Ain’t It Cool News’ Moriarty recently jumped on a jet in and out of London for a {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20000 visit to the set}} of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, his new stop-motion animated feature very much in the same vein as The Nightmare Before Christmas. Spoiler worriers might want to know that the article features several […]

As is befitting one of Walt Disney’s most cherished films, and an important one in that it saved the company from bankruptcy in 1950, this fall’s Platinum Edition will also come housed in a deluxe DVD gift set configuration. The {{link http://www.disneydatabase.com/media_index.php?maincat=images&cat=artwork&type=coverart&id=646 Disney DataBase}} has the first look up of the set, which will include […]

Animated News reader Marko Markov has {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/contacts.html contacted us}} to report that Disney’s own wesbsite for Miyazaki’s newest, Howl’s Moving Castle, featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Jean Simmons, Blythe Danner and Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, {{link http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/castle/ is now active}}. Not much there right now, apart from info on the film […]

Online animation site Skwigly is having a sale on eBay, in aid of the Save the African Needy Foundation. Skwigly wanted to help to make a difference and contacted several studios for artwork to be auctioned, with many of them signed by the directors and crew involved. Prints from cartoons such as Cramp Twins, Peppa […]

The animation-on-disc website {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/ DVD Toons}} has been busy lately, with an update of more than six reviews, covering several recent releases and everything from {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/391 The Man Called Flintstone}} (“typically fun business, a fitting way to end the original incarnation of The Flintstones, in their cinematic swan song”), last fall’s {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/392 […]

In somewhat animation-related news, and what we’re sure will quickly become known as the “swimsuit model” (just check out those trunks!), actor Brandon Routh’s {{link http://www.brandonrouth.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=31 official website}} has posted the first look at the Man Of Steel’s new costume. With darker colors (reminiscent more of “Bad Superman” in the third of the Christopher Reeve […]

Despite no recent news on Bee-Movie, an animated comedy written and featuring Jerry Seinfeld, it seems development work is continuing, with the {{link http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=7243 JoBlo movie website}} reporting that Renée Zellweger will return to the DreamWorks fold after her swim under the sea in the Studio’s Shark Tale to voice a florist in the film. […]

Months before the film even hits theaters, print publication {{link http://www.kidscreen.com KidScreen Magazine}} confirms that Disney’s CGI comedy Chicken Little will come to DVD in March 2006, as part of a second promotional push. “Disney has a lot riding on CL and it might be the benchmark that determines whether the studio’s animation arm can […]

The {{link http://www.mymovies.net/news/news_listing.asp?filmid=4198&week=true&sec=news My Movies}} website reports that legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen has been coaxed out of retirement to guide director Rob Cohen’s latest project: The 8th Voyage Of Sinbad. “None of us would be here without you”, Cohen said to the special effects master of the previous Sinbad films, “so he’s coming out […]

Better late than never! Shark Tale, which received a lack of online reviews even though it shifted a record number of units, has finally been added to the DVD Toons database. In an {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/390 in-depth review}}, the site says that “On the surface of things (and make no mistake…Shark Tale is ALL about surface, […]

In news that should shock no-one when the box office figures are taken into account, Fox has announced a sequel to last year’s CGI take on the Garfield comic strip. At this time details are sketchy, but {{link http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9071 Coming Soon}} has a tentative release date of July 28 2006, with director Tim Hill (presumably […]

Following the recent unveiling of the {{link http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=5815&n=1&burl= full size cover art}}, a trade industry advert reveals that Tarzan II, a mid-quel to Disney’s 1999 theatrical hit, will run for 72 minutes – just over an hour, plus credit scroll. Though the ad mentions no extras, the disc is expected to arrive on June 14 […]

The recent news that the previously shelved Dumbo II (due to story problems that apparently mirrored Babe: Pig In The City‘s plot) is back on the cards has opened the floodgates for more sequels to Walt Disney’s original classics. Following next year’s Bambi And The Great Prince and the in-production Cinderella III and Tinkerbell Movie, […]

Released on home video and DVD tomorrow, Disney-Pixar’s The Incredibles is shaping up to be one of the biggest sellers of the year. DVD Toons weighs in on the 2-disc set with a {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/387 full in-depth review}}. “Pixar’s latest walks that fine line between spoofing the very genre it also wants to be a […]

