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Variety will host its third annual “Pixels and Pencils” series at this year’s Scad Savannah Film Festival on Monday, Oct. 28. The panel, featuring directors of some of the year’s most celebrated animated feature films, is presented in partnership with the Savannah College of Art and Design (Scad). Moderated by Clayton Davis, Variety’s senior awards editor, the event will showcase a diverse range of animation styles and artistic approaches, culminating in a roundtable discussion with the directors.

This year’s lineup of films and directors includes:

“Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films) – Director Gints Zilbalodis “Inside Out 2” (Walt Disney/Pixar) – Director Kelsey Mann “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) – Director Adam Elliot “Piece By Piece” (Focus Features) – Director Morgan Neville “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures) – Director Josh Cooley “The Wild Robot” (Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation) – Director Chris Sanders

Last year’s “Pixels and Pencils” panel featured Academy Award nominees Peter Sohn...

Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature last night in Los Angeles, marking a second Oscar win for legendary Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki, as well as Studio Ghibli. The studio’s latest anime film faced a tough competition, but won, adding an Oscar to the Golden Globe and the BAFTA it had already won earlier this year.

The nominees at last night’s ceremony were as follows:

The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki Elemental – Peter Sohn and Denise Ream Nimona – Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary Robot Dreams – Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, and Sandra Tapia Díaz Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal

With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse winning the Annie Award for 2023, it was expected that The Boy and the Heron...

Oppenheimer was named best picture at the 2024 Oscars, which were were handed out Sunday.

The film took a total of seven awards during the night: Christopher Nolan won best director, Cillian Murphy won best actor and Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor. The film also won awards for best cinematography, best original score and best film editing.

In a surprise, Emma Stone won best actress for Poor Things, which also snapped up three crafts wins, for best costume design, production design, and makeup and hairstyling. She beat out perceived frontrunner Lily Gladstone, who has scooped up numerous awards for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph won best supporting actress for The Holdovers.

Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki’s The Boy and the Heron was named best animated feature, while Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest won the Oscar for best international feature. 20 Days in Mariupol...

Refresh for updates: The votes are in, the tuxes are pressed, and the envelopes are sealed: It’s time for the 96th Academy Awards. Deadline is updating the winners list live as they are announced, so check it out below.

Christopher Nolan’s near-billion-dollar juggernaut Oppenheimer has been collecting trophies at nearly every stop this awards season and comes into the ceremony as the odds-on favorite for Best Picture, among other nods. It’s vying for the Big Prize on Hollywood’s Big Night against the No. 1 movie of 2023, Barbie, along with American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest.

Here are the winners announced so far at the Oscars, followed by the remaining nominees:

Winners

Tba

Nominees

Best Picture

American Fiction

Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers

Anatomy of a Fall...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Oscars Predictions:

Best Animated Feature

Weekly Commentary: Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” has garnered both the Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards, solidifying its status as a strong contender in the animated feature category. However, what’s intriguing is the absence of Miyazaki and his producer Toshio Suzuki at the award ceremonies,...

Disney+ Hotstar announced today that the 96th Oscars® will be live-streamed in India on Monday, March 11 at 4 Am Ist. Emmy Award-winning late-night talk show host and producer Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the live show for the fourth time.

Actor In A Leading Role (Nominees)

Bradley Cooper

Maestro

Colman Domingo

Rustin

Paul Giamatti

The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy

Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright

American Fiction

Actor In A Supporting Role (Nominees)

Sterling K. Brown

American Fiction

Robert De Niro

Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr.

Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling

Barbie

Mark Ruffalo

Poor Things

Actress In A Leading Role (Nominees)

Annette Bening

Nyad

Lily Gladstone

Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra HÜLLER

Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan

Maestro

Emma Stone

Poor Things

Actress In A Supporting Role (Nominees)

Emily Blunt

Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks

The Color Purple

America Ferrera

Barbie

Jodie Foster

Nyad

Da’Vine Joy Randolph

The Holdovers

Animated Feature Film...

In January of 2021, Megan Ellison got a call from Erik Lomis, the former head of distribution at her company, Annapurna Pictures, asking if she’d like to take a look at a movie whose filmmakers needed a lifeline. Disney was days away from announcing that it planned to shutter Blue Sky Studios, the 500-person, Greenwich, Connecticut-based animation studio it had inherited in the 2019 Fox acquisition, and with that closure, the Burbank media giant would be dropping Blue Sky’s most promising movie, Nimona.

“I wasn’t really engaging in new film projects at the time, but being curious, I said yes,” Ellison said, in an email.

Ellison watched the hand-drawn storyboard reels, which directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane had adapted from Nd Stevenson’s 2015 graphic novel, and instantly connected with the title character, a shape-shifter voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz who appears most often as a young woman, but...

