As technological advances make even more astonishing imagery possible for many of the leading contenders in the animated feature Oscar race, they’re still leaning toward the skilled hands of the artisans who’ve mastered their craft and away from AI or machine learning.
While some may use machine learning — a type of AI — in the early stages of motion capture or to iterate ideas, the knowledge of experienced VFX artists and the performance capabilities of animators are central to creating the unique imagery sought by the filmmakers behind these movies. Some films, like “Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rohirrim,” are more focused on traditional low-tech tools to create their look.
“Transformers One,” an origin story helmed by Josh Cooley, was designed with heavy research on both previous Transformers storytelling and the types of metals that could be used to create the impact the filmmakers wanted. Cooley...
While some may use machine learning — a type of AI — in the early stages of motion capture or to iterate ideas, the knowledge of experienced VFX artists and the performance capabilities of animators are central to creating the unique imagery sought by the filmmakers behind these movies. Some films, like “Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rohirrim,” are more focused on traditional low-tech tools to create their look.
“Transformers One,” an origin story helmed by Josh Cooley, was designed with heavy research on both previous Transformers storytelling and the types of metals that could be used to create the impact the filmmakers wanted. Cooley...
- 10/26/2024
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
After the widespread success of How to Train Your Dragon, acclaimed director Chris Sanders has once again captivated the audience with his latest masterpiece, The Wild Robot. Based on Peter Brown’s beloved novel, this film spreads a powerful message to viewers while exploring themes of resilience, connection, and identity; which strongly resembles the works of the legendary Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki.
The Wild Robot | Credit: DreamWorks Animation
And it’s not a mere coincidence. Chris Sanders has openly shared that The Wild Robot draws inspiration from the visual styles of Miyazaki’s films. Sanders has created a captivating world by combining the pros of contemporary animation methods with the timeless appeal of classic hand-drawn aesthetics, and his statements perfectly describe the beauty of The Wild Robot as a wholesome visual and emotional ride.
Chris Sanders’ Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki Through The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders’ approach to The Wild Robot resembles his previous works,...
The Wild Robot | Credit: DreamWorks Animation
And it’s not a mere coincidence. Chris Sanders has openly shared that The Wild Robot draws inspiration from the visual styles of Miyazaki’s films. Sanders has created a captivating world by combining the pros of contemporary animation methods with the timeless appeal of classic hand-drawn aesthetics, and his statements perfectly describe the beauty of The Wild Robot as a wholesome visual and emotional ride.
Chris Sanders’ Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki Through The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders’ approach to The Wild Robot resembles his previous works,...
- 10/25/2024
- by Moumita Chakraborty
- FandomWire
Hubert Burda Media hat jetzt die jeweils drei Nominierten für die Bambi-Verleihung in den Kategorien „Schauspielerin National“ und „Schauspieler National“ bekannt gegeben.
Der Bambi wird am 7. November in München verliehen (Credit: Harald-Fuhr für Hubert Burda Media)
Jeweils drei Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler können sich Hoffnungen machen, in diesem Jahr mit einem Bambi in der Kategorie Schauspielerin National bzw. Schauspieler National ausgezeichnet zu werden.
Wie Hubert Burda Media, das den Bambi seit 1948 vergibt, heute mitteilt, sind Jella Haase, Hannah Herzsprung und Karoline Schuch in der Kategorie Schauspielerin National nominiert.
Jella Haase wurde für ihre Rolle in „Chantal im Märchenland“ nominiert. In der Jurybegründung heißt es: „Jella Haase ist eine begnadete Komödiantin. Als Chantal zeigt sie uns die große Kunst, die Zuschauer nicht über ihre Figur lachen zu lassen, sondern mit ihr. Mit ‚Chantal im Märchenland‘ steht Haase als Hauptdarstellerin im Mittelpunkt. Sie trägt den Film, sie erfüllt ihn mit ihrer positiven Energie und ihrer Liebe zu Chantal.
Der Bambi wird am 7. November in München verliehen (Credit: Harald-Fuhr für Hubert Burda Media)
Jeweils drei Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler können sich Hoffnungen machen, in diesem Jahr mit einem Bambi in der Kategorie Schauspielerin National bzw. Schauspieler National ausgezeichnet zu werden.
Wie Hubert Burda Media, das den Bambi seit 1948 vergibt, heute mitteilt, sind Jella Haase, Hannah Herzsprung und Karoline Schuch in der Kategorie Schauspielerin National nominiert.
Jella Haase wurde für ihre Rolle in „Chantal im Märchenland“ nominiert. In der Jurybegründung heißt es: „Jella Haase ist eine begnadete Komödiantin. Als Chantal zeigt sie uns die große Kunst, die Zuschauer nicht über ihre Figur lachen zu lassen, sondern mit ihr. Mit ‚Chantal im Märchenland‘ steht Haase als Hauptdarstellerin im Mittelpunkt. Sie trägt den Film, sie erfüllt ihn mit ihrer positiven Energie und ihrer Liebe zu Chantal.
- 10/24/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Kevin Costner wird als „Schauspieler International“ mit einem Bambi von Hubert Burda Media geehrt. Die Verleihung findet am 7. November statt und wird von Medienpartner Prime Video live aus den Bavaria Studios gestreamt.
Kevin Costner bei den Filmtagen Köln im Cinedom 2024 (Credit: Spot media & film)
Als „Schauspieler International“ wird Kevin Costner dieses Jahr mit einem Bambi geehrt. Mit dem Preis von Hubert Burda Media werden seit 1948 Persönlichkeiten geehrt, die aus Sicht des Preisstifters „Deutschland besonders berühren, Herausragendes leisten und Vorbilder für die Menschen in Deutschland sind“. Dieses Jahr wird die Auszeichnung in voraussichtlich zwölf Kategorien vergeben. Die Gala findet am 7. November in München statt. Streaming-Service Prime Video überträgt als neuer Medienpartner die Verleihung live aus den Bavaria Studios.
Zur Auszeichnung Costners sagt die Bambi-Jury:
„Kevin Costner ist eine Ikone Hollywoods, sein Name steht für großes Kino. Ob im Thriller, im Polit-Drama oder in einer Romanze – scheinbar spielerisch wechselt er zwischen den...
Kevin Costner bei den Filmtagen Köln im Cinedom 2024 (Credit: Spot media & film)
Als „Schauspieler International“ wird Kevin Costner dieses Jahr mit einem Bambi geehrt. Mit dem Preis von Hubert Burda Media werden seit 1948 Persönlichkeiten geehrt, die aus Sicht des Preisstifters „Deutschland besonders berühren, Herausragendes leisten und Vorbilder für die Menschen in Deutschland sind“. Dieses Jahr wird die Auszeichnung in voraussichtlich zwölf Kategorien vergeben. Die Gala findet am 7. November in München statt. Streaming-Service Prime Video überträgt als neuer Medienpartner die Verleihung live aus den Bavaria Studios.
Zur Auszeichnung Costners sagt die Bambi-Jury:
„Kevin Costner ist eine Ikone Hollywoods, sein Name steht für großes Kino. Ob im Thriller, im Polit-Drama oder in einer Romanze – scheinbar spielerisch wechselt er zwischen den...
- 10/22/2024
- by Barbara Schuster
- Spot - Media & Film
Nominations voting is from January 8-12, 2025, with official Oscar nominations announced January 17, 2025. Final voting is February 11-18, 2025. And finally, the 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2 and air live on ABC at 7 p.m. Et/ 4 p.m. Pt. We update our picks through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.
The State of the Race
“Inside Out 2” (Pixar/Disney) has become the Best Animated Feature Oscar favorite as the year’s box office phenomenon, putting Pixar back on top theatrically after its recent drought. The other frontrunners include “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks/Universal), Annecy and Animation Is Film Special Jury Prize winner “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC),” Ottawa and Animation Is Film Grand Prize winner “Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films), and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Aardman/Netflix).
Still to come are “Moana 2” (Disney) and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim...
The State of the Race
“Inside Out 2” (Pixar/Disney) has become the Best Animated Feature Oscar favorite as the year’s box office phenomenon, putting Pixar back on top theatrically after its recent drought. The other frontrunners include “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks/Universal), Annecy and Animation Is Film Special Jury Prize winner “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC),” Ottawa and Animation Is Film Grand Prize winner “Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films), and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Aardman/Netflix).