Hallmark and GoodTimes have announced a new direct-to-DVD title, Dinotopia: The Quest For The Ruby Sunstone: The Movie, which will be the first in a planned series of animated spin-offs. Featuring the voices of Alyssa Milano, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jamie Kennedy, George Segall and Malcolm McDowell, the companies hope that the movie will build on […]

With nothing but good words for Disney’s {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/384 Bambi: Platinum Edition}} – out in stores today – DVD Toons says that the film really does “deserve the accolade of ‘masterpiece’. One of Walt Disney’s defining moments, Bambi is the film that has delighted – and frightened – generations. The closest Walt ever got to […]

With no clear cut winners, the 77th Annual Academy Awards presented more than a few surprises this year, dishing out awards to a very varied selection of movies, though when it came to animation, most will be pleased to hear that Brad Bird’s The Incredibles won the Best Animated Feature gong, while the acclaimed Ryan […]

Before the big Oscar countdown of the night gets underway, the UK’s Channel Four will, in the latest of their 100 Greatest… series, reveal the voting of the British public and their favorite animated stars and films from over the last Century. Filmmakers and celebrity fans all offer up their own picks and their comments […]

In the monthly email sendout from {{link http://www.thejohnclesse.com John Cleese’s official site}}, the comic actor confirms his involvement as the King in DreamWorks’ Shrek 3.

In the surprise announcement of the moment, Granada Ventures in the UK will release the {{link http://www.filmaxanimation.com/index.htm Filmax Animation}} feature Pinocchio 3000 {{link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006L7OES/qid=1106736427/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-3056756-5900633 on home video and DVD}} this February 7. Previously the film was expected to have found a distributor and made a theatrical run, as in its native Spain, and has been […]

{{link http://www.dvdexclusive.com/article.asp?articleID=1863 Video Business}} reports that Disney will “retire” the original The Lion King and its sequels on home video and DVD, including all special editions and “trilogy” sets. It is not clear when these films will become available again, but it has been confirmed that the Studio will wait until Blu-Ray (Disney’s choice of […]

In what is believed to be the first time a film from the animated medium has been nominated by the Art Director’s Guild, Brad Bird/Pixar/Disney’s The Incredibles has been {{link http://www.artdirectors.org/awards/winnerlist.php?year=2004 given a nod}} for Excellence In Production Design For A Period Or Fantasy Film. The awards, voted by the “creative talents that conceive and […]

The Dutch fansite Mickey’s Disney Archief has posted a look at the {{link http://www.mda.dds.nl/7-2menu.htm menu screens}} for the upcoming release of The Incredibles on DVD in that territory, which combine the high-tech with the highly stylized!

The latest of Inkwell Images’ archival animation anthologies has made it to DVD and the good word is spreading. The new disc, George Herriman’s Kinomatic Krazy Kat Kartoon Klassics, brings to the fore one of the most forgotten of the early cartoon stars. {{link http://reviews.goldenagecartoons.com/pietro-krazy.html Golden Age Cartoons}} has more of a history of the […]

The Netherlands fan site DisneyInfo has posted some {{link http://disneyinfo.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2714 developmental art}} from Disney’s upcoming movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, opening around the world this summer.

The “format war” that studios and consumers were hoping would never happen will begin this fall, with the announcement by Warner Bros, Paramount and Universal of their initial offerings on HD-DVD. Many of the titles represent recent blockbusters and classic contemporary films, with special effects films and animation-related films surprisingly high on the list, including […]

After what seems like only a few weeks since we last compiled a similar pick of our favorite animated goodies, we come to the end of yet another year – Animated News’ first complete one – and another selection of all fine things animated.

A trailer for the new Steve Martin-starring Pink Panther movie has been linked to from {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=19009 Ain’t It Cool News}}.

Long featured on the “{{link http://www.blue-underground.com/future_releases.php future releases}}” page of its website, Blue Underground honcho Bill Lustig announced on Saturday at a Q&A session for another film screening in Scranton, PA, that Ralph Bakshi’s Fire And Ice “should be out around the end of July” from the independent DVD distributors. Apparently, the key thing holding […]

Meet The Fockers co-writer James Herzfeld, at the premiere of that newly released film, mentioned that he has “turned in a draft” for the Pixar-less third Toy Story movie, to be produced solely by the Disney Studios. {{link http://www.iesb.net/movies2/movie121904b.php The IESB film news site}} has more, including some original cast and theatrical hopes, as well […]