Jerry Beck, at the {{link http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2004_09.html#000487 Cartoon Brew}} website, reports on Wednesday evening’s tribute to animator Frank Thomas. Among other things, scenes shown at the memorial included Frank and lifelong friend Ollie Jonston’s appearance in The Iron Giant, as well as a hint that a similar cameo may be in store in that film’s director […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=123092 Toon Zone}} has an interesting snippet up which states that Disney president Bob Iger has announced a return to hand-drawn feature animation from the company. The catch? Apparently, “another animation company will be brought into Disney” to complete these productions…

Just released are new clips profiling a few more of the cast of the upcoming Disney/Pixar blockbuster The Incredibles. To see these spots, one for Violet and one for Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, in a variety of Windows, QuickTime and Real Player formats, check out here:

Scribes Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse have been hired to write Surf’s Up, Sony Pictures Animation’s second animated feature about surfing penguins. The doc-style feature is based on the theory that surfing was invented by penguins. The central character, Cody, is a small Rockhopper penguin who dreams of finding fame and fortune on the Penguin […]

Roger Allers has joined the directing team of Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming animated feature Open Season, and Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman have come on board as writers. Open Season, which features the voices of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher, is a buddy comedy about a happily domesticated 900-pound grizzly bear named Boog (Lawrence), […]

After opening at #1 in Australia and New Zealand last weekend with $3 million, Shark Tale opens domestically in 4,016 theaters, the largest launch ever for a fall film and the widest opening in history for a non-sequel. Debuting in a lackluster marketplace, Shark Tale finds itself with optimistic box office expectations. Box Office Guru […]

A quick re-cap announcing the joint online debuts for the first-look teasers for Fox/Blue Sky’s {{link http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/robots.html Robots}}, director Chris Wedge’s follow up to Ice Age, and DreamWorks Animation’s {{link http://www.tribute.ca/synopsis.asp?m_id=8641 Madagascar}}, two highly anticipated computer animated comedies set for release in 2005. These clips are also playing with DreamWorks’ just-released Shark Tale in theaters.

The Disney Database has posted 8 menu screen shots from Disney’s direct-to-video title Mulan II which is due for release in February 2005.

The Internet Movie Poster Awards features a new international poster for Shark Tale, which opens in U.S. theaters tomorrow.

IGN FilmForce has ten questions with Doc Hammer, co-writer, designer, and editor of the Venture Bros.

The Internet Movie Database reveals that French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet, producer of The Triplets of Belleville in Canada, plans to produce three more animated films in Scotland, according to Thursday’s edition of Britain’s Guardian newspaper. Producer Sylvain Chomet’s studio “could become the largest and most influential facility in Europe,” meaning good news for traditional animation. […]

ABC News has the article “Shark Showcases Celebrity Talent”, which discusses the perks that attract celebrities to voice characters in animated films.

Five storyboard images from the scene “Aladdin in the Lap of Luxury” which was deleted from Disney’s theatrical release of Aladdin but included as a bonus feature on the upcoming 2-disc Platinum Edition release can be found here:

Miramax Films has picked Wild Brain to develop their CG feature Opus, which Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 3) will adapt from the Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip, Bloom County, created by Berkeley Breathed.

According to BCDB, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence continues breaking records for an anime film at the U.S. box office. Mamoru Oshii’s long-awaited sequel surpassed last Monday, after only 11 days in theaters, the entire gross of the first Ghost in the Shell film as well as that of another cult movie, Akira. Its […]

Here is the list of the winners of the 2004 CINEME Animation Film Festival, held in Chicago September 24th-26th:

The Dreamworks website has the trailer for their upcoming CG comedy, Madagascar. The trailer will appear in front of Shark Tale when it opens this Friday. Madagascar features the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Coen and Cedric The Entertainer.

As sent in by many readers of Animated News (thanks!), {{link http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/robots.html Yahoo Movies has debuted the trailer for Robots}}, director Chris Wedge’s highly anticipated follow up to Ice Age, again produced at Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox. The retro-sci-fi-comedy, with the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Mel Brooks, Jim […]

According to Variety, TV writer Jon Vitti has been tapped to pen Ice Age 2 and the feature film adaptation of The Simpsons. Vitti was previously a writer on multiple animated series including The Simpsons and was a story consultant on Ice Age. [paid subscription required for Variety]

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow director Kerry Conran and producer Jon Avnet speak to Dark Horizons about the making of their new film. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is now playing in theaters and opens in the UK this Friday, October 1st.

IGN FilmForce reports that Andrew Adamson, who helmed the first two Shrek films, has chosen not to direct Shrek 3, due to his working on The Chronicles of Narnia. Shrek 3 is scheduled to be released in 2006.

Following are six images from the “Inside the Genie’s Lamp” bonus feature on Disc 2 of the soon-to-be-released Platinum Edition of Disney’s Aladdin:

Dark Horizons reveals the official logo for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The logo debuted at this past weekend’s Armageddon Expo in Wellington. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will roar into theaters on December 5, 2005.

Inland Empire Strikes Back has eleven new posters for The Incredibles, flying into theaters on November 5, 2004.

One can witness the musical stylings of Kim Jong II in a new Team America: World Police video clip at Latino Review. Team America: World Police invades theaters on October 15, 2004. [warning: the musical stylings of Kim Jong II contain some strong language]

Latino Review features ten new pictures from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The PG-rated comedy will float into theaters on November 19, 2004.

The computer animation arm of Dreamworks SKG has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a $650 million initial public offering, applying to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DWA” (DreamWorks Animation). In a statement filed with regulators late Monday, the company said it would use the proceeds to […]

Nintendo Co. intends to enter the animated-film business, Hiroshi Yamauchi, an adviser to the video game maker, said Wednesday. At a press conference, Yamauchi said that he plans to make a proposal for the project to create an animated film at a management meeting to be held in October. He indicated that the film will […]

Walt Disney Co. president and chief operating officer Robert Iger said it is “unlikely” Disney will strike a new distribution deal with Pixar Animation Studios, according to a report on CNBC.

AOL Music debuts the new music video for Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson’s version of A Whole New World, featured on the Aladdin Platinum Edition DVD that will hit stores next Tuesday. Alternate Link. In related news, Clay Aiken’s version of Proud of Your Boy, also featured on the Aladdin DVD, is now #5 on […]