new episode, in which Blaze and his pals recall their first-ever race, debuts Thursday October 24th at 1pm ET & PT. Creators Jeff Borkin and Ellen Martin share what the milestone means to them in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: NICK)
Jackson Murphy: Can you believe it’s been a decade since the first episode aired?
Ellen Martin: No! And yes. Time has flown. We meet teenagers who were megafans ten years ago, and brand-new preschool fans who were just a twinkle in their parents’ eyes when the show first aired. So, ten years is… a lot!
EVENT: “The Art of Anime and Everything Cool” Auction
October 7th, 2024 Lauren Ashton Iconic Animation Characters and Creators Featured in Heritage’s The Art of Anime and Everything Cool…Volume V Signature® Auction
The event, running from October 18-22 in Dallas, Texas, showcases highlights like Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z, Streamline Pictures’ Akira and Robotech, classic couch gags from The Simpsons, a blue-eyed Grinch, and more.
Among the standout pieces is the Dragon Ball Z “Vegeta’s Pride” Majin Vegeta Production Cel with Key Master Background (Toei Animation, …).
“I often draw in my sleep. That alone made for twice the work … I couldn’t use the weird stuff I drew while dozing off, so I’d end up having to draw it all over again,” said Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball Z.
INTERVIEW: Go On An Adventure With “Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft”
October 7th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Lara Croft has been played by Oscar winners Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander in movies. She’s also an iconic video game heroine. Now she’s the focus of a new hand-drawn animated series, with the voice of Hayley Atwell, in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. It premieres this Thursday October 10th on Netflix. Showrunner, writer and EP Tasha Huo joins me for this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: How did it feel, as a Lara Croft ‘superfan’ (what you wrote on your socials), to take-on this new show?
Tasha Huo: Incredible. An actual dream come true. It’s been awesome to be able to take all the things I’ve loved about Lara, throw her in a show and play with her in the world.
INTERVIEW: Celebrating 30 Years Of DreamWorks With “The Wild Robot”
October 3rd, 2024 Jackson Murphy DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot opened No. 1 at the box office last weekend, with one of the biggest debuts ever for an animated film in the month of September. Four-time Annie-winning director Chris Sanders and Annecy winner Jeff Hermann react to the critical and audience success and reflect on three decades of DreamWorks. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Chris, this is your triumphant return to animation. “Lilo & Stitch”, “How to Train Your Dragon”, “The Croods”, and now No. 1 with “The Wild Robot”. How does it feel?
Chris Sanders: I think we could not be more thrilled because making this film… everybody poured their hearts into this, for real. We all fell in love with this project. We fell in love with the characters, and just the production itself was a bit of a miraculous thing. Just the way it came together. So to see it do well is absolutely thrilling.
REVIEW: “The Wild Robot”
September 30th, 2024 Martin Goodman Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois are among the most influential names working in animation today. Their record includes Lilo and Stitch for Disney and the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, with DeBlois directing the last two installments for DreamWorks. They have teamed up again for a highly regarded new film, The Wild Robot.
DreamWorks is again the beneficiary of this exemplary team. Sanders and DeBlois received the resources of the last film that the DreamWorks animation studio would produce (entirely) in-house.
Spectrum Laboratory’s Magic, Musings, and Mad Science of Jorge Gutierrez
September 28th, 2024 Jerry Beck “Thanks, autism!’ was a key takeaway excerpted directly from the educationally-focused September 26 Jorge Gutierrez one-man show at Victory Theatre Center in Burbank. The audience, comprised of audibly appreciative neurodivergent performing and visual artists from local adult day program Spectrum Laboratory, could not get enough of Gutierrez’s uplifting, autobiographical 450-slide presentation, animation career retrospective, and overall morale boost. In fact, the excitement carried on beyond the proscenium and into voluminous attendee social media posts in the following days.
INTERVIEW: “Gremlins: The Wild Batch” Even Wilder Than First Season
September 27th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Max’s Gremlins animated series had a successful season one with Secrets of the Mogwai. Season two, Gremlins: The Wild Batch, premieres Thursday October 3rd. Executive Producer and showrunner Tze Chun and fellow EP Brendan Hay preview what fans, including those who love the iconic movies, can look forward to from this fun group of characters and some exciting new ones. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: Max.)
Jackson Murphy: Tze, let me ask you about the reaction to Season 1. How did you feel coming out of that, and what was the approach going into this second season?
Tze Chun: I think Brendan and I were just so overjoyed by the fan reaction and the critical reaction. I guess Gremlins fandom is very non toxic. (laughs) As a fan of the Gremlins movies myself, I was so happy to be able to contribute to the canon, and I think that hopefully with the reaction to season one, people tune in for season two. It’s been so much fun to work on the show.
EVENT: 7th “Animation Is Film” Festival Announces 2024 Lineup
September 26th, 2024 Lauren Ashton The 7th annual Animation Is Film (AIF) festival, running from October 18-20 at TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, has shared its 2024 lineup. Opening the festival is the North American premiere of The Colors Within, directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice) and distributed by GKIDS. Warner Bros. Animation’s The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie by Pete Browngardt will take the Centerpiece spot, while the festival closes with Memoir of a Snail, the Los Angeles premiere of Adam Elliot’s Annecy Cristal Award-winning feature.
INTERVIEW: Matt Selman On “The Simpsons” At NYCC And New Season
September 23rd, 2024 Jackson Murphy Annie and seven-time Emmy-winning The Simpsons co-showrunner, executive producer and writer Matt Selman joins me for this new Animation Scoop Q&A to discuss Season 36 (which starts this Sunday Sept. 29 at 8pm on FOX) and the first-ever Simpsons panel presentation at New York Comic Con (Saturday Oct. 19 at 11:30am on the Main Stage). This interview was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: FOX.
Jackson Murphy: You’ve been with the show since 1997. How have you seen the evolution of the show in 27 years?
Matt Selman: It’s hard to see the forest for the trees. It’s much easier to get caught up in the trees. There’s always a new tree. You’re always planting trees, growing trees and getting trees ready to be on television. But you also have to be thinking of the next tree, and a tree is not a terrible metaphor because you always have to be think-staggering ahead. You have to be thinking a year ahead cause they take a long time to grow. Solid metaphor. How the show has changed… I don’t know. People could probably speak to that more objectively than I could. I’m just lucky. Lucky is an understatement. I’m shocked and stunned that I’ve had this sort of lottery win of a life experience where I got to personally do every job on the show, starting from staff writer where you’re just there and you’re scared and you’re nervous. “God, if I can just get one joke in today… oh my God, that’d be so great.” You’re so hyper-aware of everything and trying not to be annoying. “If I can just contribute a little bit, that’s so great.” And not be annoying. Always a challenge.
INTERVIEW: “Twilight Of The Gods” Team On Action-Packed Series
September 20th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Zack Snyder, director of 300, Man of Steel and 2010 animated feature Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, is the creator and executive producer of new adult animated action series Twilight of the Gods, now streaming on Netflix. He joins fellow EPs Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller to talk about the show and the power of animation. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Zack, you directed episodes 1 and 8 of this, as well as “Legends of the Guardians”. What is your approach to animation like vs. your live-action films?
Zack Snyder: Well I don’t really have a different approach. I draw a lot. I do tell a lot of stories in pre-production with drawings, with 2D representations to say, “This is what I want to do.” That style translates really translates easily to animation. And because I have a pretty solid understanding of the animation process, it’s not like I’m ‘behind’. I think that’s really helpful for everybody.