Netflix uploads Nimona to watch for free on YouTube. Chloë Grace Moretz spoke with the film's directors about bringing the character to life, portraying the ups and downs with impactful stillness. With a 93% Tomatometer rating and a 91% audience score, Nimona impresses with its unique storyline and shapeshifting character.

“If you want a happily ever after, you can never let your guard down.” Netflix made a bold move earlier today when the streaming giant uploaded the Oscar-nominated animated film Nimona to YouTube, and movie lovers can now watch it absolutely free! Check out the full version of the must-see Nimona on YouTube below:

Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane’s thought-provoking project originally dropped on Netflix back on June 30, 2023. And Nimona features the acting talents of Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroe and the one and only RuPaul.

Nimona PGAnimationActionAdventure Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release DateJune 30, 2023DirectorNick Bruno,...

Nimona is currently available to watch for free, as Netflix has uploaded the entire animated movie to their YouTube channel. The titular character, voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, is ready to share her impressive journey with everyone without viewers having to pay for a subscription to enjoy it. Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, the film was met with critical acclaim upon release, and it's currently nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year's Academy Awards. Before the big ceremony takes place, Netflix is giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the magic of Nimona without the need for an active subscription to their service.

The Oscar-frontrunning Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was the big winner at Asifa-Hollywood’s 51st Annie Awards (held February 17 at UCLA’s Royce Hall), grabbing seven awards, topped by best animated feature. As a 66 percent Oscar predictor, the Annie win bodes well for Sony and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

The other “Spider-Verse” awards were for FX, character design, direction, music, production design, and editorial.

The Oscar-nominated dark horse, “Robot Dreams” (Neon), from Pablo Berger, won best independent feature, and “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” (ElectroLeague) took best short. The prestige short got a boost in its race for the Oscar. It’s directed by Pixar alum Dave Mullins and executive produced by Sean Ono Lennon, in partnership with Peter Jackson and his Wētā FX Limited animation team.

Hayao Miyazaki’s summary film, “The Boy and the Heron“ (Studio Ghibli-GKids), won two Annies for Takeshi Honda...

As the nominees for the animated feature Oscar were unveiled this year, one thing was clear: 2D and 2D-influenced animated films are dominating awards season.

Among this year’s nominees, “The Boy and the Heron,” “Nimona,” “Robot Dreams” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” all used traditional 2D techniques or other methods to create a 2D look. Even the CG “Elemental” shows 2D influences across the many environments of Element City. And as the Academy nominates what might be helmer Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, it seems as though the impact of 2D is being recognized once again after CG having dominated the animation space for so long.

The 2D animation of today isn’t quite like cartoons of the past. With new techniques at their disposal, filmmakers are expanding the visuals they can create to tell rich, compelling stories. It’s very often a 2D look that’s intended for...

After a whirlwind journey to even get made, Nimona received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature on Tuesday morning, much to the delight of directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. “This movie was dead, it was not even going to exist, and now here it is, standing shoulder to shoulder with the top films of the year,” says Quane. “It’s crazy and incredible.”

Nimona was originally at Blue Sky Studios, which was dissolved after being acquired by Disney. “It’s a testament to what Nd (Stevenson) created with the graphic novel,” says Bruno. “For all those people who’ve ever felt misunderstood, it’s unapologetically LGBTQ+. At the time, Disney was unapologetically against it, but we had a whole industry pick this movie up and help carry it across the finish line.”

Four other animated films are in contention for the Oscar this year – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,...

Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr is Lewis Strauss in ‘Oppenheimer’ (Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon © Universal Pictures)

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer topped the list of the 2024 Oscar nominees, receiving 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Director, and three acting nominations. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things was close behind with 11 nominations in categories including Best Picture, Director, Actress (Emma Stone), and Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo).

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon earned 10 nominations, followed by Greta Gerwig’s Barbie with eight and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro with seven. The Zone of Interest, The Holdovers, Anatomy of a Fall, and American Fiction each picked up five nominations.

Greta Gerwig was snubbed in the directing category, with Anatomy of a Fall‘s Justine Triet the only female nominated as Best Director. Triet’s nomination is only the ninth for a female in the directing category. The category also includes...

Oscar Nominations 2024 Full List (Photo Credit – Instagram/IMDb)

Oscar Nominations 2024: It is time for the most significant awards in the film industry. Yes, we are talking about the 96th Academy Awards. Oppenheimer has successfully dominated this year’s awards, including the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards. Scroll below to find out the nominations for this year’s awards.

