Animation Scoop

INTERVIEW: Serving Up “A Sloth Story”

February 26th, 2025

Jackson Murphy

A Sloth Story is a new animated comedy adventure about sloths who move to the big city and hope their treasured family recipes make their food truck a major success. It opens in theaters this Friday Feb. 28. Director Tania Vincent shares the many wonderful ingredients that went into creating this grounded and fun film. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity).

Jackson Murphy: It’s about time we got an animated sloth feature!

Tania Vincent: (laughs) That’s how we felt as well. Obviously there’s a very famous “Zootopia” sloth that everyone thinks of, but there’s nothing else out there. They’re one of my favorite animals, so it’s about time it existed. We had a big writers’ room and we were pitching all these ideas. A sloth movie was definitely one of them. From there we took that nugget of an idea and turned it into this.

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond on Xadia: The Land of Loose Ends

February 25th, 2025

W.R. Miller

In the opening to The Dragon Prince, the narrator tells us the land of Xadia is rich in magic. It’s also rich in history, cultures, and the depth of its main characters, as one would wish for in an epic drama. There are so many details that, with the heroes focused on saving their world, questions are raised that are never answered.

Until now. Though the seven-season story arc finished as of December 19th, 2024, the show’s creators, Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, have availed themselves to fill in the narrative gaps.

Bill Plympton Brings Back his Online Animation School

February 24th, 2025

Jerry Beck

Hey, everyone, a special message from independent animation giant, Bill Plympton: “I’ve decided that it’s time once again to bring back the Plympton Animation School! It was about three years ago when I last offered my super-popular set of Master Classes, but that was during the pandemic and we had to hold the lessons remotely by Zoom.

“Since I finished my latest animated feature, Slide, I have some free time to get back to teaching, and I hope YOU can join me to learn the secrets of creating animated films. By the end of the course, you should have your very own original animated short, which you can then enter in festivals or post on YouTube.”

ANIME TRAILER: MBS Debuts “Witch Watch” Trailer With YOASOBI’s “Watch Me!” Theme Song

February 20th, 2025

Haylie Baker

Last Sunday, on February 16, 2025, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc. (MBS) debuted a brand new trailer for Witch Watch, the highly anticipated anime adaptation of the hit Weekly Shonen Jump manga. The latest trailer treats fans to an early listen of the anime’s original theme song, “Watch Me!,” written exclusively for the series by the J-pop duo YOASOBI. In addition, MBS has released new poster art to accompany the recently unveiled opening theme.

Nickelodeon Announces New “Avatar” Series, Animated Feature and Digital Content

February 20th, 2025

Jerry Beck

Nickelodeon is continuing the mythology and adventure of the beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender with Avatar: Seven Havens, an all-new series from creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the original 26-episode, 2D-animated series centers around a young Earthbender who discovers she’s the new Avatar. The news was announced today by Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation.

“For two decades, the richly crafted world of Avatar: The Last Airbender has introduced audiences to a world of compelling characters and groundbreaking storylines, captivating fans globally,” said Naito. “We can’t wait to embark on the next chapter of this epic saga, with a new story set within the Avatarverse, envisioned by the original creators, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.”

INTERVIEW: “Family Guy” Fun For Season 23

February 20th, 2025

Jackson Murphy

New episodes of FOX Animation Domination icon Family Guy air Sundays at 8pm through March 23rd. It moves to 8:30pm on March 30th. Three-time Emmy winner Rich Appel and three-time Emmy nominee Alec Sulkin are the showrunners and executive producers, who work closely with creator and star Seth MacFarlane on continuing to deliver quality comedy over a quarter century after the series premiered. But what about a movie? We discuss that and much more. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Rich, [it’s the] 23rd season. You’ve been on the air 26 years. You kicked it off with a Top Gun themed episode the other night. How did it feel getting the new season going with a jam packed action and comedy packed episode?

Rich Appel: Well, after I finished the “SNL 50th” celebration and the new episode of “White Lotus”, I happily turned to our season… No, I’m just kidding. It felt great. And it feels great because “Family Guy” is kind of this unicorn. “The Simpsons”, of course. “South Park”. But to be a show that’s been on the air that long, what that actually means is you get to work with the same people year in and year out. And in television that’s rare. And Alec and I really do like and respect the writers we work for and the artists. I’ve been here for 13 years, Alec has probably been here for 20 with a little gap. People have been here a long time, and it’s nice to have that kind of old school work life that doesn’t exist, really, in the entertainment world. It exists if you work in a bank or a school. It doesn’t really exist in TV. And we get that. And that’s a luxury we appreciate.

