Shout! Factory Unveils its Anime Expo 2023 Lineup
The leading entertainment company and anime distributor will offer screening events, booth activities, giveaways, sweepstakes, and gift-with-purchase items; the anime convention takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 1-4.
SSFF & ASIA 2023 Winners Announced
Chosen from over 5,000 entries, Izumi Yoshida’s animated film ‘The Bridge’ nabs Grand-Prix and Best Short Awards; see all the winners online until July 10.
2023 Palm Springs International ShortFest Winners Revealed
Liam LoPinto’s ‘The Old Young Crow’ snags Best of the Festival Award; ‘Way Better,’ by Skirmanta Jakaitė, takes Best Animated Short.
Rodeo FX Launches Paris Studio
In an effort to expand its European presence, the VFX studio opens a facility in the 11th arrondissement, promising a wide range of services to match its North American offerings.
Character Posters, Cast Featurette Drop for ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’
Meet the cast of the all new animated TMNT, co-written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Jeff Rowe, in theaters August 2.
‘The Freak Brothers’ Return to Tubi
The first four episodes of the 2D animated series’ second season are now streaming, with another set of four coming this September; the all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, Tiffany Haddish, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Andrea Savage, La La Anthony, and ScHoolboy Q.
‘Dragon Ball’ Movies Head to Crunchyroll
15 movies from Toei Animation will join the anime streamer catalog this summer, with the first set released June 22.
GKIDS Acquires ‘Blue Giant’ North American Distribution Rights
Based on the award-winning manga series and directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa, the film follows the saxophone-playing Dai Miyamoto’s journey to become a great jazz musician.
Podcast EP 213: Aaron Augenblick and His Pitch for PBS’ ‘City Island’
The animator, director, and producer returns to discuss his pivot from adult animation to kids and the 4-year journey bringing his educational kids series from concept to fruition – now on PBS Kids.
Lion Forge Entertainment and BWA Team Up on ‘Iyanu’ for Cartoon Network and Max
The ‘Hair Love’ producers, along with Black Women Animate Studios, have begun recruiting a diverse group of artists for pre-production of LFE’s upcoming Nigerian animated fantasy series.
2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Return to Japan
The eighth edition of the Anime Awards will take place next March 2, co-hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and presenter Jon Kabira.
disguise Virtual Production Accelerator Training Program Launches in NYC
Along with program partners 4Wall and ZeroSpace, the company aims to provide trainees with the tools and knowledge to create cinematic content on a large scale; the immersive learning experience is open to all skill levels.
Animation in Europe Federation Expands to 20 Countries
Estonia, Greece, and Portugal join member countries collectively calling on streamers to invest more heavily in European animation; new board members/advocates elected at a general meeting last week in Annecy.
‘Netflix Family Summer’ Animation Highlights
The streamer shares a recap of upcoming movies and series, including the 3DCG animated feature, Nimona, premiering June 30, and new seasons of Sonic Prime and The Dragon Prince arriving next month.
Disney Shares ‘Haunted Mansion’ Featurette
Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson star in the creepy comic adventure that promises fans an ‘E ticket’ ride through the classic theme park attraction; in theaters next month.
MPC Shares VFX and Animation From ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’
Studio created multiple large-scale full CG and digital set extensions, including one that transported the present-day New York skyline back to 1994; a team of 1,000+ artists across London, Montreal, Bangalore, LA, Toronto, and Adelaide delivered 896 shots, including 18 of the movie’s characters.
Crunchyroll Powers Up for Anime Expo 2023
The company will host over 20 panels, activations, and premieres including for ‘JUJUTSU KAISEN,’ ‘Horimiya: The Missing Pieces,’ and ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.’
New E.D. Films Short ‘Three Trees’ Done All in Unreal
Built entirely within Unreal Engine, the film is written and directed by M.R. Horhager, illustrated by Aaron Hong, and narrated by Whoopi Goldberg.
Joel Crawford Receives Honorary Degree from SCAD
The ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ director was awarded along with the graduating class of 2023.
Sony’s ‘El Muerto’ Scrubbed from Theatrical Release Calendar
The ‘Spider-Man’ spinoff starring Bad Bunny as the son of a luchador set to inherit the ancestral superpowers of his bloodline was originally set to release theatrically on January 12, 2024.
AGBO’s Visual Creatures Taps Digital Domain Alum to Lead Virtual Production Studio
Scott Meadows has been named Senior Visualization Supervisor, responsible for the studio’s new motion-capture enabled sound stage and real-time pipelines.
Travis Knight Elected to Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees
The LAIKA president and CEO joins the museum’s governing body; Effie T. Brown appointed honorary trustee of the Academy Museum Inclusion Advisory Committee.
Cartoon Network and Max Reveal ‘Tiny Toons Looniversity’ Voice Cast
The animated reboot of Emmy Award-winning ‘Tiny Toon Adventures’ welcomes back ‘Toon’ alumni, including Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen and Candi Milo; freshman talent joining the ‘Looney’ crew includes Emmy Award-Winner Eric Bauza and Ashleigh Hairston – coming Fall 2023.
‘Metalocalypse: The Complete Series’ Comes to Digital and DVD August 22
Adult Swim brings together all 62 episodes of the four-season run of the heaviest metal band ever assembled – Dethklok; group’s ‘Dethalbum IV’ album featuring new original songs is now available for preorder.
Dandelooo and Canal+ Partner on ‘Gaston Gets It!’
The two companies are developing a new animated comedy series based on the children’s book series ‘Gaston’s Emotions.’
