Disney animation studio

EXCLUSIVE: Web3 media and entertainment firm Doodles is set to acquire transatlantic animation studio Golden Wolf . Doodles began as a series of digital collectibles based on characters created by artist Burnt Toast — real name Scott Martin — in October 2021 and has built into a franchise of animation, gaming, merchandize, music and live events. It is now pushing harder into original content with the Golden Wolf acquisition. The deal, financial terms of which were not revealed, is set to close in the next few weeks. Once complete, Golden Wolf’s team will join Doodles. Golden Wolf’s CEO and Founder Ingi Erlingsson will become Doodles’ Chief Content Officer but will continue to oversee and operate Golden Wolf’s offices in London and New York. Furthermore, Doodles will leverage Golden Wolf’s strategic partnership with creative studio Psyop to launch a joint venture, Active Ingredient. This will aim to “reinvent storytelling and the tools used to make them a reality” … [Read more...] about Web3 Brand Doodles Buys ‘Rick & Morty’, Disney Animation Collaborator Golden Wolf

EXCLUSIVE: Disney ’s Carol Choi has seen it all in the East Asian entertainment business, working for the studio in various roles in China from 2006, then heading up The Walt Disney Company Korea, before being appointed Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company Japan. She currently wears two hats, also serving as EVP Original Content Strategy, across the Asia Pacific region. Disney moved into Asian local-language content in a big way in 2021, unveiling a bumper slate of Korean, Japanese and Indonesian originals for its Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar streaming platforms, followed by another wave of content announcements late last year. Choi oversees the studio’s long-term collaborations and partnerships with content creators and artists across the region, including a deal struck last year with Korean entertainment giant HYBE , home of the world’s biggest boy band, BTS . Two shows under that deal are already streaming – concert film BTS: Permission To Dance On … [Read more...] about Disney’s Carol Choi Talks BTS And Super Junior K-Pop Docs, Korean Crime Drama And Passion Projects In Japan

EXCLUSIVE: James Wan ’s Atomic Monster has teamed with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios on Concrete Jungle , an urban nature docuseries. Based on an original idea from Wan and Atomic Monster’s Ingrid Bisu, Concrete Jungle is described as “not your typical natural history show”. It follows the secret lives of urban animals – food foraging and hunting, dating and mating habits, internal clashes and turf wars with other species — and these aren’t the traditional, majestic animals from exotic, picturesque places like the African savanna or South Asian jungles. Per the description, it “stars grungy, hardened, and clever critters abiding in the gritty Concrete Jungles of America, from bobcats to crows to coyotes to squirrels and more. Taking a darker, and also comedic perspective, the series will track the unexpected lives of these local animals as they live below us, above us, in our backyards and even in our walls, with humans portrayed as the … [Read more...] about Atomic Monster & Westbrook Studios Team On Urban Nature Docuseries ‘Concrete Jungle’

Two very different stop-motion animated films lead the way as nominations for the 50th anniversary Annie Awards were revealed today. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio from Netflix and A24’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes On drew up nine and eight noms, respectively, with Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red next with seven. See the full list of nominees in all 32 categories below. It’s another big year for Netflix as its Pinocchio, The Sea Beast and Wendell & Wild will face off for the Best Feature prize against Turning Red DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish . Disney’s 2022 box office misses — Pixar’s Lightyear and Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World — managed only two nominations apiece. Meanwhile, Marcel the Shell will step up in the Annies’ Indie Feature race against Charlotte; Inu-Oh; Little Nicholas, Happy As Can Be; and My Father’s Dragon . Netflix’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines led the 2022 Annies with eight wins … [Read more...] about Annie Awards Nominations: ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ & ‘Marcel The Shell’ Lead Field

Universal / DreamWorks Animation ’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a bonafide puss in loot, as it will cross the $300M mark globally with today’s grosses included. The highly reviewed sequel and Shrek spinoff is at $297.8M with Sunday’s worldwide actuals included. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the adventure has surpassed Croods: The New Age and Encanto to become the third-biggest studio animation title of the pandemic era, both overseas and globally. Puss 2 currently sits behind two other Universal animated films ( Minions: The Rise of Gru and Sing 2 ) across the pandemic years. In the near-view rear-view, 2022 has now become the first year since 2008 where every DreamWorks animated release outgrossed every Pixar and Disney Animation release during the same year. The Antonio Banderas/Salma Hayek sequel went out early overseas, and took time to swashbuckle in earnest, building with great word of mouth and soft drops; as well as … [Read more...] about Cat’s Meow: ‘Puss In Boots: The Last Wish’ Crossing $300M Global Today

