Yahoo! News/WENN records that singer Amy Winehouse has reportedly agreed to make a guest appearance on a forthcoming episode of The Simpsons. This news follows the announcement earlier this week that the voice of Spanish tenor Placido Domingo will likewise soon be heard in the show.

It appears that Brad Paisley has added animator to his resume, as USA Today writes of the country singer’s appreciation for animation. Paisley, whom the piece refers to as a “cartoon buff,” began using the medium last year to accompany instrumentals on stage. Among the animation Paisley has crafted are shorts showing him as a […]

Variety via Upcoming Pixar indicates that Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille has broken box office records for an animated feature in Gaul. The article explains, “Taking in nearly $16 million through 1,951,074 ticket sales on 721 prints, the average of 2,706 viewers per screen is the highest-ever bow for a cartoon.”

The Pop Candy side of USA Today reminds readers of the latest chapter in the online Heroes graphic novel, noting its animated delivery. Titled Golden Handshake: Part 3 – One More for the Road, the arc deals with the backstory of the character Claude.

At Animated Views, animator-director Phil Nibbelink discusses his latest feature, Romeo & Juliet: Sealed With A Kiss (2006). This traditionally animated movie presents a unique vision that was single-handedly brought to life by Nibbelink. Describing the project as a “labor of love,” he explains the journey taken to write, direct and animate the comedic adaptation […]

After the success of the cartoon-inspired film Transformers, New Regency, reports Variety, is looking to make their own giant robot flick. The studio is currently developing a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated television series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, which follows the struggle of a group of apocalypse survivors using huge machines to fight […]

In an update to a report filed August 7, 2007, DVD Active introduces the front artwork for the Shrek the Third DVD. Bonus features will include a commentary, three additional scenes (The Fauxly Grail, Hot Lunch, and Cyrano de Artie), Shrek’s Guide to Parenthood, a Tech of Shrek 3 featurette, two music videos (Donkey Dance, […]

TV Shows on DVD presents the front and rear artwork for the two-disc DVD packages of The Adventures of Aquaman and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. From Warner Bros. and DC Comics, both superhero sets are scheduled to be released on October 23.

GhibliWorld has a link to an interview with Studio Ghibli’s Background Artist Kazuo Oga whose work includes films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Only Yesterday, Pompoko, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Oga’s background pictures are being exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo until Sept 30. A direct link to the interview can be […]

From the “not-exactly-but-still-sort-of-animated” department comes the trailer for Be Kind Rewind now on Yahoo! Movies. The Jack Black/Mos Def comedy tells of two video store clerks who make, and then rent to unsuspecting customers, their own versions of famous movies. Keep an eye out for the famous Simba/Scar conflagration reenacted with paper cutout characters.

Upcoming Pixar notices that according to Box Office Mojo, Jeff Garlin has joined Fred Willard in the cast of Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E. This would mark the second time the two actors have appeared in a film together, following Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

As briefly mentioned by The Digital Bits, Warner Bros. has announced that Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal and Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck will hit stores this September 18. [Update: it now seems these two titles are in fact videogame releases, for Nintendo DS and X-Box 360, respectively.]

With video footage, IESB.net takes a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at Avengers Reborn, the fifth film in the Animated Marvel Features line. The film’s story “takes place several decades in the future where Ultron is defeating all the superheroes in the Age of Heroes and the children now have to battle the enemy that cut down […]

SCI FI Wire reports that Toonami Jetstream, the online extension of Cartoon Network’s Toonami franchise, will celebrate its first birthday with a new slate of fan-favorite programming. Series to be added to the site throughout the summer and fall are Star Wars: Clone Wars, Dragon Ball, MegaMan Star Force, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Zoids […]

Thanks to a licensing agreement with Paramount Licensing Inc., McFarlane Toys has crafted four action figures inspired by Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming motion-captured epic Beowulf. Spawn.com showcases the lineup, which includes Young Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel’s Mother and Dragon.

TV Shows on DVD notes that Amazon.com is offering most of the past season sets for The Simpsons at 55% off, with the exception of The Complete Tenth Season, which is 40% off. Meanwhile, the site displays the artwork for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist – The Complete Series, while providing more details on the content […]

Variety reports that the animated television program Jonny Quest will be adapted into a live-action film sometime in the future. Warner Bros. will be developing the picture along with Speed Racer, another animated TV show adaption. Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter are set to produce, whith Dan Mazeau writing the script.

An interview with acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer can be read at Comingsoon. Zimmer discusses several films that he provided music to, including animated titles like Madagascar and the recently released Simpsons Movie. Live-action films, such as The Dark Knight and Pirates Of The Caribbean, are also spoken of.

DVDTalk reviews the recently released CGI turtles film on DVD and gives it their high recommendation. According to the reviewer, the CGI adaptation turned out to be more faithful than the live-action installments. The review also calls TMNT the best animated/comic book film of 2007 thus far and a great treat for Turtle fans.

Ain’t It Cool News has posted a YouTube video featuring a clip from the upcoming Futurama DVD film, Bender’s Big Score. The footage premiered at the San Diego Comic Con 2007, and the DVD will be released on November 27. A direct link to the video can be found here.

AWN reports that The Chubbchubbs Save Xmas, a new short featuring the characters from the Academy Award winning Chubbchubbs, will debut on August 8, 2007, before TriStar Pictures’ Daddy Day Camp. Directed by Cody Cameron and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt for Sony Pictures Animation, The Chubbchubbs Save Xmas will also be included as a bonus […]

DVD Active reports that Paramount and DreamWorks have announced the DVD release date for Shrek The Third as November 13th. The disc will feature the movie in anamorphic widescreen along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. Extras will include a commentary, three additional scenes, Shrek’s Guide to Parenthood, a featurette, two music videos […]

o-meon updates with a podcast interview with Chris Sanders, director of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch and DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming Crood Awakenings. The same podcast also features an interview with the other Chris: Chris Chibnall, writer and executive producer of the hit BBC series Torchwood.

Ultimate Disney has posted an in-depth review looking at today’s release of The Muppet Show: Season 2 to DVD. This season of the hit puppetcentric variety showcased many famous “live” performers such as Milton Berle, Julie Andrews, and Zero Mostel in addition to the Muppet gang of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie the Bear […]

Monsters & Critics has the announcement from G4 Network that the channel will premiere Spaceballs: The Animated Series, a continuation of the popular 1987 live-action film, in Fall 2007. Having co-written the series’ pilot with Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan will oversee all writing for the first 13 episodes. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Brooks […]

Upcoming Pixar points to IGN, where an exclusive interview with Andrew Stanton may be found. The writer and director lends some interesting insight regarding his next Pixar project, the highly anticipated Wall-E.

Using the criteria of plausibility, coolness, dangerousness, and comedy value, Times Online counts down the “50 best movie robots.” The list includes such characters as Transformers‘ Optimus Prime (#30), Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave‘s Preston (#46) and Robots‘ Rodney Copperbottom (#47).

For those attending the final four days of SIGGRAPH at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA, the following press release details the major presence DreamWorks Animation will have at the world renowned computer graphics conference:

AWN reports that the release date for Shrek 4 has been set by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount as May 21, 2010. DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg said during an earnings call earlier this week that there will be a Shrek 5 as well. Shrek The Third turned out to be a big moneyspinner for Dreamworks, […]

Animated Views has added several reviews covering Filmation product spanning the studio’s history, from their first commissioned program, 1966’s The New Adventures Of Superman and another DC Comics classic, The New Adventures Of Batman from 1977 when the studio was at its peak. The rise of other facilities and changing tastes in audiences and networks […]