ANIMATIONWorld Magazine

Wallace & Gromit Return ANIMATIONWorld

‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl:’ The Power of Stillness in Stop-Motion

Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham bring back the enigmatic villain Feathers McGraw in Aardman and Netflix’s new comedy, combining animation mastery with nuanced, non-speaking characters that never work as hard as when they’re not moving.

Ultraman Returns ANIMATIONWorld

‘Ultraman: Rising’: Achieving the Perfect Lens Flare and Ken Sato Hairdo

ILM VFX supervisor Hayden Jones reveals how his team merged anime styling with cutting-edge visuals including hand-drawn transitions and ‘Akira’-inspired lens flares to create a love letter to classic manga.

preschool animation ANIMATIONWorld

‘Wonder Pets: In the City’: A Classic Revived with Photo Puppetry and Hypnosis

The classic charm of ‘Wonder Pets’ is back with creator Jennifer Oxley’s new series, a fresh take that introduces a new team of animal heroes, navigating global adventures, who showcase the power of empathy and collaboration while teaching life lessons through mini-opera-inspired tales.

The Increasing Need for Entertainment Content ANIMATIONWorld

Helping Artists and Studios Deliver in an Increasingly Competitive M&E Landscape

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 4:26pm

For Rob Hoffman, Lenovo’s Senior Worldwide Manager for Media & Entertainment Vertical, insatiable consumer appetite for new experiences across film, TV, games and interactive experiences, in greater quantity with increasing fidelity, means, the future of entertainment content development continues to look strong.  

Yes My Precious! ANIMATIONWorld

‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’: Middle Earth Meets Modern Anime

Kenji Kamiyama’s prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga travels 183 years before the original trilogy to bring Héra, a forgotten, unsung character, into the spotlight with a tale of courage and resilience; in theaters December 13.

Encourage Empathy and Celebrate Our Differences ANIMATIONWorld

‘Carl the Collector’: A Lovely Walk Inside the Mind of Autism

Zachariah OHora discusses the unique challenges, and constant joy, of creating his PBS KIDS’ series about the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic racoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown. 

Never Lose Your Imagination ANIMATIONWorld

Re-VIEW: ‘The Imaginary’ - A Story to Believe

With breathtaking animation and a heartfelt narrative, Studio Ponoc’s hand-drawn animated film celebrates the unrestrained magic of childhood imagination while addressing universal themes of loss, memory, and the enduring power of stories. 

We Return to Piltover and Zaun ANIMATIONWorld

Christian Linke Talks Animation Secrets, Silent Characters and Last Lines of 'Arcane' Season 2

From watercolors and charcoal to hand-drawn 2D and highly stylized 3D, the award-winning series’ second and final season pushed visual and storytelling boundaries while delivering a gripping and emotionally stunning finale.

Greatness Often Starts in Garages ANIMATIONWorld

Apartment D Films Talks First Original Series: ‘Ruff Ruff Danger Dogs’

The stop-motion studio’s founders, Max Lopez and Sean Malony, have grown from an apartment to a garage to commercial studio space as they tackled their Kickstarter-funded show about humanity’s five ‘goodest’ beings chosen to fight Galactic Evil; pilot episode hits YouTube December 7 for Patreon supporters, December 13 for the public.

The New DCU ANIMATIONWorld

Gothic, Bloody, and Hilarious: Dean Lorey Talks ‘Creature Commandos’

By Dan Sarto | Friday, December 6, 2024 at 10:55am

The showrunner reveals how he brought to the small screen DC Studios co-president James Gunn’s passion project, an all-new adult animated dark comedy that tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans, now streaming on Max.

It’s Tough Being a Teen ANIMATIONWorld

The Teen Angst of ‘Jentry Chau vs The Underworld’: ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ Meets ‘Euphoria’

Monsters, myths, and music collide in Echo Wu’s all-new animated series that balances finding self-identity with embracing supernatural chaos – and a millennia-old jiangshi - while coming-of-age in a small Texas town; debuts today, December 5 on Netflix.

Ho Ho Ho! ANIMATIONWorld

A Festive First: Richard Curtis’ Animated Adventure 'That Christmas'

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 3:59pm

The famed writer and producer’s inaugural foray into animation weaves together his kids’ book trilogy into a magical 3DCG tale of family, friends, love, and loneliness – along with countless turkeys – and a Santa facing his most challenging evening ever; from Locksmith Animation, the film debuts globally today, December 4, on Netflix.

