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What is it that makes Chris Sanders' animated movies distinct? For starters, there's their visual acuity. His feature debut, "Lilo & Stitch," which Sanders wrote and directed with Dean DeBlois, features warm and inviting watercolor backdrops to match the rich, earthy tones and incredible 3D flying sequences of Sanders and DeBlois' sophomore effort, "How to Train Your Dragon" (still one of DreamWorks Animation's highest achievements). Even the somewhat underappreciated "The Croods" (a film that Sanders co-helmed with Kirk DeMicco) brings its prehistoric setting to life with striking, vibrant hues.

Sanders also has a fondness for weirdos and outcasts who form surprising connections with one another, whether they're a peculiar, tempestuous girl befriending an alien miscreant or a scrawny, yammering Viking bonding with a feral dragon. In a larger sense, his films are about families (be they formed by blood or choice) and communities overcoming their differences to help each...

James Gunn’s revamped version of the DC Universe will soon be hitting the screens, and with it, it will be bringing along a brand new ensemble of the Man of Steel and his fellow friends and enemies as well. While David Corenswet will debut as the new Superman, cementing her position alongside him as his love interest would be none other than Rachel Brosnahan.

Cast as the new Lois Lane to DC Comics’ Clark Kent, aka Kal-El, the film hasn’t even made its way out to the theatres as of now, and yet, she’s already winning over the hearts of millions – be it through her unparalleled beauty that matches her comic book counterpart or simply her dedication toward her role visible through her gushing about her character in interviews.

Rachel Brosnahan as Lois. | Credits: Superman / Warner Bros.

To say the least, even before officially convincing through her...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of December titles. The Tubi December 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi December 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

A sixth instalment of the Ice Age franchise – we’ll call it Ice Age 6 – is in development, with all the original cast returning! Sing hosannas.

Scrat the squirrel scrambling to cling on to his cherished acorn in the Ice Age films is one of the funniest running cinematic gags of the early 2000s. The sheer number of imaginative ways the writers and animators came up with to deny Scrat his prize was extremely impressive, with the set pieces gradually getting bigger in scale. They became a highlight of each film.

According to Deadline, a sixth Ice Age film is in development at Disney and 20th Century Animation.

The film seems to be moving forward at quite a pace too, with many of the original cast – Romano, Leguizamo, Latifah, Leary and Pegg – already signed on. (Read on to discover what all their first names are.)

There’s currently no writer or director attached.

Updated: Disney and 20th Century Animation announced Friday at D23 Brazil that Ice Age 6 is happening. The sixthquel will get a theatrical release. The original franchise was created by Blue Sky Studios, which Disney acquired through the 20th Century Fox merger, later shuttering the Oscar-winning animation division.

Original castmembers Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary and Simon Pegg are returning. The pic is currently being made.

Through five movies, the Ice Age pics have grossed $3.2 billion worldwide, but like all franchises, the weight of gravity weighs down at the box office with each sequel. The most recent movie, 2016’s Ice Age: Collision Course, grossed $408.5 million globally.

There were various short pics and series starring a woolly mammoth, sloth, saber-toothed tiger and other pre-historic animals. There was also the 2022 spinoff The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild.

This Ice Age is the first pic in the franchise since Disney bought Blue Sky.

Ready to enter a new “Ice Age?”

Disney has announced that a sixth “Ice Age” film, the first proper installment in the franchise since 2016’s “Ice Age: Collision Course,” will arrive in theaters in 2026. And what’s more, original cast members Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Queen Latifah are set to return. (It’s unclear if Denis Leary will be back; let us pray.)

The news comes out of D23 Brazil, the first South American version of the Disney fan convention that had previously been held at the Anaheim Convention Center across the street from Disneyland.

One of the most successful animated franchises in history, the series has amassed more than $6 billion over those original five movies.

One of the bigger question marks surrounding a sixth “Ice Age” is who will be animating the feature. Famously, the earlier films were done by Blue Sky Studios, an animation studio in Greenwich,...

