Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie Pitt continues to add new creative causes to her already busy schedule, signing on to executive produce an animated feature adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling novel, The Breadwinner. The children's novel about a young girl's life under Taliban rule has seen more than 39 editions of its English-language run and celebrates its 15th anniversary of publication this year.

In less world-changing animation news, we have premiere notices for Hulu's third season of The Awesomes and the new Nerdist series, Skulls of the Shogun. We've also got a pair of clips from the DC Comics universe's animated projects Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem and LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes - Justice League: Attack of the Legion of DoomWe'll wrap things up with a fun fan mash-up of Mad Max Fury Road and Adventure Time that is just perfect. Check it all out below.

Angelina Jolie to Produce 'The Breadwinner'

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Image via Universal

As Variety reports, Jolie Pitt will step in as Executive Producer for The Breadwinner, the adaptation of Deborah Ellis' award-winning novel. Nora Towmey directs the animated feature about Parvana, a resourceful Afghan girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family who is living under the Taliban regime. Here's what Jolie Pitt had to say about the project:

“Millions of young girls like Parvana are growing up today under oppression or conflict, and helping their families to survive in those conditions. This story is a reminder of the immense value of their contribution. I am delighted to be working with a talented team of artists who I know will do justice to the richness, creativity and strength of Afghan culture and to little girls like Parvana.”

Jolie Pitt will produce through Jolie Pas Productions. Here's the synopsis for the first novel in The Breadwinner series (via Amazon):

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Image via Groundwood Books

The first book in Deborah Ellis’s riveting Breadwinner series is an award-winning novel about loyalty, survival, families and friendship under extraordinary circumstances during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan.

 

Eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city. Parvana’s father — a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed — works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day, he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food.

 

As conditions for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy, and become the breadwinner.

 

The fifteenth anniversary edition includes a special foreword by Deborah Ellis as well as a new map, an updated author’s note and a glossary to provide young readers with background and context. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Parvana’s Fund supports education projects for Afghan women and children.

Nerdist's 'Skulls of the Shogun' Premiere

Preview Our New Animated Series, SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN!

Based on the 17-Bit Studios arcade/strategy game, the Skulls of the Shogun animated series premiered earlier this week on Nerdist. With voice work from veteran actor John DiMaggio and series writer/director F. Ryan Naumann, each short episode follows General Akamoto, a shogun who finds himself in the land of the dead and on a quest for revenge. Here's the synopsis, courtesy of the show's narrator:

“On the battlefields of ancient Japan, the mighty General Akamoto stands ready to become Shogun on the eve of his greatest battle. Betrayed by a shadowy figure, he finds himself transported to the shores of the dead, where a ragtag misfit army is his only chance to break down the gates to the afterlife and gain the title of ‘Shogun of the Dead!'”

Check out the premiere of Skulls of the Shogun below (via Nerdist):

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN Premiere: “Meet the Recruits”

'The Awesomes' Season 3 Premieres on Hulu

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Image via Hulu

Season three of The Awesomes returns to Hulu Tuesday, September 8th. Starting then, you can start streaming episodes about the dysfunctional superhero team voiced by Seth Meyers,Taran Killam, Paula Pell, Ike Barinholtz, Rashida Jones, Bill Hader,  Kenan Thompson, Bobby Lee, Emily Spivey and Josh Meyers. If you haven't been watching The Awesomes, now's a great time to catch up!

Here's the upcoming season's synopsis:

The Awesomes is the story of the greatest superhero team in history, and what happens after all the most powerful members leave. In season three, the new Awesomes and team leader Prock (Seth Meyers) have finally been accepted by America. Their only problem: the team’s founder and Prock’s Dad, Mr. Awesome, has returned from space and he’s been infected with Dr. Malocchio’s evil serum and has a plan to destroy his own son’s team.

'Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem' Clip

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Image via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, now available on Digital HD and coming to Blu-ray and DVD August 18th, is the latest animated release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. In this go-round, the DC heroes must defend Gotham when the Joker and his allies attempt to seize control of the city on Halloween night. The cast and characters feature Nightwing (Will Friedle), Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopoulos), Solomon Grundy (Fred Tatasciore), Silver Banshee (Kari Wuhrer) Batman (Roger Craig Smith), Red Robin (Yuri Lowenthal), and, of course, the Joker (Troy Baker).

In the following clip, Nightwing and Green Arrow team up to take on Solomon Grundy and Silver Banshee and soon get some unexpected backup. Some additional new images from the direct-to-video animated film also follow (via CBR):

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Image via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
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Image via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Since we're in the DC Comics universe, we might as well take a look at a new clip from LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes - Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom, which is now available on digital download and comes to DVD and Blu-ray on August 25th. The clip, via CBR, is a nice reminder that DC Comics and LEGO still remember how to entertain their younger audiences. Check it out below:

'Mad Max' Meets 'Adventure Time' in Animated Fan Mash-up

Ever since Mad Max Fury Road swept through theaters earlier this year, it's left its mark on fans around the world. There have been numerous homages to George Miller's latest: cosplays, video games, cinematic supercuts, and theme song mash-ups, even Conan O'Brien put his own spin on it. So while I'm not exactly experiencing Mad Max fatigue just yet, I find myself being a bit more critical when it comes to which fan videos I want to share with you.

If you love Mad Max and have always wanted to see how the heroes of Adventure Time would survive in Miller's post-apocalyptic and desolate world, this new video was made just for you (via Russian artist Egor Zhgun):