Monday, December 10, 2012
Disney’s ‘Frankenweenie’ Comes Home in January
Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie will be available as a 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital and On-Demand on January 8, 2013, Disney announced. The acclaimed 3D stop-motion animated feature tells the story of the friendship between a young boy named Victor and his dog Sparky. After Sparky dies in a car accident, Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder round up the excellent voice cast.
The bonus materials include an all-new original short Captain Sparky vs The Flying Saucers, a behind-the-scenes featurette with Tim Burton Miniatures in Motion: Bringing ‘Frankenweenie’ to Life; a showcase of the film’s touring exhibit, ‘Frankenweenie’ Touring Exhibit, and Tim Burton’s original live-action short of the same name, and more.
The 1-Disc DVD retails for $29.99; 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $39.99; 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $49.99.
Six Point Harness and Titmouse Launch Rug Burn Channel
Six Point Harness and Titmouse have launched a new YouTube animation channel called Rug Burn. The founders of these prominent independent animation studios have been close friends for years, but their studios are in competition with each other in the TV animation industry, and now online.
“We are cartoon-fist-punching each other in the face with Rug Burn,” said Chris Prynoski, president and co-founder of Titmouse, the animation studio behind Adult Swim hits like Metalocalypse and Black Dynamite. “If Six Point uploads a huge hit to the channel, we will not rest until they drown in the laughter of the YouTube audience while enjoying our retaliating Titmouse show.”
“Our team is throwing the first punch with Axe Cop,” said Brendan Burch, who heads up Six Point Harness Studios, where Dick Figures,” the 175 million view YouTube mega-hit, is produced.
Hoping for similar success, Six Point is launching Rug Burn with animated episodes of the hit comic franchise Axe Cop, which is written by a five-year-old boy.
“Our overall goals are to launch amazing animated properties and build the Rug Burn brand, but we’re also keeping score. The total view tally for the output of each studio will be carefully counted, and the team in the lead will not be gracious in victory.”
Both studios will be involving their most talented friends in content creation.
“Majestic Loincloth is exploding my mind apart,” said Prynoski of Richard Christy’s revenge-fantasy musical. Christy has honed his comedy chops as an eight-year veteran of The Howard Stern Show. “It’s just one example of the kind of bad-ass cartoon firepower we are bringing to the battlefield.”
“Projects are moving forward with a snap of the finger at the new channel,” said Burch, whose studio was responsible for production on Tom Hanks Yahoo! SeriesElectric City.
Over a hundred episodes from handfuls of series are complete and ready for launch, but both studios continue to scour the creative community for potential hits.
Check out this great new animation venture here: www.youtube.com/rugburn and learn more about both studios at www.sixpointharness.com and www.titmouse.net.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Hub Brings Spielberg’s ‘Animaniacs’ Back
If you’ve been missing the popular Amblin/Warner Bros. animated series Animaniacs since it went off the air in 1999, we have some good news for you. The Hub is bringing the show back in December. The series will premiere with a four-hour marathon on Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24 (4-8 p.m. ET) followed by the holiday-themed musical feature filmAnimaniacs: Wakko’s Wish on Monday, December 24 (8-10 p.m. ET). Animaniacs will continue on the network’s schedule in 2013 premiering in its regular timeslot on Monday, January 7 (3 p.m. ET).
First broadcast in 1993 on Fox Kids (and then on the Kids WB! block), Animaniacs is considered a variety show, with short skits featuring a large cast of characters including the Warner brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and their sister, Dot – three inseparable siblings – as they have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet. Created by Tom Ruegger, the show features the voices of Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille, John Mariano, Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, Bernadette Peters, Nancy Cartwright, Sheri Stoner, Jim Cummings and Julie Brown, to name a few.
In addition, during the holiday season The Hub TV Network will count down to a special 48-hour lineup of holiday-themed programming on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25 highlighted by movies, specials, and series in the spirit of the season featuring a special six-episode, Christmas-themed marathon of the popular live-action seriesSabrina, The Teenage Witch (7-10 a.m. ET) on Christmas morning followed by two holiday-themed television specials Atomic Betty: The No-L 9 (10-11 a.m. ET) and The Christmas Toy (11 a.m.-noon ET).
Rounding out the Christmas programming during the 48-hour window on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25, The Hub will offer holiday-themed episodes of original animated and live-action Hub Original series that include My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, Transformers Rescue Bots, Pound Puppies, The Adventures of Chuck & Friends, Family Game Night, and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series.
For more info, visit www.hubworld.com.
Jennifer Lee to Co-Direct Disney’s ‘Frozen’
Jennifer Lee will co-direct Disney’s 2013 animated featureFrozen with Chris Buck, the studio announced today. Billed as Disney’s 53rd full-length animated feature, Frozen is slated for a Nov. 27, 2013 release date. Lee, who has contributed to the film’s screenplay, is one of the writers of Disney’s animated hit Wreck-It Ralph.
Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, Frozenis a new take on the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna’s sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.
Frozen producer Peter Del Vecho says the match-up is perfect.
“Jenn has a real connection to the film and creates dynamic and relatable characters. Her sense of comedy, adventure and story structure paired with Chris Buck’s vast experience and incredible instincts create an ideal situation for this film.”
Lee’s screen adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knightsis being produced by Troika Pictures. She has an original screenplay in development with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, and her original script Lucid Dreams was optioned by Wolfgang Peterson’s Radiant Productions. Lee holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University and a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire.
Buck directed (with Kevin Lima) Disney’s 1999 feature Tarzan and directed (with Ash Brannon) 2007’s Oscar-nominated Sony pic Surf’s Up. His credits also include The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under and Pocahontas.
Frozen will also feature songs by Tony-award winner Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (In Transit). For more information, visitwww.facebook.com/disneyfrozen.
Toon Actors Star in Hurricane Sandy Relief Fundraiser
An all-star reading of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol has been organized to help support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The fundraiser is called “Voices for the Shores” and will take place on Sunday, December 9th at 3 p.m. at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in Universal City, Calif. Hosted by Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob SquarePants himself), the event will showcase the vocal talents of Jeff Bennett, Corey Burton, Jim Cummings, Grey DeLisle-Griffin, Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen, Tara Strong, Karl Wahlgren, Billy West and many more special guests.
Tickets for the tax-deductible event are $40 (two-item minimum per person). The entire cast will be signing autographs, and a silent auction is also planned as part of the program.
The event is organized by Abbie D’Andrea, talent coordinator at Disney TV Animation.
“I am from the Jersey Shore and live here in L.A. and it’s been killing me that I haven’t been able to do my share back home after Sandy,” she tells us. “We will have a fantastic panel of voiceover actors that are going to read this holiday classic. After the reading, audience members will be able to get autographs for additional donations and there is a silent auction with some fabulous prizes. I would love it if you could spread the word about this event. It is something animation fans will not want to miss!”
For more info, visit www.thejonlovitzcomedyclub.com.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Waterman Options ‘Brave Little Toaster’ for Remake
Waterman Entertainment is bringing back The Brave Little Toaster.
The company has acquired the rights to the property with plans to make it into CGI and live-action hybrid feature.
Brave Little Toaster was a novel for children by Thomas Disch first published in 1980. An animated feature was released in 1987 and spawned two home-video sequels.
According to The Wrap.com, Waterman has recently raised a development fund from private equity and plans to develop and acquire family entertainment projects.
The company also has bought an option on Born Free: The Story of Elsa the Lion, and expects to tell the story from the animal’s perspective, the site writes.
Waterman founder Steve Waterman previously was co-producer on Casper and executive producer on Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2. More recently, he was an executive producer on all three installments of the Alvin and the Chipmunks series.
Video: ‘Gravity Fall’ Gaming Parody, Premieres Sept. 14
If you love classic video games, then this Friday’s all-new episode of Gravity Falls is for you.
Titled “Fight Fighters,” the episode features guest voice Brian Bloom as Rumble McSkirmish, a fighting-game character who comes to life to defend Dipper Pines after he is challenged to a video game battle by Wendy’s boyfriend, Robbie. The result is mashup of old-school video games from Street Fighter andMortal Kombat to Donkey Kong, Tron, Pac-Man and Freeway.
Here’s a couple of clips from the episode.
Premiering Sept. 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel, the episode was written by Zach Paez and directed by John Aoshima.
A Disney Television Animation production, Gravity Falls stars Jason Ritter as Dipper Pines, Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines, Alex Hirsch as Grunkle Stan and Soos, and Linda Cardellini as Wendy. It carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.
Premieres set for Cars Toon, Adventure Time, Dino Dan, The Hub
' Set your DVRs: Airdates have been set for the second-season premiere of Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time, the debut of Nick Jr.’s Dino Dan and a new Disney-Pixar Cars Toon short film.
This Sunday, Oct. 10, also will see the debut of The Hub, a new children’s and youth-oriented channel from Hasbro Studios and Discovery. The channel replaces Discovery Kids and debuts with a number of classic and new animated series, including Dan Vs., Clue and G.I. Joe: Renegades.
The Cars Toon short, directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Rob Gibbs, will premiere Oct. 8 at 9:30 p.m. on Disney Channel. Based on the 2006 Pixar feature film, the short also will air Oct. 15 at 7:27 p.m. on Disney XD.
Adventure Time returns Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. The Emmy-nominated series from creator Pendleton Ward was a ratings and critical hit in its first season and is produced in partnership with Frederator Studios.
Debuting with back-to-back episodes Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. is Dino Dan, a new series for preschoolers on Nick Jr. The series mixes live action and CG-animation and will debut with the network airing two weeks of brand new episodes from Oct. 18-21 and Oct. 25-28 at 5 p.m. ET.
Cartoon Network greenlights ‘Steven Universe”’and ‘Uncle Grandpa’ series
Cartoon Network has given the green light to two new animated comedy series: Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa.
Created by Adventure Time writer and storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar, Steven Universe is a coming-of-age story told from the perspective of the youngest member of a team of magical Guardians of the Universe. Uncle Grandpa, created by veteran storyboard artist and writer Peter Browngardt, is based upon his Emmy-nominated short of the same name and follows the exploits of Uncle Grandpa — everyone in the world’s “magical’ uncle and grandpa.
Here’s a look at that original short
Both series come out of the network’s shorts development initiative at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank. Preproduction has begun on both series, with premieres expected in 2013.
“Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa will build upon our record-breaking streak with original programming, and further define the voice for Cartoon Network Studios comedies,” said Cartoon Network Chief Content Officer Rob Sorcher. “Rebecca and Pete represent our next generation of homegrown talent, following Pendleton Ward and J.G. Quintel who set a high bar with their distinctive visual storytelling and unique comedic styles.”
Sugar became a storyboard artist and writer on Adventure Time in 2009 after graduating from the School of Visual Arts. The first episode she boarded, “It Came From the Nightosphere,” was nominated for an Emmy and included the first song she wrote for the series, “Daddy, Why Did You Eat My Fries?” which quickly became a fan favorite. Since then, she’s written 17 songs for the show and has storyboarded some of Adventure Time’s most acclaimed episodes. Sugar was nominated for an Annie Award for her storyboards on the Adventure Time season two finale, “Mortal Folly.”
After studying character animation at CalArts, Browngardt started working professionally onFuturama at age 19, followed by stints with Industrial Light and Magic, Augenblick Studios and MTV Animation. Since then Browngardt has worked on a number of Cartoon Network series including Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Adventure Time. Most recently Browngardt was the creator and executive producer of the award-winning Cartoon Network animated series Secret Mountain Fort Awesome.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Matthew Broderick to Guest on ‘Adventure Time’
We are so excited about this here at imaginarious, we can’t even begin to tell you…
Bueller is going to hang with Finn and Jake! Actor Matthew Broderick (Bee Movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) will play The Dream Warrior, a new character to be featured in an upcoming episode of Cartoon Network’s hit animated series Adventure Time. The special episode, “Who Would Win,” is slated to premiere on Monday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Cartoon Network.
The Dream Warrior is a used car salesman summoned by series protagonists Finn and Jake in a shared, extraordinary dream to offer advice on defeating a substantial rival.
“I heard about Adventure Time because my son, James, loves it,” says Broderick of the Cartoon Network series, “I like that it doesn’t talk down to anybody.”
Recently nominated for its third Emmy for Outstanding Short-format Animated Program as well as a BAFTA award, Adventure Time has become a genuine ratings and pop culture phenomenon since its April 2010 debut. Throughout the second quarter of 2012, the series was the #1 program on Mondays with all boys on all TV, and #1 in its time period with all kids (2-11, 6-11, 9-14) (Nielsen Media Research). Adventure Time’s current season also features guest voices by Donald Faison, George Takei, Erik Estrada, Andy Milonakis, Emo Phillips, Bobcat Goldthwait and Susie Essman.
Created by Penn Ward, Adventure Time, currently in its fourth season, airs Mondays at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Cartoon Network.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Dark Knight Returns!
Check out the trailer for the September release, "Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1" DVD and Blu-Ray: