
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 […] |
Lucille Bliss, Smurfs and Cinderella voice actor, passes away
Lucille Bliss, the voice of Smurfette on the cartoon series The Smurfs and of Anastasia in Disney’s Cinderella, has passed away at age 96, Cartoon Brew is reporting. Bliss lent her voice to a number of Hannah Barbara shows over the years, and could also be heard in animated films such as The Secret of NIMH […] |
Ten films up for animated short film Oscar
Ten animated short films–including Disney’s Paperman and the Simpsons cartoon Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare–are in the running for this year’s Best Animated Short film Oscar. Originally 56 films had been in the running for the prize. The ten films selected will now go on to the voting process of the awards, with 3-5 of […] |
Get ready to check into Hotel Transylvania a second time
In news that’s not very surprising given the film’s extreme success, Sony Pictures Animation has announced production on a Hotel Transylvania sequel, THR is reporting. The follow up is set for release on September 25th, 2015, which currently places it against DreamWorks Animation’s similarly-themed comedy B.O.O., although it is highly likely that one of the movies will […] |
Wreck-It Ralph tops box-office, Sets Disney record
Disney’s animated flick Wreck-it Ralph turned out to be the weekend box-office champ grossing $49.1 million in its domestic debut. The film also marks the biggest ever opening weekend for a Disney Animation feature in the United States besting the $48.7 million take of 2010’s Tangled. A blend of 80’s video game nostalgia and a […] |
21 films up for Best Animated Feature Oscar
Brave, Wreck-It-Ralph, Hotel Transylvania and Rise of the Guardians are among the 21 films submitted for considering for the Best Animated Feature Oscar at next year’s Academy Awards. This means that there can be 3-5 nominations in the category, with movies requiring an average score of 7.5 in order to be elegiible. A number of indie […] |
Disney to buy Lucasfilm; New Star Wars trilogy of movies on the way
The Force is strong with the Walt Disney Company. Following years of hosting Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World, the Mouse House has proven that they can now buy virtually anything…including Yoda. The Hollywood Reporter says that Disney is set to buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in cash and shares. In addition, the company also […] |
Trailer for The Snow Queen now online (no, not that one…)
A new trailer for The Snow Queen has made its debut online over at ComingSoon.net…and no, it’s not a first look at Disney’s upcoming Frozen. Instead, it’s an (apparently quite loose?) adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson story from Wizart Animation, one of “the fastest growing animation studios in Russia,” according to the press release. Timur […] |
Turkeys still happening?
Remember Turkeys, the animated movie announced years ago that involved turkeys going back in time to remove turkey from the Thanksgiving day menu? If you don’t, yes, that is actually a real idea for a film. If you do, it’s still apparently happening, according to ComingSoon.net. Now with Relativity Media (Immortals) attached as a distributor, with Owen […] |
Big Halloween treat from Hotel Transylvania director
Beginning October 26, all digital showings of Hotel Transylvania in Regal Entertainment Group Cinemas around the U.S. will be preceded with a new traditionally animated short directed by the film’s director, who also animated every key frame of the new short. Entitled Goodnight, Mr. Foot, the short stars legendary monster Bigfoot and follows his adventure […] |
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs sequel gets new title and release date
Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers will now have the simpler title Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Screen Rant is reporting. The sequel will also be coming much earlier than expected, and will now be released on September 27th, 2013 instead of President’s Day weekend the following year. The original Cloudy was very well-recieved […] |
Platform welcomes manga and anime legend Katsuhiro Otomo in L.A.
