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!

In addition to a boatload of previously posted news from this week, we have quite a few tidbits from some major animated properties! First up is the promised clip from tonight's episode of Star Wars Rebels that reveals a new villainous character. And while it's not official yet, it looks like Netflix's Voltron Legendary Defender will return for Season 3 this September (!) after some bonus content released this spring, with a possible contract for many more seasons to come! Speaking of Netflix, the first poster for their Castlevania animated series has debuted thanks to producer Adi Shankar.

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Image via Netflix

We also have news for new theatrical debuts Rock Dog and My Life as a Zucchini, the latter of which is vying for an Oscar this weekend. On the television front, keep an eye out for new related to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy animated series, a musical release for the most-excellent Bob's Burgers series, and a very cool crossover event for some of Nickelodeon's most beloved animated shows!

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!

'Star Wars Rebels' Clip from Tonight's Episode "Through Imperial Eyes"

In this clip from the Star Wars Rebels episode "Through Imperial Eyes," Grand Admiral Thrawn ratchets up the hunt for the rebel spy in their midst, codename Fulcrum.

 

Watch Star Wars Rebels every Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD.

'Voltron Legendary Defender' Season 3 ... Confirmed?

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Image via World Events Productions

Though we've yet to receive official word from either Netflix or any of the creative team behind Voltron Legendary Defender, Den of Geek is reporting that marketing material from the New York Toy Fair strongly suggests that Season 3 is a go. Here's what they report:

  • Season 3 of Voltron Legendary Defender drops on Netflix this September
  • Season 3 will feature another round of 13 episodes
  • There's apparently a 78-episode commitment, which tallies up to roughly six seasons of the space-based adventure show
  • 10 "classic" episodes of the original Voltron series will arrive on Netflix this March with "new content added", though what that is remains to be seen
  • Keep an eye out for new Voltron toys, including the anticipated die-cast Lions that transform into Voltron!

'Castlevania' Animated Series Posters Debuts

Check out the raw poster for Netflix's upcoming Castlevania series, courtesy of producer Adi Shankar. And be sure to read up on what Shankar said regarding the series in our interview here:

'Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy' Season 2 Returns This March

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Image via Disney XD

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the action-packed, animated space adventure following a ragtag band of disparate misfits, will debut its second season with a one-hour telecast featuring back-to-back episodes, SATURDAY, MARCH 11 (9:00 p.m. EST), on Disney XD. Disney XD will also release six shorts following the adventures of the five main characters daily, beginning February 27th on the Disney XD app, VOD and Disney XD's YouTube.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy season two will follow Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot on a mission to protect Star-Lord's home planet of Earth, when they cross pass with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. After an epic battle, the two teams come together to save Earth from an alien mad scientist, The High Evolutionary, but inadvertently unleash an ancient weapon. With every alien baddie in the galaxy after this weapon, the Guardians must unlock its secrets before it destroys them and everything they've sworn to protect.

The multi-platform schedule is:

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Image via Disney XD

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 – SATURDAY, MARCH 4

  • Six brand-new original shorts will debut daily on Disney XD’s YouTube, VOD and the Disney XD app. In the animated shorts, the Guardians load down the Milano with too many Earth souvenirs and accidentally cause the ship to crash.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

  • One-hour premiere of "Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy" season two featuring back-to-back episodes on Disney XD (9:00–10:00 p.m. EST). The first two episodes will also be available on the Disney XD VOD and the Disney XD App for smartphones, tablets and connected TVs.
  • "Stayin' Alive" (9:00 p.m. EST) – While trying to dispose of Thanos' asteroid, the Guardians discover it has been taken to a secure facility that belongs to the Avengers.
  • "Evolution Rock" (9:30 p.m. EST) – The Guardians and the Avengers team up to find out what powerful secrets lie inside Thanos' asteroid.

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The series stars Will Friedle ("Boy Meets World") as the quirky leader Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Trevor Devall ("Johnny Test") as the temperamental, tough-talking Rocket Raccoon, Vanessa Marshall ("Star Wars Rebels") as the unparalleled warrior Gamora, David Sobolov ("Transformers: Prime") as the rough-edged warrior Drax the Destroyer and Kevin Michael Richardson ("The Cleveland Show") as tree-like humanoid Groot.

Produced by Marvel Animation, the series' award-winning creative team includes executive producers Alan Fine ("Marvel's The Avengers," "Iron Man," "Thor"), Dan Buckley ("Marvel's Avengers Assemble," "Marvel’s Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H."), Joe Quesada ("Marvel's Avengers Assemble"), Cort Lane ("Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man"), Eric Radomski ("Spawn," "Marvel's Avengers Assemble") and Jeph Loeb ("Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."); co-executive producers Stan Lee ("Spider-Man") and Stephen Wacker ("Marvel's Avengers Assemble"); supervising producers Marty Isenberg ("Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters") and Harrison Wilcox ("Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man); and supervising director Leo Riley ("TRON: Uprising").

'My Life as a Zucchini' Now Playing in NYC & LA!

The Oscar-nominated animated feature film My Life as a Zucchini, which just won "Best Animated Film" at the Cesar Awards, is making rounds in select theaters this weekend; you can find showings here. Here's what all the buzz is about:

After his mother's sudden death, Zucchini is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home, filled with other orphans his age.

At first he struggles to find his place in this at times strange and hostile environment. But with Raymond's help and his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love, as he searches for a new family of his own. Brought to life through striking character designs and expressive stop-motion animation, the story soars with laughter, sorrow, and joy, and stands as a testament to the resilience of the human heart. Beginning with its debut at Cannes, the film has stirred up an overwhelming response on the festival circuit, taking home top jury and audience prizes at Annecy, Melbourne and Angoulême, as it prepares to melt hearts with its U.S. debut at Sundance.

Take a look at some newly released behind-the-scenes images below:

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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS
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Image via GKIDS

 

'Rock Dog' Clips Tease the Family Comedy, Now in Theaters

Check this link for showtimes at a theater near you!

Here's the movie's family-friendly synopsis: For the Tibetan Mastiffs living on Snow Mountain, a dog’s life has a simple riff: Guard a peaceful village of wool-making sheep from the thuggish wolf Linnux (Lewis Black) and his rabid pack. To avoid distractions, Mastiff leader Khampa (J.K. Simmons) forbids all music from the mountain. But when Khampa’s son Bodi (Luke Wilson) discovers a radio dropped by a passing airplane, it takes just a few guitar licks for his fate to be sealed: Bodi wants to be a rock ‘n’ roll star. Yet that means defying his father’s wishes, heading to the city, and locating the legendary – and reclusive – musician Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard), who needs to write a new song and fast. If Bodi can put a band together, help Angus with his song, and defeat the wolves’ plot to take Snow Mountain, his life will be in tune. Bodi will become what he’s always dreamed of being: More than a dog… more than a Rock God… he’ll be a ROCK DOG!

'The Fairly Odd Phantom' Crossover Short Combines Nickelodeon Favorites

Worlds and characters collide in The Fairly Odd Phantom, an original animated short featuring an ensemble cast of characters from the Nickelodeon animated series created by Butch HartmanThe Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, T.U.F.F Puppy and the brand-new Bunsen is a Beast. The short, which marks the first-time these popular characters have ever been featured together, is now available across Nick.com, Facebook, and Nick’s YouTube page. Hartman’s latest series, Bunsen is a Beast, premiered Feb. 21st on Nickelodeon, telling the story of Bunsen and Mikey--two new friends who embark on endless fun and adventures in their town of Muckledunk.

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Image via Nickelodeon

In The Fairly Odd Phantom, Danny Phantom and friends capture escaped ghosts in their lab, Fenton Works, but their mission quickly goes awry when secret agent Dudley Puppy messes with the control panel. Soon after, Wanda, Cosmo and Timmy end up in the lab instead of Fairy World, where they are all met by a very different newcomer, Bunsen.

For over 18 years, Hartman has created hit series for Nickelodeon, including The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy, with his brand-new series, Bunsen is a Beast debuting today. As part of Nickelodeon’s continued celebration of its rich animation history, Hartman combined his pantheon of iconic characters into one comedic short.

On Feb. 24, Danny Phantom voice cast members, David Kaufman, Grey Griffin, Rickey D’Shon Collins, and Colleen O’Shaughnessy, will appear on a brand-new episode of the toon-talking Nickelodeon Animation Podcast, which gives voice to the creators and talent who bring to life some of the most innovative, hilarious, and heart-tugging animation in the history of television. Episodes are available on iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud and nickanimationpodcast.com.

Visit Nick.com, Facebook, Instagram and the Nick App to learn more about Bunsen is a Beast.  Full-length episodes are currently available on Nick.com, Nick On Demand, and the Nick App, available for download on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Android, and Android TV.

