February 2021 – Animation Scoop

Archive for February, 2021

“Soul” Wins Golden Globe

The infamous Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their Golden Globe winners tonight – and included in the mix was the winner for Best Animated Feature. Pixar’s Soul won the top honor. Producer Dana Murray and director Pete Docter accepted the award and spoke remotely from home – genuinely shocked and thanking their collaborators at Pixar […]

Tom & Jerry’s Greatest “Hits”

“Best of Enemies. Worst of Friends.” This “tag line” on posters for the new live-action/animated movie Tom & Jerry, perfectly sums up the relationship the two have had since their debut almost 81 years ago. The world-famous cartoon cat and mouse continue their prominent role in animation history with this new film, debuting this weekend […]

Cartoon Network Studios Bolsters Executive Team

Cartoon Network Studios has announced two key additions to its executive leadership team. Lauren Martinez joins the studio as Vice President, Series and long-time CNS producer, Kelly Crews has been promoted to Vice President, Production. The announcement was made today by Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.

INTERVIEW: Will The Academy Say ‘Yes’ To Shorts Finalist “Yes-People”?

Gísli Darri Halldórsson is the director of Yes-People, one of 10 shorts vying to appear on this year’s Best Animated Short Film Academy Awards ballot. Halldórsson explains how he came-up with and made his quirky, relatable comedy in this Animation Scoop Email Q&A. Jackson Murphy: There are definitely a lot of “Yes-People” in society – […]

FIRST LOOK: Pixar’s “Luca”

Disney and Pixar’s upcoming original feature film Luca is a fun and heartwarming story about friendship, stepping out of your comfort zone and two teenage sea monsters who experience a life-changing summer. Directed by Academy Award nominee Enrico Casarosa (La Luna) and produced by Andrea Warren (Lava, Cars 3), the first look teaser was dropped […]

Nickelodeon and eOne Greenlight Brand New “Transformers”

Nickelodeon and Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) have partnered to co-produce an original animated Transformers series (26 half-hour episodes), based on the iconic global property. In the action-comedy series, a new species of Transformers must find their place and purpose among Autobots, Decepticons, and the human family that adopts them. The series will premiere exclusively on […]

INTERVIEW: Tracing The Origins Of Oscars Finalist Short “Traces”

As the Oscar race heats-up, the directors of animated short film Traces are hoping for a nomination. Sophie Tavert Macian and Hugo Frassetto are thrilled their film is one of the 10 finalists in the category. They describe the making of this intense, visually intricate short in this Animation Scoop Email Q&A. This interview was […]

Nickelodeon’s “Rugrats” Return in CG, on Paramount+

Nickelodeon is reuniting members of the original voice cast behind iconic toddlers Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Angelica Pickles, Susie Carmichael and Phil and Lil DeVille in the upcoming all-new Rugrats animated series. A reimagining of the classic ‘90s hit, the CG-animated series stars E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) […]

Nickelodeon Establishes Avatar Studios

Nickelodeon today announced the launch of Avatar Studios, a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will helm the studio as co-chief creative officers, […]

INTERVIEW: Adrien Merigeau Is Oscars Finalist with Short “Genius Loci”

Academy members will vote for the nominees of the 93rd Oscars beginning next Friday March 5th. One of the 10 shorts vying for a spot in the Best Animated Short Film category is Genius Loci. The official synopsis: “One night, Reine, a young loner, sees among the urban chaos a moving oneness that seems alive, […]

Fred Seibert Launches FREDFILMS With First Look Deal with ViacomCBS Networks International

Fred Seibert, the driving force behind some of the most successful and iconic animation projects of our time, announced today he is launching a brand new production entity – FredFilms. The new company is designed to help meet the increased demand for premium adult and kid animation programming from traditional linear networks and a wide […]

INTERVIEW: Erick Oh On His Oscars Short Finalist “Opera”

Erick Oh is the director of Opera, an animated short with a major wow-factor. It’s no surprise that it’s one of the 10 finalists for this year’s Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. Oh, an Annie Awards nominee for his character animation on Pixar’s Finding Dory, goes into the process of making Opera in this […]

INTERVIEW: Director Tim Story On His New Hybrid “Tom & Jerry” Movie

Tim Story has directed big studio films starring A-listers Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon and Jessica Alba. But Story’s latest movie may have the two biggest stars of his career: Tom & Jerry. Warner Bros.’ new live-action/animated family comedy debuts in theaters and on HBO Max this Friday February […]

Singing its Praises: The 40th Anniversary of Ralph Bakshi’s “American Pop”

Sure, today seemingly anything is possible in animation. Everything from bringing the internet to life as a “living world,” to soaring on the back of a dragon at dizzying heights can and has been realized. However, even today’s filmmakers with the latest technology at their disposal, would be hard pressed to tackle a subject like, […]

INTERVIEW: Yonfan Welcomes You To Unforgettable “No. 7 Cherry Lane”

Renowned filmmaker Yonfan’s No. 7 Cherry Lane is an epic, beautiful and emotional romantic drama. It’s also Oscar qualified for this year’s Best Animated Feature prize. In this Email Q&A, Yonfan explains how the first animated film of his career came to life. YONFAN: I am not an art dealer but I was gifted with […]