The Boys star, Jack Quaid, and the Deadpool 2 star, Zazie Beetz, announced the nominations this year. For the unversed, Jack was also a part of the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer.

Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz will be announcing the nominations across 23 categories. Last year, India’s Rrr made history by bagging the Oscar for the song Naatu Naatu. Let’s see how many nominations are secured by Oppenheimer. Will Robert Downey Jr and Cillian Murphy get the award for their performance? Or Barbie’s Margot Robbie win the Best Actress in a Leading Role?...

Oppenheimer leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, which were unveiled Tuesday morning.

The film nabbed a total of 13 noms, followed by Poor Things with 11, Killers of the Flower Moon with 10 and Barbie with eight.

All four films will compete for best picture of the year, along with American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest.

Among those setting records with their noms were Lily Gladstone, who is the first Native American acting nominee, and Martin Scorsese, who is now the most nominated living movie director.

Meanwhile, the high-profile snubs included Leonardo DiCaprio and Greta Gerwig.

Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid announced the nominees in all 23 categories live from the Film Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The 2024 Oscars are the first in which films must meet two of four representation and inclusion standards in order to be eligible for the top prize of best picture.

The official website of Annie Awards revealed the list of nominees for the 51st edition of the awards on Jan 11, 2024. The awards, which have been presented each year since 1972, recognizes excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television.

While Nick Bruno and Troy Quane directed Nimona earned the highest nominations with 8, Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume no Tojimari and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron were nominated in 7 categories each, tying with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Both the anime films were nominated for Best Feature, Best Character Animation and Best Music among others.

Check out the nominations for The Boy and the Heron movie below:

Best Feature Best Character Animation – Feature (Takeshi Honda) Best Direction – Feature (Hayao Miyazaki) Best Music – Feature (Joe Hisaishi) Best Production Design – Feature (Yoji Takeshige) Best Storyboarding – Feature (Hayao Miyazaki) Best Writing – Feature (Hayao Miyazaki)

Check out the nominations for Suzume movie:

Best Feature...

The nominees have been revealed for the 51st Annie Awards, and Makoto Shinkai's Suzume anime film came through with seven across a variety of categories that include Best Feature. Shinkai's latest came in second place for most nominations, just behind the Nick Bruno and Troy Quane directed Nimona , which adapts the best-selling graphic novel by Nd Stevenson and received nine nominations. Suzume tied with two other heavy-hitter features from the past year. Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron also received seven nominations, as did Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse from directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers. Pokémon: Path to the Peak received a nomination in the Best TV/Media - Limited Series category. Here's a quick look at everything Suzume is up for: Best Feature Best FX - Feature | Yoshitaka Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Seshita Best Character Animation - Feature | Kenichi Tsuchiya Best Music - Feature | Kazuma Jinnouchi,...

“Nimona,” the underdog Oscar contender from Annapurna Animation/Netflix, was the surprise leader for Asifa-Hollywood’s 51st Annie Awards with nine nominations. Meanwhile, the leading Oscar frontrunners, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and Studio Ghibli/GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron” each scored seven nominations. The awards ceremony will be held February 17 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

They will compete for best feature honors with Crunchyroll/Sony’s “Suzume,” the latest 2D fantasy/adventure from anime master Makoto Shinkai, which also collected seven nominations, and Nickelodeon/Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” which grabbed six noms.

Pixar’s “Elemental” also earned six nominations, while Neon’s “Robot Dreams,” an indie Oscar hopeful from Spain/France, earned five nominations.

The other best indie feature contenders are GKids’ “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia,” “Four Souls of Coyote” (Cinemon Entertainment), “The Inventor” (Curiosity Studios), and “White Plastic Sky...

In a competitive year in animation, Nimona, based on the graphic novel by Nd Stevenson, leads the 51st Annie Awards feature competition with nine nominations includes best feature, direction and writing.

In the top category for best feature, the International Animated Film Society Asifa-Hollywood — which hands out the annual animation prizes — also nominated Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume, which earned seven nominations apiece; and Paramount and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which collected six nominations. Pixar’s Elemental also earned a total of six nominations, though it was snubbed in the top category.

Nimona, The Boy and the Heron, Across the Spider-Verse, Mutant Mayhem and Robot Dreams (which was also nominated for best independent feature) received directing noms.

Disney’s centennial-celebrating Wish and Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls World Tour both failed to earn a single nomination.

Sandra Hüller in ‘The Zone of Interest’ (Photo Credit: A24)

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) voted The Zone of Interest starring Sandra Hüller and Christian Friede as Best Film of 2023, with Barbie‘s Greta Gerwig collecting Best Director honors. The critics group also recognized Killers of the Flower Moon, American Fiction, The Holdovers, and The Boy and the Heron as Eda Awards winners.

“2023 was an exceptional year with so many women playing major creative roles in high-profile projects,” said AWFJ President Jennifer Merin. “AWFJ always focuses on and supports women’s contributions in all aspects of film production, and we are delighted that this year’s AWFJ Eda Awards honor women creatives in six of our ten non-gendered Best Of categories, as well as in all of our Female Focus categories. We hope this female forward trend will continue in 2024.”

2023 Eda Awards Winners

Best Film

American Fiction

Anatomy Of A Fall...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Nimona, Netflix’s animated feature based on Nd Stevenson’s 2015 National Book Award-nominated graphic novel about finding friendship in the most surprising situations and accepting yourself and others for who they are.

Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (co-directors of Spies In Disguise) directed the film, which was adapted by Big Hero 6 scribe Robert L. Baird and Spies co-writer Lloyd Taylor and features the voices of Riz Ahmed and Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead roles. Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, RuPaul Charles, Eugene Lee Yang, Indya Moore, Sarah Sherman and Beck Bennett also have voice roles.

A family-focused film with authentic queer themes set in a vibrant techno-medieval world (credit to teams at Blue Sky Studios and Dneg Animation), the plot centers on Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, who is...

Ana Cruz Kayne, Sharon Rooney, Alexandra Shipp, Margot Robbie, Hari Nef, and Emma MacKey in ‘Barbie’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) announced their 2023 Eda Awards nominees, with voting members showing their support of awards season favorites including Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Past Lives. The 95 voting members also showered The Holdovers, Oppenheimer, and The Zone of Interest with multiple nominations.

The year-end awards are divided into three main categories: Best Of, Eda Female Focus (for women only), and Special Mention.

“2023 has been a banner year for women working in film. We are particularly proud that this year’s member-determined roster of nominees included a goodly number of female contenders in non-gender specific categories, including Greta Gerwig, Justine Triet, and Celine Song, who are nominated in both the Best Director category and Best Screenplay categories,” stated Jennifer Merin,...

Nimona has had quite a journey before arriving on Netflix. After Disney acquired Blue Sky Studios, the film was repeatedly delayed before being canceled in 2021 when the studio was dissolved. Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, along with the creator of the graphic novel Nd Stevenson, liken the experience to the story of Nimona, the “scrappy underdog” fighting against the superpower looking for conformity. The fight paid off the following year, where Annapurna Pictures and Netflix picked up the film and gave it a new chance at life.

Based on Stevenson’s original graphic novel, Nimona takes place in a futuristic medieval world. Ballister (Riz Ahmed), a knight framed for killing the Queen, meets Nimona, a shapeshifting teenager looking to embrace villainy, and the pair sets out to prove Ballister’s innocence. Along the way the pair bond, and the lines between heroes and monsters starts to blur. During development,...

A broad range of titles, animation styles and plenty of music define this season’s animated feature race, with some expected contenders still to debut.

For instance, as the studio celebrates its centennial, Walt Disney Animation Studios hopes to grab one of the five nomination slots with its Nov. 22 musical Wish, which tells the story of how Disney’s wishing star came to be. Its voice cast is led by Ariana DeBose as young protagonist Asha and Chris Pine as villainous King Magnifico. The cast performs a collection of original songs from Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, including “This Wish,” “I’m a Star” and “This Is the Thanks I Get.” Oscar winner Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn direct, and Disney Animation chief creative officer and Oscar winner Jennifer Lee is a writer and executive producer.

This title joins an already crowded field. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — the bold...

Animated feature directors of “Elemental,” “Nimona,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Trolls Band Together” will attend the second annual “Sketch to Screen: Top Animated Contenders” panel at Scad Savannah Film Festival.

Hosted by Clayton Davis, senior awards editor for Variety, the panel will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 24. On the panel will be: Peter Sohn (Pixar’s “Elemental”), Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Netflix’s “Nimona”), Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers (Sony Pictures’ “Across the Spider-Verse”), Jeff Rowe (Paramount Pictures’ “Tmnt”) and Walt Dohrn (DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls”).

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

Showcasing a broad array of artistic avenues and animation styles, these films tell compelling stories as they contend for awards acclaim, including the Oscars. Each filmmaker will also participate in post-screening Q&As of their movies, which will be...

LightBox Expo is returning in late October and will showcase over 600 artists and 300 creators, featuring panels and programs on popular works like Star Wars and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The expo shifted to an online event for two years due to the pandemic but has now returned as an in-person event at the Pasadena Convention Center. The event aims to provide educational panels for aspiring artists to learn about the industry and offers a variety of products for sale, including plush toys, custom sketchbooks, and a hoodie for traditional and digital artists.

Screen Rant is excited to announce LightBox Expo's talent and highlights for its return in late October. The event, which celebrates the visual arts, is slated to showcase some fan-favorite creators and works this year. From film to comics, the upcoming expo will feature over 600 artists and 300 creators.

This year will be the fifth LightBox Expo, which has...

The Italian premiere of Illumination and Universal Pictures’ upcoming animated feature “Migration” rounds out the lineup for this year’s View Conference in Turin, Italy. The conference, which brings together top industry professionals, thought leaders and enthusiasts to celebrate the latest achievements in animation, VFX and games, runs from Oct. 15 through Oct. 20.

“Migration” director Benjamin Renner will offer a presentation on the making of the film, which follows the Mallard family on a surprising journey outside of their New England home. Lending their voices to the project are Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Carol Kane and Danny DeVito. The film opens in the U.S. on Dec. 22.

“It is an honor to welcome Benjamin Renner to our live stage at View Conference 2023,” says conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “This Italian premiere event will give our global audience an exclusive preview of this highly anticipated movie, which enjoys its theatrical release this coming holiday season.

The Monkey King is an animated adventure comedy movie. Directed by Anthony Stacchi, the Netflix movie is inspired by the epic Ming Dynasty classic Journey to the West. In the film we follow the Monkey King’s journey to become immortal, he is assisted by a girl named Lin. So, if you loved The Monkey King here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Kung Fu Panda (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – DreamWorks Animations

Synopsis: Prepare for awesomeness with this delightful Academy Award®-nominated DreamWorks Animation film. Jack Black is the voice of Po, a noodle slurping dreamer who must embrace his true self-fuzzy flaws and all–in order to become the real Dragon Warrior. Filled with high-kicking humor, groundbreaking animation, and an all-star cast including Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman.

Raya and The Last Dragon (Disney+) Credit – Walt Disney Animation

Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation...

Features the voices of: Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, Indya Moore, RuPaul Charles, Julio Torres, Sarah Sherman | Written by Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor | Directed by Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Adapting the 2015 graphic novel from Nd Stevenson, Nimona was originally a production of Blue Sky Studios before Disney’s acquisition of Fox resulted in Blue Sky’s closure and the cancellation of this film. The project was thankfully revived by Annapurna Pictures, with Netflix providing worldwide distribution, allowing for the release of one of 2023’s best films.

Within a medieval-futuristic kingdom, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is about to make history as the first commoner to become a knight. He is a beacon of hope for those not of noble blood, establishing that “anyone can be a hero”, which makes his crowning glory even more horrifying when he is framed for killing the queen.

Netflix’s Nimona launched to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, but it almost never got made. Thanks to corporate mergers, the Covid-19 pandemic, and potentially political motivations, Nimona was set to be just another canceled project that would never see the light of day. Thanks, though, to a passionate team of creatives and funding from a new production studio, Nimona found its home on Netflix and in the hearts and minds of the punky shape-shifter's new fans.

Nimona began as a webcomic from artist and author N.D. Stevenson as a way for him to explore themes of identity, acceptance, and the importance of questioning the norm. The comic ran from 2012 to 2014, with HarperCollins releasing the print version in 2015. Nimona was an immediate hit, and studios clamored to get their hands on this exciting new property, with 20th Century Fox coming out on top. The film adaptation would be...

The long-awaited Nimona adaptation has finally come out, and against all odds, it's a smash hit. Languishing in development for what felt like forever, Blue Sky Studios had an eye on adapting Nd Stevenson's original webcomic for years. That is, until their parent company, 21st Century Fox, was acquired by Disney in 2019.

Not even two years afterward, the studio would be snuffed out due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with an in-progress Nimona left to languish in copyright hell. However, the acquisition of the film by Annapurna Pictures and a distributor in the form of Netflix would revive the project.

Barely a week after Nimona's streaming debut, it's already racking up positive reviews left and right and incredibly positive word-of-mouth elsewhere. It's already a strong contender for one of Netflix's best 2023 films, with praise being lobbed towards its unique concepts, incredible animation, and interesting subtext.

But as we enjoy the film's success,...

It took more than half a decade to get Nimona to the screen in all its pink, punk rock glory, but it finally happened in June thanks to a group of creatives who wouldn’t quit and a few mix tapes.

“We love music, so when we were starting this story process, we started making each other mixtapes about what we love,” director Nick Bruno tells The Hollywood Reporter about how he and fellow director Troy Quane geared up for the Netflix film’s soundtrack. “We love the idea that this whole soundtrack is female-led. It’s punk and big energy and stuff that you want to dance to, and you want to ride a rhino to. It’s multi-generational, and a lot of that is because of Kier [Lehman], our music supervisor.”

For Quane, Nimona‘s composer Christophe Beck “is nothing short of genius,” producing a score for them film so stirring,...

As Nimona receives widespread praise for the movie adaptation, some of its earliest concept art from the comics has even shocked the Nimona creator, Nd Stevenson.

Via Twitter, seeing a fan-led effort that culminated in discovering his earliest works, Stevenson reacted, "Whoa." The post from 2011, tagged with #homework, outlined the motivations behind the titular character Nimona and Lord Ballister Blackheart's characters and referred to Nimona as a part of a "monkpunk" genre. An additional post clarified that Nimona's rebellious themes and medieval twist on the steampunk genre placed it in this category.

Related: Nimona: Netflix's Canceled Disney Movie Debuts a Jaw-Dropping First Trailer

Whoa https://t.co/Lr2CDfN3NS — Nd Stevenson (@Gingerhazing) July 6, 2023

The post helps complete the narrative surrounding Nimona's long and arduous path to completion. Nimona's pink motif remains unchanged from initial designs, with recent interviews with Stevenson explaining how it was born of a desire to reclaim the color pink.

N.D. Stevenson explained how the color palette of Nimona -- specifically the main character's use of pink -- informs the story and its themes.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stevenson discussed the genesis of Nimona's personal style. "Growing up Afab [assigned female at birth], everyone is always like a pink, pink, pink," he explained. "As a kid, I was like, 'I'm not like other girls. I hate pink. No pink for me.' Then, when I was designing her, I wanted to reclaim pink in a way that I liked. It was one of those stereotypical tropes that I just wanted to turn on their head and make it something totally new." Stevenson added that Nimona's transformation into pink animals served a narrative function, so readers wouldn't lose track of her in between panels.

Related: Nimona: Chloë Grace Moretz on the Character's Complexities & Her Favorite Transformations

Over time, pink came to represent Nimona's self-acceptance and self-confidence,...

The following contains spoilers for Nimona, now streaming on Netflix. This article contains brief mention of attempted suicide.

Netflix's Nimona is a fun, adventurous animated foray into a retrofuturistic version of the Middle Ages. It focuses on a teenage shape-shifter named Nimona, who wants to punish the kingdom for making her a social pariah. She partners with Ballister (Riz Ahmed), a disgraced knight who's unfortunately been framed for murdering Queen Valerin.

While they try to clear his name and cause a little anarchy, Nimona carves out nuanced, endearing sub-arcs involving identity. One character arc is centered around Ballister feeling broken and his beloved Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) hunting him. Another arc centers on Nimona's past where she was ostracized and shunned for being different. It all builds to an action-packed, yet emotional ending that holds many lessons and values on what representation truly means.

Related: Review: Netflix's Hilarious & Heartbreaking...

[This story contains major spoilers for Nimona.]

Nimona voice actress Chloë Grace Moretz “loves” that pink is the sole color embraced by the titular shapeshifting hero behind the Netflix animated film.

“When I was younger, I shirked pink like crazy. I remember being like, ‘Pink’s not cool. I’m going to wear everything other than pink,'” she recalled on the pink carpet of the movie’s New York screening. “Then I grew up, and I was like, ‘I can wear pink. I can do this.’ Those colors were gender-neutral for many years until like the 1940s. It’s a color that I think we should gain more ownership over and be able to wear it whenever we want it, however we want it, in all its different shades.”

In America, pink is a color that has spanned the gender spectrum at various points in history. Having spent decades not being associated with any particular gender,...

Netflix's Nimona movie includes backstory material that didn't fit in the original comic book, according to creator Nd Stevenson.

Stevenson confirmed the adaptation's Gloreth-focused flashbacks were based on content he cut from the Nimona comic in an interview with Polygon. "There's one thing I really loved seeing in the movie, because it was a seed of an idea I had with the comic that didn't really fit in the comic itself. That's the story of Gloreth, and her backstory with Nimona," Stevenson said. "[That backstory] was something I thought about for the comic, so I talked to the filmmakers about it. To see it unfold in such a beautiful way in the movie was really amazing. I love being able to see different shades of this story, which I know really, really well, being expanded in different directions, and evolving into something new."

Related: Nimona: How Eugene Lee Yang Saw...

The seven-year production of the latest Netflix animation feature, Nimona, was a rocky one. The film, based on Nd Stevenson’s webcomic about a sadistic little shapeshifter sidekick with a heart of gold, survived biblical hurdles in its leap from Nd’s panels to TV and big screens, including a studio acquisition, a whole pandemic, and a studio closure. Nimona’s epic journey is unlike anything else in feature animation history. But when a film boasts a subversive protagonist full of fiery, offbeat, punk-rock LGBTQ+ energy in a family film with a unique pro-trans message,...

