It’s already getting crowded next year in the world of animated features. Let’s now add the German-made Monster Family to the list of first quarter releases in 2018. Directed and produced by Holger Tappe, the man behind several knock-off animated films (Animals United, an ersatz Madagascar; The Snurks, a wannabe Shrek; and so on), comes […]
Archive for November, 2017
Posted in 
Tags: 
Warner Bros. making Live Action “Daphne and Velma” Scooby-Doo Prequel
November 28th, 2017 
Jerry Beck Move over, Riverdale! Warner Bros. Television Group’s digital studio Blue Ribbon Content is currently in production on Daphne and Velma, a live-action feature-length film reimagining the origins of Mystery Inc.’s fierce female duo, Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley. From Ashley Tisdale and Jennifer Tisdale’s Blondie Girl Productions, the film, currently shooting in Atlanta, will be […]
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Disney’s “Aladdin”
November 25th, 2017 Michael Lyons “Ten thousand yeeeeears will give you such a crick in the neck!” So said the Genie in the character’s now iconic first appearance on screen in Disney’s animated blockbuster “Aladdin.” With that character’s appearance, animated films changed forever- all of them from all studios wanted to copy “Aladdin’s” knowing, whiz-bang, pop-culture humor and sensibility. Few, […]
Debunking Disney Urban Myths
November 24th, 2017 Jim Korkis Walt Disney is a larger-than-life figure, almost mythological in stature like Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill. When I was an official Media Representation for the 100 Years of Magic celebration in 2001 at Walt Disney World, I went through some intensive training to be able to field in a “Disney way” questions from the media […]
TRAILER: Warner Bros. “Smallfoot”
November 22nd, 2017 Jerry Beck A Yeti is convinced that the elusive creatures known as “humans” really do exist. That’s the log line for Smallfoot, a forthcoming animated comedy from our friends at the Warner Animation Group. Co-directed by Karey Kirkpatrick (Over The Hedge, Chicken Run) and Jason Reisig (Trolls), written by Kirkpatrick based on a story by Sergio Pablos […]
INTERVIEW: Joel Crawford talks Dreamworks’ “Troll’s Holiday”
November 22nd, 2017 Jackson Murphy A little more than a year after DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls danced into theaters, earning nearly $350 million worldwide, the gang is back in a new TV special. Trolls Holiday premieres Friday night on NBC and then out on DVD on Tuesday. The special is directed by Joel Crawford, who definitely can’t stop the feeling of […]
CREATING COCO: An interview with Pixar’s Jason Katz, Story Supervisor
November 22nd, 2017 Leslie Combemale The new Pixar film Coco speaks about ancestral ties, remembrance, and celebration. It is a story that follows young musician Miguel on his journey into the Land of the Dead to solve a family mystery, embrace his passion for music, and create his own destiny. I interviewed Story Supervisor Jason Katz, who has had a […]
First Look: Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Kid Danger”
November 21st, 2017 Jerry Beck Below is a first-look at the new Nickelodeon animated series The Adventures of Kid Danger. The half-hour animated series, based on characters from Nick’s live action series Henry Danger, follows the heroic Kid Danger and Captain Man as they embark on brave new adventures—battling bizarre criminals and super villains with their sharp wit and amazing […]
Baxter, Hillenberg, Tilby and Forbis win McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement
November 20th, 2017 Jerry Beck ASIFA-Hollywood has announced this year’s slate of recipients for its Juried Awards honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Juried award recipients will be honored at the 45th Annie Awards set for Saturday, February 3, 2018 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The Winsor McCay Award for career contributions to the art of animation are […]
TEASER #1: Pixar’s “The Incredibles 2”
November 18th, 2017 Jerry Beck Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in Incredibles 2 – but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough […]
INTERVIEW: “Big Hero 6: The Series” Director Nick Filippi
November 17th, 2017 Jackson Murphy Disney’s Big Hero 6 won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2015. Big Hero 6: The Series gets its launch this Monday November 20th at 8pm on Disney Channel and Disney XD with the one-hour movie “Baymax Returns.” Animation veteran Nick Filippi is the series’ executive producer and supervising director. Jackson Murphy: “Baymax Returns” […]
TRAILER: “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation”
November 16th, 2017 Jerry Beck Even monsters need a vacation. In Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, our favorite monster family embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, and written by Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers, the film reunites its stellar voice cast with Adam […]
Women In Animation Awards Two Recipients with Craig Scholarships
November 15th, 2017 Jerry Beck Women in Animation (WIA) is pleased to announce Heather Forlong and Esther Tejano as the recipients of 2017 Phyllis Craig Scholarships. Established in 1997 to honor the legacy of WIA founding member Phyllis Craig, this is the first time this annual scholarship has been awarded to two student artists in a single academic year. “I […]
TRAILER: Animated Documentary “1917 – The Real October”
November 14th, 2017 Jerry Beck I love unique and diverse uses of animation to tell stories – and in recent years we’ve seen the rise of the feature length animated documentary – a genre that uses animation to its best advantage. Here’a trailer from a new such film, from German filmmaker Katrin Rothe. 1917 – The Real October tells the […]
Dreamworks Animation Launches “Dreamworks Shorts”
November 14th, 2017 Jerry Beck DreamWorks Animation Film Group has officially announced the formation of DREAMWORKS SHORTS, with “Bird Karma,” directed by William Salazar, serving as the first animated short film to emerge from program. “Bird Karma” stems from an original idea that Salazar conceived of years ago. “Bird Karma” will make its theatrical debut on the front of DreamWorks […]
