John Musker is the director of some of the most beloved Disney animated movies of all-time, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog and Moana. Those collaborations with co-director Ron Clements have brought joy to generations around the world. Musker left The Mouse House in 2018 with a goal in mind: to […]
Archive for December, 2023
INTERVIEW: Dive In For “Wild Summon”
December 28th, 2023 
Jackson Murphy One of the 15 selections on this year’s Best Animated Short Film Oscars shortlist is Wild Summon, a fascinating *tail* of the life cycle of salmon, shown to us in human form. It’s an instantly captivating live-action / animation hybrid that screened at Cannes in May to rave reviews. The directing duo Karni & Saul […]
Voice Director Andrea Romano Inducted into the Children’s & Family Emmy’s Silver Circle
December 18th, 2023 Jerry Beck Eight-time Emmy Award winner Andrea Romano further cemented her reputation as the greatest voiceover director in animation history on Sunday night when she was inducted into the prestigious Children’s & Family Emmys’ inaugural Silver Circle during a ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The Silver Circle recognizes those professionals who have performed distinguished service within […]
INTERVIEW: Benjamin Renner On High-Flying “Migration”
December 15th, 2023 Jackson Murphy The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales director Benjamin Renner takes to the sky with Illumination’s new animated comedy Migration. It opens in theaters next Friday December 22nd. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Renner talks about his love of hand-drawn and CG animation, ducky research and working with one of the most star-studded voice acting […]
INTERVIEW: Get A Good Sense Of “Ninety-Five Senses”
December 14th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Jared and Jerusha Hess, the duo behind Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, present their first-ever animated short film. The excellent Ninety-Five Senses stars Tim Blake Nelson as the voice of Coy, a man reflecting on all facets of his life and body. The Hesses give me a taste of how this short came to be […]
INTERVIEW: “Kung Fu Panda 4” Preview With The Directors And Producer
December 13th, 2023 Jackson Murphy DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 is one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2024. It’s been eight years since Po’s last big screen adventure. Director Mike Mitchell (of Shrek Forever After and Trolls), co-director Stephanie Ma Stine (art director on How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) and producer Rebecca Huntley (The […]
INTERVIEW: A New Beginning With “Awakening: The First Day”
December 12th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Santiago Carrasquilla and Jos Diaz Contreras are the directors of the visionary new animated short film Awakening: The First Day. It’s a cool, gripping look at the planet. The talented duo shares how this presentation has gone from stage to screen. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was conducted as an Email Interview and was edited for […]
INTERVIEW With “Humo” Director Rita Basulto
December 11th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Humo is about Daniel, a boy who witnesses and experiences the horrors of The Holocaust. Director Rita Basulto describes the powerful story and some of the short’s unforgettable visual moments in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This was conducted as an Email Interview and was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: How did the book […]
INTERVIEW: Detailing “The Day I Became a Bird”
December 8th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Oscar and Emmy winner Andrew Ruhemann (of The Lost Thing and Love, Death + Robots) has adapted the book The Day I Became a Bird — about a boy’s first love — into a sweet and tender new animated short. We take flight for this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This was conducted as an Email Interview […]
TEASER: Paramount’s “The Tiger’s Apprentice”
December 7th, 2023 Jerry Beck Paramount+ today announced that the service’s next original movie – the star-studded animated family film The Tiger’s Apprentice – will premiere on the service Friday, February 2, in the U.S. The film’s availability in additional international Paramount+ markets will be announced at a later date. The service also unveiled a teaser trailer for the upcoming […]
INTERVIEW: Ready To Unwrap “Merry Little Batman”
December 7th, 2023 Jackson Murphy The Caped Crusader’s eight year old son Damian is on a Christmas Eve mission to save Gotham City in the heartwarming and hilarious new animated comedy feature Merry Little Batman. It debuts this Friday December 8th on Prime Video. Writers Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci describe the fa-la-la-la-fun of crafting an entertaining and exciting story […]
Posted in Warner Bros., WB Animation (TV) 
Tags: Amazon Prime, Batman, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation 
No Comments » INTERVIEW: “Starling” Shines Brightly
December 6th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Animation Scoop first profiled Starling as part of a 2023 Tribeca Film Festival preview piece earlier this year. It ended-up winning at the fest, sending it on a major trajectory for this awards season. Director Mitra Shahidi describes the emotion and power behind this short about parents remembering their daughter on her birthday. (This Animation […]
INTERVIEW: Time To Meet “The Smeds And The Smoos”
December 5th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Magic Light Pictures has adapted many of author Julia Donaldson’s books for the screen, in delightful 20-plus minute animated short films. The latest is The Smeds and The Smoos, about red and blue creatures who vow not to interact with each other. Two younger members of these families want to change that. Directors Samantha Cutler […]
Celebrating 100 Years of Disney: PART II Signature Auction
December 4th, 2023 Jerry Beck The long-range impact of Walt Disney’s vision has shaped history. From technological breakthroughs in sight and sound to how we tell and understand stories, from care in the smallest detail to the pleasure of grand spectacle, one of the most popular and enduring of all American institutions is responsible for the modern world’s relationship with […]
Charles Solomon’s Animation Year End Review 2023
Although he wrote them in 1859, Charles Dickens might have been thinking of animation in 2023 when he penned the celebrated lines, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the […]