The UK’s Gfm Animation is handling international sales on family animation HitPig, that features a starry voice cast including Jason Sudeikis in the titular role, alongside Lilly Singh, RuPaul, Hannah Gadsby and Rainn Wilson.
It’s based on Pulitzer Prize winning author Berkeley Breathed’s characters, with HitPig a rugged pig bounty hunter who makes his living catching escaped animals for big cash. His next target is a naïve, free-spirited elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil showman. Soon, an unlikely partnership is forged.
Producers are Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum of Aniventure, alongside CG animation by Cinesite.
It’s based on Pulitzer Prize winning author Berkeley Breathed’s characters, with HitPig a rugged pig bounty hunter who makes his living catching escaped animals for big cash. His next target is a naïve, free-spirited elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil showman. Soon, an unlikely partnership is forged.
Producers are Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum of Aniventure, alongside CG animation by Cinesite.
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘X-Men ’97’ debuted last week on Disney+ with its first two episodes, and the initial reactions are fantastic. The series premiered with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics dubbing it the “Best Marvel release in years.” Metacritic also gave the show a high score of 82, indicating “Universal acclaim” – a rare achievement for recent Marvel Studios projects.
The series capitalizes on its strongest aspect: being a direct continuation of ‘X-Men: The Animated Series.’ It strives to maintain the essence of the original characters and animation while presenting a more mature and “raw” storyline than what audiences typically expect.
‘X-Men ’97’ racked up four million views in its first five days on Disney+. Disney heralds this as the most-watched Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series on the platform since Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ premiered in 2021, outperforming shows like ‘Iwájú’ and ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.’ Animated shorts like ‘Star Wars: Visions,...
The series capitalizes on its strongest aspect: being a direct continuation of ‘X-Men: The Animated Series.’ It strives to maintain the essence of the original characters and animation while presenting a more mature and “raw” storyline than what audiences typically expect.
‘X-Men ’97’ racked up four million views in its first five days on Disney+. Disney heralds this as the most-watched Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series on the platform since Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ premiered in 2021, outperforming shows like ‘Iwájú’ and ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.’ Animated shorts like ‘Star Wars: Visions,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
‘X-Men ’97’ premiered last week with the two first episodes on Disney+ and the first reactions are amazing. The show premiered with 100 % on Rotten Tomatoes with the critics calling it “Best Marvel release in years’ Metacritic gave the show a high 82 score indicating that it earned “Universal acclaim” – a feat that is a rarity in the last few years when it comes to Marvel Studios projects.
The show in large part played on its greatest strength, the fact that it is a direct continuation of the ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ as it tried to imitate both the characters and animation to a reasonable extent while keeping the plot more mature and “raw” than what we’re used to seeing.
‘X-Men ’97’ had four million views within its initial five days on Disney+. Disney reports this achievement as the streamer’s most-viewed Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series since Marvel’s ‘What If…...
The show in large part played on its greatest strength, the fact that it is a direct continuation of the ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ as it tried to imitate both the characters and animation to a reasonable extent while keeping the plot more mature and “raw” than what we’re used to seeing.
‘X-Men ’97’ had four million views within its initial five days on Disney+. Disney reports this achievement as the streamer’s most-viewed Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series since Marvel’s ‘What If…...
- 3/26/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
“X-Men ’97” hit four million views in its first five days on Disney+.
According to Disney, this marks the streamer’s most-watched Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series since Marvel’s “What If…?” debuted in 2021, putting “X-Men ’97” ahead of shows including “Iwájú” and “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.”
“X-Men ’97” follows up on “X-Men: The Animated Series,” which ran on Fox Kids from 1992 to 1997. The new series follows the X-Men through new challenges after the loss of their leader, Professor Charles Xavier. The cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Jp Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, Aj LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler.
Beau DeMayo serves as head writer of “X-Men ’97,” while episodes are directed by Jake Castorena,...
According to Disney, this marks the streamer’s most-watched Season 1 premiere for a full-length animated series since Marvel’s “What If…?” debuted in 2021, putting “X-Men ’97” ahead of shows including “Iwájú” and “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.”
“X-Men ’97” follows up on “X-Men: The Animated Series,” which ran on Fox Kids from 1992 to 1997. The new series follows the X-Men through new challenges after the loss of their leader, Professor Charles Xavier. The cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Jp Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, Aj LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler.
Beau DeMayo serves as head writer of “X-Men ’97,” while episodes are directed by Jake Castorena,...