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Image via Nickelodeon

Hartman began his animation career as an assistant animator on An American Tail.  He created his own shorts for What a Cartoon!, and also wrote and directed episodes of Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow & Chicken and Johnny Bravo.  Bunsen is a Beast marks Hartman’s fourth animated series for Nickelodeon. Hartman joined Nickelodeon in 1998 where he created and produced several cartoon shorts for the Oh Yeah! Cartoons series, including The Fairly OddParents.  Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the animated series, Hartman brought the series to life in the 2010 live-action/CG animated hit TV movie, A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!  The series came to life once again in the original TV movie, A Fairly Odd Christmas in 2012 and A Fairly Odd Summer in 2014. Hartman is also the creator of Nickelodeon’s animated series Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.

Studio Ponoc's New Trailer for 'Mary and the Witch's Flower'

The Playlist brings us word of a new trailer for Studio Ponoc's first animated feature, Mary and the Witch's Flower. Studio Ghibli veteran Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty) brings Mary Stewart‘s book, “The Little Broomstick”, to life, telling the story about a young girl who is whisked away on an unbelievable adventure. There's currently no U.S. release date, but in the meantime, you can read up on more about the film here.

'Bob's Burgers' Mega Music Album Available This May

On May 12th, Sub Pop will release The Bob’s Burgers Music Album: a massive collection of 107 songs from the first 107 episodes of 20th Century Fox Television’s Emmy-award winning hit comedy.  The album features music performed by the main cast members – Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) and their children Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) – singing original songs that build on the show’s unique sense of humor.

The Bob's Burgers Music Album is produced by the series creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard’s Wilo Productions in partnership with Bento Box Entertainment, with Sub Pop licensing the rights from Twentieth Century Fox Television.

The album includes many of the show’s recurring and special guests, from comedians like Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Kline, Bill Hader, Zack Galifianakis and Fred Armisen, to musical guests Cyndi Lauper and Carly Simon. The album also includes an additional five “Bob’s Buskers” cover versions of songs from the show performed by St. Vincent, The National, Låpsley, and Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields.

The standard version of The Bob's Burgers Music Album will be available in three formats: 2xCD, 3xLP+7,” and digital. Meanwhile, the deluxe, limited-edition box set version of the album includes the 3xLP+7” on “condiment-colored” vinyl (ketchup red, mustard yellow & relish green), plus a hardbound lyrics book with exclusive Bob’s Burgers artwork, a soft cover sheet-music songbook, three original posters, a six-piece sticker pack, and a patch. Both the standard and deluxe LP editions include the five “Bob's Buskers” tracks on a white 7” single.

The Bob’s Burgers Music Album is now available for preorder worldwide from Sub Pop.

The seventh season of Bob’s Burgers airs Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX.   For more information, visit behindbobsburgers.com.

About The Bob’s Burgers Music Album:

Every fan of Bob’s Burgers has a favorite song from the show. Or perhaps a new episode has arrived, with a relentlessly singable new number, and they’re reconsidering their options. This album will make choosing a favorite even more difficult.

The Belcher family - Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts), Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) – are all capable of bursting into song, whether it’s during a school science fair, expressing a deep fear of snakes or animal anuses,

Sub Pop Records has gathered nearly every single salty, greasy, musical moment from seasons one through six for the aptly named Bob’s Burgers Music Album produced by the series creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard’s Wilo Productions in partnership with Bento Box Entertainment, with Sub Pop licensing the rights from Twentieth Century Fox Television.  This massive collection of 107 songs features the main characters as well as the show’s numerous recurring and special guests, from comedians like Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman and Fred Armisen to musical guests Cyndi Lauper and Carly Simon. As an exciting bonus, the album also includes five covers from the "Bob’s Buskers" series by St. Vincent, the National, Lapsley and Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields.

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Image via Bento Box Entertainment

The Bob’s Burgers Music Album will be released as a two CD set, a three LP regular version, and the deluxe limited-edition three LP gift box that will include “condiment-colored” vinyl, the Bob’s Buskers seven inch, a hardbound lyric book with original Bob’s Burgers artwork, a sheet music collection, three original posters, and more.

Fans know that music is more than just a condiment to Bob’s. Sometimes silly, sometimes sprawling, always heartfelt and firmly in the voice of the show, the music of Bob’s Burgers is part of the meat of the thing itself. Whether you think your favorite is “Electric Love” or “Butts, Butts, Butts”, this collection will send you back to the record player again and again to happily change your mind.

'The Belko Experiment' Gets a Brutal Claymation Teaser

In an unusual twist to close out this week's Animation News round-up, we'll take a look at a claymation teaser for writer James Gunn and director Greg McLean's upcoming live-action thriller, The Belko Experiment. This should tell you everything you need to know about the movie, though a word of warning: this ain't for the kiddos: