Animation Scoop

52nd Annie Award Nominations Announced

ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations today for its 52nd Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org/nominations. The 52nd Annie Awards is set for Saturday, February 8, 2025 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Pre-reception and Red Carpet begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at […]

INTERVIEW: David Lowery Presents “An Almost Christmas Story”

David Lowery (director of Pete’s Dragon and Peter Pan & Wendy for Disney) helms the new animated holiday short film An Almost Christmas Story, which premieres this Friday Nov. 15 on Disney+. It’s about an owl named Moon who forms a unique friendship with a girl named Luna in The Big Apple. Lowery shares what […]

INTERVIEW: Looney Lowdown On “The Day The Earth Blew Up”

Long-awaited, fully animated The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie will receive an awards-qualifying run before the end of 2024, ahead of its official theatrical release on February 28th, 2025. I’ve screened the film and spoke with director Peter Browngardt about this sci-fi action comedy starring beloved characters who are true to […]

TRAILER: “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

Netflix debut the first trailer and announced the release date for the new Aardman new stop-motion animated feature film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl today. The film will be released on Netflix globally (except in the UK/IE) on January 3rd, 2025 (it will have a limited theatrical run in December to qualify for this […]

TOHO To Acquire GKIDS

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 […]

INTERVIEW: “Jelly” Is Robin Budd’s Jam

August 16th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Emmy-winner Robin Budd (director of the Beetlejuice animated series and Disney’s 2002 Peter Pan sequel Return to Never Land) presents a new animated short film that recently premiered at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Budd gives me the 411 on the Nelvana Produced Jelly in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Molly is unhappy with her job. She’s inspired to take chances and enjoy her life and be a rebel. Where did [your] inspiration for “Jelly” come from?

Robin Budd: Well… (laughs) the actual inspiration came when I was cleaning out a bathtub drain. I was pulling out all this guck and hair, and it was disgusting. As I pulled it out I thought, “What if this stuff I pulled out became a monster?” I’ve always loved monsters who are a surprise… in that they’re sympathetic characters. In this case, it grew into, “What if this ugly-looking monster was quite beautiful inside and had insight into Molly’s personality?” Developed the character with setting-up a structure where she was very unhappy with her job. She was doing repetitive work that was just a pale imitation of what she’s capable of. She was trapped in this pattern. For me, that’s being trapped in rigid thinking. It’s repetitive. It’s not creative. The opposite of that would be fluid and expressive and unbridled thought and creativity. And that’s what I wanted for her. Jelly is Molly. Each of us has that voice inside that wants us to break free and be expressive… be ourselves.

REVIEW: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

August 15th, 2023

Martin Goodman

In writing this review, I found limiting the piece to a simple assessment of the movie challenging. Three levels of critique are to be considered; teasing them apart proved adequate to explain only one aspect of Mutant Mayhem in light of the interplay between the factors involved. Therefore, I present my readers with part review, essay, and commentary. While this may seem overblown to some, this animated feature is more complex than it looks, with the unifying theme being evolution.

NTERVIEW: Teeing-Up “One-Of-A-Kind Marcie”

August 14th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

The Peanuts/Apple partnership continues to flourish. New 40-minute special Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres this Friday August 18th on AppleTV+. Executive Producer Craig Schulz (son of “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz) and Director Raymond S. Persi (who also voiced Flash the Sloth in Zootopia) discuss the impact of Marcie, her new special and the entire “Peanuts” brand. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Craig, I want to [first] ask you about the relationship between the Peanuts brand and Apple over the last few years. From your perspective, how has it been?

Craig Schulz: We’ve put a lot of content out there, between “The Snoopy Show”, “Snoopy in Space” and the co-view specials, which goes under the heading “Snoopy Presents”. “Marcie” is No. 5 in our series. I think we’ve done a lot of great things, and Apple has put a lot of content out there for the world to see. This stuff shows in over 100 countries, so it’s pretty impressive.

Animation Educators Forum Announces 2023-24 Student Scholarship Recipients

August 11th, 2023

Jerry Beck

ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum (AEF) is proud to announce its scholarship recipients for academic year 2023-24. A record breaking 96 applications were received, with 11 students selected, both graduates and undergraduates, from eight states and three countries. The total scholarship funds ($44,000) will be distributed evenly, will be used to cover costs for necessary software and hardware, creative and academic research, and tuition.