As per multiple reports, the Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home; Avengers: Endgame) has landed the lead role in Christopher Nolan's next epic movie, which is scheduled to begin shooting in early 2025, with an eye on a prime Summer 2026 release date. 

The fan-favorite actor was reportedly at the top of Nolan's wish list for this project and will now co-star with Academy Award-winner Matt Damon (Jason Bourne; Ford v Ferrari), who is set to reunite with Nolan for the third time in his career, after the sci-fi thriller Interstellar and last year's Best Picture winner Oppenheimer. 

Plot details on Nolan's latest film are being kept under wraps, but the film is rumored to be an action film and The Hollywood Reporter claims the setting is not present day. However, whether the film is set in the past or in the future remains a mystery. 

According to the trades, Nolan...

Tom Holland is set to return as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the coming years, but his new role in Christopher Nolan's next movie is even more exciting. Since breaking out with the life-changing superhero casting and his debut as Peter Parker in 2016, Holland's career has primarily been defined by playing the web-slinger. This is set to continue with him returning for Spider-Man 4 with Marvel Studios and Sony. While that film and his expected appearances in the two upcoming Avengers movies are highly anticipated, news that Holland will star in Christopher Nolan's new film is massive.

Nolan's Oppenheimer follow-up is shrouded in mystery, per usual for the director, so there is not much information about what role Holland will play. Still, with a 2026 release date and Matt Damon's involvement, the announcement of Holland's casting is incredibly exciting. It officially pairs the British star with...

Fans may be surprised to learn that The Valley star, Daniel Booko, once appeared on the hit TV series, Hannah Montana. One of the best Disney Channel original TV shows ever, Hannah Montana wasn't just an excellent teen sitcom, it also helped launch Miley Cyrus into becoming a major label star who is still producing Grammy-winning tracks a decade after the show ended in 2011. The series stars Cyrus as a fictional version of herself, Miley Stewart, a normal girl who is secretly Hannah Montana, a world-famous pop singer.

Most episodes find Miley, her father Robby Ray (Cyrus' real-life father Billy Ray Cyrus), her brother Jackson (Jason Earles), and her best friend Lily (Emily Osment) trying to hide Miley's real identity from prying fans and helping Miley balance life as a star and a normal high school girl. Plenty of famous guest stars have appeared on Hannah Montana, and some viewers may remember Daniel Booko's appearance.

When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 in one of the biggest media takeovers of all time, the House of Mouse absorbed its film slate — and promptly had to slog through an endless series of commercial duds.

Movies like “X-Men” spinoffs “Dark Phoenix” and “New Mutants,” Brad Pitt’s astronaut drama “Ad Astra,” buddy comedy “Stuber,” Harrison Ford-led canine adventure “The Call of the Wild” and animated pigeon comedy “Spies in Disguise” were rejected by audiences and sputtered at the box office. Worse, they didn’t exactly instill confidence in the film assets that resulted from the $71.3 billion mega-merger.

“Those Fox titles that were part of the deal but weren’t made by Disney seemed like they were orphaned,” says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “With any merger, there are going to be growing pains. And this is a slow-moving business.”

So it’s an encouraging development that former...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"2020 at the box office will be known as the 'year of the asterisk,' with virtually every known measure and metric for box office performance being completely rethought and recalibrated." These were the words of Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian speaking to CNN in October 2020. At that time, the industry was contending with a months-long, global shutdown, with movie theaters on life support as the pandemic raged on. Yes, every title released in 2020 will always come with an asterisk but even with that, one movie had to come out on top during Hollywood's lost year. That movie was "Bad Boys for Life."

Action director extraordinaire Michael Bay helmed 1995's "Bad Boys" and 2003's "Bad Boys II," with the first film ranking...

Tom Holland gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making his debut in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. His interpretation of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker struck a chord with fans, effectively capturing the essence of the iconic character from the comics.

