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”, […]

INTERVIEW With The Team From “More Than I Want To Remember”

January 15th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

More Than I Want to Remember screened earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s now available to watch on Paramount+ and is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Director Amy Bench presents the story of Mugeni Ornella. At age 14, she became separated from her family and travelled from her home in the Congo to the United States, yearning for some true happiness. It’s an incredible journey, filled with courage and a love of family. Bench, Ornella, animation director Maya Edelman and key animator Sebastian Bisbal join me for this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: You’ve had quite a year, with Tribeca, Paramount+, and now this Oscars shortlist recognition, among other honors. What has the past year been like for you, with “More Than I Want to Remember”?

Amy Bench: This year has been really exhilarating. We’ve had a number of moments when we’ve had to pinch ourselves. The first of those moments was when we won an award at SXSW, where the film premiered, and getting to see Mugeni accept the award and speak in front of hundreds about the Banyamulenge people and what they’ve been enduring. Another of those moments was showing the film at Tribeca, where we won Best Animated Short and our film qualified for the Oscars. And having the legendary documentary producer Sheila Nevins come on as an Executive Producer after she fell in love with the film was so surreal in the best possible way. We’ve gotten to meet some heroes of animation along the way, who’ve been blown away by the art and story, which has been really humbling. And having perfect strangers come up after screenings and describe how the film touched them personally—there’s nothing like it. It’s been really great to see this story get the attention it deserves. Any time you put all the creative energy you have in a project, you hope it sails — and to see this one sail as it has, has made me very, very proud. I’ve been so incredibly lucky to work with Mugeni and our creative team to bring this project to life.

INTERVIEW: Preparing For The “Black Slide”

January 14th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Uri Lotan is the director of Black Slide, one of the 15 finalists for this year’s Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. It’s based on true events from his childhood. A boy named Eviah is nervous about going down a massive, black slide at a water park. But there’s more that’s on his mind. Lotan shares with me how his personal experiences greatly influenced his comedy-drama short. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Uri Lotan: It’s been a crazy ride so far. It feels amazing. It’s incredible. It’s an amazing honor to be amongst such awesome films and to see all this exposure. Everybody’s coming from all these different countries, with different types of films. It’s super exciting and quite a whirlwind. It’s been awesome.

INTERVIEW: A Four-Course Q&A About “Steakhouse”

January 13th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Director Spela Cadez’s Steakhouse was nominated for an Annie Award last awards season. It’s now one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. Cadez shares details on making the intense, surprising drama. (This Animation Scoop interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What intrigued you about using steak as the main food?

Spela Cadez: Only men can really cook a perfect steak. They are, in a way, the kings of the grill. The script was written by my partner Gregor Zorc. One day by chance we watched a cooking tv show and then the idea came together. The chef’s raw flipping of meat, drowning it in oil and the sound of loud sizzling meat, in this I saw much more than just a recipe.

INTERVIEW: Greetings To “Goodbye, Don Glees!”

January 12th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

GKIDS’ Goodbye, Don Glees! screened in theaters in September, was recently released on Blu-Ray and DVD, and is now one of the 27 qualified films vying for 2023 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations. This story of three friends on an unforgettable journey is packed with adventure, humor, heart and purpose. Director Atsuko Ishizuka explains the meanings behind this moving film. (This Animation Scoop interview was conducted as an Email Q&A, translated and edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: There are so many deep, emotional aspects to this story. Which parts of the story did you first come-up with and why?

Atsuko Ishizuka: In this world where meaning and understanding is still unfolding, the question of ‘What does my existence mean?’ was the first thing I thought of as a loose theme for this project. If I died and nobody knew about my death, would the meaning of the life I lived be lost? A few years ago, my mother was told her illness was terminal by a doctor, and that she only had a short time to live. At that time, I realized the fact that my existence itself is evidence that my mom was here and lived her life, regardless of how small and inconsequential I thought my existence was. When I realized I’m the one and only treasure for her in this world, I knew how I wanted the end of this story to unfold.

Tickets On Sale Now For Chinese Box Office Smash Hit: “NEW GODS: YANG JIAN”

January 11th, 2023

Lauren Ashton

You can now purchase tickets for “NEW GODS: YANG JIAN”, the newest film from the iconic Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation. And beginning January 20th, the feature will premiere at the IFC Center in New York, The Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles, The CGV San Francisco, and additional markets throughout the country (see below).From director ZHAO Ji, (White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn) “NEW GODS: YANG JIAN” is the second installment of the studio’s “New Gods” franchise. The animated action-fantasy series takes inspiration from Chinese mythology, proceeding the 2021 feature “New Gods: Nezha Reborn”.

INTERVIEW: Treasuring Memories Of “The Garbage Man”

January 11th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Laura Goncalves’ new documentary animated short film The Garbage Man is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Goncalves interviewed members of her family about her uncle Manuel, a unique man who had a major impact on her life. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Goncalves shares how she was able to capture the spirit of her loved ones. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: How does it feel to be on the Academy Awards shortlist?

Laura Goncalves: Awesome. It feels really good. It’s amazing to be one of the 15 shorts, side by side with such great people and films. It’s very good. I feel really honored that the film got this recognition, especially being Portuguese-spoken, which is something I really wanted to do. I wasn’t really sure how it was going to be received. I’m really happy that it got to this final list. It’s cool.

INTERVIEW: Andy Gent On Humane Society Short “Save Ralph”

January 10th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Stop-motion animation legend Andy Gent, who teamed-up with Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs, also worked on The Humane Society’s campaign and short film Save Ralph. It’s about a rabbit who’s a tester for cosmetics. Through Taika Waititi’s voice work as the title character, and the animation work from Gent and his team, the campaign to eliminate animal cosmetics testing has already been quite effective. The short is also one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. Gent and I talk about Save Ralph and his upcoming Anderson collaborations. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Andy Gent: It’s very exciting. We were very pleased to hear that it was going to make it to that stage.

Jackson Murphy: This short and campaign have been around for a little bit. How did you first get involved with The Humane Society on this?

INTERVIEW: SpongeBob’s Next Stop — “The Tidal Zone”

January 9th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

This Friday The 13th at 7pm, Nickelodeon presents a new one-hour SpongeBob SquarePants special, The Tidal Zone. It’s five surreal, bizarre, unpredictable and entertaining stories featuring beloved characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show and Kamp Koral. Executive Producers and Bikini Bottom aficionados Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli discuss the new special, the success of the three shows, the 2025 SpongeBob big screen movie and much more! (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Vincent, before we get into this special, since we last spoke “Kamp Koral” and “The Patrick Star Show” have become such phenomenons and huge hits in the SpongeBob universe. How have you seen the impact of these two spinoff shows firsthand?

Vincent Waller: (laughs) We’re just in the bunker working! We just hope everybody enjoys them.

INTERVIEW: Chronicling The Journey Of “The Flying Sailor”

January 8th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are no strangers to the prestige of the Academy Awards. Tilbis was on the Best Animated Short Film ballot for 1991’s “Strings”. She and Forbis were nominated for 1999’s “When the Day Breaks” and 2011’s “Wild Life”. They’re in contention once again — on the 2023 Oscar shortlist for The Flying Sailor. They spoke about their experience making this “based on a true story” short. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Amanda Forbis: It feels really good.

Wendy Tilby: It’s a strong year. We feel very pleased to be part of it.

Jackson Murphy: Where does the true story for The Flying Sailor come from?

WT: True but obscure. Hopefully we’re making it less obscure. We were in Halifax, Nova Scotia about 20 years ago, and we happened to be at the Maritime Museum [of the Atlantic] there. And they have a whole area devoted to the Halifax Explosion. Canadians are [fairly] familiar with it, particularly since the 100th anniversary was a few years ago. It happened in 1917. It was a catastrophic event. Two ships collided. One of them was full of explosives. There were many terrible stories, but there was one tiny blurb we read about this one sailor who was launched by the blast, flew for two kilometers, landed in a green space uphill, naked except for one boot, and was basically fine. We thought, “Holy smokes! That’s an amazing story.”

INTERVIEW: Examining Oscar Shortlisted “It’s Nice in Here”

January 7th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

It’s Nice in Here is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. This has been a passion project for director Robert-Jonathan Koeyers, who joins me for this Animation Scoop Q&A to discuss the powerful, thorough short that presents multiple sides to a complicated, heartbreaking story of two best friends and a police officer. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Robert-Jonathan Koeyers: It’s absolutely surreal. We have such a tiny movie, and the entire year… has been so surreal. World Premiere at Cannes and now making it onto the shortlist for the Oscars. It’s like a childhood dream and it’s surreal to believe.

Jackson Murphy: How was that experience at Cannes?

RJK: Equally surreal. (laughs) You’re working for such a long time on a film in your little attic by yourself… well, with a team who’s working remotely… and then suddenly for the film to be out there and for people to engage with it in Cannes was… indescribable.

INTERVIEW: Presenting Oscar Shortlisted “The Debutante”

January 6th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Elizabeth Hobbs is on the 2023 Oscars shortlist for The Debutante. It’s about a young woman who befriends a hyena. They seek to shatter the norms of behavior and societal expectations in shocking, wild ways. This is an animated short that will definitely get people talking. (This Animation Scoop interview with Hobbs was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What interested you in the short story your film is based on?

Elizabeth Hobbs: The film is based on a short story called The Debutante. It was written by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington in the late 1930’s, and it’s loosely inspired by her own experience of rejecting the grand life that was planned for her by her parents. When I first read The Debutante I found it so startling, funny, and fresh and the themes really resonated with me. We were lucky to get permission from the Estate of Leonora Carrington to adapt the story.

REVIEW: “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish”

January 5th, 2023

Martin Goodman

DreamWorks Animation has found a new sport: outperforming far more costly and heavily promoted Disney movies. As a result, the latest entry, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (PIB2 for the duration of this review), is better, livelier, and far more creative than the tedious and disappointing Disney opus Strange World. One might think this unlikely, considering that the titular character was born from the mediocre Shrek franchise. Still, the charismatic cat has also blown Strange World away at the box office. DreamWorks is simply playing at a different game.

INTERVIEW: “SuperKitties” Play And Save The Day

January 5th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Disney Junior’s new family animated series SuperKitties premieres this Wednesday January 11th at 10:30am. Episodes will also be on Disney+. Creator and executive producer Paula Rosenthal and Co-EP Kirk Van Wormer join me for a cat-tacular conversation. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Paula Rosenthal: It’s really paw-some to be here!

Jackson Murphy: Paw-some, indeed! Paula, do you remember when and how you fell in love with cats?

PR: Oh my gosh. What’s not to love about cats, right? In my family, we adopted a kitten when I was very young. We took care of it and nurtured it through most of her adult life. And then when she sadly passed, we had a second one that was probably the size of a small wildcat. It had its own personality. I fell in love with them back then and haven’t stopped since.

INTERVIEW: “New Moon” Team Full Of Joy And Gratitude

January 4th, 2023

Jackson Murphy

New Moon is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. The story is taken from “A Boy and His Soul”, a stage play by Emmy winner Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”). Domingo, in such vivid and moving ways, details growing-up with his mother in Philadelphia and, specifically, what happened when they looked into the sky. Domingo, co-writer and co-director Raúl Domingo, and co-directors Jeff Le Bars and Jérémie Balais, share highlights of their one of a kind experience making “New Moon”. (This Animation Scoop interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What did you enjoy about bringing the atmosphere of a play to life?

Jeff Le Bars: The idea that our animated film can exist within a live theatre performance was the most exciting. It was wonderful to have the comfort of the anchor of the theatrical audience and theatrical set, and to subsequently break the rules and break free of the confines of the physical space with Mother teaching Jay Jay the magic of being open. In theatre, live performance evolves every night, and in animation anything is possible. Combining the two truly allowed us to invent a whole new universe in “New Moon”.

INTERVIEW: Stop-Motion Comedy “An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It”

January 3rd, 2023

Jackson Murphy

Lachlan Pendragon recently won a Student Academy Award for his stop-motion animation short about stop-motion animation, An Ostrich Told Me The World is Fake and I Think I Believe It. Now he’s on the 2023 Oscars shortlist as one of the 15 finalists for Best Animated Short Film honors. Pendragon, from Brisbane, Australia, made this clever comedy at home during the early days of the pandemic. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: How does it feel to be on the Oscar shortlist?

Lachlan Pendragon: Pretty crazy. It’s been a wild ride. I was only [a few months ago] at the Student Academy Awards. It just keeps snowballing into this crazy thing. A dream come true.