- 3/25/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
“Iwájú,” a new animated series on Disney+, is unlike anything else on the service. And really, it’s unlike anything in the history of Disney Animation – a collaborative project between Walt Disney Animation Studios, Kugali Media and Cinesite (a long-running visual effects and animation studio headquartered in England). A truly global affair, “Iwájú” imagines a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, where a 10-year-old finds herself embroiled in a high-stakes, technologically advanced tug-of-war.
And it all started with some good, old-fashioned trash talk.
Hamid Ibrahim, cocreator of “Iwájú” and the project’s production designer, said in 2019 that Kugali wanted to “kick Disney’s ass.” But Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios (and director of “Frozen”), wasn’t offended — she was intrigued. In 2020, “Iwájú” was announced as the first original series from Walt Disney Animation Studios, made in collaboration with Kugali.
After the public call-out, “a very, very organic and...
And it all started with some good, old-fashioned trash talk.
Hamid Ibrahim, cocreator of “Iwájú” and the project’s production designer, said in 2019 that Kugali wanted to “kick Disney’s ass.” But Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios (and director of “Frozen”), wasn’t offended — she was intrigued. In 2020, “Iwájú” was announced as the first original series from Walt Disney Animation Studios, made in collaboration with Kugali.
After the public call-out, “a very, very organic and...
- 3/11/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
“Iwájú,” Disney Animation’s sci-fi long-form series about a futuristic Lagos (currently streaming on Disney+ and coming to The Disney Channel April 22), is a far cry from such culturally diverse features as “Moana,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and “Encanto.” This is a Nigerian series — Disney’s first-ever outside collaboration of this kind — told from the Black team at Kugali Media, the U.K.-based Pan-African media company, voiced by Nigerian actors, and with a score from Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga.
“Iwájú” (which loosely means “the future” in Yoruba) began as a Kugali comic book anthology. Kugali co-founders Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Tolu Olowofoyeku let it be known in an interview they had their sights set on animation and were determined to “kick Disney’s arse in Africa.” This came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, Jennifer Lee, who was so impressed with the...
“Iwájú” (which loosely means “the future” in Yoruba) began as a Kugali comic book anthology. Kugali co-founders Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Tolu Olowofoyeku let it be known in an interview they had their sights set on animation and were determined to “kick Disney’s arse in Africa.” This came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, Jennifer Lee, who was so impressed with the...
- 3/4/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wraps Sunday, putting a bow on a week that saw many in the host nation reflecting on South Africa’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid. But among the filmmakers and executives taking part in the second Jbx content market the focus was squarely on the future, as Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent. “What a time to be alive in Johannesburg,” said festival founder Timothy Mangwedi at Saturday’s award ceremony. “What a time to be alive in Africa.”
Here are five takeaways from a busy week in Johannesburg:
Streamers shift strategies but still drive growth
Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January has left many local producers frustrated and confused. “It...
Here are five takeaways from a busy week in Johannesburg:
Streamers shift strategies but still drive growth
Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January has left many local producers frustrated and confused. “It...
- 3/3/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Gorgeous, eye-popping animation and a compelling story make Iwaju soar high. The title is a rough translation of the future, and this is a co-production between Walt Disney and Kugali Media, a UK-based pan-African company. In the span of six episodes, Iwaju tells a tale that is rather simple story-wise, but the presentation is absolutely top-notch. The science-fiction setting only adds value to it, and the subtle message it gives never feels too preachy.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Series?
In an unspecified future, the city of Lagos will be broken into two parts: the main city, where the working class struggles to make ends meet, and the island, where the rich flourish. However, there’s a spot of bother as many islander children are getting kidnapped, and their rich parents have no other option but to pay a lot of money as ransom. There’s one solution,...
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Series?
In an unspecified future, the city of Lagos will be broken into two parts: the main city, where the working class struggles to make ends meet, and the island, where the rich flourish. However, there’s a spot of bother as many islander children are getting kidnapped, and their rich parents have no other option but to pay a lot of money as ransom. There’s one solution,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
“Iwájú”, directed by Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, is a new 6-part animated TV series, featuring the voices of Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan and Weruche Opia, now streaming on Disney+:
“…set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the new coming-of-age story follows ‘Tola’, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, ‘Kole’, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
“She also has a robotic pet lizard named ‘Otin’ from her father. Now it;s up to Otin to save Tola from getting kidnapped by her father’s enemy…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the new coming-of-age story follows ‘Tola’, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, ‘Kole’, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
“She also has a robotic pet lizard named ‘Otin’ from her father. Now it;s up to Otin to save Tola from getting kidnapped by her father’s enemy…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 2/29/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Disney is teaming with the Pan-African Comic Book Entertainment Company Kugali to debut a new, exciting series on Disney+! “Iwájú,” a six-part series set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria will be launching on Disney+ on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The series follows two young people as they explore the world around them, enjoying the wonders of their world while also learning of its hidden dangers. You can watch Iwájú with a subscription to Disney+.
