Ultimate Disney shares the press announcement for the Disney DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Pixar Short Films Collection – Volume 1. Containing Pixar’s brief animated classics, from The Adventures of André & Wally B. to Lifted, the anticipated collection is scheduled for November 6.

According to a source described as ‘solid,’ TV Shows on DVD believes the Smurfs – Season 1, Volume 1 two-disc DVD set will hit stores on February 26, 2008. As the site cautions, however, one should take the news with a grain of salt until an official announcement from Warner Bros. arrives.

Picnic Pictures’ The Chestnut Tree (see our prior writeup), directed by Hyun-min Lee, produced by Bert and Jennifer Klein, and executive produced by Don Hahn, recently won “Best Animated Short” at the LaFemme International Film Festival held in Beverly Hills. A photo of the award winners shortly after accepting the award and more information on […]

SciFi Wire currently features a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects for the animal characters of The Golden Compass. Due to the fact that the furry co-stars are almost entirely computer-generated in the movie, actors Dakota Blue Richards and Nicole Kidman acted out scenes with green footballs and other devices in place of animals. The […]

James Marsden, who plays the Prince in the upcoming Disney film Enchanted, recently discussed his royal role with Disney Insider. Commenting on the story of the movie, Marsden explains, “I guess they’re calling it ‘a modern-day fairy tale’. It begins in the animated world, much like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella — the Disney classics, […]

Information on the changes announced earlier today for Disney’s California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, CA, can be found at The Orange County Register and o-meon (with numerous photos). Of particular interest to animation fans is news of Cars Land, “A 12-acre addition that will be based on the Cars movie, including an attraction called […]

Upcoming Pixar reports that Brad Bird’s critically acclaimed film Ratatouille is up for pre-order on iTunes. The French-set tale’s price is set at $12.99, and will be available for purchase on November 6.

The official Beouwulf website has been updated and currently showcases 3 new TV Spots for Robert Zemeckis’ latest motion-capture flick in a streaming Flash format. Beowulf will be released in US theaters on November 16th, 2007.

TV Shows on DVD displays the cover art for two upcoming Spongebob titles, To Love a Patty and Atlantis SquarePantis, with release dates set for January 29th and November 13th respectively. The site also offers a first glimpse at The All-New Super Friends Hour – Season 1, Volume 1 and Legion of Super-Heroes – Volume […]

Nausicaa.net reports that the Ghibli Museum Library label is set to release Lev Atamanov’s 1957 animated film Snow Queen on December 15 in select theaters in Japan. The film strongly inspired Hayao Miyazaki and played a critical role in the early days of his career. GhibliWorld has the English translation of an interview with Hayao […]

WallaceandGromit.com reports that Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park’s 1958 Austin A35 van, which inspired the Anti-Pesto van in Curse of the Were-Rabbit, is up for auction on eBay. The van will be auctioned on eBay from 9am on Wednesday, October 17th, until Friday, October 26. In addition, it will be delivered with a Certificate […]

Today, Trolltech has announced that Lucasfilm is using Trolltech’s Qt software to help develop their digital entertainment software. Examples of other major studios using Qt are Walt Disney Feature Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Duboi. Using Trolltech’s Qt is helping big animation houses get their movies to market faster and save money. The full press […]

Angry Alien Productions introduces the latest installment in the 30-Second Bunnies Theatre Library: a spoof combining the first and second volumes of the Kill Bill saga. Interestingly, the site has listed upcoming bunny re-enactments to include Snakes on a Plane and Spider-Man 3.

In a recent conversation between Latino Review and John Leguizamo, the subject of Ice Age 3 was raised. “I just started recording last month,” mentioned the actor, who then added, “The script is tight!”

