Animation Scoop

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”, […]

Nickelodeon Welcomes 12 Participants to Annual Writing and Artist Programs

February 6th, 2023

Jerry Beck

Twelve new participants join Nickelodeon’s annual Writing and Artist Programs, designed to develop the next generation of creative voices from underrepresented communities. This year’s programs are back in person at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank for the first time since 2020, where group members will develop their skills with hands-on work. The long-running Writing Program enters its 23rd year, while 2023 marks the 12th year for the Artist Program. Both programs are overseen by the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion and aligned with the company’s Content for Change initiative.

Nickelodeon’s Brand-New Animated Preschool Series “Bossy Bear” Debuts Monday

February 3rd, 2023

Lauren Ashton

Preschoolers will soon embark on zany misadventures with the archetypal odd couple: Bossy Bear and Turtle! Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated preschool series “Bossy Bear” debuts Monday, March 6, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT). From husband and wife team David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim (UglyDolls), and based on Horvath’s popular book series, the story follows a pair of unlikely besties: Bossy Bear, an overly-excited extrovert, and Turtle, a contemplative introvert. The two make the perfect team for tackling silly childhood adventures in their Koreatown-inspired city of Pleasantburg. Produced in partnership with Imagine Kids+Family, new episodes of Bossy Bear will continue to air on Mondays through Thursdays at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon throughout March. The series launch will take place on Nick Jr. channels globally later in 2023.

Invisible Collective & Martian Blueberry Create An Original Animated Series About The Legacy Of The Negro Leagues

February 3rd, 2023

Lauren Ashton

This Black History Month, Invisible Collective founder Justin Polk and Invisible-represented director Carl Jones celebrate the launch of the series they co-created for Major League Baseball (MLB.) A modern retelling of the Negro Leagues’ historical legacy, “Undeniable – Stories from the Negro Leagues” illuminates the Leagues’ impact on the game of baseball. The series features baseball’s most iconic players, legendary female ballplayers, and the Negro Leagues’ influence on the world as a whole.

INTERVIEW With “My Dad The Bounty Hunter” Duo

February 2nd, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Everett Downing and Patrick Harpin are the creators, writers, directors and executive producers of the new Netflix sci-fi animated action comedy series My Dad The Bounty Hunter. It premieres next Thursday February 9th. When two kids discover their father is an outer space bounty hunter, they’re in for the adventure of their lives. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Downing and Harpin take me through the show’s development process and how they hope the mission of the series is accomplished. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Having all those attributes! Does that add pressure?

Everett Downing: (laughs) I don’t think it adds pressure. For us, it’s all about “we can do that”. We love this show and wanted to get it off the ground. We were doing what we needed to do to do that.

Animation Educators Forum selects 2023 Hall of Fame Receipients

January 31st, 2023

Jerry Beck

The Animation Educators Forum (AEF), a nonprofit association of teachers and scholars whose focus is the art of animated film, announce the selection of its 2023 Hall of Fame recipients. The AEF will announce a new group of recipients each January. It you wish to suggest a worthy candidate, please visit: animationeducatorsforum.org and send your suggestions to Tom Sito, administrator.

INTERVIEW: Raising The Bark With “Paw Patrol” Spinoff “Rubble & Crew”

January 30th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

It’s time for some excavator action! Nickelodeon’s new Paw Patrol spinoff series Rubble & Crew premieres this Friday February 3rd at 11:30am. Executive Producer Bradley Zweig and Spin Master Entertainment President Jennifer Dodge share what will make kids go “Bow Wow!” (Interview with Zweig was conducted on Zoom. Interview with Dodge was conducted as an Email Q&A. Interviews were combined and edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: My nearly five year old cousin is obsessed with “Paw Patrol” and construction vehicles. This is going to be his new favorite show!

Bradley Zweig: (laughs) Awesome. “Paw Patrol”… construction… pups — pretty good combo.

INTERVIEW: “Ted Lasso” Holiday Treat Now Annie Awards Nominee

January 26th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Jed Hathaway is the director of Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache, a four and a half minute stop-motion presentation from AppleTV+. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Hathaway shares how he and his team collaborated with Jason Sudeikis, Apple and Warner Bros. TV to give Ted Lasso fans a fun gift that’s now a 2023 Annie Awards nominee for Best Sponsored Production. (This interview was edited for length and clarity. Behind the scenes photos courtesy of JedHathaway.com.)

Jackson Murphy: Congrats on the Annie Awards nomination. How does it feel?

Jed Hathaway: It feels fantastic. Really appreciate the Annie Awards responding to the work that we did. Working with Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis and Kip Kroeger — they gave us a lot of latitude and freedom to be able to play with the skit. We had a basic script and some sound records. I was able to direct all the actors in the booth so it was great working with everyone from Hannah [Waddingham] to Brett [Goldstein] to Juno [Temple] and Brendan Hunt. It was a really great experience, and we appreciate the Annies recognizing all the hard work we put into it.

“KIFF” To Premier Friday, March 10th, On Disney Channel

January 24th, 2023

Lauren Ashton

Disney Branded Television announced that on March 10th, “Kiff” will premiere on Disney Channel before its Disney+ debut on Wednesday, March 15.This silly new animated comedy features an optimistic squirrel named Kiff and her chill bunny best friend, Barry. Kimiko Glenn (“Orange Is the New Black”) voices Kiff, whose love for life takes her on many adventures through the city with Barry, who is voiced by H Michael Croner (“Craig of the Creek”). The series’ theme was released today as well.

