E! reports on yesterday’s star-studded event for the new ride which is said to be “packed with twists and turns.” It will officially open to the public tomorrow.

The Simpsons Movie has earned seven nominations, the most for any film, for the 37th annual Hollywood Reporter Movie Marketing Key Art Awards which honor the design and creation of theatrical and home entertainment motion picture marketing materials such as posters, standees, trailers, or TV spots. Winners will be announced June 13th.

Amazon posted cover artwork and a track listing for Wall•E‘s June 27th soundtrack. The CD will feature no less than 38 tracks with score by Thomas Newman and 5 songs: Put On Your Sunday Clothes and It Only Takes a Moment, both from the movie Hello Dolly and performed by Michael Crawford; La Vie En […]

French site Inter-Activities posted an interesting interview with the character designer of all three Ice Age movies, Peter DeSève. The three time Annie Award nominee also worked on Disney’s Mulan and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Thank you to ‘Jeremie’ for the alert on the Animated News & Views Forum.

The reviews are in and the pictures are out: Jack Black with 40 Po’s on the Carlton pier for DreamWorks’ annual promotional stunt; the costume character Jeffrey Katzenberg managed to sneak on the red carpet; and the star-studded premiere featuring the much-talked about pregnant Angelina Jolie whose announcement she was expecting twin girls seems to […]

Jim Hill recently chatted with the book author about how he went about writing this unauthorized history of Pixar Animation Studios. The 320-page book is in stores now. Update: Also visit The Pixar Blog for another interview with David Price, this one conducted by Mike B./MB1000.

According to the New York Post, “the animated film generating the most buzz at the Cannes Film Festival is not Kung Fu Panda” but rather Waltz With Bashir, “an unconventional documentary by Israel’s Ari Folman that combines flash animation, traditional hand drawing and computer-generated images. The animation was based on video interviews Folman shot of […]

The excellent Deadline Hollywood Daily reports very early weekend estimates, forecasting that Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will make only $60 million over the weekend after earning a relatively weak $19 million Friday from 3,929 theaters. Many had expected the film to open in the $80 million range; at least it’s not sinking […]

Those curious about what Monster House director Gil Kenan has in store for us next should check out the official site of his new live action film for a teaser look. City of Ember opens in U.S. theaters October 10th.

And Jim Hill Media has an exclusive report from the event!

Reviews of DreamWorks’ June 6th offering are pouring in following Kung Fu Panda‘s world premiere Thursday in Cannes. Kirk Honeycutt at the Hollywood Reporter calls the film “a martial arts masterpiece” (the stunning fight sequences in the film were choreographed by animation veteran Rodolphe Guenoden), adding that “although it’s aimed primarily at youngsters, Kung Fu […]

DreamWorks is now auctioning movie premiere tickets and a private screening of their upcoming film Kung Fu Panda on eBay to benefit Conservation International and “help pandas in the wild.”

Those living in the L.A. area should make sure to check out the second Animation Book Look festival tomorrow afternoon between 1pm and 6pm in Sherman Oaks, CA (13613 Ventura Blvd). Surf’s Up directors Chris Buck and Chris Jenkins will be in attendance along with the authors of the art of Kung Fu Panda, Monster […]

The 18th International Animated Film Festival “Les Nuits Magiques” will take place in Bègles, France (near Bordeaux) from December 3 to December 14, 2008. All animated short and feature films, directed after December 31, 2006, are eligible.

According to Animation World Network, Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical animated film Persepolis has won the Grand Prix Award at the seventh AniFest, International Festival of Animated Films. “Stark graphic design and the real-life personal story evokes a powerful visceral reaction. The political situation is innocently judged from a child’s perspective as she matures into adulthood. Persepolis […]

TV Shows on DVD has posted the new cover art for the September 2nd release of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Remastered Deluxe Edition. This DVD will include a bonus Peanuts TV special which is expected to be You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Updated information on the extras can be found here.

An interview with Damon Bard can be read at the Character Design Blogspot. Bard is a sculptor who has created character maquettes for animated films such as Kung Fu Panda, Surf’s Up, Madagascar, and Over The Hedge. The interview also features many photographs of various pieces Bard has sculpted in his career. Thanks to ‘rsly75’ […]

Variety quietly confirmed last week that ER actor Bruno Campos had been cast as the titular amphibian character in Disney’s traditionally animated feature The Princess and the Frog. Anika Noni Rose will be his princess and Keith David will voice the film’s villain, Dr. Facilier.

Asked by Movieweb about her role in the upcoming Pixar movie while promoting King of the Hill, the talented actress revealed that “I play a character named Mary and I actually haven’t seen the movie. I’m seeing it on the 20th. I was so honored to do it. When my agent called and said Pixar, […]

IBN Live attended a press screening of DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda earlier today in Cannes, France and reports that journalists “laughed and cheered in unison as the overweight panda outshone himself and emerged the gifted Dragon Warrior in this gem of an animated film (…) that’ll have its world premiere in Cannes on Thursday.” Expect […]

A sneak peak of Cartoon Network’s upcoming animated series Flapjack can be viewed here. The video, which is approximately six minutes long, is part of an episode titled That’s A Wrap. Flapjack will premier on Cartoon Network on June 5th at 8:30 PM.

Pathe will unveil footage from Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville)’s new animated feature film The Illusionist at the Marche du Film in Cannes this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chomet, who wrote the movie based on previously unproduced material by Jacques Tati, has been working on it since June 2006. The 2D/CGI blend […]

UpcomingPixar points at a new WALL•E Clip at Yahoo! Movies wherein the director Andrew Stanton discusses the character of WALL-E and the adventure that awaits him.

Five new stills from the Pixar film are now up at MovieWeb.

While writing about “Faith, Home and Pixie Dust,” the new album of Disney covers by Broadway star (and, since this morning, Tony Award nominee) Kerry Butler, Jim Hill points to three little heard songs featured on the CD: “Call Me a Princess, Princess Jasmine’s caustic comic number that wound up getting cut from Aladdin; Disneyland, […]

Cartoon Brew points out that “illustrator Ben Butcher has done an interview with Grain Edit about his illustration process on Lots of Bots, a graphically-striking illustrated book being released this week as a tie-in for Pixar’s Wall•E.”

Rush over to the Character Design blog while you can for a rumored first look at early character designs from upcoming Pixar and Disney character: Miley Cyrus’ character Penny from this November’s Bolt; the soulful singing crocodile from the anticipated 2D feature The Princess and the Frog; the prince of Glen Keane’s Rapunzel; and several […]

Hot off the press! The Weinstein Co. will turn the Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock into a live-action musical feature, reports Variety. Cory Edwards, who directed the animated Hoodwinked! for the studio, will helm the picture and write the screenplay. The Jim Henson Co. will produce and TWC will distribute. Just like the series, the […]

USA Today offers a run-down of the exclusive features to be found on this Fall’s Blu-Ray release of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. However be warned that only the latest players to be launched this summer by Sony and Panasonic will be able to access the disc’s online BD Live features…

An article featured on Fortune reveals that the design for the character Eve in Disney/Pixar’s upcoming Wall•E was inspired by the look of such Apple products as the iPod. “I wanted Eve to be high-end technology – no expense spared – and I wanted it to be seamless and for the technology to be sort […]