Netflix dropped the official trailer and key art for Matt Groening’s comedy fantasy series Disenchantment Part IV. The misadventures of hard-hitting, hard-drinking Queen Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo and her personal demon Luci return Wednesday, February 9th, 2022 on Netflix.
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”, […]
Donald’s Taxing Experience: The 80th Anniversary of “The New Spirit”
January 28th, 2022 
Michael Lyons What could be a better topic for a Disney animated short than income taxes? Wait…what?!? Well, that’s precisely the focus of the 1942 Donald Duck outing The New Spirit. Eighty years after its release, watching it now is an intriguing look at how studios like Disney joined in the collective effort on the Homefront during World War II. The basis of The New Spirit was for audiences to see how paying their taxes, and doing so early, could help significantly in the War effort.
Skydance Animation’s “Luck” to premiere August 5th on Apple TV+
January 26th, 2022 Jerry Beck Luck centers around the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. When she discovers the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around. Eva Noblezada (“Hadestown,” “Miss Saigon,” “Yellow Rose”) will provide the voice for “Sam.” When she ages out of foster care, Sam discovers the Land of Luck and embarks on a quest that could change her luck forever. Simon Pegg (“Mission: Impossible,” “Ice Age,” “Star Trek Beyond”) will provide the voice for “Bob,” a lucky black cat from the Land of Luck, where “The Captain,” voiced by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Whoopi Goldberg, stands guard as the Head of Security. Bob becomes Sam’s partner in the quest to find a lucky penny in hopes of preserving his lucky life.
INTERVIEW: A Happy Conversation About “Angry Birds: Summer Madness”
January 26th, 2022 Jackson Murphy The Angry Birds burst onto the scene in the popular games and then two hit movies from Sony. Now there’s a new hand-drawn animated series that will get you into the summertime spirit. Angry Birds: Summer Madness premieres this Friday January 28th on Netflix. A quite proud Rob Doherty (executive producer) and Scott Sonneborn (head writer) discuss the show with me. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: It’s summer camp and the teen versions of these characters. So Rob, what was the appeal of showing the teen versions of Red, Bomb, Chuck and Stella?
Rob Doherty: It came from the fact that when we took the license from Rovio… We’ve been working with Rovio for quite a long time with Angry Birds and other content and distributing their short-form shows. And when the opportunity to take a license for the long-form TV show came-up, we jumped at the chance. We were looking for a hook for the show. What we were trying to do was steer away from the movies / not clash with the movies. There was a new movie coming out at the time [“The Angry Birds Movie 2”] as well, so we wanted to make sure we were separate from that. We wanted to steer clear of the shorts and what they were doing. We knew we wanted there to be speaking characters. But we wanted to make sure we had our own little world that we were building — that could stand alone but within the metaverse of Angry Birds.
TRAILER: “Looney Tunes Cartoons Valentine’s Extwavaganza!”
January 25th, 2022 Jerry Beck This Valentine’s Day, all you need is love and Looney Tunes Cartoons. Gather up your loved ones and join Bugs, Daffy, Porky and more of your Looney friends as they celebrate the most romantic day of the year in Looney Tunes Cartoons Valentine’s Extwavaganza!, a new special streaming Thursday, Feb. 3rd on HBO Max. In this love-struck episode, Porky’s sweet on Petunia, but Daffy is sweet on Porky’s sweets. Then, Bugs comes face-to face-with an unexpected admirer…These and more romantic misadventures are in store for the Looney Tunes characters. Here’s our first look:
TRAILER: “Pinocchio: A True Story”
January 25th, 2022 Jerry Beck Think you know the story of Pinocchio? Think again! In this all new, humorous take on the classic tale, the wooden hero is a skilled acrobat who performs stunts with his beloved horse, the wisecracking Tybalt. He runs off to join a circus, where he falls for the ringmaster’s daughter, Bella. But when Pinocchio learns the circus is a cover-up for robberies, he must stop the crime spree in order to save Bella – and, hopefully, become human. With a voice cast head by Pauly Shore, Jon Heder and Tom Kenny. Lionsgate released the trailer toda… take a look:
INTERVIEW: An Exploration Into “Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice”
January 25th, 2022 Jackson Murphy Zacharias Kunuk is the director of stop-motion Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice. It’s one of 15 animated short films vying for the 2022 Oscar prize. Kunuk details some of the key visual and story strengths for Animation Scoop. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A.)
Jackson Murphy: The film shows a strong, unique relationship between grandmother and granddaughter / teacher and student. What were your goals with presenting this relationship?
Zacharias Kunuk: I was told this story back in the 1980s. That’s how the story goes. A grandmother shaman was teaching a youth how to become one, through observing and following her.
TEASER: Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio”
January 24th, 2022 Jerry Beck Coming to Netflix this December, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion musical directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world. Here’s our first look:
INTERVIEW: New “Ice Age” Era Begins With “The Adventures Of Buck Wild”
January 24th, 2022 Jackson Murphy Some of the most well-known animated characters of all-time are making a comeback. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild — the sixth feature film in the beloved franchise — premieres this Friday January 28th on Disney+. Manny, Sid and Diego return, but the main focus this time is on Crash and Eddie. They say goodbye to sister Ellie as they go out on their own — heading back to the land of dinosaurs and reuniting with pal Buck (once again voiced by Simon Pegg). Director John C. Donkin and producer Lori Forte join me for this Animation Scoop Q&A:
Jackson Murphy: Some of the core characters have been around for 20 years, and John you’ve been a producer with this franchise from the beginning. Did you always in the back of your mind think, “Yeah maybe I wanna direct one of these movies someday?”