Academy Award Nominations 2023

January 24th, 2023

Jerry Beck

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that nominations for its 95th Annual Academy Awards. The 5 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their producers and directors:

Best Animated Feature nominees are:

● Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Joel Crawford and Mark Swift
• The Sea Beast Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
• Turning Red Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins

Best Animated Short nominees are:

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud
• The Flying Sailor Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
• Ice Merchants João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano
• My Year of Dicks Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon
• An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It Lachlan Pendragon

The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12th, 2023, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

REVIEW: “New Gods: Yang Jian”

January 23rd, 2023

Martin Goodman

Yang Jian is the second feature in the New Gods series, a continuation of Nezha Reborn, both directed by Zhao Ji. It is not necessary to see the first feature to appreciate Yang Jian, but those who wish to can dial it up on Netflix to gain a bit of depth. The New Gods series is an invigorating dip into Chinese mythology, retold with cutting-edge animation technology and a heavy tendency toward VFX-enhanced action scenes (of which there are many).

For this review, I will go light on the story and plot, which I find to be somewhat of a hindrance when balanced against the outstanding character development and irresistible visual treats provided by the animation. The film is overstuffed with characters, and unless the viewer pays close attention to the unfolding story, they may need a scorecard. Some characters seem minor, then reappear later in essential roles. Others disappear and then reappear in different locales as the script demands. Yet other characters are introduced so late in the story that the script becomes overwhelming. One certainty: There are a lot of them. A Ph.D. in Chinese mythology is not needed to enjoy the film. Still, a passing familiarity with its themes would be helpful, especially when trying to place what roles certain characters ultimately play in the story.

INTERVIEW: The Charm And Unpredictability Of “The Amazing Maurice”

January 18th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Toby Genkel is the director of The Amazing Maurice, a new animated comedy adventure coming to theaters nationwide on February 3rd via Viva Kids. It’s based on the late Terry Pratchett’s beloved book and features the voices of Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, Hugh Bonneville and Himesh Patel. Ahead of the film’s Sundance Film Festival screening this Sunday Jan. 22, I spoke with Genkel about the amazing production of The Amazing Maurice. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: It’s very cool that this is going to be at Sundance in-person starting this Sunday Jan. 22 and available to watch at home online, with virtual screenings, from the 24th to the 30th. How does it feel to have this be a part of one of the biggest film festivals in the world?

Toby Genkel: Almost surreal to be honest. Really exciting. Really honored and really pleased. We couldn’t believe it in the first place because I was told it’s very hard to get an animation film into Sundance, but here we are!

ANNIE NOMINATIONS 2023 (Complete List)

January 17th, 2023

Jerry Beck

ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations today for its 50th Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org/nominations. This year’s ceremony is scheduled to return Live on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Pre-reception and Red Carpet at 4:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m., and after party immediately following the ceremony.

This year’s Best Animated Feature nominations include: Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red (Pixar Animation Studios), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix presents A Double Dare You! Film/A Shadowmachine production in association with The Jim Henson Company), Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (DreamWorks Animation), The Sea Beast (Netflix) and Wendell & Wild (Netflix presents A Monkeypaw Production/A Gotham Group Production).

Looney Tunes Ring in Year of the Rabbit with a Special Lunar New Year Short

January 17th, 2023

Jerry Beck

Get ready, Elmer Fudd – the Looney Tunes rabbits are preparing for an EXTRA long “wabbit” season sure to ruffle a few of Daffy’s feathers. Fresh off his first-ever Emmy win, Bugs and his fellow Looney bunnies are ready for their spotlight in 2023—hopping into the Year of the Rabbit with a stacked Bugs slate featuring a Lunar New Year celebration short on Cartoonito, new episodes of Cartoonito’s “Bugs Bunny Builders” and HBO Max’s “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” plus the launch of “Tiny Toons Looniversity” later this year.

Debuting today across US and APAC, Bugs Bunny Builders preschool series released a two-minute short celebrating Lunar New Year. In the bite-sized episode, Bugs and Lola Bunny teach the Looney Builders about the annual celebration and perform their own Looney lion dance to help bring good luck and fortune to the new year. Little ones and their families can expect new, full-length episodes of the acclaimed series later this year on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network and HBO Max.

INTERVIEW: The Chills And Thrills Of “Ice Merchants”

January 17th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

João Gonzalez directs Ice Merchants, one of the 15 2023 Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film finalists. It’s about a father and son who live in a house on the edge of a cliff. Each day, they dive way, way down, providing ice to townspeople. Their lives are exciting… and quite dangerous. Gonzalez details the making of Ice Merchants in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What did you want to explore with this unique father-son relationship?

João Gonzalez: I believe that the film explores metaphorically how those small interactions and rituals that we have with our close ones everyday (in this case between the father and son), even if we almost take them from granted and don’t pay too much attention to them, are part of the foundation of meaningful human relationships. And that “foundation” grows stronger every day. Although it is a film mainly about loss, I think it is hopeful at the same time.

INTERVIEW With The Team Of Shortlisted “My Year Of Dicks”

January 16th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

My Year of Dicks is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Director Sara Gunnarsdottir, writer Pamela Ribon and producer Jeanette Jeanenne present a memorable year in the life of a teen girl, who goes through some personal ups and downs, learning what it truly means to have a strong romantic relationship and an even stronger friendship. Here’s my Animation Scoop Q&A with the team. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: This is adapted from a memoir. It’s set in 1991. How did you discover that animation could be the best way to share these memories and tell this story in a visually interesting and, at the same time, personal way?

Pamela Ribon: Having worked in the incredibly large and corporate culture of big-studio animated films, I wanted to find a more personal, independent route to help lead an animation pipeline. When the opportunity arrived to adapt my “mortifying memoir” Notes to Boys (and Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public) for animation, it was an overwhelming concept at first. The memoir has adult me talking about a younger me who was writing all these lengthy notes to crushes… and then often calling up those very crushes on the phone and reading the letters to them. (I told you it was mortifying.)