Looking for a Few Good Reasons Why A Few Good Ghosts Was Cancelled
Doing what it does best, Jim Hill Media digs to the bottom of the recent Few Good Ghosts cancellation and the shutting down of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida and finds some answers. The answers may not be pleasing or satisfying but the bottom line is that when you are trying to please stockholders more […] |
The Bear with a Thousand Faces: Film Force Illuminates Brother Bear
A recent article at Film Force discusses Disney’s Brother Bear from a deep Campbellian and Jungian perspective by exploring its archetypes and the hero’s journey that Kenai takes in the film. It also dignifies the roles of the fraternal moose pair, Rutt and Tuke, by showing that they are more than mere comic relief but […] |
Real Life Imitating The Simpsons
The forum at the Big Cartoon DataBase has a new report on an Oregonian scientist who has bred his very own ToMacco plant (a blend of tomato and tobacco), inspired by the Simpsons episode #AABF19, “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt),” from a couple years back. In our increasingly smoke-free world one wonders what use it is to breed […] |
Brother Bear, Can You Spare An Interview?
Animation Insider recently scored an exclusive interview with Brother Bear directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker, in which they discuss the development of the film from its inception and the development of Rutt and Tuke as characters that became increasingly central and important to the story. There’s even a picture that shows the directors with […] |
"Be vewwy vewwy quiet . . . I'm meeting rabbits . . . and the people who draw them."
So, let’s say you call in sick to work on Friday, November 14, 2003, get the kids out of school and your wife (or husband) out of their yoga class and go to catch the very first showing of Looney Tunes: Back In Action at your local theater and you all have a wonderful time. […] |
Good Grief! It's Christmastime Again?
Here’s your Animated News staff Peanuts specialist, Christian, checking in with a report from the Toon Zone Forum that a third Peanuts Christmas special, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! will be airing on ABC on December 9. The show will focus on Rerun van Pelt (voiced by Jimmy Bennett), the younger brother […] |
Hey Rocky, Watch Me Pull A Cell Phone Out of My Hat
Animation World Network updates with a report on Sennari Inc. and Bullwinkle Studios partnering to bring characters such as Rocky and Bullwinkle, Sherman and Peabody, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Underdog to wireless platforms in the form of “games, screen savers and ringtones.” Now you will never have to leave home without your favorite Cold […] |
Shorts Returning Shortly
The forum at the Big Cartoon Database reports that beginning March 26, 2004 Warner Bros. feature films will have Looney Tunes shorts attached to them and that there is also a new Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote short entitled The Whizzard of Ow that can be seen now at Wal-Mart and Supercenters stores. Follow […] |
What Works for The Lion King May Work for Tarzan
The Big Cartoon DataBase updates with a report on the upcoming Tarzan Broadway musical from Disney and states that Phil Collins has already written six to eight new songs for it. No word yet on if Rosie O’Donnell will be reprising her role as Terk. |
Brother Bear Trio Signed For New Animated Feature
Animation World Network reports that Brother Bear’s Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker, and Chuck Williams are now under contract to produce a new animated feature for Walt Disney Feature Animation. While the report doesn’t explicitly state it, it seems likely that this will be a traditionally animated film, rather than a computer generated film, and to […] |
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell . . . Kid Rock?
The forum at the Big Cartoon Database has a report on an upcoming animated segment featuring rapper/rocker/country artist Kid Rock and his version of the perennial yuletide favorite “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The segment will air December 14 on VH1 as part of A Kid Rock Christmas. No word yet on whether his girlfriend […] |
From Limited to Unlimited: Disney's Treasure Chest Gets More Generous
The forum at the Big Cartoon Database has a report on a Disney box set that collects everything from the first two waves of the Walt Disney Treasures series and is allegedly showing up at Costco stores all over the country. The set is not in a nice numbered tin as the initial volumes were […] |
Digging Holes, Standing Guard: New Lion King 1½ Images
Thanks to Kristin we have some images from the song “Diggah Tunnah” (apparently meerkat-speak for “dig a tunnel”) from Disney’s upcoming “interquel” (“inbetweenquel?,” “whatawhoquel?”) The Lion King 1½ as seen on the new Brother Bear Sing Along Songs DVD, and the song is reported to have a rather infectious, Harry Belafonte twist to it. Follow […] |
Brother Bear Two Thumbs Up!
