Epic

Epic is an upcoming 3D computer animated fantasy-adventure comedy film based on William Joyce's children book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. It is being produced by Blue Sky Studios, and directed by Chris Wedge, the director of Ice Age and Robots. It stars the voices of Beyoncé Knowles, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Knoxville, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis and Steven Tyler. The film is scheduled to be released on May 24, 2013.The film is described as a "battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and evil", and tells a story of a teenage girl who finds herself in a secret world, where she must help a team of fun and whimsical characters to save their world, which also saves the real world

Coming Soon 3D Animated Movie

Book of This Month

Third new book this month is Chronicle of the Maya Kings & Queens. Can obtain in the market price of RM 159.60 per copy, but i get the offer price just RM 55.90 .Author of this great book is Simon Martin & Nikolai Grube under Thames & Hudson Publisher.Contain with 368 illustration, 86 in colour, including potrait of major rulers,art treasures,city plans & cutaway diagrams of pyramids & tombs.

Fans Sink Teeth into New ‘Hotel Transylvania’ Trailer

We’re several months away from the official spooky season of Halloween, but Sony is hoping to keep the spirit alive with a new trailer for its upcoming CG-animated movie Hotel Transylvania. Today the studio released a new trailer for the pic, which is directed by well-loved TV animation veteran Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Dexter’s Laboratory).The story revolves on Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) who decides to throw a party for his daughter Mavis’ 118th birthday (Selena Gomez, replacing Miley Cyrus after a mysterious parting of ways). However things take a different turn when a human (Andy Samberg) arrives on the monsters-only hotel and develops a crush on Mavis. The voice cast includes David Spade (The Invisible Man), Steve Buscemi (Wayne the Werewolf), Kevin James (Frankenstein), Molly Shannon (Wanda the Werewolf) and Cee Lo Green (Murray the Mummy). The monster-packed movie opens on September 28.

Pixar Unleashes Trailer & Images for ‘Monsters University’

Only two days before the nationwide release of its summer movie Brave, Disney/Pixar has unveiled new images and a trailer for the studio’s 2013 summer movie Monsters University.Slated for a June 21, 2013 release, the movie is directed by Dan Scanlon (Cars, Master and the Ghostlight), produced by Kori Rae (Up, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc.) and features the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray and Peter Sohn.The prequel flashes back to the day Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan’s first met in college.“From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other,” says the release. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.The original Monsters, Inc. was released on November 2, 2001, was nominated for four Oscars: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song—“If I Didn’t Have You,” for which it won.

Bron Studios Launches Animated ‘Monsters’ Series

Vancouver-based Bron Studios has launched Bron Animation to develop and produce original kid’s animated intellectual properties for television and film with an emphasis on absurd family comedies. The first project in production is Mighty Mighty Monsters, based on the book series written and created by Sean Patrick O’Reilly. The announcement was made by Bron’s managing director Aaron L. Gilbert.Mighty Mighty Monsters revolves around a group of classic movie monster kids— Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolfman—who are expelled from monster school and sent to a human immersion program at a “normal” human middle school where they come face-to-face with terrifying “tween” culture! The property is being produced in HD in the form of 2 X 44 minute specials entitled “Halloween Havoc” and “New Fears Eve.”Leading the company as creative directors are Gil Rimmer, who was most recently with Electronic Arts as Production Designer, and Ben Burden Smith who joined the company from Goldtooth Creative where he was Associate Creative Director.Said Rimmer, “it is a rare pleasure to build a CG animation company where we place story and visual development in the forefront. We have assembled an amazing mix of creative, production and technical team members allowing us to be independently creative and lead the charge with our first developed property, Mighty Mighty Monsters.”Mighty Mighty Monsters was developed by Rimmer and Burden Smith with a teleplay written by Scott Olezskowicz (Wingin’ It, Overruled, and Baxter). The property is being brought to life with motion capture and a unique look and cinematic experience unseen in kid’s television.

KidsPlant Sows ‘Bolts & Blip’ in Benelux

Dutch company KidsPlant Distribution has been appointed by Redrover and ToonBox Entertainment as a European licensing agent for their 3-D animated TV series, Bolts & Blip. The deal was announced at Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas. KidsPlant will handle distribution rights for the TV series and movie in Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia and Poland.“We have been interested in Bolts & Blip from the early stages and saw its development and growth,” said Robbert Ladan, CEO of KidsPlant. “Bolts & Blip has big potential to grow to a big brand. Now we are glad to take part of it and to introduce the brilliant robot duo to our market.”Bolts & Blip is the world’s first stereoscopic 3-D animated series (26 x 22). The co-production of Redrover Co., Ltd. and ToonBox Entertainment airs in over 70 territories in 2D and stereo 3-D on major 3-D channels, including 3net in the U.S., BSkyB in the U.K. and Skylife in Korea. The ‘bots also feature in a water-shooting game app for iOS called Quest of the Battle-Bots – another educational mobile app called Exploring the Solar System was recently released.Redrover’s licensing and marketing manager Nayoung Lee also revealed plans to launch toy lines in European territories as the next phase of the brand’s expansion.

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ to Unspool at Giffoni

European audiences can’t get enough of Scrat and his buddies. Fox’s fourth installment of the Ice Age franchise has been selected to premiere at the Italian Giffoni Film Festival (near Naples) next month. Billed as the largest film festival to showcase children’s productions, the event will kick off with the premiere of Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier’s Ice Age: Continental Drift on July 22.Charting the adventures of the prehistoric buddies on the open seas, the new film features the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, John Leguizamo and Peter Dinklege. Blue Sky founder Chris Wedge is also back as the voice of Scrat.Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third installment in the franchise, also had its Italian premiere at Giffoni. The fourth outing is slated to open on July 13 in the U.S. and Sept. 28 in Italy in general release.

Disney’s ‘Paperman’ to Screen with ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

Disney has announced that its acclaimed new short Paperman will premiere with Wreck-It Ralph on November 2, 2012. Directed by John Kahrs and produced by Kristina Reed, this groundbreaking short film mixes the best of the computer-generated and hand-drawn animation worlds.Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what fate has in store for him.Kahrs, a veteran animator who joined WDAS in 2007, led an innovative team of 2D and CG artists who used a proprietary program called Meander to create the short. Employing a technique called final line advection, artists were able to add a level of grace and expressiveness never before seen in an animated film.The world premiere of the short took place on the opening night of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, June 4, 2012. Its U.S. premiere is slated for the Los Angeles Film Festival this Sunday (June 17, 2012).

Book of This Month

Second new book this month that 3D Artist: Ultimate Guide to Renderers issues to 41. Can obtain in the market price of RM 39.90 per copy. CD also comes with free content.

‘Redakai’ Conquers New Broadcasters

The magical battling adventure toon from Zodiak Kids, Redakai: Conquer the Kairu, has claimed three more European broadcasters: Germany’s Kabel 1, VT4 in Flemish-speaking Belgium and Club RTL Belgium in French-speaking Belgium have signed on, bringing the boys’ action series broadcaster total to over 70 markets worldwide.Redakai has already successfully launched in key markets like the U.S. (Cartoon Network), U.K. (CITV), EMEA and Latin America (Cartoon Network), France (Gulli and Canal J), Canada (YTV) and Portugal (Panda Biggs) with launches set for Australia’s Network Ten, Spain’s Clan TV, Denmark’s DR1 and Korea’s JEI later this year. The series is a co-production of Zodiak Kids’ Marathon Media and Spin Master, creator of the Redakai collectible card game.

Colbert, Janney Join ‘Mr. Peabody’

 New Mr.Peabody & Sherman

DreamWorks Animation has announced that Stephen Colbert, of The Colbert Report fame, Emmy Award winner Allison Janney (The Help, The West Wing), Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids, The Office), Ariel Winter (Modern Family) and Stephen Tobolowsky (Californication, The Lorax) are on board for the upcoming  film Mr. Peabody & Sherman, based on Jay Ward’s classic toon. The new cast members join previously announced talent Ty Burrell (Modern Family) and Max Charles (The Amazing Spider-Man).The studio also announced a shift in the film’s release date. Previously slated for spring of 2014, Mr. Peabody & Sherman will now see a November 8, 2013 release. DreamWorks’ innovative CG/2D hybrid flick Me & My Shadow has taken over Peabody’s previously announced March 14, 2014 spot.

“These incredible casting additions have elevated Mr. Peabody & Sherman to a new level of excitement and we are truly fortunate to work with so many talented actors,” said DreamWorks Animation Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke. “I’m certain that their collective passion and enthusiasm for the film will bring the classic characters of Mr. Peabody & Sherman to new life and thrill audiences of all ages when we open in November of next year.”

The film will center on Mr. Peabody, the smartest person in the world who happens to be a dog, and his “pet boy” Sherman. When Sherman uses their time traveling WABAC machine without permission, events in history spiral out of control and it’s up to the most unexpected of father-son teams to somehow put things right. Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) directs from a script by Craig Wright (United States of Tara, Six Feet Under) with revisions by Michael McCullers (Baby Mama, Austin Powers in Goldmember). Alex Schwartz (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Bridge to Terabithia) is producing, with Bullwinkle Studios’ Tiffany Ward and Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen serving as executive producers, along with Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little).

Pervious Mr.Peabody & Sherman

‘Madagascar 3' Zoosters Roar with $60.4 Mil. Weekend

The third time was a charm for the lovable animals of DreamWorks’ Madagascar franchise as the movie scored an impressive $60.4 million at the U.S. box office (June 8-10) and landed on top of the ticket sales chart. Co-directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon, the pic debuted slightly behind the second outing of the animals, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa which opened with $63.1 million in 2008 and went on to bring in $603.9 million globally.The third chapter of the franchise has also been doing very well in international territories, collecting a $75.5 million from 28 markets, including Russia, where the film had the biggest opening day ever in the country’s history on Thursday and brought in $16.5 million in the country.The No. 2 spot belonged to Ridley Scott’s sci fi epic Prometheus, which got a healthy start with a $50 million weekend. The quasi-Alien prequel played in 862 fewer theaters than Madagascar 3. The overseas numbers for the movie was a healthy $91.4 million in 50 foreign countries. Meanwhile Lionsgate’s blockbuster The Hunger Games crossed the $400-million milestone at the domestic box office during its 11th weekend at the box office.

Book of This Month

New book this month that Digital Artist: Fantasy Art Unleashed issues to 32. Can obtain in the market price of RM 49.00 per copy. CD also comes with free content.

Acker Dives into New Animated Feature ‘Deep’

 Shane Acker

Brown Bag Films’ co-founder Darragh O’Connell announced the launch of a new animated feature called Deep, about a post-apocalyptic undersea adventure, at the Annecy Festival on Friday. The pic, which will be directed by Shane Acker (9) and written by J. Barton Mitchell, will explore new gaming technologies to deliver the film at a fraction of the time an cost of other animated movies.  It will be produced by O’Connell and Gregory R. Little (Escape from Planet Earth, Nutty Professor).Deep is set in a not-too-distant future when what’s left of humanity has moved undersea to stay alive. The story revolves around the crew of the nuclear submarine Norwood as they race to uncover the secrets behind the Wayfarers, a mysterious splinter group with the potential to wipe out humanity altogether. The production team has been working in collaboration with videogame developer Valve (Half Life, Portal), which has  provided new tools and technologies based on the developer’s Source game engine. The tools enable flexible cinematography and editing, a simplified character animation process and economical lighting, sound and visual effects.Originally conceived as a graphic novel by Mitchell, Deep will initially be produced as feature film; however, producing in a game engine means that the characters and environments can easily translate to a game format. The team has already begun work on a playable level to be distributed via Steam, Valve’s online game distribution network, and plans to create additional content for digital distribution and provide opportunities for user-created content.

“Since the success of 9, I’ve been approached with several science fiction-fantasy projects but so many lack substance beneath the slick special effects,” said Acker. “‘Deep offers real sci-fi credentials but the story is rooted in the complex motivations of the characters making tough choices between right and wrong. I’m excited to be part of a team that is redefining what storytelling in general, and animation in particular, can be.”

Dublin based Brown Bag films is the artist-owned and operated shop behind the Oscar-nominated shorts Give Up Yer Aul Sins (2002) and Grammy O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (2010) and the hit animated shows The Octonauts and Doc McStuffins.

GKids to Release Ghibli’s ‘Poppy Hill’

New York-based indie distributor GKIDS announced today that it has picked up Studio Ghibli’s award-winning 2011 movie From Up on Poppy Hill. Although the national release date in the U.S. will officially be March 2013, the studio is planning a special Academy Award consideration window for the film later this year. The pickup comes on the heels of a spate of recently announced foreign acquisitions by GKIDS including Zarafa (Pathe, France), The Rabbi’s Cat (TF1, France), A Letter to Momo (Production I.G, Japan), Le Tableau (Rezo, France), Wrinkles (Six Sales, Spain) and Tales of the Night (Studio Canal, France).

Last year, GKIDS has picked up the North American theatrical rights to 13 Studio Ghibli titles, including Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in The Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. The Studio Ghibli retrospective has been touring major North American markets throughout 2012.From Up on Poppy Hill was the top-grossing Japanese film of 2011, earning over $56 million at the Japanese box office and winning  the Japan Academy Prize for Animation in 2012. The film was directed by Goro Miyazaki from a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki, marking the first feature collaboration between father and son. An English-language version is being produced by Studio Ghibli with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall executive producing.Set in Yokohama in 1963, the film centers on a high school couple’s innocent love and the secrets surrounding their births. The story takes place in a Japan that is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics – and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the new generation struggles to embrace modernity and throw off the shackles of a troubled past. The film’s rich color palette and painterly detail capture the beauty of Yokohama’s harbor and its lush surrounding hillsides, while the 1960’s pop soundtrack evokes nostalgia for an era of innocence and hope.

“We are thrilled and honored to be continuing our collaboration with Studio Ghibli for the upcoming Poppy Hill release,” said GKIDS president Eric Beckman. “Working together to bring the Ghibli retrospective to North American theaters this year has been a wonderfully rewarding experience, both personally and professionally, and the response to the films has been nothing short of amazing.  We are looking forward to extending the relationship and bringing yet another Ghibli gem to American audiences.”

 

Disney Offers First Look at ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

Disney has unveiled some pretty rad first-look images at their highly anticipated in-game(s) CG adventure Wreck-It Ralph due out November 2 of this year. Directed by former Simpsons animation director Rich Moore, the flick will follow Ralph, a videogame villain voiced by John C. Reilly, who goes on a cross-arcade journey to prove he can really be a good guy. Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman also star. Check out the pics!

 

New ‘Superman vs. The Elite’ Clip Featuring Atomic Skull

The breadcrumb trail of preview clips Warner Bros. Animation is dropping is making the wait for the June 12 DVD release of Superman vs. The Elite a little more bearable! The latest sneak peak features a look at awesome baddie Atomic Skull. Check it out! The newest DC Comics Premiere Movie finds Superman challenged by a new group of super-powered heroes known as The Elite, with whose ruthless methods the Man of Steel disagrees. The PG-13 rated film is directed by Michael Chang from a script by Joe Kelly, who also penned the DC Comics release adapted for the flick. George Newbern (Justice League) stars as Superman with Pauley Perrette (NCIS) as Lois Lane, Robin Atkin Downes as Manchester Black and David Kaufman reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen. Bruce Timm serves as exec producer with Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: Emerald Knight) producing.