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Alright, if you have ever watched a Studio Ghibli movie and immediately wanted to go touch some grass, talk to a forest spirit, or adopt a giant cat-shaped bus, then trust us, you’re not alone. Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli didn’t just make movies; they made feelings. Feelings that stay with you long after the credits roll.

Ghibli stories are the kind where a girl flying on a broomstick somehow teaches you more about adulthood than your actual parents ever did. But what’s really wild is how this whole vibe has spread across the world like soot sprites on a sugar high. Directors from Japan to Ireland to Hollywood are totally soaking up the Ghibli essence like Totoro in a rainstorm. So, if you’re on the hunt for that Ghibli magic outside the Studio Ghibli catalog, buckle up.

1. The Red Turtle (2016): No Words, Just Vibes...

by Nathaniel R

Can Zootopia 2 overcome the Academy's resistance to animated sequels?

It's often hard to know from a distance whether a year will be competitive in Best Animated Feature or not. It isn't always based on the quality of the eligibility pool. The default situation is that the early hyped Disney or Disney/Pixar stays dominant from first buzz to Oscar night, whether there's week or strong competition though occassionally the Mouse House competitor that looks strongest from a distance concedes quickly to a less hyped sibling that proves more popular (Luca to Encanto or Moana to Zootopia). But in a solid amount of years the race eventually does get competitive albeit only between two films.What usually happens is that the original frontrunner manages to stave off an unexpectedly strong or deserving competition (Pinocchio vs Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or Soul vs Wolfwalkers). In the past two years,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited hundreds of artists and executives to join the organization!

Wicked star Ariana Grande, Dune‘s Jason Momoa and girlfriend, Hit Man star Adria Arjona, Superman‘s Rachel Brosnahan and Anora breakout Mikey Madison are among the actors who have “distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.”

“We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang shared in a statement. “Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.”

Keep reading to see the full list of invitees…

According to the Academy website, “Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority. Of the 2025 invited class, 41% are women,...

Oscar has its new voters.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out its annual invitations to membership today, with 534 new invitees. If all of them accept, the new overall membership would be 11,120, of which 10,143 would be eligible to vote for Oscars and run for governance elections.

Among those on the list are newly minted Oscar winners Mikey Madison (Best Actress for Anora) and Kieran Culkin. Among all the invitees this year 91 are past Oscar nominees including 26 winners. The prominent star names include Ariana Grande, Dave Bautista, Jodie Comer, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Graham, Andrew Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, and on and on.

The Academy said 41% of the new class are women, 45% belong to underrepresented communities and 55% are from 60 countries and territories outside the United States. If all accept, it would result in an overall AMPAS membership of 35% women,...

Emmy-winning filmmaker and showrunner Jorge Gutiérrez is planning his next original independent feature, “La Venganza Rodríguez,” currently in development at Spain’s Hampa Studio.

An official synopsis for the adult-aimed project reads: “When tragedy strikes her wrestling family, 18-year-old Leonora Rodríguez must step into the ring to honor their legacy and avenge their defeat. Armed with a burning determination, eccentric training, and a flair for the dramatic, Leonora will face outlandish rivals and her greatest nemesis in the explosive and over-the-top combat of La Venganza Rodríguez!”

“La Venganza Rodríguez,” from Spanish indie studio Hampa, marks a return to independent filmmaking for Gutiérrez, who spent the past several years in the U.S. studio system developing the Lego film “The Billion Brick Race” and directing major Netflix projects including the Annie-winning “Maya and the Three” and “I, Chihuahua!”, the latter shelved by the streamer last year.

This time around, Gutiérrez...

Global Constellation, the financing and international sales outfit recently formed through the union of London- and Paris-based Film Constellation with Munich’s Global Screen, is making a strong showing at the Annecy Animation Festival as it unveils its animation slate.

Global Constellation, part of Vuelta Group’s international sales division Playtime Group, has six high-caliber animated features in production and slated for delivery in 2025 and 2026, and additional titles in advanced development for 2027 and beyond.

Fabien Westerhoff, managing director – film, Global Constellation, said: “Animation is a key pillar of our strategy, and this slate signals the scale of our ambition. We’re curating projects that combine strong market appeal with the distinct creative signatures of Europe’s most exciting talents. This is about building globally-minded, theatrically viable animation that travels, both commercially and culturally.”

In Cannes, Global Constellation unveiled a new promo for underwater CG adventure “The Last Whale Singer” from...

It's been a while since "Game of Thrones" finished its divisive final season, and even longer since the on-screen deaths of some of the show's most beloved characters. While the HBO franchise has continued with "House of the Dragon," a prequel series exploring the Targaryen dynasty, many of the show's stars have scattered across the worlds of film and TV, and even beyond. 

While some "Game of Thrones" alumni have made notable appearances in some of the biggest movies and TV shows of the past few years, others have done a lot less mainstream work in the years since the finale aired. For some, "Game of Thrones" may have just been the start of their careers, whilst others merely added the show to a long and storied filmography. There are even some supporting characters on "Game of Thrones" who had their turns as leading men and women in their most recent projects.

Indie animation producer and distributor Gkids and Japanese stop-motion animation studio Dwarf announced that they will jointly develop a new animated film based on the original autobiographical manga “Sunny” by Taiyo Matsumoto. The project was selected for a session at the Annecy Animation Showcase at Cannes, which is part of upcoming Cannes Animation Day, a joint initiative between the Marché du Film at Cannes and the Annecy Festival.

The Eisner Award-nominated manga “Sunny” depicts an ensemble of children working through various trying circumstances and won the Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award and the Shogakukan Manga Award, among others.

Michael Arias will write and direct the movie. He previously helmed 2006’s “Tekkonkinkreet,” based on Matsumoto’s manga of the same name, which played in competition at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Japanese Academy Award for best animated feature. Arias has served as translator for additional Matsumoto works.

Arias...

Cannes’ Annecy Animation Showcase has become an annual appetizer to June’s Annecy Festival, the year’s main course for all things animation. Today, the event, co-organized by the Marché du Film and Annecy Festival, has unveiled the five titles to be highlighted at its 2025 edition, held on May 18 as part of Cannes’ Animation Day.

The Showcase is more than just a preview; it’s a vital bridge between animation’s artistic ambitions and the industry that facilitates their execution and brings the finished productions to audiences around the world. By spotlighting films in development and production, the showcase supports creators at a pivotal moment in their journey and gives sales agents and distributors an early look at titles that could elevate their future portfolios.

This year’s five titles represent a wide spectrum of voices, from emerging talents to seasoned auteurs, from independent studios to international collaborations. Whether through deeply personal stories,...

Today, Apple TV+ released the trailer for the continuation of the beloved animated adventure trilogy WondLa, with season two set to debut globally on April 25, 2025.

Hailing from Skydance Animation and based on Tony Diterlizzi’s New York Times bestselling book series The Search for WondLa, the series is showrun and executive produced by Bobs Gannaway.

This second installment features a star-studded voice cast, including Jeanine Mason as Eva, Emmy Award winner Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Otto, Gary Anthony Williams (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) as Rovender, and many more.

Emmy Award nominee Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) returns as the voice of Eva’s new caretaker. New cast members for WondLa Season 2 include John Kim (Cruel Intentions) as Hailey and Ana Villafañe (Castro’s Daughter) as Eva 8.

This futuristic coming-of-age story follows 16-year-old Eva 9 as her epic journey continues and she uncovers startling truths about her...

Today, Apple TV+ announced the continuation of the animated adventure trilogy WondLa, with season two set to debut globally on April 25, 2025.

Hailing from Skydance Animation and based on Tony Diterlizzi’s New York Times bestselling book series The Search for WondLa, the series is showrun and executive produced by Bobs Gannaway.

This second installment features a star-studded voice cast, including Jeanine Mason as Eva, Emmy Award winner Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Otto, Gary Anthony Williams (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) as Rovender, and many more.

Emmy Award nominee Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) returns as the voice of Eva’s new caretaker. New cast members for WondLa Season 2 include John Kim (Cruel Intentions) as Hailey and Ana Villafañe (Castro’s Daughter) as Eva 8.

This futuristic coming-of-age story follows 16-year-old Eva 9 as her epic journey continues and she uncovers startling truths about her past and the world she calls home.

Make another tick in the awards column for a galaxy far, far away because Star Wars: Visions has won an Emmy! The official Star Wars Twitter account shared the news.

In the post, they wrote, “Congratulations to Cartoon Saloon’s Almu Redondo, art director of Star Wars: Visions ‘Screecher’s Reach’ for her Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Win for Production Design.”

Congratulations to @CartoonSaloon’s Almu Redondo, art director of #StarWarsVisions - Screecher’s Reach, for her Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® Win for Production Design. #Emmys. pic.twitter.com/4r9ehUqqY8

— Star Wars (@starwars) December 7, 2023

This is a huge accomplishment, as a jury chooses the Primetime Creative Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation category. Since there are no nominees like in the regular process, Redondo was specifically picked to be among the group, winning for Production Design. The other winners included Meybis Ruiz Cruz from Netflix’s Entergalatic,...

December is bringing some great new titles to Apple TV, from the romantic comedy-drama Fly Me to the Moon starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, to the 10-part docuseries The Secret Life of Animals from BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Here’s a list of every movie and TV show coming to Apple TV this December:

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – December 6

Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing.

Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.

‘Wonder Pets in the City’ – December 13

‘Wonder Pets: In the City’ introduces a...

From romantic comedy-drama ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, to a new 10-part docuseries from the acclaimed BBC Studios Natural History Unit ‘The Secret Life of Animals,’ December is bringing some interesting titles to Apple TV.

Here is every movie and TV show releasing on Apple TV this December:

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – December 6

Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing.

Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.

‘Wonder Pets in the City’ – December 13

‘Wonder Pets: In the City’ introduces a trio of heroes: Izzy the Guinea Pig,...

Regardless of how many times directors like Guillermo del Toro, Phil Lord, and Chris Miller try to kill the stereotype that the medium of animation isn’t just for kids but for adults as well, and establish that “animation is cinema,” the evidence points to the fact that most animated properties are primarily aimed towards children. Just as an experiment, if I look at some of my favorite animated projects from the 2020s, I’ll come across stuff like Wolfwalkers, Cryptozoo, Luca, Mad God, Turning Red, Apollo 10 ½, The Bad Guys, My Love Affair with Marriage, The Sea Beast, Entergalactic, Oni: Thunder God’s Tale, Gdt’s Pinocchio, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Across the Spider-Verse, Nimona, Carol & the End of the World, The Peasants, Orion and the Dark, and Ultraman Rising. And maybe only 7 of them can be considered unsuitable for children. The rest are uncomplicated and digestible enough for little kids.

Jon Kenny, one half of the famous comedy team D’Unbelievables, died at Galway Clinic on Friday night. He was 59. This was the end of an era in Irish entertainment. He was 66 years old.

Kenny, from Hospital in County Limerick, became famous nationwide with his comedy partner Pat Shortt in the 1990s. Their unique style forever changed Irish humor. Fellow comic Dara Ó Briain said they “opened the door for all the rest of us.”

Even though Kenny had many health problems, he kept up a busy job in show business. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2000, which meant he couldn’t act for a while. He went back to the stage as a solo act after treatment that went well, which included a stem cell transplant at St. James’s Hospital.

Kenny’s acting skills went beyond comedy, and he received high praise for his parts in movies...

Global production-distribution outfit Superprod Group has acquired a majority stake in French animation producer Watch Next Media, which will join Superprod’s impressive list of animation studio partners.

Under the terms of the deal, Watch Next will continue to operate independently, with studio founder Philippe Alessandri remaining in charge of the outfit. The move will allow Watch Next to improve its CG animation capabilities and output and give the company access to more financial opportunities.

Nearing its 10th anniversary, Watch Next was launched in 2015 and has grown rapidly over the years since. Its best-known original properties are the animated series “Nate is Late” and “Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese,” and the company also produces the CG-animated series “Hello Kitty: Super Style!” the latest adaptation of the hit Japanese franchise. Watch Next keeps a packed pipeline, working for broadcasters and platforms around the world, including the BBC, Super Rtl, Amazon,...

Netflix released the official trailer for “Twilight of the Gods,“ Zack Snyder’s 2D adult animated series about the clash between Norse gods and mortals (premiering September 19). The mythic tale of vengeance and power unfurls amidst an abundance of choreographic violence and gore.

It’s a tragic love story that begins with badass warrior Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks) heroically saving the life of mortal king Leif (Stuart Martin) — in slow-mo, of course, with beautiful streaks of blood. But their wedding day is destroyed by Thor (Pilou Asbæk), who slaughters her family, sending Sigrid on a vengeful rampage. With Leif by her side, she forms a band of rebels to kill Thor, with the support of Paterson Loki (Paterson Joseph), who wants to take over the world of the gods.

With gorgeous animation from Xilam Animation, Snyder explores a range of graphic styles culled from comics and anime. It’s like a...

Animation doesn't get much love at major award shows. Since their beginning, the Annie Awards have sought to change that. Animation at the Oscars. The two Oscars dedicated to animation are far from enough. Despite featuring a decent selection of nominees each year, the animated categories barely scratch the surface of what goes into making an animated movie. This year, folks on Twitter, both audiences and some of the creatives behind the nominated films, noticed how animated films are framed at the Oscars as children's fair, which is upsetting for those who know that there is a vast and magnificent world of mature animation. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our...

Norse gods and mortals clash in all their bloody glory in Zack Snyder’s 2D adult animated series, “Twilight of the Gods,” premiering on Netflix September 19. The streamer has released a red band teaser trailer that revels deliciously in all of the graphic gore.

The hardcore action-adventure, which looks like a cross between “300” and Cartoon Saloon’s “Wolfwalkers” on acid, is set against a love story between badass warrior Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks) and mortal king Leif (Stuart Martin), whom she saves on the battlefield. However, their wedding day is tragically destroyed by Thor (Pilou Asbæk), causing Sigrid to go on a vengeful rampage.

The series (from The Stone Quarry and Xilam Animation) is co-created by Snyder, Jay Oliva, and Eric Carrasco, with Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller, and Oliva executive producing. Snyder, Oliva, Tim Divar, Andrew Tamandl, and David Hartman direct the eight episodes.

The voice cast also includes Rahul Kohli as Egill,...

"The gods started this war, now it's time to fight."

Netflix has released an exciting - and fairly gruesome - first teaser for Zack Snyder's adult animated Norse mythology series, Twilight of the Gods, which is set to premiere on the streaming service on September 19.

The promo is less than 40 second long, but it crams in quite a bit of bloody action, as a mortal warrior named Sigrid wages war against Thor and all of his fellow Asgardian gods.

"In a mythical world of great battles, great deeds, and great despair, Leif (Stuart Martin), a mortal king, is saved on the battlefield by Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks), an iron-willed warrior with whom he falls in love," reads the new synopsis. "On their wedding night, Sigrid and Leif survive a wrath of terror from Thor (Pilou Asbæk), which sets them — and a crew of crusaders — on a merciless mission for vengeance,...

Netflix unveiled first looks at a whole host of its upcoming animated shows and features during an event on Thursday, and Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder was on hand to introduce the first footage from his Norse Mythology series, Twilight of the Gods.

“I love mythology,” said the filmmaker. "On a scale like this, I feel like animation was the greatest way to tell the story.”

First announced way back in 2019, it's taken quite a while to find its way to our screens, but we recently learned that the show will finally premiere on Netflix this Fall.

The project has been described as "Anime-influenced," but judging by these clips, we'd say the animation style has more in common with the Academy Award-nominated Cartoon Saloon studio.

“When most people think about animation, they think about Saturday morning cartoons, or G-rated movies,” said the presentation’s host, Christopher Sean. “But animation is...

Netflix Animation held its first slate preview event June 6 at the Tudum in L.A., as a lead-up to the Annecy Animation Festival (June 9-15), where it will premiere Shannon Tindle’s “Ultraman: Rising” (streaming June 14) and tout some of its upcoming works in 2024 and 2025.

Hosted by Christopher Sean (the voice star of “Ultraman: Rising”), attendees were treated to exclusive presentations, previews, and special announcements. The biggest announcement was the full title of Aardman’s next stop-motion feature, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” which will have an Oscar-qualifying run this winter before streaming in 2025.

Directed by franchise creator Nick Park and creative director Merlin Crossingham, who offered a pre-recorded introduction, “Vengeance Most Fowl” marks the return of the villainous penguin, Feathers McGraw, from the Oscar-winning short “The Wrong Trousers.” The film is a cautionary tale of high-tech gone wrong involving an out-of-control “smart gnome” with a mind of its own.

When Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited and supposed swansong The Boy and the Heron opened at No. 1 at the North American box office last December with a record-breaking $12.8 million tally, it was not only the first original anime title to achieve such a feat, but it was the biggest ever opening for U.S. distributor Gkids. It kickstarted what would be a whirlwind few months for the now 16-year-old company as it took the Studio Ghibli film, (which had opened the Toronto Film Festival in September) to an enormous $46.7 million box office gross (more than double their initial projections) in North America and, later a Best Animation win at the Oscars.

“It was the right film for the right time,” says Gkids president Dave Jesteadt. “The Boy and the Heron was Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years, and I think that a normal concern would have been if audiences had forgotten him,...

Studio Ghibli excels in 2D animation, with new movies continuing to receive critical acclaim. 3D animation dominates due to speed and cost, but 2D animation still captures unique artistic styles. Various niche outlets like folklore-inspired stories and historical dramas keep 2D animation alive and thriving.

Certain movies from the last decade prove that there is still a place in the film industry for 2D animation, despite 3D now being the norm. Disney, the giant in most sectors of entertainment, has moved on from 2D animated movies. On the other hand, Studio Ghibli is seemingly the leading force in 2D animation: The studio’s new movies continue to win critical praise and awards while its old ones remain beloved classics. 2D animation claims other outlets, such as movie continuations of TV shows and straight-to-dvd releases.

Finding new pathways to success has been essential for 2D since Toy Story's now-outdated animation changed everything almost 30 years ago.

St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate Irish culture, history, and of course, to have a bit of fun! To those unfamiliar, March 17th marks the traditional death date of St. Patrick (Ireland’s patron saint). It used to be a religious day to remember him and how Christianity spread in Ireland.

St. Patrick (Image via Britannica)

The day is celebrated beyond Ireland as a way to embrace Irish culture. This day offers people a chance to enjoy traditional music, dancing, food, and drinks. Also, wearing green is a big part of it since it’s linked with Ireland.

Suggested“There’s just some movies you shouldn’t remake”: Why Bill Skarsgård’s The Crow Reboot is Already Facing Fierce Backlash Hours after Trailer Release

Now’s the time to put on some green and have a good time with friends. Why not dig into Irish traditions...

The omission of “My Father’s Dragon” from the 2023 Oscar nominations list for best animated feature sparked murmurings of disapproval from within the industry. The Netflix film — directed by Nora Twomey and a gorgeously hand-drawn adaptation of Ruth Stiles Gannett’s beloved children’s fantasy novel — had been lapped up by critics, many of whom assumed it would easily make the cut.

But the disquiet only served to showcase the astonishing track record of “My Father’s Dragon’s” Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, which had earned an incredible four Oscar nominations from its first four features, starting with “The Secret of Kells” in 2009 and followed by “Song of the Sea,” “The Breadwinner” and “Wolfwalkers.”

For Tomm Moore, the lack of a nomination for “My Father’s Dragon” also highlighted just how far animation had come since he co-founded Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny alongside Twomey and Paul Young back in 1999.

“It showed...

Apple TV+ today released the trailer for the all-new, highly anticipated Peanuts special “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,” premiering globally on Friday, February 16.

The origin story for one of Peanuts’ most beloved characters, the special follows Franklin as he moves to a new town and navigates new friendships. Franklin’s family is always on the move with his dad’s military job, and everywhere he goes Franklin finds support in a notebook filled with his grandfather’s advice on friendship. But when Franklin tries his usual strategies with the Peanuts gang, he has trouble fitting in. That’s until he learns about the neighborhood Soap Box Derby race – according to his grandfather, everyone loves a winner! He’s sure that winning the race will also mean winning over some new friends. All he needs is a partner, which he finds in Charlie Brown. Franklin and Charlie Brown work together to...

Pablo Berger’s “Robot Dreams,” which gets a theatrical release from Neon at an as-yet-unannounced time this year, was one of the animated delights of 2023. The Spanish/French hand-drawn dramedy (adapted from Sarah Varon’s wordless graphic novel) concerns the bittersweet friendship between lonely Dog and Robot, which he buys for company, in a version of ’80s Manhattan populated with animals. It’s garnered awards buzz in a longshot quest for an Oscar nomination this season.

After premiering at Cannes, “Robot Dreams” earned the Annecy Contrecham Award along with The Animation Is Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize. It was also selected as the runner-up for Best Animated Film by both the Los Angeles and Boston Film Critics groups.

Although the Spanish director was enamored with the graphic novel when he read it in 2010, he didn’t consider turning it into an animated feature until after making two live-action films,...

Spellbound and John Lasseter – Pictures: Skydance Animation and GettyImages

Skydance Animation, which ex-Pixar head John Lasseter currently heads, unceremoniously dropped its seemingly homely, animated feature deal at Apple TV for a partnership with Netflix back in November 2023.

Netflix’s Original animated feature output has long been a discussion point of the industry. It’s an area that Ted Sarandos has addressed numerous times, most recently citing the re-watch value this type of content delivers for subscribers, and his view that Netflix are “underpenetrated” in the genre. This was as the streamer came off arguably its biggest flex of the year, swiping Skydance Animation from its output deal at Apple TV+. Despite restructuring and layoffs that recently impacted the internal Netflix Animation division, animated family movies seem to be a key part of the future strategy.

Netflix already has a partnership with Skydance Media at large, with recent output on the kids side,...

In just a few weeks, the 18th recipient of the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature will be revealed. While it is highly likely that the new winner will share a 3D visual style in common with nearly all of its predecessors, voters may instead decide to finally honor a fully hand-drawn movie for the first time. Fittingly, this monumental distinction would be credited to the legendary Studio Ghibli and its esteemed cofounder, Hayao Miyazaki, who suspended his brief retirement in order to make his dozenth film, “The Boy and the Heron.”

With an original plot that pointedly references the classic Japanese novel “How Do You Live?,” “The Boy and the Heron” is the 25th entry in Studio Ghibli’s animated canon and the company’s 10th film released after the creation of this Golden Globe category. Although four of its post-2005 productions earned Oscar notices for Best Animated Feature,...

Founded in 2008, New York-based production studio and distributor Gkids almost immediately established itself as the United States’ most valuable lifeline to animated cinema from around the world, and so — after earning 12 Oscar nominations for introducing modern classics like “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” and “Wolfwalkers” to American audiences — it might seem a bit overblown to suggest that the label’s reputation could still hang in the balance of a single dub. Gkids president Dave Jesteadt certainly didn’t expect that to be the case when he formally took the reins in January 2017, as the already thriving company was still on the verge of its greatest triumphs. And yet, by the end of the following month, everything that Gkids had accomplished would seem like a long prologue for the challenge that would ultimately define it.

On February 24, 2017, Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki announced that legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki was coming...

Apple Original Films is back with another original film after Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. Fingernails is a sci-fi romance that explores the idea of love in the digital age, starring Jessie Buckley, Jeremy Allen White, and Riz Ahmed. The film is directed by Christos Nikou, who made his English-language debut with this project.

Fingernails is set in a world where scientists have developed a test that can prove whether two people are in love or not. The test involves pulling out a fingernail from each person and scanning it with a machine that measures their happiness. Anna (Buckley) is a woman who works at an institute that conducts this test on couples who are desperate to find out the truth about their relationship. She secretly embarks on a new assignment with Amir (Ahmed), her co-worker and love interest, who is also in a relationship with Natasha (Murphy). Meanwhile,...

With “The Inventor,” Jim Capobianco (the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Ratatouille“) has managed to direct a family-friendly animated musical (in both stop-motion and 2D) about Leonardo da Vinci’s search for the meaning of life at the end of his life. That’s quite a da Vinci code to crack. That is why it took 12 years to make as a co-production with Curiosity Studio (Ireland), Foliascope (France), Aerial Contrivance Studios, and Robert Rippberger’s Sie Films.

Capobianco’s fascination with da Vinci began with the 2009 2D short “Leonardo,” after intense research into his legendary life as an inventor of flying machines, artist, and pioneer in the study of human anatomy. But what sparked Capobianco’s interest was the notion of da Vinci as “a real person struck with ideas beyond the technical, intellectual, and the societal capabilities of his time.” For him, “The Inventor” explores legacy, how you live your life,...

London- and Paris-based Film Constellation has boarded sales on 2D family animated feature “Carmen,” a contemporary adaptation of the opera, to be directed by 2023 Annecy Film Festival winner Sébastien Laudenbach. Variety revealed first details of the project last year exclusively.

Laudenbach, who won the best film award at Annecy for “Chicken for Linda!,” is teaming up with renowned French animation studio Folivari on “Carmen.”

It’s 1840 in Seville, a pulsating town of sailors and small-time crooks. Salvador, a young assistant to the gifted knife grinder Antonio, meets a captivating gypsy girl named Carmen. Her rapturous beauty and independent spirit are the talk of the town, but Antonio’s ability to glimpse the future foretells a tragic fate. With unwavering resolve, Salvador will muster an eclectic band of misfit kids, led by the spirited Belén, to protect Carmen against the unyielding threads of destiny, igniting the ancient city’s alleyways in a symphony of emotions.

Sometimes, the people who make the biggest difference aren’t the ones who grab the spotlight. In “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” we get to see firsthand how our lovable introvert, Marcie, makes a monumental difference from behind the scenes for both her friends and her community. To train for the school golf championship, Marcie assists Peppermint Patty as her caddie, offering thoughtful and deliberate advice to help her win. Meanwhile, after coming up with brilliant solutions to her classmates’ problems – from hallway traffic jams to lunchtime pizza shortages – Marcie is unexpectedly elected as class president … a role she never wanted.

Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Marcie struggles to cope with the expectations of her new job and retreats as far from the public eye as possible. As the golf championship begins, Marcie is still in hiding and Peppermint Patty is forced to tee off with Charlie Brown filling in as her caddie.

Known as one of the few cartoons that parents of pre-school kids can enjoy too, this is a tiny bit more grown up, but still a gorgeous, wholesome delight

“It’s another glorious morning on Puffin Rock.” For parents of small children, Chris O’Dowd’s voice at the beginning of Puffin Rock episodes has the effect of a bell sounding the start of meditation. The animated TV series about a young puffin called Oona and her impossibly cute little brother Baba – “Baba booooo!” – is a soothing, gentle-going delight. It’s routinely included in top 10 lists of shows that parents actually enjoy watching with their kids, and I have to admit it was practically the only thing my daughter watched between the ages of three and five that I could stand to be in the same room as.

Now comes the film, and it’s business as usual. The same exquisite animation by Cartoon Saloon,...

“Star Wars: Visions” takes fans of a galaxy far, far away to truly uncharted areas.

The series of animated shorts, the second volume of which just came out on Disney+, lets animation studios from around the world interpret the beloved property in a way that is true to the studio and their culture. And the very best of Volume 2 is undoubtedly “Screecher’s Reach,” which hails from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon. It follows a group of orphans on a backwater planet being cruelly governed by the Empire. One night, they decide to sneak out but one has a terrifying secret – that she will face a wraith in a cave called Screecher’s Reach and will end up changing her life forever.

TheWrap spoke to director Paul Young on how the studio collided with Lucasfilm and what it was like working with living legend Anjelica Huston, who voices a mysterious figure...

The Irish animation industry has become increasingly robust over the last 10 years, despite the pandemic and other challenges thrown at the entertainment business. It reflects an overall passion in the country for animation and storytelling as well as a commitment by the Irish government to support the business through economic incentives.

Much of those incentives have come through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 1998 by the Industrial Development Act, Enterprise Ireland is a state-sponsored economic development agency that works with Irish businesses to help them grow and develop. It’s been instrumental in working with the Irish animation industry, helping shops grow through a series of loans, grants and other initiatives.

This has made it possible for studios like Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, which has made some of the most notable 2D animated films recently released such as “The Secret of Kells” and “Wolfwalkers,” to create the kind of hand-crafted animation used to...

The €120,000 funds will go to film and TV projects from female and non-binary filmmakers

Screen Ireland and Film Fund Luxembourg have opened applications for a €120,000 Ireland-Luxembourg co-development fund targeted at female and non-binary filmmakers.

Film and TV projects involving producers from Ireland and Luxembourg will be supported with funds of up to €40,000. The contribution will be split evenly between Screen Ireland and Film Fund Luxembourg.

The scheme was first announced in 2019 and has a special emphasis on projects which engage with ”new, emerging, and underrepresented voices”.

Assessing the submitted projects will be a selection committee composed of representatives from Film...

In case you missed it during your annual "Star Wars Day" machete viewing order party, season 2 of "Star Wars: Visions" was officially released on Disney+, and is back with an even more ambitious catalog of animated shorts from various studios. While the first season was best known for sticking to a theme of Japanese anime influences and pushing the boundaries of "Star Wars" aesthetics, the second season of "Visions" somehow takes things even further. Pulling from studios all around the world, including the famous British animation studio Aardman, Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, and French studio La Cachette, this season has an interesting focus on diverse and distinct cultural flairs and influences.

Despite how different the shorts that make up "Visions" are — they're completely self-contained and unique in tone and style — they all share the same "Star Wars" spirit, bringing us insight into the larger galaxy that exists outside of the Skywalker bubble.

When Lucasfilm first approached acclaimed 2D Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon to be part of the global expansion for “Volume 2” of the Emmy-nominated “Star Wars: Visions” anthology (currently streaming on Disney+), little did they realize that CEO and co-founder Paul Young was already thinking about directing his first film — and sci-fi at that.

All Young needed was a little encouragement from his Cartoon Saloon co-founders and Oscar-nominated directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) to say yes. The result is the 13-minute “Screecher’s Reach.” A comfortable fit for Cartoon Saloon, the short draws on its familiar folktale sensibility and hand-drawn prowess with a surprisingly dark and subversive twist.

It’s about a young girl named Daal (Eva Whitaker) who seeks adventure beyond the bleakness of her rural workhouse existence by exploring the titular haunted cave with her friends, where she encounters the legendary shrieking ghost. The frightening, hallucinatory...

Disney+’s acclaimed “Star Wars: Visions” anthology series from Lucasfilm moves beyond anime with “Volume 2.” The nine shorts in this second season tout a broader range of styles and techniques while showcasing the Star Wars franchise’s cultural impact throughout the world.

“We believed in this potential from the start when we expanded out more globally,” executive producer James Waugh told IndieWire. “We really thought we could show the world just incredible animation that’s being done out there and incredible cultural voices out there from different countries. Each one of these creators had something they wanted to say. They are such masters of their craft. And then we got to see the fun of watching all their different animation techniques and styles brought to life in ‘Star Wars’ in ways we never quite experienced before.”

The studios tapped by executive producers Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes include Aardman from Bristol,...

The best thing George Lucas ever did "Star Wars" was, well, create "Star Wars." The second best thing he ever did was to open his sandbox to the world, allowing others to play in the universe he created, reinterpreting and adding to it. Since then, the franchise has grown from a tale of rebellion and one farm boy becoming a hero to a true epic spanning millennia, with stories and characters as varied as they come.

This is why "Star Wars: Visions" is the purest expression of the sandbox-y nature of the "Star Wars" galaxy. The first season proved that the iconography and themes of the galaxy far, far away could translate well to different art styles and different stories than what we'd seen before — it could be about robots who want to be heroes as much as it could be a rock opera. The show fulfilled the promise of...

Contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Visions, Volume 2"

For the subset of "Star Wars" fans who had grown weary of the Skywalker Saga, the first volume of "Star Wars: Visions" shorts provided a much-needed respite. The nine-episode anthology re-envisioned "a galaxy far, far away" through the lens of anime storytelling, recruiting nine of the genre's most accomplished studios to put their own spin on George Lucas' original creation. Permitted to disregard canon, each episode felt like a wholly singular story within the "Star Wars" universe, still imbued with the franchise's central themes: forging one's own identity, good versus evil, and the importance of family, whether found or by blood.

In its second volume of vignettes, "Star Wars: Visions" has expanded to include a wider variety of animation styles from studios all over the world, including juggernauts like Aardman ("Wallace and Gromit") and Cartoon Saloon ("Wolfwalkers"). Fans will be excited to see...

Harriet the Spy is racing back on Apple TV Plus for season 2, which premieres on May 5, and Screen Rant is pleased to present an exclusive clip from the new set of episodes. The animated series is based on the book by Louise Fitzhugh and features a stellar cast led by Beanie Feldstein as Harriet herself and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Jane Lynch as her trusted nanny Ole Golly.

Harriet M. Welsch is a headstrong, curious, and outspoken 11-year-old with dreams of being a writer. As one can only write what they know, Harriet the Spy follows her on her question to know everything. As she spies on everything and everyone she comes across, she jots down her observations in a special notebook — which will become more important than expected in season 2.

Related: 10 Best Shows Like Harriet The Spy

More About Harriet the Spy Season 2

In Screen Rant's exclusive clip from...

Anime legends, producer Masao Maruyama and director Gisaburō Sugii, as well as U.S. animation producer and distributor Gkids, have joined global multimedia company N Lite and N Lite Japan to produce “Mfinda,” a first Afro-anime film which will be the subject of an in-depth first look at June’s Annecy Int’l Animation Film Festival.

Selected amongst the pitches this year at Annecy’s MIFA market in the feature film category, the N Lite original was created by Congolese-American artist Patience Lekien and Christiano Terry, founder-ceo of N Lite.

“Mfinda” follows a 12-year-old Congolese girl who is taken to the mfinda, a primordial forest teeming with spirits, gods and ancestors. There she meets up with another young girl from a different time and together they set out to find the magical Nkisi, vessels that hold ancestral spirits as well as empowering materials or medicines, that will help her find her way home.

Apple TV+ today released the trailer for season two of ‘Harriet the Spy’, based on the iconic children’s novel chronicling the coming-of-age adventures of the irrepressible Harriet M Welsch, premiering on May 5, 2023. Produced by The Jim Henson Company, the animated series stars Golden Globe nominee Beanie Feldstein as Harriet, a fiercely independent and adventurous 11-year-old girl, alongside Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch as Ole Golly, Harriet’s larger-than-life, no-nonsense nanny.

“Harriet the Spy” follows the outspoken and perpetually curious 11-year-old Harriet M Welsch. More than anything, Harriet wants to be a writer, and in order to be a good writer, she’ll need to know everything. And to know everything means she’ll need to spy … on everyone! This season, follow Harriet as she navigates letting go, growing up, and celebrating the gift of today.

Joining Feldstein and Lynch, the series features Kimberly Brooks and Charlie Schlatter as Janie and Sport,...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ is expanding its kids and families slate with Be@rbrick, a 13-episode animated kids series based on Medicom Toy’s popular collectible bear-shaped figures, from DreamWorks Animation and Dentsu Inc.

Told through CG animation, Be@rbrick is a music-driven comedy about young singer-songwriter Jasmine and her bandmates as they pursue their dreams and inspire others to do the same. But it won’t be easy to do when living in a world where everyone’s role is chosen for them and where the painted-on look you receive when you graduate from high school determines who you’ll be for the rest of your life. Jasmine realizes that in order for her world to change, she and her friends may have to make it happen themselves.

The series will be animated and produced by DreamWorks Animation and Dentsu Inc., and showrun and executive produced by Meghan McCarthy. Alex Almaguer (TrollsTopia) will serve as supervising producer and Taylor Orci (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) will serve as story editor. Athena Hofmann (Curious George) will serve as line producer on the series.

“Be@rbrick marks the latest collaboration for Apple TV+ and DreamWorks Animation, joining GLAAD Media Award nominated Pinecone & Pony, based on Kate Beaton’s book The Princess and the Pony; and Doug Unplugs, based on Dan Yaccarino’s Doug Unplugged book series.

Apple TV+’s kids and families slate includes the Oscar and BAFTA-winning animated short film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse; animated adventure film Luck from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation which premiered this year; and, BAFTA Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated animated film Wolfwalkers.

Gkids has snapped up North American rights to Keiichi Hara’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror, after serving as the distributor in the territory for his past animated features Summer Days with Coo and Miss Hokusai. The film based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura, featuring animation from A-1 Pictures, is slated for a theatrical release in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English dub this summer.

Reuniting Hara with collaborators including screenwriter Miho Maruo, composer Harumi Fuuki and artist Ilya Kuvshinov, Lonely Castle in the Mirror follows shy outcast Kokoro, who has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. And when a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game,...