Sources close to the Walt Disney Company tell o-meon.com that the popular feature animation production team of John Musker and Ron Clements will be returning to Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA). Musker and Clements whose work as writers, director and producer includes The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules and Treasure Planet, left WDFA last year after […]

Today marks the Region 1 release of Disney’s classic animated feature Lady and the Tramp as the next in the line of Disney’s prestigious Platinum Editions. This 2-disc set features a stunning digital restoration and tons of fun and informative extras, especially in giving story man Joe Grant well-deserved and due credit for the genesis […]

The following is a recent press release from Toonacious™ Family Entertainment about their recent linking up with C&I Partners to fund animated feature film projects, both CG and 2D:

The Orange County Register’s Gadgetress Tamara Chuang has posted a review and pictures at her blog about the trailer for the Keanu Reeves vehicle A Scanner Darkly, a movie that is itself set in “the O.C.” The film uses “interpolated rotoscoping . . . to create a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future.”

For your daily nostalgia fix, check out four classic Maypo commercials from the 1950’s and 1960’s, as mentioned at Cartoon Brew. The commercials were produced with the explicit intention of killing off a poorly selling cereal product. Ironically, the campaign was so successful that sales of Maypo brand oatmeal went through the roof.

Scott from Now Playing Magazine has informed us of new DC Toy Fair photos that have been posted online which feature figures from the Fantastic Four animated series, figures from classic Warner Bros. cartoons, and figures “inspired” by Cartoon Network’s Clone Wars series.

AICN has some information on Lilo and Stitch director Dean DeBlois’ coming live action Disney film The Banshee and Fin Magee. “The story centers on a little boy who is an outcast and is always pretending to be a ghost. He comes into contact with a real spirit who is being pursued by an evil […]

Cartoon Network informs us: “Our newest original series, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, will premiere next Friday, Feb. 24, at 9 p.m. Because of the holiday on Monday, Feb. 20, there also will be a sneak-peak at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to whet viewer appetites. Set in an all-animal middle school, this […]

The winners and runners up for the Animex Student Animation Awards were announced at Animex Talk! on Friday 10 February 2006 by Shelley Page, European Representative for Feature Animation DreamWorks, David Sproxton and Philip Hunt.

The photo gallery at the official Annie Awards site has been updated with pictures of the proud winners at the recent 33rd Annual ceremony. A few more photos can be found at the ASIFA-Hollywood Blog and here:

The first of a three-part interview with Pixar writer/director Andrew Stanton can be found at Spline Doctors. The first podcast at o-meon has interviews from the red carpet at the 33rd Annual Annie Awards, including chit chat with Nick Park, Brad Bird, Tom Kenny, and filmmakers Dan Lund and Tony West. Also check out the […]

The official site for Doogal is now open. The small movie with the big name voice cast opens in theaters on February 24.

C. W. Oberleitner discusses the appointment of longtime animation producer Don Hahn as interim head of Walt Disney Feature Animation in A Tale of Two Divisions and the future of Marty Sklar, Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, Marty Moves On at o-meon.com.

We’ve previously reported here at Animated News about cartoon characters appearing as write-in candidates on election ballots. Toon Zone reports now that Donald Duck has finished third place behind winner and Conan O’Brien lookalike Tarja Halonen and second-place candidate Sauli Niinasto in Finland’s recent presidential elections. Donald was unavailable for comment. Sources close to Mr. […]

Just in time for Valentine’s day the ASIFA-Hollywood Blog gives details on the many bonus features found on the new DVD release of Dan Lund and Tony West’s Dream on Silly Dreamer (see Animated News’ review of the film from the Newport Beach Film Festival and from the earlier Minneapolis screening). The film chronicles the […]

Larry Loc, ASIFA-Hollywood’s blogger, has posted an interview he conducted recently with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Jim Hill Media speculates on goings-on leading up to the recent acquisition of Mickey’s predecessor by The Walt Disney Company. So far there has been no official word on how Oswald might be utilized by the Studio. Is he […]

The sneak peeks segment of the upcoming Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD reveals that a special edition of Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure is coming soon and has a brand new Brother Bear II trailer in which Rutt and Tuke pay homage to Lady and the Tramp (no, they’re not slurping […]

The following is a press release detailing the lineup of programming for the 2006-07 seasons for the ABC Kids, Jetix, Toon Disney, and Disney Channel television stations:

The entertainment on demand phenomenon picks up some speed with this recent announcement that “Full episodes of popular original series from Disney Channel and Jetix will be available for viewing online starting later this year.”

The following is detailed information on the call for entries for the Vision Film Festival. Take the chance to get your animation noticed.

It looks like new Disney CEO Bob Iger is dipping way, way back into Walt Disney’s past by “trading ‘Monday Night Football’ sportscaster Al Michaels to NBC Universal for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character that was the predecessor to Mickey Mouse,” according to MarketWatch.com, a decision that was praised by Diane Disney Miller, […]

It’s big and it’s proud. Harebrained human (sans bunny ears) and his capable canine companion share a champagne toast celebrating their multiple Annie wins last Saturday night:

Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit by DreamWorks/Aardman Animation was the clear winner at last night’s {{link http://www.annieawards.com/ 33rd Annual Annie Awards}} ceremony held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. The stop-motion film won 10 awards, sweeping every feature film category and winning an award in every category it was […]

The Disney Insider online has more information on the recent purchase of Pixar by Disney, including reactions by Steve Jobs, Roy Disney, and Diane Disney Miller. In case anybody’s wondering, “Pixar will retain its unique identity – and its adorable desklamp logo.” Thanks to Kristin for the heads up.

The Disneyland News press service has released the news that the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, infamously played in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies by Johnny Depp, Captain Barbossa, ably played in the film version by Geoffrey Rush, and Davy Jones, will be added to the Pirates of the Caribbean Disney theme park rides […]

Those wishing to find out more about the animated works from 2005 that earned Oscar nominations can check out Animation World Network’s 2006 Oscar Showcase, which profiles each nominated animated feature film and short and provides a clip of each.

DreamWorks Animation will begin operating under its new seven-year distribution deal with Paramount Pictures for the rights to distribute DreamWorks Animation films in theatrical, home entertainment and television markets on a worldwide basis (via Coming Soon).

Animation director Genndy Tartakovsky, who created the hit series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory, will direct Power of the Dark Crystal, the much anticipated sequel to The Jim Henson Company’s 1982 classic fantasy film (via Coming Soon).

Legendary songwriter Richard Sherman and Theo Gluck of Disney’s restoration team have been added as members of the panel for the opening night of Lady & the Tramp’s two-week theatrical engagement at the El Capitan Theatre on Thursday, February 2. Author, animation historian, NYU Animation Professor and very recent Academy Award nominee John Canemaker has […]

USA Today has a first look at Aardman Animations’/DreamWorks Animation SKG’s Flushed Away, the CGI film that looks a lot like stop motion but still retains the Aardman charm. Voiced by Hugh Jackman (who the article keeps referring to as ‘Jackson’ after his initial mention), Kate Winslet, Andy Serkis (did they use motion capture on […]