Still to come are “Moana 2” (Disney) and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim...
- 10/21/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The White Lotus star Will Sharpe is fronting a new podcast that tells the unlikely true story of a family’s stunning secrets.
Sharpe is hosting Extrasensory, Apple’s latest original podcast. The eight-episode show launches on October 28.
In 1950s England, milkman John Pollock made a shocking prophecy: his two daughters, who had passed away, would be reborn. While his wife initially dismisses him as a crank, she then gives birth to twin girls who display eerie similarities to their late sisters, and the world takes notice. Pollock’s claim draws the attention of an American scientist, who crosses the Atlantic multiple times over two decades to study the twins, and reaches a startling conclusion, what if death is only the beginning? Extrasensory searches for the only two people who might know the truth—the twins themselves.
The series is produced by Blanchard House, the independent podcast company founded...
Sharpe is hosting Extrasensory, Apple’s latest original podcast. The eight-episode show launches on October 28.
In 1950s England, milkman John Pollock made a shocking prophecy: his two daughters, who had passed away, would be reborn. While his wife initially dismisses him as a crank, she then gives birth to twin girls who display eerie similarities to their late sisters, and the world takes notice. Pollock’s claim draws the attention of an American scientist, who crosses the Atlantic multiple times over two decades to study the twins, and reaches a startling conclusion, what if death is only the beginning? Extrasensory searches for the only two people who might know the truth—the twins themselves.
The series is produced by Blanchard House, the independent podcast company founded...
- 10/21/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
As denizens of Blockbuster Video will be able to attest, the mid-1990s to early 2000s saw a massive glut of animated straight-to-video sequels and prequels to many of Disney's known animated features. There were sequels to "The Fox and the Hound," "Bambi," "Cinderella," "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King," "Lady and the Tramp," "Atlantis: The Lost Empire," "The Emperor's New Groove," "Mulan," "Pocahontas," "Tarzan," "The Jungle Book," and even "Brother Bear." The sequels all came when there was a change of leadership at Disney, and the studio tripled-down on the mandate to make as much money as possible.
The only people who watched these movies were nostalgic Disney-obsessed adults who viewed them as a scientific curiosity, and sought to use them as talking points in long-form online articles. Very occasionally, the films were rented from Blockbuster by anyone who happened to be seven years old when the sequel in question was released.
The only people who watched these movies were nostalgic Disney-obsessed adults who viewed them as a scientific curiosity, and sought to use them as talking points in long-form online articles. Very occasionally, the films were rented from Blockbuster by anyone who happened to be seven years old when the sequel in question was released.
- 10/19/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
You could make a damn fine Saturday Night Live cast out of funny people who never made it out of the writers’ room. That group reads like a cast of comedy all-stars, united by the fact that nearly all of them had a miserable time on the show.
Here are five famous comics you might not have realized wrote for SNL...
1 Zach Galifianakis
The Hangover star and eventual SNL host lasted two weeks as a writer in 2000 before deciding he wasn’t cut out for the sketch grind. The concepts he pitched all landed with a thud, including an idea he had for a Britney Spears-hosted show.
Galifianakis (and America) noticed that young Spears “showed her belly button a lot,” he told Rob Lowe on his Literally podcast. That prompted an idea in which Will Ferrell would play a security guard stationed inside Spears’ navel, courtesy of the magic of green screen.
Here are five famous comics you might not have realized wrote for SNL...
1 Zach Galifianakis
The Hangover star and eventual SNL host lasted two weeks as a writer in 2000 before deciding he wasn’t cut out for the sketch grind. The concepts he pitched all landed with a thud, including an idea he had for a Britney Spears-hosted show.
Galifianakis (and America) noticed that young Spears “showed her belly button a lot,” he told Rob Lowe on his Literally podcast. That prompted an idea in which Will Ferrell would play a security guard stationed inside Spears’ navel, courtesy of the magic of green screen.
- 10/16/2024
- Cracked
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The first feature film to be released by Walt Disney animation was, as most know, David Hand's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937. Walt Disney himself, of course, had been working in animation for over 15 years at that point, having founded Laugh-o-Gram Studios in 1921. It was at that studio where Disney developed his taste for well-worn fairy tales, making shorts based on "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Cinderella," and "Alice in Wonderland." That last film provided fodder for a long series of Alice Comedies that launched Walt Disney Production in 1923. The first 56 films made by Disney were Alice Comedies before he shifted to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, making dozens for him as well. In 1928, he debuted Mickey Mouse, and the rest is history.
When it came to shorts, Disney clearly...
The first feature film to be released by Walt Disney animation was, as most know, David Hand's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937. Walt Disney himself, of course, had been working in animation for over 15 years at that point, having founded Laugh-o-Gram Studios in 1921. It was at that studio where Disney developed his taste for well-worn fairy tales, making shorts based on "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Cinderella," and "Alice in Wonderland." That last film provided fodder for a long series of Alice Comedies that launched Walt Disney Production in 1923. The first 56 films made by Disney were Alice Comedies before he shifted to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, making dozens for him as well. In 1928, he debuted Mickey Mouse, and the rest is history.
When it came to shorts, Disney clearly...
- 10/13/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As Terrifier 3 arrives in the world, how the Terrifier franchise has come to prominence by basically going outside of the Hollywood system.
The story goes that at one stage, Damien Leone – the writer and director behind the Terrifier series of films – was offered Hollywood money.
Having fought to get the first Terrifier movie made, off the back of a short film or two, and a failed crowdfunding campaign – he’s found himself at the steering wheel of a growing, profitable horror franchise. He’s not going to be out of pocket by the time Terrifier 3 is released by any measure (early estimates suggest that the $3m production could be looking at a gross upwards of $20m in the US alone). Yet he could have taken the Hollywood millions and be living in a beachfront property by now.
Leone said no.
The trade off would have been that his film,...
The story goes that at one stage, Damien Leone – the writer and director behind the Terrifier series of films – was offered Hollywood money.
Having fought to get the first Terrifier movie made, off the back of a short film or two, and a failed crowdfunding campaign – he’s found himself at the steering wheel of a growing, profitable horror franchise. He’s not going to be out of pocket by the time Terrifier 3 is released by any measure (early estimates suggest that the $3m production could be looking at a gross upwards of $20m in the US alone). Yet he could have taken the Hollywood millions and be living in a beachfront property by now.
Leone said no.
The trade off would have been that his film,...
- 10/11/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
A lot of elements had to align to make The Wild Robot a success, not the least of which involves maneuvering voice star Pedro Pascal’s packed schedule.
Director Chris Sanders’ feature for DreamWorks Animation topped the box office in its opening weekend and held well for a second place finish this weekend. Based on the book by Peter Brown, the animated film centers on Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), a robot that gets delivered to an uninhabited island and must find ways to interact with the animals who don’t want her there. Its voice cast also includes Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter that was conducted at the Annecy Animation Festival shortly after the film’s presentation there, Sanders and producer Jeff Hermann discuss assembling the top-notch stars, possibilities for a sequel and tackling themes involving encroaching technology...
Director Chris Sanders’ feature for DreamWorks Animation topped the box office in its opening weekend and held well for a second place finish this weekend. Based on the book by Peter Brown, the animated film centers on Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), a robot that gets delivered to an uninhabited island and must find ways to interact with the animals who don’t want her there. Its voice cast also includes Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter that was conducted at the Annecy Animation Festival shortly after the film’s presentation there, Sanders and producer Jeff Hermann discuss assembling the top-notch stars, possibilities for a sequel and tackling themes involving encroaching technology...
- 10/6/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ein Novum: Nachdem Sat.1 nicht mehr wollte, stellt sich der Bambi-Preis 2024 neu auf: Den prestigeträchtigen Award von Hubert Burda Media wird er gar nicht mehr linear im Fernsehen zu sehen geben. Stattdessen läuft die Preisverleihung live beim Streamingdienst Prime Video.
