Freefolk Bolsters VFX Team with Key Hires
VFX Supervisor David Bowman and VFX Producer Hannah Dakin will help expand studio’s film and episodic division; company will soon move to a new facility boasting state-of-the-art production servers and workstations to streamline workflow and increase capacity.
Escape Studios Launches Undergrad Tech Programs
Students will be taught technical skills needed for in-demand jobs to meet the industry’s growing demand in virtual reality, interactive entertainment, and virtual production environments; applications now open for Fall 2023.
Jeff Bezos and Michael Strahan Team Up on New Animated Series
STEAM-based ‘Blue Origin Space Rangers’ adventures heads into development; will inspire kids to explore the universe, science, and new worlds to benefit Earth.
Foundry Releases Mari 6.0
Latest update offers USD improvements, expands and builds on the painting toolset, and introduces simplified execution of Python Scripts; enhancements aim to improve artist workflows and efficiency.
Disney+ Sets Streaming Debut Date, Tweets ‘Strange World’ Special Look
Set to hit the streamer in time for Christmas, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original animated feature transports viewers to uncharted, treacherous lands alongside three generations of the Clades, a legendary family of explorers.
Nickelodeon Drops ‘SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone’ Trailer and Art
Get ready for a multidimensional adventure – a tale of comedy and caution, satire and stupidity in the first ‘SpongeBob Universe’ crossover special coming in January.
‘The Amazing Maurice’ Debuts December 16 in the U.K.
Inspired by the award-winning novel by the late Sir Terry Pratchett, the animated feature tells the story of a talking cat who teams up with a clan of ‘educated rodents;’ making its U.S. premiere as a 2023 Sundance Film Festival selection in January, the film roles out theatrically across North America in February.
Miles Morales Gets Catapulted Across the Multiverse in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Teaser
In a sea of Spideys, who are the good guys? Our hero is growing up quickly… and it looks like none too soon.
The Cast Expands on Prime Video’s ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2
The series, currently in production in the UK, has added Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour, Ben Daniels, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, and Nicholas Woodeson, while the role of Orc leader “Adar” has been recast with Sam Hazeldine.
‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Teaser and Poster Released
Paramount Pictures and Skydance’s upcoming sci-fi adventure introduces a new breed of Transformers - The Maximals.
Children’s & Family Emmy Award Winners Announced
‘Maya and the Three,’ ‘Hilda and the Mountain King,’ ‘Centaurworld,’ and ‘City of Ghosts’ each take home multiple awards in NATAS’ brand-new, expanded standalone ceremony held over two nights this past weekend.
Jens Andersson Boards Upcoming ‘Indiana Jones’ Game as Design Director
Bethesda’s MachineGames has hired the ‘Chronicles of Riddick’ director to handle design for the project, which touts an original storyline and will be the first game title for the franchise since 2003.
SVP of Communications Heather Hust Rivera to Exit Disney
The Mouse House exec exits after almost 20 years of service, following the ouster of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) Chairman Kareem Daniel.
Lupus Films Creates ‘The World of The Snowman’ Channel 4 Ident
The animated commercial celebrates the 40th-anniversary debut of the original iconic film ‘The Snowman,’ which first aired on the channel in 1982; spot, along with the franchise’s other movies, will air throughout the holiday season.
Hulu Drops Images and Sets ‘Koala Man’ Release Date
Michael Cusack, Hugh Jackman, Sarah Snook, Jemaine Clement, and Demi Lardner star in the original animated series about a middle-aged superhero dad, his titular not-so-secret identity, and his quest to stamp out crime in his hometown.
Nominations Announced for 80th Golden Globe Awards
‘Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio’ leads all animated films with noms for best animated feature, best original score, and best original song; ‘Inu-Oh,’ ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,' ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,’ and ‘Turning Red’ also vie for best animated feature.
Autodesk Debuts Maya Bifrost Update with Open Source USD Integration
Feature-rich release includes a host of simulation, scattering, and USD workflow enhancements for the company's node-based visual programming system for procedural creation.
StretchSense Names Chris Simard Chief Revenue Officer
Motion Capture Tech company closes on $7.6m Series A capital for developing new sensor technology that enables high-precision tracking in emerging applications; new CRO will support growing expansion into mocap market and enterprise VR/metaverse space.
NATAS ‘Individual Achievement in Animation’ Winners Announced
Netflix’s ‘Kid Cosmic’ designers Chris Tsirgiotis and Craig McCracken honored along with five other artists for their work in a single episode or special; reveal comes ahead of the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards ceremonies scheduled for this weekend.
Apple TV+ Shares ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse’ Trailer
Based on Charlie Mackesy’s book of the same name, the hand-drawn animated short tells a story of kindness, friendship, courage, and hope following a boy’s journey searching for home; coming to the streamer Christmas Day.
Stoopid Buddy Tops ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ With a Touch of Nostalgia
Recalling late-20th-century pop culture, the hand-drawn, rotoscoped animation bookends the newest ‘Guardians’ adventure - now streaming on Disney+
WEBTOON Drops ‘Lookism’ Teaser
The animated series adaptation of Taejun Pak’s original series that boasts over 9 billion views on the digital comic platform, debuts on Netflix.
Amazon Studios Opens Stage 15
The AWS-powered Virtual Production stage debuts alongside the new Amazon Studios Virtual Production department; ‘Candy Cane Lane’ directed by Reginald Hudlin and starring Eddy Murphy, kicks off as the stage’s inaugural feature film production.
Maxon Announces Maxon One Updates
The software developer wraps up the year with numerous product enhancements, including new features in Redshift, full support for ACES in Magic Bullet, and stability improvements throughout; newly launched and redesigned Cineversity now serves as the central hub for all educational content.
Disney+ Drops ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Trailer
Wanda Sykes guest stars in Lucasfilm Animation’s popular CG animated series about a genetically mutated group of mercenaries, returning with all-new episodes in January.
