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!

GKIDS Brings 'Perfect Blue' to Theaters on the Cult Film's 20th Anniversary

Note: Strong adult content warning for animated sequences of graphic violence and nudity, and is only recommended for adults 17 years and older.

In Select Theaters September 6 & 10; Buy Tickets Now

Perfect Blue, the groundbreaking and rarely screened first film from the legendary, late director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Paranoia Agent), returns to theaters for its 20th anniversary in a brand new digital transfer. (And there's a good reason it made its way to the top of my 20 Scariest Animated Horror Movies.)

Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren't ready to see her go... Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows, in this iconic psychological thriller that has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time.

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Image via GKIDS

"Satoshi Kon was an incredibly visionary and remarkable filmmaking talent," said GKIDS President Dave Jesteadt. "His shocking debut feature remains incredibly relevant, with its bold view of how technology and media can mold and distort our own perceptions of ourselves, and we are pleased to offer a new opportunity for audiences to discover his work."

GKIDS and Fathom Events will present Perfect Blue in approximately 500 select U.S. movie theaters on Thursday, September 6th in its original Japanese language with English subtitles, and Monday, September 10th in the English language dub at 7:00 p.m. local time for both shows. A complete list of U.S. theater locations will be available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

"We are delighted to extend our partnership with GKIDS, and to bring another of Japan's best animated features to the U.S.," Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. "This ongoing partnership provides an extraordinary opportunity for anime fans to experience these films on big screens nationwide."

Get a Sneak Peek at 'Ralph Breaks the Internet'

See Ralph Breaks the Internet in theatres November 21.

Ralph Breaks the Internet leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush.

In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way, including Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube,” and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race. Directed by Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) and Phil Johnston (co-writer “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Zootopia,” writer, “Cedar Rapids”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Bolt,” “Lilo & Stitch”), “Ralph Breaks the Internet” hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.

'Marvel Rising: Initiation’: Who Are Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel?

Milana Vayntrub tells us all about Squirrel Girl (and her best friend Tippy-Toe) in a new #MarvelRising featurette!

 

Stand Out. Rise Together.

The next generation of Marvel heroes debut in Marvel Rising: Initiation August 13th on Disney XD! --- Gwen Stacy AKA Ghost-Spider, wrongly accused of a crime she didn’t commit, seeks justice and to clear her name. Unfortunately, her dad is not only Captain of the NYPD, but spearheading the manhunt! To make matters worse, other young heroes - Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake and Patriot are after Ghost Spider as well. But, as the chase to uncover the truth winds down— a darker threat looms along the horizon, and very soon, these heroes will need to put aside their differences and work together as a team.

  • Dove Cameron -- Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider
  • Kathleen Khavari – Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel
  • Kamil McFadden – Rayshaun Lucas/Patriot
  • Chloe Bennet – Daisy Johnson/Quake
  • Milana Vayntrub – Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl

Marvel Rising: Initiation is a series of (6) 3-4 minute animated shorts that will kick-off the animated project. These (6) shorts will premiere back-to-back on Disney XD on Monday, August 13th at 7:30PM ET/PT.

It helps to set up Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, an animated film that will premiere on Disney Channel this Fall. Powered teens Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake, Patriot, America Chavez, and Inferno join forces as an unlikely, but formidable crew of aspiring heroes. When a threat no one could have expected bears down on the Marvel Universe, this ragtag, untrained band of teens have no choice but to rise together and prove to the world that sometimes the difference between a “hero” and “misfit” is just in the name.

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Image via DisneyXD

Marvel Entertainment Partners with Young Storytellers for 'Marvel Rising'

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Image via DisneyXD

Marvel Entertainment is partnering with the non-profit group Young Storytellers for a very special opportunity. Middle school students will get the unique chance to see their artistic vision come to life as they write for some of Marvel’s most popular characters. Working with Disney mentors, these students will write a 3-5 page script based on select characters from the brand-new animated project Marvel Rising. The scripts will subsequently be performed by a talented group of Marvel Rising and Marvel Animation voice actors including Chloe Bennet, Tyler Posey, Kamil McFadden, Milana Vayntrub, Kathreen Khavari, Roger Craig-Smith, and Melanie Minichino. Additionally, the event will be narrated by Skai Jackson. The onstage performances will bring to life the imaginations of our talented, young participants and will be filmed and available to all on the Marvel YouTube channel, Marvel HQ, later this Fall.