Das goldene Rehitz Bambi (Credit: Harald-Fuhr für Hubert Burda Media)
Zuletzt übertrug der Sender Sat.1 den prestigeträchtigen Preis Bambi aus dem Hause Hubert Burda, wollte das aber 2024 nicht mehr tun. Dafür springt jetzt der Streamingdienst Prime Video in die Bresche. Am 7. November wird die Preisverleihung, präsentiert von Hubert Burda Media, live aus den Bavaria Filmstudios in München auf Prime Video ausgestrahlt.
Der Live-Stream des Medienereignisses ist ohne zusätzliche Kosten in der Prime-Mitgliedschaft enthalten. Die Gesamtproduktion der Bambi-Verleihung verantwortet Kimmig Entertainment. „Bambi erreicht mehr junge Menschen über die digitalen Medienkanäle als im linearen Fernsehen und mehr als jede andere Preisverleihung“, erklärt Philipp Welte, Vorstand von Hubert Burda Media. „Die Zukunft des Entertainments sind die Streamer,...
Das goldene Rehitz Bambi (Credit: Harald-Fuhr für Hubert Burda Media)
Zuletzt übertrug der Sender Sat.1 den prestigeträchtigen Preis Bambi aus dem Hause Hubert Burda, wollte das aber 2024 nicht mehr tun. Dafür springt jetzt der Streamingdienst Prime Video in die Bresche. Am 7. November wird die Preisverleihung, präsentiert von Hubert Burda Media, live aus den Bavaria Filmstudios in München auf Prime Video ausgestrahlt.
Der Live-Stream des Medienereignisses ist ohne zusätzliche Kosten in der Prime-Mitgliedschaft enthalten. Die Gesamtproduktion der Bambi-Verleihung verantwortet Kimmig Entertainment. „Bambi erreicht mehr junge Menschen über die digitalen Medienkanäle als im linearen Fernsehen und mehr als jede andere Preisverleihung“, erklärt Philipp Welte, Vorstand von Hubert Burda Media. „Die Zukunft des Entertainments sind die Streamer,...
- 9/30/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
2024 seems to be shaping up as quite the year for animation. With Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot sweeping the box office and critics’ opinions, respectively, there seems to be a lot of competition in the animation department for 2024. Even films like Despicable Me 2, fell short of a billion dollars at the box office by just a few million, which really indicates what a great year it has been for animation. There are films currently in theatres like Transformers One that have also managed to garner a lot of support from the fandom.
A still from Flow || Credit: Dream Well Studio
However, it seems that the year is still not done with what it has to offer for animation, given that there could be another contender for the best-animated film of 2024 come November. Coming from Latvia, which animation supplied from France and Belgium as well, Flow, Gints Zibalodis,...
A still from Flow || Credit: Dream Well Studio
However, it seems that the year is still not done with what it has to offer for animation, given that there could be another contender for the best-animated film of 2024 come November. Coming from Latvia, which animation supplied from France and Belgium as well, Flow, Gints Zibalodis,...
- 9/28/2024
- by Anuraag Chatterjee
- FandomWire
Ann Lowe — the pioneering fashion designer and American couturier — is getting the biopic treatment at TriStar thanks to Serena Williams and Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter.
Sony’s TriStar Pictures acquired the pitch for the project, titled The Dress, about Lowe, one of the country’s most prolific but also least-known couturiers. Lowe, who died in 1981, designed mid-century wardrobes for the biggest names in American society and industry, including members of the Rockefeller, Roosevelt, Du Pont and Whitney families.
The story will focus on how Lowe, who was the first Black woman to own a shop on Madison Avenue, was commissioned to design the wedding dress that Jackie Bouvier wore at her 1953 wedding to John F. Kennedy.
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the writers behind the Mister Rogers movie A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood, will pen the screenplay based on the book By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley.
Sony’s TriStar Pictures acquired the pitch for the project, titled The Dress, about Lowe, one of the country’s most prolific but also least-known couturiers. Lowe, who died in 1981, designed mid-century wardrobes for the biggest names in American society and industry, including members of the Rockefeller, Roosevelt, Du Pont and Whitney families.
The story will focus on how Lowe, who was the first Black woman to own a shop on Madison Avenue, was commissioned to design the wedding dress that Jackie Bouvier wore at her 1953 wedding to John F. Kennedy.
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the writers behind the Mister Rogers movie A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood, will pen the screenplay based on the book By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley.
- 9/23/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While the “Nine Old Men” are well-documented and justly praised as the legendary animators of the Disney classics overseen by Walt — “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) through “The Jungle Book” (1967) — it’s gone unnoticed how the directors made their mark on these movies. That changes with the release of “Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films” by Disney historian Don Peri and Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer and Oscar-winning director of “Soul,” “Inside Out,” and “Up.”
Peri and Docter, who spent more than a decade on the book, reveal for the first time the organizational structure for directing at Disney and how the role of the director progressed. Peri, who had a fundamental understanding of how films were made at Disney, spent years at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, combining interviews, documentation, and a diary into a methodology of the directors’ roles...
Peri and Docter, who spent more than a decade on the book, reveal for the first time the organizational structure for directing at Disney and how the role of the director progressed. Peri, who had a fundamental understanding of how films were made at Disney, spent years at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, combining interviews, documentation, and a diary into a methodology of the directors’ roles...
- 9/18/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Did Dana Walden just inch a step closer to the frontrunner position for succession of the Walt Disney Company?
The impossibly svelte television executive stood triumphant in the middle of a massive post-Emmys fete on Sunday, as Disney took over the entire outdoor plaza of the Los Angeles Music Center downtown and dressed it with a dazzling tent, gorgeous flowers, sumptuous food and chic seating areas.
CEO Bob Iger hovered nearby like a proud papa, having sat supportively beside his star executive at the Emmy awards earlier in the evening. At his core, Iger is a TV guy – having come to Disney from Cap Cities/ABC in 1996 – and he was very much in his element.
There was a lot to celebrate. Disney certainly knew it was in for a big night at the Emmys, which aired on the company’s own ABC network. But even so they could not have...
The impossibly svelte television executive stood triumphant in the middle of a massive post-Emmys fete on Sunday, as Disney took over the entire outdoor plaza of the Los Angeles Music Center downtown and dressed it with a dazzling tent, gorgeous flowers, sumptuous food and chic seating areas.
CEO Bob Iger hovered nearby like a proud papa, having sat supportively beside his star executive at the Emmy awards earlier in the evening. At his core, Iger is a TV guy – having come to Disney from Cap Cities/ABC in 1996 – and he was very much in his element.
There was a lot to celebrate. Disney certainly knew it was in for a big night at the Emmys, which aired on the company’s own ABC network. But even so they could not have...
- 9/16/2024
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
The Disney Animation studio is a pioneer when it comes to delivering successful animated films. Especially the decade from 1989 to 1999 was dubbed as Disney Renaissance, due to the release of several record breaking movies.
A still from The Little Mermaid (1989) | Credits: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The Little Mermaid (1989) was a phenomenal success and later movies only strengthened Disney’s winning streak. Some initially didn’t have faith in the female-led big-budget film, like the then-Disney President, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Not only did the film create a lasting impression, but it also went on to inspire a 2023 live-action adaptation centered around controversy.
The movie which changed the animation world
The massive financial failure of The Black Cauldron (1985), an adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series, forced Disney to re-evaluate. They had to produce a project which could reinstall people’s faith in the animation studio.
RELATEDAfter The Little Mermaid and Moana, Disney...
A still from The Little Mermaid (1989) | Credits: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The Little Mermaid (1989) was a phenomenal success and later movies only strengthened Disney’s winning streak. Some initially didn’t have faith in the female-led big-budget film, like the then-Disney President, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Not only did the film create a lasting impression, but it also went on to inspire a 2023 live-action adaptation centered around controversy.
The movie which changed the animation world
The massive financial failure of The Black Cauldron (1985), an adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series, forced Disney to re-evaluate. They had to produce a project which could reinstall people’s faith in the animation studio.
RELATEDAfter The Little Mermaid and Moana, Disney...
- 9/11/2024
- by Shruti Pathak
- FandomWire
The year 2023 was an embarrassment of riches when it came to animation. Movies like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” became massive commercial successes and crossed the billion-dollar mark at the box office, while movies like “Nimona” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” hit big with audiences and critics. There were films that boasted wildly different aesthetics and showed the power of the animation medium, like “Blue Giant” and “The First Slam Dunk.” We also saw the return of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who gave us his most personal film to date with “The Boy and the Heron.”
