News

In the world of voice acting, there are few modern legends that can compare to Mel Blanc or June Foray. However, Jim Cummings is one of those individuals, in part due to the sheer number of credits to his name. Not only are there stories about Cummings filling in for Jeremy Irons on The Lion King, but he built a long, sustained career creating his own icons. Some of his most iconic voices include Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Pete, and Ray from The Princess and the Frog. With The King of Kings, FandomWire had a chance to speak with him about his performance.

Below is a condensed version of the interview, edited for length and clarity. The full interview is available on YouTube here.

Related10 Upcoming Animated Movies in 2025 We Can’t Wait to See The King of Kings Interview with Jim Cummings

FandomWire: You are a huge inspiration...

Netflix’s Narnia Reboot: Meryl Streep in Talks to Play Aslan? When news broke that Meryl Streep is in talks to join Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia reboot for Netflix, fans immediately assumed she would play the White Witch. Streep’s commanding presence and elegance seemed a perfect fit, much like Tilda Swinton’s portrayal in the 2005 film adaptation. However, reports now suggest that Streep may actually voice Aslan. Female voice actors have portrayed many iconic male characters in animation, such as: Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson (The Simpsons) Christine Cavanaugh as Dexter (Dexter’s Laboratory) June Foray as Rocky (Rocky and Bullwinkle) Kath Soucie as Phil and Lil (Rugrats) The Cautionary Tale of Controversial Character Changes This situation brings to mind other controversies surrounding character changes that led to significant backlash. Ghost in the Shell (2017) and Dragonball Evolution (2009) stand as prime examples of whitewashing, where fans criticized the...

Mel Blanc was the man of a thousand cartoon voices, developing the distinctive vocal patterns of nearly every classic Looney Tunes character including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Tweety Bird and Marvin the Martian. But when Blanc named his favorite Looney Tune to voice, none of those iconic animations made the cut. That honor, according to MeTV, went to Sylvester the Cat.

Why was Sylvester such a favorite? “He’s a great deal like Daffy: a perpetual fall guy with a near-identical voice,” Blanc explained. “Daffy’s is pitched up slightly, while Sylvester’s is recorded at regular speed and sounds the closest to my natural way of speaking. He’s always been the easiest character for me to play.”

Blanc developed the character’s voice after studying the initial artist renderings of the character. “When I was first shown the model sheet of Sylvester,...

MeTV Toons has a treat to drop into everyone’s pic-a-nic basket.

MeTV’s seven-month-old offshoot dedicated exclusively to classic animation is getting read to launch “The House of Hanna-Barbera,” a weekday and Sunday-afternoon programming block showcasing characters sired by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Pixie and Dixie, Wally Gator, Touché Turtle, Magilla Gorilla, Atom Ant, Squiddly Diddly and others.

More from TVLineSuper Bowl Sunday: Here's Everything Airing Before and After the Big GameTVLine Items: Denise Richards Reality Series Premiere, Muhammad Ali's Parents Cast and MoreLove It or List It Renewed...

Disney is still committed to adapting their most beloved animated films into live-action movies, despite their past attempts receiving mixed reviews at best. Cinderella, which they already remade in 2015, is next on the chopping block. However, according to a new report, the film will potentially be the most unfaithful adaptation thus far. In fact, it won't even include Cinderella. The new live-action Prince Charming movie was announced last October, with Paddington's Paul King developing the film. Chris Hemsworth was also in talks to play the titular Prince, although, that appears to have fallen through. Since then, Twisters star Daisy Edgar-Jones has reportedly been cast in the movie, and her role has just been revealed.

Disney's live-action Prince Charming is reportedly moving ahead, according to Hollywood scooper Daniel Richtman. According to the report, the film will follow an unnamed animator (Edgar-Jones) who sketches drawings of Prince Charming from Cinderella. One day her drawing comes to life.

Werewolf shows are a part of the ever-popular fantasy genre of TV shows, and over the years, there have been plenty of series focused on the violence, humor, action, and romance that comes with a lupine transformation once a month on the full moon. Fantasy TV shows have always been wildly popular and while vampire TV shows have generally been the clubhouse leader in terms of fandom and success, werewolves deserve a shoutout too. They may not be as sexy as vampires, smart as witches, or titillating as ghosts, but werewolves have plenty to offer.

