animated-news

A look at the live action Akira

LatinoReview takes an exclusive look at the live action remake of Katsuhiro Otomo’s anime classic Akira which is being turned into two live-action feature films, the first of which is being fast tracked for a summer 2009 release.

Pixar references in Up trailer

A number of items in the recently out Pixar’s Up trailer are being spotted that could possibly reference other Pixar works, reports UpcomingPixar. These include the Luxo ball, the toy airplane from Toy Story and also a stuffed toy bear which, the site suggests, could possibly reference to Pixar’s upcoming film The Bear and the […]

New Up, Bolt trailers

Two new trailers for Up and Bolt have now hit the net. Up‘s new teaser can be viewed on TrailerAddict, while the preview for Bolt can be seen on Must Watch. Bolt opens on November 21st, while the wait for Up is a bit longer with the film hitting theaters on May 29th, 2009.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa opens today

DreamWork’s sequel to the hit animated flick Madagascar hits theaters today. Reviews are positive so far for this second installment to the franchise, earning a current rating of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. “The rare sequel that improves on the original, Madagascar 2 keeps the silliness and steps up the heart,” claims one critic, while another […]

Adult Swim to air King Of The Hill

Adult Swim has reportedly added King Of The Hill to their lineup, according to Animation World Network. The animated sitcom, which was recently canceled after FOX decided the show had enjoyed a long enough run, will begin airing on Adult Swim in January, and will be shown every night at ten. Created by Mike Judge […]

ABC to pick up King Of The Hill?

Following the announcement of FOX’s cancellation of it’s animated sitcom King Of The Hill, at least one other network has expressed interest in picking up the long-running show, reports Variety. While the network is currently unknown, it is suspected to be ABC, as King would serve as a “strong companion” to it’s upcoming animated series […]

Monsters vs Aliens trailer online

Movie-List has made available the very first trailer for the Dreamworks’ upcoming animated feature Monsters vs Aliens. Based on the horror comic book Rex Havoc, DreamWorks’ Monsters vs Aliens is the studio’s first movie produced using 3D technology. Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, the movie is slated for a March 27, 2009 release.

New Coraline poster

IMPAwards shares a one sheet poster for the upcoming stop motion film Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick, Coraline opens in theaters on February 6, 2009.

Wall-E DVD packaging and screencaps

Pictures of the upcoming Wall-E 3-disc dvd packaging can be found at UltimateDisney forum wherein a user shares the pictures of “Earth (and Space) Friendly Eco-Packaging” alongwith the screencaps of the menus. Thanks to UpcomingPixar for the story.

Disney pushes Wall-E for best picture nomination

/Film reports that Disney has launched a campaign to get Wall-E nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, an award never won by an animated film. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast remains the only animated film ever nominated in the Best Picture category. In addition, the website also shares the first advertisement featuring Disney’s campaign to […]

Mary Poppins: 45th Anniversary Edition DVD in January

UltimateDisney reports that Walt Disney Home Entertainment has announced Mary Poppins: 45th Anniversary Edition DVD release on January 27, 2009. The two-disc set will include all bonus features from 40th Anniversary Edition DVD from 2004 and also add four new featurettes on the running Broadway musical.

Animation veteran John Ahern passes away

AWN reports that veteran Disney and Hanna-Barbera animator and teacher John Ahern passed away Wednesday morning after a yearlong battle with leukemia. Ahern’s animation career started at Disney with movies such as Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp and going on up through Jungle Book. He also worked as a layout artist for Hanna-Barbera […]

Sony-Paramount to co-finance Tintin

Variety reports that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures are in talks to co-finance the digital 3-D Tintin, the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson series based on the Belgian comics Tintin. The report suggests that the first film of the series will be directed by Steven Spielberg and is expected to be complete in time for a […]

Coraline sneak peek

IGN reports about a special screening of roughly half an hour of footage from the upcoming 3D stop-motion animation film Coraline which they attended recently. Based on the novella by Neil Gaiman, Coraline tells the story of the eponymous young girl who discovers a secret door in her new home that leads to an alternate […]

An early screening of Pixar’s Up

An early screening of Up, Pixar’s upcoming animated film, was attended by blogger Larryfile recently. According to the write up, the rough cut version of the film that was screened, was mixed with storyboard, rough and finished animation. The movie plot was completely original but somewhat dark with many adult themes. He finally adds, “I […]

Disney movie roundup

In Disney theatrical and home release animated movie news Animation World Network reports that Glago’s Guest (see our prior coverage) will now not be screening in front of Bolt, reminiscent of when How to Hook Up Your Home Theater ended up not screening with Enchanted as expected but ended up paired a few months later […]

Coraline interviews

ComingSoon has an exclusive interview with Travis Knight and Herny Selick, both of whom played a large role in bringing the big-screen adaption of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline to life. The in-depth article also includes descriptions of several scenes from the stop-motion film, which are received extremely positively by the sneak peak’s author. Coraline opens in […]

Ed Asner talks Up

UpcomingPixar shares a link to an interview with the Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner who voices the main character, Carl Fredricksen, in Pixar’s upcoming feature Up. Direct link to the interview can be found here. Up, a fable about a flying house, is slated to open in May 2009.

Ninja Scroll to get a live-action makeover

Variety reports that Warner Bros. has acquired rights to turn Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s anime classic Ninja Scroll into a live action feature. The film will be produced by Appian Way as a co-production with Mad House. Alex Tse, whose recent credits include Watchmen and The Illustrated Man, has been set to write the script.

Waltz with Bashir to represent Israel at Oscars

Waltz with Bashir, Ari Folman’s critically acclaimed animated documentary about the 1982 Lebanon War, will be Israel’s official entry in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards. Based on a true story, the film is a quest into the director’s memory for the missing pieces from the days of the Lebanon War […]

New Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa featurette

AWNtv hosts a behind-the scenes featurette Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – Jungle 2 Plain wherein the production team from DreamWorks’ upcoming animated feature Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa discuss the environments used in the film. The film hits theaters and IMAX on November 7.

Ponyo on the Cliff opens Cinekid Festival

GhibliWorld reports that Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animated feature Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea was the opening film at Cinekid Festival which takes place from October 19 till 26 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Ponyo will screen in competition section contending for a Cinekid Lion.

Wall-E wins best original song

According to HollywoodReporter, “Down to Earth,” from Pixar’s Wall-E, by Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel, was named best original song written directly for a film, at the World Soundtrack Awards 2008. Other winners include James Newton Howard who was named film composer of the year for his scores to Charlie Wilson’s War, Michael Clayton and […]

The Chestnut Tree gets internet debut

Now showing in the YouTube Screening Room is Hyun-Min Lee’s Annie-nominated short, The Chestnut Tree. This small, personal project has been worked on by some big names in the animation world, including Jennifer and Bert Klein, Eric and Susan Goldberg, and Don Hahn (remember his panel is tonight). Click here to read our Animated Views […]

Oliver & Company special edition DVD in February

UltimateDisney reports that Walt Disney Home Entertainment has announced a special edition dvd release of Oliver & Company for February 3, 2009. The re-release will feature an all-new game and extras from the film’s 2002 debut, which include “The Making of Oliver & Company”, “Return Of A Classic”, Academy Award winning animated short “Lend A […]

New Bolt clip

Apple has made available an exclusive clip from Disney’s upcoming animated feature Bolt. Directed by Chris Williams, Bolt opens in theatres on November 21, 2008.

Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition DVD in March

DVDTimes reports that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment have announced the release of Pinocchio : 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition on 10th March, 2009. Disney’s second animated feature will be made available for a limited time on a 2-disc dvd and a Blu-Ray disc. Extras on the dvd set will include “an all-new audio commentary with […]

Upcoming DCA changes rooted in early Disney animation

Laughing Place has a new feature showcasing pictures and video from the new Walt Disney Imagineering: Blue Sky Cellar building at Disney’s California Adventure which opens to the public on October 20 and will give guests a sneak peek at new and revamped attractions at the second Anaheim Disney-themed park. New attractions will be a […]

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa stills

Following are five new images from DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which is due out on November 7.

BYU animation program piques Pixar's curiosity

The BYU Magazine online has a piece about the school’s animation program and the interest Pixar personnel have taken in it. “Over the years, Pixar has worked with a lot of universities around the country,” says Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. “One of the interesting things is that, all of a […]