Disney Acquires Lionel Messi-Inspired ‘Messi and the Giants’ Series
The 3DCG sci-fi show about a young boy named Leo who is transported from his home in Argentina into a fantastical alternate universe will debut on Disney Channel followed by Disney Channel On Demand and Disney+.
See Creature Animation, Cossette, Rodeo FX Team for ‘Hanging by a Thread’
The handcrafted crochet stop-motion commercial is part of a broader awareness campaign about psychological health in the workplace that aims to prevent psycho social risks such as bullying and harassment.
Live-Action ‘Tangled’ Remake in Development at Disney
‘The Greatest Showman’ filmmaker Michael Gracey is in talks to helm the upcoming project from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson; casting has not been announced.
Disney Channel Drops ‘StuGo’ Teaser Trailer, Premiere Date
The animated Sci-Fi series will premiere with two episodes January 11, 2025 on Disney Channel at 8:00pm ET/PT; a sneak peek of the series will air on January 1 at 8:50pm ET/PT.
3rd Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards Nominees Announced
Noms go to a slew of great animation in kids’ programming including the popular ‘Blue’s Clues & You!’ preschool series, Nick’s ‘The Tiny Chef Show,’ and Disney+’s hit ‘Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur;’ awards ceremony slated for March 15, 2025.
Max Drops ‘Harley Quinn’ Season 5 Official Trailer
The Max Original adult animated series starring Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell debuts its new season on January 16, followed by a new weekly episode through March 20.
Adult Swim Announces ‘Common Side Effects’ Series Premiere
The animated comedy/thriller, which explores the discovery of a mysterious healing mushroom, debuts February 2 at 11:30pm ET/PT; new episodes stream Mondays on Max
Netflix Debuts ‘Castlevania: Nocturne’ Season 2 Trailer
The Vampire Messiah animated thriller series gets another go at enslaving humanity when new episodes hit the streamer on January 16, 2025.
‘Ultraman: Rising’: Achieving the Perfect Lens Flare and Ken Sato Hairdo
ILM VFX supervisor Hayden Jones reveals how his team merged anime styling with cutting-edge visuals including hand-drawn transitions and ‘Akira’-inspired lens flares to create a love letter to classic manga.
75th Annual ACE Eddie Awards Nominees Revealed
‘Flow,’ ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,’ and ‘The Wild Robot’ are nominated in the best edited animated features category; winners for outstanding editing will be announced at the January 18 awards ceremony.
Disney+ Drops ‘The Simpsons’ Holiday Special Trailer
The Christmas-themed double episode, ‘O C’mon All Ye Faithful,’ which guest stars Pentatonix, Patti LaBelle, and Derren Brown, premieres December 17.
‘Wonder Pets: In the City’: A Classic Revived with Photo Puppetry and Hypnosis
The classic charm of ‘Wonder Pets’ is back with creator Jennifer Oxley’s new series, a fresh take that introduces a new team of animal heroes, navigating global adventures, who showcase the power of empathy and collaboration while teaching life lessons through mini-opera-inspired tales.
Helping Artists and Studios Deliver in an Increasingly Competitive M&E Landscape
For Rob Hoffman, Lenovo’s Senior Worldwide Manager for Media & Entertainment Vertical, insatiable consumer appetite for new experiences across film, TV, games and interactive experiences, in greater quantity with increasing fidelity, means, the future of entertainment content development continues to look strong.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’: Middle Earth Meets Modern Anime
Kenji Kamiyama’s prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga travels 183 years before the original trilogy to bring Héra, a forgotten, unsung character, into the spotlight with a tale of courage and resilience; in theaters December 13.
BUCK, Blur Studio Team for ‘Secret Level’ Main Titles
The duo created both the opening titles and episode title sequences for the animated anthology series, drawing inspiration from pixels and cubes, the fundamental building blocks of video games.
DC, DC Studios, Max Team to Launch ‘DC Studios Showcase: The Official Podcast’
Hosts Frankey Smith & Tyler Coates, with comic correspondent Coy Jandreau, break down the latest on all things DC and DC Studios in the unscripted video podcast series.
VFX Studio Filmworks/FX Transforms Virtual Production with iClone & Unreal
Led by industry veteran Ken Locsmandi, the boutique visual effects company has been revolutionizing filmmaking through its virtual production pipeline that uses iClone and Unreal Engine to produce high quality, cost-effective animation.
Triggerfish, UNESCO Team for ‘The Creator Labs’ Initiative
Applications for the program to advance women in the African animation industry are open now until January 5, 2025; opportunity is open to talent across Africa, with a Director Lab for aspiring directors and an Animation Art Lab for artists.
CyberAgent Drops Teaser Trailer for ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’
The anime series adaptation of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ manga by Mokumokuren, which follows a boy who experiences strange incidents with an entity impersonating his best friend, will stream on Netflix in 2025.
‘Carl the Collector’: A Lovely Walk Inside the Mind of Autism
Zachariah OHora discusses the unique challenges, and constant joy, of creating his PBS KIDS’ series about the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic racoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown.
Crunchyroll Drops ‘Solo Leveling’ Season 2 Trailer, Opening Theme
New song ‘ReawakeR,’ performed by LiSA, featuring Felix from Stray Kids, and composed by Hiroyuki SAWANO, featured in trailer; season premieres January 2025.
European Film and Audiovisual Markets Group Launches F.A.M.E. Alliance
The 24 signatories aim to unify the region and address industry challenges while supporting independent creation, diversity in storytelling, and smaller production countries.
‘Attack on Titan: Invasion’ Metaverse Experience Now Available
Humanity depends on players for survival in ‘The Sandbox’ experience, which offers tower defense game-style gameplay set in the world of the iconic manga.
The Animation Guild Releases Statement on Contract Ratification
The guild’s executive board reacts to what it notes are ‘a small minority’ getting ‘an outsized voice’ regarding the tentative AMPTP agreement, saying it has voted unanimously to recommend ratification.
Aardman Appoints 3 New Members to Board of Trustees
Caroline Norbury OBE, Deep Sehgal, and Laurence Green boast experience across advertising, creative industries, and Film & TV; will help ensure company runs to the standards and values of its employees and Aardman’s founders.
