Kyoto Animation Arson Suspect Admits to 2019 Attack
In defense of his actions, Shinji Aoba claims the Japanese studio had stolen his ideas, but that he now thinks he ‘went too far,’ leading his lawyers to plead mental incompetence during his trial at the Kyoto District Court.
Nick Bruno and Chris Wedge Projects in Development at Annapurna
The ‘Nimona’ director joins the animation division along with Julie Zackary as head of animation production and Erica Pulcini as creative executive; next animated feature, ‘Foo’ to be helmed by the Oscar-winning Blue Sky co-founder.
SAG-AFTRA Allows ‘Walking Dead’ Spinoffs to Continue Production
The union has signed interim agreements with AMC Studios to resume production on ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,’ and ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live,’ as well as ‘Interview With the Vampire,’ which all premiere in 2024.
CBS Studios Teases ‘Star Trek: very Short Treks’ Trailer
New series of animated promotional shorts honors ‘Star Trek: The Animated Series’ 50th anniversary, kicking off Friday with ‘Skin a Cat;’ also coming Friday - new comic book, ‘Star Trek: The Animated Celebration Presents The Scheimer Barrier,’ chapter 1.
Netflix Drops ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ Trailer and Key Art
Directed by Sam Fell, the sequel to Aardman’s hugely successful stop-motion animated ‘Chicken Run’ hits the streamer in December.
VIEW 2023 Education Lineup Includes Andreas Deja, Doug Chiang
Focus on Education includes workshops and masterclasses by renowned industry masters such as famed Disney animator Deja on ‘Character Animation;’ Lucasfilm VP and executive creator Chiang on ‘Art and ‘Star Wars;’ and Cartoon Saloon production designer Almu Redondo on ‘Art Direction, Visual Development and Stylization;’ the VIEW Conference takes place October 15-20 in Turin, Italy.
Marvel Teases ‘The Marvels’ Featurette
In ‘Journey to The Marvels’ see Caption Marvel journey to team up with Captain Rambeau, Ms. Marvel, as the unlikely trio must team up to save the universe… of course; the movie hits theaters in November.
Shout! Studios, Blue Fox Entertainment Nab Rights to ‘The Canterville Ghost’
First-ever animated adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic stars Stephen Fry as Sir Simon, a ghost content with haunting his ancestral home until an American family buys the estate and moves in; theatrical release set for this Halloween season.
BWA and The Titmouse Foundation Launch ‘Equity Excelerator’
Committed the studio’s 2025 hiring goal of 200 diverse animation professionals, foundation and Black Women Animate Studios team up to support development program targeting historically underrepresented and diverse talent.
Paramount+ Drops 'Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 4 Trailer
The animated comedy follows the antics of the Starfleet crew residing in the ‘lower decks,’ which is to say, where the lowly, less important crew goes about their business; new season kicks off September 7 with two episodes that go boldly – but not too boldly – ‘where no man has gone before.’
Exclusive Clip: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – 3D with 2D Elements’
Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and Point Grey Productions’ 3DCG comedy featuring the iconic green-shelled brothers as they set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers is available on digital to rent or buy today!
TBS Shares Exclusive ‘American Dad: Frantastic Voyage’ Clip
It’s back! The first all-new episode of Season 18 – Part 2 airs this Monday, September 4; the hugely popular animated comedy, created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman, about ultra-patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith and his unconventional family, returns with more absurd hilarity.
First Live-Action Pokémon Series to Air in Japan
The original show, based on the Pokémon ‘Red’ and Pokémon ‘Green’ games, titled ‘Pocket ni Bōken wo Tsumekonde’, or ‘Fill Your Pocket with Adventure’ in English, will star Nanase Nishino and premiere on October 19.
VES Revises Awards R&P, But No Awards Date Announced
The committee has revised Rules and Procedures in some categories and announced name changes in others; submissions close on November 30; timing of the 22nd Annual VES Awards Presentation is TBD.
Podcast EP 222: 2D Animator Jon Densk and His Short Film ‘Axolodyssey’
The 2D animator discusses what industry experience completely changed his view of animation, how he is improving his character performance and building a social media presence for his new short - a work in progress funded via Kickstarter.
The Imaginarium Studios Announces New Hires
Leading mocap and performance capture company names Alex Hill business development manager for gaming, Dan Baybutt post-production supervisor, and Lucy Pennington operations managers.
Kevin Geiger’s Kids’ Book ‘Grandpa Groundhog’ Now Available
The artist, animator, and Disney veteran’s heartwarming story of a gruff grandpa and a grumpy groundhog who compete for territory but find common ground is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.
DreamWorks Drops ‘Dragons: The Nine Realms’ Season 7 Trailer
In the all-new season of the animated series set 1,300 years after the events of the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchise, the threat of Buzzsaw looms over Rakke town and the Riders must protect Dragonkind; all 7 episodes hit Hulu and Peacock next month.
FutureDeluxe Drives ‘Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari’ Campaign
Creative studio merges sound and motion to create a visual narrative depicting the brands’ synergy while capturing their iconic design elements.
Illuminated Film Shares ‘A Bear Named Wojtek’ Trailer
The 30-minute 2D animated film chronicles the journey of an orphaned bear adopted by Polish soldiers during WWII; it is a ‘profound story of identity, of belonging, of home’ - coming to BBC ALBA in the U.K. and TVP in Poland next year.
Mass FX Media Gets New Denver Digs
The Colorado studio’s new state-of-the-art facility expands its post capabilities while boasting a Dolby Atmos theater for sound mixing, color grading and QC screenings.
Animated ‘LEGO Jurassic Park: The Unofficial Retelling’ to Stream on Peacock+
The 22-minute special from Universal Pictures, Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, and the LEGO Group, streaming this Fall, is part of a year-long 30th anniversary celebration of the original film.
STRATA GANZA Strata Cut Stop-Motion Event Coming to NYC
Eight innovative artists will share how they make, show, cut and animate clay with daily sessions running October 3-6 at the Pratt Institute, Department of Digital Arts in Brooklyn – tickets are now on sale.
ICVR Scores Epic MegaGrant for ‘Lightfall’ CG Short
The studio is harnessing UE5, with its real-time production pipeline, on their new animated virtual production project, a film about a primitive candlemaker’s journey of enlightenment and discovery of artificial light technology.
Remington Chase, Accused BASE FX Fraudster, Dies in U.K.
Suspected of swindling investors of the Beijing-based VFX and animation company, as well as Knightsbridge Entertainment, out of at least $234 million, the former producer died of liver failure on July 31 in Blackpool, with his alleged co-conspirator still at large.