John C. Donkin: Well, it was a thought that crossed my mind at some point during the journey. But really I was so thrilled to be able to get the opportunity to jump in on this one and had the greatest time. I’ve produced some of the shorts and TV specials along the way. We’re always in the mix when we’re producing it, so it’s just a fun evolution.
INTERVIEW: “Bad Seeds” — From The Ground Up
January 21st, 2022 Jackson Murphy In a year filled with unique shorts vying for the Best Animated Short Film Academy Award, director Claude Cloutier’s Bad Seeds is certainly unforgettable. In this Email Q&A, Cloutier describes what went into making his Oscar shortlisted entry.
Jackson Murphy: How did you come up with the concept?
Claude Cloutier: The concept for Bad Seeds was inspired by La Fontaine’s Fables. The fable is a narrative form that lends itself well to short-form animation because of the length and the metaphorical language. I especially like the principle in fables whereby animals can be used to stand in for people. In my case, every new film is in reaction to the previous one. I had spent a few years drawing cars for Carface, so I felt a need to draw organic shapes.
Aardman and Netflix Team for New ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Film, Announce ‘Chicken Run’ Sequel
January 20th, 2022 Jerry Beck From a Press Release Co-authored by: Peter Lord, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Aardman and Aram Yacoubian, Director, Film, Animation at Netflix:
Combine a world-famous, four-time Academy Award winning animation studio with a global entertainment company and what have you got? A match made in animation heaven. Last year, Aardman and Netflix released the first fruit of our collaboration, the acclaimed musical Robin Robin, which recently made the Oscars shortlist and BAFTA longlist for animated short films. Directed by Mikey Please and Dan Ojari, our beautiful animated short has sincerity, humour, and a warmth that you cannot fake. Born out of our shared passion for animation, compelling stories and timeless characters, this partnership laid the foundations for two upcoming projects we’re excited to share new details about.
Highlighting The 2022 Sundance Film Festival Animated Shorts
January 20th, 2022 Jackson Murphy The Sundance Film Festival is back, and it’s once again showcasing incredible animation talent from around the globe. The 15 animated shorts selected for the 2022 Virtual Fest are filled with intricately bold visuals and just as unique and interesting stories covering a wide range of topics. Here’s an Animation Scoop EXCLUSIVE Quote from Sundance’s Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film:
“Of all the forms of filmmaking we get to see and show, animation is probably the most exciting. The biggest risks are taken, style coming straight from the animator’s mind, trippy characters… There is never enough space to show all the ones that we love. The 2022 group is just some of the impressive work being done in the medium today. Hand-drawn, painting, miniatures, CG… visions that you want to sink into and be moved by. There are some captivating political overtones, and there are small, poetic moments. And a few are overboard and will f**k you up in a good way. While you might have seen some already – we do not have a premiere policy for short films – we hope you’ll find new voices you have not heard before.”
INTERVIEW: “Mum Is Pouring Rain” Director Pours His Heart Out
January 19th, 2022 Jackson Murphy One of this year’s Oscars Animated Short Film finalists is Mum Is Pouring Rain, from director Hugo De Faucompret. It’s a hand-drawn short about a girl named Jane who tries to find happiness and hope during the holidays as her mum is struggling with depression. De Faucompret discusses all aspects of his wholesome short in this Animation Scoop Q&A:
Jackson Murphy: I love Jane as a lead character. She’s a very cool lead character and has a lot of layers to her. Tell me about creating her and making her interesting.
Hugo De Faucompret: The character of Jane is the main character… but not the one who talks the most. She’s there the most on the screen. The character is inspired by my niece, Siam. I asked [her] to do the voice. Even the design is kind of inspired by how she looks — with nice big ears and long, straight hair. I like the way [Jane] responds to her parents. At the same time she can be really tough and really sweet. I also needed a really strong [character] because it’s quite a tough situation she’s going through with her mum going through her depression phase.
TRAILER: Netflix’s “The Cuphead Show”
January 18th, 2022 Jerry Beck Based on the award-winning video game that smashed onto the scene with a gorgeous retro animation style, The Cuphead Show! is a character-driven comedy series following the unique misadventures of loveable, impulsive scamp Cuphead and his cautious but easily swayed brother Mugman. As the two scour their surreal homeworld of the Inkwell Isles in search of fun and adventure, they always have each other’s back. Unless there’s only one cookie left, in which case it’s every cup for himself. The Cuphead Show combines nostalgic delights, side-splitting gags, and a healthy dose of the heebie jeebies—especially when a ridiculously weird nemesis, The Devil himself, arrives on the scene to toy with our heroes. For King Features, C.J. Kettler will serve as the Executive Producer and Cuphead creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer will serve as Executive Producers for Studio MDHR. The series will be produced by Netflix Animation and is executive produced by Emmy and Annie Award-winning producer, Dave Wasson (Mickey Mouse Shorts) and co-executive produced by Cosmo Segurson (Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling).
Disney+ Debuts Trailer and Key Art for “The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse”
January 18th, 2022 Jerry Beck Today, Disney+ announced the premiere date and released the trailer and key art for “The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse,” launching the second season of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse. The second installment consists of four extended-length specials that are themed to each season – winter, spring, summer, and autumn. “The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse,” premieres February 18th, exclusively on Disney+.
