Whitney Grace Author Archive
Reviews | Interviews | Features | Blogs | News

Isao Takahata’s Kaguya-hime no Monogatari delayed

Isao Takahata’s newest animated film based off a popular Japanese folktale has been delayed. Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki’s studio, is animating the film, but when the distribution company TOHO asked about its progress, they were informed that the storyboards were not complete. To preserve the movie’s quality, TOHO pushed back the release date. It will […]

New From Up On Poppy Hill US Trailer

From Up On Poppy Hill is the newest Studio Ghibli film to premiere in the US. It is directed by Goro Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki’s son, and it is a coming-of-age film with romance, mystery, and drama set in 1964 Yokohama. It has been described as a pure and sincere story. The US dub features many […]

South Park Gets Shorter

Each year South Park entertains people with its off-color humor and comedy that pokes fun at everyone and everything. Fans usually have fourteen episodes to look forward to, but the creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker decided to cut back. The decision came after Parker and Stone’s launch of a Important Studios, their new production […]

Time To Go Dragon Ball Hunting With Col. Sanders

The famous Kentucky Colonel is getting a new makeover to coincide with the new Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods. In seven Tokyo Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, statues of Col. Sanders will be cosplaying as the series’ main character Son Goku and each will sport a one of the seven coveted Dragon Balls. Dragon […]

Release Dates For Pirates 5, The Muppets 2, And More Disney Flicks

Jim Hill Media has a rundown on the latest release dates for big budget Disney films. Captain America: The Winter Soldier will patrol theaters on 4/14/14. The Muppets 2 will bring a nostalgic flare for fans on 3/21/14. A new wave of Marvel superheroes, Guardians of the Galaxy will save the silver screen on 8/1/14 […]

Escape From Planet Earth Photos

A soon to be released, yet not highly publicized, film Escape From Planet Earth starring a range of famous voice from Jane Lynch, Jessica Alba, Brendan Fraser, and William Shatner has some new photo stills out. The 3D flick follows the general plot of alien superhero Scorch Supernova and rule book brother Gary. When BASA […]

The Croods Sneak Peek

If you can’t wait to see The Croods on March 22, 2013, you can catch a 32 second sneak peek following the link. Straight from DreamWorks, the sneak peek will feature a glimpse at the studio’s next film, featuring a family of isolated cavemen (cave people?) who are thrown out of their element and tossed […]

Jim Henson Company Goes International

While the Jim Henson Company already has a big international presence, the company has decided to get even bigger in other countries. With the popularity of its children shows Sid the Science Kid, Pajanimals, and Dinosaur Train, plus the additional of third party features like Annoying Orange, JHC deciding to do some employee restructuring. Along […]

Turner And WB Join The Netflix Family

The WB and Turner Broadcasting Group will now have their shows streamed on Netflix. The licensing agreement takes effect on March 31, 2013 and will include complete seasons of shows from Cartoon Network/Adult Swim and TNT. Expect popular toons and live action series. Both groups are excited about the continuing deal that follows a few […]

Live Action Toy Story Movie

Toy Story made the world of toys come to life and two fans brought the movie alive with a live action version. Two fans, Jonason Pauley and Jessie Perrotta, spent two years painstakingly replicating the entire movie scene by scene to match up with the audio track. With close to 2 million hits, the video […]

Fox Gets Own Late Night Animation Block

Adult Swim used to be the only late night block that catered to mature animation fans, but now Fox, home to Animation Domination, can now claim some midnight viewers. The new block is part of Fox’s new digital multi-platform network centered on alternative animation. The new shows will be 15 minutes long and each show […]

Warner Brothers Wants More Animated Films

Warner Brothers is tired ofleft out in the cold when it comes to animated films. The studio has decided to take a drastic step by creating a think tank to ramp up the number of animated films they produce. The creative team consists of Joe Requea, Glenn Ficarra, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Nicholas Stoller, […]

New Frozen Cast Members

Jonathan Groff will voice the Extreme Mountain Man in Disney’s new animated film Frozen. Groff’s character teams up with Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, who plans to free her kingdom from the Snow Queen’s, played by Idina Menzel, evil curse of eternal winter. The film is set for release on November 27, 2013.

