AWN Headline News
Annecy Festival 2023 Unveils Poster by Jorge R. Gutierrez
With this year’s spotlight on Mexican animation, the animator/writer/director brings Mexican culture and folklore to the festival poster for the upcoming June event; watch Gutierrez share the inspiration and process behind the poster.
Trailer Drops for ‘Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham’
The Lovecraftian DC animated film, featuring a 1920’s Gotham, will be available to own March 28 on Digital, 4K and Blu-ray.
Fans Campaign for Tiktok Impressionist to Replace Justin Roiland in ‘Rick and Morty’
The grassroots movement to hire voice actor Sean Kelly as the show’s two leads has many supporters, while other fans argue the true beauty and humor of the show came from the co-creator’s improv and can never be replicated.
TOONZ Studio Founder Bill Dennis Passes at 80
The longtime industry leader and ASIFA India chapter founder was a key player in building the animation production industry in India, including the setup of the Toonz Academy in Kerala and The Week of the Masters Animation Festival.
‘HouseBroken’ Season 1 Now Available on Tubi
From ‘Veep’s Gabrielle Allan, Jennifer Crittenden, and Clea DuVall, and starring Lisa Kudrow, FOX Animation Domination’s popular animated comedy about neighborhood pets working out their issues in therapy is now streaming free on the networks’ ASVOD platform.
JAMM Visual Adds Alex Snookes
The VFX supervisor and compositor’s vast experience includes Pharrell Williams’s music video, ‘Cash In Cash Out,’ and the VES award nominated commercial B&Q ‘Flip.’
‘The Flying Sailor’ Wins Sundance 2023 Animated Short Film Prize
Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis continue to rack up festival wins with their 2D/3D film, inspired by the 1917 Halifax Explosion, that tells the tale of the man who was hurled two kilometers by the blast and lived to tell.
Studio Ghibli and LOEWE Partner for ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ Collection
The final collaboration between the beloved animation studio and luxury designer will feature images and inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki’s favorite creation.
Podcast EP 193: How Turkish Set Designer Merve Çaydere Got to Work at Laika
The animation director, designer and model maker discusses her journey from Turkey to the U.S. and how she scored a spot as a set designer at the iconic stop-motion studio.
VFX Breakdown: BlueBolt Adds Futuristic Visuals to ‘The Peripheral’
The studio transforms London into a dilapidated landscape dwarfed by towering statues of Greek Gods, creating the backdrop for the sci-fi series starring Jack Reynor and Chloë Grace Moretz, now streaming on Prime Video.
Genius Brands Partners with China’s StarTimes to Launch Kartoon Channel! Africa
The channel will offer originals ‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten;’ ‘Rainbow Rangers;’ ‘Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab;’ and ‘Llama Llama’ as well as weekend movies such as ‘Stan Lee’s Mighty 7;’ ‘Ella Bella Bingo;’ ‘Toys and Pets;’ and ‘Boonie Bears.’
NVIZ Names Luke Kaile Managing Director
An early adopter of real-time tech, the London-based VFX studio promotes its Head of Studio to serve alongside creative director Chris Lunney and founder Nic Hatch.
HBO Max Decision to Pull ‘Titans’, ‘Doom Patrol’ Precedes DC Studios Takeover
While the cancelation of both series after their fourth seasons came as a shock to fans, James Gunn claims he and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran are blameless.
Escape Studios Students Contribute VFX to ‘Borderland’ Indie Thriller
Students at the Pearson College school helped deliver more than a dozen shots on the upcoming feature about a retired Irish paramilitary who witnesses an SAS officer’s fatal shooting of his pregnant wife.
FOX Renews ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Family Guy,’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers’
The network orders two new seasons for each of the hugely popular Animation Domination series, all from 20th Television Animation, cementing the longest-running primetime animation block’s continued airing through the 2024-25 broadcast cycle.
Adult Swim Orders ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ Season 12
As a follow-up to the animated comedy ‘Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm,’ which debuts on HBO in February and Adult Swim in March – Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, the ‘creative geniuses’ behind the franchise, will produce 5 all-new episodes.
Disney TV shares ‘Kiff’ Premiere Date, Cast and Theme Song
The Cape-Town inspired animated series follows optimistic squirrel Kiff and best friend Barry the bunny on their adventures in Table Town, where animals and magical oddballs live side by side.
CoreWeave Acquires Conductor Technologies
Deal for the cloud-based task management platform bolsters the cloud provider’s suite of solutions for VFX and animation studios, adding on-demand burst rendering.
Justin Roiland Resigns as Squanch Games CEO
Move comes after the ‘Rick and Morty’ co-creator was dropped this week from his shows with Adult Swim and Hulu; the status of his production company, Justin Roiland’s Solo Vanity Card Productions! is unknown.
Serge Bromberg Sentenced in 2020 Film Fire Case
Judge’s sentence for the former Annecy creative director and Lobster Films founder exceeds prosecutor’s recommendation, setting up a possible appeal.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and Zoe Saldaña Hit Major Box Office Milestone
The visually stunning sequel from James Cameron becomes the sixth film in history to earn over $2 billion in global sales, his third, and the star’s fourth.
‘PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Snags Star-Studded Cast
Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Mckenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, and Serena Williams join previously announced Taraji P. Henson and returning cast members Kim Kardashian, Marsai Martin, and Ron Pardo on the animated film from Nick, Spin Master, and Paramount, hitting theaters this October 13.
Disney TV Shares February Slate of All-New Animated Kids' Series Episodes
Next month, Disney Channel and Disney Junior are brimming with episode premieres of popular original series, including ‘Superkitties,’ ‘Firebuds,’ and ‘Monsters at Work;’ ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’s Josh Keaton and ‘Respect’s Jennifer Hudson guest star on ‘Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.’
Pink Floyd Animation Contest Stirs Controversy by Exploiting Artists
The animation community is calling foul play on an animated music video competition being held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary English rock band’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album.