INTERVIEW: All Dogs Go To Hollywood With “Strays”

August 9th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

New R-rated comedy Strays opens in theaters nationwide on August 18th. Director Josh Greenbaum (who grew-up near me in Saratoga Springs, NY) has real dogs play the film’s characters in about 95% of the scenes. They’re voiced by some Hollywood A-listers, including Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Greenbaum shares insights on working with the human and pooch performers and how the dogs’ mouths were animated so they can say some truly dirty dialogue. Plus, find out who Greenbaum and I think should have a cameo in the sequel. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What honestly interested you in doing a hard-R talking dog movie?

Josh Greenbaum: (laughs) It’s funny, this is random, but after I made my first movie “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar”, I did a fun interview with Guillermo del Toro, who loved “Barb & Star”. He was asking me after we did the interview, “What are you doing next?” And I was telling him about this. And he goes, “Huh. That makes sense.” And I don’t know what that meant, but I liked it. I think it made sense to him in that clearly I like a little left of center, weirder movies and ideas. That excites me.

INTERVIEW: The Journey Of “The Monkey King”

August 7th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Anthony Stacchi co-directed Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature, 2006’s hilarious Open Season, and Laika’s 2014 The Boxtrolls, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Now Stacchi is the director of new Netflix animated film The Monkey King, which debuts August 18th. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Stacchi talks with me about this action-packed adventure, as well as his animation heroes and how he got started in the industry. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Anthony Stacchi: Originally I was trained as a 2D animator at CalArts. I’ve kind of done every kind of animation there is. For years I did TV commercials at studios that did a lot of mixtures. I’ve never been in one area for too long. I worked with Henry Selick for a while in the Bay Area on stop-motion projects. I always love stop-motion. When the opportunity came along to come to Oregon (where I still live) and work at Laika, I jumped. But I’ve done CG before and I love it.

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond and Villads Spangsberg: Making “The Dragon Prince” an Epic

July 31st, 2023

W.R. Miller

What makes an epic fantasy series successful? The Dragon Prince has been so popular that its streamer, Netflix, committed to seven seasons—ordering the later four seasons all at once. So far the show has won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Children’s Series, an IGN People’s Choice Award, two Kidscreen Awards, and a Leo Award for Best Direction in an Animated Series, with nominations in other categories. Season Five has just been released, continuing the struggles of Prince Callum the High Mage, Rayla the Moonshadow Elf, Soren the Crown Guard, a glow toad named Bait, and the Dragon Prince himself, Azymondias, seeking to stop the emergence of Aaravos, a powerful Startouch Elf who threatens the land of Xadia. Also seeking Aaravos: Claudia, a dark mage and her Earthblood Elf friend Terry, to restore her comatose father, Lord Viren, back to full health before he expires in 30 days.

Complex? Yes. This is, after all, an epic saga. Netflix, Wonderstorm and Bardel Entertainment want to appeal to a general audience, without “dumbing down” the material.

The Dragon Prince showrunners: (L-R) Villads Spangsberg, Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond.

TRAILER: Jim Capobianco’s “The Inventor”

July 26th, 2023

Jerry Beck

Directed and written by Jim Capobianco (the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Ratatouille) and co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon, The Inventor is a stop-motion adventure film about the life of Leonardo da Vinci featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry. Co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon, Blue Fox will release The Inventor in the U.S. theatrically nationwide on August 25th, 2023. Here’s our first look:

Warner Bros. Unveils New “Tom & Jerry” Series Set in Asia

July 26th, 2023

Jerry Beck

Warner Bros. Discovery today announced its first ever localized Tom and Jerry series, featuring the beloved cat and mouse duo as they take their rivalry through Singapore. Produced locally in Asia, and in association with Warner Bros. Animation, the new series comprises seven 3-minute shorts and will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong later this year, before being rolled out internationally. A pilot episode giving a flavour of what’s to come will launch in August – further details will be announced soon. In the meantime, here’s a teaser:

INTERVIEW: “Steamboat Silly” Is “Wonderful” Mickey Shorts Send-off

July 24th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

After a very successful decade-long run, Disney’s Mickey Mouse shorts under “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse” brand are coming to a close. Finale short “Steamboat Silly” premieres this Friday July 28th on Disney+. Mickey and pals go through some old home movies, including a certain adventure that started it all for the Mouse 95 years ago, which comes to life in the most surprising ways. Executive Producer / Supervising Director Paul Rudish shares details on putting this short together and what Mickey and this franchise have meant to him. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: How does it feel that this [chapter] is coming to an end?

