Last month I visited Pixar Animation Studios to screen the first half-hour of the highly-anticipated Inside Out 2 and interview the film’s makers. Ahead of the sequel’s June 14th release date, I’ll have three Animation Scoop Q&A pieces. This first one is with director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen. (The first question was asked […]
Author Archive
INTERVIEW: “Inside Out 2” Director And Producer On Pixar Sequel
April 16th, 2024 
Jackson Murphy 
INTERVIEW: “Puffin Rock And The New Friends” And 25 Years Of Cartoon Saloon
April 10th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Cartoon Saloon, the animation house behind The Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers, is unveiling its latest feature. Puffin Rock and the New Friends — a continuation of the popular TV series — is available to rent or purchase on Google TV, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV beginning Tuesday April 16th. Director Jeremy […]
INTERVIEW: “Chicken For Linda!” Directors On Annecy Winning Feature
April 9th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach are the directors of the new French animated dramedy Chicken for Linda! GKIDS opened the 2023 Annecy International Film Festival Cristal for Best Animated Feature winner in NYC last Friday. It hits Los Angeles this Friday April 12th and will be in other markets throughout North America later this month. […]
INTERVIEW: Time To Explore New “DORA” Series
April 8th, 2024 Jackson Murphy One of Nickelodeon’s most iconic characters is headlining a new series — this time in CG. “DORA” premieres this Friday April 12th on Paramount+. Executive Producer and showrunner Rich Magallanes explains what goes into making sure the returns of Dora, Boots and Swiper are satisfying for fans of the original Dora the Explorer show and […]
INTERVIEW: Summer Arrives Early With “Woody Woodpecker Goes To Camp”
April 1st, 2024 Jackson Murphy The dynamic CG version of beloved cartoon character Woody Woodpecker returns in the new live-action / animated family comedy Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp. It premieres Friday April 12th on Netflix. Here’s my Animation Scoop Q&A with… Guess Who?… the film’s Emmy nominated director, Jon Rosenbaum. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson […]
INTERVIEW: X-cellent Insights On “X-Men ’97”
March 19th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Jake Castorena is the supervising producer and head director of Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 (premiering Wednesday March 20th on Disney+). The show gives us new adventures with these iconic characters in the hand-drawn, comic book animation style of the popular X-Men: The Animated Series from the ’90s. (This Animation Scoop Q&A with Castorena was edited […]
INTERVIEW: A Celebration Of “The Casagrandes Movie”
March 18th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Miguel Puga, who co-developed Nickelodeon’s Loud House spinoff series The Casagrandes, makes his feature directorial debut with The Casagrandes Movie. The epic animated action/adventure comedy premieres this Friday March 22nd on Netflix. Puga shares his enthusiasm for the film, and what fans of the beloved characters should look forward to, in this Animation Scoop Q&A. […]
INTERVIEW: The 411 On “Kung Fu Panda 4”
March 4th, 2024 Jackson Murphy DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell, co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine and produced by Rebecca Huntley. I first spoke with them back in December at the launch of the film’s first trailer. Now that I’ve seen the entire movie (which opens in theaters this Friday March 8th), here’s my new Animation […]
Posted in Animated Features, DreamWorks, Universal 
Tags: Dreamworks Animation, Universal Pictures 
No Comments » INTERVIEW: Wave The Green Flag For “Hot Wheels Let’s Race”
February 29th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Rob David serves as executive producer, and Melanie Shannon is the co-creator, of Mattel’s new animated family series Hot Wheels Let’s Race. It premieres this Monday March 4th on Netflix. You’ve got the green light to learn what David and Shannon have to say about this super-charged show. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for […]
INTERVIEW: Eric Fogel On New “Megamind” Movie And Series
February 28th, 2024 Jackson Murphy One of DreamWorks’ most memorable characters returns this Friday March 1st. Feature-length movie Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate and series Megamind Rules both debut on Peacock. Director & EP Eric Fogel (of Archibald’s Next Big Thing) shares how he approached the comeback of this supervillain turned superhero, including making the movie and the show simultaneously. […]
INTERVIEW: “IWÁJÚ” Makers On New Disney And Kugali Series
February 27th, 2024 Jackson Murphy “Iwájú” is a new six-episode animated event series premiering this Wednesday February 28th on Disney+. It’s a collaboration of Walt Disney Animation Studios and African studio Kugali. The story centers on 10-year-old girl Tola and friend Kole in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. Crime threatens them and their families. Director and writer Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, production […]
INTERVIEW: Robert Morgan On Horror Treat “Stopmotion”
February 19th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Beginning this Friday February 23rd, you can head to theaters for a new live-action, R-rated horror movie about the art and intensity of stop-motion animation. Stopmotion is directed and co-written by Robert Morgan, who shares how he pulled-off this bold, unforgettable movie. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: When […]
INTERVIEW: A Warm “Welcome Home, Franklin”
February 12th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Sweet new special Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin premieres this Friday February 16th on AppleTV+. Co-writer Robb Armstrong, director Raymond S. Persi and executive producer Craig Schulz reflect on their — and the entire world’s — longtime affection for the Peanuts crew. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Robb, […]
INTERVIEW: The Arrival Of “Rock Paper Scissors”
February 5th, 2024 Jackson Murphy The legendary game becomes a new animated comedy series. Rock Paper Scissors stars anthropomorphic versions of the title three items. A sneak preview episode airs on Nickelodeon this Sunday Feb. 11 immediately following the channel’s highly-anticipated Super Bowl telecast, with the official premiere set for Monday Feb. 12 at 5:30pm. Creators Kyle Stegina and Josh […]
INTERVIEW: “The Tiger’s Apprentice” Ready To Roar
February 1st, 2024 Jackson Murphy Two-time Annie Awards nominee Raman Hui (co-director of Shrek the Third) directs the new Paramount+ animated feature The Tiger’s Apprentice, which begins streaming tomorrow. It’s based on a popular book about 15-year-old Tom, who teams-up with the animals of the Zodiac to prevent the evil Loo (voiced by Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh) from destroying all […]