According to visual-effects producer Gary Nolin, the most dazzling sequence in The Golden Compass may be saved for a possible second entry in the His Dark Materials film series. The visual wizardry, as provided by effects powerhouse Rhythm & Hues, was to take place at the North Pole, involving the aurora borealis. SCI FI Wire […]

ASIFA-Hollywood has announced a special screening and panel discussion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Richard Williams’ Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, writes Cartoon Brew. The event is scheduled for Saturday, November 17, in the Mark Goodson Auditorium at the American Film Institute in Hollywood. At 3pm, a rare CinemaScope 35mm print of […]

DVD Active shares the bonus features and cover artwork for Paprika. For the DVD, extras will include: a Tsutsui and Kon’s Paprika behind-the-scenes featurette; A Conversation about ‘The Dream’ with the director, novelist and voice actors; a featurette on the movie’s art direction; and a featurette on its cinematography and computer-generated world. The Blu-ray release […]

IGN Movies has added a considerable amount of images to its gallery for Persepolis. Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, the film will begin a limited run in the U.S. on December 25.

Jim Hill Media directs attention toward The Art and Flair of Mary Blair exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum, as well as Harrison Ellenshaw’s signing celebration at the Where the Magic Begins store in Livermore, California. Both recommended events are set to take place on Saturday, October 27.

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo: 30) Ratatouille with $389,332, averaging $990 over 393 theaters ($204,431,330 total; 16th week) 36) The Simpsons Movie with $180,675, averaging $810 over 223 theaters ($182,511,152 total; 12th week) 95) Paprika with $3,610, averaging $515 over 7 theaters ($878,607 total; 21st week)

Business Week places Imagi Animation Studios in the spotlight, detailing the Hong Kong company’s creation and aspirations. Supervised by Tim Cheung, Imagi has recruited talented artists from some of the major Western animation studios.

JV Pixar News briefly describes the sights and sounds of the October 14th screening of The Pixar Story, held at the Alamo South Lamar in Austin, Texas. The report includes a list of further screenings for the critically acclaimed film.

“Final Cut Pro facility design experts, The DR Group, announced today that its DR Consulting division was tapped by edgy animation studio, Titmouse, Inc. to deliver Metalocalypse, its ongoing series for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, in High Definition.” Read on for the full press release:

Empire Magazine lists its choices for “The Top 20 Pixar Characters.” At the peak of the countdown is Buzz Lightyear (the Toy Story franchise), followed by Mike Wazowski (Monsters, Inc.) and Dory (Finding Nemo).

Ain’t It Cool News features a brand-new positive review of Enchanted, calling the Disney picture “an oddly satisfying film that I really wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did.” Interestingly, the reviewer proposes that the film could receive award attention for its makeup, which is described as “truly astonishing.”

Upcoming Pixar notes that at one’s nearest Disney Store, four lithographs are available with a pre-order of the Ratatouille DVD. As the column reminds, the lithographs are only provided with a DVD pre-order, not a purchase after the disc’s release date.

TV Shows on DVD reminds readers about the current availability of Tales from the Cryptkeeper: Pleasant Screams – The Complete 1st Season and the recent Pound Puppies toy/DVD packages. In addition, the site highlights the upcoming four-disc Highlander: The Complete Animated Series, while also reporting of a seven-disc DVD set containing both The Adventures of […]

Jim Hill Media ponders why Ratatouille did not reach the domestic box office heights that other Pixar films have met, pointing out thoughts on the matter from Director Brad Bird. Furthermore, the site suggests that in order to face what it refers to as “brand fatigue,” Pixar may be preparing a string of live-action films.

A.V. Club presents “Not Again: 24 Great Films Too Painful To Watch Twice”. Animated entries in the countdown include Isao Takahata’s Grave Of The Fireflies (#15) and Jimmy T. Murakami’s When The Wind Blows (#16).

The Internet Movie Poster Awards introduces the teaser poster for DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda, coming to theaters on June 6, 2008. Concurrently, a new Bee Movie banner, featuring Barry B. Benson and Vanessa, is showcased at eBay. Bee Movie will open in theaters nationwide, on November 2nd.