Lupus Films Drops ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ Trailer
The 3-time BAA Award-winning animated film directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry follows the saga of a young boy swept overboard on a family sailing trip who washes ashore on a remote island; the feature will screen at Marche du Film/Festival des Cannes in May.
Ravel Orchestrate GenAI Automation Software Now Available
New technology helps media and entertainment studios automate, integrate, and manage their complex assortment of GenAI-assisted DCC tools.
Netflix Drops ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ Official Trailer
The ‘Sandman Universe’ live-action series, based on the comic by Neil Gaiman, follows two mystery loving ghosts, streaming April 25.
Netflix Acquires Streaming Rights for ‘The Boy and the Heron’
Streamer inks multiyear deal for rights to the Oscar-winning film, along with 22 other Studio Ghibli films, outside the U.S. and Japan, including Oscar-winning and -nominated films ‘Spirited Away,’ ‘Princess Mononoke,’ ‘Arrietty,’ ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service,’ ‘My Neighbor Totoro,’ and ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.’
Shout! Studios Announces ‘Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning’ Home Release
The movie, based on the TV sequel series, comes to Blu-ray+ DVD and digital June 11 with original Japanese and English Dubs, ‘Digimon Liberator’ Promotion Pack, and special intro by director Tomohisa Taguchi; available for pre-order now.
Axis Studios Names Rose Hancock Executive Producer
The animation and VFX studio adds the 18-year industry veteran to help manage and expand its client base.
Storiaverse Launches ‘Read-Watch’ App That Combines Animation, Literature, and Audio
Debuting with 25 multi-dimensional stories, the company’s innovative new app empowers creators, offering a diverse array of immersive experiences that push the boundaries of digital storytelling.
DNEG Acquires Unity’s Ziva Toolset
Leading visual entertainment company nabs exclusive license for the powerful character-simulation software and will onboard a large portion of the tech team; real-time character creation, assisted by machine learning, enables artists to craft accurate and scalable digital characters efficiently.
AWS Deadline Cloud Rendering Service Now Available
The customizable and scalable cloud-based system boasts built-in customization tools and popular DCC integrations, offering accelerated production timelines without capacity limitations and no upfront costs.
Apple TV+ Drops ‘Jane’ Season 2 Trailer
The live-action/3DCG animated hybrid series, inspired by the life and work of Dr. Jane Goodall, returns with a new five-episode season on April 19.
Podcast EP 248: Catino World & Animating Cat Memes as A Career
The creator of Catino World’s bouncy, orange meme cats shares how COVID lockdown unemployment led him to social media success, allowing him to be a self-supporting full-time artist.
Superprod Group Acquires Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions
Acquisition of the two Luxembourg-based studios bolsters the company’s development, production and financing capabilities for premium feature and TV animation.
Steamroller Animation Names Shawn Dunn CTO
Hailing from Epic Games, Original Force and Wētā FX, the 28-year industry veteran will oversee and guide the studio’s technological vision and exploration of real-time workflows to produce feature-quality animation.
Xu Yao Sentenced to Death for 2020 Fatal Poisoning of ‘3 Body Problem’ Producer Lin Qi
The former Yoozoo Group senior executive also poisoned four other colleagues, including his replacement, although the other victims recovered.
Japan’s Yomiuri TV to Launch YTV Animation
The new brand will leverage Yomiuri’s long history in animation while also undertaking more challenging titles.
‘The Neverending Story’ Returning to Screens in New Multi-Film Series
See-Saw and Michael Ende Productions have teamed to adapt the beloved 1979 fantasy novel, which follows a child, Bastian Balthasar Bux, who discovers a mysterious book that leads him on a journey through the realm of Fantastica; story last hit cinemas in 1984.
Chance Perdomo Dies Tragically at 27, ‘Gen V’ Season 2 Postponed
‘The Boys’ spinoff and ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ actor passed away over the weekend following a motorcycle accident.
Aaron Pierre No Longer Attached to Marvel’s ‘Blade Reboot’
‘The Underground Railroad’ actor parts ways with the Marvel Studios film, starring Mahershala Ali, Mia Goth, and Delroy Lindo, about the half-human, half-vampire Eric Brooks as he seeks revenge for the death of his mother; the movies slices into theaters November 7, 2025.
Watch ‘Disney Junior’s Ariel’ Teaser
To celebrate this past Friday’s International Mermaid Day,’ Disney Branded Television shared a new video of its all-new preschool animated musical series inspired by ‘The Little Mermaid’s timeless tale follows the young mermaid princess on fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures; coming Summer 2024.
WBD Drops First Acme Fools Celebration ‘ACME Bootcamp’ Video
The company’s 1-month celebration of iconic ‘Looney Tunes’ features videos with elite athletes getting ‘Looney,’ defying laws of gravity and physics to get fit, with a special TikTok social filter that takes fans through a game-ified experiences like ‘Catch the Anvils.’
UCLA Festival of Preservation Runs April 5-7
UCLA Film & Television Archive’s free biannual event showcases the latest restoration projects, featuring a line-up of films reflecting the breadth of moving image history; April 6 screening of restored animated classics includes ‘French Fried,’ ‘Musical Memories,’ ‘Japanese Lanterns,’ and ‘Red Riding Hood.’
Adult Swim Releases ‘April Fools 2024: Smiling Friends’
The network dropped three unexpected episodes, each recreated in various styles of puppetry, of Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel’s animated comedy about a company tasked with bringing happiness to a bizarre yet colorful world.
Oscar-Winning VFX Supervisor Tim McGovern Passes at 68
Known for his work on ‘Total Recall,’ the visual effects artist, filmmaker, and VES 2023 Founders Award recipient passed away peacefully in his sleep.
New York Yankee Captain Aaron Judge Joins ‘Rubble & Crew’
The American League MVP voices himself in the special episode ‘The Crew Builds a Ballpark’ coming this summer to Nickelodeon, Corus’ Treehouse and STACKTV.
USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Ganek Immersive Studio Inaugural Showcase Set
The program review, featuring projects in production and development at the state-of-the-art studio, will be held on the SCA campus this coming Thursday, April 4.
