animation
Jeremy Kipp Walker, Chaz Salembier Join Laika Live-Action Team
Laika, the Portland-based animation studio behind movies such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, has hired Jeremy Kipp Walker and Chaz Salembier as part of a push into live-action filmmaking. Walker becomes executive vp, live-action production after serving as head of production for Netflix’s independent film division. His credits include The Big Sick, Half Nelson, Table 19, Mississippi Grind and It’s Kind […]
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Cannes: ‘Happy Feet’ Co-Director Prepping New Family Adventure ‘Stripey’ (Exclusive)
Warren Coleman, who co-directed George Miller’s 2006 animated Oscar-winning smash hit Happy Feet, is set to direct live-action family adventure feature Stripey. The film — currently in development — follows a single-parent family of refugees from Kashmir, a long-thought-extinct Tasmanian tiger and a colorful bunch of bush characters. It tells the story of what happens when they […]
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Cannes: Neon Nabs Pablo Berger’s Animated ‘Robot Dreams’ Before Premiere
Neon has picked up the North American rights to Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger’s debut animated feature, Robot Dreams. The deal for the graphic novel adaptation comes ahead of a world premiere in Cannes on May 20 as part of the Special Screenings section. Robot Dreams explores the importance and fragility of friendship as the film […]
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Eugenio Derbez Animated Comedy ‘Circo Gómez’ in Development at ViX (Exclusive)
A new adult animated series starring Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez is in the works at Spanish-language streamer ViX. The Book of Life and The Secret Life of Pets voice star will lead Circo Gómez, an irreverent comedy that follows a dysfunctional family running a shoddy traveling circus. The series is produced by Derbez’s […]
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GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to ‘The First Slam Dunk’
Indie distributor GKIDS acquired North American distribution rights for The First Slam Dunk from Japanese animation studio Toei Animation. Based on Takehiko Inoue’s best-selling manga Slam Dunk, which was serialized from 1990-1996 and spawned several anime movies in the ’90s, The First Slam Dunk marks the first new feature-length film from the franchise in nearly […]
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Disney Debuts 20 Minutes of Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ at CinemaCon
Disney previewed 20 minutes of Pixar’s Elemental on Wednesday at CinemaCon, ahead of its May 27 world premiere at Cannes and June 16 theatrical release. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur), produced by Denise Ream and exec produced by Pete Docter, Elemental is set in Element City, where fire, water, land and air residents live […]
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Netflix Animation Reveals ‘In Your Dreams,’ a New SpongeBob Adventure and Additional ‘Nimona’ Voice Casting
Netflix announced two new animated features coming to the platform in 2024: A new SpongeBob SquarePants-themed movie titled Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie; and In Your Dreams, a comedy adventure about a pair of siblings who magically travel into the world of dreams. As part of an overview of its 2023-2024 slate, Netflix […]
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Makers of ‘Nimona,’ ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ Headed to Annecy
Following the streaming services’ first best animated feature Oscar win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Netflix is heading to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June to preview a string of upcoming projects and to host an advance screening of summer release Nimona, based on ND Stevenson’s graphic novel. Nimona directors Nick Bruno and […]
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Dreamworks Animation’s ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ To Make World Premiere At Annecy
DreamWorks Animation will present the world premiere of its upcoming Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken on June 15 during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Helmed by Oscar-nominated director Kirk DeMicco,(The Croods), the story follows a shy teenager (Lana Condor), who learns that she comes from a family of legendary sea krakens. Toni Collette voices Ruby’s mother and Jane […]
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‘Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman’ Review: A Resonant Dreamscape of Aftershocks
Pierre Földes’ animated feature interweaves six stories by the celebrated Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
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Guru Studio Developing ‘Spirits of Ridgeway High’ Animated Series, ‘Cheer’ Star Morgan Simianer to Lead (Exclusive)
Guru, the studio behind animated hit Paw Patrol, is teaming with Foundation Media Partners and global cheerleading industry leader Varsity Spirit for a new animated series starring Cheer breakout Morgan Simianer. The companies are developing Spirits of Ridgeway High, a story about optimist cheerleader Melissa Mayfield, whom Simianer will voice. While on a mission to […]
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Ali Wong to Lead ‘Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld’ Animated Series for Netflix
Ali Wong has lined up her next project with Netflix, and it’s taking her back into the (under)world of animation. The streamer announced Wednesday that the Always Be My Maybe and Tuca & Bertie star will lead the voice cast of Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld, a new supernatural action series from first-time showrunner Echo […]
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