The all-powerful Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper have each given their thumbs up to Disney’s Brother Bear. Ebert says it is not a great Disney movie but a very good one. How could you go wrong with “very good”? Roeper calls it a “sweet, little adventure story” with all the classic Disney story elements and […] |
Brother Bear Delivering Beyond Expectations
Check out CNN Money for an enthusiastic report on the financial success of Disney’s Brother Bear limited release last weekend before its wide release this weekend. In additon to selling well the film seems to be rated very highly by viewers at each of the two theaters, one in Los Angeles and one in New […] |
Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out to Socialize: New Haunted Mansion Stills
Mr. Centipede has posted some great new shots from Disney’s upcoming film The Haunted Mansion in the Animated News Forum. It looks like the movie will be a 2-hour version of the ride, with Eddie Murphy as your doom buggy partner. |
Four Potential Covers for The Lion King 3
Jicin has posted art for four different covers for The Lion King 3, of which one will be chosen as the cover for the Dutch edition of the movie. Apparently Dutch fans get to vote on which one they like best. |
The Buzz from the Bees: New Interview with Zazu's Lead Animator
Laughing Place updates with a recent interview with Ellen Woodbury, who served as the supervising animator for Zazu, Mufasa’s majordomo bird, in Disney’s The Lion King. A great, in-depth interview with many interesting points raised about the art and the science of animation. Ellen talks extensively of her work on Zazu, as well as other […] |
Brother Bear Not Necessarily Cold and Prickly
USA Today gives a positive review of Brother Bear, calling it warm, fuzzy fun and “a sweet celebration of brotherhood in its many forms.” Cast your vote for the future of traditional, hand-drawn animation by seeing Brother Bear in the theaters. The whole industry will be watching to see how good this movie does. We […] |
Bonus Game CD-ROM w/ Finding Nemo Pre-Order from Wal-Mart
Get ready for all the Finding Nemo pre-order excitement. It is likely that different outlets will have different exclusive offers, and Animated News has just learned that Wal-Mart is offering a free Nemo CD-ROM packed with games and puzzles if you pre-order through them. |
"Going Once . . . Going Twice . . . Sold!": Auctioning Off Harry Potter Film Roles
Zap2It reports that two roles in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film will be auctioned off on November 28. If you’ve got any treasure stored away in your Gringott’s account, it might be a good time to withdraw some of it and take it to the auction block. Even if you […] |
Avast Ye Landlubbers!: People Like Pirates
Zap2It reports that on October 21 Pirates of the Caribbean was voted the favorite film of 2003 for the 7th Annual Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Awards. |
¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!: Speedy Gonzales Set for Guest Appearance
Toon Zone reports that everyone’s favorite fleet-footed Mexican mouse, Speedy Gonzales, will be making a guest appearance on the November 8 episode of ¡Mucha Lucha! on the Kids WB. Set your TiVos, because sometimes the only way you can catch Speedy is on slow-motion playback. No word yet on whether his cousin, Slowpoke Rodríguez, will […] |
To Revise or not to Revise: Stan, Kyle and Cartman's Broadening Influence
Jim Hill Media updates with a new article on a recent South Park episode which decries the increasing tendency nowadays for filmmakers to re-release their movies with previously cut footage added back in or altogether new footage and suggests that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas decided not to do any such thing to the Indiana […] |
1997 Kimba Movie Sees First US DVD Release
The news page at Kimba W. Lion’s Corner of the Web reports that the 1997 movie Jungle Emperor Leo will be released through AnimeWorks on DVD October 28 in the US. Watch it after watching your new Lion King DVD. Or before. |
Get Your Star Wars Fix: New Clone Wars Commercial
TheForce.Net has updated with a full clip of the new Clone Wars commercial showing on Cartoon Network, previewing the micro-series that will begin airing on November 7. Given that the biggest gap of time by far between any Star Wars episodes will be the gap between episodes 3 and 4, let’s hope we get another […] |
Tickled Pink: The Coolest Cat Turns 40
Hot off the heels of commemorating the 40th anniversary of Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room pop artist Shag has gone on to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the ultimate cool cat, the Pink Panther. Does this mean we will see new Pink Panther cartoons, or perhaps a DVD set of the old classic cartoons? You know […] |
Nick All Nite: What Happens When Nickelodeon and Holiday Inn Collide
Ever dream of paying $149 a night for seven nights to fall asleep while staring at SpongeBob SquarePants wallpaper? How about having Jimmy Neutron valet park your car or Dora the Explorer service your room while you are out with your family during the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Orlando, FL? Well dream […] |
All It Takes Is A Little Imagination: John Lennon Animated DVD in the Pipe
The Forum at the Big Cartoon Database reports that a new DVD is coming featuring animation based on drawings by Beatles legend John Lennon. The DVD will be entitled Lennon Legend and will be released on October 27 in Great Britain and November 18 in the US. Follow the link for more details. Now all […] |