“Marvel is so honored to work with Young Storytellers and inspired by the work they do to inspire and mentor students,” said Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. “And we think it is beautifully fitting that the next generation of storytellers are writing stories about the next generation of Marvel heroes.”

“It’s incredibly exciting for our young female storytellers to not only see themselves represented in Marvel Rising, but to have an opportunity to author the journey for these new and exciting characters in their own original stories,” said Bill Thompson, Executive Director, Young Storytellers. “It will be an experience they will never forget!”

New Clip from 'The Death of Superman' Teases the Epic Clash

Superman and Doomsday clash in this clip from "The Death of Superman," now available everywhere on Ultra HD Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD. Jerry O'Connell provides the voice of Superman.

 

The film is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

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

'Big Hero 6'-Inspired Shorts Titled 'Baymax Dreams' Debut

Disney Television Animation and Unity have collaborated to create Baymax Dreams, three innovative episodic animated shorts that are inspired by Emmy-Nominated Big Hero 6: The Series. Take a sneak peek behind the scenes to see how Disney Television Animation is working with Unity to push the limits of animation using real-time, non-linear production workflows.

Baymax Dreams is directed by Simon J. Smith with Disney Television Animation’s creative oversight and a crew of 15 “Made with Unity” team members over 6 months using Unity 2018.2. Baymax Dreams will premiere on DisneyNOW and Disney Channel’s YouTube channel beginning September 15th.

As THR reports, the 2-3 minute shorts will see "the franchise’s robot, Baymax, dreaming of electric sheep, bedbugs and duplicates of himself."

“Working in Unity is like having every department at your fingertips," said Smith. “The results of Unity’s parallel, non-linear workflow and real-time rendering meant we were able to make Baymax Dreams in half the time — allowing us to spend the other half on experimentation and the creative process.”

JR Grant--Senior VP of Production and Technology, Direct to Consumer and International, The Walt Disney Company--added that Unity could also help the company to produce content across multiple platforms, so consider this a test case.

Frederator Adds New Anime Fandom Channel, "Get in the Robot!"

Get In The Robot welcomes all anime fans. We’re your anime explainer, here to guide you through your watchlist. As the first anime club on YouTube, we like to talk about shows like Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan…and some deeper cuts, too! Get in the Robot. It’s comfy in here.

 

Uploading every week.

 

Made in NYC. Because we can't move to Japan.

Frederator Studios, A WOW! Unlimited Media company known for its breakout hits in the animation space including Bee and Puppycat, Bravest Warriors, and most recently Netflix’s Castlevania, has launched the first video anime club called Get In The Robot.  Get In the Robot was designed to be the first stop for people who have just gotten into anime and want to know more, as well as a place for existing anime enthusiasts. The channel is a platform for fans to learn more about their favorite shows and will feature expert commentary about the art form and specific series including Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan. Frederator also plans to extend the digital anime club into offline touchpoints including events and merchandise.

Jeremy Rosen, VP of Programming & Networks at Frederator said, “We feel strongly that anime is going to break mainstream in a strong way over the next 12 to 18 months, and we want to grow with it. The team here represents a spectrum of anime fans and we realized there's a huge pool of underserved fans who aren't interested in gatekeeping, antagonistic fandom. They want to get hyped together and enjoy these shows together. Our goal with Get in the Robot is to serve those fans and grow that welcoming, fun aspect of western anime fandom.”

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Image via Frederator

Get in the Robot seeks to make anime accessible to all, with entertaining programming and relatable talent. The experts on board for the channel at launch, who will appear across programs, all have a broad knowledge base and passion for anime.  They include Curtis Richardson, an animator and collegiate track and field star; Yedoye Travis, a big fan of Dragon Ball Z and comedian who integrates anime into his comedy; and Cristal Marie, a musician and veteran Frederator show host who started an anime convention in the Dominican Republic. Get in the Robot also aims to be a gateway for people who are curious about anime, taking a deliberate approach to the channel’s visual design, tone of voice, and properties covered to appeal to a wider, more casual audience.

Get into the Robot is only the latest launch from Frederator, which is known for its animated hits across platforms, as well as for galvanizing and cultivating a 3,000 member community of animation, art, gaming and entertainment-focused creators through their Channel Frederator Network.

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Image via Frederator
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Image via Frederator
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Image via Frederator
Image via Frederator
Image via Frederator