Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi is leaving the company after 29 years, according to the LA Times. Following what many considered a surprise ousting of Dick Cook earlier this year (and the less reported leaving of Miramax Films President Daniel Battsek last month) it appears a major shakeup is going down at […]

DreamWorks is readying an online virtual world based on the Kung Fu Panda franchise, according to USA Today. Launching next year, the browser based Kung Fu Panda World is aimed at 8-12 year olds and will feature games and activities. Rick Rekedal, head of production of DreamWorks Animation Online, said, “Just like Po the Panda […]

BrandRepublic reports that Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit will be coming to the iPhone in a new comic series. Digital comic editor Ned Hartley said, “It’s really exciting to see Wallace and Gromit at the forefront of such a cracking new technology. Although I secretly suspect that Wallace would be more comfortable with the type of […]

Jim Hill, who is always good for a different perspective on the news, says lower than expected box office numbers for A Christmas Carol aren’t going to bother Disney executives today. Hill says that Disney is taking the long view with the film, looking at what they can make not only in theatres and disc […]

Disney and ImageMovers Digital’s A Christmas Carol opens today, in 3,683 theatres according to Box Office Mojo. The film is getting mixed reviews, garnering a 57% Tomatometer rating from Rotten Tomatoes — though only a 40% Top Critics score. BoxOffice.com projects it should easily win the weekend with $42 million.

Disney has posted a feature on the music of The Princess and the Frog, hosted by the voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose. Check out the full video here:

Variety reports that on several actors that are in negotiations to join the cast of the live-action/CG animated Yogi Bear. Dan Aykroyd is reportedly up for the voice of Yogi with Justin Timberlake voicing Boo-Boo. Anna Faris would play a documentary filmmaker.

Fortune Magazine has named Steve Jobs the CEO of the Decade. The Apple (and former Pixar) CEO is lauded for his part in redefining four distinct industries — personal computers, films, music, and phones — three of which occurred in just the last ten years. “Remaking any one business is a career-defining achievement; four is […]

In addition to the previously mentioned Merry Madagascar, airing November 17th on NBC, at least two more new animated holiday specials will premiere this season. Disney will bring Prep & Landing to ABC this December 1st. “The half-hour holiday special reveals the never-before-told tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. […]

Robert Zemeckis told MTV that the Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel will feature motion-capture performances, an animation process he has used extensively over the past several years (and in tomorrow’s A Christmas Carol). “I wouldn’t use it for the cartoon characters, because I think they should stay two-dimensional because that’s what — I wouldn’t dimensonalize […]

The LA Times reports that after more than a decade of discussions, Disney has finally been granted permission to build a theme park in Shanghai. Disney CEO Robert Iger said, “China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for the Walt […]

The Animation Guild Blog notes that the rumored and then dropped Disney project Joe Jump (mentioned here back in 2006) may be back in development.

Fans of the pioneering web series Tiki Bar TV may recognize the new VP of development for Disney Television Animation. Variety reports that Kevin Gamble, perhaps better known online as the fez-wearing, prescription-filling bartender Johnny Johnny, will be in charge of development and production of new animation shorts and series on Disney Channel and Disney […]

The Wall Street Journal has a nice piece on The Princess and the Frog, the return of traditional animation to Disney, and how it was brought about by some directors they let go and the company some blamed for the demise of hand drawn films.

Robert Zemeckis defends his performance-capture animation techniques with some name-dropping in an article from the National Post, and Jim Carrey gets philosophical with the LA Times, as they both discuss A Christmas Carol, opening this Friday.

Jonathan Demme, Oscar winning director of The Silence of the Lambs, is planning to bring the book Zeitoun to the big screen as an animated film, according to the NY Times. The book by Dave Eggers, co-author of the Where the Wild Things Are screenplay, tells the story of a “man who remained in New […]

The guys at Cartoon Brew have some video to show how Pixar thrilled their employees more than any ghost would ever dare try this past Halloween.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Disney Channel will be launching their first new animated series in three years. Fish Hooks, created using a mix of 2D digital animation and photo collage, takes place at a high school in a fish tanks at a pet store. Gary Marsh, president entertainment at Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “The […]

BusinessWeek talks with DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg in a quick interview that covers a lot of ground — including sales of movie tickets and DVDs, future Broadway endeavors, runaway spending, and celebrity tweets.

Though her film doesn’t come out for almost another month, the newest Disney princess is already a hit with trick-or-treaters. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (and Disney Consumer Products representatives confirm) that costumes for The Princess and the Frog‘s Tiana are selling out.

Dick Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, either resigned or was fired today depending on the source. Several box office bombs and a lack of profitability are the main reasons being given for his leaving. The New York Times has what seems to be the official version, while Nikki Finke has the behind the scenes […]

Just breaking from Market Watch is news that The Walt Disney Company will be acquiring Marvel Entertainment (the company behind such comic icons as Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four) in a stock and cash transaction worth about $4 billion. No other sources for this yet, but we’ll report more below as it […]

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs continues its steady climbing of the box office charts since its release 4 weeks ago, most impressively so overseas. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has grossed $174 million domestically so far and $676 million worldwide. Those numbers make it the: • #5 Highest grossing animated film worldwide […]

Moviefone tries their hand at creating a list of the top 25 animated film characters of all time. Five on the list are from pre-1942, fifteen are from films out since 1988, and twenty-one are (at least in part) Disney creations. It’s an interesting idea and sure to cause discussion (in our forums, perhaps) among […]

Newsarama has an interesting feature on Gary H. Lee, a DreamWorks employee who is currently head of layout for Kung Fu Panda 2. In his free time (in between working on Over The Hedge, Kung Fu Panda, and Monsters vs. Aliens) Lee has been working on his own project. The result is a live action/CGI […]

Twentieth Century Fox has apparently sent out a casting notice looking for new actors to replace the stars of Futurama, according to Forces of Geek. The latest back from the dead animated series is having trouble signing stars Billy West, Katy Sagal, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, Maurice LaMarche, and Tress MacNeil, and several of them […]

For only the second time in history, an animated TV show has been nominated for a Best Comedy Series Emmy Award alongside the live action counterparts. After being canceled a few years ago before being famously resurrected, Family Guy breaks into the top category this year against 30 Rock, Entourage, Flight Of The Conchords, How […]

In a move that could end up benefiting animated films, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that they are doubling the number of nominations for Best Picture at the Academy Awards from five to ten. AMPAS president Sid Ganis said, “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some […]

After being canceled after four seasons on FOX, then jumping from Cartoon Network to Comedy Central in reruns, then getting four new direct to DVD movies, Futurama has received yet another new lease on life, Variety reports. 20th Century Fox TV is producing 26 new episodes of the series for Comedy Central with an option […]