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: “Pompo The Cinephile” Director On Amazing Movie About Movies

May 3rd, 2022

Jackson Murphy

Pompo The Cinephile is about young film fanatic and assistant, Gene, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime in Nyallywood when his boss, famed B-movie producer Pompo, selects him to direct a new movie she has written. Pompo’s film is a drama headlined by Martin Braddock, one of the most acclaimed male actors in the biz, and Natalie, an aspiring actress in her first major role. Pompo The Cinephile screened in theaters nationwide last week through Fathom Events and is currently playing in select cinemas across the country. GKIDS has also announced that this brilliant anime feature will be available on Digital June 28th and Blu-Ray/DVD July 12th. In this Animation Scoop Email Q&A, Director Takayuki Hirao describes all that went into making this extraordinary love letter to the movie business. (This interview was translated to English and edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: This is the best movie I’ve seen so far this year. I love the line “Welcome to the world of dreams and madness!” Is that how you’ve always thought of the film industry?

Takayuki Hirao: Thank you very much! I’m glad to hear that. Well… there are two meanings in this line. First, making people’s dreams come true or making your own dreams come true is not an easy thing to do, and not just in films and the industry. In order to succeed in this, it is necessary to have nearly insane amounts of obsession and power. Sometimes you have to throw away or lose something important to you along the way. This is extremely difficult. The meaning of this line is, first, if you want to accomplish something you will need to have both a dream and madness. You won’t be able to stand at the starting line unless you possess those and have mentally prepared yourself. Pompo the Cinephile is a fun and happy movie, but I also wanted to communicate the difficulty of actually making dreams come true.

INTERVIEW: Composer Aiko Fukushima Brings Hip-Hop To “Samurai Rabbit”

April 27th, 2022

Jackson Murphy

Aiko Fukushima is the composer of new animated action series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles — premiering tomorrow, Thursday April 28th on Netflix. The show is adapted from the “Usagi Yojimbo” comic book by Stan Sakai and follows a 16-year-old rabbit on his quest to become a true samurai… making some new friends and taking-on some enemies in the process. There are many layers to Fukushima’s score for the series, as she discusses in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Yuichi Usagi turns 16 years old at the beginning of the show. When you were 16 years old, were you into music, samurai action or a little bit of both?

Aiko Fukushima: (laughs) Maybe a little bit of both. Maybe not samurai action that much [though]. (laughs) More music.

INTERVIEW: Eric Goldberg On What Drew Him To “Sketchbook”

April 25th, 2022

Jackson Murphy

Eric Goldberg is the legendary Disney animator of The Genie. Goldberg draws the beloved character on an episode of the new informational series Sketchbook (premiering this Wednesday April 27th on Disney+). Goldberg discusses how The Genie has remained a core part of his life in the 30 years since Aladdin — and a highly-anticipated Mickey Mouse short and documentary. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: How were you presented with the idea for this very special series?

Eric Goldberg: It came from [Disney Animation SVP, PR] Amy Astley. She was the first one to mention it to all of us who were involved. It just sounded wonderful. Part informational, part tutorial and part “how did you get here?”. Those three things really make for a very interesting series. I think people watching it will understand all the different paths that people take to get to the same spot, in this case Disney Animation.

INTERVIEW: “Lightyear” Will Command Your Attention

April 21st, 2022

Jackson Murphy

On June 17th, Pixar presents new sci-fi action/adventure film Lightyear. It’s not about the “child’s play-thing” from the Toy Story franchise. Lightyear is the movie Andy saw when he was young that made him fall in love with the space ranger Buzz Lightyear character, voiced by Chris Evans. After screening 30 minutes of footage, I spoke with director Angus MacLane (co-director of Finding Dory) and producer Galyn Susman (Toy Story 4). (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Angus MacLane: I wanted to figure out a way to tell an action movie or a sci-fi movie and exploring those stories seemed like a really simple pitch to get into it. “What was the movie that Andy saw, and why couldn’t we just make that movie?” Whatever world we built, we had to build everything. So why not just build a cool sci-fi world? It will be just as challenging. And then we’ll be able to make something that’s a little more aesthetically cool to adhere to the sensibilities I’d always enjoyed. Directing a movie at Pixar is sometimes getting to indulge in your weirdest fascinations, and this film is no exception.