New Smurfs 2 Trailer Gives Away More Story

Sony Animation is working on a sequel to Smurfs, the movie the some love to hate and others just love to love. A new trailer for the sequel, Smurfs 2 is available for viewing. It explains a bit more about what we can expect in the sequel, returning cast members, journeying back to our world, […]

Ricky Gervais To Be Muppet Co-Star

Ty Burrell is set to star as the villain in the next Muppet movie, but he will need a hero to co-star with. The British comedian Ricky Gervais may be the next human Muppet star. In last years The Muppets, Gervais had a cameo in a cut scene from the movie. Now he can reclaim […]

Guillermo del Toro’s Book of Life is Greenlit

Guillermo del Toro and Reel FX’s Boook of Life will distribute by Fox Animation Studios. The film will be released October 14, 2014. The Hollywood Reporter states the movie is an adventure story set during the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. More details on the story are being kept under wraps. Jorge R. Gutierrez […]

A Charlie Brown Christmas Did Have Commercialization

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a favorite Christmas special that explains the true meaning of the holiday by speaking out against commercialization. TV Legends Revealed takes a look at the product placements that were in the special’s original airing. Coca-Cola was the sponsor for the show and back in the day it was shown without […]

Jim Henson Company Moves to China

The Jim Henson Company will not relocate to China, instead the studio behind such shows as Sid the Science Kid and The Hoobs might set up an animation studio in Tianjan, China–predicted to be one of the biggest media cities in the future. The JHC has signed a memo of understanding with Nine Eyes Stone […]

Ty Burrell To Star In New Muppet Movie

Christoph Waltz was set to star in the new Muppet movie, but due to scheduling conflicts he pulled out of the project. Good news Muppet fans! The lack of a lead human actor does not mean the movie is canceled. Instead the good folks at the Muppet Studios signed Ty Burrell for the movie. Burrell […]

Fyodor Khitruk Passes Away

The Soviet animation legend Fyodor Khitruk passed away on 12/3/12 at age 95. Animaton Magazine highlights the legend, who is best known for creating Vinni Puh, the Russian version of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. The three Vinni Pih cartoons were made from 1969 to 1972. Khitruk also adapted Pinnocchio for Russian audiences in 1960 […]

Netflix and Disney Sign Streaming Deal

Have you wanted to watch a Disney film on Netflix, but were unable to find it in the streaming library? Good news! Disney and Netflix have signed a deal for the Mouse’s films to stream on the popular service…in 2016. The deal includes movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Disnenature. If you do not want […]

Rise of the Guardians Hits 4th Place

In what some have benn calling a big under performance, Rise of the Guardians falls into fourth place after the US Thanksgiving weekend. The movie was just shy of $24 million, topping the other big release Life of Pi, Lincoln, the new James Bond thriller Skyfall, and everyone’s favorite vampire romance Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part […]

21 Animated Films Up For Oscar Consideration

This just in from the Academy, 21 animated films could potentially be Oscar nominees. The Hollywood Reporter has a nice list that breaks the films down by animation style. CGI topped the list, along with handful of foreign traditionally animated films. What makes histroy, though, are the number of stop-motion pictures up for award and […]

Princess Mononoke Live On Stage…For a Short Time

The powerful Studio Ghibli epic Princess Mononoke has been adapted for the live-stage by Whole Hog Theatre Company. The group is a non-profit based in London and they specialize in adaptations, turning the impossible into stage shows. For a one week engagement in April, the troupe plans on performing their take on Princess Mononoke, but […]

Sesame Street Muppeteer Kevin Clash Resigns

It’s a sad day for the Muppet and entertainment communities. Kevin Clash, a 28-year veteran performer on the popular children’s show Sesame Street, resigned from his job on November 20, 2012. According to Sesame Workshop’s statement, both Clash and the studio felt it was best for him to leave due to recent controversaries surrounding his […]

Sony Is Revving Up With Popeye and Hotel Transylvania 2

Sony Animation recently decided to ramp up their amount of animated movies. Adding to that list are two new features: Popeye will follow will be rendered 3-D animation with Genndy Tartakovksy at the helm. Jay Scherick and David Ronn, the Smurfs writers will provide the script. The spinach-loving sailor will hit theaters September 26, 2014. […]

Disney Characters Get the Paris Treatment

Remember a few months ago when images of Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald appeared on the Internet in haute coutre fashion with thinner character designs? Controversary has, of course, sprung up over the skinnified versions. The characters were given a makeover for the Barneys New York Electric Holiday advertising campaign. Minnie dreams about going to […]

Michael Eisner Is Back in the Game with Universal Pictures

According to Animation Magazine, Michael Eisner–former head of the Walt Disney Company–has been using his time since leaving the Mouse to establish Tornante Company. For over fifty years, Tornante Company has produced trading cards and other entertainment memorabilia. They stepped into animation with Glenn Martin, DDS that ran for two years on Nickelodeon’s Nick at […]

Manimal Gets CGI Treatment

Riding on the success of live-action/CGI movie The Smurfs, Sony has plans to make a sequel and they also plan to adapt puppet show sitcom Alf. If that was not enough, the eight episode TV series Manimal is being transformed into a movie as well. The short-lived, campy Manimal was about a doctor who fought […]

Beyond Beyond From Copenhagen Bombay Gets Financed

Copenhagen Bombay has closed financing on a new animated film by critically acclaimed director Esben Toft Jacobsen. The new movie has the working title Beyond Beyond and is about a little bunny named Johan who lives on a fishing boat with his father. One day when his father goes ashore, Johan receives a phone call […]