Animation Scoop

NY COMIC CON: The Highly Anticipated Return Of “Phineas And Ferb”

October 19th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

One of the biggest New York Comic Con 2024 panels was a showcase of the return of legendary Disney animated series Phineas And Ferb. The characters are a year older in the new season, premiering in 2025 on Disney Channel and Disney+. The spirit, music and humor that made the previous seasons so beloved are back and, according to the makers, better than ever.

Co-creator Jeff “Swampy” Marsh was emotional in front of a packed crowd on Thursday. He’s thrilled to share more of P&F with the world and having the “freedom to explore characters more freely.” It all kicks-off with a musical sequence (shown exclusively to the NYCC audience) in which Phineas, Ferb and their friends are celebrating the final moments of the school year and half a day before their next 104 days of summer vacation begin. Fellow co-creator Dan Povenmire has been working hard with some original and new writers coming-up with storylines, admitting that in order to not repeat themselves, “Sometimes we have to look it up on Wiki.” He loves being able to “try new things.”

ANIME TRAILER: Tickets for “Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom” Now Available

October 18th, 2024

Haylie Baker

Today, in Culver City, California, Crunchyroll (widely recognized as the industry’s leading anime brand) made the announcement that tickets for OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom are now available for purchase in the United States and Canada. Brought to audiences by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures, the film will be in theaters on November 8th and offer multiple viewing experiences with both Japanese and English subtitles in addition to an English dub.

NY COMIC CON: More “Rick And Morty” Announced At NYCC

October 18th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

On Thursday, I attended a very lively New York Comic Con 2024 panel featuring the executive producers and voice talent of Adult Swim’s long-running animated comedy series Rick and Morty. During the presentation, moderated by Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, executive producer Dan Harmon announced that there will be two additional seasons, No. 11 and No. 12.

Season 8 is coming in 2025. An animatic clip debuted to the crowd, and EP Scott Marder explained they’re hard at work completing that season, while also putting together on Season 9 and being “almost done writing the first pass of Season 10.” Back in 2018, “Rick and Morty” received a stunning 70-episode order. So the latest renewal kind of surprised star Chris Parnell (the voice of Jerry): “Why only two?”

Ketchup To Release “The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” February 2025

October 17th, 2024

Jerry Beck

Ketchup Entertainment announced today the wide North American release date for its latest theatrical acquisition, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, which is slated for Friday, February 28th, 2025. The critically-acclaimed film produced by Warner Bros. Animation made its world premiere to a sold-out enthusiastic, international audience at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June earlier this year. Ketchup Entertainment’s presentation of The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie will make its North American premiere this Friday, October 18 at the Animation Is Film festival, considered an Oscar launchpad for films in the race for Best Animated Feature, with plans for an Academy Awards qualifying run in 2024.

TRAILER: “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

October 16th, 2024

Jerry Beck

Netflix debut the first trailer and announced the release date for the new Aardman new stop-motion animated feature film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl today. The film will be released on Netflix globally (except in the UK/IE) on January 3rd, 2025 (it will have a limited theatrical run in December to qualify for this year’s awards season). Here’s the trailer:

ANIME TRAILERS: Crunchyroll Announces Its January Line-Up

October 15th, 2024

Haylie Baker

This past weekend, Crunchyroll held an Industry Panel at SOFA (el Salón del Ocio y la FAntasía) 2024, Colombia’s biggest annual fan convention, at the Corferias Convention Center in Bogotá, Colombia. During the panel, Crunchyroll announced multiple anime series coming to its streaming platform in January 2025. Here’s what was announced:

EVENT: The 24 HOURS Animation Contest for Students Shatters New Records

October 15th, 2024

Lauren Ashton

Taking place on October 4th and 5th, the 24 HOURS: Animation Contest for Students enjoyed its 22nd year. This free contest challenges students to create a 30-second short animated film in less than 24 hours and invites participants from around the world. Hosted by animation professor, Aubry Mintz, the event took place at CalState Long Beach and smashed its previous record. With 559 teams from 107 different schools, a total of 2,155 students arrived from 23 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States!

Of the participants, 89 colleges were present, as well as 17 courageous high schools and 1 very brave middle school. More and more industry support has been shown for this contest through the supply of additional prizes and financial backing for students, such as an equipment request program for underserved communities. This program not only allows them to participate in the competition, but it aims to offer tools to assist in their learning. This year, this free international competition’s prompt was: In 24 HOURS make a 30-second film giving your team’s vision for the future with AI as a friend or a foe and show how our world might fail or benefit from its evolution.

TOHO To Acquire GKIDS

October 15th, 2024

Jerry Beck

Japanese entertainment leader Toho Co., Ltd. announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire a 100% equity share of GKIDS, Inc., the Academy Award-winning North American animation producer and distributor. Financial terms were not disclosed.

GKIDS, which maintains offices in New York and Los Angeles, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Los Angeles-based Toho International. GKIDS Founder Eric Beckman will remain as CEO, and Dave Jesteadt will remain as President of the company. The two have run GKIDS together since the company first released the Academy Award-nominated film The Secret of Kells as a two-person company in 2009. Together, they have grown GKIDS into a powerful force in the U.S. animation scene, amassing an outstanding thirteen Best Animated Feature nominations at the Academy Awards, and a win last year for Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron.