Netflix Announces Cast and First Look Cartoon Saloon’s “My Father’s Dragon”

April 20th, 2022

Jerry Beck

In celebration of World Book Day this Saturday, Netflix unveiled the first look and cast of Cartoon Saloon’s co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon. The film stars Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane. The film is inspired by the Newbery honored book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett. It will be produced by Mockingbird Pictures and Cartoon Saloon, and released by Netflix.

INTERVIEW: “Charlotte” Directors Paint Picture Worth TWO Thousand Words

April 19th, 2022

Jackson Murphy

This is my in-depth conversation with Tahir Rana and Eric Warin, the directors of new animated feature Charlotte. This drama, based on the life of artist Charlotte Salomon, opens in select theaters on Friday April 22nd and will expand to more cinemas over the coming weeks. Charlotte chronicles the life of Salomon (voiced in the English-language version by Keira Knightley), a young German-Jewish artist who lived in Berlin and France at the height of WWII. Her collection of paintings, “Life? Or Theatre?” is considered one of the most astounding artistic achievements of all-time.

Jackson Murphy: The film is excellent. I want to start with the fact that animation is art. Tahir, as you were making this [movie], what was it about Charlotte’s story that made you appreciate art, drawing, illustrating and animation even more?

Tahir Rana: That question is such a topical one, I think… especially how it relates to using animation in telling stories like this. Charlotte Salomon’s story has been, over the years, has been adapted as a stage play. There’s been a live-action film and several other adaptations. But it’s never been tackled in animation. And when you think about it, Charlotte herself being an expressionist artist — and a really great one — it really feels like a natural medium to use. There’s a great opportunity to utilize all the tools that are in an animator’s toolkit. You can use color, motion and movement to portray and convey what Charlotte was also doing in her own paintings.

INTERVIEW: A Good Time With “The Bad Guys” Team

April 18th, 2022

Jackson Murphy

New DreamWorks Animation feature The Bad Guys opens in theaters this Friday April 22nd. It’s based on a graphic novel series from Aaron Blabey about talking animal criminals in a complicated human world who are out to (possibly) change their image. Director Pierre Perifel and producers Rebecca Huntley and Damon Ross discuss casting, color choices and making DWA history. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: This movie is adapted from graphic novels. There have been 15 of them now — and many of them published as you were making this movie. So Pierre, did you go into these new editions of these graphic novels and [say], “Oh wait. We gotta add this in”?

Pierre Perifel: Aaron [Blabey] is part of the team. He’s an executive producer. He would send us the manuscripts of those new books he was going to publish. Unfortunately, no. Our story got locked rather quickly, so we couldn’t bring what is now in No. 10 or 12. And frankly, if we actually make more than one movie, we wanna save ourselves some room, you know? (laughs) So the movie just really borrows from the first four books.

Singers Tori Kelly and Jordin Sparks Guest Star on “Rugrats”

April 13th, 2022

Jerry Beck

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Tori Kelly (Sing) and Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Jordin Sparks (A Christmas Treasure) join the cast of Nickelodeon’s original animated series Rugrats in a musical half-hour special premiering Friday, April 15th on Paramount+. Kelly guest stars as Cynthia, Angelica’s beloved doll who is an international-pop-star-sensation-veterinarian-astronaut (among many other occupations), and Sparks guest stars as Tabitha, an impressionable high-fashion doll and rising pop star desperate for fame. Here’s a sneak peek clip:

Disney’s Jennifer Lee and Director Michel Ocelot To Receive Honorary Cristal Awards at Annecy

April 12th, 2022

Jerry Beck

The Annecy Festival is thrilled to honor not one, but two greats names in animation: Jennifer Lee and Michel Ocelot as recipients of the Honorary Cristal, an honor rarely bestowed in the decades of the Festival’s history. For the Festival’s Artistic Director, Marcel Jean, “the return of the Annecy Festival to its pre-pandemic state is the reason behind awarding two Honorary Cristals, one each to two exceptional personalities who have marked the recent history of animation film, on both sides of the Atlantic.” Jennifer Lee will receive her Honorary Cristal on Friday 17th June.