[The following story contains major spoilers from Nimona.]

Nimona is only Eugene Lee Yang’s second-ever voice acting gig, but it’s a “beautiful” role, he says, and one already for the history books.

The actor, who is best known for his work with YouTubers and media production group The Try Guys, is the voice behind Ambrosius Goldenloin, the presumed hero of the animated Netflix film. Released on Friday and based on an award-winning graphic novel by the movie’s co-producer Nd Stevenson, Nimona follows the titular punky shapeshifter, voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, as she teams with an outcast knight, Riz Ahmed’s Ballister Boldheart, after he is accused of plotting and then killing Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint).

Yang plays Goldenloin, a knight of royal lineage who finds himself cutting off his boyfriend Ballister’s arm while trying to save his ruler. Eventually, he also agrees to track and capture Ballister at the behest of the Director...

Netflix released their latest animated offering on Friday, Nimona, which has added another critically acclaimed animated movie to the streamer’s list of past successes. Based on the sci-fi graphic novel of the same name, Nimona is an adventure comedy directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane that tells the story of the shapeshifting title character, who is voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz. The movie landed itself an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both audiences and critics, and the film has become an instant hit for Netflix, who will be taking this as a win over Disney.

Disney Pixar recently released their latest offering in cinemas, Elemental. The visually pleasing movie, like many other Disney originals failed to capture quite the level of attention it hoped to, with critics scoring it around 76%, audiences being much more generous with a 92% rating, but the box office gross after two weeks being...

Four excellent new movies are waiting to whet your Fourth of July weekend appetite. At least two are family-friendly affairs, but all of them have a joyful spirit that’s apt for holiday viewing.

The contender to watch this week: “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret“

Kelly Fremon Craig‘s charming adaptation of Judy Blume‘s YA classic did modest business in theaters, so it deserves a second life on VOD. Craig, who established her teen movie bona fides with 2016’s “The Edge of Seventeen,” perfectly captures the book’s shrewd spirit. She cast “Ant-Man” actress Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, an 11-year-old forced to move to a new town where she and her friends endure the anxieties of puberty. Craig’s acclaimed script could make her a Best Adapted Screenplay contender, and the supporting cast — particularly Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie as Margaret’s lovingly scattered parents — are equally worthy Oscar candidates.

[Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers for “Nimona.”]

Netflix’s “Nimona” (now streaming) represents the latest post “Spider-Verse” animated breakthrough in handmade-looking 2D stylization. The twist here was creating a futuristic medieval fantasy that mixes “Sleeping Beauty” with “Blade Runner.” Fortunately, Dneg Animation (“Entergalactic”) answered the Sos after the trouble-plagued adaptation of Nd Stevenson’s queer graphic novel about the titular teen shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) came back from the dead. That’s because Annapurna Animation and the streamer rescued the Blue Sky feature after Disney shuttered the Fox-owned animation studio in 2021.

“We obviously followed it really closely, what happened to Blue Sky,” Dneg VFX supervisor Archie Donato told IndieWire. “We knew that they were shutting down. It was all over media and everything, so it was incredibly heartbreaking because we had many, many friends working there. We actually hired a lot of their animators and people in lighting and compositing and other departments. So we managed...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for The Afterparty, Joy Ride and They Cloned Tyrone.

Joy Ride premiere

Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu joined director Adele Lim, co-writers Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, and producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, and Josh Fagen at the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Monday.

Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu, Stephanie Hsu, Teresa Hsiao, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Adele Lim and Ashley Park Josh Fagen, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weave

The Out-Laws premiere

Netflix hosted a special screening of its new comedy in Los Angeles on Monday, with stars Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, Pierce Brosnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Michael Rooker, Blake Anderson, Lauren Lapkus, Lil Rel Howery, Laci Mosley and producer Adam Sandler.

Adam DeVine, Nina Dobrev and Pierce Brosnan Adam DeVine and Adam...

Nimona adapts Nd Stevenson's beloved web series turned graphic novel for new audiences. Focusing on Nimona and Ballister Boldheart's unlikely partnership that slowly becomes a close bond (and a rebellious thorn in the side of the dangerous Institute that controls the fantastical realm), Nimona had a long road from development to release, surviving the shuttering of Blue Sky and being picked up by Netflix.

But it's a good thing, as Nimona is an absolute blast that manages to be emotionally impactful and hilarious at the same time. During an interview with Cbr ahead of Nimona's June 30 premiere on Netflix, Directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno sat down to discuss what appealed to them about the character in the first place, the trickiest element of bringing the character from comics to the screen, and why Nimona's silly transformation abilities speak to the strength of the story.

