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Celebrated Japanese animation director Masaaki Yuasa has unveiled the debut project from his newly established animation studio, ame pippin. Titled “Daisy’s Life,” the feature is a Japanese-French co-production based on Banana Yoshimoto’s novel Hinagiku no Jinsei, with original illustrations by renowned artist Yoshitomo Nara. The film is set for delivery in 2026.

Yuasa is best known for his surreal storytelling and bold visual style in films such as “Mind Game,” “Lu Over the Wall,” and the Golden Globe-nominated “Inu-Oh.” He launched ame pippin in February 2025 with the goal of pushing artistic boundaries in the animation world. Backed by heavyweights Asmik Ace, Inc., Aniplex Inc. and CoMix Wave Films, the Tokyo-based studio aims to be a major force in the ever-evolving global animation landscape.

“Daisy’s Life” follows the emotional journey of a six-year-old girl named Daisy, who loses her mother in a tragic accident and struggles to adapt to life with her aunt.

Japanese anime director and former Science Saru president Masaaki Yuasa has announced the launch of his own animation studio, ame pippin.

The studio was founded in collaboration with industry powerhouses Asmik Ace, Inc., Aniplex Inc., and CoMix Wave Films Inc.

Yuasa expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are pleased to announce the establishment of a new studio in collaboration with Asmik Ace, Aniplex, and CoMix Wave Films. In this era of dramatic change, we hope to move forward with a steady yet flexible approach, always keeping the future in sight. We deeply appreciate your guidance and support, and we would be truly grateful for any opportunity to collaborate with you.”

The new studio is based in Tokyo.

Yuasa’s career began as an animator on iconic television series such as Chibi Maruko-chan and Crayon Shin-chan before he rose to prominence as a director with works like Ping Pong the Animation (2014), Devilman...

Japanese anime auteur Masaaki Yuasa, whose rock musical Inu-Oh premiered at Venice, has launched Tokyo-based animation studio Ame Pippin.

The company will aim to be “a place for new opportunities and a fresh creative environment,” according to Yuasa, who is CEO of the new company. No projects have yet been revealed.

The animation studio was founded with backing from Japanese production company and distributor Asmik Ace, which produced Inu-Oh; Sony subsidiary Aniplex; and Comix Wave Films, the animation studio known for producing the films of Makoto Shinkai (Your Name).

Yuasa made his feature directorial debut in 2004 with highly acclaimed manga...

Dan Da Dan has been a hit this fall 2024 anime season which may have made you curious about the anime studio behind it. Longtime anime fans may already be well aware of Science Saru , but if you’re new to their stellar animation, then let’s introduce you. Science Saru was founded by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyong Choi in 2013. They were one of the first anime studios that successfully combined traditional animation with digital tools and techniques. If you are familiar with Adventure Time , you may remember the studio’s first work, the short Adventure Time: Food Chain from 2014. The studio’s been creating unforgettable anime ever since ranging from Yurei Deco , Keike Monogatari , shorts for Star Wars: Visions and more, reaching critical acclaim along the way from the likes of the Japan Media Arts Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival and several others. With Dan Da Dan shaping up...

Eurozoom, a leading French distributor for Japanese animation, has forged a strategic partnership with major French animation producer Special Touch Studios, led by founder and CEO Sebastien Onomo.

“We both share the same passion for animation and want to tell bold stories with a particular attention to professional diversity,” said Eurozoom’s CEO-Founder Amel Lacombe, who added that they were jointly working on a six-animation feature lineup.

Leading the pack is “Melvile,” directed by Romain Renard and Fursy Teyssier. Initiated and produced by Anne-Laure Guégan alongside Onomo, the feature is an adaptation of the eponymous graphic novel “Les Chroniques de Melvile” by the multi-awarded comic artist Romain Renard.

“Melvile” revolves around Paul, who, since his fourteenth birthday, has been haunted by the belief that he is responsible for the disappearance of Ruth, his first love, who perished in a fire. Two decades later, he returns to Melvile to settle his grandmother’s estate.

Animation company GKids has acquired theatrical, video and digital transactional rights to anime series “Dan Da Dan.”

With production from the acclaimed animation studio Science Saru, the series is the directorial debut of studio veteran Fuga Yamashiro. Composer kensuke ushio additionally joins the production for the score. The series is a television adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name. Tatsu previously worked as an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto on his global hit series “Chainsaw Man” and “Fire Punch,” and Yuji Kaku on “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.”

