To help fill the enforced hours at home of “sheltering in place,” here are some anime series that lend themselves to binge watching. Some are older, some recent; adventures, comedies, romances. Typically, the adventures take the main characters on quests where they face much realer danger than American counterparts. The comedies have a take-no-prisoners silliness […]
Archive for March, 2020
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INTERVIEW: Creators Pedro Eboli and Graham Peterson talk “Ollie’s Pack”
March 30th, 2020 
Jackson Murphy The premiere of Nickelodeon’s original action-comedy series, Ollie’s Pack, is on Monday, April 6th at 4:00 P.M. (ET/PT). The 26-episode, 2D-animated series was created by Pedro Eboli (Cupcake & Dino) and Graham Peterson (Rick & Morty) and is being produced by Nelvana. Nickelodeon will air new episodes on Mondays through Thursdays the weeks of April […]
“Animation Show Of Shows” Now Available on Vimeo
March 30th, 2020 Jerry Beck With its current theatrical and educational release on hold, the beloved animation anthology has just premiered online, delivering the “best of the best” to a global audience. The Animation Show Of Shows, a curated selection of animated short films created by students and professionals around the world, is now on Vimeo. With theaters shuttered due […]
Gkids Acquires “Lupin the 3rd: The First”
March 26th, 2020 Jerry Beck GKIDS announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the animated feature Lupin the 3rd: The First, a new animated feature from director/screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki (Stand By Me Doraemon, Dragon Quest: Your Story). The “Lupin the 3rd” franchise, from original creator Monkey Punch, began in 1967 and has spanned a variety of […]
Rebecca Sugar Discusses the Final “Steven Universe Future”
March 24th, 2020 Jackson Murphy The Steven Universe franchise is coming to an end. Steven Universe Future, the continuation limited series that debuted in December, will conclude with a final hour of new episodes this Friday March 27th at 7pmET on Cartoon Network. The final four 11-minute episodes, which I’ve had the chance to screen, are “Homeworld Bound”, “Everything’s Fine”, […]
TRAILER: Netflix “The Willoughbys”
March 23rd, 2020 Jerry Beck Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. Here is the next Netflix feature (following Klaus) – The Willoughbys – from director Kris Pearn (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2). It begins streaming April 22nd. Here’s the official trailer:
Director Sang Joon Kim on “The Wheel Turns”
March 20th, 2020 Jackson Murphy The Wheel Turns is a bold animated short film from director Sang Joon Kim. As he explains, it’s “about a prosaic subway operator turned into a toad [who] rediscovers himself in a dystopian world.” Sounds fascinating, right? The Wheel Turns will debut on Vimeo through their Directors Note program this Wednesday, March 25th. Kim, an […]
Series Developer Becca Topol and EP Sascha Paladino talk Disney Junior’s “Mira, Royal Detective”
March 16th, 2020 Jackson Murphy Mira, Royal Detective is Disney’s latest fun for the whole family animated series. It premieres this Friday March 20th at 11amET on Disney Channel and 7pmET on Disney Junior. Series Developer Becca Topol and EP Sascha Paladino can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with “Mira”, and they’re thrilled the show has already been […]
NEW TRAILER: Pixar’s “Soul”
March 12th, 2020 Jerry Beck Check out the new trailer from Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Soul,” which opens in U.S. theaters on June 19th, 2020. Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets […]
TRAILER: DreamWorks “Dragons Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon”
March 12th, 2020 Jerry Beck Here’s the trailer for the forthcoming 45-minute Netflix special, DreamWorks Dragons Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon. It flies onto Netflix on March 27th. Check out the trailer below. Dak, Leyla and the Rescue Riders crew brace for their newest adventure when greedy pirates get their hands on a map leading to a precious […]
INTERVIEW: Director Tom Parkinson previews the Netflix 6th Season “Shaun The Sheep”
March 12th, 2020 Jackson Murphy Fresh-off the second feature Farmageddon, the Shaun the Sheep series is back for a brand new 6th season, premiering this Tuesday, March 17th on Netflix. Series Director Tom Parkinson previews the episodes and shares what he loves most about these iconic characters. Tom Parkinson: They’re like a little family now. We’ve got the Farmer. We’ve […]
REVIEW: Pixar’s “Onward”
March 11th, 2020 Martin Goodman Onward has the misfortune of being merely a very good film from a studio that produced the best animated films of the past two decades. This film has only a few flaws (more on that later) that are outweighed by its strengths. Still, in comparison with the best of Pixar I can only draw on […]
MUST-SEE: “The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons” at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA.
March 10th, 2020 Jackson Murphy The latest stop for long-running exhibit “The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons” is near my neck of the woods at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA. The showcase of more than 160 pieces from curators Steve Schneider and Jesse G. Wright, Jr., is now on display through May 10th. Berkshire Museum Executive Director Jeff Rodgers […]
TRAILER: Warner Bros. “Scoob!”
March 5th, 2020 Jerry Beck The first full-length animated Scooby-Doo adventure for the big screen is the never-before told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins and the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc. SCOOB! is directed by Tony Cervone, Annie Award nominee for the feature Space Jam and two-time Emmy nominee for his work on Duck Dodgers. The film will […]
Taika Waititi to Exec Produce, Write and Direct Roald Dahl Animated Series for Netflix
March 5th, 2020 Jerry Beck Celebrated and Academy Award-winning writer, director, and actor Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is set to write, direct, and executive produce two original animated series for Netflix. The first is a series based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The second is a wholly original […]