That’s a lot for 2024 to live up to — luckily, it seems the year will bring with it a healthy mix of big studio franchises and more grown-up animated fare. There are still big and highly anticipated animated movies slated to be released in 2024. “Inside Out 2,” Pixar’s mega-blockbuster Oscar favorite,...
That’s a lot for 2024 to live up to — luckily, it seems the year will bring with it a healthy mix of big studio franchises and more grown-up animated fare. There are still big and highly anticipated animated movies slated to be released in 2024. “Inside Out 2,” Pixar’s mega-blockbuster Oscar favorite,...
- 9/6/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Steamboat Willie might not be as impressive as Disney‘s feature films, but it paved the way for so much that came afterward. It also paved the way for a new pair of horror films about Mickey Mouse, including Screamboat, a film that features a Steamboat Willie-style Mickey as a cold-blooded killer. Screamboat is part of one of the oddest horror trends to come down the pipeline in some time.
‘Steamboat Willie’ era Mickey Mouse joins Winnie-the Pooh in a horror trend
Mickey is one of the most famous characters to originate in film, so Disney had every reason to keep him under copyright for as long as possible. Now, the cartoon Steamboat Willie has fallen into the public domain, meaning that anyone can use Mickey’s original design for anything. Multiple filmmakers have decided that the beloved rodent needs a horror makeover, so we’re getting two slasher...
‘Steamboat Willie’ era Mickey Mouse joins Winnie-the Pooh in a horror trend
Mickey is one of the most famous characters to originate in film, so Disney had every reason to keep him under copyright for as long as possible. Now, the cartoon Steamboat Willie has fallen into the public domain, meaning that anyone can use Mickey’s original design for anything. Multiple filmmakers have decided that the beloved rodent needs a horror makeover, so we’re getting two slasher...
- 9/1/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In a variety of ways, films have made an impact on us as people, for the better and the worse; let’s take a look at just how Cinema has exactly influenced us. We as humans have a myriad of ways of changing the world, and one of these ways focuses on impacting our world through means of works of art. Specifically, in this case, the works of art of Cinema. Through its wondrous use of writing, acting performances, and all-around fantastic directing, films have endless amounts of opportunities to impact their audiences. And through these opportunities, it has simultaneously changed society for the better and the worst as we’ve indulged our minds into these brand new worlds. 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,...
- 9/1/2024
- by Leah Donato
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
The team behind the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey films expands their “Poohniverse” with upcoming films Pinocchio: Unstrung and Bambi: The Reckoning, and Jagged Edge Productions has shared the sales poster for their Bambi horror movie this afternoon.
The team tells us that Bambi: The Reckoning is being sold at the Toronto International Film Festival by ITN Films and Premiere Entertainment, with the film expected in early 2025.
While you wait for the trailer (it’s coming soon) find the official sales poster below.
Bambi: The Reckoning is being described as “Cujo meets Jurassic Park.”
In the film, “After a mother and son get in a car wreck, they soon become hunted by Bambi, a mutated grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother.”
Director Dan Allen (Unhinged) previews, “It’s gonna be terrifying. When people see a deer in the wild after this...
The team tells us that Bambi: The Reckoning is being sold at the Toronto International Film Festival by ITN Films and Premiere Entertainment, with the film expected in early 2025.
While you wait for the trailer (it’s coming soon) find the official sales poster below.
Bambi: The Reckoning is being described as “Cujo meets Jurassic Park.”
In the film, “After a mother and son get in a car wreck, they soon become hunted by Bambi, a mutated grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother.”
Director Dan Allen (Unhinged) previews, “It’s gonna be terrifying. When people see a deer in the wild after this...
- 8/23/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Ranker is a popular place on the Internet where people can rank whatever they want, however, they want, and whenever they want. This is always a fan-focused ranking system, and it is never officially tied to the people behind the projects in question. Recently, a large survey was organized on Ranker, whose goal was to determine the worst A-list actors and actresses of all time. The list includes more than 100 names, but in our report, we have decided to list the top ten actors and actresses from the site to provide you with better insight, combined with our original comments and opinions, which will add flavor to the whole report.
Of course, since this is indeed an important list, we have decided to report on it, so we are going to bring you the results by listing the top 10 actors and actresses on this list, from 10th to first place.
Of course, since this is indeed an important list, we have decided to report on it, so we are going to bring you the results by listing the top 10 actors and actresses on this list, from 10th to first place.
- 8/23/2024
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
This article appears in the new issue of Den Of Geek magazine. You can read all of our magazine stories here.
During the earliest production stages of an animated movie, it is common to begin the process with a series of exploratory paintings.
“They are abstract and loose and just delicious paintings,” says Chris Sanders, the director of films such as Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods. But something special happened during the production of Sanders’ latest film, The Wild Robot, while he was sitting in a meeting and being shown some of these conceptual paintings.
“Someone pushed a button,” Sanders recalls, “and one of them started to move. And the camera started pushing through it.” What Sanders had taken for a painting was actually a finished scene of the movie. “And I cannot put too fine a point on it; I really didn’t think...
During the earliest production stages of an animated movie, it is common to begin the process with a series of exploratory paintings.
“They are abstract and loose and just delicious paintings,” says Chris Sanders, the director of films such as Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods. But something special happened during the production of Sanders’ latest film, The Wild Robot, while he was sitting in a meeting and being shown some of these conceptual paintings.
“Someone pushed a button,” Sanders recalls, “and one of them started to move. And the camera started pushing through it.” What Sanders had taken for a painting was actually a finished scene of the movie. “And I cannot put too fine a point on it; I really didn’t think...
- 7/26/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Das Festival des deutschen Films hat seine drei Schauspielpreise bekannt gegeben. Am Rhein geehrt werden dieses Jahr Liv Lisa Fries, Christoph Maria Herbst und Joachim Król.
V.l.: Joachim Król, Liv Lisa Fries, Christoph Maria Herbst
Im 20. Jubiläumsjahr vergibt das Festival des deutschen Films Ludwigshafen am Rhein drei Preise für Schauspielkunst. Die PreisträgerInnen 2024 sind: Liv Lisa Fries, Christoph Maria Herbst und Joachim Król. Das Festival findet vom 21. August bis 8. September statt.
Der Preis für Schauspielkunst geht traditionell an herausragende Persönlichkeiten der Schauspielkunst. Er betont die Bedeutung derer, die dem deutschen Film ein Gesicht geben und die dabei nicht nur für Glamour sorgen, sondern vor allem als wichtige Künstlerinnen und Künstler anzusehen sind.
„Sie ist der Star in ‘Babylon Berlin‘, der Serie in ihrer fünften Staffel. Als Charlotte Ritter in der Berliner Unterwelt der 1920er Jahre hat sie mit dieser Rolle Weltruhm erlangt – und einen Grimme-Preis, den Deutschen Fernsehpreis und den Deutschen Schauspielpreis.
V.l.: Joachim Król, Liv Lisa Fries, Christoph Maria Herbst
Im 20. Jubiläumsjahr vergibt das Festival des deutschen Films Ludwigshafen am Rhein drei Preise für Schauspielkunst. Die PreisträgerInnen 2024 sind: Liv Lisa Fries, Christoph Maria Herbst und Joachim Król. Das Festival findet vom 21. August bis 8. September statt.
Der Preis für Schauspielkunst geht traditionell an herausragende Persönlichkeiten der Schauspielkunst. Er betont die Bedeutung derer, die dem deutschen Film ein Gesicht geben und die dabei nicht nur für Glamour sorgen, sondern vor allem als wichtige Künstlerinnen und Künstler anzusehen sind.
„Sie ist der Star in ‘Babylon Berlin‘, der Serie in ihrer fünften Staffel. Als Charlotte Ritter in der Berliner Unterwelt der 1920er Jahre hat sie mit dieser Rolle Weltruhm erlangt – und einen Grimme-Preis, den Deutschen Fernsehpreis und den Deutschen Schauspielpreis.
- 7/17/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Das 41. Filmfest München läuft auf Hochtouren. Was bietet Bayerns Hauptstadt abseits des Festivaltrubels? Wir haben Leute aus der Münchner Branche gebeten, uns Lieblingsplätze zu verraten. Hier antwortet Benjamin Benedict, Executive Producer & Managing Director W&b Television.
Benjamin Benedict, Geschäftsführer von W&b Television (Credit: Wiedemann & Berg / Stefan Stalio)
Welche Herzensplätze haben Sie in München, die Sie jedem Filmfest-Besucher ans Herz legen können?
Benjamin Benedikt: München ist voll von wunderbaren Orten, die gerade im Sommer einen enormen Reiz entfalten. Diese schöne & weltoffene Stadt zeigt damit ihre vielen wunderbaren Seiten. Für kreative Gespräche den Englischen Garten, das Isarufer, die Cafés und Biergärten – und fürs Filmeschauen die vielen schönen Kinos und für die Wege dazwischen Fahrradfahren (mit Helm!).
Was macht München zu Ihrer Filmstadt?
Benjamin Benedikt: Das Filmfest macht München natürlich für alle zur Filmstadt, aber auch die vielen wunderbaren Filmemacher:innen und Kolleg:innen aus der Stadt. München ist ein tolles kreatives Zentrum beginnend mit einer hervorragenden Filmhochschule,...
Benjamin Benedict, Geschäftsführer von W&b Television (Credit: Wiedemann & Berg / Stefan Stalio)
Welche Herzensplätze haben Sie in München, die Sie jedem Filmfest-Besucher ans Herz legen können?
Benjamin Benedikt: München ist voll von wunderbaren Orten, die gerade im Sommer einen enormen Reiz entfalten. Diese schöne & weltoffene Stadt zeigt damit ihre vielen wunderbaren Seiten. Für kreative Gespräche den Englischen Garten, das Isarufer, die Cafés und Biergärten – und fürs Filmeschauen die vielen schönen Kinos und für die Wege dazwischen Fahrradfahren (mit Helm!).
Was macht München zu Ihrer Filmstadt?
Benjamin Benedikt: Das Filmfest macht München natürlich für alle zur Filmstadt, aber auch die vielen wunderbaren Filmemacher:innen und Kolleg:innen aus der Stadt. München ist ein tolles kreatives Zentrum beginnend mit einer hervorragenden Filmhochschule,...
- 7/5/2024
- by SPOT Redaktion
- Spot - Media & Film
Any cinephile will likely be able to tell you about the first time a film scared the bejeezus out of them. For people of my generation, Tobe Hooper's 1982 film "Poltergeist" has a lot to answer for. Because the film bore the name of Steven Spielberg as its producer, and because it was only rated PG (it was made before the inception of the PG-13 rating), Hooper's monstrous horror movie was seen by many young children, unaware of the nightmares that lay within. "Poltergeist" featured a killer clown, a man-eating tree, and a scene where a man, possessed by the evil of the house, pulls all the skin off his own face.
Kids exposed to such horrors at an early age either withdraw from movies altogether ... or become horror filmmakers themselves. It's hard to deny the glorious, visceral power of a good, traumatic movie scare.
Stephen King also had...
Kids exposed to such horrors at an early age either withdraw from movies altogether ... or become horror filmmakers themselves. It's hard to deny the glorious, visceral power of a good, traumatic movie scare.
Stephen King also had...
- 6/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If you’ve been following Disney Parks news at all lately, you’re well aware of the June 28th opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom (with Disneyland’s version opening later this year). With the opening only days away, let’s take a look at the inspiration behind Disney’s newest attraction, with a few fun facts about the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog.
Groundbreaking Firsts
The Princess and the Frog is well known as being one of Disney’s last full-length feature films to be animated using traditional two-dimensional hand animation (with the last fully hand-animated film being 2011’s Winnie the Pooh).
But let’s focus here on the number of FIRSTs brought to life in this film. Princess Tiana represents Disney’s first African-American princess.
Image: Disney
The Princess and the Frog is also the first Disney Princess-based film set in America, and the...
Groundbreaking Firsts
The Princess and the Frog is well known as being one of Disney’s last full-length feature films to be animated using traditional two-dimensional hand animation (with the last fully hand-animated film being 2011’s Winnie the Pooh).
But let’s focus here on the number of FIRSTs brought to life in this film. Princess Tiana represents Disney’s first African-American princess.
Image: Disney
The Princess and the Frog is also the first Disney Princess-based film set in America, and the...
- 6/19/2024
- by James Smith
- Pirates & Princesses
The Annecy Animation Film Festival is a place of wonder and discovery. It's an event where you can catch the premiere of the latest "Despicable Me" movie and the return of the Looney Tunes to the big screen, but you can also enjoy teases for the next big thing in studio animation (like Chris Sanders' "The Wild Robot") and appreciate small independent films from around the world.
It's usually in the latter category that the biggest gems can be uncovered, such as "Flow," the sophomore feature by Gints Zilbalodis. This is a beautiful, poignant movie about a group of animals trying to survive in the wild, told entirely without dialogue and animated in a naturalistic way — with the animals not being anthropomorphized but acting just like animals (echoing the golden era of Disney and movies like "Bambi").
"Flow" is also a kick-ass post-apocalyptic movie. You see, when we first meet the film's young cat protagonist,...
It's usually in the latter category that the biggest gems can be uncovered, such as "Flow," the sophomore feature by Gints Zilbalodis. This is a beautiful, poignant movie about a group of animals trying to survive in the wild, told entirely without dialogue and animated in a naturalistic way — with the animals not being anthropomorphized but acting just like animals (echoing the golden era of Disney and movies like "Bambi").
"Flow" is also a kick-ass post-apocalyptic movie. You see, when we first meet the film's young cat protagonist,...
- 6/17/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Disney did wonders in 2016 with the release of the animated film, Moana, which garnered widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. It featured an ensemble cast with Dwayne Johnson voicing Maui, the demigod in the movie. As he’s set to reprise his voice role in its upcoming sequel, things are moving in a pretty great direction for his work with the House of Mouse.
2016’s Moana | Walt Disney Studios
Given that he is already set to debut with his animated role in the live-action Moana, his recent deal with Disney would seemingly open doors for him to make his most hilarious parody a reality.
Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions Signs a First-Look Deal With Disney
As per Variety, The Rock and Dany Garcia founded Seven Bucks Productions has signed a first-look deal with The Walt Disney Company to develop films for theatrical and streaming. This multi-year agreement includes...
2016’s Moana | Walt Disney Studios
Given that he is already set to debut with his animated role in the live-action Moana, his recent deal with Disney would seemingly open doors for him to make his most hilarious parody a reality.
Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions Signs a First-Look Deal With Disney
As per Variety, The Rock and Dany Garcia founded Seven Bucks Productions has signed a first-look deal with The Walt Disney Company to develop films for theatrical and streaming. This multi-year agreement includes...
- 6/14/2024
- by Priya Sharma
- FandomWire
Universal premiered the second trailer for “The Wild Robot” at the Annecy Animation Festival on June 11. Adapted from Peter Brown’s illustrated book and directed by Chris Sanders, the sci-fi adventure concerns a robot called Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), washed ashore on an uninhabited island, who must adapt and live among the animals, especially after adopting an orphaned gosling bird.
Also contributing voice performances are Pedro Pascal as Fink the fox, Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail the opossum, Bill Nighy as Longneck the goose, Kit Connor as Brightbill the gosling, and Stephanie Hsu as Vontra the robot, as well as Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill.
Fully animated at DreamWorks, “The Wild Robot” explores the relationship between technology and nature. For this, DreamWorks embraced an impressionistic 2D aesthetic (inspired by Tyrus Wong’s legendary watercolor backgrounds in “Bambi” and Hayao Miyazaki’s lush forests), expanding on the tech the studio created...
Also contributing voice performances are Pedro Pascal as Fink the fox, Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail the opossum, Bill Nighy as Longneck the goose, Kit Connor as Brightbill the gosling, and Stephanie Hsu as Vontra the robot, as well as Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill.
Fully animated at DreamWorks, “The Wild Robot” explores the relationship between technology and nature. For this, DreamWorks embraced an impressionistic 2D aesthetic (inspired by Tyrus Wong’s legendary watercolor backgrounds in “Bambi” and Hayao Miyazaki’s lush forests), expanding on the tech the studio created...
- 6/11/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Stephen King may be a true master of the horror genre, having given the world a myriad of eerie stories that kept some of his fans sleepless at nights, but his own perception of the real horror story is a bit different than it always seemed.
Though creepy movies and shows traditionally feature some supernatural stuff like ghosts or evil zombies that keep pursuing naive people who denied all of those creatures’ existence until they just had to face them, King went a little further and updated his own list of real horror movies with an old Disney cartoon. Ironically, this actually makes a lot of sense.
In one of his earlier interviews, the proclaimed author revealed that the first film he ever saw was a horror movie, and it was Disney’s Bambi.
King then continued explaining that the cartoon had a huge impact on his childish mind due...
Though creepy movies and shows traditionally feature some supernatural stuff like ghosts or evil zombies that keep pursuing naive people who denied all of those creatures’ existence until they just had to face them, King went a little further and updated his own list of real horror movies with an old Disney cartoon. Ironically, this actually makes a lot of sense.
In one of his earlier interviews, the proclaimed author revealed that the first film he ever saw was a horror movie, and it was Disney’s Bambi.
King then continued explaining that the cartoon had a huge impact on his childish mind due...
- 6/8/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
Anyone expecting the usual A-list documentary fodder — wacky on-set anecdotes, salacious showbiz gossip — will come away disappointed from this 90-minute deep dive into William Shatner's life, work, wit and wisdom. Instead, You Can Call Me Bill takes the form of a meandering, stream-of-consciousness monologue, with its subject mostly sitting moist-eyed in a darkened room, pondering everything from the "exquisite agony" of evolution to the potential existence of God.
If this makes the film sound pretentious, well... it is, a little. Indeed, some of the lengthier sections, in which Shatner ruminates on death, loneliness and existential terror, are a bit like being trapped inside a Samuel Beckett novel. But the Star Trek icon is also so immensely likeable and engaging that for the most part, it's a joy to spend time in his company — even when he's earnestly extolling the "preciousness of snails".
Amid the experimentalism, some of the more traditional documentary boxes are ticked,...
If this makes the film sound pretentious, well... it is, a little. Indeed, some of the lengthier sections, in which Shatner ruminates on death, loneliness and existential terror, are a bit like being trapped inside a Samuel Beckett novel. But the Star Trek icon is also so immensely likeable and engaging that for the most part, it's a joy to spend time in his company — even when he's earnestly extolling the "preciousness of snails".
Amid the experimentalism, some of the more traditional documentary boxes are ticked,...
- 5/30/2024
- by Tom Ellen
- Empire - Movies
Stars: Yolie Canales, Tim Hatch, Michael Korotitsch, Jeff Kirkendall | Written and Directed by Mark Polonia
[Disclaimer: Nerdly’s Managing Editor, Phil, is listed as an Executive Producer on this film. However, that will not, and does not, affect the impartiality of this review]
Teddiscare began life as another Winnie the Pooh horror film, but after “receiving a “cease and desist” from another company who made a killer teddy bear movie based of [sic] a popular character with a copyright that had recently entered public domain, we consulted with an amazing lawyer”. Said lawyer told them a larger company was about to start suing anyone who used the character, so they decided to just change the name. I wonder how brilliant they think that lawyer is now that Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 is going into production as well as a killer Bambi film and Disney hasn’t unleashed their lawyers?
Teddiscare opens with news on the radio about a worker falling into the machinery at a toy factory and bits of his body being stuffed into hundreds of teddy bears.
[Disclaimer: Nerdly’s Managing Editor, Phil, is listed as an Executive Producer on this film. However, that will not, and does not, affect the impartiality of this review]
Teddiscare began life as another Winnie the Pooh horror film, but after “receiving a “cease and desist” from another company who made a killer teddy bear movie based of [sic] a popular character with a copyright that had recently entered public domain, we consulted with an amazing lawyer”. Said lawyer told them a larger company was about to start suing anyone who used the character, so they decided to just change the name. I wonder how brilliant they think that lawyer is now that Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 is going into production as well as a killer Bambi film and Disney hasn’t unleashed their lawyers?
Teddiscare opens with news on the radio about a worker falling into the machinery at a toy factory and bits of his body being stuffed into hundreds of teddy bears.
- 5/29/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
There’s a moment near the end of Latvian animation director Gints Zilbalodis’ “Flow” that powerfully tugs at the heartstrings. It’s when the film’s central character, a black cat who you’ve come to have a profound emotional connection with, rediscovers a lost ball that he and his animal friends (especially a lemur) had been playing with earlier in the movie. He thought he’d never see it again. And suddenly he does.
Sometimes, lost things can be found again.
If you thought that emotion elicited without cloying manipulation was something lost in animation, it is found again in “Flow” as well. A movie brimming with sentiment but not sentimentality, this is one of the most moving animated films in recent memory, and, beyond that, groundbreaking too. The anthropomorphic animal characters of 21st century U.S. animated features have nothing on the animal stars of “Flow,” who never...
Sometimes, lost things can be found again.
If you thought that emotion elicited without cloying manipulation was something lost in animation, it is found again in “Flow” as well. A movie brimming with sentiment but not sentimentality, this is one of the most moving animated films in recent memory, and, beyond that, groundbreaking too. The anthropomorphic animal characters of 21st century U.S. animated features have nothing on the animal stars of “Flow,” who never...
- 5/24/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Made on a budget of less than $100,000, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (watch it Here) earned more than $6 million during its global release in early 2023, so not only did the sequel Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 have a substantially higher budget, that success opened the door to an entire cinematic universe that will consist of at least one more Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel and other horror movies inspired by children’s stories, like Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, Bambi: The Reckoning, and Pinocchio: Unstrung. Premiere Entertainment is currently presenting Pinocchio: Unstrung to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Market – and Variety was able to learn more information on the project, including the fact that the movie will be made with “little reliance on VFX and feature the character of Pinocchio as a practical doll. Todd Masters of MastersFx, creator...
- 5/20/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey surprised everyone with its spectacular commercial success with a micro-production budget of $50,000. Although it was unable to stay on the critics’ good side, film director Rhys Frake-Waterfield didn’t take it negatively.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)
He has already announced working on a twisted version of another beloved character with the movie titled, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. As the first look is unveiled, fans are having polarized responses over the horrifying remake.
Internet Reacts to Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Project
After taking a twisted take on Winnie the Pooh, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the director of Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey introduced another darker adaptation in the making. As reported by Variety, Scott Chambers is handling helming duties in Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare whereas Frake-Waterfield is writing and producing the project.
Suggested“It literally gets directly compared to Marvel films”: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey...
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)
He has already announced working on a twisted version of another beloved character with the movie titled, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. As the first look is unveiled, fans are having polarized responses over the horrifying remake.
Internet Reacts to Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Project
After taking a twisted take on Winnie the Pooh, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the director of Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey introduced another darker adaptation in the making. As reported by Variety, Scott Chambers is handling helming duties in Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare whereas Frake-Waterfield is writing and producing the project.
Suggested“It literally gets directly compared to Marvel films”: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey...
- 5/18/2024
- by Priya Sharma
- FandomWire
Quentin Tarantino‘s movies are wildly different from Disney movies. They’re violent, transgressive, and narratively complex. Despite this, one Disney film had a huge impact on him as a child. The Pulp Fiction director said an infamous scene from the movie scared him as much as a horror film by Wes Craven.
2 scenes from a Disney movie disturbed Quentin Tarantino
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, the Kill Bill director recalled watching a number of violent and sexually explicit movies as a child. He rhetorically asked if there was a film he couldn’t handle as a kid. The movie that came to mind was Walt Disney’s Bambi.
“Bambi getting lost from his mother, her being shot by the hunter, and that horrifying forest fire upset me like nothing else I saw in the movies,” he said. “It wasn’t until 1974 when I saw Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left...
2 scenes from a Disney movie disturbed Quentin Tarantino
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, the Kill Bill director recalled watching a number of violent and sexually explicit movies as a child. He rhetorically asked if there was a film he couldn’t handle as a kid. The movie that came to mind was Walt Disney’s Bambi.
“Bambi getting lost from his mother, her being shot by the hunter, and that horrifying forest fire upset me like nothing else I saw in the movies,” he said. “It wasn’t until 1974 when I saw Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Oliver Hoped Finland’s Partially Nude Windows95man (and His Giant Denim Egg) Had Won Eurovision
John Oliver had a favorite performer in this year’s Eurovision contest.
On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, the host opened the show by addressing the annual international music competition, which crowned its latest winner this weekend.
“The Eurovision Song Contest took place amid a slew of controversies, from calls for boycotts over Israel’s participation to the last-minute elimination of this Dutch contestant for alleged unlawful threats backstage,” Oliver said. “It was a lot of serious news around what is usually a magnificently silly competition, which to be fair still had some striking contestants, from Baby Lasagna from Croatia to Bambi Thug from Ireland to my absolute favorite, this guy from Finland.”
Oliver then played a clip of Finnish competitor Windows95man, who kicked off his performance of his song “No Rules!” while inside a large egg covered in denim. Watch the full performance below.
Oliver’s take: “Yes!
On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, the host opened the show by addressing the annual international music competition, which crowned its latest winner this weekend.
“The Eurovision Song Contest took place amid a slew of controversies, from calls for boycotts over Israel’s participation to the last-minute elimination of this Dutch contestant for alleged unlawful threats backstage,” Oliver said. “It was a lot of serious news around what is usually a magnificently silly competition, which to be fair still had some striking contestants, from Baby Lasagna from Croatia to Bambi Thug from Ireland to my absolute favorite, this guy from Finland.”
Oliver then played a clip of Finnish competitor Windows95man, who kicked off his performance of his song “No Rules!” while inside a large egg covered in denim. Watch the full performance below.
Oliver’s take: “Yes!
- 5/13/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
European production and sales studio Vuelta Group has bought German producer Telepool from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook.
The deal, struck through Vuelta subsidiary SquareOne, will see a combined business operating under the SquareOne banner. SquareOne and Vuelta Group Germany CEO Al Munteanu will lead the banner, with Michael Heyd serving as CFO and COO.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the combined group will boast a library of over 1,200 titles such as Drive, Intouchables, Olympus Has Fallen, Transporter 3 and the recently released One Life. It will form part of the growing Vuelta Group, which in July last year we revealed had formed through the acquisitions of SquareOne, Paris-based international sales firm Playtime Group and Nordic distributor-producer Scanbox.
Vuelta Group Chairman Jeromt Levy, who launched the group with $50M backing from an unnamed U.S. private equity firm, announced the news today along with Munteanu.
The deal, struck through Vuelta subsidiary SquareOne, will see a combined business operating under the SquareOne banner. SquareOne and Vuelta Group Germany CEO Al Munteanu will lead the banner, with Michael Heyd serving as CFO and COO.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the combined group will boast a library of over 1,200 titles such as Drive, Intouchables, Olympus Has Fallen, Transporter 3 and the recently released One Life. It will form part of the growing Vuelta Group, which in July last year we revealed had formed through the acquisitions of SquareOne, Paris-based international sales firm Playtime Group and Nordic distributor-producer Scanbox.
Vuelta Group Chairman Jeromt Levy, who launched the group with $50M backing from an unnamed U.S. private equity firm, announced the news today along with Munteanu.
- 5/8/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
German distributor-producer SquareOne Entertainment, part of rising European film studio Vuelta Group, has acquired German film and TV production, distribution and licensing company Telepool, which was owned by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook.
The news was announced Wednesday by Vuelta Group chairman Jerome Levy and CEO of SquareOne and Vuelta Group Germany Al Munteanu.
Munteanu will spearhead the newly combined entity under the SquareOne banner with Michael Heyd serving as CFO/COO.
The newly combined SquareOne entity will boast a library consisting of over 1,200 titles such as “Drive,” “Intouchables,” “The Olympus Has Fallen,” “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “Imitation Game,” “Lone Survivor,” “Book Club,” “Transporter 3,” “King Richard,” “Maurice the Tomcat” and the recently released “One Life” among others.
“For over 60 years, Telepool has been one of the leading global content houses and we are proud of the work we did with the company,” said Westbrook CEO Kosaku Yada.
The news was announced Wednesday by Vuelta Group chairman Jerome Levy and CEO of SquareOne and Vuelta Group Germany Al Munteanu.
Munteanu will spearhead the newly combined entity under the SquareOne banner with Michael Heyd serving as CFO/COO.
The newly combined SquareOne entity will boast a library consisting of over 1,200 titles such as “Drive,” “Intouchables,” “The Olympus Has Fallen,” “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “Imitation Game,” “Lone Survivor,” “Book Club,” “Transporter 3,” “King Richard,” “Maurice the Tomcat” and the recently released “One Life” among others.
“For over 60 years, Telepool has been one of the leading global content houses and we are proud of the work we did with the company,” said Westbrook CEO Kosaku Yada.
- 5/8/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Summertime is the best time to transport yourself into a nostalgic world, as Freeform celebrates 30 Days of Disney with legendary Disney films starting June 1. Viewers can relive their childhood with films from the full Disney catalog, including Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out, National Treasure, Avatar, Spider-Man (2002), and many more.
The programming event will also feature the world television premiere of Disney-Pixar’s animated film Lightyear. Other Freeform premieres include Disney-Pixar’s Soul and Disney Animation’s Fantasia (1940 and 2000).
Throughout each week in June, fans can reminisce with special summer marathons that will stir up fond memories and reconnect them with the films they cherish.
During the first weekend of June, you can check out your Disney “faves” with classic films like Disney Animation’s Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid (1989). During the second weekend, check out your Pixar faves with movies like Inside Out, Coco, and Cars.
Celebrate...
The programming event will also feature the world television premiere of Disney-Pixar’s animated film Lightyear. Other Freeform premieres include Disney-Pixar’s Soul and Disney Animation’s Fantasia (1940 and 2000).
Throughout each week in June, fans can reminisce with special summer marathons that will stir up fond memories and reconnect them with the films they cherish.
During the first weekend of June, you can check out your Disney “faves” with classic films like Disney Animation’s Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid (1989). During the second weekend, check out your Pixar faves with movies like Inside Out, Coco, and Cars.
Celebrate...
- 5/1/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Imagine if the beautiful Ariel in Disney’s animated film The Little Mermaid had sharp teeth and human blood on her lips. Well, that’s exactly what the team behind The Little Mermaid thought when they came up with the concept of this film!
To make one more nostalgic film a traumatic event for the world, Msr Media recently released the trailer for their upcoming horror film. Based on the story by Hans Christen Andersen (the author behind The Little Mermaid), this horrific trailer is everything that Halle Bailey’s film wasn’t!
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (2023) The Little Mermaid Is Now A Horrific R-rated film!
It was 2023 when the iconic film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was released to average reviews. Based on the character of Pooh, the film was naturally a childhood-ruined moment for millions of people.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Following that trend,...
To make one more nostalgic film a traumatic event for the world, Msr Media recently released the trailer for their upcoming horror film. Based on the story by Hans Christen Andersen (the author behind The Little Mermaid), this horrific trailer is everything that Halle Bailey’s film wasn’t!
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (2023) The Little Mermaid Is Now A Horrific R-rated film!
It was 2023 when the iconic film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was released to average reviews. Based on the character of Pooh, the film was naturally a childhood-ruined moment for millions of people.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Following that trend,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
In the music video for her piano-driven interlude "Bambi," Bodine poses in the middle of a dense forest, artistically garbed in assorted animal bones as she croons over the black and white footage with an ear-catching voice that straddles mezzo and alto ranges. The visual doubled as an announcement video for her sophomore EP, "Quemo Lento," which dropped last month. Still, if anyone got the impression the project would hinge on somber instrumentals, her other tracks quickly proved them wrong. The follow-up singles "No Me Quiere Más Na'" and "Nalgaje" present a saucier and more liberated version of Bodine. But who is the real Bodine? Is it the contemplative, artsy soul hinted at in the first track, or the one who takes pride in homaging vedette Iris Chacón and singing catchy odes to booties? The answer is unsurprising to those who know her - she's both.
Born in Amsterdam, Bodine...
Born in Amsterdam, Bodine...
