WAR Creates Titles for ‘Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture’
Drawing on archival surfing footage and inspired by the water deity Mami Wata in African mythology, the 2D animation captures the authenticity of surfing moves - combining elements of African folk art and a touch of Basquiat to introduce the documentary, which reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing.
GKIDS’ Goya Award-Winning ‘Unicorn Wars’ Coming to Theaters
Alberto Vázquez’s animated horror-comedy follows an epic war between teddy bears and unicorns as it explores religious zealotry and military fascism; Alamo Drafthouse starts screenings March 6 – also available on digital March 10.
‘Animal Crackers’ Arrives on Digital and On Demand April 18
The animated comedy, starring John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Danny DeVito, Ian McKellen, and Sylvester Stallone, follows a family that must use a magical box of animal crackers to save a run-down circus from being taken over by their evil uncle.
Third Season of ‘Krapopolis’ Ordered Ahead of Series Premiere
FOX Entertainment has now greenlit three seasons of Dan Harmon’s animated comedy set in mythical ancient Greece, citing ‘strong creativity, storytelling, and talent.’
Metaphysic Adds Creative Dream Team
Former ILM AI experts Sam Head, Thomas Salama, Scott Bourne and Matteo Olivieri Dancey join the AI technology developer as it expands its work in high-profile partnerships and projects.
Yusuke Murata’s Upcoming ‘Zaiyuki’ Anime Project Revealed
Led by the ‘One-Punch Man’ illustrator’s new anime outlet, Village Studio, the show is heavily influenced by the classic Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West.’
‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ to Release Early
What a difference 2 days makes! The highly anticipated Nintendo and Illumination animated comedy starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Seth Rogen now jumps into theaters April 5, 2023.
Goodbye Kansas Shares ‘See’ Season 3 VFX Breakdown Reel
Studio delivers 50 shots that include CG characters, digital water and explosions, plus set and crowd extensions on Apple TV+’s Emmy Award-winning post-apocalyptic dystopian drama.
Hulu Snags OVFX Studios’ ‘Kulipari’ Animated Franchise
The first two seasons of the kids’ show, based on the books by former NFL player Trevor Pryce, are now streaming with all-new remastered editions; Season 3 will hit the platform later this year, with an animated feature following in late 2024.
Was First Look at Sebastian Discovered by Eagle-Eyed ‘The Little Mermaid’ Fans?
The feisty crab with a Jamaican accent appears to be modeled after his real-life counterpart in the live-action adaptation, departing from the cartoony style of the animated film.
Netflix Drops ‘Agent Elvis’ Official Trailer and Cast
Matthew McConaughey and Priscilla Presley star in the new adult animated action-comedy about the infamous King of Rock and Roll re-imagined as an undercover spy; the series debuts March 17.
Carl Reed Launches Composition Media Animation Studio
Producer of Oscar-winning animated short ‘Hair Love’ opens new shingle with 2 animated features and an animated series; content creation to highlight minority and underrepresented communities.
The Animation Pimp Goes to the 2023 Oscars
AWN’s long-time resident provocateur, Ottawa Animation Festival artistic director Chris Robinson, gets the directors behind this year’s Best Animated Short nominees - ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse,’ ‘The Flying Sailor,’ ‘Ice Merchants,’ ‘My Year of Dicks,’ and ‘An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It’ - to share their insightful answers to his anything but standard - and a bit inane - questions.
NVIZ Expands VFX Team
Promotions and new appointments across the studio include Head of VFX David Cordon, Head of CG Tamar Chatterjee, and VFX Supervisor Mary Stroumpouli.
Call for Entries: OIAF 2023 Open for Submissions
The annual five-day event returns September 20-24; there are no entry fees, and artists worldwide are invited to submit through May 31.
Epic Games Shares 2022 Unreal Engine Trends
Did you know that UE now accounts for 50% of next-gen games being built and has been used on over 500 film/TV projects.
Sanrio Short Anime Series to Premiere in April 2023
The perfectly pastel series following the everyday lives of the bunny Sakura, the cat Cathy, and the hamster Ran will hit the small screen this April on Fuji Television’s "Nonstop" programming block.
Watch: Aardman and Save the Children’s Short Film ‘Home’
The Oscar-winning studio and international children’s charity mark the 1-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine with an animated film that sheds light on the plight of refugee children around the world.
The Rookies Announces its 2023 Global School Rankings
Based on 63,000+ digital media submissions created by 4000+ students, the downloadable report names New3edge in France as #1 in the 50 top international schools list, with Savannah College of Art and Design in the U.S. ranking #2.
‘Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal: The Complete Second Season’ Coming Home
Season 2 of Adult Swim’s Emmy Award-winning prehistoric animated series, now available for online purchase, follows Spear and Fang as they journey to a new world; Blu-ray and DVD arrive April 25.
Is Danny DeVito Reprising His Role for Live-Action ‘Hercules’ Adaptation?
Rumors across the Internet-verse say the ‘Matilda’ star has already signed onto the film, while alleged cast considerations include Taron Egerton as Hercules and Henry Cavill.
Netflix Drops New Anime Series ‘Pluto’ Sneak Peek
The animated drama, based on the award-winning manga series by Naoki Urasaw and Takashi Nagasaki, takes place in a future where humans and robots peacefully coexist; Japanese voice cast also announced.
Disney Legend Burny Mattinson Dies at 87
The longest-serving Disney employee, who most recently worked on ‘Strange World,’ passed away today following a short illness.
The Animation Guild’s Black Artists Group Presents ‘Colorful Characters’ Exhibit
Opening March 2 at Gallery 839 in Burbank, the mixed-media exhibition will showcase original art, prints, designer vinyl toys, resin collectibles, and 3D wall art.
Warner Bros. Discovery Sues Paramount for ‘South Park’ Licensing Infringement
The suit alleges that special content for the adult animated series was created for Paramount+ using ‘grammatical sleight of hand’ despite a $500 million licensing deal granting streaming rights of all new and historic episodes to HBO Max.