Netflix Announces “Nimona” Coming in 2023

April 11th, 2022

Jerry Beck

Netflix will release the much anticipated animated film Nimona in 2023. Annapurna Pictures partnered with Netflix when production began early last year. The film is adapted from the New York Times bestselling graphic novel by author ND Stevenson, who announced the news and debuted a first look on Twitter this morning. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane are directing.

Nature Calls: The 30th Anniversary of “FernGully: The Last Rainforest”

April 10th, 2022

Michael Lyons

When FernGully: The Last Rainforest opened in 1992, Washington Post film critic Desson Howe said of the film that it “…sounds as though its environmentally correct message will fall upon you like a heavy rubber tree. But FernGully is neither weighty nor whiny. It sings its messages unobtrusively through – and for – the trees. And, most importantly, it never forgets to be delightful for children and their moviegoing guardians.”

An appropriate summation of FernGully, which is set in the titular, peaceful rainforest guarded by fairies with magical powers. One of these fairies named Crysta is intrigued with the world outside of FernGully. She ventures to Mount Warning, where the evil Hexxus resides. Here, she finds a human named Zak, who is a part of a deforestation team.

INTERVIEW: All Aboard The “Pinecone And Pony” Express

April 6th, 2022

Jackson Murphy

Stephanie Kaliner is the executive producer and showrunner of new DreamWorks Animation series Pinecone and Pony. It’s adapted from author Kate Beaton’s popular picture book “The Princess and the Pony” and premieres this Friday April 8th on AppleTV+. Pinecone, a curious and adventurous girl, and her best friend — a pony named Pony — learn about themselves and the magical, extravagant world around them. Kaliner discusses her animation inspirations and what makes this series special. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Medieval times, jousting, warriors, wizards and forest creatures… were you interested in all of this when you were young?

Stephanie Kaliner: Oh definitely! Oh my gosh. Yes, I’m a huge fantasy nerd. So when this show came along, it had everything I loved all rolled up into one.

TRAILER: Netflix “Battle Kitty”

April 5th, 2022

Jerry Beck

Debuting today is the new interactive trailer for Netflix’s interactive series Battle Kitty. In case you haven’t heard – It’s an animated, interactive series from Matt Layzell (Sanjay and Craig) that will premiere April 19th. In a futuristic-medieval world, warriors must find and defeat all the monsters on Battle Island, collecting their coveted keys in order to become ‘Champion’. Cut to Kitty and Orc, two best friends on a mission – to help Kitty become Champion their way — through cuteness and friendship! The two embark on the journey to Championhood, facing many obstacles and naysayers only to discover a surprise waiting for them at the Ancient Ruins… Take a look:

INTERVIEW: Richard Linklater Loves “Apollo 10½” To The Moon And Back

April 2nd, 2022

Jackson Murphy

Five-time Academy Award nominated writer/director Richard Linklater (Boyhood, School of Rock) has now made one of his most personal and exciting films to date. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (now on Netflix) is an animated exploration of being nine years old in 1969 and living near Houston, TX as NASA was getting ready to put a man on the Moon. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Linklater shares what keeps him coming back to animation and why this is the perfect time for Apollo 10½ to launch. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: I love the movie, and I have to tell you I watched it with my father, who was also born in 1960.

Richard Linklater: Whoa.

JM: So the details of being a nine-year-old in 1969 are so spot-on! It’s amazing.

RL: (laughs) Well, if he approved, then I guess that’s the… review I’m looking for.

TRAILER: “It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown”

March 31st, 2022

Jerry Beck

Ahead of the premiere of the all-new Earth Day Peanuts special, It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown, on Friday, April 15th, Apple TV+ today revealed the trailer for the new original special, which is based on the classic Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and features an original song by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds.