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!

• ‘Toy Story 4’ Release Date Confirmed for 2019
• ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ Review: China’s Animated Epic Is on Par with Studio Ghibli, Disney
• ‘Ballmastrz: 9009’ Is Adult Swim’s Unholy Union of ‘Mutant League’ and ‘Mad Max’
• Netflix Expands Adult Animated Content Slate with ‘Paradise, P.D.’ from ‘Brickleberry’ Team
• ‘Digimon Adventure tri.: Coexistence’ English Dub Gets One-Night Theatrical Premiere
• New ‘Incredibles 2’ Poster Reveals New Super-Suits Ahead of a New Trailer
• Exclusive Clip: Rizzo the Rat Takes Over the Playroom in His ‘Muppet Babies’ Debut
• DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’ Trailer Reveals the Amazon Kids Series
• Exclusive: ‘Red vs Blue’ Season 16 Trailer Introduces “The Shisno Paradox”

Get an early look at Bao, the animated short that will be playing in front of Incredibles 2 when that super sequel hit theaters on June 15th!

 

'Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer' Premieres in Japan

TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd., along with Shogakukan Inc., Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd., and Toho Co., Ltd., has produced the new animated movie, Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer, the 22nd installment in the Detective Conan series, based on the original manga by Gosho Aoyama. The new film was released in Japan on Friday, April 13th.

A newly built facility in Tokyo Bay called "Edge of Ocean" will be the site of the Tokyo Summit. On May 1st, the summit was held with 22,000 police officers on site premises, but a massive explosion hits this enormous facility! The incident bears the hallmarks of Toru Amuro, a member of the Security Bureau of the National Police Agency, the agency in charge of Public Safety Police across the country, as ‘Zero’. Conan can't help but be suspicious of a previous bombing incident and Amuro’s mysterious secretive behavior. At this point, fingerprints are found on evidence at the crime scene that match those of Ran’s father, Kogoro Mori! Could this be some kind of conspiracy? Conan and Amuro begin to clash over the arrest of Kogoro.

 

Is Toru Amuro a friend or foe?

The previous 21st movie in the series, Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter, has recorded the highest box office revenue of the series so far, earning 6.89 billion yen in Japan and has become the top earning Japanese movie of 2017.

This film follows a secret mission and a mystery in which those who expose the truth clash against those who stand for justice. The feature includes celebrities for voices, including actress Aya Ueto, reappearing 12 years after her major role in the TV series, and comedian Daikichi Hakata who joins the cast for the first time. Furthermore, the theme song contributed by Masaharu Fukuyama, is one he wrote seeking to capture the world view of the film called “Rei -ZERO-”. The song expresses the clash between different worldviews that takes place in the story.

Director Yuzuru Tachikawa participates in production for the first time, with several long-time members involved in the staff and cast, including script writer Takeharu Sakurai, Katsuo Ono writing the music, and Minami Takayama starring as the main character Conan Edogawa, along with Wakana Yamazaki as Ran Mori, Rikiya Koyama as Kogoro Mori, and Toru Furuya featured in the role of Toru Amuro.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Makes 'DuckTales' Debut This May

Multiple award-winning actor, playwright, composer and lifelong DuckTales aficionado Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his debut as Gizmoduck (aka Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera) in a new DuckTales episode, premiering Friday, May 11th (8:00 p.m., EDT/PDT) on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW, as part of the inaugural "Duck Week."

The Emmy® Award-nominated hit series will now air daily on Disney Channel, beginning Tuesday, May 1st with premieres every Friday in May, and new episodes and shorts debuting throughout the summer across Disney Channel, DisneyNOW and Disney Channel YouTube.

Miranda said, "I'm really excited that a new generation of kids will be growing up with 'DuckTales.' As a huge fan of the original series, I love that I can share this new version with my sons."

Miranda voices Duckburg's preeminent hero who has Latin roots, a reimagining of the character by executive producer Matt Youngberg and co-producer and story editor Francisco Angones. In Miranda's debut episode, "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!," the brilliant young scientist Fenton is recruited by Launchpad who is feeling menaced by tech genius Mark Beaks' newest invention.

Chrissy Teigen Shows Off Her 'Hotel Transylvania 3' Character

'Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay' Arrives on Home Video

Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay is now available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on 4K/Blu-ray/DVD and Digital.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay finds Amanda Waller’s top secret “Task Force X” – Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Killer Frost, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn and Copperhead – on a mission to retrieve a mystical object so powerful that they’re willing to risk their own lives to steal it. But the Suicide Squad isn’t the only group of villains seeking to possess the object. The race is on for the golden prize … and, to stay alive, second place isn’t an option.

'Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms' Debuts in the U.S. This Summer

ELEVEN ARTS Anime Studio has licensed the North American distribution rights to Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms​, directed by Mari Okada, known for The Anthem of the Heart and ​Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.

Maquia is the directorial debut of renowned screenwriter Mari Okada. The film dives into the dilemmas of motherhood, adolescence, femininity, and leadership. Okada wraps all these poignant themes into a sweeping epic with well-developed characters, emotional gravitas, stunning visuals, and an exhilarating score by composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell).

The film, hot off its initial February release, quickly made its way across the globe to premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival, where it captivated audiences. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms will carry the torch for films like Your Name and In This Corner of the World, infusing pure artistry and pathos into anime.

ELEVEN ARTS ​has set July 20​th​, 2018​, as the next theatrical release for the film.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms will be presented with the original Japanese dialogue and English subtitles.

Women in Animation (WIA) Leads with Anti-Harassment Pledge

Women in Animation (WIA) has partnered with a group of independent studio owners to craft and agree to an anti-harassment pledge affirming there is no tolerance for harassment in the workplace. The pledge, which will be shared with all independent studios, has already been adopted by OddBot, Inc., Six Point Harness, Titmouse, Bento Box Entertainment, CounterPunch Studios, Duncan Studio, Incessant Rain Animation Studios, Renegade Animation, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, Tonko House and Wild Canary Animation. The studio president/owner(s) have agreed to sign this pledge, which is counter-signed by each employee. The complete template for the pledge can be found at http://womeninanimation.org/asap-animation-studio-anti-harassment-pledge/.

The pledge outlines that the studios are: “committed to providing safe and equitable work environments free of discrimination and harassment.” Additionally, the document outlines, “We will not tolerate discrimination and any form of unlawful harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. We understand that we all have a responsibility to ensure that each of our studios is safe for all employees and independent contractors.”

After more than 200 women and gender nonconforming people in the animation industry crafted an open letter to speak out against sexual harassment, many studio heads were eager to unite with them in a mission to take action and wipe out this behavior. Capturing this positive change momentum, WIA board members wanted to bring together the heads of the local independent studios to talk about what could be done. “Studio heads recognize that there is always more than can be done to educate our community and create enforceable policies that protect their employees,” says Marge Dean, president of WIA.

“The indie animation studios in Los Angeles are generally tight knit. Having come together in the past to address industry issues, we knew we could collaborate and act decisively in response to that letter,” recalls Brendan Burch, owner of Six Point Harness and treasurer for WIA.

The pledge defines harassment as: “unwanted conduct on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. which has the purpose or effect of either violating the claimant's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. Harassment is against state, federal and local laws.” It further defines sexual harassment as: “harassment based on sex or of a sexual nature; gender harassment; and harassment based on pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.”

“This pledge establishes a code of behavior for all employees and a vow from studio leaders to enforce that code,” said Chris Hamilton, president of OddBot, Inc. “When employees move from one indie studio to another, the same pledge will be waiting for them to sign in their new workplace, promoting a consistent net of zero-tolerance that stretches across the indie animation community.”

"Complementing our longstanding commitment to foster a creative, fun and safe working environment, we’re glad to stand with our animation colleagues in supporting the WIA anti-harassment pledge,” said Shannon Prynoski, Titmouse co-founder and vice president. Chris Prynoski, Titmouse president and founder added, "It’s more than just the right thing to do. We feel fortunate to be surrounded by strong, talented and brave humans who speak up even when it’s hard so that collectively we can uphold this important code of conduct.”

“To extend this pledge to the entire animation industry, we will share it with all studios to encourage them to adopt it or some form of it, expanding the web of safety even further,” says Dean. WIA has already received inquiries from studios around the world, so the reach of this document may be global in the very near future. “WIA is proud to be part of the kind of change that will have a lasting effect on how women and non-conforming people are treated in our business. I sincerely hope all studio owners, large and small, are aligned in these efforts,” adds Burch.

'Akira' 30th Anniversary Screening

Animation Block Party will be presenting the 30th anniversary screening of the landmark Japanese animated feature film Akira at BAMcinématek this July. The 1988 cyberpunk classic was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, and is based on his manga of the same title. The film tells the story of two friends, a bike gang leader and his telekinetic childhood friend, as they battle a secret government project in Neo-Tokyo. Akira is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

The Animation Block Party film festival will close for submissions to its Shorts Competition on June 8, 2018. Please visit the http://www.animationblock.com website for festival updates and special program announcements. The 15th annual Animation Block Party will run from July 26-29, 2018 only in Brooklyn, NY.