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Animation

All articles tagged with #animation

Aging Woody Leads Toy Story 5 Through a Tech-Tangled Era
film1 hour ago

Aging Woody Leads Toy Story 5 Through a Tech-Tangled Era

Pixar’s Toy Story 5 centers Woody’s aging, including a balding reveal and retirement vibe, while Bonnie’s tech-forward world introduces Lilypad — not a villain but the next phase in play that tests the toys’ relationship with devices. The film also shifts focus to Jessie, adds Blaze and a high-tech Buzz, features Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, and brings back Randy Newman for the score, all while exploring the balance between imagination and gadgets and affirming that the film’s artistry remains human-driven rather than AI-made.

Netflix Secures Global Rights to Cannes Critics Week Hit In Waves
film7 days ago

Netflix Secures Global Rights to Cannes Critics Week Hit In Waves

Netflix has picked up global rights outside France to In Waves, an animated romance based on AJ Dungo’s graphic memoir, directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen and featuring Stephanie Hsu and Will Sharpe. Produced by Silex Films and sold internationally by Charades, the film premiered at Cannes Critics Week to rave reviews, with a mid-seven-figure deal negotiated by Anonymous Content, CAA Media Finance and Charades.

Hello Kitty Movie Sets Directors for 2028 Hollywood Debut
entertainment8 days ago

Hello Kitty Movie Sets Directors for 2028 Hollywood Debut

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation will release an animated Hello Kitty feature in 2028, directed by David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising), with Ramsey Naito and Beau Flynn producing. Jeff Chan is currently writing the script, following previous drafts by Dana Fox, Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson, while Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon wrote the treatment. This marks Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut, continuing Sanrio’s decade-long effort to bring the character to the big screen.

Bong Joon Ho Unveils His First Animated Feature Ally, Promising Bold Undersea Action
film11 days ago

Bong Joon Ho Unveils His First Animated Feature Ally, Promising Bold Undersea Action

Bong Joon Ho confirms Ally, his first animated feature, about a conscious-looking piglet squid in the deep sea who dreams of stardom in a wildlife documentary; a once-yearly Nat Geo submersible dive spirals into crisis, setting up underwater action with voices from Ayo Edebiri, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista and Finn Wolfhard. Neon holds North American rights, Pathé handles international sales (excluding Japan/China), and Bong says animation lets him unleash control-freak-level action while reuniting with Neon for his Cannes project.

Swapped Breaks Netflix’s Animated Week-View Record with 38.7 Million
entertainment13 days ago

Swapped Breaks Netflix’s Animated Week-View Record with 38.7 Million

Skydance Animation’s Swapped racks up 38.7 million views in a seven‑day window (May 4–10), the largest weekly total for a Netflix animated movie, after opening with 15.5 million views in three days. It topped both the English‑language and overall Netflix charts, besting titles like Apex and Sally Field’s Remarkably Bright Creatures, with a voice cast led by Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple.

DC and WB Animation Unveil Star-Studded Annecy 2026 Lineup
entertainment14 days ago

DC and WB Animation Unveil Star-Studded Annecy 2026 Lineup

DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation unveiled a star-packed Annecy 2026 lineup, featuring world premieres and first looks for DC titles such as My Adventures with Green Lantern, Mister Miracle, and Starfire!, along with two original half-hour comedies, Living the Dream and Keeping Up With the Joneses, plus Batman: Knightfall Part 1, signaling a new era of DC animation with cross-studio collaboration.

Sony frames AI as a creative accelerator for PlayStation games
gaming17 days ago

Sony frames AI as a creative accelerator for PlayStation games

During an earnings presentation, Sony framed AI as a powerful tool to augment PlayStation game development—streamlining repetitive workflows and speeding up animation with tools like Mockingbird, used by Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio. Sony emphasizes AI will augment, not replace, human talent and is exploring AI in video production with Bandai Namco, while cautioning about consistency gaps. PS5 sales fell 46% year over year after price hikes.

Sony unveils an AI-powered roadmap to turbocharge PlayStation creativity
technology17 days ago

Sony unveils an AI-powered roadmap to turbocharge PlayStation creativity

Sony outlined an AI-driven plan to speed up PlayStation development and enhance platform services, with tools that automate tasks such as facial animation and hair modeling to accelerate production, while keeping human creators at the center. The strategy aims to boost content volume and diversity, enable richer player experiences, and personalize the Store, including improvements like PS5 Pro’s PSSR visuals. AI is framed as an augmentative tool for developers—not a replacement—already being adopted by studios like Naughty Dog, with goals to empower creators and deliver a more curated PlayStation ecosystem.

Sony Bets on AI Upswing as PS5 Slump Deepens, Highlighting Hair Tech and Animation
technology17 days ago

Sony Bets on AI Upswing as PS5 Slump Deepens, Highlighting Hair Tech and Animation

Sony reports a 46% year-over-year drop in PS5 sales for Q4 (1.5M vs 2.8M) and a total 93.7M units sold to date, as global chip/memory pressures bite. In its earnings briefing, Sony executives framed AI as a tool to boost productivity and creativity for PlayStation, citing AI-assisted animation (Mockingbird) and hair-modeling tech, with a focus on augmenting creators rather than replacing them; Bungie’s buyout remains a financial sore spot and PS6 plans are uncertain amid component shortages.

Swapped on Netflix: A colorful but reserved kids’ fable
film24 days ago

Swapped on Netflix: A colorful but reserved kids’ fable

IndieWire’s review of Swapped, a Netflix animated feature from Skydance Animation directed by Nathan Greno and voiced by Michael B. Jordan, praises its bright visuals and lush score but finds the story lightweight, derivative, and more suited to preschoolers. It delivers a gentle parable about trust and open communication with limited humor and ambition, earning a modest Grade C.

Annecy 2026 Non-Competition Lineup Bridges Artistry and Industry
entertainment27 days ago

Annecy 2026 Non-Competition Lineup Bridges Artistry and Industry

Annecy 2026's non-competition slate blends artistry with industry clout, featuring sneak previews and masterclasses from Aardman, Laika, Netflix, and Brad Bird; Honorary Cristals go to Mike Judge and the Brothers Quay; previews cover Hexed, Gatto, Forgotten Island, Rogue Trooper, and Adult Swim projects, signaling a continued push to balance authorship with commercial animation and broaden audience engagement beyond screenings.

Smiling Friends Creator Bets on Netflix With Dad’s House
entertainment27 days ago

Smiling Friends Creator Bets on Netflix With Dad’s House

Netflix has ordered Dad’s House, an adult animated series from Smiling Friends co‑creator Michael Cusack, who will executive‑produce and serve as showrunner with Dario Russo and David Ashby. Set in suburban Australia, the 13‑year‑old Sean and his dad Ian navigate life after their divorce, with Felicity Ward among the voice cast, and the show is produced by Princess Pictures and Bento Box Entertainment.