Cbr: What was it...

Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed star in the brilliant animated film Nimona. Based on the award-winning graphic novel by Nd Stevenson, a commoner knight in a futuristic medieval society is framed for murdering the beloved queen. Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) gets an unlikely shape-shifting ally in the mischievous Nimona (Moretz), who pleads to be his sidekick and help to find the true killer.

The Kingdom is surrounded by a wall to protect against a monster's attack. A strict hierarchy dictates who can serve and protect. The Institute sends Ballister's true love, Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), to hunt down the traitor. Ballister questions whether Nimona is the fabled monster he's been training to fight. He then realizes the folly of an unjust system to persecute someone for just being different.

Nimona was shelved near completion when Blue Sky Studios was closed by Disney after acquiring Fox's media business. Its subject matter was considered too controversial.

Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) is the title character of a shape-shifter posing as a teenage girl in a futuristic medieval society. She becomes the sidekick of a commoner knight, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), framed for murdering the Kingdom's beloved Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint). Nimona and Ballister must flee the Institute's security forces while searching for the real killer. The Kingdom is surrounded by a protective wall built to prevent a monster's attack. Citizens adhere to a strict social hierarchy where those of royal lineage have the honor of serving.

Ballister worries that Nimona may be the monster he has trained his entire life to fight. But soon realizes irrational fear has demonized a creature who only seeks acceptance and belonging. The situation is further complicated when Ballister's true love, Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), is tasked by the fascist Institute to hunt them down.

Spies in Disguise directors Nick Bruno...

This weekend, Netflix will welcome a psychological horror movie, the third season of a popular fantasy TV series, and an animated movie based on a graphic novel. Last weekend, the streaming giant added to its catalog the animated movie My Little Pony: The Movie, season 6 of Bunk’d, the Indian romantic comedies 90Ml and Namo Venkatesa, season 2 of The UnXplained with William Shatner, the Nollywood drama Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, and the documentary On the Line: The Richard Williams Story. In addition to that, Netflix brought the documentary Take Care of Maya, the comedy-drama TV series Glamorous, and the rom-com The Perfect Find.

This weekend, and as it does on the first days of each month, Netflix will add a long list of titles to its catalog of licensed content, most notably the biopic The Imitation Game, Alex Garland’s Annihilation, the superhero movie Kick-Ass, the comedies Bridesmaids, Liar Liar,...

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Nimona

Nimona’s ending saw the titular character sacrificing herself to save Ballister and the kingdom from The Director’s cruel actions. Nimona, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, brings the story of the shapeshifter to life in animated form. The animated film, which includes the voice talents of Riz Ahmed, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Eugene Lee Yang, follows the shapeshifting Nimona and Ballister Blackheart, a knight-turned-villain, as they work to take down the Institution and clear Ballister’s name after he’s framed for murder.

After learning Nimona was the creature Gloreth fought 1,000 years ago, Ballister confronts her about it, though he refuses to follow Ambrosius’ orders to kill her. The Institution’s knights follow Ballister and try to arrest Nimona, but Ballister is livid with Nimona for not telling him...

Medieval fiefdoms and dystopian surveillance states have never been known as bastions of civil liberties. So when someone had the bright idea to combine the two, it was only a matter of time before an innocent man got framed.

“Nimona” begins with an accolade ceremony that Chaucer could have written. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is the first solider in his kingdom’s history to achieve knighthood without having descended from noble blood. Everyone agrees that he earned the position through merit and hard work — especially his dreamy boyfriend Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang).

But this isn’t your grandfather’s feudal state — Nick Bruno and Troy Quane’s animated fantasy takes place in a world that splits the difference between “The Canterbury Tales” and “Tron.” Steel swords and suits of armor coexist alongside smartphones and flying cars, and the city-state is governed by medieval customs despite everyone having access to YouTube.

Nimona isn't just rooted around its titular shapeshifter. In the film, Ballister Boldheart goes through arguably an even greater transformation. Introduced as a future knight of the realm, a sudden and devastating event leaves Ballister framed for a vicious murder and on the run from everyone and everything he's ever known. In the process, the character gets the opportunity to confront the complexities of himself and others -- and truly discover what he is and who he wants to be.

Academy Award nominee Riz Ahmed is the perfect performer for the role, bringing a vulnerability to the character that adds complexity to the original story. During an interview with Cbr ahead of Nimona's Jun. 30 premiere on Netflix, Riz Ahmed broke down what makes Ballister relatable on so many levels, exploring his own experience with imposter syndrome through the character, and how having his co-stars recordings on-hand while performing the film...