eye-on-animation-blog

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DC announces Harley Quinn animated series

DC Comics have announced that popular character Harley Quinn will be getting a 26-episode adult animated series. It will be released through DC’s upcoming streaming service, alongside new episodes of Young Justice, and the live-action series Titans.

Giving Harley Quinn a solo cartoon feels fitting, given that the character originated in Batman: The Animated Series before making her way to comics, video games, and live-action movies. Despite being a relatively recent creation- Harley Quinn was created 25 years ago; in comparison, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman have been around for more than 75- the character has proven to be one of DC’s most popular in recent years, with strong comic sales and a slew of merchandise.

The new animated series is being developed by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumaker, and Dean Lorey, who previously worked on the short-lived comedy series Powerless. The show will take inspiration from the character’s ongoing comic series, following Harley after she has broken up with the Joker and is striking out on her own. She’ll be joined by Poison Ivy, as well as other heroes and villains of the Gotham City underworld.

Accompanying the announcement, DC has released a piece of early development art by Amanda Conner, though they note that  the cast and visual style of the series may differ in the final product. You can see the full piece below the cut, or over at the DC website.

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‘BoJack Horseman’ to return in September

Netflix have announced that season 4 of BoJack Horseman will be released on 8 September. The announcement was made through a picture posted to BoJack’s official Twitter account:

Which was quickly followed by this:

Netflix have not released a synopsis for the new season yet, though fans will remember that season 3 ended with Mr Peanutbutter considering a run for Governor of California, Diane starting a new job at a feminist website, and Princess Carolyn working towards becoming a manager. The finale showed a mysterious female horse trying to contact BoJack, suggesting he might be about to find out he has a child. 

Season 4 of BoJack Horseman will be released on 8 September on Netflix.

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Netflix renews ‘F is for Family’ for a third season

Netflix have announced that their animated comedy series, F is for Family, will receive a third season. The show’s second season was released just a few weeks ago. Netflix have not revealed when they expect the third season to be released, or how many episodes it will include.

F is for Family was created by stand-up comedian Bill Burr and Simpsons writer Michael Price. The show, set in the 1970s, follows the Murphy family. Burr voices the father of the family, Frank, while other characters include Sue, his wife, Kevin, the teenage son, Bill, the shy younger son, Maureen, the daughter, and Vic, the successful, womanising neighbour.  

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UK cinemas to screen ‘The Boy and the Beast’ 10 July

Studio Canal have announced that The Boy and the Beast will be released in Picturehouse cinemas 10 July. The film was originally supposed to have been released in the UK last year, but was ultimately pushed back. Screenings will be in Japanese, with English subtitles. So far only 6 locations have been announced, but it’s possible that Picturehouse will add more screenings later on. More information can be found here.

The film is directed by Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children), and was released in Japan in 2015. Here’s Studio Canal’s synopsis:

When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely family is put to the ultimate test – a final showdown that will only be won if the two can work together and combine their strength and courage. 

Amazon lists the UK DVD and Blu-ray release date as 4 September 2017. Watch the UK trailer below.

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New sneak peek for ‘Star Wars Forces of Destiny’

Disney have released a teaser for their upcoming series of shorts, Star Wars Forces of Destiny. Developed by Lucasfilm Animation, the series will focus on the franchise’s female characters, including Rey, Princess Leia, Jyn Erso, Sabine Wren, Padmè Amidala, and Ahsoka Tano. Many of the original actors will be reprising their roles, including Daisy Ridley, Felicity Jones, and Lupita Nyong’o.

The shorts will be 2-3 minutes long, and will premiere on the Disney YouTube channel before airing on the Disney Channel. A further eight shorts will air on the Disney Channel this autumn, in the form of a two-part TV special.

The series is designed to tie into a new line of Star Wars products, including books, apparel, and ‘adventure figures’, which have been described as ‘a fusion of traditional dolls and action figures’. In many ways this seems like Disney’s attempt at replicating the success of the DC Super Hero Girls line, which also launched with a series of online shorts.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny will be released on the Disney YouTube channel on 3 July. They will also air on the Disney Channel on 9 July.  

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New trailer for Blue Sky Studio’s ‘Ferdinand’

20th Century Fox have released the second trailer for their upcoming film Ferdinand. Based on the bestselling children’s book The Story of Ferdinand, the film focuses on a gentle bull that spends his days smelling flowers. However, after being stung by a bee, people mistake him for a dangerous beast and he is captured and taken to a bullfighting ring. Alongside his new friends, Ferdinand must escape and make his way back home.

Ferdinand is directed by Carlos Saldanha, whose previous work includes Rio and Ice Age: The Meltdown. The film’s voice cast includes John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Gina Rodriguez, and David Tennant.

Ferdinand will be released in US cinemas on 15 December 2017.

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Disney release trailer for ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’

Disney have released the first trailer for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, the short film that will play before screenings of Pixar’s Coco this November. It’s unusually long for a pre-movie short, running for a full 21 minutes. This will also be the first time that a Pixar film is preceded by a short made by a different studio.

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure serves as a sequel to Frozen, and follows Olaf as he attempts to brighten Anna and Elsa’s holidays by finding them new family traditions to enjoy. The core voice cast- Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad- are all reprising their roles. The short will feature four new songs by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson.  Olaf’s Frozen Adventure will be directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton.

Alongside the trailer, Disney have released some quotes from the directors and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar.

“I’m thrilled that Disney Animation’s featurette ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ will be coming to theaters in November with Pixar’s ‘Coco,’” said John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. “It’s a perfect pairing – they’re both beautiful, heartfelt films about families and how people carry traditions forward. I can’t wait for audiences to get to see both of these terrific projects together on the big screen.”

“Stevie and I were deeply honored to be entrusted by John [Lasseter] to create an all-new story with these characters we love,” said Deters. “We’re thrilled to have our film play on the big screen with ‘Coco’ during the holidays.”

“We loved getting in the recording booth with these incredible actors who know their characters inside and out,” added Wermers-Skelton. “We can’t wait for audiences to see the featurette, enjoy their performances, and hear the incredible new songs written by Elyssa and Kate.”

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure will be released in US theatres alongside Coco on 22 November 2017.

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Donald Glover working on animated ‘Deadpool’ for FXX

Today FXX revealed that Donald Glover, creator and star of the hit comedy Atlanta, is currently working on an animated series based on Marvel’s Deadpool. FXX have placed a ten-episode series order for the first season of the new show, set to air next year. Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen Glover (who also wrote for Atlanta), will act as showrunners, writers and executive producers on the show. The show will be aimed at adult audiences.

In the announcement, FX’s President of Original Programming, Nick Grad, stated “Donald Glover is an incredibly gifted and versatile artist who’ll bring the untitled Marvel’s Deadpool series to life with the same intense, singular vision as his breakout hit Atlanta. With the success of Legion, we’re looking forward to again partnering with Marvel Television to create a series that is bold, striking and entirely original.”

Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television, also said “How much more fun could this be? Deadpool, Donald and FX – the perfect fit for the Merc with the Mouth! We’re thrilled that our relationship with FX that started with Legion continues with what is sure to be a groundbreaking show in adult animation.”

This isn’t the first time Glover has worked on a Marvel project. In 2015 he voiced Miles Morales in an episode of Ultimate Spider-Man, and later this year he will be appearing in the live-action Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The official press release notes that the series is currently untitled. It’s possible that the show’s final title will be designed to differentiate it from the live-action Deadpool movies starring Ryan Reynolds.  

The currently untitled Marvel’s Deadpool series is scheduled to air in 2018.

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Watch This: First trailer for ‘Voltron’ Season 2

The trailer for the second season of Voltron: Legendary Defender has just landed online. Originally shown to con-goers back in July, this teaser raises several questions about the upcoming season. Have the paladins really been split up? Who is that mysterious masked fighter?  And what the heck is going on with Shiro?

ComicBook.com has also provided a look at brand new poster for the series, which will be available at New York Comic-Con this Friday. You can see the poster, and the Voltron crew’s NYCC schedule, over on this page.

Season 2 of Voltron: Legendary Defender is set to be released in late 2016.

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'Hamilton's' Phillipa Soo joins Disney's 'Moana'

A while ago it was announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be composing songs for Disney's upcoming feature film, Moana. Entertainment Weekly have now revealed that he will be joined by his Hamilton co-star Phillipa Soo, who will voice a character in the new film. 

Soo will portray one of the villagers of Motunui, Moana's home island. The film follows Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) as she goes on a seafaring adventure with the demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson). 

Jared Bush, who co-wrote the screenplay, also confirmed on Twitter that Soo will lend her singing talents to the movie. He also hinted at a "surprise" that has not yet been revealed. 

Moana is set to be released on the 23rd of November, 2016.

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DreamWorks releases new clips of "Voltron: Legendary Defender"

A week ahead of Voltron's Netflix debut, DreamWorks have released three new clips and a sizzle reel to promote the show. The new series is a reboot of the 80s anime Voltron: Defender of the Universe, and revolves around a group of young heroes who pilot robot lions that can collectively form Voltron, a giant mecha. 

The reboot is being overseen by Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery, who previously worked together on The Legend of Korra. Voltron: Legendary Defender is animated Studio Mir, who also provided most of the animation work on Korra. 

All thirteen episodes of Voltron: Legendary Defender will be released on the 10th of June. You can watch the new previews below.

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Funimation is also losing the rights to the other ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ anime

You may remember that a few months ago we reported that Funimation's license for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood would expire in March. Surprisingly, the company has now revealed that their license for the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime will also be expiring soon. This means that in the US, the series will no longer be available to stream through Funimation’s website, and no new DVDs and Blu Rays will be produced.   

Just like last time, they've advised that anybody who wants to watch or buy the series before it becomes scarce should do so by the 31st of July.

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‘Zootopia’ documentary released online

Fusion have uploaded their 45-minute documentary called Imagining Zootopia, looking at the making of Disney’s latest film. Featuring interviews with the production team, the documentary follows the filmmakers over two years of researching, writing, and animating the movie. It also shows how Zootopia changed from its original concept to the story used in the final film. You can see the full documentary below. 

Update: Apologies, the video has since been made private.

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...And here's another 'Lego Batman' teaser

The official Lego YouTube channel has uploaded another teaser for The Lego Batman Movie, just days after the first one hit the internet. The film itself will be released next year. You can see the new teaser below. It's pretty meta.

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‘The Lego Batman Movie’ teaser arrives

With all the buzz around Batman v Superman, it's easy to forget that the Dark Knight has another movie on the horizon. A somewhat… blockier movie. 

This week Warner Bros. released the first teaser for The Lego Batman Movie, which is set to be released next year. A spin-off of 2014's The Lego Movie, the new film follows Batman (Will Arnett) as he learns to work with others in order to save the city from the Joker (Zach Galifianakis). The movie will introduce the Lego versions of several Gotham City regulars, including Batgirl (Rosario Dawson), Robin (Michael Cera), and Alfred (Ralph Fiennes). 

The Lego Batman Movie will be released in 2017. Watch the new trailer below.

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Netflix will release 'The Little Prince' in the US

The Little Prince was set to hit US cinemas on March 18. However, a week before its release, Paramount suddenly pulled it without explanation. Netflix have now stepped in, and will handle the film's US release. Though no dates have been given, it will presumably appear on the streaming service later this year. 

Despite this hiccup, The Little Prince has already become the most successful French animated film outside France, beating Arthur and the Invisibles. It also currently holds a rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and won Best Animated Feature Film at the César Awards. Paramount's decision to suddenly drop the film is a little confusing, given its obvious financial and critical success in other territories. It's possible that they didn't want to compete with Zootopia, which has been number one at the box office for two weeks now, although this is just speculation. 

The Little Prince is based on the much-loved novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In the movie, the story of the prince is incorporated into a frame narrative about a young girl who befriends a retired aviator. The film uses a mix of CG animation and stop-motion, switching between the two styles depending on which story is being told.

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First 'Sausage Party' trailer released

Sony have released the first trailer for their upcoming R-rated comedy Sausage Party. According to the synopsis, Sausage Party is about "one sausage leading a group of supermarket products on a quest to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they become chosen to leave the grocery store." 

The trailer's release comes just a day after a rough cut of the film was screened at the South by Southwest film festival. According to Variety, the film "received the most rapturous applause and laughter at this year's SXSW". Meanwhile, Consequence of Sound have labelled the film "disturbingly brilliant", though they also note that the film's use of cultural stereotypes will probably be quite polarising. Overall the response seems to be quite positive, and it’ll be interesting to see how the completed film will fare. 

Sausage Party will be released on 12 August. You can see the red-band trailer below.