Deducers ‘Spark’ Course Kicks off in June
The training program’s blended curriculum teaches early career coordinators and production assistants about roles in creative studios, production team expectations, the language of motion and post-production, and the skills needed to navigate the production process.
Wildbrain Names Josh Scherba President and CEO
Eric Ellenbogen steps down as CEO and Vice Chair; Jim Fielding moves from Chief Marketing and Brands Officer to Strategic Advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors.
DreamWorks Animation Lays Off 33
The 2% workforce cut comes as part of parent company NBCUniversal’s overall cost-reduction plan across all studios.
Barney, Mattel’s Famed Purple Dinosaur, Finds New Home on Cartoonito
The all-new animated preschool series, ‘Barney’s World,’ will air in 2024 on Cartoon Network and stream on Max.
Netflix Shares First Video of ‘One Piece’ Cast
In celebration of Monkey D. Luffy’s birthday, the cast of the upcoming live-action adaptation of the hugely popular manga come together for the first time in video, with the series to stream sometime in 2023.
Max Shares ‘Gremlins: Secrets of The Mogwai’ Official Trailer
Starring Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, and Matthew Rhys, the highly anticipated 3DCG animated prequel series to the iconic ‘Gremlins’ film franchise hits the streamer May 23.
Apple TV+ Shares ‘Stillwater’ Season 3 Trailer
The Peabody and Daytime Emmy Award-winning animated series helps kids learn about mindfulness, better understand their feelings, and provides tools to help them face their daily challenges; all-new episodes roll out globally May 19.
Exclusive: Angel Studios Reveals 'The Wingfeather Saga' Season 2 Cast
‘The Lord of the Rings’ Billy Boyd, ‘Wolfwalker’s’ Eva Whittaker and ‘Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol join the returning cast for the new season of the top crowdfunded animated family series based on the ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ fantasy-adventure books by Andrew Peterson.
Sherman Brothers-Inspired Musical ‘Inkas the Ramferinkas’ in Development
The animated film picks up from a project about a small flying dinosaur the famed pair, known for their work on ‘The Jungle Book,’ ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,’ and ‘Mary Poppins,’ set down in 2008.
NFB Announces Terril Calder’s ‘Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics’ World Premiere
Based on the award-winning 2021 animated short ‘Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics,’ the stop-motion installation reflects Indigenous teachings from the earth, fused into the story, creating a unique viewing experience; debut set for Tribeca Festival’s ‘Tribeca Immersive’ showcase in June.
PNYA Celebrates Expansion of NY’s Post-Production Tax Credit
PPC funding for post increases from $25 million to $45 million and gets extended to 2034; cited studies show the program has contributed $156M to the state’s tax revenue.
Nickelodeon Unveils New Brand Campaign and Identity
The reimagined logo includes the iconic Splat; The ‘Portal to Fun’ launch campaign features the Splat as a gateway to new, unexpected experiences.
‘Father & Son’ Featurette Shared for ‘Fast X’
The 10th installment of the Fast & Furious saga features Jason Momoa as Dante, son of Hernan Reyes, as he exacts revenge upon Dom and his own son in the adrenaline-fueled film out May 19.
New Trailer, Poster Drop for ‘Oppenheimer’
The long-awaited paradoxical thriller follows the eponymous man who must risk destroying the world to save it, in theaters July 21.
Great Wolf Entertainment Teams with Kidoodle.TV on ‘Adventures of the Great Wolf Pack’
Both the new animated series and film ‘The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure,’ animated by Six Point Harness, are now streaming.
WGA Strike Halts Production on Numerous Shows
From Marvel to Netflix, the studios behind a slew of series and films have both voluntarily and involuntarily halted filming as the strike hits its second week, with multiple studios threatening showrunners with salary cuts and potential legal action.
Max Drops ‘Clone High’ Trailer and Key Art
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence’s animated series refresh, set at a high school for the clones of the greatest minds in history, debuts May 23.
Xilam Animation to Animate Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’
Netflix’s new Norse-mythology 2D series is executive produced by Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller, and Jay Olivia.
Impossible Objects Adds Jay Walker to Creative Roster
The short film, music video, and commercial director brings Unreal Engine expertise to cutting edge creative lab following their recent collaboration on Alienware’s campaign.
Cartoons on the Bay Honors Stop-Motion Producer Ian Mackinnon
The creative director and co-founder of Mackinnon & Saunders Studio will accept the Studio of the Year Award 2023 at the International Festival of Animation, Transmedia and Meta-Arts, taking place in Pescara May 31-June 4.
Cinesite Names Shawn Walsh Group Chief Operation Officer VFX
17+ year Image Engine veteran and general manager steps up to helm visual effects production across the company and its partner studios including Image Engine, FX3X, and Trixter.
Toonz Feature Film and Gold Valley Films Strike Six Picture Deal
The studios are already in production on their first project, ‘Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk,’ starring rapper will.i.am, Jennifer Coolidge, Luis Guzmán, Jennifer Hudson, and Snoop Dogg.
Podcast EP 207: How Tina Nawrocki Is Helping Keep Hand-Drawn Animation Alive
The 2D animator discusses how she creates hand-drawn animation, shares a behind-the-scenes look at her short ‘Syrenka: Legend of the Warsaw Mermaid,’ and talks about the team of women she assembled to help bring her project to life.
‘The Maximals’ Revealed - Posters Drop for ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’
Paramount Pictures and Skydance’s upcoming sci-fi adventure introduces a new breed of Transformers - The Maximals, played by Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, David Sobolov, and Tongayi Chirisa, hitting theaters June 9.
Get Your First Look at ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Animated Feature
Paramount shared a glimpse of the all-grown-up ‘Gaang,’ including Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Zuko, last week at CinemaCon 2023, while also confirming the film’s October 10, 2025 release date.