How to Watch ‘Iwájú’ Premiere When: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
About ‘Iwájú’ Premiere
“Iwájú” is the tale of Tola (voice of Simisola Gbadamosi) and her best friend Kole (voice of Siji Soetan), a tech expert whose skills were self-taught. The two friends come from different worlds, but their friendship is much stronger than any distinctions of class.
How to Watch ‘Iwájú’ Premiere When: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
About ‘Iwájú’ Premiere
“Iwájú” is the tale of Tola (voice of Simisola Gbadamosi) and her best friend Kole (voice of Siji Soetan), a tech expert whose skills were self-taught. The two friends come from different worlds, but their friendship is much stronger than any distinctions of class.
- 2/28/2024
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Netflix Releases New Clip From “Bridgerton” Season 3
“Bridgerton” Season 3 is still three months away, but Netflix has some early gossip around its hit Shondaland period drama. At a recent “Bridgerton” fan event in London, the streamer released a new clip from the first part of its upcoming third season.
According to the official season description, Season 3 will turn to the third eldest Bridgerton sibling, Colin (Luke Newton), and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), who continues to lead a double life as Lady Whistledown. With Penelope ready to give up on her longtime crush on Colin and take a husband, Colin returns from his summer travels disheartened by Penelope giving him the cold shoulder. “Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with...
“Bridgerton” Season 3 is still three months away, but Netflix has some early gossip around its hit Shondaland period drama. At a recent “Bridgerton” fan event in London, the streamer released a new clip from the first part of its upcoming third season.
According to the official season description, Season 3 will turn to the third eldest Bridgerton sibling, Colin (Luke Newton), and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), who continues to lead a double life as Lady Whistledown. With Penelope ready to give up on her longtime crush on Colin and take a husband, Colin returns from his summer travels disheartened by Penelope giving him the cold shoulder. “Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with...
- 2/15/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
"Journey to a world where nothing is as it seems." Disney+ has revealed an official trailer for an animated series titled Iwájú, set for streaming on D+ worldwide starting at the end of February. This fascinating new sci-fi animated series is a "love letter to Lagos and Nigeria", and the first ever co-production between Disney Animation and an outside studio - Kugali. Written & directed by Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson, Iwaju is set in a futuristic version of Lagos and follows two kids, Tola and Kole, who grow up on opposite sides of a city sharply divided by the haves & have-nots. Their friendship is tested by Bode, a tech pioneer whose futuristic advances hide a criminal underworld he runs with an iron fist. A comic-style animated sci-fi series set in Lagos that explores themes of class, innocence and challenging the status quo. Iwájú features the voices of Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Iwájú”, directed by Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, is a new 6-part animated TV series, featuring the voices of Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan and Weruche Opia, streaming February 28, 2024 on Disney+:
“…set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the new coming-of-age story follows ‘Tola’, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, ‘Kole’, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
“She also has a robotic pet lizard named ‘Otin’ from her father. Now it;s up to Otin to save Tola from getting kidnapped by her father’s enemy…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the new coming-of-age story follows ‘Tola’, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, ‘Kole’, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
“She also has a robotic pet lizard named ‘Otin’ from her father. Now it;s up to Otin to save Tola from getting kidnapped by her father’s enemy…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 2/13/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Porsha Williams Guobadia is rejoining The Real Housewives of Atlanta for Season 16 after a two-year absence, our sister site Deadline reports.
Williams Guobadia — who has also signed an overall scripted talent deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment — first became a part of the Bravo reality series in Season 5, later exiting the franchise in 2021 following Season 13. She went on to headline the spinoff Porsha’s Family Matters and starred in the third season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
More from TVLineNight Court to Bring Back Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell as the Wheelers, Along With Another Big Bang VeteranThe Handmaid's Tale's...
Williams Guobadia — who has also signed an overall scripted talent deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment — first became a part of the Bravo reality series in Season 5, later exiting the franchise in 2021 following Season 13. She went on to headline the spinoff Porsha’s Family Matters and starred in the third season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
More from TVLineNight Court to Bring Back Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell as the Wheelers, Along With Another Big Bang VeteranThe Handmaid's Tale's...