A Very Disney Season ANIMATIONWorld

Too Much Christmas? The Challenges of Making ‘Mickey and the Very Many Christmases’

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11:25am

Tom Rogers and Rachel Ruderman discuss story development, animation design, and music production on their all-new 3DCG holiday special that finds Mickey making a magical wish that every day could be Christmas, but having second thoughts when that wish comes true; now airing on Disney Channel and Disney Jr. and streaming on Disney+.

Remembering the Last Hawaiian Queen ANIMATIONWorld

‘The Queen's Flowers’ Celebrates Hawaii’s Queen Lili’uokalani’s Legacy of Love and Forgiveness

Ciara Leinaʻala Lacy’s new short, her first animated film, is a magical take on a touching, true story about the island nation’s last ruling monarch, known for her kindness, spare candy, and ever-present butterfly brooch, overthrown and imprisoned by U.S.-led forces in 1893, and a young girl who used to sneak into the Queen’s garden to steal the beautiful flowers.

Can I Get a Chee Hoo! ANIMATIONWorld

Directors Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G. Derrick Jr. Talk ‘Moana 2’

By Dan Sarto | Monday, December 2, 2024 at 1:48pm

The trio discusses Disney’s expansive new South Pacific animated musical adventure, in which Moana and demigod Maui reunite to answer a call from their ancestors, that just destroyed the all-time U.S. Thanksgiving box office record with a $225.2 million 5-day haul.

You Had Me at Jug Band ANIMATIONWorld

‘SpongeBob and Sandy’s Country Christmas’: Real Fire, Real Explosions and Lot of Tricks

Screen Novelties delivers yet another hilarious stop-motion special, featuring a real SpongeBob cardboard cutout getting destroyed by fireworks in the studio’s parking lot, a hand-built wreath set ablaze because purchased versions were flame retardant, and a down-home jug band complete with banjo and washboard; special debuts today on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

Holy Azarath Metrion Zinthos! ANIMATIONWorld

Tara Strong Talks 21 Years of ‘Teen Titans’ and the 400th Episode Stop-motion Special

As the series celebrates its historic longevity with a special ‘Teen Titans Go!’ show produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the actress riffs on the show’s longevity, her original audition, and how the reimagined characters and stories are just laugh-out-loud funny.

Composing for Animation ANIMATIONWorld

‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’: Weaving Captivating Music into a Hand-Drawn Visual Feast

Composer Stuart Hancock discusses how he created the evocative soundtrack that so beautifully meshed with Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s poignant 2D animated adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel, spotlighting the power of connection and the beauty of nature; releases November 26 on VOD.

animated shorts ANIMATIONWorld

Memories and ‘Maybe Elephants’: Torill Kove Reflects on Her Creative Process

With humor, humility, and a curious cat by her side, Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove gives viewers an exclusive look at the creative process behind her latest acclaimed short film, ‘Maybe Elephants.

TV is Healing Headline News

TV Academy, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to Share Members

In a groundbreaking new partnership, the former rivals will now share members in the peer groups Children’s Animation, Children’s Live Action, Daytime, and Documentary.

Traveling the World of Animation Headline News

Animation Journalist Nancy Denney-Phelps Releases ‘On the Animation Trail’

The book, which features covers by Joanna Quinn, charts the last 20 years of animation festivals, from Annecy, the oldest animation festival in the world, to Beirut and the founding of the festival in Peja, Kosovo; pre-order is available now.

The Annies are Coming! Headline News

52nd Annual Annie Award Nominations Announced

By Dan Sarto | Friday, December 20, 2024 at 8:31am

Best Animated Feature nominees ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ ‘That Christmas,’ ‘The Wild Robot,’ ‘Ultraman: Rising,’ and ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ top the expansive list of category nominations; animation’s biggest awards ceremony is scheduled to return live on Saturday, February 8 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

A Panda Out of Water Story! Headline News

Shout! Studios Reveals ‘Panda Bear in Africa’ Digital Release

The animated feature from Shout! Studios and Shout! Kids in collaboration with Cinema Management Group will be available for rent or purchase on all major digital platforms on January 28, 2025.

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