PFX Delivers 750 VFX Shots for ‘Locked’ Feature
Sequences for the thriller, which stars Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins and is set completely within a high-tech SUV, include digital doubles, FX, environments, and complex greenscreen compositing.
Netflix Debuts ‘Lost in Starlight’ Teaser Trailer, Poster
The streamers’ first Korean original animated film, which tells the love story of an astronaut and a musician who find each other among the stars, debuts May 30.
Pluto TV Unveils Anime Content Refresh
In celebration of Ani-May, the free streaming service has added over 800 hours of programming and more than 120 movies, such as ‘Food Wars,’ ‘Inuyasha: The Final Act,’ ‘Bleach: Hellverse,’ ‘ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead,’ and ‘Hunter x Hunter.’
Watch New ‘Buzzard’s Bay’ Short from Adult Swim SMALLS
The 2-part animated short series from Torey Strahl and Elena Ridker is set in 2003 on Cape Cade, where 4 horny teens living their beach town dreams who get schooled by a talking seagull.
Exclusive: Supernova Design Drops ‘Creatures of Chaos’ Teaser Trailer
Studio’s 6-minute 2D short explores mental health with a story of 4 neighbors whose emotional struggles take on the physical forms of creatures they attempt to conceal; world premiere set for May 3 at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
Apple Pummeled in Epic Games Lawsuit as ‘Fortnite’ to Return to U.S. iOS App Store
All developers can also now offer their own payment service, effectively ending Apple’s monopoly on payment services and fees; ‘developers are free to pass along savings to customers.’
The Animation Guild, CVL Economics Release CA Animation Tax Incentives Study
BRIC Foundation and Titmouse Foundation also partnered on ‘Reclaiming California’s Role in Global Animation,’ which substantiates the significant impact of the Animation Industry on job growth and innovation, and makes the case for modern animation tax credits.
FMX 2025 Program to Explore Impact of AI
The killer conference starts next Tuesday; a variety of panels related to this year’s ‘Rhythm of Change’ theme now set, from the state of the industry and growth of AI to updates on ‘The Art of Animation’ and ‘Expanding Realities’ tracks.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Halon Team to Preserve Cultural Landmark
LiDAR scans of over 300 bones from Ms. Blue, the largest outdoor blue whale skeleton on display in the United States, led to a digital replica, AR display, educational lessons, and 3D printed replacements.
Universal Drops ‘How to Train Your Dragon – Bringing Berk to Life’ Featurette
Go behind-the-scenes with director Dean DeBlois and stars Gerard Butler, Mason Thames, and Nico Parker and see how the key village sets in the live-action reimagining were designed, built, and shot; young Hiccup’s quest to save his people while defying centuries of tradition by befriending a dragon hits theaters June 13.
Call for Entries: Young Animator of the Year UK 2025
Submissions open May 12 for animation creatives aged 11-22; deadline set for September 1, with nominations announced on October 1.
How Lenovo is Equipping M&E Professionals with the Right Tools for the Job in 2025
Consumer demand for new entertainment experiences means artists and studios working in film, TV, games and immersive experiences require more compute power to handle ever-growing datasets while still delivering on time and on budget.
Nickelodeon Drops ‘Wylde Pak’ Trailer, Cast Additions
Gillian Jacobs and Jon Glaser join the 2D animated comedy series, greenlit from the network’s Intergalactic Shorts Program, which follows the daily life of a blended multigenerational Korean American family, inspired by the lives of co-creators and executive producers Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall; debuts June 6.
2025 TIGA Games Industry Awards Issue Call for Submissions
Nominations and entries are now open until July 25 for game developers, publishers, educators, and technology and service providers; awards ceremony set for November 4.
Dancing Atoms Shares Groundbreaking Animation & Filmmaking Competition Finalists
Winners of the creative challenges in animation, VFX, virtual production, and AR/VR to be revealed at the inaugural WAVES Summit running May 1-4 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
Asteria, Animal Pictures Announce ‘Uncanny Valley’ Hybrid Feature
Director Natasha Lyonne co-writes and co-stars with Brit Marling, in collaboration with VR pioneer Jaron Lanier, to blend ethical AI with traditional filmmaking techniques.
Paramount+ Drops ‘SpongeBob’ and ‘Star Trek’ Ad Mashup
The spot stars Spock (Ethan Peck), Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), and Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose-Gooding), who are joined on the Patrick Starship Enterprise by SpongeBob, Sandy, and Mr. Krabs.
‘Sgt. Rock’ No Longer Moving Ahead at DC Studios
The feature film project from director Luca Guadagnino and his collaborator, ‘Challengers’ writer Justin Kuritzkes, with Colin Farrell in talks to star, has been shelved due to production scheduling issues.
Netflix Announces ‘Mating Season’ Animated Rom-Com from ‘Big Mouth’ Team
Set in the animal world with a cast of bears, raccoons, deer, foxes and other ‘horny, lovable forest critters,’ and produced at Titmouse, the show will stream in 2026.
Cyber Group Studios Ordered to Liquidate
The French animation studio behind ‘Gigantosaurus’ will be shuttered, with assets sold off to repay creditors, despite four promising bids to acquire the company.
Electronic Arts Lays Off Over 300 Employees, Cancels Next ‘Titanfall’ Game
After laying off 5% of its workforce last year and 6% in 2023, the major game company is cutting staff and stopping development work on the next installment of its ‘Titanfall’ franchise; cuts include staff on Respawn ‘Apex Legends’ and ‘Star Wars Jedi’ teams.
Animeigo Drops ‘The Anime Business’ Episode 3 with Anime NYC Founder Peter Tatara
Documentary series, produced and hosted by company CEO and MediaOCD founder Justin Sevakis, features interviews with North American anime industry luminaries; Episodes 1 and 2 available on YouTube.
Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld’ to Debut on Fortnite
New animated short anthology series sets in-game launch on May 2, 2 days prior to Disney+ premiere; first entirely ‘Star Wars’-themed Battle Royale Season also launching; from Dave Filoni, show focuses on 2 iconic villains from the galaxy’s criminal underbelly.
Animait, Animotion Partner on ‘Question Club’ AI Animated Series Platform
With simple text prompts, users will be able to generate animated episodes with series elements, creating a comprehensive storyline, consistent characters, and synchronized audio; monetization will be available.
Sony Pictures Announces Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Scarlet’ Release
The new animated film from the Oscar-nominated ‘Mirai’ and ‘Belle’ director, which follows a princess who can transcend time and space, hits theaters globally outside Japan on December 12.