- 2/13/2024
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Disney and Kugali are bringing something special with their new series ‘Iwájú’, set to hit Disney+ on February 28. It’s a fresh story set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. We follow Tola, voiced by Simisola Gbadamosi, and her tech-savvy friend Kole, brought to life by Siji Soetan. They’re diving into secrets and challenges, showing us the rich contrasts of their world.
The people behind ‘Iwájú’ are just as interesting. Olufikayo Ziki Adeola is directing, with Hamid Ibrahim designing the production and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku adding cultural insights. Their combined efforts promise a series full of unique visuals and a deep connection to Lagos’ spirit.
Now, let’s talk tunes. The series’ music is coming from Ré Olunuga, a big name who’s worked on projects like the Disney+ movie ‘Rise’. He’s all about getting into the characters’ feelings and has a big love for Lagos, which shines through in the music.
The people behind ‘Iwájú’ are just as interesting. Olufikayo Ziki Adeola is directing, with Hamid Ibrahim designing the production and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku adding cultural insights. Their combined efforts promise a series full of unique visuals and a deep connection to Lagos’ spirit.
Now, let’s talk tunes. The series’ music is coming from Ré Olunuga, a big name who’s worked on projects like the Disney+ movie ‘Rise’. He’s all about getting into the characters’ feelings and has a big love for Lagos, which shines through in the music.
- 2/13/2024
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
As the streaming giants cut back on spending and Hollywood recovers from the strikes of 2023, one sector of the industry has continued to thrive: animation. And nowhere is this more evident than in Canada, which offers a fully established industry and a wealth of talent — all at an affordable price.
Animation insiders north of the border say they’ve seen an uptick in activity thanks to cost-conscious producers looking for more bang for their buck — not to mention other advantages like currency savings (the Canadian dollar is currently 74 cents to the U.S. dollar), speed and efficiency, experienced local talent and cross-border proximity to Los Angeles.
“Now that budgets have come down, we need to go back into our creative approaches of how we achieve a look and a result onscreen that works within a particular budget,” Michael Hefferon, president and COO at Vancouver-based Mainframe Studios, tells THR.
After years...
Animation insiders north of the border say they’ve seen an uptick in activity thanks to cost-conscious producers looking for more bang for their buck — not to mention other advantages like currency savings (the Canadian dollar is currently 74 cents to the U.S. dollar), speed and efficiency, experienced local talent and cross-border proximity to Los Angeles.
“Now that budgets have come down, we need to go back into our creative approaches of how we achieve a look and a result onscreen that works within a particular budget,” Michael Hefferon, president and COO at Vancouver-based Mainframe Studios, tells THR.
After years...
- 2/10/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New month, new releases at Disney+! Some of the House of Mouse’s biggest brands will see premieres in February. The streamer will bid adieu to its animated series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” which kicks off its third and final season with three new episodes on Feb. 21. Disney+ subscribers will also get to revisit last year’s “The Marvels,” which will have its streaming premiere on Feb. 7.
From a new installment of the anthology series “Genius” to a collaboration with Kugali Media for the animated series “Iwájú,” check out The Streamable’s top picks for the new additions to Disney+ this February and see everything come to the streamer soon!
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Disney+ in February 2024? “Genius: MLK/X” Premiere | Friday, Feb. 2
The National Geographic anthology series...
From a new installment of the anthology series “Genius” to a collaboration with Kugali Media for the animated series “Iwájú,” check out The Streamable’s top picks for the new additions to Disney+ this February and see everything come to the streamer soon!
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Disney+ in February 2024? “Genius: MLK/X” Premiere | Friday, Feb. 2
The National Geographic anthology series...
- 1/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado in ‘Shogun’ (Photo Cr: Kurt Iswarienko/FX)
The major broadcast networks’ February 2024 lineups include the return of primetime dramas and comedies that were delayed to midseason due to the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The premium channels also have a sprinkling of new shows and returning series set to premiere in February, with Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Apple TV+’s The New Look, FX on Hulu’s Shogun, and Netflix’s One Day making their debuts.
The FBI and NCIS franchises kick off new seasons in February; Abbott Elementary returns on the heels of creator/star Quinta Brunson’s Emmy win; and Young Sheldon, Blue Bloods, Swat, The Good Doctor, and Curb Your Enthusiasm start their final season runs. And the much-anticipated The Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, starring Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, takes viewers back...
The major broadcast networks’ February 2024 lineups include the return of primetime dramas and comedies that were delayed to midseason due to the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The premium channels also have a sprinkling of new shows and returning series set to premiere in February, with Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Apple TV+’s The New Look, FX on Hulu’s Shogun, and Netflix’s One Day making their debuts.