“Dan Da Dan” follows the story of a high school girl named Momo who is from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, a high school boy who is an occult freak. The two of them start talking after Momo rescues Okarun from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them – Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts.

Gkids gets in on the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Shonen Jump's Dan Da Dan, formally announcing the major acquisition of theatrical, home entertainment, and digital transaction rights to the upcoming series. The news comes alongside a newly released English-subtitled trailer.

Via a press release, Gkids has acquired the theatrical, videogram (Blu-ray/DVD) and digital transaction rights for the hotly-anticipated anime series Dan Da Dan by Science Saru. The acquisition serves as the Gkids' first-ever engagement with a first-run (newly released) series, following its history of licensing retrospective TV series like Neon Genesis Evangelion and numerous theatrical releases like Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron. Gkids added that further details will be revealed in the coming months. The Gkids English-subtitled trailer can be viewed below.

Related Two of Studio Ghibli's Most Underrated Movies Get U.S. Theatrical Re-Release Dates

Ghibli Fest 2024 sees Studio Ghibli's underrated movies The Secret World of Arrietty...

GKids, which back in March won its first animated feature Oscar with The Boy And The Heron, has acquired theatrical, videogram, and digital transactional rights to Japanese anime series Dan Da Dan.

The transaction marks the company’s first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various retrospective series work.

Dan Da Dan hails from Science Saru, the company behind Devilman crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and is an adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name.

Conceived as a love letter to genre film, B-movies and retro sci-fi, the story follows high...

Gkids has acquired theatrical, videogram and digital transactional rights to the new anime series Dan Da Dan. The acquisition serves as Gkids’ first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various famed retrospective series work. No release date is set.

Based on the popular manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, Dan Da Dan is a TV adaptation of a manga being serialized in Shōnen Jump Plus by Shueisha. The film marks the directorial debut of Fuga Yamashiro and is the latest series from animation studio Science Saru with original music from Kensuke Ushio (Chainsaw Man).

The story follows high schoolers Momo, who is from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, an occult freak. As the two compete to disprove the existence of the other’s passion, they get caught up in an encounter of both the spiritual and paranormal, imbuing both teenagers with powers beyond belief.

Japanese film production and distribution company Toho announced on May 23 that it will acquire animation production company Science Saru as a subsidiary. In June, Toho will acquire all shares of Science Saru held by its representative, Eunyoung Choi. Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi originally founded the studio in 2013. The studio has produced numerous animated feature films directed by Yuasa, including The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (2017), Lu Over the Wall (2017) and Inu-oh (2022), as well as animated series such as Ping Pong the Animation (2014), Devilman Crybaby (2018) and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020), and others. Yuasa stepped down as president and representative director of the studio in 2020 , with Choi becoming CEO shortly after . Naoko Yamada also directed the anime series The Heike Story (2021) at the studio, as well as the upcoming feature film The Colors Within . Other directors who have worked at the studio include Abel Góngora, Tomohisa Shimoyama and Shingo Natsume.

Mermaid fairy tales have enjoyed lasting popularity since Andersen's “The Little Sea Maid” and La Motte-Fouqué's “Undine”. Recent (unequal) reboots can further attest to this enduring appeal. Nothing surprising when considering the universality of these legendary creatures across civilizations and times. As for Japanese folklore, the Ningyo has gained a significant prominence not long ago through Miyazaki's “Ponyo” (2008). Just a decade later, the director of the celebrated “Mind Game” (2004), Masaaki Yuasa, developed his own rendition, this time in the form of a coming-of-age narrative.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

Kai Ashimoto, a taciturn and disillusioned middle school student, is raised in a small coastal town by a single father in the handcrafted umbrella shop of his grandfather, a retired fisherman. After being exposed for posting music demos online, he agrees to join his classmates, the wannabe Yuho and the carefree Kunio, in a rock band named Seiren,...

Between his work on cult classic animated movies like Mind Game and fan-favorite anime series Devilman Crybaby, Masaaki Yuasa has developed a reputation as an innovative and playful filmmaker. His unique visual style has helped bring life to mature, enigmatic stories and all-ages adventures with the same infectious passion. Now, Gkids has released a box set featuring all five of Yuasa's feature-length films.

Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films includes 2004's Mind Game, 2017's The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, 2017's Lu Over the Wall, 2019's Ride Your Wave, and 2021's Inu-Oh, alongside an extensive selection of bonus features. Each film is emblematic of Yuasa's imaginative approach to storytelling. In an interview with Cbr, Yuasa looked back on his eclectic animation career, compared his experience working on feature films to his time in television, and shared his excitement about the new collection of his films, which is on sale now.

Cbr:...

While Studio Ghibli is celebrating the release of a new film by their lead genius, Hayao Miyazaki, with The Boy and the Heron, and Disney is celebrating their 100th anniversary in a variety of ways (including the film Wish), another powerhouse of animation is quietly celebrating their legacy. That would be Masaaki Yuasa, the brilliant director, writer, and animator behind some of the greatest anime films of all time, and a handful of brilliant TV series. Yuasa is a master of motion and space, and also one of the most fluid anime filmmakers of all time, able to adapt his style to various genres and emotions.

A gorgeous new Blu-ray box set, Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films, collects the major cinematic achievements of Yuasa — Mind Game, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Ride Your Wave, and Inu-Oh. As we previously reported about the Yuasa set, the...

Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films Collector's Edition is a Blu-ray release that collects five of Masaaki Yuasa's legendary anime films, including Mind Game, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Ride Your Wave, and Inu-Oh. Yuasa's unique vision unites all of his works, which are characterized by protagonists who are bound by something and find release. He incorporates his own thoughts on the era into his recent films. Yuasa discusses how he adapts stories for the screen, focusing on translating his own feelings and capturing the essence of the original material. He also highlights the challenges of maintaining motivation and passion in the constantly evolving anime industry.

One of modern anime's most beloved directors is Masaaki Yuasa, and it's never been a better time to be a fan of his with the release of Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films Collector's Edition. Known for his signature fluid style,...

In the contemporary field of Japanese animation, no one makes films and TV shows like Yuasa Masaaki. Compared to the lifelike backgrounds and careful detailing of facial animations that typify much of anime, Yuasa’s mash-ups of disciplines and methods recall the unorthodox approaches of Don Hertzfeldt and Soviet-era Hungarian animators like Marcell Jankovics and György Kovásznai. But Yuasa’s north star—in underlying motivation, if not aesthetic—may be Tex Avery, whose brand of unpredictable comedy can be seen in the filmmaker’s willingness to upend character continuity and even the fundamental outlines of drawings for the sake of pursuing a joke or feeling to its most outlandish conclusion.

The plots of the five films included in Shout! Factory’s new box set are, however fantastical their framings, often elementally simple, and many have reference points in another anime films and shows. A kind of lysergic take on Miyazaki Hayao’s Ponyo,...

Science Saru is known for its creative and visually stunning anime. The studio was co-founded by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi, who are dedicated to promoting creativity and fun. The anime produced by Science Saru have received warm reception from fans and critics for their unique look and storytelling.

The best Science Saru anime are some of the most creative in the industry. Established in 2013, the studio began as a subcontractor, providing key animation for episodes of shows such as Adventure Time and Space Dandy. Since then, it's branched out into full-length television shows and original movies of its own.

The company was co-founded by Masaaki Yuasa. As a director, animator, and screenwriter, he is known for his flashy, fluid visuals and surreal stories. He and Science Saru's other co-founder, Eunyoung Choi, are dedicated to promoting creativity, innovation, and fun in all the projects they pursue.

Night Is Short, Walk...

Celebrate the genius of anime filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa with the new collector's edition Blu-ray box set, Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films. Preorder now! Experience Yuasa's imaginative and influential works, including his directorial debut Mind Game and other epic titles like The Night is Short, Walk on Girl and Lu Over the Wall. Get ready for a treasure trove of bonus features, including a 60-page book, a poster, scene breakdowns, Q&a sessions and more. Don't miss it!

It’s a great day to love anime because filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa is being honored with a brand-new, collector's edition box set featuring some of his most influential works. The six-disc Blu-ray collection is titled Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films, and it is now available to preorder ahead of its December release. And it will include his directorial debut Mind Game (2004) among the other epic titles. Take a look at the announcement trailer for Masaaki...

Hundreds of new anime flood the industry each year. A number of factors determine a series' success and popularity, whether it's compelling characters, an exciting story, or groundbreaking visuals that push the medium to its limits. Anime is prone to indulge in experimental and risky animated endeavors that are willing to stray from convention.

Related: 10 Best Anime Defined By Their Animation

However, some series ]go the extra mile and kickstart new visual trends that become staples of the industry. An anime with beautiful aesthetics isn't guaranteed to be a good series, but it can be a lot easier to get behind a new show when it boldly pushes animation to new places.

Mononoke 12 Episodes

Mononoke is a fascinating blend of eclectic sensibilities that operates like a supernatural anthology series that features actual spirits as well as psychological horrors. A mysterious medicine salesman wanders the world, confronting the supernatural with his blade,...

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“Inu-Oh” (screening theatrically from GKids) represents Masaaki Yuasa’s summary statement about animation, music, history, and rebellion. It’s the culmination of his wildly imaginative and deeply compassionate work about honoring marginalized people. He takes everything he’s explored in “Lu Over the Wall,” “Mind Game,” “Ride Your Wave,” and “The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl,” and explodes it in “Inu-Oh.”

The film’s an anime rock opera set in 14th century feudal Japan about the friendship between two cursed musical performers, who serve as historical versions of modern-day stars with theatrical fearlessness: the real-life, enigmatic Inu-Oh (Avu-chan from fashion punk Queen Bee), a Noh dancer who dramatizes the Heike’s slaughter at sea in the Battle of Dan-no-ura, and Tomona (Mirai Moriyama), a blind biwa player who chronicles the story in song. But the way Yuasa assaults us with dazzling imagery and musical performance, he comes off...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you haven’t watched the season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 14 came to an end on Friday night, and Willow Pill was crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar. Willow Pill, a fan favorite from the beginning, beat out Lady Camden in a lip sync for the crown to Cher’s cover of Abba’s “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.”

While the grande finale Ru-vealed itself over 90 minutes, the filming took place a few weeks ago at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, home to the “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!” show, and it came in at just under the five-hour mark.

This left room for plenty of fun gags that didn’t make the cut, and Variety was in the room where it happens for the uncut, unedited version.

Mc Michelle Visage

A woman of many talents, Michelle Visage served as the audience’s Mc.

The 2022 Oscars will take place on March 27.

Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog leads the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards, closely followed by Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.

Netflix-backed The Power Of The Dog secured 12 nods including best picture, directing and cinematography as well as four acting nominations for lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch, supporting actors Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smith-McPhee, and actress Kirsten Dunst.

New Zealand filmmaker Campion is now the first woman to have secured two nominations in the best director category, after The Piano in 1994 for which she won the Oscar for original screenplay. She...

Frank and Lu are the most unlikely partners who get together as partners accidently after meeting for a case. Shakespeare and Hathaway is a British Crime Drama, with light hearted comedy. They investigate crime in their picturesque village of Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. It stars Mark Benton and Jo Joyner. They solve mysteries with each episode […]

The post Frank and Lu investigate the disappearance of a missing jewel & a kidnapping on Shakespeare & Hathaway appeared first on Shockya.com.

The 10th edition of Cartoons Underground is once again online — so we at Asian Movie Pulse took the opportunity to see Southeast Asia’s rising stars. We recently interviewed the Singaporean festival’s student competitors over Zoom. Compared to last year, this year’s selection feels more somber. But perhaps that is because everyone is simply older. Our interviewees are all recent graduates with strong illustration backgrounds this time around. Two of Singapore’s three animation school powerhouses are represented here: Javon Chan Yi Da and Su Xian Yeow hail from Nanyang Technical University; Eiris Lu and Novella Lian stand in for Lasalle College of the Arts.

Their shorts display a range in medium as well. Javon Chan Yi Da’s “A Fish for a Friend” stands out as a Pixar-esque, stylized 3D animated short. Su Xian Yeow’s “Full Circle” leans heavily into print illustration, the film frames awash with blocks of color.

Fortissimo Films has acquired sales rights outside Asia to “Inu-Oh,” a Japanese animation film that will play at both the Venice and Toronto festivals.

The film is directed by Yuasa Masaaki with acclaimed Japanese animation studio Science Saru. It will have its world premiere in the Orizzonti competition section at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 9, 2021. That will be followed by a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“Inu-oh” is an animated rock musical about a boy who was born with unique physical characteristics. One day he meets the blind biwa player. The boy asks him to write a song about him. The player writes and performs a song about the boy’s fate. They become a musical success and their career stars rise quickly in 14th century Japan. The boy frees parts of his body bit by bit while performing and the musician reconciles with his past.

Meet Tomona & Inu-Oh. Asmik Ace has released the first teaser trailer for a new film from Japanese anime director Masaaki Yuasa, known for his vibrant animation The Night Is Short Walk on Girl, Lu Over the Wall, and Ride Your Wave. His latest work is a film called Inu-Oh, based on a classic story about the life of Inu-Oh "King Dog", a 14th-century Japanese performer of music drama at the time of its transition from the folk art of sarugaku "monkey music" into the formalized traditions of Noh and kyôgen. The story is about the friendship between a blind musician named Tomona, and a physically deformed dancer named Inu-Oh, who achieve great success and fame working together. The film's voice cast features Avu-Chan and Mirai Moriyama. This is premiering at the 2021 Venice Film Festival coming up in the next few months, playing in the Horizons sidebar section. There's plenty of...

Last week on “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” the top 7 queens unveiled their best celebrity impersonations in the iconic “Snatch Game” challenge. Three time challenge winner and comedy queen Lawrence Chaney showed her first signs of vulnerability and fell into the bottom two, but managed to outperform Tia Kofi in the lip sync. As the Baroness of Basic sashayed away, Bimini Bon-Boulash continued her rise, earning a first solo win and second overall.

RuPaul Charles is back again to host the second season of the UK series alongside her longtime friend and collaborator Michelle Visage. They’re joined on the panel by entertainment legends Alan Carr and Graham Norton, as well as a collection of guest judges throughout the season. Read below for our recap of episode 7 to find out what happens when the queens turn themselves into “Lockdown Supersheroes”:

Because Tia had already been in the bottom twice, after...

After releasing Lu Over the Wall to critical acclaim, director Masaaki Yuasa was met with a similar brief for his next feature, Ride Your Wave, by Japanese animation studio Science Saru.

“We were assigned with the same theme, ‘a love story involving a fantastic/out-of-this-world being,’” Yuasa recalls. “From there, we came up with the story about a guy who turned into water and a human girl.”

Turning into a meditation on loss, following Yuasa’s experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, Ride Your Wave centers on Hinako, a surfer whose life changes forever when the charming Minato rescues her from an apartment building fire. Thereafter, the firefighter tragically passes, but the romance between the two only continues to unfold, when Hinako finds that she can summon her lost love to appear, wherever there is water.

Distributed by Toho in Japan and by Gkids in the U.

This weeks episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race All-Stars was more subdued regarding drama this week, due to the intense drama initiated by India who left the competition after Shea Coulee won the lip-sync. This episode dealt with the tension and gossip that was created in the last episode (whether you think they are true or not) which is a very clever way to leave a mark for India. As Jujubee pointed out, the queens are still talking about her elimination, which means the viewers are constantly being reminded of her; which as they say in the business: “any publicity is good publicity.” I have to admit, I wasn’t particularly familiar with India but after causing two of the biggest arguments in this season she is not someone I will forget in a long time, which was probably her intention from the start.

This weeks episode of Ru...

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights for Masaaki Yuasa’s animated feature Inu-Oh. Gkids, Japanese production company Science Saru Inc. and its partner Asmik Ace, Inc. made the announcement today. This marks the fifth collaboration between Gkids and Yuasa. The production company worked with Yuasa on his films Lu Over the Wall, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl, Mind Game, and most recently, Ride Your Wave. Gkids is set to release Inu-Oh theatrically in 2021.

The film follows the titular Inu-Oh, the legendary 14th century Noh performer, who is born with unique physical characteristics. As a result of his appearance, the horrified adults cover every inch of his body with garments, including a mask on his face. One day, he meets a boy named Tomona, a blind biwa player. When Tomona plays a delicate song of tangled fate, Inu-Oh discovers an incredible ability to dance.

Inu-Oh and Tomona...

GKids has acquired North American theatrical rights to the animated feature “Inu-Oh,” a 2D re-imagining of the 14th century Japanese performer from acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa (“Ride Your Wave”). “Inu-Oh,” which is currently part of Annecy 2020 Online’s work-in-progress program, and produced by Science Saru Inc., will be released this fall.

The musical animated feature tells the story of the friendship between the legendary 14th century Noh performer Inu-Oh, born with unique physical characteristics that he hides with a mask and full garments, and the blind Biwa player Tomona. As the two rise from hardship to stardom through their creative partnership, they may break each other’s curse. The film offers character creation from manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), who previously collaborated with Yuasa on the anime adaptation of Matsumoto’s series “Ping Pong the Animation.” “Inu-Oh” marks the fifth movie from the director that GKids has distributed, following “Ride Your Wave...

GKids has acquired North American theatrical rights to the animated feature “Inu-Oh,” a 2D re-imagining of the 14th century Japanese performer from acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa (“Ride Your Wave”). “Inu-Oh,” which is currently part of Annecy 2020 Online’s work-in-progress program, and produced by Science Saru Inc., will be released this fall.

The musical animated feature tells the story of the friendship between the legendary 14th century Noh performer Inu-Oh, born with unique physical characteristics that he hides with a mask and full garments, and the blind Biwa player Tomona. As the two rise from hardship to stardom through their creative partnership, they may break each other’s curse. The film offers character creation from manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), who previously collaborated with Yuasa on the anime adaptation of Matsumoto’s series “Ping Pong the Animation.” “Inu-Oh” marks the fifth movie from the director that GKids has distributed, following “Ride Your Wave...

Distributor plans 2021 release.

Gkids has acquired North American rights from Asmik Ace to Masaaki Yuasa’s musical animation Inu-Oh, recently presented as a work in progress at Annecy.

The film tells the story of the friendship between the legendary 14th century Noh performer Inu-Oh, and the blind Biwa player Tomona, who rise from hardship to stardom through their creative partnership.

The film features character creation from manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), who previously collaborated with Yuasa on the anime adaptation of Matsumoto’s series Ping Pong The Animation.

Eunyoung Choi of Science Saru and Fumie Takeuchi of Asmik Ace served as producers.

If you are not familiar with the format of Ru Paul’s Drag Race as a franchise then I need to give you a lesson! The normal series has a group of drag queens perform in a range of challenges to discover America’s next drag superstar but the All-Stars brand of the show gathers those who didn’t win their respective seasons and makes then compete against each other. This also happens weeks, months and, even sometimes, years after the original seasons have aired so the queens have had a chance to improve their overall drag and have more money to do so. This means that the standard on the All-Stars season is a lot higher than the regular season and means that the queens have to work even harder to win (which I didn’t even realise was possible!)

As I have already said Ru Paul’s Drag...

Netflix, China’s Alibaba and France have thrown their weight behind the Annecy Animation Festival, with the festival set to showcase an in progress reveal of the U.S. streaming giant’s “The Cupcake Show!” plus a look back at cult movie “Animal Crackers,” as well as six French productions in its Work in Progress section, Annecy’s single most important program strand.

Distributed by Alibaba Pictures Group, “New Gods: Nezha Reborn,” from Ji Zhao, follows on the highest grossing animated movie ever in a single territory, earning over $700 million in China.

French productions are led by the hugely awaited “The Summit of the Gods,” produced by Jean-Charles Ostorero and the most ambitious movie to date from Didier and Damien Brunner.

Also in the French Wip mix is “The Island,” the latest from Romania’s Anca Damian, who won Annecy’s top pirize with “Crilic: The Path to Beyond,” as...

Between the absence of the traditional “Ru-mix” and the results of that extremely close lip-sync battle, we’re officially filing Friday’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race under “polarizing.”

Following Gigi Goode’s victory in the mini challenge, she and the other remaining queens — Jaida Essence Hall, Crystal Methyd, Jackie Cox and Sherry Pie — learned that, instead of putting their individual spins on a RuPaul jam, they’d be performing a medley of numbers from RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! (That’s right, folks. Just like that Frozen-inspired runway a few weeks back, we’re once again...

Netflix has confirmed that 55 new original series, movies and specials will be debuting on the streaming service in March. Leading off the lineup is the third season of the Emmy-winning crime drama “Ozark” starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julie Garner.

Among the original films is “Spenser Confidential,” a reboot of the 1980s crime series starring Robert Urich. This time around Mark Wahlberg plays the cop turned detective alongside rapper Post Malone who makes his acting debut.

Leading the list of documentaries is “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” which details the catalyst for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. It is executive produced by the Obamas, who were also behind the recent Oscar winner “American Factory.”

Below is the full schedule of everything that is coming and leaving Netflix in March 2020.

Available March 1

Always a Bridesmaid

Beyond the Mat

Cop Out

Corpse Bride

Donnie Brasco

Freedom Writers

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past...

Netflix is adding a robust line-up of popular programs to its slate in March.

In addition to rom-coms like Matthew Mcconaughey’s “Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past,” “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Always a Bridesmaid,” the streamer is also adding a few classics like “Goodfellas” and “The Shawshank Redemption” starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The latter film also serves as an analogy for actor Macaulay Culkin’s journey to freedom, according to his Esquire interview.

Original Netflix shows coming to the platform next month include “Lost Girls,” “Crip Camp” and Season 3 of “Elite.” Based on a true story, “Lost Girls” follows a mother who, in her desperate search to find her missing daughter, helps to uncover a string of unsolved murders. Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne and Thomasin Mckenzie make up the cast.

“Elite” follows three working-class teens who enroll in an exclusive Spanish private school. But once they arrive,...

Water, as a conduit for romance and spirituality, has been en vogue as of late in Japanese feature animation. Entries in this wet subgenre, where young characters grapple with torrential rain and oceans to dazzling effect, as well as life lessons submerged in nature-based metaphors, include Makoto Shinkai’s box office hit “Weathering With You,” Ayumu Watanabe’s upcoming “Children of the Sea,” and Masaaki Yuasa’s mermaid tale “Lu Over the Wall.”

Returning to that liquid magic, Yuasa, who produces films through his own company Science Saru, makes a new splash with his third feature in three years “Ride Your Wave,” written by Reiko Yoshida, who also penned recent anime standouts “Okko’s Inn,” “A Silent Voice,” and “Liz and the Blue Bird.” Notwithstanding the saturation of H2O-fueled teen movies, the director-screenwriter pair filter a love story through an oddball premise addressing heroism and perseverance with robust notes of graphic originality.

With February 29th fast approaching – this is a Leap Year, remember – Netflix is preparing to roll out a fresh helping of new content for March 2020.

It’s a familiar combination of original series, time-honored classics and beloved franchise films, with next month set to herald the arrival of Resident Evil: Apocalypse and its undead sequel, Extinction. Sure, it’s a far cry from the quality and craft of The Lord of the Rings – speaking of which, both the Twin Towers and The Return of the King will be departing Netflix in four weeks’ time – but the saga of Alice still carved out an audience to call its own.

Also peppered throughout Netflix’s March 2020 catalog are some big-name horror titles and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, including Signs and the third season of Ozark. And then there’s the third season of Castlevania, which, it’s fair to say, has been a long time coming.

Alec Bojalad Feb 19, 2020

Here's what's new on Netflix in March 2020! We've got a complete list of what's leaving, too.

Normally the big story for each month of Netflix new releases are the exciting batch of Netflix original series and movies arriving. For Netflix's new releases for March 2020, things are a little bit different. Yes, there are some cool originals here but...look at those movies!

March 1 sees the arrival of Corpse Bride, The Shawshank Redemption, There Will Be Blood, and Goodfellas! Martin Scorsese likely can't unilaterally decide when and where his movies stream, but it is a happy coincidence that Goodfellas will now exist alongside The Irishman.

As for those Netflix originals...Ozark is the biggest returning hit in March. The story of a very corrupt family airs its third season on March 27. Also of note are Castlevania season 3 (March 5), Altered Carbon: Resleeved (March 19). But really after Goodfellas, nothing else was really necessary.

Netflix is out with its list of everything coming and going in March, and highlights include “Ozark” Season 3, coming March 27, and the Brazilian version of the popular reality competition “The Circle,” coming March 11.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is we’re gaining some beloved mid-2000s films, like “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “Valentine’s Day” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Corpse Bride” and “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” plus some ’90s favorites like “Space Jam” and “GoodFellas.”

The bad news is that throughout the month we’re losing “Black Panther,” “Eat Pray Love,” “The Waterboy,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Batman Begins,” both “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “The Two Towers,” and “Kill Bill” Volumes 1 and 2.

Also Read: Hulu in March: Here's Everything Coming and Going

Here’s the full list of everything coming and going throughout next month.

During the current millennium, Masaaki Yuasa has risen as one of the most original and qualitative voices of anime, through his unique style, both in terms of story and animation. Particularly the last few years, with films like “Night is Short, Walk on Girl” and “Lu Over the Wall”, his fame has skyrocketed even on international level. “Ride Your Wave” follows in all of the aforementioned footsteps, in a film that won prizes for Best Animation from Shanghai, Fantasia and Sitges.

