Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar have entered into a wide-ranging, multiyear overall deal with Disney that calls for them to produce animated and live-action series and movies for Disney Branded Television. They will work closely with Meredith Roberts, senior vice president/general manager, Television Animation, Disney Channels, and Ayo Davis, executive vice president, Creative Development […]
Author Archive
“The Proud Family” EPs Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar In New Deal with Disney Branded Television
December 15th, 2020 
Jerry Beck 
Posted in 
Tags: 
Netflix Announces “The Magician’s Elephant”
December 15th, 2020 Jerry Beck Netflix announced today a new animated feature film currently in production, The Magician’s Elephant, based on two-time Newbery Award winner Kate DiCamillo’s novel of the same title. The film marks the directorial debut of renowned visual effects veteran Wendy Rogers (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Puss in Boots) and is produced by Julia […]
Baobab Studios Announces Erick Oh’s “Namoo”
December 14th, 2020 Jerry Beck Baobab Studios, the independent interactive animation production company, announced today its latest project, Namoo, a virtual reality experience written and directed by acclaimed Korean filmmaker, Erick Oh. The now-completed film was created entirely in Facebook’s VR animation tool, Quill, with all of the props, characters, and environments hand-painted directly in VR. Baobab will release Namoo […]
DreamWorks Animation Developing DOG MAN Feature Film
December 9th, 2020 Jerry Beck DreamWorks Animation has optioned the rights to “Dog Man,” the bestselling series by author and illustrator Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants), and is currently developing a feature film based on the series. Peter Hastings (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain) is attached to direct. Hastings, a six-time Emmy Award and Peabody winner, joined DreamWorks Animation in 2011, […]
3DAR/Baobab Studios/Oculus Announce Release Date for “Paper Birds”
December 8th, 2020 Jerry Beck Acclaimed Latin American animation studio 3DAR, leading interactive animation house Baobab Studios, and Facebook’s Oculus, are pleased to announce the wide release of the original virtual reality production, Paper Birds: Part 1, exclusively on the Oculus Quest on December 10th. The animated VR film, which had a successful world premiere run at Venice Film Festival […]
Asifa-Hollywood Appoints New Officers To Its Executive Board of Directors
December 7th, 2020 Jerry Beck ASIFA-Hollywood announced today, its new slate of officers for its executive board of directors. The new officers are: Board President, Sue Shakespeare; Vice President, Jerry Beck; 2nd Vice President, Brooke Keesling; 3rd Vice President, David Derks; Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jeff Wike; and Secretary, Jeanette Bonds. All of the newly appointed officers are currently active […]
Rich Webber’s “BENCH” Wins Top Honors at LAAF 2020
December 6th, 2020 Jerry Beck The Los Angeles Animation Festival (LAAF), which was an online-competition-only event this year, announced its winners Sunday night – with top honors – BEST OF THE FEST and BEST COMEDY SHORT – going to Rich Webber’s beautifully paced and hilarious short Bench (U.K). Canada’s Ya Ma won BEST FEATURE for his powerful documentary Up We […]
Netflix and Aardman Announce Holiday Special, “Robin Robin”
December 3rd, 2020 Jerry Beck Today Netflix and Aardman announced the voice cast for upcoming stop-animation musical holiday special, Robin Robin, which is currently in production at Aardman’s award-winning studio in the UK and will debut on Netflix in time for the holidays in 2021. Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson (The Crown) and Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant (Can You […]
TRAILER: GKids Ottawa Prize Winner “On-Gaku: Our Sound”
December 2nd, 2020 Jerry Beck GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, released a new trailer for the upcoming animated feature On-Gaku: Our Sound from director Kenji Iwaisawa, based on the manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi. The film will play in select theatrical markets starting December 11th, 2020.
Nick’s New Titmouse Pre-School “Kinderwood” Starting on Noggin
December 2nd, 2020 Jerry Beck Preschoolers will make discoveries, use their imaginations and explore an exciting new world when Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated series Kinderwood (30 x 7-min episodes) debuts Thursday, Dec. 3rd, on Noggin, Nick’s interactive learning service. Created and produced by Titmouse, the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company (T.O.T.S., Little Big Awesome, Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart), […]
ASIFA-Hollywood Announced Today its ‘Call for Judges’
November 30th, 2020 Jerry Beck ASIFA-Hollywood announced today its ‘Call for Judges’ for the 48th Virtual Annie Awards. Applicants must have an established career in animation and exemplary professional credentials in at least one of the Annie Award categories. Individuals in the animation community, who are interested in being a nomination committee judge, will find the application at members.asifa-hollywood.org/judge-application.
Netflix Announces “Back To The Outback” for Fall 2021
November 30th, 2020 Jerry Beck Netflix announced today that the new animated film Back To The Outback, will make its global debut in Fall 2021. The comedy adventure marks the directorial debuts of filmmakers Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, and stars the voice of Isla Fisher, Tim Minchin, Eric Bana, Guy Pearce, Wayne Knight, and Academy Award Nominee Jacki Weaver. […]
Amy Friedman and Sundance Feniger Elevated To Key Kids Programming Posts at Warner Bros.
November 24th, 2020 Jerry Beck Amy Friedman has been named Head of Kids & Family Programming, Warner Bros., announced today by Tom Ascheim, President of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics at Warner Bros., to whom she reports. In her newly created role, Friedman will oversee the creative and strategic guidance on kids and family programming for Cartoon Network and […]
Heritage Offering Original Artwork for Fleischer Studios’ “Superman” Cartoons
November 18th, 2020 Jerry Beck Here they are, compiled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for the Dec. 11-13 Animation Art event. More than 50 original pieces from the Fleischer’s run on Superman, amassed from two separate collections never before available to the public, create the largest assemblage ever to come to auction. Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Director Animation Art, says the 28 […]
LAAF Launches New Distribution Label with Two International Animation Features, THE LAST FICTION and SHe
November 18th, 2020 Jerry Beck L.A-based distribution label LAAF (an off-shoot of the Los Angeles Animation Festival and FilmFest Distribution) drops festival feature film favorites The Last Fiction and SHe just in time for the holidays. Many wonderful international animated features still find it hard to acquire US distribution – and that’s where the newly launched LAAF label comes in. […]