Paul Rudish: It’s been a great ride. It’s been a dream project — so fun to play with the classic characters and to build a team that loves it as much as my entire team does. To have that confluence of creativity from so many people… on the same page about the product. It’s been 10 years but it never got old because of the inclusion of new directors and designers… and constantly keeping it fresh. The collaboration itself was always great. I’m very proud of everything we made, and I’m very proud of the process that we were able to build.

INTERVIEW: Dear “Dew Drop Diaries”

July 21st, 2023

Jackson Murphy

This Monday July 24th, DreamWorks debuts a new family animated series on Netflix. It’s Dew Drop Diaries, from Creator and EP Rick Suvalle and EP Aliki Theofilopoulos. Tiny fairies called Dew Drops have a large impact on kids in The Big City, helping them with various tasks and to make their days a little bit better. Suvalle and Theofilopoulos drop-in for this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This was conducted as an Email Interview and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: This trio of lead characters is sweet. They compliment each other so well. What were your goals with them?

Rick Suvalle: When you’re creating an ensemble show like “Dew Drop Diaries”, you want every character to be different. You want them all to have their own strengths and weaknesses, so that while they can be successful on their own, they also realize that they can increase their chance of success by working as a team, especially if their skills complement one another. So, the goal was to show their united strength, to highlight their teamwork and resourcefulness when they get together. That’s when the real “magic” of the show happens.

TRAILER: Illumination’s “Migration”

July 18th, 2023

Jerry Beck

This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Minions, Despicable Me, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets comedies, invites you to take flight into the thrill of the unknown with a funny, feathered family vacation like no other in the action-packed new original comedy, Migration. Directed by Benjamin Renner, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Ernest & Celestine and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales, Migration is a visual spectacle unlike any in Illumination’s acclaimed history, featuring elevated, expressionist artistry and Illumination’s signature subversive humor and authentic heart, unforgettable characters and joyful soundtrack. Take a look:

INTERVIEW: Annie Murphy On New Comedy “Praise Petey”

July 17th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Disclaimer: This interview with actress Annie Murphy was conducted over Zoom prior to the SAG-AFTRA Strike, on Monday June 26th, 2023, as part of a virtual press junket organized and provided by Freeform.

Emmy-winning “Schitt’s Creek” actress Annie Murphy lends her voice to the title character on Freeform’s first-ever animated series, Praise Petey. Its one-hour series premiere is this Friday July 21st at 10pm ET/PT. Murphy, who also voiced Chelsea in recent DreamWorks release Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, joins me for a fun conversation about her major animation summer. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length, clarity and structure.)

Jackson Murphy: Petey goes from a fashion magazine assistant in eccentric — and at times realistic (right now) — New York City to running a cult in the south. How did you want to approach your character kind of reacting to and adjusting to this major change in her life?

Annie Murphy: I mean, let’s be honest, there’s a bit of Alexis [from “Schitt’s Creek”] in Petey. It was a nice sweet spot. I got to throw on my vocal fry again and plunge back into that world. It was so much fun working with Anna [Drezen], the creator of the show. We had so many giggles. She has such a wild and bizarre brain that I adore so much. I was very, very happy to be asked to play Petey. It was a big honor.

INTERVIEW: “Dancing with Dragons: Frederik Wiedmann’s Music for a Magical Land” (Part 2)

July 14th, 2023

W.R. Miller

When showrunners Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond selected Frederik Wiedmann to score The Dragon Prince, the young composer was relatively new to the entertainment industry, yet had already amassed an impressive array of credits. Several came from DC’s direct-to-videos: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Son of Batman, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Batman vs. Robin, Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, and Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, plus the Beware the Batman TV series. He had also scored projects as diverse as Jarhead 2, Hangman, and All Hail King Julien — which earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song. His first TV series work, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, earned him nominations for two Annie Awards and an International Film Music Critics Award. These were projects prior to his assignment with The Dragon Prince, which will eventually encompass seven seasons.

GKids Acquires Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and The Heron”

July 14th, 2023

Jerry Beck

GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of award-winning animation, announced its acquisition of North American distribution rights to The Boy And The Heron, the highly anticipated new film from the legendary Academy Award-winning Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Japan’s celebrated animation house, Studio Ghibli. Released in Japan as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka (translated as How Do You Live), the film is an original story written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi.