Producer Don Hahn is “taking a lengthy sabbatical” from Walt Disney Feature Animation, reports the Animation Guild Blog. The word was spread to animation staffers on Friday via an e-mail, in which Hahn explained that he needed a break. How long that absence will last is uncertain. In the meantime, the site also breaks the […]

LeafyTractor interviews Simon Otto, supervising animator for DreamWorks/Aardman’s Flushed Away. Topics touched include technical aspects of Away, current trends and the future of computer animation, a return of traditional animation, and tips for aspiring artists.

On a note of pure speculation, the Internet Movie Database has received a synopsis for The Simpsons Movie: “When Homer accidentally pollutes the river with toxic waste from the nuclear power plant, he gets fired from his job, and everyone has to evacuate Springfield, possibly forever.” Until confirmed by proper sources, this tidbit should be […]

Upcoming Pixar has a review of the Cars DVD, available in stores next week. Sounds like this one-disc edition is lacking in the extras department. High marks for the Pixar short included on the disc, “Mater and the Ghost Light,” but unless you’re a Pixar fanatic, a Larry the Cable Guy groupie or a Nascar-nut, […]

With this Thanksgiving’s Happy Feet, next summer’s Surf’s Up, and the in-the-works Nickelodeon TV series featuring the “Madagascar” penguins, ThinkFilm felt it was time for yet-another talking penguin movie. In this trailer for next year’s Farce of the Penguins, see Bob Saget’s brand of comedy voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Applegate, Tracy Morgan, Lewis […]

The animated Hellboy movie, Hellboy: Sword of Storms, premiered on Cartoon Network last night. Many of the actors from Guillermo del Toro’s 2004 live-action film voiced their characters including Ron Perlman and Selma Blair. The movie was directed by Phil Weinstein and written by Matt Wayne. Read the Production Diary of this and future Hellboy […]

The Reeler reports that the New York premiere of “Flushed Away” will feature “Celebrities — including stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet — and guests sliding down a 30-foot inflatable toilet slide onto the red carpet.” Sounds like a blue carpet to me. View photos from the event at Yahoo! News.

Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna, co-founders of videogame developer Oddworld Inhabitants, have teamed with Vanguard Animation to develop Citizen Siege, a CG animated sci-fi action thriller. Lanning will make his directorial debut on the project. The Oddworld videogame franchise has sold over 5 million copies worldwide during the past 10 years (via Hollywood Reporter).

The New York Times does a mini-profile of Aqua Teen Hunger Force creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis. Though Willis and Maiellaro are both married with children, they remain the high school jokers needling each other in the back of biology lab. Sitting down at Atlanta’s Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt, the discussion ranges from horror […]

This past weekend, Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss was released in theaters across California. Distributed by Indican Pictures, the film is the brainchild of Phil Nibbelink, who completely animated the project. Blending Flash animation and a hand-drawn fashion, Sealed with a Kiss plays William Shakespeare’s timeless tale in a G-rated manner, allowing an […]

The “Full CD Listening Party” section of AOL Music presents the entire soundtrack to Happy Feet. Featuring performances from solo artists with one-word titles as Prince, Pink and Fantasia, the album also offers tracks from actors Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman and Brittany Murphy. While the film will not open in theaters until November 17, the […]

In “T’Iger Shark,” the New York Post examines the current state of the Walt Disney Company under the leadership of CEO Robert Iger. Including a graph in its report, the article recollects on the company’s financial improvement thus far this year. Likewise, some of Iger’s major business moves are noticed, including the acquisition of Pixar, […]

Animation Magazine notices the inspirational tale behind Romeo and Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss. The independently produced film was a labor love for Phil Nibbelink, who completely animated the feature himself. As the article explains, Nibbelink carefully crafted his work, using Flash animation to assist his hand-drawn style. After five years in the making, Sealed […]

The official online stop for Happy Feet has been treated with a fun Halloween theme. Thus, the site now grants visitors a plethora of sections, while also directing to the movie’s MySpace page. Thanks to reader Ryan Bryant for the heads up on this news, as well as the following two reports.

Yahoo! Buzz Log takes a trip down memory lane, on the lookout for “where the air is sweet.” To celebrate the DVD release of Sesame Street – Old School, Vol. 1 (1969-1974), the site reminisces on the series’ early days, linking to some interesting Sesame searches.

According to the New York Post [contains mild language], the stage musical of Mary Poppins experienced a misfortune last Wednesday, when its set malfunctioned. Thus, the show was cancelled shortly after the mishap, following the start of Act II. The accident is believed to have cost Disney and its co-producer, Cameron Mackintosh, about $150,000 in […]

Coming Soon has an exclusive first look at the poster for Meet the Robinsons, from Walt Disney Feature Animation. In addition, the site unveils a couple of character images, along with a synopsis that contains more details regarding the movie’s story. Meet the Robinsons will open in theaters on March 30th. Thanks to “KingPopper” at […]

With the Chicago Sun-Times, Jeannie Schulz, widow of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, and animator/director Bill Melendez recollect on the making of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The special premiered October 27, 1966, on CBS. Forty years later, the Halloween classic continues its annual television tradition, airing tonight on its latest network home, ABC. Thanks […]

Coming Soon speaks with two of the stars from DreamWorks/Aardman’s Flushed Away: Hugh Jackman, the voice of Roddy St. James, and Andy Serkis, the voice of Spike. The duo discusss their characters, as well as why they became involved with the feature, which opens next Friday.

Film Journal shares some thoughts from director George Miller, regarding his latest project, Happy Feet. In the piece, Miller compares and contrasts working with animation and live-action. In addition, the director lists a few of his influences, observing tales from Aboriginal cultures, as well as Pixar’s pictures and Walt Disney’s Pinocchio.

The Animation Guild Blog writes that following a story presentation for The Frog Princess, an anonymous Disney animator, described as being on an A-list level, called the traditionally animated project’s plot “fantastic.” Interestingly, a comment in the article’s talkback defined some of Princess’ early pre-production artwork as bearing a style somewhat reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’ […]

Fantastic Mr. Fox is setting up shop at Fox Animation, according to Variety. Partnering with Noah Baumbach to adapt the Roald Dahl classic, Wes Anderson will direct and produce the picture. Likewise, Scott Rudin will also act as a producer for the project. “The book tells the story of a fox who uses its wits […]

Reuters via Yahoo! News reports that the Over the Hedge DVD earned an estimated $65 million last week, coming in at #1 on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart. With approximately $6.9 million, the DVD also took the fourth position on Home Media Retailing’s video rental chart. Meanwhile, the Little Mermaid Platinum Edition DVD continued […]

Nickelodeon has updated its animated selection at iTunes, writes Mediaweek. Before its network premiere on November 18, Skyland may already be previewed in four episodes now available to own. Following the adventures of a brother and his sister in the year 2251, the series’ first episode may be downloaded for free at the online store. […]

The Ithaca Journal notes that “A Conversation with Jeffrey Katzenberg: The Future of Computer Animation” is coming to Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. This Monday, October 31st, the DreamWorks Animation CEO may be seen at The Statler Hall Auditorium on the Cornell campus at 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Faculty of […]

Coming Soon points to the Variety scoop that Walt Disney Pictures has acquired Animated American, which will blend live-action with animation. Bob Cooper’s Landscape Entertainment and ImageMovers partners Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke will produce the picture. From a screenplay by Peter Ackerman, the film’s premise focuses on “a misfit who’s at sea when his […]

Through Yahoo! Movies, Reuters reports that Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf is expected to open in more than 1,000 Real D theaters, in addition to other 3-D locations, in what the article calls the “largest day-and-date large-format 3-D release ever.” It is speculated that Imax theaters will also be involved in the event. The motion-captured Beowulf will […]

With SCI FI Wire, co-directors David Bowers and Sam Fell explained why they chose computer animation over stop-motion animation for DreamWorks/Aardman’s latest film, Flushed Away. “Our stories took us to a more expansive world. The amount of water and the underground world we would have to build would have been difficult to create [in reality],” […]

The following is the official press release on the previously mentioned ocean awareness campaign that characters from Disney’s The Little Mermaid will be involved in. Links to two relevant movie files are included:

A two-part Halloween-themed episode of Eloise will premiere on the Starz Kids & Family network on Sunday, October 29. A promotional image with episode synopsis, broadcast times, and link to a preview can be seen here: