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The Wild Robot is an animated sci-fi survival adventure comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Sanders. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by author Peter Brown, the 2024 film follows Roz, a service robot whose ship crash lands on an uninhabited island and now she must make herself familiar with her new surroundings and the local wildlife. Roz soon makes an unlikely connection with an orphaned goose named Brightbill. The Wild Robot’s voice cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames. So, if you loved the vibrant visuals, emotional and hilariously heartwarming story, and compelling characters in The Wild Robot here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Iron Giant (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

The Iron Giant...

Richard Curtis returns to his festive roots in an endearingly saccharine animated movie. Here’s our That Christmas review.

The comparisons between Curtis’ latest festive flick and his first are too easy to draw – so I’m going to draw them. With an anthology-ish structure including multiple references to Love Actually, it’s not difficult to see where the inspiration to turn the national treasure’s three Christmas picture-books into a single film came from.

And why not? Curtis’ 2003 directorial outing might have since become the Christmas classic to rule all Christmas classics, but a 15-rating and a healthy smattering of rude bits hardly make it ideal family viewing. Why not launch a spiritual sequel onto Netflix, quickly becoming the home of the modern gooey Christmas movie?

Based on an amalgamation of Curtis and illustrator Rebecca Cobb’s The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas, the story follows three...

All right, Virginia … Whereas so many Yuletide toons hinge on whether kids believe in Santa Claus, Netflix charmer “That Christmas” makes the case that it’s more important for kids to believe in themselves.

Adapted from a trio of picture books by “Love Actually” scribe Richard Curtis, the feel-good family film is chock-full of kids second-guessing their worth — and not just in the naughty-or-nice department either. A handful of key characters doubt whether they’re deserving of love, on account of absentee parents or pushback from authority figures. Leave it to Curtis (and co-writer Peter Souter) to deliver some affirmational proof that each of them matters — with an assist from old St. Nick, who pops in to deliver some strategically timed presents while most of the grown-ups are Awol.

Set in the cute English town of Wellington-on-Sea, the story zooms in on a small coastal community to observe a phenomenon...

Former One Direction member Liam Payne died on Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, threatened to take legal action against Payne days before his death. Now, reports suggest that Henry issued Payne a cease and desist a week before his fatal fall. Here’s what she said about how the “whole world” would blame her if something bad happened to Payne.

Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée had a cease and desist issued before Payne’s death

Liam Payne started dating his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, in 2019. In 2020, they became engaged — though the romance was short-lived. Payne and Henry broke up in 2021, with Payne indicating in interviews that it was a painful breakup. He and Henry later reconciled, giving their romance another go with a second engagement in 2021. However, they broke up for good in May 2022.

Henry attained fame for her novel,...

Maya Henry, the ex-fiance of One Direction star Liam Payne, is speaking out in the wake of the singer’s tragic death.

As you’ve likely heard by now, Liam fell to his death from the balcony of a hotel room in Argentina on Wednesday.

The matter is still being investigated, and it’s too soon to determine whether or not the fall was intentional.

Liam Payne and Maya Henry attend the “Ron’s Gone Wrong” World Premiere during the 65th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 09, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI) Liam’s Private Pain

But many who knew Liam say that he had been struggling with mental health issues in recent years.

In fact, earlier this week, Maya appeared on a podcast to reveal that the singer spoke of his own death often.

“He would always message me...

For the second weekend in a row, we get an animated feature featuring robots for family audiences, but this week also gets a lot of odds and ends. As has been the case for the past few months, any weekend with just one or two wide releases is then followed by a weekend with way too many movies, and this weekend seems to be one of the latter. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The big release of the weekend is “The Wild Robot,” the latest from DreamWorks Animation, based on book by Pete Brown. It stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as a server robot stranded in the wilderness who ends up becoming imprinted on by a baby gosling, having to figure out how to care for it with the help of a crafty fox, voiced by Pedro Pascal. Other characters are voiced by Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy,...

On July 2, Good Morning America welcomes Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker, stars of the upcoming Disney+ movie “Descendants: The Rise of Red.” Cantrall, an actress, singer, and dancer, is known for her roles in “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” and “Gabby Duran & the Unsittables.” Baker, a Canadian actress, […]

Good Morning America: Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, David Nayfeld...

Director Lee Cronin is working on a secret project for New Line Cinema, as Warner Bros announces a host of upcoming release dates.

Warner Bros has staked a claim on several key release dates over the next few years, although for the most part, we can only speculate what the studio might be planning to release.

Let’s start with what we do know though: the dates have been set for ‘event’ films (although that can be a pretty elastic term) and begin with the first movie greenlit at James Wan and Jason Blum’s recently merged Atomic Monster and Blumhouse.

While the two companies collaborated on the rather fun M3GAN and then, the also fun Night Swim, this project marks their first official release since the merger. And while nobody is going to give us any prizes for guessing that it will be a horror film, we now...

Exclusive: SpongeBob SquarePants voice actor Mr. Lawrence is writing and directing a comedy-horror toon billed as “The Office meets Frankenstein.”

Mr. Lawrence (real name Douglas Osowski) is working with Canadian Copernicus Studios on Death Castle, which is currently being developed as a six-minute short that will act as the pilot for a full adult animation series. The actor is best known for his work on Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob, having written scripts, animated scenes and voiced several characters including Plankton, Potty the Parrot and Larry the Lobster.

He will be writer and director on Death Castle, which is being positioned as “a satire of scary monster movies paired with a screwball relationship comedy.” Further plot details are under wraps for now.

The plan is for a “high-end traditional 2D animation style with distinctive visual appeal,” with several international animation industry experts attached. Emmy winner Craig Kellman, whose credits include Penguins of Madagascar...

Described as a live-action Pixar film by the director John Krasinski, the fantasy adventure film If is charming audiences worldwide with its wonderful cast, brilliant visuals, and a lot of heart. If follows the story of a young girl named Bea who finds out that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends and with the help of Cal, she goes on a mission to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. If stars Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, Krasinski, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, Blake Lively, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Louis Gossett Jr., Vincent Vaughn, Fiona Shaw, Sam Rockwell, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, and many popular actors. So, if you also love the fantastical nature of If here are some similar films you should check out next.

The Bfg (Disney+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Disney

The Bfg is a fantasy-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison.

Netflix and the Annecy Film Festival have fostered an incredible relationship over the last several years. No other major studio or distributor has been as omnipresent at the French film festival, and this year should be no different.

Netflix is planning several major sneak peeks of upcoming titles, a work-in-progress session, the world premiere of “Ultraman: Rising,” an exhibition of stop-motion figures from the upcoming Wallace & Gromit film, and two of its titles – “Blue Eye Samurai” and “Pokémon Concierge” – are screening in competition.

On Wednesday, June 12, the streamer will host Next on Netflix Animation: From Twilight of the Gods to Wallace & Gromit, a sneak peek at some of its most high-profile upcoming film and series titles.

“Wallace & Gromit” directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham and several of the film’s puppets will be in Annecy to tease their upcoming film. “Twilight of the Gods” will be presented by director Zack Snyder,...

Brian Cox is set to voice Santa Claus in Netflix’s upcoming festive animated feature “That Christmas.”

Due later this year, the film marks the directorial debut of animation veteran Simon Otto and comes from Locksmith Animation (“Ron’s Gone Wrong”). “That Christmas” is adapted from the children’s book series by BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis.

Alongside Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy have also joined the film as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. Other voice stars include Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry, Ava Talbot and Rhys Darby.

‘That Christmas’

“Becoming an animator had been on my Christmas wish list ever since I was a child and watching animated movies was...

Zach Galifianakis has been cast in Season 4 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Variety has learned.

Like recently announced cast member Kumail Nanjiani, Galifianakis’ role in the mystery-comedy series is currently kept under wraps. However, an individual with knowledge of the situation can confirm his character is “integral to the twist and turns of this season’s investigation.”

The three series leads remain Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as true crime-obsessed neighbors that get caught up in real cases. Additional new faces in Season 4 include Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria and Molly Shannon. Meryl Streep, who first appeared in Season 3, will also reprise her role. Little is known about the upcoming season aside from the fact that the mystery-solving trio will make a trip to Los Angeles before returning to their native New York.

Galifianakis is well known for starring in “The Hangover” trilogy, in which he...

The multi-generational boy band crossover event to end them all is here: One Direction and ‘NSync have linked up — well, kind of. Liam Payne has got a new song out today, “Teardrops,” which he co-wrote with ‘NSync’s Jc Chasez.

Fittingly, the track harkens back to that late-90s/turn-of-the-millenium sound, with a somber, twinkling guitar weeping behind booming pop production. In a statement, Payne said, “’Teardrops’ is about the vulnerability of heartbreak and the challenge of overcoming those moments. This song marks the start of a new beginning, there...

“Coyote vs. Acme,” a live-action movie that stars John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor, has been shelved by Warner Bros. a year after it was completed.

This follows Warner Bros. similarly shelving nearly completed features “Batgirl” and “Scoob’s Haunted Holiday.”

“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs Acme.’ We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film,” a Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group spokesperson said.

The movie was an adaptation of a 1990 short story by Ian Frazier that first appeared in the New Yorker. Development on the project began back in 2018, with Chris McKay attached as a producer. Shortly afterward, Dave Green, director of “Earth to Echo...

Zach Galifianakis, an American comedian and actor, has gained recognition for his notable roles in the film industry. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Alan in The Hangover trilogy (2009–2013), Galifianakis also hosted the talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (2008–2018) on Funny or Die.

Born on October 1, 1969, in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Galifianakis began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York City. His comedic talent earned him appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Saturday Night Live, as well as a starring role in the Comedy Central sketch comedy series, The Man Show.

Galifianakis achieved a breakthrough in 2009 with his role in The Hangover, which became a tremendous success at the box office. His portrayal of Alan received critical acclaim, leading to his reprisal of the character in the sequels, The Hangover Part II (2011) and The Hangover Part III (2013).

Beyond The Hangover trilogy, Galifianakis has showcased...

Around this time last year, Liam Payne set One Direction Twitter on fire when he went on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast and unleashed some loaded comments about his former bandmates, specifically Zayn Malik. The backlash that followed was something of a wake-up call for the singer, who revealed in a recent YouTube video that it was one of a number of incidents that led to him checking into a sobriety treatment program for 100 days.

“My own frustrations with my own career and where I kind of landed, I took...

Exclusive: Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group has signed a first-look deal with London- and Los Angeles-based Locksmith Animation to develop and produce animated features for worldwide distribution.

Locksmith is an independent producer of animated features and series and was behind the 20th Century Studios feature Ron’s Gone Wrong. That pic was released theatrically and on Disney+ in 2021.

‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’

The first of Locksmith’s two properties being developed under the new deal is Bad Fairies, a subversive musical comedy set in contemporary London. It focuses on a badass gang of fairies who break every rule in the book. Deborah Frances-White, creator and host of podcast The Guilty Feminist, is writing the screenplay. Megan Nicole Dong, creator and director of Netflix’s animated musical series Centaurworld, is attached to direct.

The second project is The Lunar Chronicles, based on Marissa Meyer’s bestselling novels. A sci-fi twist on Grimms’ Fairy Tales,...

A number of great movies are leaving HBO Max at the end of March, so it’s time to prioritize these titles in your queue. Filmmaker James Gunn’s sequel/soft reboot “The Suicide Squad” will depart the streaming service on March 22 after first hitting HBO Max the same day it was released in theaters back in 2021. Similarly, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was whisked away on March 1 after also getting a day-and-date release in 2021 (sorry/not sorry if you missed it).

You also only have until March 7 to stream “Just a Boy From Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen,” a short documentary on the making of the Oscar-nominated biopic “Elvis.”

Other noteworthy films leaving HBO Max this month include “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Contagion,” the extended version of “Dances with Wolves,” “Ghostbusters,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love & Basketball” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

There’s nothing quite like when HBO is airing one of its trademark watercooler-worthy dramas weekly. Thankfully, we’ll get to it experience exactly that and more on HBO Max in March 2023.

The big ticket item on HBO Max this March is undoubtedly Succession Season 4 on March 26. Part prestige drama and part screwball comedy, Succession is about as fun a watch as they come. Season 4 of the series about egregious wealth will find the Roy siblings reeling after trying and failing to take down their father, Logan (Brian Cox).

HBO Max’s other major TV option this month is another weekly release from HBO. Matthew Rhys returns as the titular lawyer in Perry Mason Season 2 on March 6. Season 1 of this period piece reboot flexed the classic TV character’s detective skills. From the look of the trailer, it seems as though this is the year Perry makes his name in the court room.

Zach Galifianakis has been cast in Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” feature, TheWrap has confirmed. We’ve heard he will be playing Pleakley, the alien character originally voiced by Kevin McDonald and animated by Ruben A. Aquino.

Dean Fleischer Camp, the Oscar-nominated director of last year’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” will be directing the new adaptation. Originally, Jon M. Chu was on board to direct but exited in 2020; that version of the movie had a script by Mike Van Waes. It’s unclear if that version of the screenplay will be utilized for this version. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who produced the live-action “Aladdin” for Disney (which grossed more than 1 billion worldwide), are aboard as producers.

The original film, released in 2002, was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The film followed an extraterrestrial experiment (voiced by Sanders) who escapes his cosmic prison...

The “Lilo & Stich” live-action remake is assembling its Ohana. Zach Galifankis has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ film, IndieWire has confirmed.

Details of Galifanakis’ character is being kept under wraps, so it’s unclear if the “Hangover” star will be playing a live-action character, or if he’s voicing a CGI character such as the lovable Stitch himself. Because the original animated film centered primarily on Native Hawaiian characters, Galifanakis will likely be playing either a new character for the film or one of the aliens in the cast, like Stitch, antagonist Captain Gantu, or a member of the iconic odd couple Jumba and Pleakly.

The beloved original animated film focuses on Lilo, a young girl struggling after the death of their parents. When she encounters Stitch, a bizarre dog-like creature created by an alien scientist to be the ultimate destructive force, Lilo adopts the stray and brings it...

Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” movie is beginning to shape up with the casting of Zach Galifianakis.

Galifianakis takes on an undisclosed role in the new movie, which is planned for release on Disney+. Dean Fleischer Camp — whose “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” is nominated for best animated feature at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards — is directing the adaptation, from a script by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright.

The live-action movie follows the hit 2002 animated family film, which grossed 273 million at the global box office. Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, “Lilo & Stitch” centers on 6-year-old Lilo and her teenage sister Nani, who live in Hawaii and adopt an adorable — though sometimes a little destructive — blue extraterrestrial creature nicknamed Stitch. While the movie featured catchy songs, like “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride,” it also introduced audiences to the concept of ohana, which means family — and as Stitch instills in the group,...

Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover franchise) has signed on to star in the live-action Lilo & Stitch film from Marcell the Shell With Shoes On filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp, Deadline can confirm.

Details as to his role in the Disney+ pic are under wraps. But the original 2002 animated film examined the relationship between a lonely girl named Lilo and the alien, Stitch, engineered to be a force of destruction.

Chris Kekaniokalani Bright scripted the new film, from a previous draft by Mike Van Waes. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich will produce for Rideback, with Ryan Halprin exec producing for the company.

Galifianakis is an Emmy-winning actor and comedian best known for roles in The Hangover franchise and FX’s acclaimed comedy series Baskets, as well as his short-form Funny or Die talk show, Between Two Ferns. He’s also previously appeared in films like A Wrinkle in Time, Birdman, The Campaign and Due Date,...

Ed Helms was a familiar face from “The Daily Show” and “The Office” when he landed a role in “The Hangover” alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. The 2009 comedy blockbuster launched a trilogy and, as Helms said on a recent episode of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, created a “tornado of fame” that left him riddled with anxiety about his career.

“It was a tornado of fame and a lot of buffeting,” Helms said of his career after “The Hangover” became the highest-grossing R rated comedy in history. “It was very overwhelming.”

Helms described “The Hangover” fame as “a whole new level” compared to being on “The Daily Show” and “The Office,” adding, “I really was reeling a lot of the time, like in the aftermath of ‘The Hangover’… I was getting scripts for all these different kinds of projects. ‘Like what do I do? I dunno.

Henry Jackman is one of the most prolific composers working in cinema today, with his musical prowess popping up in films across a wide spectrum of subgenres. He's provided the scores for superhero fare like "Kick-Ass," "X-Men: First Class," and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," family-friendly animated films like "Ron's Gone Wrong," "Wreck-It Ralph," and "Puss in Boots," and other high-profile releases like "Kong: Skull Island," "The Gray Man," and "Captain Phillips." But one of his most interesting avenues has been his collaborations with comedians Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with "The Interview" and "This Is The End."

The latter is a hilarious apocalyptic comedy with an unbelievable ensemble cast including Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, The Backstreet Boys, and regrettably, James Franco. With such a cast of big, animated personalities,...

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Emmy-winning Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein and Saturday Night Live breakout Bowen Yang are the latest to join the voice cast of the animated Garfield movie.

Chris Pratt will star as the lasagna-loving cat, with Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong and Ving Rhames also lending their voices to the feature.

Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson’s Alcon Entertainment is behind the new Garfield, which has been picked up for worldwide — excluding China — by Sony Pictures, with a May 24, 2024, theatrical release set. David Reynolds (Finding Nemo) penned the screenplay with Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgove. Mark Dindal (The Emperor’s New Groove, Chicken Little) will direct.

Created by Jim Davis, Garfield first appeared in comics sections in 1978, with the lazy orange tabby cat often causing problems for Jon Arbuckle, his human owner, and the lovable household dog Odie. Garfield, which debuted in 41 newspapers,...

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“Little Nicolas,” the nostalgic, hand-drawn ode to the popular French children’s book series and its creators — René Goscinny (“Asterix”) and the late illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé — won the Grand Prize at the fifth annual Animation Is Film Festival (Aif), held last weekend at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood. This should help the France-Luxembourg release from directors Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre secure U.S. distribution.

“My Father’s Dragon” (Cartoon Saloon/Netflix), the 2D adaptation of Ruth Stiles Gannett’s classic children’s book, from Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”), took home the Special Jury prize. This provides some heat as Cartoon Saloon chases its fifth Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination.

The Audience Award went to “Aurora’s Sunrise,” the animated documentary from director Inna Sahakyan, which tells the remarkable story of Aurora Mardiganian, who survived the Armenian genocide as a teenager, and came to America, where she...

Thomas Barbusca has joined the cast of “Incoming,” a high-school comedy from directors Dave and John Chernin.

The project reunites Barbusca and the Chernin brothers, who worked together on the Fox TV comedy “The Mick.”

“Incoming” follows four incoming freshmen as they navigate the terrors of adolescence at their first-ever high school party. The cast also includes “The Black Phone” actor Mason Thames, Bobby Cannavale and fellow “Mick” alum Kaitlin Olson.

The Chernin brothers, also known for the long-running show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” are writing and directing in their feature filmmaking debut. Artists Road and Spyglass Media Group are co-financing “Incoming,” which is currently in production in Los Angeles.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Bros” filmmaker Nick Stoller will produce with Conor Welch through his company Stoller Global Solutions. Additional producers include Artists Road principals Todd Garner, Peter Principato and Ben Silverman, and CEO Mark Korshak.

Spyglass chairman and...

Dneg, a U.K.-based visual effects and animation house whose customers include Netflix and major Hollywood film studios, has called off plans to go public amid the broad global slump in financial markets.

In January, Dneg had announced plans to merge with Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (Spac), in a deal valuing the company at 1.7 billion. The duo had previously expected that to close in the first half of 2022.

On Thursday, the companies announced the termination of the agreement as a result of “current unfavorable Spac market conditions” and other factors. Sports Ventures said it will consider other acquisition opportunities, subject to market conditions and timing.

“Due to the headwinds in the Spac marketplace and general market volatility, we have decided to terminate our Spac process with Sports Ventures,” Dneg chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra said in a statement.

However, Malhotra added, “We feel incredibly...

VFX giant Dneg has promoted Erika Burton to join its Dneg Animation arm as its new president. Burton will share both the president title and leadership responsibilities with Dneg Animation President Tom Jacomb.

Burton, who was previously president, VFX Production at Dneg, joins as the company is rapidly expanding its animation team. Her focus will be on production, resource management, training and operations, working closely with Jacomb, who will focus on creative, client management and outreach, and the development of IP and original content.

The news was announced Wednesday at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

Also Read:

VFX and Animation Giant Dneg to Go Public With 1.7 Billion Spac Valuation

“I am delighted to welcome Erika to the team as we continue to establish Dneg Animation as the best place in the industry to build your career,” Jacomb said. “We have more exciting projects, more growth and expansion, and more...

Underscoring the further expansion of its animation division, leading VFX and animation studio Dneg has tapped Erika Burton, its president of VFX Production since October last year, to lead Dneg Animation with Tom Jacomb as co-president.

The former DreamWorks Animation and Disney Animation exec will focus on production, resource management, training, and operations while Jacomb will oversee creative, client management and outreach as well as the development of IP and original content.

Expressing his delight at welcoming Burton to the Dneg Animation fold, Jacomb said: “We have more exciting projects, more growth and expansion, and more original content and co-productions on the horizon, and Erika will be absolutely instrumental in helping to ensure that we have a rock-solid foundation upon which to continue building.”

“I’m also delighted that she will be contributing her compassion, warmth, and experience to the amazing work that our teams are already doing in putting equality,...

Part of what it describes as a bold and rapid expansion of its long-form animation department, London-based Oscar winning Passion Pictures has appointed Nicki Cortese as head of development for animated features and series.

Cortese joins Pixar veteran David Park, a production manager on “Coco” and animation department manager on “Toy Story 3,” who was himself hired as Passion head of production for long-form animation in 2021, as well as executive producer Debbie Crosscup.

Joining Passion ahead of Annecy, Cortese served as head of development for Elisabeth Murdoch’s Locksmith Animation, where she worked on Disney’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” as well as the just-announced Netflix feature “That Christmas,” based on children’s books by “Four Weddings and a Funeral’s ”Richard Curtis. Cortese had a first-look deal with Brian Robbins’ studio, Awesomeness Films, and, prior to that, oversaw the “Divergent” franchise at Red Wagon.

Cortese comes to Passion after it...

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Ahead of this month’s Annecy Film Festival, Netflix has unveiled a slate of new animated films and series from creatives across Europe.

The eight-strong list includes Ember, Sergio Pablos’ follow-up to his BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated Klaus, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, featuring songs by Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse, That Christmas, based on the children’s books by Richard Curtis and from Ron’s Gone Wrong studio Locksmith Animation, and an untitled animated feature by Oscar winner Steve Box, who was a key animator on Chicken Run and co-wrote and co-directed Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

These projects join a growing list of animated titles from Europe, including My Father’s Dragon from Cartoon Saloon and Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey and will debut on Netflix this fall, as well as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and an untitled Wallace & Gromit project from Aardman out of the U.

The London-based CG animation studio Locksmith Animation has appointed Mary Coleman as Chief Creative Officer. Coleman joins Locksmith from Pixar Animation Studios, where she served as Head of Creative Development. She will begin her work at Lsa in July.

During her 23 years at Pixar, Coleman worked closely alongside numerous A-list animation directors—looking to support their vision, from original concept through final draft. Modern classics brought to life there during her tenure included Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory, Cars 3, Coco, Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4, Onward, Soul, Luca and Turning Red.

Coleman is known for helping to launch the careers of such screenwriters as Dan Fogelman (Cars), Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3), Meg Le Fauve (Inside Out) and Kemp Powers (Soul). She was the first woman to participate on Pixar’s Brain Trust,...

Longtime Pixar stalwart Mary Coleman, who was most recently Head of Creative Development, is now headed to Locksmith Animation as its Chief Creative Officer.

Locksmith, which was founded by former Aardman vets Sarah Smith and Julie Lockhart through funding from Elisabeth Murdoch, released “Ron’s Gone Wrong” in the fall of 2021 via 20th Century and has several projects in development with Warner Bros.

Locksmith CEO Natalie Fischer announced the news Tuesday and confirmed that Coleman officially will join the studio in July.

Also Read:

‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ Animation Studio Sets Director for 2nd Film ‘That Christmas’ Based on Richard Curtis Books

Coleman spent 23 years at Pixar, having first been recruited by Ed Catmull in 1999 to start its creative development department. (Catmull had known her from her work as the Associate Artistic Director at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre.) At the time Pixar had just released two movies (“Toy Story” and “A Bug’s Life...

Coleman spent 23 years at animation giant Pixar.

Locksmith Animation, the UK studio behind Disney release Ron’s Gone Wrong, has bolstered its senior team by appointing Pixar executive Mary Coleman as its chief creative officer.

Coleman is a highly respected industry veteran who spent 23 years at the Oscar-winning animation studio behind Toy Story, The Incredibles and Soul, most recently as head of creative development. She will join London-based Locksmith Animation, which has offices in Los Angeles, in July.

Natalie Fischer, CEO of Locksmith, described the appointment as “a milestone in our company’s journey” and praised Coleman’s “keen eye for...

As principal photography begins on the historical comedy, ‘Seize Them! a lead cast of Aimee Lou Wood, Nicola Coughlan, Nick Frost, Lolly Adefope and Jessica Hynes has been announced.

Directed by Curtis Vowell (Baby Done, Fantail), the female-led comedy is set in the dark ages of Britain. Queen Dagan (Aimee Lou Wood) is master of all she surveys, with an ego to match – until she’s toppled by a revolution led by the charismatic Humble Joan (Nicola Coughlan). The Queen becomes a fugitive in her own land, a hefty bounty on her head. With the help of Shulmay (Lolly Adefope), a former servant with a lot of secrets – and Bobik (Nick Frost), a shit-shoveller who wants more out of life – Queen Dagan must face every conceivable hardship and danger as she embarks on a voyage to win back her throne. She also has to face up to the very worst parts of herself.

Principal photography commenced Monday at U.K. locations on historical comedy “Seize Them!,” directed by Curtis Vowell (“Baby Done”).

The cast includes BAFTA winner, Aimee Lou Wood (“Sex Education”), Lolly Adefope (“Shrill”), Nicola Coughlan, Nick Frost (“Hot Fuzz”) and Jessica Hynes (“W1A”).

Written by Andy Riley (“Ron’s Gone Wrong”), “Seize Them!” is a female led comedy set in dark ages Britain where Queen Dagan (Wood) is toppled by a revolution led by Humble Joan (Coughlan). The Queen becomes a fugitive in her own land, a hefty bounty on her head. With the help of Shulmay (Adefope), a former servant with a lot of secrets and Bobik (Frost), a shit-shoveller who wants more out of life, Queen Dagan must face hardship and danger as she embarks on a voyage to win back her throne.

The film is produced by Damian Jones (“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie”) and Matthew James Wilkinson (“Yesterday”) and executive produced by Nigel Green,...

Locksmith Animation’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” has won the award for best long form at the British Animation Awards 2022.

Locksmith, which was founded by by Aardman Animations veterans Sarah Smith and Julie Lockhart alongside Elisabeth Murdoch, picked up the award at a ceremony in London on Thursday evening.

The awards took place at London’s BFI Southbank and were presented by comedian Miles Jupp.

Other winners on the night included Magic Light Pictures, for their adaptations of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s “Zog and the Flying Doctors” and Scheffler’s “Pip and Posy,” while production co-ordinator Hodan Abdi picked up the Lamb award, which “bridges the gap between current categories which recognise student achievements and general best-in-class awards, and is open to any young professionals working in the animation and VFX industry.”

And 86-year-old Menna Trussler beat out Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais and Ben Wishaw to take home the award for best voice performance,...

On Tuesday, “The Power of the Dog” director Jane Campion made Oscar history as the first woman to receive two best director nominations.

Campion is nominated in the 2022 directing category opposite Steven Spielberg for “West Side Story,” Kenneth Branagh for “Belfast,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “Licorice Pizza” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi for “Drive My Car.” Her first Oscar nod for directing came in 1994 when she was nominated for “The Piano” at the 66th Academy Awards. She won the Oscar for original screenplay that year.

“It’s both sad but it’s also great that women are punching that glass ceiling out of the way. I really feel things are changing,” Campion told Variety of her directing nomination.

Exactly how much things are changing behind the camera with regard to gender and racial equity has been analyzed by Dr. Stacy Smith and the team at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative as they release their annual study.

Exclusive: BAFTA winning writer-director Sarah Smith has signed with Verve for representation in all areas.

Smith recently wrote, directed, and executive produced Locksmith Animation’s first animated feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong. The film follows Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) and his dysfunctional robot pal Ron (Zach Galifianakis). The film also includes the voice acting talents of Ed Helms, Olivia Colman, Rob Delaney, and Justice Smith.

Sarah Smith began her career in British television, writing, directing, and producing hit series such as The League of Gentlemen and Fist of Fun. Smith made the move to animation in 2005, along with writer Peter Baynham, to create the adult animated series I am Not an Animal.

Her debut animated feature was the 2012 Arthur Christmas, which she directed and co-wrote Baynham for Aardman Animations. In 2014 she co-founded Locksmith Animation with Julie Lockhart, which is the UK’s only dedicated feature animation studio.

Days after Searchlight added black-and-white theatrical dates for Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” (along with some holdover color ones), his remake of the 1947 film noir classic debuted Tuesday on both Disney-owned Hulu and Warner Bros.’ HBO Max in the U.S.

Both streamers carry only the color version, perhaps because the monochrome cut just arrived in theaters. As for why Disney would make the counterintuitive move to share the film with a rival, that’s the fallout from the Disney acquisition of 20th Century Fox (which includes Searchlight). Studios usually contract with premium cable channels on theatrical releases; pre-Covid, these deals usually kicked in eight to nine months after they opened in theaters.

Fox, including Searchlight, had such an agreement with HBO. (Warner Bros. has a premium cable channel; Fox did not.) That deal extends through this year and includes a number of key titles produced by Fox. As a result,...

The series is set in a futuristic world beset by a pandemic.

Locksmith Animation, the UK studio behind Disney release Ron’s Gone Wrong, has optioned US author Marissa Meyer’s fairy tale novel series The Lunar Chronicles.

The series is set in a futuristic world beset by a pandemic, with each title giving a science fiction twist to a classic fairy tale. In first book Cinder – published in 2012 - a teenage cyborg based on the Cinderella character deals with her wicked step-mother, finds love, and discovers secrets about herself.

Subsequent titles in the series include Scarlet, Cress and Winter. The...

A tsunami of buzz and Oscar-telling indicators drop on Thursday, with the major guilds announcing award nominations. The Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Producers Guild of America (PGA) and American Cinema Editors (Ace Eddies) all serve as critical barometers for the Academy Awards, especially in the race for best picture.

DGA has averaged four of their five nominees landing in the Oscars’ best director category, including last year with Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) getting bumped for Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). The first-time directors’ category, with the exception of Jordan Peele for “Get Out” (2017), has gone on to get a nod at the Academy.

The PGA always provides some big blockbusters and Academy flare, which bodes well for either “No Time to Die” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The WGA has a lot of ineligibilities that won’t provide a strong enough indicator for the screenplay categories.

Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) has optioned Marissa Meyer’s New York Times bestselling novel series The Lunar Chronicles for film, the London-based CG animation producer announced today.

The series published by Feiwel & Friends is comprised of titles including Cinder (2012), Scarlet (2013), Cress (2014) and Winter (2015), which reimagine the stories of classic fairy tale heroines.

The books are set in a futuristic world, beset by a pandemic, where Earth and its former colony Luna exist in a perpetual state of unrest and tension. In the first book, Cinder, a teenage cyborg of the same name (modeled after Cinderella) deals with her wicked step-mother, finds love and discovers secrets about herself. As the series continues, she forges an alliance with spaceship pilot, Scarlet; imprisoned computer hacker, Cress; and the Lunar princess, Winter. Along with a diverse crew that includes a soldier, a criminal and a royal guard, they must work together to...

“Setting up a studio, working for the first time with our digital partners, throwing in a bit of Brexit, throwing in a huge pandemic, it wasn’t easy,” says Julie Lockhart, one of the producers of the feature animated film “Ron’s Gone Wrong.” The science fiction comedy is the first film to come out of Locksmith Animation, a British CGI animation studio founded by Lockhart and her Aardman Animations collaborator Sarah Smith. It is now available to stream on Disney+ and HBO Max.

Smith co-directed and co-wrote “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” which tells the story of Barney, an awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device. Ron’s malfunctions set against the backdrop of the social media age launch them on a journey to learn about true friendship. Lockhart, Smith and co-writer Peter Baynham recently joined Gold Derby for a fun roundtable panel to discuss the making of the...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday revealed the 276 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 94rd Oscars, which are set to air live March 27 on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The number is 90 fewer than last year’s 366, but this year’s eligibility period was only 10 months.

To be eligible for Best Picture consideration, films must have submitted a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards entry as part of the submission requirements. Nominations voting begins January 27 and concludes on February 1. The Oscar nominations will be revealed on Tuesday, February 8.

Today’s news comes about a month after the Academy released its shortlists in the International Film, Documentary Feature, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup & Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Sound and the Live-Action, Documentary and Animated Shorts categories.

Here is the full list of films eligible for Best Picture at the 94rd annual Academy Awards,...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has revealed its longlist of nominees across 24 categories for its upcoming film awards.

“No Time to Die,” “Belfast,” and “West Side Story| are among the leading films announced on Wednesday following the first round of votes.

As revealed on Monday, not included in the long-list is “Spider-Man: No Way Home” after “failing to meet eligibility criteria,” according to BAFTA. The film had originally sought consideration for the best picture and best special effects categories. Sony declined to comment.

Round Two voting, to determine the nominations in the member voted categories, will open between Feb. 14 and 27 2022. Nominations will be announced on Feb 3.

Round Three voting, to determine the winners, will open between Feb. 9 and March 8.

The BAFTA Awards are set to take place in central London on March 13.

Check out the full longlist below:

Best Film

15 films go through to the Round Two of voting,...

BAFTA has unveiled the longlists across all categories for its 2022 Film Awards. Scroll down to see them in full.

These lists have been compiled via Round One of BAFTA’s voting. Round Two, which determines the nominations, opens on January 14 and closes on January 27.

The Rising Star Award nominations will be announced on February 1. The full nominations will then be unveiled February 3. Round Three, to determine the winners, runs February 9 – March 8. The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards take place March 13, with a physical ceremony planned.

The below field paints a wide picture of the films participating in the current awards campaign, and gives a moment in the sun to a handful of titles that may not make the final cut for nominations.

While drawing conclusions from the below lists in regards to the likely winners is largely a guessing game, a few notable takeaways include: Spider-Man: No Way Home is entirely absent...