News

Even with every production shut down and everyone stuck in their homes, some people are still finding ways to provide us all with some much-needed entertainment. We even got a whole dang Parks and Recreation reunion episode! But I have to admit, I absolutely did not expect At Home with Olaf, a series of Disney short films featuring Frozen’s Olaf that were produced entirely from home. https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation/status/1256282235562610688?s=20 Animated by Hyrum Osmond and voiced by Josh Gad, the series of 18 short films were released through Disney’s various social media accounts …...

Apple is dropping a new iPhone amid the coronavirus quarantine—and at a pretty affordable price too.

“Now is a strange time to release a smartphone. Millions have lost their jobs, and those of us who are able to work from home are encouraged to stay inside for the foreseeable future. Companies like Samsung and OnePlus have recently launched pricey flagships that are very, very good, but also very, very expensive.”

Read more at Gizmodo.

Take a break from the video conferencing and TV bingeing. The Lyrid Meteor Shower is happening this April.

“If you’ve grown tired of Zoom meetings, Netflix parties, and livestreams, take a break from staring at your screens to look up at the sky. Starting in April, the Lyrid meteor shower will make its annual appearance. Here’s what you need to know to see the spectacle from wherever you’re quarantined.”

Read more at Mental Floss.

Disney Animation Studios has announced a special treat for all you ‘Frozen’ fans. The new spin-off series ‘At Home With Olaf’ will hit social media sites from this week.

The series will follow Olaf which is to be voiced from a quarantined Josh Gad reprising his role.

The series comes from Disney animator Hyrum Osman and episodes will be released for free starting this week on Disney’s social media accounts.

Starting this week, enjoy an all-new original Disney Animation digital series with everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. #AtHomeWithOlaf created at home by Hyrum Osmond. Voiced from home by Josh Gad. #DisneyMagicMoments pic.twitter.com/gFFuHE8mev

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 6, 2020

The first episode, titled ‘Alone in the Forest’ is available now.

Also in news – ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ series finds a new writer

Six years after ‘Frozen’ was released and stole everyone’s hearts, its sequel finally arrived in November last year.

With children cooped up at home, and their parents scrambling to find ways to keep them occupied, the internet has become an invaluable source of diversion in many households. Now, Josh Gad has announced that he will be reprising his role as Olaf from the Frozen franchise for a series of animated shorts named At Home with Olaf, which will be released weekly online on Gad's social media handles (@joshgad) and @DisneyAnimation.

Starting this week, enjoy an all-new original Disney Animation digital series with everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. #AtHomeWithOlaf created at home by Hyrum Osmond. Voiced from home by Josh Gad. #DisneyMagicMomentspic.twitter.com/gFFuHE8mev

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 6, 2020

Josh Gad explained that he had received a call from the head of Disney animation and director of Frozen 2, Jennifer Lee, to discuss the possibility of Gad reprising his role as Elsa and Anna's frosty sidekick for a set of short videos,...

If physical production on live-action feature films can’t take place now, well, then animation will definitely make do. Disney Animation dropped the first in a series of digital weekly shorts, At Home With Olaf, today which you can watch below.

They were created by Olaf animator Hyrum Osmond and voiced by the snowman himself, Josh Gad — both who worked on the digital series from their respective homes.

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Gad explained on Twitter that Jennifer Lee, the head of Disney Animation and the director of Frozen 1 and 2, gave him a call that the studio was making these shorts and if he could reprise the voice of Olaf, working from home.

In today’s TV news roundup, Cartoon Network announced the launch of its CNCheckIn initiative, and Atx Television Festival will take place virtually June 5-7.

Festivals

Atx Television Festival will take place virtually June 5-7. Rebranded as “Atx TV… From the Couch!”, badge and ticket holders can experience screenings and panels from the comfort and safety of their living rooms amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This will be a television experience unlike anything we’ve done before, and we are emboldened by the possibilities we are discussing with our panelists and partners,” co-founders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson said in a statement. “We are confident we can continue to have great conversations, showcase new and old favorite series, and interact with our incredible community — with a lot of fun surprises along the way.” For more details, visit atxfestival.com.

Specials

Disney Animation announced it will debut “At Home With Olaf” on Disney Plus this week.

When a character’s popularity is this intense, give ‘im a series — it just makes sense!

Olaf, the lovable snowman first introduced in the Disney film Frozen, is getting his own series of digital shorts online. The streaming service announced the addition Monday, saying that the new content — titled At Home With Olaf — would be available this week on Twitter via @DisneyAnimation‘s account.

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There are benefits to being quarantined inside the House of Mouse. Disney just announced At Home with Olaf, a new series of Frozen spin-off shorts created by Hyrum Osmond and starring Josh Gad, both working from home. Based on a short teaser released by Disney, the series will simply follow Gad's Frozen snowman character Olaf living his best social distancing life. Can't argue with pleasant content these days. Disney has been at the forefront of this wonky, unprecedented release format brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Just last week, the studio announced that Kenneth Branagh's adaptation …...

Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam’s On Animation, the outfit behind Mark Osborne’s BAFTA-winning “The Little Prince” and the upcoming “Playmobil” movie, has ramped up its slate with two more high-profile projects including “The Badalisc” and “Little Jules Verne.”

“Little Jules Verne” is a CGI 3D-reimagining of the early life and inspirations of the 19th century French author known for his ground-breaking science-fiction novels such as “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”

Michel Hazanavicius, the Oscar-winning director of “The Artist,” has come on board to adapt the script and dialogue for the movie. French character designer and comic book author Fabien Mense, who previously worked on “Hotel Transylvania,” has been tapped to handle the visual development for “Little Jules Verne.”

“The Badalisc” will be directed by Lino Disalvo, the head of animation on “Raiponce” and “Frozen,” who is making his directorial debut with “Playmobil.” Peter Ackerman, whose credits include...

A legend has retired from Disney. Even if you don't know his name, John Musker surely had a hand in making some of your favorite classic Disney movies. He co-directed Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and, more recently, Moana, among other notable works for the Mouse House. However, after more than 40 years with the company, he's decided to retire. But he's arguably going out on top, at least as far as his work with Disney is concerned.

News of John Musker's retirement from Disney spread on social media following a party that was thrown in his honor. Many of those who attended the paryt, that also worked with him over the years, took to social media to share their thoughts on the man who is undoubtedly a big part of Disney history. Hyrum Osmond, who worked with Musker on Moana, had this to say on Twitter.

"Wishing a very happy retirement...

Moana’s head of animation, Hyrum Osmond, is teaming up with On Animation Studios for an animated feature based on Winsor McCay’s fantasy-adventure comic series, titled Little Nemo in Slumberland.

Osmond will take the helm on the project which On Animations’ Aton Soumache described as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Hook, and said “it was ideal for present-day animation. The strip is truly an unlimited source for astonishing adventures”.

Also in the news – Dora the Explorer live-action movie scheduled for a Summer 2019 release

The $70 Million dollar budget film centres on a young boy who journeys through the land of dreams. The project will be produced by Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam, plus Alexis Vonarb and Emmanuel Jacomet, between Paris and Montreal, where the company has offices.

The comic series, Little Nemo in Slumberland ran in the New York Herald from October 15, 1905, until July 23, 1911. The full-page weekly strip...

On Animation, the studio behind Mark Osborne's The Little Prince, is preparing to make animation enthusiast's dreams come true by pairing up with Hyrum Osmond, the head of animation on Disney's Moana, for a new animated film based on Winsor McCay’s classic comic strip. Titled Little Nemo In Slumberland, Osmond will present viewers with a fresh take on the... Read More...

In case you're wondering what caused a sudden spike in Frozen trivia this week, ABC aired a special called "The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic" Tuesday night that gave a legion of fans a look into the film's path to blockbuster success. Given the heights that Frozen fandom has reached, we don't doubt that more than a few viewers were nudging the people on the couch next to them bragging, "I actually already knew that." For all but the top-tier Frozen-philes, however, the special offered a ton of trivia. Here's what we learned. 1. Disney had been...

As the Society noms continue to roll in, the latest comes from the Visual Effects Society as they announce their nominees for the 7th Annual Ves Awards, a ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects in over a dozen categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Of course all I really care about are the film noms, but you can check out the full list of nominees by downloading the Pdf press release right here. Iron Man led the way with five nominations and is competing with The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Cloverfield in the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture category, the category probably deemed the highest profile of the bunch and it went to Transformers last year only to see The Golden Compass pull out a surprise win at the Oscars.

With five nominations, "Iron Man" leads the list for the seventh annual Ves Awards, which were chosen Saturday by panels comprised of members of the Visual Effects Society.

The Marvel Studios-produced superhero movie was cited in the categories of visual effects in a visual effects-driven movie, best single visual effect of the year, outstanding animated character in a live-action movie, outstanding models and miniatures in a feature, and outstanding special effects in a movie. The nominees cited for "Iron Man" are Ben Snow, Hal Hickel, Victoria Alonso and John Nelson.

Its competition for the best visual effects in a visual effects-driven movie honor are "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Wendy Rogers, Dean Wright, Andrew Fowler, Greg Butler), "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Eric Barba, Edson Williams, Nathan McGuinness, Lisa Beroud), "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Michael J. Wassel, Lucy Killick, Adrian de Wet, Eamonn Butler) and "Cloverfield" (Kevin Blank,...