High school seniors Kaito Yashio (Clifford Chapin) and Akiho Senomiya (Lindsay Seidel), the heroes of the offbeat sci-fi adventure Robotics;Notes, are the last remaining members of the Robot Research Club. But Kaito’s only interest is the video game Kill-Ballad: He’s ranked as the number five player in the world. He reluctantly helps his childhood friend, […]
Archive for June, 2020
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Interview with DreamWorks “To: Gerard” writer/director Taylor Meacham
June 29th, 2020 
Jackson Murphy A girl, a postman, a coin and some magic. They’re the components of To: Gerard, a new DreamWorks Animation short from writer/director Taylor Meacham. You’ll be able to watch it soon. In the meantime, the short recently picked-up a big award at this year’s virtual Annecy Film Festival. Jackson Murphy: Congrats on the Annecy honor. […]
GKids Acquires U.S. Rights To Masaaki Yuasa’s “Inu-Oh”
June 25th, 2020 Jerry Beck Japanese production company Science SARU INC. and its partner Asmik Ace, Inc., Japanese production, distribution and sales company, announced that GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights for the animated feature Inu-Oh, the latest feature from acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa (Ride Your Wave, Keep Your Hands Off Of Eizokuen!). Presented as a work in […]
Animation Domination at Virtual Comic-Con 2020
June 25th, 2020 Jackson Murphy San Diego Comic-Con is gearing-up for an At Home edition from July 23-26. Virtual admission is FREE, so for the first time, everyone can watch the special studio presentations of upcoming TV shows, episodes and films. The first network to announce its Fall 2020 Primetime schedule earlier this year was FOX. And it’s no surprise […]
Glen Keane on Netflix “Over the Moon”
June 23rd, 2020 Jackson Murphy Disney Animation legend Glen Keane (who drew Ariel, The Beast and Aladdin) won an Oscar in 2018 with the late Kobe Bryant for the short Dear Basketball. Now after decades in the world of animation, Keane is finally directing his first feature-length film. Over the Moon is an original animated musical adventure that will debut […]
Malerie Walters Goes “Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II”
June 22nd, 2020 Jackson Murphy Frozen II animator Malerie Walters worked on some of the key musical sequences in Disney’s blockbuster feature. Walters is featured on the new six-part documentary series Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II, debuting this Friday June 26th on Disney+. She shares stories of bringing dynamic scenes to life and teases her next big animation assignment. […]
“The Smurfs” Head To Nickelodeon with Brand New CGI Episodes in 2021
June 18th, 2020 Jerry Beck Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, and LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors for The Smurfs, are partnering to bring a brand-new original CG-animated series based on the iconic property to a new generation of kids and families around the world. Under the deal, Nickelodeon has licensed the global rights to The Smurfs which […]
ANIME REVIEW: “Tokyo Godfathers”
June 17th, 2020 Charles Solomon Shout Factory!/Gkids’ re-release of Tokyo Godfathers (2003) — with an English dub for the first time — serves as a reminder of the exceptional talent the art of animation lost when Satoshi Kon died in 2010 at the age of 46. Tokyo Godfathers was his third feature, after Perfect Blue (1998) and Millennium Actress (2002). […]
Nickelodeon Announces “Middlemost Post”
June 16th, 2020 Jerry Beck Nickelodeon has ordered a new original animated series, Middlemost Post (working title), which combines quirky characters with hilarious adventures and unwavering friendship. Created and co-executive produced by John Trabbic III (SpongeBob SquarePants, storyboard director), the 20-episode 2D-animated series follows a former rain cloud, a brawny mailman and their magical pet walrus as they deliver packages […]
Asifa-Hollywood Will Live Stream Annecy Master Class With Clements and Musker on Friday
June 16th, 2020 Jerry Beck On Friday, June 19th at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern), 9:00 a.m. (Pacific), legendary Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, the Princess and the Frog, Moana), in a live streamed Annecy Festival Master Class, will discuss their careers and views on the animation industry. Ron and John’s open ended, informal conversation […]
Making History: The 25th Anniversary of Disney’s “Pocahontas”
June 16th, 2020 Michael Lyons In the summer of 1995, there was a shadow that loomed over the Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was a shadow in the shape of The Lion King. Just one year prior, the tale of Simba had skyrocketed past all box-office expectations and made its way into our collective pop-culture as few films do. For […]
Creator Brent Dawes on “Jungle Beat: The Movie”
June 15th, 2020 Jackson Murphy Nearly two decades ago, Brent Dawes created the popular Jungle Beat animated TV series. Now he’s the writer/director of the franchise’s new feature film. Sandcastle Studios’ Jungle Beat: The Movie, made in collaboration with Sunrise Productions, is a selection of the 2020 Annecy International Film Festival and is available on VOD for families to enjoy […]
Peter Pan, Looney Tunes and Bill Plympton Among Massive Trove of Cartoon Art in Heritage’s Summer Animation Art Auction
June 12th, 2020 Jerry Beck One of the largest collections of artwork from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan ever brought to market, including masterpieces by David Hall and Mary Blair and the largest offering of art, photos, books, ephemera, checks, insurance cards and studio letters hand-signed by Walt Disney could make Heritage Auctions’ June 19-21 Animation Art Auction one of the […]
Women in Animation Announces Virtual Summit at Annecy
June 11th, 2020 Jerry Beck Women in Animation (WIA) is pleased to announce the program for the first-ever Women in Animation Virtual Summit, in conjunction with this year’s digital version of Annecy International Animation Festival and Mifa 2020, Annecy 2020 Online. The theme of this year’s Summit is “Reimagining the Future: Race, Solidarity and the Culture of Work.” This year’s […]
ANIME REVIEW: “Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life”
June 9th, 2020 Charles Solomon As every otaku knows, choosing your club is a key decision in Japanese high school life, and the kid who’s the only member of a beloved but obscure club is a standard anime character. Schools eliminate clubs with fewer than five members, so recruiting more kids is vital, whether it’s for the Classical Literature Club […]