INTERVIEW: Going Wild For “Night Of The Zoopocalypse”

February 18th, 2025

Jackson Murphy

When a meteor crashes into a zoo, it unleashes a virus, and many of the animals become… zombies. Viva Kids’ new animated feature Night of the Zoopocalypse, from an idea by Clive Barker and starring the voice of David Harbour, opens in theaters nationwide on Mar. 7. Directors Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis, who previously collaborated on several Blue Sky Studios films, share what went into this comedy thriller for families. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Rodrigo, I read the both of you were involved with some films at Blue Sky Studios, a studio I loved. Is that how you ended up meeting each other?

Rodrigo Perez-Castro: We were story artists for a company called House of Cool, which worked with Blue Sky. Ricardo was also the owner of House of Cool. We did a lot of storyboarding work for Blue Sky and many other companies. But yes, we worked on many of the “Rio” and “Ice Age” films and “Ferdinand”.

GKIDS Gains Rights To “COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing”

February 17th, 2025

Haylie Baker

On February 13, 2025, GKIDS announced that it had acquired the North American rights to COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, which is set to premiere in North American theatres on April 11, 2025.

The upcoming film is based on the rhythm game HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE! Since its release in 2020, the game has achieved huge success, amassing 10 million users just within its first two years.

“The Wild Robot” and “Flow” Take Best Feature honors at Annie Awards: “Arcane” Sweeps TV Awards

February 9th, 2025

Jerry Beck

Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot, won Best Feature, along with eight more categories at the 52^nd Annie Awards celebration Saturday night on the campus of UCLA. In addition to Best Feature, The Wild Robot also took home an Annie for Best FX- Feature (Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow, Nyoung Kim, Steve Avoujageli), Best Character Animation – Feature (Fabio Lignini), Best Character Design – Feature (Genevieve Tsai), Best Direction – Feature (Chris Sanders), Best Music – Feature (Kris Bowers), Best Production Design – Feature (Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc) Best Voice Acting – Feature (Lupita Nyong’o as Roz) and Best Editorial – Feature (Mary Blee, Collin Erker, Orlando Duenas, Lucie Lyon, Brian Parker).

The Wild Robot

TRAILER: Disney Branded Television’s Emmy®-Nominated “Kiff” Renewed For Season 3

February 6th, 2025

Lauren Ashton

Disney Branded Television has announced that its Emmy®-nominated animated series, Kiff, is getting a third season. Fans can expect more wild and hilarious adventures with best friends Kiff and Barry. The show’s creators, Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal, are back as executive producers, with Kent Osborne as co-executive producer and Quinn Scott stepping in as story editor.

TRAILER: Smurfs In Theaters July 18th, 2025

February 6th, 2025

Lauren Ashton

Paramount Animation has released a new trailer for SMURFS, which will make its debut in theaters this summer. Check out the new trailer with a special shoutout from Rihanna:

INTERVIEW: “Goldie” Hopes To Brighten Your Day

February 6th, 2025

Jackson Murphy

Emily Brundige is the Emmy and Annie nominated creator of the new animated family series Goldie, adapted from her 2019 short. It premieres Friday Feb. 14 on AppleTV+. Brundige shares the story and visual inspirations for her show, along with the impact of also working on Hilda and Over the Garden Wall. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: It started as an animated short for you in 2019, and now it’s a 13-episode Apple series. How does it feel to go from a short to a full series like this?

Emily Brundige: It feels great. It was always my plan to pitch Goldie as a kids series, and it’s one of those things that just worked out, and that feels great.

MeTV Toons to Debut “House Of Hanna Barbera”

February 4th, 2025

Lauren Ashton

This February, MeTV Toons – the only TV network destination dedicated exclusively to classic animation – launches ‘The House of Hanna-Barbera,’ a new weekday and Sunday-afternoon programming block showcasing the enduringly popular cartoons of the legendary Hanna-Barbera animation studio. Featured characters include Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Pixie and Dixie, Wally Gator, Touché Turtle and many, many more. MeTV. Toons welcomes the block with a special three-hour, primetime sneak peek on Sunday, February 16 from 8-11pm ET/PT, before “The House of Hanna-Barbera” lands in its regular Monday-Friday timeslot of 11am-1pm ET/PT, beginning on Monday, February 17. The block will also air regularly on Sunday afternoons from 1-3pm ET/PT beginning on February 23.

New “Boop!” Merchandise In Advance of the Upcoming Broadway Musical

February 4th, 2025

Jerry Beck

Leading brand-licensing agency, Global Icons, and Fleischer Studios, owner of the beloved Queen of Cartoons Betty Boop and other classic animated characters, have entered into new Spring licensing collaborations for Ms. Boop with several prominent brands, including Beauty Creations, which drops on February 6th. In addition, Betty Boop also has launched recent collaborations with Bella Doña and Glamlite, both prominent Latina-founded brands.

TRAILER: “Plankton: The Movie”

February 4th, 2025

Jerry Beck

This morning Netflix has debut the trailer, poster and new images for Plankton: The Movie, the latest movie in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise – coming exclusively to Netflix on March 7th. Here’s our first look: