In This Week in Animation News, I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation in order to get you caught up on everything you might have missed. It’s your one-stop shop for news regarding cartoons, anime, and animated web series. We’re talking movies, TV shows, digital shorts, and everything in between!
For the latest animation stories we’ve already covered on the site this week, take a look at the following links. Then, check out a selection of new stories below. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Voltron:
- ‘Voltron’ Season 6 Finale Makes Some Major Sacrifices for the Good of All Realities
- ‘Voltron’ Showrunners Break Down Season 6 Plot Twists, Character Reveals, and Easter Eggs
Incredibles 2 and Pixar:
- Sophia Bush Reveals the “Incredible” Way Brad Bird Cast Her in ‘Incredibles 2′
- ‘Bao’ Director Domee Shi & Producer Becky Neiman-Cobb on Bringing the Dumpling to Life
- The Collider.com Podcast: Episode 147 – ‘Incredibles 2’ and the Future of Pixar
- Pixar Films Ranked from Worst to Best
- Amazon Studios Gets in the Robert Kirkman Game with Adult Animated ‘Invincible’ Series
- Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter to Replace John Lasseter at Disney Animation and Pixar
Other:
- Amazon Studios Gets in the Robert Kirkman Game with Adult Animated ‘Invincible’ Series
- Exclusive: ‘Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure’ Season 2 Premiere Clip Presents a Perilous Road
- MTV Launches New Studio to Reboot ‘Daria,’ ‘The Real World,’ ‘Aeon Flux’
'Gravity Falls' Graphic Novel Teased in Parody Toy Ad
Oh My Disney recently released a parody TV ad to promote the long-awaited new graphic novel Gravity Falls: Lost Legends. The hilarious promo features a fake product called “Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock” — the most talkative and loveable stuffed gnome in Gravity Falls —and a surprise cameo by the Emmy Award-winning series creator, Alex Hirsch. The new book, out July 24th, contains four never-before-heard strange stories based in the sleepy Oregon town of Gravity Falls.
Last year, Disney released "Gravity Falls Journal 3", which stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for almost a full year. It’s highly anticipated follow up, "Lost Legends", will be on shelves nationwide July 24th. The new, original graphic novel features four forbidden adventures and four lost tales. Additionally, the beloved 40-episode TV series, which concluded in 2016, will be available for the first time in a complete box set, Gravity Falls: The Complete Series on the same day.
Gravity Falls: Lost Legends is the first ever Gravity Falls original graphic novel.
Here's what you can expect from the graphic novel (via Amazon):
A collection of four all-new strange stories from the sleepy town of Gravity Falls in one original graphic novel. Written by Alex Hirsch. Illustrated by Asaf Hanuka, Dana Terrace, Ian Worrel, Jacob Chabot, Jim Campbell, Joe Pitt, Kyle Smeallie, Meredith Gran, Mike Holmes, Priscilla Tang, Serina Hernandez, Stephanie Ramirez, and Valerie Halla.
Sony Teases Jonas Blue and Joe Jonas' 'Hotel Transylvania 3' Song "I See Love"
Marshmello's 'DuckTales' Music Video Drops Tonight
Marshmello and Disney have collaborated on a special DuckTales-inspired music video of the music producer/DJ's hit single "Fly," which will debut on today during Disney·Pixar's The Incredibles (6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT) and leading into the "2018 Radio Disney Music Awards" (RDMA) (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT/PDT), on Disney Channel. The music video will also be available in the DisneyNOW app. A mix of animation and live-action, the music video launches Scrooge, his nephew Donald, great-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and their friend Webby into a musical outer space adventure. When their spaceship unexpectedly crashes, they encounter an alien DJ on a remote Marshmello planet.
Marshmello will also perform at the 2018 RDMA and is a top nominee with four nominations. Last year's worth of chart topping singles – featuring collaborations with Selena Gomez, Khalid, Migos, Logic and more – have garnered more than 2 billion streams across Spotify alone and with more than 40 million monthly listeners, he is Spotify's #4 Most-Streamed Artist in the World.
Watch the Opening Credits of DreamWorks Animation's New Netflix Series 'The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants'
George Beard and Harold Hutchins are bringing all their mischief, humor, and their greatest creation of all, Captain Underpants, to Netflix! DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants begins streaming July 13!
Get ready for a world of pranks, super villains, and your favorite underwear-wielding superhero in the Netflix original series DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants premiering July 13th. George Beard and Harold Hutchins are two best buds who share a love of comic books and practical jokes – and a strong dislike for their cranky, fun-hating school principal, Mr. Krupp. When their over-the-top pranks get out of hand, the boys unleash their creative superpowers by transforming Krupp into the bumbling, briefs-baring superhero, Captain Underpants! The future of Jerome Horwitz Elementary is always in jeopardy, and it’s up to two prank-loving fourth graders and one goofy caped crusader to save it. What could possibly go wrong?
From Peabody Award and Emmy-winning executive producer Peter Hastings, the series is based on the epic novels by Dav Pilkey that have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. Pilkey himself has praised the show saying, "I binge-watched all of the episodes in one afternoon...I couldn’t help myself. Peter Hastings has totally captured the craziness and heart of the Captain Underpants multiverse and I hope everybody will love the show as much as I do. Kids have been asking for more Captain Underpants books for years, and to me it feels like we are getting brand-new books--- except they’re animated!"
