In This Week in Animation News, I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation news 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!
- Gorgeous New ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Is Full of Spider-People
- Watch: Kaley Cuoco Voices Harley Quinn in First Teaser for New Animated Series
- ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Is the Latest Animated Disney Movie to Get the Live-Action Treatment
- Here Are All of Disney’s Upcoming Live-Action Remakes
- Exclusive: ‘Blaze and the Monster Machines’ Clip Features NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur
- New ‘Marvel Rising’ Specials to Bring Back Ghost-Spider and Introduce Ironheart
- Exclusive First Trailer for ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny’ Shows Off Amazon’s Series
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes Surpasses $5.1 Million at Box Office, Extends Theatrical Run
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes has wowed audiences across the U.S. and Canada and had moviegoers flocking to theaters to watch the first ever feature film from the global hit anime franchise My Hero Academia. To meet the ongoing demand from audiences, Funimation Films is extending the movie’s run, which was originally set to end last night. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes will now be available on additional dates of October 4 & 6 in the U.S. and October 5-11 in Canada. Virtually all 500+ U.S. and Canadian theaters from the original release are participating in the extended run, which will include showtimes for both the Japanese language (English subtitles) and English dub versions depending on exhibitor and location. As of last night, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes has surpassed $5.1M at the box office and is now ranked as the 11th highest grossing anime film of all time domestically.
“Fans will understand when I say that the response to My Hero Academia: Two Heroes has truly been Plus Ultra!” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation. “We’re thrilled to make the film available for additional dates at virtually all 500+ U.S. and Canadian theaters from the original release. If you thought you missed My Hero Academia: Two Heroes in theaters or you couldn’t catch an encore screening, now is your second chance.”
Check local listings for U.S. and Canadian locations and showtimes on October 4 & 6 or October 5-11, respectively.
Our favorite young hero-in training is in for a wild ride when villains threaten the artificial moving city, I-Island. Deku and All Might receive an invitation to I-Expo, the world’s leading exhibition of Quirk abilities and hero item innovations! Amid the excitement, sponsors, and pros from all over, Deku meets Melissa, a girl who is Quirkless just like he once was. Suddenly, I-Expo’s top-of-the-line security system gets hacked by villains, and a sinister plan is set in motion. It’s a serious threat to hero society and one man holds the key to it all—the symbol of peace, All Might.
Check here for tickets to the bonus screenings of the uber-popular My Hero Academia: Two Heroes!
Funimation Announces New Home Video Titles at NYCC
New Release (Home Video) – citrus
From Passione, the complete anime series adapted from the romance manga by Saburouta.
- Available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital
- Street date: 01/22/19
New Release (Home Video) – The Ancient Magus’ Bride Part 1
From Wit Studio, episodes 1-12 of the anime series adapted from the award-wining dark fantasy shōnen manga by Kore Yamazaki
- Extras: 3-part prequel OVA “Those Awaiting a Star” and Twitter Q&A with director Kyle Phillips and voice actors Dani Chambers (“Chise”) and Brian Mathis (“Elias”)
- Available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital
- Street date: 01/29/19
First Poster for 'RWBY Vol. 6' Is a Stunner
Rooster Teeth has unleashed the new RWBY Volume 6 poster, illustrated by Ein Lee, revealing a powerful threat lurking in the distance. What will become of our four favorite huntresses?! Join us for the premiere October 27th exclusively on Rooster Teeth.
RWBY Volume 6 synopsis:
Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang have been reunited and Team RWBY’s first mission back is one of grave importance: escorting the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas. With Beacon fallen and Mistral compromised, Remnant’s northernmost academy may now be the safest place in the world, but making it there will be more dangerous than anyone could have imagined.
RWBY is the first western-style anime to be distributed in Japan and is produced by Rooster Teeth in Austin, Texas.