- 4/22/2024
- by Juan Arroyo
- Popsugar.com
Establishing a shared cinematic universe is hard. Take Warner Bros. and DC's attempt at matching the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for instance. Though it had some commercial successes, the DC Extended Universe ultimately disintegrated over the course of several recent box office bombs that included superheroic flop "The Flash." Then, there was Universal, with its ill-fated Dark Universe, which would have seen updated takes on classic Universal monsters inhabiting a shared timeline that would ultimately lead to some sort of monster team-up. Unfortunately, the whole thing failed almost instantly with the disappointment that was 2017's "The Mummy."
Now, with the almighty MCU even struggling to maintain its dominance amid the deluge of "content" being pumped out in its name, it seems harder than ever to construct and maintain a successful shared cinematic universe. But that won't stop horror director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who is now threatening an entire interconnected...
Now, with the almighty MCU even struggling to maintain its dominance amid the deluge of "content" being pumped out in its name, it seems harder than ever to construct and maintain a successful shared cinematic universe. But that won't stop horror director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who is now threatening an entire interconnected...
- 4/5/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The Twisted Childhood Universe, also known as the Poohniverse, is taking shape. In case you've yet to be clued into what this is all about, the cinematic universe is set to take classic childhood tales now in the public domain and give them a horror movie twist. Things kicked off with the not-so-great "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey," a film that earned bad reviews but made good money. Now the killer Pooh Bear is back with "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2," a film that's defying the odds and actually garnering good reviews.
Things aren't stopping there, though. The next film in the line-up is "Bambi: The Reckoning," a dark and twisted retelling of "Bambi." And this is a far cry from the gentle young deer seen in the classic Disney film. No, this deer is big, mean, and out for blood. The first "Bambi: The Reckoning" teaser awaits you above, and...
Things aren't stopping there, though. The next film in the line-up is "Bambi: The Reckoning," a dark and twisted retelling of "Bambi." And this is a far cry from the gentle young deer seen in the classic Disney film. No, this deer is big, mean, and out for blood. The first "Bambi: The Reckoning" teaser awaits you above, and...
- 4/4/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Bambi is ready to take revenge after losing his mother. Upcoming indie-horror film “Bambi: The Reckoning” capitalizes on the devastating Disney animated movie’s backstory — but this Bambi will: F**k. You. Up. The film follows Xana (Roxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) who find themselves in a car wreck and are soon hunted down by the vicious killing machine, Bambi.
The teaser was shared with a “Coming Soon” tease from Umbrella Entertainment, the same studio behind viral feature “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” Directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, that one centers on deranged serial killers Pooh and Piglet who dismember teens on vacation in the Hundred Acre woods.
Umbrella has been opportunistic in its approach to ruining your precious childhood memories (and possibly bringing back those nightmares) with its sicko takes on classic kids IP that recently entered the public domain.
Producer Vince Knight told IndieWire that...
The teaser was shared with a “Coming Soon” tease from Umbrella Entertainment, the same studio behind viral feature “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” Directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, that one centers on deranged serial killers Pooh and Piglet who dismember teens on vacation in the Hundred Acre woods.
Umbrella has been opportunistic in its approach to ruining your precious childhood memories (and possibly bringing back those nightmares) with its sicko takes on classic kids IP that recently entered the public domain.
Producer Vince Knight told IndieWire that...
- 4/3/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Producers Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey are building a cinematic universe out of horror movies based on public domain family friendly stories – including Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, that film’s sequels, Pinocchio Unstrung, and Bambi: The Reckoning, which is inspired by Felix Salten’s 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods. The Bambi horror movie started filming back in January, aiming to make its way out into the world sometime this fall, and today a teaser trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.
This movie is coming to us from ITN Studios and Jagged Edge Productions. Jeffrey and Frake-Waterfield are producing for Jagged Edge Productions. Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland serve as executive producers for ITN Studios. Roxanne McKee (Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines) leads the cast and is joined by Nicola Wright (Firenado), Tom Mulheron (Casualty), and Samira Mighty...
This movie is coming to us from ITN Studios and Jagged Edge Productions. Jeffrey and Frake-Waterfield are producing for Jagged Edge Productions. Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland serve as executive producers for ITN Studios. Roxanne McKee (Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines) leads the cast and is joined by Nicola Wright (Firenado), Tom Mulheron (Casualty), and Samira Mighty...
- 4/3/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Ready for another horrorific take on a childhood favourite character? Watch the first Bambi: The Reckoning trailer here.
We recently reported that not only was Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 3 in the works, but there was a larger cinematic universe, including a team-up movie, on the way. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will hit cinemas in 2025, but before that, we’ll get Bambi: The Reckoning.
That’s right, everyone’s favourite fawn, Bambi, is also getting the horror treatment and we now have our first look at the upcoming horror film.
Take a look at the Bambi: The Reckoning trailer below.
Granted, it’s only a 61-second teaser and only gives us a brief look at the film, but we do get a shot of the monstrous deer flipping a car over with its antlers. Say less, we’re in.
Here’s the short description that accompanies the film’s trailer...
We recently reported that not only was Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 3 in the works, but there was a larger cinematic universe, including a team-up movie, on the way. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will hit cinemas in 2025, but before that, we’ll get Bambi: The Reckoning.
That’s right, everyone’s favourite fawn, Bambi, is also getting the horror treatment and we now have our first look at the upcoming horror film.
Take a look at the Bambi: The Reckoning trailer below.
Granted, it’s only a 61-second teaser and only gives us a brief look at the film, but we do get a shot of the monstrous deer flipping a car over with its antlers. Say less, we’re in.
Here’s the short description that accompanies the film’s trailer...
- 4/3/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
The free domain is opening up so many possibilities, including the opportunity for the mutants of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey to expand into a wider Poohniverse! This new horror cinematic universe will include a slew of crossovers with other totally-not-Disney characters.
Variety is the bearer of this news, whether a blessing or a curse. As a longtime horror writer, I’m all for more low-budget slashers with a gimmick. So, how much of a good thing is too much?
We’ll find out soon, for sure. The Poohniverse includes Tinkerbell, Bambi, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. This massive horror movie version of the MCU will land sometime in 2025.
What’s the overarching storyline of this cavalcade of free-to-use figures? They’re all out to get the survivors of the earlier films (including the ones that are yet to be released).
Image Credit: Variety
Variety points out that...
Variety is the bearer of this news, whether a blessing or a curse. As a longtime horror writer, I’m all for more low-budget slashers with a gimmick. So, how much of a good thing is too much?
We’ll find out soon, for sure. The Poohniverse includes Tinkerbell, Bambi, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. This massive horror movie version of the MCU will land sometime in 2025.
What’s the overarching storyline of this cavalcade of free-to-use figures? They’re all out to get the survivors of the earlier films (including the ones that are yet to be released).
Image Credit: Variety
Variety points out that...
- 3/18/2024
- by Mike Phalin
- Pirates & Princesses
What's the most shocking moment in children's cinema? The death of Bambi's mother in Disney's 1942 classic titled, well, "Bambi," has to be up there. It's bloodless, but more impactful because of that; the movie doesn't revel in the death, it's just a matter of life.
The animals in "Bambi" are less humanized than in later Disney pictures. They're drawn and live as real beasts; even what little dialogue there is in "Bambi" feels like a creative compromise. The incomprehensible force named Man snatching away Bambi's mother is the reality for deer dogged by hunters. Notice too how Bambi's mother dies in the winter; it's not just to make the scene extra moody, but because winter is the season of death. The film then jumps ahead to spring and when it reintroduces Bambi, he's grown into a young stag; his childhood ended that snowy day. It's all the unforgiving circle of life.
The animals in "Bambi" are less humanized than in later Disney pictures. They're drawn and live as real beasts; even what little dialogue there is in "Bambi" feels like a creative compromise. The incomprehensible force named Man snatching away Bambi's mother is the reality for deer dogged by hunters. Notice too how Bambi's mother dies in the winter; it's not just to make the scene extra moody, but because winter is the season of death. The film then jumps ahead to spring and when it reintroduces Bambi, he's grown into a young stag; his childhood ended that snowy day. It's all the unforgiving circle of life.
- 3/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
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