While Holland’s career may be facing some challenges at the moment, there are rumors circulating that he needs to be part of a major Paramount film. If these rumors hold true, it could potentially provide a significant boost to his career, which is somewhat floundering right now.

Spider-Man in action

Since Tom Holland’s initial involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise has undergone changes, and some MCU fans believe that it has lost its initial charm. Criticism often revolves around the view that Marvel relies on the same tired tropes and formulae that just do not stick the landing...

Production continues on the new “Superman” live-action feature, starring David Corenswet as the ‘Man of Steel”, targeting a July 2025, 3D IMAX theatrical release:

Confirmed roles include ‘Superman’/David Corenswet, ‘Lois Lane’/Rachel Brosnahan, ‘Lex Luthor’/Nicholas Hoult, ‘Jimmy Olsen’/Skyler Gisondo’, ‘The Engineer’/María Gabriela de Faría, ‘Eve Teschmacher’/Sara Sampaio, ‘Mister Terrific’/Edi Gathegi, ‘Hawkgirl’/Isabela Merced, ‘Guy Gardner’/Nathan Fillion and ‘Metamorpho’/Anthony Carrigan.

"...’Superman’ tells the story of the alien ‘Kal-El’/‘Superman' and his journey to reconcile his 'Kryptonian' heritage...

"...with his human upbringing as 'Clark Kent' of 'Smallville', Kansas.

"He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness..."

Rachel Brosnahan is noted for playing an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video comedy series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), winning a 'Primetime Emmy Award' in 2018 and two consecutive 'Golden Globe Awards' in 2018 and 2019.

She also appeared in the...

After Wonka and Dune Part Two, it seems like Timothée Chalamet is shaping up to become Hollywood’s next leading man, rivaling the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Cruise during thier younger days. The actor has left his mark on the box office, causing studios to look at the young actor as a bankable talent who is worth signing for bigger-budget films.

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part One.

On the other hand, Tom Holland, despite bringing in a considerable amount of money playing Spider-Man, has been unable to stick the landing with films and franchises outside of the MCU, such as the Uncharted series. It seems that despite being a part of bigger box office premieres than Chalamet, Holland will be easily eclipsed by him when it comes to a paycheck.

SUGGESTEDDune 3: Denis Villeneuve’s Trilogy Will Make Him Hollywood’s Most Hated Director...

February 29 ‘leap year-leap day’, marks the fictional birthday of DC Comics 'Superman', as well as the start of principal photography on the new live-action feature “Superman”, targeting a July 2025, 3D IMAX theatrical release:

Confirmed roles include ‘Superman’/David Corenswet, ‘Lois Lane’/Rachel Brosnahan, ‘Lex Luthor’/Nicholas Hoult, ‘Jimmy Olsen’/Skyler Gisondo’, ‘The Engineer’/María Gabriela de Faría, ‘Eve Teschmacher’/Sara Sampaio, ‘Mister Terrific’/Edi Gathegi, ‘Hawkgirl’/Isabela Merced, ‘Guy Gardner’/Nathan Fillion and ‘Metamorpho’/Anthony Carrigan.

"...’Superman’ tells the story of the alien ‘Kal-El’/‘Superman' and his journey to reconcile his 'Kryptonian' heritage...

"...with his human upbringing as 'Clark Kent' of 'Smallville', Kansas.

"He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness..."

Rachel Brosnahan is noted for playing an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video comedy series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), winning a 'Primetime Emmy Award' in 2018 and two consecutive 'Golden Globe...

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

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

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

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

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

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

The next live-action take of DC Comics ‘Superman’ is the upcoming feature “Superman: Legacy”, targeting a 3D IMAX theatrical release in 2025, with some major actor roles already confirmed:

Confirmed roles include ‘Superman’/David Corenswet, ‘Lois Lane’/Rachel Brosnahan, ‘Lex Luthor’/Nicholas Hoult, Jimmy Olsen/‘Skyler Gisondo’, ‘The Engineer’/María Gabriela de Faría, ‘Eve Teschmacher’/Sara Sampaio, ‘Mister Terrific’/Edi Gathegi, ‘Hawkgirl’/Isabela Merced, ‘Guy Gardner’/Nathan Fillion and ‘Metamorpho’/Anthony

"...Superman: Legacy' tells the story of the alien ‘Kal-El’/‘Superman' and his journey to reconcile his 'Kryptonian' heritage...

"...with his human upbringing as 'Clark Kent' of 'Smallville', Kansas.

"He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness..."

Rachel Brosnahan is noted for playing an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video comedy series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), winning a 'Primetime Emmy Award' in 2018 and two consecutive 'Golden Globe Awards' in 2018 and 2019.

She...

Actress Rachel Brosnahan ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") has been cast as DC Comics character 'Lois Lane' for the upcoming live-action feature "Superman: Legacy", currently prepping for a July 11, 2025 release:

"...'Superman: Legacy' tells the story of 'Superman'...

"...and his journey to reconcile his 'Kryptonian' heritage...

"...with his human upbringing as 'Clark Kent' of 'Smallville', Kansas.

"He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness..."

Brosnahan is noted for playing an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video comedy series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), winning a 'Primetime Emmy Award' in 2018 and two consecutive 'Golden Globe Awards' in 2018 and 2019.

She also appeared in the political thriller TV series "House of Cards" (2013–2015) and the drama series "Manhattan" (2014–2015).

Brosnahan made her feature film debut in "The Unborn" (2009), followed by "Beautiful Creatures" (2013)...

..."Louder Than Bombs" (2015), "The Finest Hours" (2016), "Patriots Day" (2016)...

..."Spies in Disguise...

“A Haunting in Venice” began its domestic box office jaunt with $1.2 million in Thursday preview earnings. That’s slightly above the $1.1 million procured by “Death on the Nile” in February of 2022.

It’s understandably below the $1.6 million earned by “Murder on the Orient Express” in November of 2017. With strong reviews (77% and 6.6/10 on Rotten Tomatoes), including plenty of critics arguing that it’s the best of Kenneth Branagh’s three films as Hercule Poirot, the hope is an opening weekend closer to $20 million than $15 million.

The franchise started with a bang with “Murder on the Orient Express.” That offering starred a slew of big names like Johnny Depp (still an added value element), Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz and senior citizen-magnet Judi Dench. That it was based on one of Agatha Christie’s most famous books didn’t hurt. A $28 million debut led to a $103 million domestic and $353 million global cume on a $55 million budget.

Following the release of its first animated feature, Nimona, Annapurna Animation has brought on director Nick Bruno and producer Julie Zackary to join their creative leadership team while expanding its upcoming feature slate to include an adaptation of video game Stray, along with Foo, an original title from Ice Age helmer and Blue Sky co-founder Chris Wedge.

Based on Nd Stevenson’s graphic novel of the same name, Nimona began its life at Blue Sky, and moved to Annapurna after Disney shut down the production and studio following its acquisition of Fox, which owned the animation umbrella. Netflix released the well-received Nimona in June.

Bruno — a Blue Sky alum, who made his directorial debut with Spies in Disguise — is already developing and directing an untitled original feature for the studio, while developing additional originals. Zackary is joining the studio as head of animation production, having previously served as vp of...

Annapurna Animation is kicking into overdrive, with director Nick Bruno (Netflix’s “Nimona” and 20th Century Studio’s “Spies in Disguise”) and producer Julie Zackary joining up.

They are also planning to expand their feature development slate, with the first flick being an adaptation of the acclaimed “play as a cat” video game “Stray.” Also on tap is a new film from Chris Wedge (“Ice Age”), an original called “Foo.” Along with directing an untitled original in development, Bruno is actively developing original ideas for Annapurna Animation.

“Stray,” an open-world adventure where you play as an ordinary cat, earned strong reviews and 2.5 million copies sold in the first month prior to even launching on Steam. The game came from Annapurna Interactive, so the synergy speaks for itself, and Annapurna plans to adapt more titles from its game library.

Wedge is an Academy Award-winning director and producer as well as a...

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

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

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

Tom Holland has not had the best of luck at the box office, proving that he still needs Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The British actor was cast as the MCU’s Peter Parker in 2015 and was praised for his new take on the classic hero. It was the catalyst for Holland’s career and earned him roles in films alongside big names in Hollywood, but Holland has yet to recreate the box office success of his MCU projects.

After Holland debuted as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, he attracted roles in a variety of genres from action films to animated voice roles. However, none of these projects ended up being as big as Holland’s Spider-Man movies. Not only did most of these films bomb at the box office, they also garnered mixed reviews. With his track record at the box office, Holland’s place in the...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ctam and Common Sense Media have partnered on StreamSafely Summer Camp,, an online destination at StreamSafely.com where parents and kids can find safe, family-friendly programming without the risks that come with pirated content. The site includes a collection of 46 movies curated by the nonprofit Common Sense Media available through June, July and August, along with a checklist for parents on safe streaming.

A Ctam study from October 2022 found that 38% of households with kids report accessing pirated content a few times a year, well above the mean for the US adult population overall (26%). Piracy sites appear free, but they make money by stealing personal information, often by installing destructive malware or ransomware on users’ home computers. Digital video piracy accounts for more than $50 billion in revenue losses for the global tv and movie industry, according to the study.

“Many families stream pirated content...

Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed star in buoyant, good-humoured LGBTQ+ parable from the directors of Spies in Disguise

The web comic and graphic novel Nimona by Nd Stevenson was an adventure in queer science-fantasy; now it has been mainstreamed into an animation directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, who made their feature debut in 2019 with Spies in Disguise.

What has emerged is a buoyant and good-humoured LGBTQ+ parable, set in a kind of retro-futurist kingdom, super-modern and hi-tech in every way but with a medieval-style queen and a court of knights who have competed hard for the honour of the title “sir”. One of these is Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed), a lowborn person of colour in love with fellow knight Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), and Ballister is about to be officially dubbed in a gigantic stadium ceremony halfway between the Hunger Games and the Super Bowl.

The highly anticipated animated feature film Nimona is coming to Netflix later this year. The story is adapted from the best-selling graphic novel written and created by Nd Stevenson. Taking Nimona from page to screen has been a long journey filled with the blood, sweat, and tears of those behind the film.

Screen Rant was invited by Netflix to attend the Nimona long lead press day in order to learn more about the movie. Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane spoke about the long journey to get this film made after studio switches, Nd Stevenson recalls the inspiration behind the graphic novel, and Production Designer Aidan Sugano spoke to the medieval inspirations that were woven into the movie.

Related: Nimona Trailer: Troublemaking Shapeshifter Skewers Traditional Fairy Tale Stories

With the highly anticipated Nimona slated for a streaming release on June 30th, here’s everything Screen Rant learned about it during the long lead press day.

The new animated film premiering on Netflix starts exactly the way you’d think a fairy tale should. The first words we hear, after all, are, “A long, long time ago, a kingdom lived in peace.”

But don’t be fooled. Nimona, based on Nd Stevenson’s acclaimed graphic novel, is about as far from an ordinary fairy tale as animated films get. Cheekily irreverent and hilariously subversive, it’s a consistent delight.

After that lulling introduction, the action shifts forward one thousand years, with the story set in a futuristic medieval kingdom that boasts skyscrapers along with its ancient fortresses. The story begins with a cheesy news broadcast hosted by two over-enthusiastic anchors (Indya Moore, RuPaul) covering the kingdom’s “Night to Knight Knights,” a reality show-style competition. Among the competitors is the insecure, one-armed Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), who’s encouraged in his efforts by his boyfriend and fellow knight-in-training,...

Netflix’s “Nimona” marks an LGBTQ breakthrough for a mainstream animated film. Based on Nd Stevenson’s best-selling queer graphic novel about the titular teen shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) in a futuristic medieval world, “Nimona” explores timely issues of identity and xenophobia. It additionally pushes 2D stylization into 3D with a uniquely illustrated look.

“Nimona” is also a minor miracle. It was rescued from the dead by Annapurna Animation and Netflix after Disney halted production in 2021 when they shuttered Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, where the project originated. As it was, the film’s LGBTQ themes were watered down and a same-sex kiss between bestie knights (voiced by Riz Ahmed and Eugene Lee Yang) was a cause of concern at Disney.

But former Blue Sky co-presidents Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird refused to let “Nimona” die in 2021. Together with producer Julie Zackary and directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (“Spies in Disguise...

Once upon a time, animated movies made it easy to tell the heroes apart from the villains. Now, the trend is for princesses to remain happily unmarried (“Frozen”), for kids to know better than their elders (“Encanto”) and for monsters to be revealed as misunderstood allies (“Luca”). For a while, those twists on the Disney fairy-tale formula felt surprising to audiences, aligning nicely with where the cultural conversation was headed. Through repetition, however, such enlightenment has become its own cliché.

Enter Nimona, who brings a fresh dose of attitude to such inclusive messaging. She’s a monster, but doesn’t like to be called that. (And who can blame her?) Apparently the only one of her kind in a fictional kingdom where medieval customs and flying cars aren’t mutually exclusive, Nimona is capable of shape-shifting into practically any species — be it a shark, a rhinoceros or a ginormous dragon...

Things are about to get metal in the first trailer for Netflix and Annapurna Pictures’ animated feature, “Nimona.”

The official synopsis is as follows: When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy.

But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc.

The film’s distinct animation style...

The Rotten Tomatoes score for Tom Holland’s new show The Crowded Room confirms a disappointing trend for the actor’s projects outside Spider-Man movies. Tom Holland stars in Apple TV’s latest psychological thriller series The Crowded Room as Danny Sullivan, who is arrested for a string of violent crimes in 1979. As the twists and turns of Danny’s past are uncovered, The Crowded Room reveals that not everything in his story is as it seems. The limited series debuts on June 9, but hasn’t received a warm response from critics ahead of release.

After rising to fame as the MCU’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2016, actor Tom Holland is continuing to expand his filmography since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home ended his title character’s critically acclaimed movie trilogy. The Crowded Room follows projects like Dolittle, Uncharted, The Devil All Time, Cherry, and Chaos Walking as the actor breaks away from the MCU,...

"This is the part where you run." Netflix has unveiled the first look teaser for animated movie Nimona, an action adventure thriller from filmmakers Nick Bruno & Troy Quane (of Spies in Disguise). Originally a production of Blue Sky Studios, a former subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, best known for creating the Ice Age and Rio franchises, it was originally set to be directed by Patrick Osborne, with an initial release date of 2020. Following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the production received pushback from Disney's new leadership due to the film's LGBTQ themes, then was canceled due to Blue Sky's closure in April 2021. Annapurna Pictures later revived the project, with Bruno & Quane taking over directing duties, Dneg on the animation, and Netflix releasing it. Nimona, a teenager with the power to shapeshift, is targeted by a knight for assassination. The knight's mission to kill Nimona becomes complicated when he is accused of a crime,...

Not even the House of Mouse is powerful enough to prevent Nd Stevenson's spirited shape-shifting hero Nimona from making her way to the screen. 

For those not in the know, "Nimona" is an animated sci-fi fantasy adventure feature based on Stevenson's award-winning comics series that began its life at Fox's Blue Sky Studios all the way back in 2015. However, after acquiring Fox's movie and television divisions, Disney closed down Blue Sky in 2021, at which point "Nimona" was reportedly a mere 10 months away from being completed. Thankfully, much like a knight in shining armor with a mechanical prosthetic arm (more on that to come), Annapurna Pictures and Netflix eventually swooped in to save the film and bring it across the finish line.

We're now a month away from "Nimona" making its way into the public's eye, starting with its premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2023. The film...

Fans of the Tumblr comic series “Nimona” can finally take a peek at Netflix’s upcoming animated feature film adaptation.

“Nimona,” set in a techno-medieval landscape where magic and technology combine, follows shape-shifting teenager Nimona (Moretz) as she tries to prove the innocence of wrongly convicted Knight Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed).

Joining Moretz and Ahmed in the film are Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, RuPaul Charles, Indya Moore, Julio Torres, Sarah Sherman and Eugene Lee Yang.

In 2015, the internet comic was published by HarperCollins, becoming a New York Times bestselling graphic novel. Twentieth Century Fox Animation initially acquired the rights to the film, based on cartoonist Nd Stevenson’s webcomics, and planned to release the film in 2020 with “Big Hero 6” animator Patrick Osborne to direct. But when Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the company shuttered animation house Blue Sky Studios and canceled the project. In April 2022, Netflix announced it had acquired the film,...

“Nimona” is nearly here. And before it hits the streaming service next month, Netflix has just unleashed a new trailer for the animated feature that gives viewers a taste of its world and introduces the titular shapeshifting teen (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz). You can watch the new teaser below.

The trailer is pretty inventive, with a paper cutout introduction to the world of “Nimona” – it takes place in The Kingdom, a kind of futuristic medieval society that has been trained to fear a race of mythical creatures. (They have erected a massive wall – sound familiar?) A disgraced, one-armed knight who was framed for murder (Riz Ahmed), winds up befriending Nimona, who turns out to be one of these creatures – she can shapeshift into virtually anything or anyone. Together, they both are searching for acceptance – and to clear their respective names.

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This week's big streaming releases include the return of "Sweet Tooth," a rare post-apocalyptic tale that's all about optimism (and cute critters), and the premiere of "Citadel," the second-most-expensive TV show ever made and the hopeful start of a global franchise. Elsewhere, if you want more apocalyptic fun with big smiles and dark undertones, there's "Ranking of Kings" and "Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts." Or perhaps you want something before the apocalypse but with dark forces starting to gather, like the criminally underseen "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance." For something completely different, "Person of Interest" is a spy thriller with some rather prescient thoughts about AI, "Source Code" is a fun sci-fi time loop thriller, "Spies in Disguise," is a hilarious take on the "James Bond" formula, and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" stares at the end of the world and chooses kindness.

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What's not to love about a goofy spy comedy movie that interweaves action and espionage satire? Spy comedy films as a subgenre are fun to watch any day of the week in order to unwind with some good laughs, while also filling the need for some action and fight scenes. Some famous spies were groovy, goofy, or inept, but almost all of them are certifiably deadly (even if a good deal only manage to complete their mission through slapstick mishaps). Some parody spies like Austin Powers and Johnny English are almost as famous as the James Bonds and Jason Bournes they lambast, too.

A good spy comedy isn't hard to come by. There are plenty that ticks off all necessary criteria. The satirical and outlandish comedy, the needed action sequences, and some foolish plot elements. But not all spy comedies are tagged with high rankings. Spy comedy films come in...

Was Disney right to pay 71 billion for Fox’s entertainment empire? The sprawling properties it brought in-house helped fuel Disney+ and have given returning CEO Bob Iger a much-needed box office hit with “Avatar: The Way of Water” as he settles back into his old chair.

But investors are scrutinizing spending much more closely than they used to. Disney still carries a hefty debt load from the Fox deal and Iger’s rebound tenure has a time limit as he searches once again for a successor.

As adult-skewing movies struggle in theaters and Wall Street changes the rules in the streaming war, Disney’s purchase of Fox’s studio properties may prove to be Iger’s biggest blunder, dealing lasting damage to the company’s reputation among shareholders for media-merger magic. The idea that Disney could take any given property, get audiences to associate it with its megabrand and make...

Screenwriter Pamela Ribon has entered into a first look-agreement with Disney Television Animation.

The first project under the deal from Ribon — who wrote Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Moana” and Sony Animation Studio’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village” — with Disney Branded Television and multiple Emmy Award-winning Baobab Studios is the animated sitcom “Intercats.”

Told through the big reflective eyes of cats, “Intercats” is a four-quadrant animated workplace comedy about the felines who produce viral videos on the Internet. It follows a ragtag team of cats aspiring for independence, who must navigate internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos.

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September is quite the month over at Disney+. The Disney streaming giant is the perfect place to spend the early months of back-to-school season, with something for the entire family. If you’re a Marvel fan, no doubt you’ll continue to watch the adventures of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” For fans of “Rogue One,” ready to venture to a galaxy far, far away, there’s new spin-off series “Andor.” Then Halloween comes early with the premiere of the long-awaited sequel, “Hocus Pocus 2,” starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

With plenty more on the docket, we here at IndieWire are laying out everything coming to Disney+ this month. But among the many titles (and after plenty of hit-and-miss Disney+ franchise extensions), “Star Wars” still looms large. Originally announced at the D23 fan convention back in 2019, audiences will finally get to see...

After Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios in 2021, it seemed all hope was lost for the highly anticipated animated feature “Nimona,” based on indie darling comic series from creator Nd Stevenson’s comics of the same name. But fear not, as Netflix announced that it will release the previously scrapped film in 2023, with Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”), Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) and Eugene Lee Yang (“Spring Bloom”) in the leading roles.

“Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop,” Stevenson wrote in a tweet Monday. “She’s a fighter … but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her. I am excited out of my mind to announce that The Nimona Movie Is Alive.”

From Annapurna Pictures and Netflix, the animated feature will follow the story of shape-shifting teenager Nimona (Moretz), the only person who can prove the innocence of wrongly convicted...

Netflix announced on Monday morning that it would be picking up “Nimona,” the LGBTQ animated project based on Nd Stevenson’s graphic novel that was one of the projects scrapped following the Disney/Fox merger in 2019. The film is already in production and will be released in 2023.

“Nimona” will star Chloë Grace Moretz as the antihero Nimona, a shapeshifter bent on destroying a powerful organization known as the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics by any means necessary — even if it means killing people. To this end, she teams up with with Lord Ballister Blackheart (Riz Ahmed), who also seeks to bring down the Institution but will not break his own code of ethics to do so.

Standing in their way is the Institution’s champion, Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), the knight who defeated Ballister in a duel and cast him out from the Institution. Goldenloin has been tasked to destroy Nimona,...

The animated film Nimona, scrapped following the shutdown of Blue Sky Studios amid Disney’s acquisition of Fox, has landed at Netflix, with Chloë Grace Moretz (Mother/Android), Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Eugene Lee Yang (Spring Bloom) set to star. The adaptation of Nd Stevenson’s New York Times bestselling graphic novel—originally to have been directed by Patrick Osborne, but now being helmed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Spies in Disguise)—will debut on the streamer in 2023.

In the LGBTQ+-themed Nimona, Knight Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is an inclusive story about the labels we assign to people...

On Monday, Spider-Man: No Way Home crawled its way past Avatar’s $760.5 million to become the third highest domestic grosser of all time. With that milestone reached, the baton is ready to be passed to Sony’s Uncharted, the long-awaited video game adaptation that also gives Tom Holland his biggest role yet outside of the MCU. The adventure film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg, should spark things up at the box office after what has been a soft start to the year.

Ruben Fleischer directs Uncharted after having successfully launched the Venom franchise for Sony (not to mention hitting the jackpot with the Zombieland films). The Indiana Jones-esque tale acts as a prequel to the games, telling the story of a young version of Nathan Drake (played by Holland) before he becomes the full-fledged, world-class treasure hunting hero. He is taken under the wing of Sully (Wahlberg) to find the...