'The Boss Baby: Back in Business' Season 2 Trailer
One of Netflix's most successful kids and family series to date, Season 2 of DreamWorks Animation Television's series The Boss Baby: Back in Business picks up where the first season left off. Baby Corp has been left without a CEO, giving rise to an up-and-comer from the R&D division: Turtleneck Superstar CEO Baby (Cynthia Erivo). When she unveils her breakthrough Stinkless Serum to keep babies smelling their absolute best, Boss Baby and the gang must work quickly to keep this magic cure-all out of the hands of puppies, kittens, and, what Boss Baby believes to be their greatest threat yet: old people!
This season is from Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer Brandon Sawyer and stars the voice talents of JP Karliak (Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production) as Boss Baby, Pierce Gagnon (Looper, Tomorrowland, Wish I Was Here) as Tim, and Kevin Michael Richardson (All Hail King Julien, Cleveland Show) as Jimbo, Cynthia Erivo (Tony Award winner for The Color Purple) as Superstar Turtleneck CEO Baby, Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live) as Gigi, and Diedrich Bader (Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite) as Junior Fancy.
'Spirited Away' Returns to Theaters as Part of GKIDS and Fathom Events 'Studio Ghibli Fest 2018'
IN SELECT CINEMAS NATIONWIDE OCTOBER 28 & 29 & 30
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki’s wondrous fantasy adventure Spirited Away is a dazzling masterpiece from one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animation.
Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house, but when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastical spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents and return to the normal world. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a worldwide smash hit, and is one the most critically acclaimed films of all time.
Prior to the events, GKIDS will host a special Facebook Live fan Q&A with Spirited Away voice actor Susan Egan (English voice of Lin). The 30 minute fan Q&A will be held on Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on the GKIDS Facebook page. Fans are also encouraged to submit questions in advance via GKIDS Social media pages.
WHO: Fathom Events and GKIDS
WHEN:
- Sunday, October 28 at 12:55 p.m. local time (English-language dubbed)
- Monday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. local time (English-language subtitled)
- Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. local time (English-language dubbed)
WHERE:
Tickets for Spirited Away can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or www.GhibliFest.com and at participating theater box offices. Moviegoers throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy these events in over 700 select movie theaters. A complete list of theater locations will be available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Season 3 of 'HarmonQuest' Goes into Production This Fall
HarmonQuest, produced by Universal Cable Productions and Starburns Industries, embarks on its Season 3 production quest this fall in Los Angeles. The animated comedic journey ventures into the hilarious world of fantasy role-playing with Dan Harmon and his comedian companions.
The series stars Harmon, Spencer Crittenden, Erin McGathy, and Jeff B. Davis, who gather together to play the role-playing game Pathfinder. Previous guest stars have included Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza and Kumail Nanjiani. The series is executive produced by Harmon, Crittenden and James Fino.
The new season will air exclusively on VRV, the fandom-focused video platform from Ellation, in 2019.
'Scooby-Doo' Episodes Coming to Boomerang for 2nd Annual 'Scoobtober'!
Binge over 400 episodes of Scooby-Doo in the 2nd annual Scoobtober! Boomerang boasts the largest Scooby-Doo library on any streaming service including the complete series of:
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
With high school over, Shaggy, Scooby, Velma, Daphne and Fred decide to travel during what could be their last summer break together. The gang hits the road in the Mystery Machine, chasing fun and adventure.
The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries
Scooby-Doo and his detective pals solve all-new, brain-puzzling, spine-tingling mysteries.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
A sleepy little village, Crystal Cove boasts a long history of ghost sightings, poltergeists, demon possessions, phantoms and other paranormal occurrences. The sleuthing team of Scooby-Doo and the gang prove all of this simply isn't real.
Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Olympics
This series consists of various competitions around the world between Yogi's Yahoos, Scoobie Doobies and Really Rottens. Each team scores points in an attempt to win a gold medal. Snagglepuss is the commentator.
The Scooby-Doo Show
Join Scooby-Doo and the gang in their various adventures in this compilation series including episodes from the Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, Scooby’s All-Stars, Scooby-Doo Where Are You and Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics.
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo move into Shaggy's Uncle Albert's mansion, who has disappeared. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo try to find Uncle Albert and keep the Scooby Snack technology out of the hands of the outrageously evil villain, Dr. Phineus Phibes.
And Boomerang Has 'Scooby-Doo' Movies, Too!
Zoinks! There's More?! Boomerang's "Scoobtober" also includes 15 premiere episodes of The New Scooby Doo Movies!
Scooby and the junior detectives are joined by a great comedy star or team in animated form with real voices of the celebrities. Highlights include:
The Caped Crusader Caper
Scooby and Mystery Inc. meet the terrible twosome, Penguin and Joker, on a camping trip in the forest. To stop the evildoers, the kids enlist the aid of those crusaders against crime, Batman and Robin.
Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner?
When the hopelessly lost members of Mystery, Inc. enter Moody Manor to ask for directions, Don Knotts, the world's greatest detective, mistakenly believes they are the relatives of the estate's wealthy late owner.
The Lochness Mess
When Scooby-Doo and the kids travel to a small New England town to visit Shaggy's Uncle Nathaniel, they plunge into a maelstrom of mystery, encounter the ghost of Paul Revere and confront a spooky sea serpent! With the aid of the Harlem Globetrotters, who are vacationing nearby, the kids discover the actual culprit.
Scooby-Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy
Scooby and the gang join wits with Laurel and Hardy, newly appointed bellhops at a Vermont ski lodge, to track an abominable snowman by the name of Bigfoot!
Scooby-Doo Meets Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke purchases a carnival and names it the Dick Van Dyke Barrel of Fun. But the place isn't fun. It's haunted! Scooby and the gang help Dick uncover the apparitions that are scaring away both customers and employees.
Scoobtober Movie of the Month:
Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash
Mystery, Inc. heads to Blowout Beach for a real swinging beach party but when they arrive, they find out Ghost Pirates are haunting the location. It's now up to the Scooby and the gang to save the day and get the party back on track!
Check Out NickSplat's Refreshed Lineup!
You'll love what's next on NickSplat in October 2018!
Here's VRV's handy viewing guide to see everything available on NickSplat now!
Watch the Trailer for Abel Goldfarb's Award-Winning Animated Short 'Ian'
Abel Goldfarb’s emotional animated short film shares a true story about a disabled boy called Ian. This award-winning film took home the top prize at LA Shorts International Film Festival and was originally launched by the President of Argentina. The film was Executive Produced by Oscar-winner Juan José Campanella.
Ian was born with cerebral palsy. All he wants is to make friends, although it seems impossible to achieve when discrimination and bullying keep him away from his beloved playground. However, this young boy is determined and won’t give up easily.
The film is based on Ian, a young Argentinian boy who suffers from cerebral palsy. He can only talk with the help of a machine and was teased daily when he visited his rehabilitation center by children from a nearby school. His mother went to the school to tackle this issue and found the school had no tools to teach the children that bullying is wrong, so she wrote a book aimed at children, about a disabled boy. Penguin published this inspiring book, which is simply titled Ian.
Director Abel Goldfarb was born in Buenos Aires in 1979. He studied Film Direction at the prestigious University of Cinema (FUC) in BA. At the tender age of 17, he won his first screenplay contest. Since 2010 he has worked with Oscar-winner Juan José Campanella and has been a lecturer since 2004.
Producer Gastón Gorali co-wrote and produced the award-winning animated film Underdogs distributed by Universal Pictures and The Weinstein Company. He has created, co-written, and produced TV shows for global networks like Fox and Discovery Kids. He is also the co-founder of Mundoloco CGI Animation Studios.
Latin-American filmmaker Juan José Campanella has written, directed and produced box-office hits, like The Son of the Bride, Metegol, and Academy Award winner The Secret in her Eyes. He is also a two-time EMMY award winner.
In October Ian can be seen at Edmonton International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Chelsea Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and Naples International Film Festival.
Rooster Teeth's 'gen:LOCK' Adds Asia Kate Dillon and Golshifteh Farahani to the Ranks
Pioneering entertainment and media company Rooster Teeth announced the addition of Asia Kate Dillon (Billions) and Golshifteh Farahani (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) to the gen:LOCK voice cast.