The FBI and NCIS franchises kick off new seasons in February; Abbott Elementary returns on the heels of creator/star Quinta Brunson’s Emmy win; and Young Sheldon, Blue Bloods, Swat, The Good Doctor, and Curb Your Enthusiasm start their final season runs. And the much-anticipated The Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, starring Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, takes viewers back...
- 1/22/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It was a special night at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif. celebrating the forces behind some of Hollywood’s beloved animated projects for Variety’s 10 Animators to Watch event.
The ceremony and cocktail reception honoring 10 creators in the animation (check out the full list here) field kicked things off with a short welcome from President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Ramsey Ann Naito. After an exclusive sneak peak from the soon-to-be-released animated film, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” Naito took the stage welcoming the crowd, “I’ve been in animation my entire career and today I can honestly say it’s bigger, it’s brighter and it’s more inclusive than ever.”
Naito then turned her attention to the recipients of the Creative Impact in Animation Directing Award, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson summoning the writing-producing duo behind “Across...
The ceremony and cocktail reception honoring 10 creators in the animation (check out the full list here) field kicked things off with a short welcome from President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Ramsey Ann Naito. After an exclusive sneak peak from the soon-to-be-released animated film, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” Naito took the stage welcoming the crowd, “I’ve been in animation my entire career and today I can honestly say it’s bigger, it’s brighter and it’s more inclusive than ever.”
Naito then turned her attention to the recipients of the Creative Impact in Animation Directing Award, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson summoning the writing-producing duo behind “Across...
- 7/19/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: David Neumann’s management company Newmation, for animation creators in film and TV, on Thursday announced its signing of Malenga Mulendema, the creator of Supa Team 4 — Netflix’s first-ever original animated series out of Africa, which debuts on the platform on July 20th.
Formerly titled Mama K’s Team 4, the show follows four teenage girls living in futuristic Lusaka, Zambia, as they’re recruited to save the world by a retired secret agent. Providing animation for it is Superprod, the French company behind the Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea. Producing Supa Team 4 were South Africa’s Triggerfish Studio, which most recently debuted the Afrofuturist animated anthology series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire on Disney+, and London-based kids producer Cake (Angry Birds: Summer Madness).
A Native of Zambia, Mulendema came to make the series after being named as one of eight winners of the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent...
Formerly titled Mama K’s Team 4, the show follows four teenage girls living in futuristic Lusaka, Zambia, as they’re recruited to save the world by a retired secret agent. Providing animation for it is Superprod, the French company behind the Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea. Producing Supa Team 4 were South Africa’s Triggerfish Studio, which most recently debuted the Afrofuturist animated anthology series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire on Disney+, and London-based kids producer Cake (Angry Birds: Summer Madness).
A Native of Zambia, Mulendema came to make the series after being named as one of eight winners of the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent...
- 7/13/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
From the importance of diversity in storytelling to the impact of Netflix and other streamers on the distribution marketplace, a panel of top content industry creatives and executives weighed pressing issues for the future of filmmaking.
The panel, held March 31 as part of the World Film Industry Conference and hosted by the nonprofit org NewFilmmakers LA, featured a master filmmakers’ dialogue moderated by Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge.
The panelists were drawn from different disciplines: Oscar-winning documentary director Morgan Neville, filmmaker/showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna, producer Paul Perez (Perez Pictures), Walt Disney Animation Studios vfx supervisor Marlon West and previsualization expert Chris Edwards (The Third Floor).
Whatever their achievements, one thing was clear, as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator McKenna put it: “We all have gatekeepers.”
Fresh off making her feature debut with “Your Place or Mine” at Netflix, McKenna explained that she found an ally for the Reese Witherspoon-...
The panel, held March 31 as part of the World Film Industry Conference and hosted by the nonprofit org NewFilmmakers LA, featured a master filmmakers’ dialogue moderated by Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge.
The panelists were drawn from different disciplines: Oscar-winning documentary director Morgan Neville, filmmaker/showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna, producer Paul Perez (Perez Pictures), Walt Disney Animation Studios vfx supervisor Marlon West and previsualization expert Chris Edwards (The Third Floor).
Whatever their achievements, one thing was clear, as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator McKenna put it: “We all have gatekeepers.”
Fresh off making her feature debut with “Your Place or Mine” at Netflix, McKenna explained that she found an ally for the Reese Witherspoon-...
- 4/19/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific revealed a robust slate of more than 50 local and global titles at an event in Singapore on Wednesday. While there were few wholly new titles revealed at the event, the overall package of Asian and international content is increasingly impressive and underpins the recent growth of the Disney+ streaming service in the region.
The Disney Content Showcase 2022, held at the Marina Bay Sands convention center, was unveiled to more than 400 press and partners with the company’s top local management, including Luke Kang, president, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific and Carol Choi, executive VP of original content strategy, in attendance.
Japanese director Miike Takashi was present along with the cast of Korean-made series “Connect” alongside a host of Korean talent. Similarly, talent contingents from Japan and Indonesia were present along with their shows and an expanded deal with Japan’s Kodansha was revealed.
The Disney Content Showcase 2022, held at the Marina Bay Sands convention center, was unveiled to more than 400 press and partners with the company’s top local management, including Luke Kang, president, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific and Carol Choi, executive VP of original content strategy, in attendance.
Japanese director Miike Takashi was present along with the cast of Korean-made series “Connect” alongside a host of Korean talent. Similarly, talent contingents from Japan and Indonesia were present along with their shows and an expanded deal with Japan’s Kodansha was revealed.
- 11/30/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Iwaju,” a new animated series coming to Disney+ next year, will be the first co-production between Disney Animation and an outside studio. The founders of that studio, African animation company Kugali, were on hand at the D23 Expo in Anaheim to show what’s in store.
Written and directed by Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson, “Iwaju” is set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria and follows two kids, Tola and Kole, who grow up on opposite sides of a city sharply divided by the haves and have-nots. Their friendship is tested by Bode, a tech pioneer whose futuristic advances hide a criminal underworld he runs with an iron fist.
A sneak preview of the series shows an Afrofuturist tale that Nelson says will have plenty of color and action, and like so many Disney tales, there’s an animal companion along for the ride in the form of a robotic salamander named Otin.
Written and directed by Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson, “Iwaju” is set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria and follows two kids, Tola and Kole, who grow up on opposite sides of a city sharply divided by the haves and have-nots. Their friendship is tested by Bode, a tech pioneer whose futuristic advances hide a criminal underworld he runs with an iron fist.
A sneak preview of the series shows an Afrofuturist tale that Nelson says will have plenty of color and action, and like so many Disney tales, there’s an animal companion along for the ride in the form of a robotic salamander named Otin.
- 9/10/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
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Disney Animation revealed Frozen favorites Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are teaming to write the feature Wish, which will tell how the wishing star that so many Disney characters have wished upon came to be. West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose will voice star in the feature, which is slated for 2023 and will be a watercolor style of animation blended with CG.
“How did the wishing start?” Lee asked at D23 Friday, referencing all the wishing that happens in Disney animated movies.
Wish centers on Asha (DeBose), a 17-year-old who sees a darkness in her kingdom that no one else does, so in a moment of desperation, she makes a passioned plea to the stars. The answer to Asha’s wish is an actual star that falls from the sky to help on her journey. DeBose was a surprise guest, as neither...
Disney Animation revealed Frozen favorites Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are teaming to write the feature Wish, which will tell how the wishing star that so many Disney characters have wished upon came to be. West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose will voice star in the feature, which is slated for 2023 and will be a watercolor style of animation blended with CG.
“How did the wishing start?” Lee asked at D23 Friday, referencing all the wishing that happens in Disney animated movies.
Wish centers on Asha (DeBose), a 17-year-old who sees a darkness in her kingdom that no one else does, so in a moment of desperation, she makes a passioned plea to the stars. The answer to Asha’s wish is an actual star that falls from the sky to help on her journey. DeBose was a surprise guest, as neither...
- 9/10/2022
- by Aaron Couch, Borys Kit and Sydney Odman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cinesite has acquired Montreal studio L’Atelier Animation, the outfit behind hit 3D animation films “Leap!” and “Fireheart.”
Cinesite, which has operations in London, Montreal and Vancouver as well as VFX partner studios Trixter in Germany and Image Engine in Vancouver, said the deal will expand its creative and production capacity to meet demand in Quebec and elsewhere. The L’Atelier Animation management team led by general manager Benoit Blouin will work with Cinesite animation COO Brad Wald to integrate the two companies and expand their Montreal footprint.
L’Atelier Animation specialises in feature-length 3D animation and series. Established in Montreal since 2012 it’s best known for “Leap!” (Caramel Films/Quads), which had some 110M in international box office revenues. It’s most recent production is “Fireheart,” (Entertainment One) produced by Les Films Seville, Anton, Main Journey, Caramel Films, and M6 Films Snd, featuring Olivia Cooke, Kenneth Branagh and William Shatner.
Cinesite, which has operations in London, Montreal and Vancouver as well as VFX partner studios Trixter in Germany and Image Engine in Vancouver, said the deal will expand its creative and production capacity to meet demand in Quebec and elsewhere. The L’Atelier Animation management team led by general manager Benoit Blouin will work with Cinesite animation COO Brad Wald to integrate the two companies and expand their Montreal footprint.
L’Atelier Animation specialises in feature-length 3D animation and series. Established in Montreal since 2012 it’s best known for “Leap!” (Caramel Films/Quads), which had some 110M in international box office revenues. It’s most recent production is “Fireheart,” (Entertainment One) produced by Les Films Seville, Anton, Main Journey, Caramel Films, and M6 Films Snd, featuring Olivia Cooke, Kenneth Branagh and William Shatner.
- 7/20/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
VFX House Cinesite has added Montreal’s L’Atelier Animation to its expanding studio network in Canada and Germany, the company said Wednesday.
Terms of the acquisition deal were not disclosed. But Cinesite, headquartered in the UK and having moved from creating digital visual effects to feature animation on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and other tentpoles, has acquired a Montreal studio specializing in feature-length 3D animation and series.
Pending regulatory approvals, Cinesite is acquiring 100 percent of the studio, with senior L’Atelier Animation management staying on to lead the business under its own branded name. L’Atelier Animation general manager Benoit Blouin and Cinesite Animation COO Brad Wald will jointly work to merge the two companies and steer animated work to Montreal.
L’Atelier Animation is the fourth studio to join Cinesite after it acquired Image Engine VFX and Nitrogen Studios...
VFX House Cinesite has added Montreal’s L’Atelier Animation to its expanding studio network in Canada and Germany, the company said Wednesday.
Terms of the acquisition deal were not disclosed. But Cinesite, headquartered in the UK and having moved from creating digital visual effects to feature animation on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and other tentpoles, has acquired a Montreal studio specializing in feature-length 3D animation and series.
Pending regulatory approvals, Cinesite is acquiring 100 percent of the studio, with senior L’Atelier Animation management staying on to lead the business under its own branded name. L’Atelier Animation general manager Benoit Blouin and Cinesite Animation COO Brad Wald will jointly work to merge the two companies and steer animated work to Montreal.
L’Atelier Animation is the fourth studio to join Cinesite after it acquired Image Engine VFX and Nitrogen Studios...
- 7/20/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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Baymax gets his own animated series — the first Disney+ series from Disney’s feature animation unit — and it’s a far cry from his superhero antics in the “Big Hero 6” feature and previous animated spin-off series. “Baymax!” (streaming Wednesday) finds the affable, inflatable robot (voiced by Scott Adsit) returning to his original programming as a healthcare companion in San Fransokyo. In the six short episodes, he helps people with physical ailments while also getting them over emotional hurdles as well.
“What I thought we could do with the series is actually just focus on Baymax and one patient at a time,” creator Don Hall said at a virtual press conference earlier this week. In search of a different perspective for “Baymax!,” the Oscar-winning director of “Big Hero 6,” “Moana,” and the upcoming “Strange World” reached back to television’s past. “I remembered back as a kid watching medical procedurals...
Baymax gets his own animated series — the first Disney+ series from Disney’s feature animation unit — and it’s a far cry from his superhero antics in the “Big Hero 6” feature and previous animated spin-off series. “Baymax!” (streaming Wednesday) finds the affable, inflatable robot (voiced by Scott Adsit) returning to his original programming as a healthcare companion in San Fransokyo. In the six short episodes, he helps people with physical ailments while also getting them over emotional hurdles as well.
“What I thought we could do with the series is actually just focus on Baymax and one patient at a time,” creator Don Hall said at a virtual press conference earlier this week. In search of a different perspective for “Baymax!,” the Oscar-winning director of “Big Hero 6,” “Moana,” and the upcoming “Strange World” reached back to television’s past. “I remembered back as a kid watching medical procedurals...
- 6/29/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
In 1958, Esquire published “A Great Day in Harlem,” a photo taken by Art Kane of 57 jazz musicians ranging from Thelonious Monk to Coleman Hawkins gathered together on a New York City stoop. In an homage to that historic picture, on June 5, 2022, Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Pictures organized “A Great Day in Animation,” which features 54 Black professionals working in animation today. Taken by Randy Shropshire with Jeff Vespa as production lead and obtained exclusively by Variety, the photo is above.
Though Nickelodeon and Paramount put the event together and hosted it on the Paramount backlot, “A Great Day in Animation” includes artists from all across the industry. The idea for the photo came from Marlon West, a visual effects supervisor for Disney whose credits include “The Lion King,” “Encanto” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Iwájú.” For decades, West has been moved by “A Great Day in Harlem,” as well as Jean Bach...
Though Nickelodeon and Paramount put the event together and hosted it on the Paramount backlot, “A Great Day in Animation” includes artists from all across the industry. The idea for the photo came from Marlon West, a visual effects supervisor for Disney whose credits include “The Lion King,” “Encanto” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Iwájú.” For decades, West has been moved by “A Great Day in Harlem,” as well as Jean Bach...
- 6/17/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Speaking on Monday at the 6th Women in Animation (Wia) Summit at the Annecy Animation Festival, Chris Mack, director, Grow Creative at Netflix, addressed issues of labor shortage and inclusivity in the animation industry.
“Never before in the history of person kind have we told these many stories, or pumped these many dollars into entertaining the world. The fact is we don’t have enough skilled talent to create and produce this content,” he announced.
“There have never been so many opportunities,” he added, noting that his company has executives in some 15 countries, whose jobs are to create pipelines and tap into local talent pools, both new and established.
“You need executives who look like the creator you want to work with, who understand cultural storytelling. That’s what’s unique with Netflix,” said Mack. “They have buyers who can identify a story that’s relevant for their territory.”
The...
“Never before in the history of person kind have we told these many stories, or pumped these many dollars into entertaining the world. The fact is we don’t have enough skilled talent to create and produce this content,” he announced.
“There have never been so many opportunities,” he added, noting that his company has executives in some 15 countries, whose jobs are to create pipelines and tap into local talent pools, both new and established.
“You need executives who look like the creator you want to work with, who understand cultural storytelling. That’s what’s unique with Netflix,” said Mack. “They have buyers who can identify a story that’s relevant for their territory.”
The...
- 6/14/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Disney has tapped top toon talents from across the African continent for “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” a Disney Plus Original anthology of animated films set to premiere on the Mouse House’s streaming platform in late 2022.
Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, the 10-part anthology brings together a slate of rising animation talents from six African nations to produce action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories that will present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) will serve as executive producer, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Cape Town-based animation house Triggerfish, which received the prestigious MIFA Animation Industry Award in Annecy this year, will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
“We are bringing the work of a visionary...
Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, the 10-part anthology brings together a slate of rising animation talents from six African nations to produce action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories that will present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) will serve as executive producer, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Cape Town-based animation house Triggerfish, which received the prestigious MIFA Animation Industry Award in Annecy this year, will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
“We are bringing the work of a visionary...
- 6/17/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Walt Disney Animation Studios and African entertainment company Kugali revealed new details about a futuristic world of Lagos, Nigeria, that they are creating for their upcoming Disney+ original animated series Iwaju, Wednesday during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Series themes include class divide and inequality. “That’s the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo,” writer/director and Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson related, though the filmmakers kept the story details under wraps.
The Kugali team came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative ...
Series themes include class divide and inequality. “That’s the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo,” writer/director and Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson related, though the filmmakers kept the story details under wraps.
The Kugali team came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Walt Disney Animation Studios and African entertainment company Kugali revealed new details about a futuristic world of Lagos, Nigeria, that they are creating for their upcoming Disney+ original animated series Iwaju, Wednesday during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Series themes include class divide and inequality. “That’s the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo,” writer/director and Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson related, though the filmmakers kept the story details under wraps.
The Kugali team came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative ...
Series themes include class divide and inequality. “That’s the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo,” writer/director and Kugali co-founder Ziki Nelson related, though the filmmakers kept the story details under wraps.
The Kugali team came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Raccoon survival and youthful curiosity clash in Disney’s latest 2D/CG hybrid short, “Far From the Tree,” premiering Tuesday at the hybrid 2021 Annecy Animation festival, and screening theatrically in front of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s animated musical, “Encanto,” on November 24. But, for director Natalie Nourigat (the Short Circuit “Exchange Student” on Disney+), her short obviously went much deeper than celebrating childhood memories growing up in Oregon, and family visits to the cold and misty Canon Beach.
In “Far From the Tree,” curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon, whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe from roaming coyotes on their idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest. “I needed a conflict, the realization that you’re being an over-protective parent,” said Nourigat. “Where’s that line between I need to keep you safe and prepare you for what’s out there and letting you enjoy being a kid...
In “Far From the Tree,” curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon, whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe from roaming coyotes on their idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest. “I needed a conflict, the realization that you’re being an over-protective parent,” said Nourigat. “Where’s that line between I need to keep you safe and prepare you for what’s out there and letting you enjoy being a kid...
- 6/14/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
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