Animator Gene Deitch (August 8, 1924 – April 16, 2020) passed away Thursday (4/16) of natural causes (unrelated to the current corona virus pandemic). For the last 25 years (or so) I was very proud to have been his friend. His life’s work and his personal journey was quite incredible. Luckily he documented much of […]
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“The Simpsons” Animated Short “Playdate with Destiny” Starts Streaming on Disney+
April 9th, 2020 
Jerry Beck Today Disney+ set a playdate with the Simpsons. The streaming service has announced that the short film Maggie Simpson in ‘Playdate with Destiny will begin streaming globally on the service beginning tomorrow, Friday, April 10th. Originally released in theatres before Disney and Pixar’s Onward, Maggie Simpson in ‘Playdate with Destiny’ builds on the success of […]
TRAILER: Adult Swim’s “JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales”
April 6th, 2020 Jerry Beck Adult Swim has released the official trailer for it’s twisted new animated series JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales. Created by the Emmy-winning animator JJ Villard (King Star King), the series will premiere on May 10th on Sunday night at 12:15 AM (Sunday night leading into Monday). It’s pretty bizarre – Take a look:
“Animation Show Of Shows” Now Available on Vimeo
March 30th, 2020 Jerry Beck With its current theatrical and educational release on hold, the beloved animation anthology has just premiered online, delivering the “best of the best” to a global audience. The Animation Show Of Shows, a curated selection of animated short films created by students and professionals around the world, is now on Vimeo. With theaters shuttered due […]
Gkids Acquires “Lupin the 3rd: The First”
March 26th, 2020 Jerry Beck GKIDS announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the animated feature Lupin the 3rd: The First, a new animated feature from director/screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki (Stand By Me Doraemon, Dragon Quest: Your Story). The “Lupin the 3rd” franchise, from original creator Monkey Punch, began in 1967 and has spanned a variety of […]
TRAILER: Netflix “The Willoughbys”
March 23rd, 2020 Jerry Beck Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. Here is the next Netflix feature (following Klaus) – The Willoughbys – from director Kris Pearn (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2). It begins streaming April 22nd. Here’s the official trailer:
NEW TRAILER: Pixar’s “Soul”
March 12th, 2020 Jerry Beck Check out the new trailer from Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Soul,” which opens in U.S. theaters on June 19th, 2020. Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets […]
TRAILER: DreamWorks “Dragons Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon”
March 12th, 2020 Jerry Beck Here’s the trailer for the forthcoming 45-minute Netflix special, DreamWorks Dragons Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon. It flies onto Netflix on March 27th. Check out the trailer below. Dak, Leyla and the Rescue Riders crew brace for their newest adventure when greedy pirates get their hands on a map leading to a precious […]
TRAILER: Warner Bros. “Scoob!”
March 5th, 2020 Jerry Beck The first full-length animated Scooby-Doo adventure for the big screen is the never-before told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins and the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc. SCOOB! is directed by Tony Cervone, Annie Award nominee for the feature Space Jam and two-time Emmy nominee for his work on Duck Dodgers. The film will […]
Taika Waititi to Exec Produce, Write and Direct Roald Dahl Animated Series for Netflix
March 5th, 2020 Jerry Beck Celebrated and Academy Award-winning writer, director, and actor Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is set to write, direct, and executive produce two original animated series for Netflix. The first is a series based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The second is a wholly original […]
Dreamworks Short “To: Gerard” Set For Tribeca Dilm Festival World Premiere
March 5th, 2020 Jerry Beck DreamWorks Animation has announced that the World Premiere of its latest short film, To: Gerard will take pace on April 18th, at the Tribeca Film Festival. In To: Gerard, writer/director Taylor Meacham (making his directorial debut) pens a love letter to his father—one that unifies his love for animation and the art of illusion—to tell […]
TRAILER: Sony’s “Connected”
March 3rd, 2020 Jerry Beck Sony Pictures Animation’s Connected is an original animated comedy from director Mike Rianda (Gravity Falls) and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie), about an everyday family’s struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world! It comes out on September 18th – and here’s our first look:
Nick to Debut Nelvana’s “Ollie’s Pack” in April
March 2nd, 2020 Jerry Beck Ollie, his two best friends and an otherworldly backpack embark on monstrous adventures with the premiere of Nickelodeon’s original action-comedy series, Ollie’s Pack, in April. Produced by Nelvana, the 26-episode, 2D-animated series combines the struggles of tween life with the responsibility of controlling an entire dimension of monsters. The series is slated to debut internationally […]
Animation History is the Theme of the 6th Annual Oregon Film History Conference
March 1st, 2020 Jerry Beck If you are interested in the question: “Where did Matt Groening, Brad Bird and Bill Plympton come from, and what, if anything, did their emergence have to do with the previous generation of animation figures from Oregon, a group which included Mel Blanc, Marc Davis, Ralph Wright, Pinto Colvig and George Bruns?” this conference may […]
Disney+ to Revive “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” with Creator Bruce W. Smith
February 27th, 2020 Jerry Beck Disney+ has ordered the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series The Proud Family which, 18 years after its Disney Channel premiere, is still beloved for its characters, stories and multilayered humor and for its messages about inclusion and cultural diversity in a smart, modern way. The new animated family sitcom The Proud Family: Louder […]