Cast:
- Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, "Stranger Things") as The Narrator
- Nat Faxon ("Ben and Kate", “Married") as Captain Underpants/Mr. Krupp
- Jay Gragnani (“Bubble Guppies”) as George Beard
- Ramone Hamilton (“Will & Grace”) as Harold Hutchins
- David Koechner (Anchorman) as Mr. Meaner
- Tress MacNeille (“The Simpsons”, “VeggieTales in the House”) as Ms. Hurd
- Laraine Newman (“DreamWorks Trollhunters”)as Ms. Tara Ribble
- Stephen Root (“Barry”, “King of the Hill”) as Mr. Morty Fyde
- Jorge Diaz (“Elena of Avalor”) as Melvin Sneedly
- Mindy Sterling (Austin Powers) as Melvin’s mom
- Erica Lutrell (“Salvation”, “Steven Universe”) as Erica Wang
- Dayci Brookshire (“Home Adventures with Tip & Oh”) as Jessica Gordon
- Evan Kishiyama (“Mickey and the Roadster Racers”) as Steve “Gooch” Yamaguchi
Check out over two dozen images showing off the various animation styles of the new Captain Underpants series below!
New English-Language 'Fireworks' Trailer Celebrates the Anime's July 4th Holiday Release
GKIDS proudly presents Fireworks! Head here for theaters and more information.
Producer Genki Kawamura follows up his mega-hit Your Name with another tale of star-crossed teenage lovers with a sci-fi fantasy twist. Shy Norimichi and fast-talking Yusuke, are goo-goo-eyed over the same elusive classmate, Nazuna. But Nazuna, unhappy over her mother's decision to remarry and leave their countryside town, plans to run away and has secretly chosen Norimichi to accompany her. When things don't go as planned, Norimichi discovers that a glowing multi-color ball found in the sea has the power to reset the clock and give them a second chance to be together. But each reset adds new complications and takes them farther and farther away from the real world - until they risk losing sight of reality altogether.
Fireworks tells a simple story of adolescent longing that taps deep wells of emotion. It is tale of youthful wistfulness, missed opportunities and long-ago dreams, of the urgency of young lovers, and the desire to create a separate universe, a magic place outside of time, where they can be together.
RTX London 2018 Guests Announced
RTX, Rooster Teeth’s celebration of gaming, animation and internet culture, today announced a slate of guests returning to RTX London, happening September 15-16 at the ExCeL London. After a successful launch event in 2017 that sold out in a few hours and saw 15,000 attendees, Rooster Teeth is returning to the U.K. for panels, exclusive premieres, ridiculous gameplay and just the right amount of Americans, including:
- The Founders - Matt Hullum, Burnie Burns, Gus Sorola, Geoff Ramsey
- RWBY - Barbara Dunkelman, Lindsay Jones
- Achievement Hunter - Michael Jones, Jack Pattillo, Jeremy Dooley, Ryan Haywood
- Funhaus - Lawrence Sonntag
- Actors / Hosts - Blaine Gibson
- Animation - Gray G. Haddock
- The Know - Ashley Jenkins
- Kinda Funny - Greg Miller, Tim Gettys
RTX began in 2011 in a field next to what was then the Rooster Teeth office and now draws a record 65,000 attendees to downtown Austin for its annual flagship event. Beginning with RTX Australia in 2016, RTX has now expanded internationally to Sydney and London, with more international events to be announced soon. Past RTX events have had keynote speakers like Hideo Kojima and Andy Serkis, and screenings from Fox, Adult Swim, Netflix, and more. Gaming exhibitors have included 343 Industries, Xbox, Bethesda, and Nintendo.
Single day and weekend passes are on sale and available now starting at £34.00 at rtxlondon.com.
Stay tuned for more announcements on programming and special guests for RTX London. For the latest developments and updates, visit rtxlondon.com.
"Grand Day" Comes to 'DanMemo'
In honor of DanMemo's one year anniversary of its release in Japan, a new story arrived for the game on June 18th at 7pm and will be around until 11:59pm on July 9th, called Grand Day!
The Behemoth Conquest is one of the "3 Big Quests" of the original anime, and players/fans alike will find a lot of new information and backstory regarding Behemoth in this original story for the Grand Day event. With the original creator, Omori-san, being heavily involved in the story creation and direction, fans are certain to embrace this new story that comes with a few new touches, like changing the quest menu to a map icon and changing the battle system to allow all users to combine efforts to grind down the HP of the Behemoth. Get a glimpse at some images from the Grand Day "Behemoth Conquest" below!
Crunchyroll's Steam Summer Sale Offers Hit Anime Titles
A whole bunch of anime titles are on sale courtesy of Crunchyroll's Steam Summer Sale! Running from June 21st to July 5th, you can pick up discounted titles like:
- The Ancient Magus' Bride (Season 1 Volume 1)
- Black Clover (Season 1 Block 1)
- Kino's Journey
- Food Wars! The Third Plate
- URAHARA
Check out the link above for more!