INTERVIEW: The Tales Of “Max & The Midknights”

October 15th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

Nickelodeon’s new animated comedy Max & the Midknights (premiering Wednesday October 30th at 7pm) is adapted from Big Nate author Lincoln Peirce’s popular book. Co-Executive Producers Sharon Flynn and David Skelly discuss the show’s unique tone, visual perspectives and inspirations. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: NICK)

Jackson Murphy: How does it feel that it’s coming to TV Oct. 30 and the first two episodes have already been on YouTube for a few months — and has been very well received?

Sharon Flynn: It feels great!

David Skelly: Yeah, so exciting. Finally the public gets to see what we’ve been working on for so long.

INTERVIEW: The Keys To “Kensuke’s Kingdom”

October 14th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

A new hand-drawn animated feature film adaptation of the classic novel Kensuke’s Kingdom opens in theaters this Friday Oct. 18. Directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry take me on an adventure, describing what went into the story, music, visual design and much more. Plus, find out what Oscar winner Cillian Murphy did to enhance his vocal performance. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Neil, this is an adaptation of a 25 year old novel. How did you feel that animation was an excellent way to take this story, put it on the screen, and make the story truly yours as well?

Neil Boyle: Well, there were boring logistical things which would make this very hard to make… all very expensive and very hard to make… as a live action movie, because of the age of the young man that it’s about, the 11 year old boy Michael. But to be honest, Kirk and I love animation. We obviously work in animation, but we love hand-drawn animation, and it has this kind of classic, timeless feel. And it just takes you straight into the story and straight into the heart of the story really quickly. That’s what’s so terrific about animation, but it also allows us to put the audience inside the heads of the characters.

“Bella Dona x BETTY BOOP” Collection To Debut October 11

October 9th, 2024

Jerry Beck

Bella Doña, the innovative brand rooted in Chicano and LA culture and co-founded by best friends LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo, together with leading brand-licensing agency Global Icons and Fleischer Studios, owner of Betty Boop and a number of other classic animated characters, have announced a new licensing collaboration for the beloved Queen of Cartoons with popular apparel and accessories.

INTERVIEW: Spooky Season Treat “Mighty Monsterwheelies”

October 9th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

DreamWorks Mighty Monsterwheelies (a collaboration with Lemon Sky and Doberman) morphs classic movie monsters and monster trucks, creating a fun group of characters and episodes for families as we approach Halloween. It premieres Monday October 14th on Netflix. Kyel White developed the series and serves as story editor. Stephanie Simpson is the four-time Emmy-winning executive producer and showrunner. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Stephanie, your credits include “Arthur” and Dr. Seuss shows. “Octonauts”. I watched “Postcards From Buster” when I was younger. “Hilda”. You have been in children’s entertainment for a long time. What has this aspect of animation and entertainment given you? And now here working on this “Mighty Monsterwheelies” show.

Stephanie Simpson: First of all, I love the kid audience. I think it’s the most important audience because you are definitely entering their imaginations right at the beginning. You feel like they’ll return to the things that they watch that you create for the rest of their lives, hopefully, for inspiration, for remembering things that made them laugh. Fond memories of their childhood and then to share it with their own kids when they get older. And on “Mighty Monsterwheelies”, the thing that’s been so fun is I’m a huge Universal monsters classic movies fan. So I didn’t think I’d ever get to, in the preschool world, honor my love of those monsters, but getting to work with Kyle on this show to bring those monsters to life for a really young audience and be the very first introduction to them was so much fun. And then to do it with all the action and the heart — it was really a joy.

INTERVIEW: A Decade Of “Blaze And The Monster Machines”

October 8th, 2024

Jackson Murphy

One of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated shows, Blaze and the Monster Machines, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on the air. A special new episode, in which Blaze and his pals recall their first-ever race, debuts Thursday October 24th at 1pm ET & PT. Creators Jeff Borkin and Ellen Martin share what the milestone means to them in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: NICK)

Jackson Murphy: Can you believe it’s been a decade since the first episode aired?

Ellen Martin: No! And yes. Time has flown. We meet teenagers who were megafans ten years ago, and brand-new preschool fans who were just a twinkle in their parents’ eyes when the show first aired. So, ten years is… a lot!

EVENT: “The Art of Anime and Everything Cool” Auction

October 7th, 2024

Lauren Ashton

Iconic Animation Characters and Creators Featured in Heritage’s The Art of Anime and Everything Cool…Volume V Signature® Auction

The event, running from October 18-22 in Dallas, Texas, showcases highlights like Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z, Streamline Pictures’ Akira and Robotech, classic couch gags from The Simpsons, a blue-eyed Grinch, and more.

Among the standout pieces is the Dragon Ball Z “Vegeta’s Pride” Majin Vegeta Production Cel with Key Master Background (Toei Animation, …).

“I often draw in my sleep. That alone made for twice the work … I couldn’t use the weird stuff I drew while dozing off, so I’d end up having to draw it all over again,” said Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball Z.