Jerry Beck

Publisher Editor

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.

Articles By Jerry Beck

Independent

Kubo and the Two Strings is shaping up to be one of the major contenders in the animation contest of 2016. An epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from stop-motion animation studio LAIKA. The film is directed by Travis Knight and will be released via Focus Featuers on August 19th. Here’s the latest trailer:

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Commentary

Congratulations, Universal. You’ve just acquired Dreamworks Animation and all the Intellectual Property it controls. This is a purchase that places you in a stronger position to compete against the Disney company, its movie and theme park business and its massive global merchandising operation. Competition is good – and I wish you the best of luck […]

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Disney

Eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and three-time Oscar nominee and Honorary Academy Award recipient Angela Lansbury will join voice actors Paige O’Hara, Richard White and Robby Benson, supervising animators Andreas Deja, Mark Henn and Glen Keane, key story artist Brenda Chapman, Oscar-nominated producer Don Hahn, and director Gary Trousdale onstage for a 25th anniversary celebration […]

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Anime

Coming out on July 8th in China, Big Fish and Begonia is an elaborate animated feature directed by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun. According to this Chinese website, the film was 12 years in the making – and partially funded through crowd sourcing.

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Anime

Funimation’s anime pick-up The Empire Of The Corpses, is getting a limited U.S. theatrical run this month. Based on the Project Itoh zombie steampunk novel, the story has been adapted to anime by Wit Studio (Attack on Titan) with Ryoutarou Makihara directing. Funimation is placing the feature in select theaters on April 19th & 20th in select U.S. cities.

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More From Animation Scoop

“Stranger Things: Tales From 1985” a new adventure in animation, coming to Netflix in 2026

Your Saturday morning cartoons are getting turned upside down in 2026. The Stranger Things animated series, currently in the works at Netflix, now has a title: Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.