Platform, the internationally acclaimed animation festival, will present renowned Japanese artist Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira and Steamboy, with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday, October 27th at 9:30pm. The evening will begin with an exclusive screening of Otomo’s new short film, Combustible, followed by a conversation with animation historian Jerry Beck and then the […] |
The trailer for The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 swoops online
The trailer for Warner Bros. Animation’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises: Part 2 has just made its debut at MTV.com. The sequel to the just released Batman film will see the Caped Crusader facing off against Superman. It is currently without a release date. |
New Rise of the Guardians TV spot
A new 90-second commercial for DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians is now online and can be seen at ComingSoon.net. The highly anticipated film comes to theaters everywhere this Thanksgiving. |
First Wreck-It Ralph clip now online
The first clip from Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph is now online and can be seen on Yahoo! Movies. The scene features the introduction of Sarah Silverman’s character, a “glitch” in her video came world named Vanellope von Schweetz. Wreck-It Ralph opens everywhere on November 2nd. |
Frankenweenie fails to light box office spark
Despite strong reviews from critics, the Tim Burton horror movie tribute Frankenweenie failed to meet expectations during its opening weekend, earning $11 million for fifth place, Box Office Mojo is reporting. Although it was the Liam Neeson action thriller Taken 2 that ruled the weekend, it was probably Hotel Transylvania that was Frankenweenie’s real threat, with […] |
Charles Schulz’s Peanuts gang headed to the big screen
20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios unit have announced that they have acquired the rights to Charles M. Schulz’s iconic “Peanuts” comic strip and plan on bringing Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the gang to the big screen, reports LA Times. Directed by Steve Martino, and scripted by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz and […] |
From Up on Poppy Hill gets an English voice cast
Studio Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill is getting a US release next year, with ComingSoon.net revealing the cast for the English dub. Actors include Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Howard, Gillian Anderson, Sarah Bolger and Beau Bridges, among others. Unlike most of Studio Ghibli’s films, From Up on Poppy Hill is not a fantasy, instead focusing on […] |
Lone Ranger trailer rides into the sunset
It took a very, very long time to get there, but Disney has finally revealed a trailer for their upcoming Johnny Depp/Armie Hammer western The Lone Ranger, which can be seen over at iTunes. The Lone Ranger, of course, has gone through a number of production delays, leaving many to wonder if the movie would actually get […] |
The Croods get a trailer
The first trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods has been revealed online and can be seen on YouTube. The movie tells the story of a family of cave people who go out into the world for the first time. Directed by Chris Sanders and starring Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone, The Croods stomp into theaters […] |
Hotel Transylvania breaks box office record
Count Dracula proved that he still has plenty of life left in him at the box office…at least when he’s voiced by Adam Sandler in a PG-rated animated family comedy. Hotel Transylvania, the new comedy from Sony Pictures Animation, saw the greatest opening weekend for September ever with a debut of $42 million, taking the record […] |
Seth MacFarlene to host the Oscars
Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlene has been chosen to host the next Academy Awards, ComingSoon.net is reporting. “It’s truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars,” MacFarlene said, before going on to joke that “My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to […] |
First Smurfs 2 poster revealed
Moviefone has the first teaser poster for The Smurfs 2 now online. A first trailer for the film is expected to play in theaters with Hotel Transylvania on Friday, with the preview possibly appearing on the internet shortly beforehand. The sequel will send the Smurfs to Paris where they once again must deal with the bumbling […] |
Q&A with Disney director George Scribner
Disney feature director and Imagineer George Scribner is captured in Q&A mode by Kaki Flynn, in an eight-part session now posted to YouTube. With a 30-plus year career, he provides great advice and several never-before-heard behind-the-scenes stories, including anecdotes on the original director of The Lion King, Oliver And Company and the theme park rides […] |
Looney Tunes back in action again?
Bugs, Daffy and company are about to have a little Harry Potter magic sprinkled upon them if THR’s Heat Vision blog’s announcement makes it from script to screen. Potter‘s David Heyman has turned to one-time Saturday Night Live cast member Jenny Slate to pen a new CG/live-action hybrid feature that is apparently non-related to Kevin […] |
New Wreck-It Ralph posters
Four new posters for Disney’s upcoming Wreck-It Ralph have made their way online and can be seen at the IMP Awards. The posters feature both original film characters and classic video game ones like Sonic the Hedgehog. The much anticipated release comes to theaters everywhere on November 2nd. |
Full Hobbit trailer finally online
After going without a preview for the film since last December, Lord of the Rings fans can finally whet their appetite for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with a brand new trailer for the film that Warner Bros. has just released. The preview is also rumored to be playing on the big screen this weekend with […] |
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 […] |
The Fraggle Star in Ben Folds Five New Music Video
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fraggle Rock, the Henson Company,Ben Folds Five, and The Nerdiest Channel have produced a new music video. Ben Folds Five and the Fraggles perform in “Do It Anyway.” All parties involved in making the video were all equally excited and you can tell they had a lot of fun […] |