The UK’s Plimsoll Productions has appointed formats and distribution veteran Andrea Jackson as Creative Director of Factual Entertainment. This makes her Plimsoll’s lead for developing, packaging and executive producing formats and factual entertainment content. In her new role, Jackson will report to Plimsoll CEO Grant Mansfield and join the ITV Studios -owned company’s executive leadership group. Plimsoll bought Jackson’s unscripted distribution business Magnify Media in 2020, five years after she established the company. Magnify had continued to operate independently following the sale but is now set to “fully integrate” into the ITV Studios distribution operation. The distributor’s key titles include Fox’s Malika: The Lion Queen , BBC One’s My Unique B & B and ABC’s The Women of 9/11 . Jackson’s previous roles include eight years as Managing Director of DRG, which sold to MTG before its catalogue was sold on to All3Media. She also co-founded Zeal … [Read more...] about Plimsoll Productions Names Andrea Jackson As Creative Director Of Factual Entertainment

EXCLUSIVE: Annapurna has hired Picturestart’s former EVP, Shayne Fiske Goldner as EVP of Physical Production. She replaces David Wolkis who is leaving the studio as their Head of Physical Production for TV and film. Meanwhile, Skye Optican has also been promoted to Creative Director of International Development and Production. Goldner will oversee all aspects of production management for Annapurna’s vast slate of film and television programming. Director of production Skye Caruso will continue to work for the production department, directly reporting to Goldner. Prior to joining Annapurna, Goldner worked at Picturestart, where she oversaw production on projects, including the 2022 Sundance Audience Award Winner Cha Cha Real Smooth and the Netflix Original, Luckiest Girl Alive , starring Mila Kunis. Goldner has served in executive roles for companies such as Participant – where she worked on Academy Award Best Picture winners, Green Book and Spotlight , … [Read more...] about Annapurna Names Shayne Fiske Goldner EVP Physical Production As David Wolkis Exits; Skye Optican Promoted

Jeff Shuter , the motion comics director and producer behind projects for Viacom and MTV whose credits include motion comics for Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Stan Lee’s Time Jumper and an adaptation of Invincible based on the comic book series, died in Chicago on Nov. 10 after suffering a traumatic brain injury. His death was announced by his family and his friend Ryan Maldonado today ahead of a private memorial service in Los Angeles this Saturday. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2003, Shuter moved to Los Angeles, where he co-founded Gain Enterprises, through which he and co-founder Dan Viney helped develop motion comics technology at a time when smartphones were becoming ubiquitous and studios began developing content for mobile devices. Motion comics, also called animated comics, combine elements of print comic books and animation, with individual comic panels depicted along with voice acting, sound effects and sometimes additional animation. … [Read more...] about Jeff Shuter Dies: Producer Of Motion Comics For “Invincible” & “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” Was 41

GLAAD , the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced the nominees for the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards . Current RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Salina EsTitties and Sasha Colby announced nominees in select GLAAD Media Awards categories in a ‘ GLAAD Drag Story Time’ video that just debuted on GLAAD’s YouTube. In the video, Sasha Colby commented on recent attacks on drag performers across the country: “Performers like us are being threatened with anti-LGBTQ bills, nasty protests, and even violence. You know what’s scary? People with guns, not queens with books!” In 2022, GLAAD found over 140 incidents of anti-LGBTQ protests and threats targeting drag events, including events run by the organization Drag Story Hour. The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominees were published, released, or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2022. The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies, which fund GLAAD’s work to accelerate … [Read more...] about GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

The only new wide studio release this weekend is the Stage 6 and Screen Gems thriller Missing which collected $760K yesterday off of showtimes that began at 4PM at 2,650 locations. The movie, which is from the creatives behind Sony’s micro-hit , Searching , is expected to do in the mid single digits off 3,000 theaters. Similar to Searching, Missing was made off a very thrifty budget of $7M before P&A. Missing is executive produced by Searching ‘s Timur Bekmambetov, produced by Sev Ohanian and Natalie Qasabian, and storied by that previous title’s Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty, the latter who helmed the first title. Missing is directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick. The pic follows a young woman who tries to find her missing mother using tools available to her online. Storm Reid and Nia Long star. 20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm’s Avatar: The Way of Water is expected to remain strong with at least $20M in weekend 6. Avatar 2 ends … [Read more...] about ‘Missing’ Finds $760K In Thursday Previews, ‘Avatar 2’ To Remain Strong In Sixth Weekend