Werewolf shows are not simple endeavors. Typically, in lore, people turn into werewolves once a month, and typically they lose all control of their faculties, not exactly caveats that make for easy, character-driven storytelling. The werewolf in the Universal Monsters movies is not a hero after all. So a good TV show based around werewolves...

Speculations about a third Kill Bill film have sparked in fits and starts over the past two decades, with the films' stars and director, Quentin Tarantino, sometimes fueling the flames, sometimes dousing them with the waters of cold reality. You can read all about that lengthy history here, but for now, it seems like Tarantino will let Kill Bill: Vol. 2 be the last chapter in the story. For anyone disappointed by that news, Saturday Night Live has just gifted you a surprise Christmas present, bringing Lucy Liu and her character back, along with Kill Bill's iconic score, for one more bloody battle — Kill Grinch.

Despite its lavish production design, gory special effects, great costumes (including Martin Short decked out as the Grinch), and Lucy Liu herself, the sketch was cut for time. Fortunately, it was pre-filmed, so like most sketches, NBC and SNL posted it on YouTube. The sketch...

In Josh Cooley's "Toy Story 4," Woody (Tom Hanks) falls out of his family's Rv on a road trip, and falls in with a group of lost toys. As audiences know from the previous "Toy Story" movies, toys are only happy when children play with them, and lost toys have found a way to travel throughout a neighborhood's multiple public parks, burying themselves in sandboxes right when certain preschools break for the day. Lost toys live in a strange state of chaotic bliss. 

Toys that don't get played with, meanwhile, become bitter and evil. This was true of the old prospector Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer) in 1999's "Toy Story 2," and it's certainly true of Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) in "Toy Story 4." Gabby is a decades-old talking doll that has wound up in a small-town antique store. No one will buy Gabby, however, because her inner voice box broke many years ago.

Disney movies are known for their family-friendly atmospheres, but some of the most popular Disney characters actually kill their enemies. This isn't exactly in line with Disney's image of magical family entertainment, but it just proves that Disney can get surprisingly dark sometimes. While it isn't too much of a shock to see Disney villains with a murderous streak, some beloved heroes have also killed other characters.

The charming animation style of Disney's movies can often conceal a lot of darkness and violence that wouldn't be as appropriate for younger audiences in live-action. The fact that so many Disney characters have stacked up imposing kill counts without being known as killers highlights how the studio puts a magic sheen over most things. However, when some movies are examined more closely, some beloved Disney icons are revealed to be killers.

Related 10 Rotten Disney Animated Movies That Are Actually Great

10 underrated Disney...

Millennials might be the first to remember The Disney Afternoon, a two-hour block of Disney cartoons that aired on weekdays from 1990-1997. The block ran in four half-hour segments which alternated between multiple animated series. Surprisingly, the line-up was not slated for The Disney Channel only and aired in many markets across the United States. Some of the headlining shows featured characters that Disney fans would have already been familiar with from the studio's catalog of films and shorts, while others presented all-new characters and concepts.

Recognizable shows, like Darkwing Duck, first aired on The Disney Afternoon and featured voice talents like Jim Cummings. A veteran Disney voice actor, Cummings is best known as the current voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger -- but his resume extends well beyond Disney. Nostalgia for The Disney Afternoon has encouraged the studio to consider rebooting some of its properties from the block,...

For this month’s installment of “TV Terrors” we revisit the small screen adaptation of 1980s movie “Weird Science,” which aired from 1994 – 1998 on the USA Network.

I probably sound like an old fogy when I say this, but the USA Network of the cable television heyday was drastically different than the USA Network we have today. Back in the early nineties, USA Network was a free for all of weird, fun entertainment. There were adult cartoons, erotic thrillers, “Up All Night,” sports events, a large Saturday morning cartoon line up, classic horror movies, Troma double bills, and there were even kung fu movies every weekday morning.

USA Network also aired the primetime TV series adaptation of “Weird Science.”

The classic John Hughes sci-fi comedy from 1985 was adapted in 1994 into a mostly faithful TV version that took everything scandalous about the original film and amped up the ridiculousness by about fifty percent.

L-r, backrow, Bebop, Leatherhead, Scumbug, Rocksteady, Ray Fillet, next row l-r, Wingnut, Ghengis Frog, Donnie, Splinter, Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Mondo Gecko, center, talking to Superfly. in Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies Present A Point Grey Production “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Asifa-Hollywood announced nominations today for its 51st Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org/nominations.

The 51st Annie Awards will return to UCLA’s Royce Hall on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Pre-reception and Red Carpet will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m., and after party immediately following the ceremony.

This year’s Best Animated Feature nominations include: Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation; Suzume – CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and...

Christmas musicals are the perfect combination of festive stories and charming music, providing holiday fun for all fans. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (1966) deserves recognition for creating one of the most iconic villain songs, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." "Spirited" Starring the voices of Boris Karloff and June Foray Close Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Director Ben Washam, Chuck Jones Runtime 26 Minutes See More-->

For a special that's only 30 minutes long, it's impressive to see how much musical magic can be contained in such a brief amount of time. While it's true that the soundtrack is essentially different renditions of the same two songs, that doesn't mean they aren't without their merits.

Related: 10 Hilarious How The Grinch Stole Christmas Memes To Brighten The Holidays

"Welcome Christmas" is practically the anthem of Who-Ville, but the special as a whole earns a mention simply for creating one of the...

Leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter and nearly everything on TV is getting spookier. Halloween is fast approaching, and with it, a slew of scary movies and other frightful diversions for fans of the macabre. But what about the little ones? Where can parents find entertainment that'll get their kids into the Halloween spirit without inducing nightmares?

Halloween is generally considered a children's holiday. So, despite the plethora of horror films that come to the fore every October, there are always other options to get the trick-or-treaters excited about the 31st. Television networks have been making Halloween specials for kids since the 1960s, and that means there are plenty of great options to choose from.

Related: The 10 Best TV Witches

The Halloween Tree

Originally conceived by sci-fi author Ray Bradbury and animator Chuck Jones in 1967, The Halloween Tree was intended as a rebuttal to lighter fare produced the previous year.

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of imagination but of cinematic imperfections. It is the middle ground between reality and illusion, between what is intended and what is captured on film. This is the dimension of mistakes and oversights. It is an area which we call "The Production Zone." In it, mirrors reflect mistakes, film equipment appears at the periphery of vision, continuity wavers, editing stumbles, and stock footage mismatches.

As you journey through this realm, you'll uncover imperfections often overlooked in the iconic series "The Twilight Zone." Known for thought-provoking tales, the series wasn't immune to production hiccups, gaffes, and glitches.

Question the facade of the extraordinary as we explore elusive mistakes -- 14 in total -- across beloved episodes in this "land of shadow and substance." Will you emerge unscathed from this journey into cinematic blunders? Or, like its characters, be forever changed by what you see?...

Jackie Gleason never won an Emmy. Neither did Ed Sullivan. Or Andy Griffith. Or Fred Rogers. Or “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry. Or “Rocky & Bullwinkle” genius Jay Ward. Bob Newhart’s sole Emmy win was as a guest actor on “The Big Bang Theory” in 2013.

Yes, the 74 years of Emmy history are chock full of surprises spanning both winners and non-winners. That extends to the Emmy’s Governors Award as well. The TV academy describes that Governors Award – bestowed generally but not always annually since 1978 – as follows: “The Board of Governors of the Television Academy may, when warranted, recognize an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television by presenting them with the Governors Award.”

SEE2023 Emmy Predictions: Gold Derby Predicts the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards

The first Governors Award in ’78 went to CBS founder William Paley.

There are times when something that’s almost human is more terrifying than an actual monster. After all, uneasiness often stems from things that come eerily close to resembling humanity. Roboticist Masahiro Mori explained why people feel this way with his 1970 essay about the “uncanny valley” effect, and ever since, society has better understood why they feel uncomfortable around things such as lifelike dolls.

The living doll shows up infrequently in the horror genre, but when it does, people take notice. They’re ultimately torn between curiosity and repulsion as these puppets gain sentience and carry out their sinister missions. Chucky and others have all skittered across the big screen, but these stories, from five different anthology series, are a reminder of how toy terror also lives on television.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Living Doll

Even on its last legs, Twilight Zone — by then, the series had already dropped the...

The new animated anthology miniseries "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" is now streaming on Disney+, and brings us a new perspective on Count Dooku: a view of him in his earlier years before the corruption of the Sith took him and twisted him into Darth Tyranus. 

The man behind Count Dooku's voice, Corey Burton, has been a voice actor for decades, providing voices you hear almost every day. From the tram operator at Disneyland and "Star Wars" characters like Count Dooku and Cad Bane, all the way to Captain Hook, Spike Witwicky and Shockwave from "Transformers," and even James Bond, Jr., Burton has shaped the audio landscape of Saturday morning cartoons and theme parks for decades. We were able to have a wide-ranging conversation with him about the beginnings of his career, his work as Count Dooku, and the legacy of "Star Wars."

'Who Is That?'

I'm a...

The Mitchells Vs. The MacHines – (L-r) Danny McBride as “Rick Mitchell”, Abbi Jacobson as “Katie Mitchell”, Mike Rianda as “Aaron Mitchell”, and Maya Rudolph as “Linda Mitchell”. Cr: ©2021 Spai. All Rights Reserved.

Netflix was the big winner at the 49th Annual Annie Awards Saturday evening garnering top honors in 20 categories with the brilliant The Mitchells vs. The Machines taking home the top prize for Best Animated Feature. Produced by Oscar winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), the delightful film tells the story of a quirky, dysfunctional family’s road trip that’s upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity’s unlikeliest last hope. The Mitchells vs. The Machine features the voices of Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Beck Bennett, Fred Armisen, Eric Andre, and Oscar winner Olivia Colman

The film’s eight Annie Awards include Best...

For the second year in a row, the 49th Annie Awards will be virtual after Asifa-Hollywood, the organization behind the event, decided to pivot amid the omicron-driven surge in Covid-19 cases.

The show was originally going to be an in-person affair Feb. 26 at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. Now it will be streamed on the Annie Awards website, on Saturday, March 12, beginning at 7 p.m. Pt.

According to Asifa-Hollywood executive director Frank Gladstone, the board made the decision to pivot in mid-January. Members considered three options. “One was to just stay the course and do the live show,” Gladstone says. Option two was to go virtual. “And the third option was doing a live show but postponing it even further,” he says. “At the end of the day, going virtual was what the board decided to do.”

The decision meant the team behind the show had to scramble...

Iconic director, performer and choreographer Debbie Allen has been selected to receive the Television Academy’s 2021 Governors Award, “in recognition of her numerous contributions to the television medium through multiple creative forms and her philanthropic endeavors around the world.”

Allen, a staple in TV and film for decades, was chosen by the Television Academy’s Board of Governors “for her unprecedented achievements in television and her commitment to inspire and engage marginalized youth through dance, theater arts and mentorship,” the org said. She’ll receive the award during CBS’ telecast of the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 19.

Last year, Tyler Perry and The Perry Foundation were honored with the award. Other recent recipients include “Star Trek,” Itvs, “American Idol,” A+E Networks, Marian Dougherty, June Foray, John Walsh and the It Gets Better Project, co-founded by Dan Savage and Terry Miller.

The Governors Award is handed out to...

Babs and Buster Bunny, Plucky Duck, Hamton J. Pig, and their crazy friends are returning. The animated stars of the 1990s Tiny Toon Adventures series are returning in a new show called Tiny Toons Looniversity. HBO Max and Cartoon Network Series have ordered the new series from Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation.

There's no word yet if the original Tiny Toon Adventures series' voice actors will return for the new incarnation. They include Charlie Adler, Tress MacNeille, Kath Soucie, Maurice Lamarche, Frank Welker, Rob Paulsen, Danny Cooksey, Cree Summer, Jeff Bergman, Candi Milo, Noel Blanc, Jim Cummings, John Kassir, Bob Bergen, and Greg Burson. Legends Joe Alaskey, Don Messick, June Foray, and Stan Freberg also worked on the original 1990-95 series but have since passed away.

Two seasons have been ordered but there's no word on when the show will launch. A...

Chicago – Who are the voices in our lives that really matter? If you were a cartoon fan in the 1980s and ‘90s then it was Rob Paulsen, the source for Pinky (“Pinky & the Brain”), Yakko (“Animaniacs”) and a myriad of others. Recently Paulsen beat cancer, which threatened his career, and he tells the story in the new book … “Voice Lessons.”

The subtitle of “Voice Lessons” is “How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky and an Animaniac Saved My Life” (written with Michael Fleeman) and to know Rob Paulsen is to realize his deep appreciation and love behind his creations. But beyond that passion, he also is endeared to the admirers of his work, the millions of children and now grown-ups who continue to embrace his characters and the voice behind them. Beating his cancer gave Paulsen a new purpose in his life, to use his gifts “…on the biggest scale I can.

Ming-Na Wen, the actress who voiced the title character in Disney’s animated classic “Mulan,” rang in the New Year by calling out Netflix on social media for omitting her name from the credits list featured on the streaming giant’s “Mulan” page. Neither of the movie’s Asian-American lead voice actors (Ming-Na Wen and Bd Wong) were included on Netflix’s “Mulan” homepage. Wen called her and Wong’s omission screwed up and encouraged “Mulan” fans to tweet at Netflix about the “major oversight.”

The Netflix credits bar on a film’s streaming homepage rarely features the entire cast, and in most cases it contains the names of only three or four cast members. Ming-Na Wen’s omission was first spotted by radio producer Dave Sanchez, who watched “Mulan” for the first time on New Year’s Eve and couldn’t believe the streaming giant made no mention of...

Following the second poster that debuted yesterday, Universal Pictures has unveiled the second trailer for The Grinch, slated to arrive in theaters November 9. Unlike the live-action adaptation entitled How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000, which starred Jim Carrey as the title character, Universal has teamed up with Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me franchise) to turn this classic story into a new animated movie, with Benedict Cumberbatch providing the voice of the title character. The first trailer and poster debuted back in March, but this second trailer features plenty of new footage.

This story dates back to 1957, when Theodor Geisel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, published it as a book through the publishing company Random House, and it was also published as an issue of Redbook as well, shortly thereafter. The 69-page book, which follows The Grinch as he tries to sabotage the annual Whoville Christmas celebration below him, so he can...

Memorabilia from the private collection of late voice actress June Foray will be up for auction beginning at 1 p.m. at Heritage Auctions.

Foray is best known as the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel in the various “Rocky and Bullwinkle” series, Cindy Lou Who in “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and Granny in the “Sylvester & Tweety” cartoons. But she voiced hundreds of other roles beyond those, working late into her life. She died on July 26, 2017, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

In addition to her prolific voice acting career, Foray was also a key figure in the animation industry as a whole.

“June was not only the preeminent voice actress for decades during her astounding 80-plus-year career, she was also a founding member of Asifa-Hollywood and the creative force behind the Annie Awards,” says Asifa-Hollywood executive director Frank Gladstone. “A fearless and influential advocate for animation,...

Don Pitts, longtime voice-talent agent and radio personality, died on April 7. He was 90.

Pitts represented a who’s-who of classic voice talent, including Orson Welles, Casey Kasem, June Foray, Wolfman Jack, Mel Blanc, Paul Winchell, Janet Waldo, Gary Owens, and many more. He was well-known for his kind and friendly personality, and was much loved by his clients.

“His clients treasured him and he treasured his clients,” says Cindy Kazarian, CEO of Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin & Associates, who worked with Pitts when it was the Jhr Agency in the early 1980s. Kazarian, Pammela Spencer, and Pitts purchased Jhr in 1988 and renamed it Kazarian/Spencer and Associates. It later became Kmr.

“He was an incredible man, very special. They don’t make them like him anymore,” says Kazarian. “He never had a mean word or negative thing to say about anybody. He was not who you would expect to be in this business.

Now that Disney has locked in Liu Yifei, a.k.a. Crystal Liu, to play Mulan in the studio's live-action remake, the studio has moved on to round out the cast. Chinese superstar Donnie Yen has been cast in Mulan as Commander Tung, who is described as a mentor and teacher to Mulan. There was no Commander Tung character in the original 1998 animated film Mulan, so it seems likely this is a new character created specifically for this live-action remake.

Liu Yifei was cast as the title character back in late November, although no further characters have been cast at this time. This new casting report comes just over a month after Disney pushed the Mulan release date from an unspecified date in 2019 to March 27, 2020. As of now, Mulan will go up against Paramount's G.I. Joe 3 on that date, although that will change in the next two years.

Chicago – If the words, “We’re Animaniacs…” immediately makes you think, “While Bill Clinton pays the sax…” then you’ll want to experience voiceover artist Rob Paulsen, the iconic character of Yakko on that series, as well as Pinky (“Pinky and The Brain”) and Donatello/Raphael (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”), among many other cartoon legends. Rob, with Animaniacs composer Randy Rogel, will be appearing in “Animaniacs Live!” at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake, Ill., on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 (click link below for details).

Rob Paulsen was born in Michigan, and like other hopeful dreamers, moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s to pursue acting work. It was a chance audition in 1983 with the “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” cartoon series that launched him into a lifelong pursuit, leading him to do voice characters for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the aforementioned “Animaniacs,” “Pinky and the Brain,...

Chicago – If the words, “We’re Animaniacs…” immediately makes you think, “We have pay for play contracts…” then you’ll want to experience voiceover artist Rob Paulsen, the iconic character of Yakko on that series, as well as Pinky (“Pinky and The Brain”) and Donatello/Raphael (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”), among many other cartoon legends. Rob, with Animaniacs composer Randy Rogel, will be appearing in “Animaniacs Live!” at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake, Ill., on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 (click link below for details).

Rob Paulsen was born in Michigan, and like other hopeful dreamers, moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s to pursue acting work. It was a chance audition in 1983 with the “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” cartoon series that launched him into a lifelong pursuit, leading him to do voice characters for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the aforementioned “Animaniacs,” “Pinky and the Brain,...

Chicago – If the words, “We’re Animaniacs…” immediately makes you think, “There’s baloney in our slacks…” then you’ll want to experience voiceover artist Rob Paulsen, the iconic character of Yakko on that series, as well as the voice of Pinky (“Pinky and The Brain”) and Donatello/Raphael (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”), among many other cartoon legends. Rob, with Animaniacs composer Randy Rogel, will be appearing in “Animaniacs Live!” at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake, Ill., on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 (click link below for details).

Rob Paulsen was born in Michigan, and like other hopeful dreamers, moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s to pursue acting work. It was a chance audition in 1983 with the “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” cartoon series that launched him into a lifelong pursuit, leading him to do voice characters for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the aforementioned “Animaniacs,...

The upcoming 90th Academy Awards will mark the 25th consecutive year that the Oscars will feature an “In Memoriam” segment. While it had been done on occasion before, the annual tribute to Academy members and other film legends started a regular tradition at the 1994 ceremony hosted by Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg.

SEE2018 Oscars: Best Song performers include Mary J. Blige, Common, Andra Day, Keala Settle, Sufjan Stevens

We’ve assembled a list below of people who have died in the past 12 months who might be featured during the “In Memoriam” for the ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on March 4. Producers have not yet revealed who might be performing during the tribute. Sure to have prominent placements are previous Oscar champ Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” 1994), honorary Oscar recipient Jerry Lewis and respected actor Bill Paxton (“Titanic,” “Apollo 13”). Paxton actually died on the weekend of last year’s ceremony and was mentioned on the broadcast,...

Sunday’s telecast of the Screen Actors Guild will feature a special In Memoriam segment devoted to many of the actors and actresses who have died since last year’s ceremony in late January. Sure to be among those saluted include Oscar winner Martin Landau, comedy legend Jerry Lewis, and beloved film and TV star Bill Paxton. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for this past year of 2017 and the newly-started gallery for 2018.

Over 100 people in SAG/AFTRA have passed away in the past 12 months. Which of the following 60 names will also be featured in the televised tribute?

SEE2018 SAG Awards TV predictions: Complete racetrack odds in all 9 categories

Richard Anderson (actor)

Chuck Barris (host/executive)

Shelley Berman (actor)

Chuck Berry (singer/actor)

Joseph Bologna (actor)

Powers Boothe (actor)

Brent Briscoe (actor)

Glen Campbell (singer/actor)

Bernie Casey (actor)

David Cassidy (actor/singer)

Mike Connors (actor)

Danielle Darrieux (actor...

Pixar’s Día de los Muertos saga, “Coco,” the Oscar frontrunner, led the pack with 13 nominations for the 45th Annie Awards, followed by GKid’s powerful indie fave, “The Breadwinner,” with 10. Both are expected to win the top categories for feature and indie feature at the February 3rd Asifa-Hollywood ceremony at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

“Coco” also picked up nominations for directing (Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina), character design, two each for character animation and storyboarding, writing (Molina and Matthew Aldrich), Michael Giacchino’s music, production design, effects, editing, and voice acting for newcomer Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel.

“The Breadwinner,” about a young girl forced to become a boy in Afghanistan, also collected nominations for directing (Cartoon Saloon’s Nora Twomey), Mychael and Jeff Danna’s music, two voice acting bids for Saara Chaudry and Laara Sadiq, character design, production design, storyboarding, writing (Anita Doron), and editing.

Overall, GKids grabbed 16 nominations — for “The Breadwinner,...

Disney has finally found their leading lady for the live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated classic Mulan, with Chinese actress Liu Yifei coming aboard as the title character. The actress, who has also been known as Crystal Liu, has been selected after a year-long, worldwide casting search was conducted by the studio, which came after Disney promised an all-Asian cast back in October 2016. It seems that the studio is living up to that promise, but this new report reveals that it was quite an exhaustive search to find the right actress to play Mulan.

This report reveals that Disney enlisted five different casting directors who scoured the globe, who visited five different continents and saw over 1,000 actresses for the role. Among the primary requirements for the role were demonstrable martial arts skills, proficiency in the English language along with that intangible "star quality" that the studio has found in Liu Yifei.

Would you like to know how to make a baby boomer fanboy’s head explode?

O.K. That was a trick question. There are plenty of ways to make a baby boomer fanboy’s head explode. It’s our fault, really. Many of us had children. But I digress.

One way to make a baby boomer fanboy’s head explode is to ask him (well, I said fanboy) which Neal Adams’ project is his favorite. My knee-jerk response would be Green Lantern / Green Arrow #80 for personal reasons, and The Spectre #3 (the one from 1968) to prove I’m still a fanboy at heart.

That is, until last week. Now I’ve got a clear favorite. And it’s not a comic book… although it is about a comic book. And a damn good one at that.

Last week, our pal and mystical production overlord Glenn Hauman, who occasionally writes something or...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: Who is your favorite voice actor for animated characters on TV? Why?

Dave Trumbore (@DrClawMD), Collider

My knee-jerk reaction was either Kevin Conroy or Mark Hamill for their roles as Batman/Bruce Wayne and The Joker, respectively, because “Batman: The Animated Series” is always on my mind. But thinking a moment more, my favorite voice actor (and arguably the best in the biz) is Frank Welker.

Read More:‘Big Mouth’ Season 1 Voice Cast: A Visual Guide To The Adult Voices Behind The Tweens

His name might not be a household one, but with over 800 credits and nearly 50 years in the industry, Welker’s voice definitely is.

After the delightful “DuckTales” movie pressed reset on the adventures of the familiar feathered characters from the ‘90s, the actual series debuts in earnest on Saturday morning with a pair of episodes that give a little more time to the supporting characters. Only the first was given to critics for review, and although “Daytrip of Doom!” is a little bit more domestic and mundane in scope — a trip to Atlantis every week would be a bit much — the spirit of adventure is still strongly present and intact.

The series premiere spotlights a trio of strong female characters: Webby Vanderquack (Kate Micucci), Mrs. Beakley (Toks Olagundoye), and Ma Beagle (guest star Margo Martindale). Even though the episode runs a mere 22 minutes, it manages to actually reveal surprising depths to each character.

Read More:‘DuckTales’ Review: Nostalgic, Adventure-Filled Reboot Is All It’s Quacked Up to Be

In particular, Webby in the original series was timid,...

Sam Shepard, actor, playwright and director, has died at the age of 73. He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als), and died with family by his side on July 27. Read More: June Foray, Voice Actor Of Tweety Bird’s Owner And More, Dies At 99 A family spokesperson said Monday that Shepard died Thursday at his home […]...

Movie News Weekly July 23-29, 2017 Movie News Weekly is a weekly videocast on the previous week’s film industry frivolities. Movie News Weekly is hosted by FilmBook, created and narrated by FilmBook author Mathieu Brunet. In this edition, Movie News Weekly covers: Dunkirk shot down The Emoji Movie and Atomic Blonde to stay in first place [...]

Continue reading: Movie News Weekly: July 23-29, 2017: Barbie, It, June Foray...

On Friday I learned that one of my childhood heroes died. June Foray passed on at the age of 99.

Ms. Foray was a voice actress working in animated features all her long career, as well as in comedy shorts and appearances on Johnny Carson and with Stan Freberg, Daws Butler, and Frank Nelson. She was the voice of Grandmother in Mulan, of Betty Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and, most important to me, she was the voice of Natasha Fatale and Rocky the Flying Squirrel on the various Rocky and Bullwinkle shows created by the legendary Jay Ward.

Rocky and Bullwinkle had a huge impact on me as a kid. All of Jay Ward’s stuff had a combination of sophisticated and low-brow humor. There were elements of satire combined with a lot of really bad puns.

Originally, the dimwitted Bullwinkle was the sidekick to the plucky hero Rocket J.

The Animation Podcast Ep. 94 The Animation Podcast is a weekly podcast news show that looks into the latest news in the animation industry, hosted by FilmBook, created and narrated by FilmBook author Mathieu Brunet a.k.a. AniMat from the ElectricDragon505 YouTube channel. Music provided by Chris Holland. In this episode, The Animation Podcast examines (the [...]

Continue reading: The Animation Podcast Ep. 94: Disenchantment, The Star, June Foray...

Av Club Rip voice acting legend June Foray

Variety Amazon is moving into being their own distributor now after partnering with other distributors before. They'll try it out with Woody Allen's Wonder Wheel which they seem to have high hopes for.

Screen Crush It's official - Emoji Movie is worst reviewed wide release of the year

/Film a photo tour of the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image

Deadline Anne Hathaway circling the Barbie movie that Amy Schumer abandoned

Coming Soon Warner Bros considering "formidable" Oscar campaign for Wonder Woman

off cinema

Variety Jack O'Connell talks about his nude scene in the new revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and why he hasn't watched Paul Newman in the film version

Playbill Ellen Greene shares a scrapbook from the original run of Little Shop of Horrors

Chicago Tribune recommended theater shows on a budget...

While you may not know the name June Foray, you undoubtedly know the voice that belongs to the legendary cartoon actress. Unfortunately, the woman behind iconic cartoon characters such as Rocky the Flying Squirrel from Rocky & Bullwinkle and little Cindy Lou Who in the Chuck Jones adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, has […]

The post Cartoon Voice Legend June Foray Has Died at 99 appeared first on /Film.

June Foray, the iconic and prolific voice actor known for her work on Looney Tunes and The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, passes away at 99.

June Foray, called "the first lady of voice acting" for her talent and ubiquity, died Wednesday at

...

Read More >...

June Foray, called "the first lady of voice acting" for her talent and ubiquity, died Wednesday at her home in California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 99.

In her long career, which started in the 1940s and lasted until the last few years of her life -- she won a Daytime Emmy in 2012

...

Read More >...

2017-07-27T06:39:47-07:00June Foray, Voice of Rocky the Squirrel, Dies at 99

June Foray, the famed “first lady of voice actors” whose repertoire of characters include Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Pottsylvanian spy Natasha Fatale, Tweety Bird’s owner Granny and a sinister talking doll, has died. She was 99.

Foray, who worked alongside such animated legends as Mel Blanc, Chuck Jones, Stan Freberg and Jay Ward during her unseen yet spectacular eight-decade career, died Wednesday according to close friend Dave Nimitz who posted a notice of her passing on Facebook.

Versatile in her intonations and cadence, Foray provided voices for an incredible range of characters, including the killer Talky Tina doll in the 1963 “Living Doll” installment of The Twilight Zone, an episode said to be inspired by Mattel’s enormously popular pull-string Chatty Cathy doll (she provided the voice for that, too).

Read the rest of this article at The Hollywood Reporter.

Moose and Squirrel very sad ... June Foray, the voice of Rocky, and also Natasha Fatale, died Wednesday. A close friend of June's confirmed her death with a post on Facebook, saying ... "With a heavy heart again I want to let you all know that we lost our little June today at 99 years old." June was a legendary voice actress, working in Hollywood for more than a decade before she landed "The Bullwinkle Show" roles in the late 1950s.

June Foray, the Emmy-winning voiceover actress who brought Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale to life in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, has died. She was 99.

Per our sister site Variety, Foray’s death was confirmed via Facebook by close friend Dave Nimitz, who wrote, “With a heavy heart… I want to let you all know that we lost our little June today at 99 years old.” A cause of death has not been disclosed.

In addition to her work on Rocky and Bullwinkle, Foray voiced Cindy Lou Who in Chuck Jones’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and demonic doll...