Dillon will voice Valentina “Val” Romanyszyn, a former Ukrainian covert agent who thought they were done fighting. Farahani will voice Yasamin “Yaz” Madrani, a talented and confident recruit from Iran who finds her calling in the gen:LOCK program, but who won’t open up easily about her past.
“It's been such a privilege to work alongside these amazing talents,” said Gray G. Haddock, writer and director of gen:LOCK. “There's so much we want to do with these characters, and exploring together to find just the right approach has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I've bonded so much with Valentina and Yaz, and what Asia and Golshifteh have brought to the parts. I can't wait for everyone to meet these characters.”
In gen:LOCK, Earth’s last free society is on the losing side of a global war, and recruits a diverse team of young pilots to control the next generation of giant, weaponized robot bodies known as mecha. These daring recruits will find, however, that their newfound abilities come at no small cost.
gen:LOCK’s voice cast is led by Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) who voices the main character, Julian Chase, and also includes Dakota Fanning (The Alienist, Twilight Saga) voicing expert mech pilot and Chase’s love interest, Miranda Worth, Kōichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell) voicing Kazu Iida, one of the new recruits transferring from Japan’s military forces, to fight alongside Chase in the gen:LOCK program, Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones, Early Man, New Mutants) voicing Cammie MacCloud, a mischievous Scottish hacker with boundless energy, and the youngest recruit to the gen:LOCK program, and David Tennant voicing Dr. Rufus Weller aka Doc, a lead scientist with the Experimental Science Unit (ESU) and the inventor of the gen:LOCK technology.
Lindsay Jones (voice of Ruby Rose in “RWBY”) will voice Razzle, Chase’s squadron leader. Miles Luna (voice of Jaune Arc in “RWBY”) will voice Miguel “Migas” Garza, Chase’s best friend. Blaine Gibson (voice of Nerf in “Camp Camp”) will voice Sinclair, an experienced ranger recruited to the gen:LOCK program, Gray G. Haddock (showrunner for gen:LOCK and voice of Roman Torchwick in “RWBY”) will voice Leon, a mech unit leader, and Chad James (voice of Boomstick in “DEATH BATTLE”) will voice Jodie, a mech pilot and close friend to Miranda.
gen:LOCK is the second anime-style series and third 3D animated series from Rooster Teeth Animation. RWBY, entering its sixth season this fall, is a global anime phenomenon conceived by the late Monty Oum. Red vs. Blue is Rooster Teeth’s first 3D animated series that began as a machinima production before incorporating custom animation, and is the longest running web series of all time. Outlier Productions, Jordan’s production company, is co-producing gen:LOCK along with Rooster Teeth.
Stay tuned for more announcements about gen:LOCK including the premiere of the teaser trailer and full trailer. gen:LOCK will premiere in January 2019 exclusively on Rooster Teeth, available for iOS, Android, Xbox One, Apple TV, and at RoosterTeeth.com with memberships starting at $4.99 a month.
Jake Johnson to Lead Netflix's Animated Series 'Hoops'
As THR reports, Jake Johnson will lead Hoops, a 10-episode Netflix animated series from the talented mind of Ben Hoffman (Archer, New Girl) and executive produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Hoops centers on Coach Ben Hopkins (Johnson), "a hot-headed, foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who thinks turning around his god-awful team will take him to the 'big leagues.'"
Hoffman is writing the show in addition to executive producer duties alongside Lord, Miller and Johnson. Lord Miller Productions' Seth Cohen will also exec produce the series, with the banner's Aubrey Lee overseeing, and Bento Box (Bob's Burgers) will animated the half-hour comedy.
Lord and Miller's second animated TV series order in weeks, following Fox's Bless the Harts, is but the latest in their successful animation run, though it's their first Netflix series. The duo was behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and its sequel; The Lego Movie and its offshoots, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie; this weekend's Smallfoot, Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Warner Bros.' The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Not bad at all.
Johnson, who voices the role of Peter Parker/Spider Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, gets to reunite with Lord and Miller on this project as well.