Ride Your Wave is screening as part of The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

19-year-old Hinako moves to the seaside town she used to live with her parents when she was little, in order to study oceanography, and surf. When her new apartment catches fire, courtesy of a gang who use fireworks illegally, she is rescued by Minato Hinageshi, a 21-year-old firefighter with a strong sense of justice, who...

Masaaki Yuasa's previous film Lu Over the Wall visited a seaside town that boasted its own musical, mythical mermaid. Now, the acclaimed animation-focused filmmaker returns to the sea with Ride Your Wave, adding a fiery romance to the musical maritime story. And now that new movie is coming to North American shores! Gkids, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events will continue their partnership with a special showing of visionary director Masaaki Yuasa’s new film Ride Your Wave on Wednesday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.. …...

"If you stay with your head underwater, you'll never learn to ride the waves." GKids has released the first official Us trailer for the latest anime from beloved Japanese filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa, of the films The Night Is Short Walk on Girl and Lu Over the Wall previously. This already premiered in Japan last summer, and is playing for only one night in the Us in theaters before arriving on VOD. This cute romance is about a surfer and firefighter that meet and fall in love. The Japanese title translates to When Riding a Wave, With You, and the film is described as "a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery." It looks spunky and adorable. Featuring the voices of Ryôta Katayose, Rina Kawaei, Honoka Matsumoto, & Kentarô Itô. Reviews say it's "a charming & heartfelt story about loss and clinging to life.

TLC is bringing another great drag show in 2020 with the premiere of Dragnificent! It’s long been understood that the universe of drag is fast expanding — but even so, 2019, in particular, was a big year. Last year saw the 11th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which won its second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, while RuPaul himself nabbed his fourth consecutive Emmy statue as the genre’s top host. The Ru franchise expanded even further with its fourth Drag Race All-Stars competition and the debut of a highly-rated UK edition. Two comprehensive books surveying the history of drag were also released in 2019 […]...

What’s the easiest way to tell the next generation of anime directors’ work apart from the creative shadow of those who came before — and especially from the look and feel of Studio Ghibli? Easy, just listen to the soundtracks they choose to define their movies’ personalities. Makoto Shinkai connects with a younger demo by setting his films to the boy-band stylings of a J-Pop group called the Radwimps, while Masaaki Yuasa embraces an even more mainstream sound with “Ride Your Wave” by leaning on Generations from Exile Tribe, turning their hit single “Brand New Story” into more than just a theme.

Plenty of couples have a favorite tune, but Yuasa uses this silly love song so often in the film, it practically becomes a joke unto its own — the conduit by which a young woman struck by tragedy calls her boyfriend back from the beyond. The dead dude, Minato,...

Masaaki Yuasa has made a career out of weird yet beautifully crafted anime. From the trippy and enthralling Mind Game, to the loopy Lu Over The Wall, and even the brutally graphic and unforgiving Devilman crybaby, you know you’re in for a ride when his name comes out in the credits. Though at first glance […]

The post ‘Ride Your Wave’ Review: A Sweet And Heartfelt Anime About Grief [Sitges 2019] appeared first on /Film.

In today’s film news roundup, animated adventure “Promare” is set for release, SAG-aftra is dealing with Disney’s tardy residual payments and horror-thriller “Lucky” has wrapped.

Release Dates

GKids and Fathom Events are collaborating on a U.S. release of the Japanese animated action-adventure movie “Promare” in September.

“Promare” is the first feature-length film from Studio Trigger, the creators behind “Kill la Kill” and “Little Witch Academia.” Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, “Promare” follows a group of humans who must defend the Earth from a mutant group called the Burnish, many of whom are able to control and wield flames.

“Promare” will be shown in its original Japanese language as well as in an all-new English language version. The English-language dubbed film will be shown Sept. 17, and the subtitled version will be screened on Sept. 19.

GKids also has picked up North American distribution rights for the animated “Ride Your Wave,...

Early 2020 theatrical release for latest collaboration with Masaaki Yuasa.

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Japanese animation Ride Your Wave following the recent competition screening at Annecy.

The distributor plans an early 2020 theatrical release for its fourth collaboration with director Masaaki Yuasa after Lu Over the Wall, Mind Game, and The Night is Short, Walk On Girl .

Ride Your Wave is a love story about a surfer named Hinako and a firefighter named Minato, whose bond is tested to say the least after Minato dies in a rescue attempt and reappears from the water to Hinako whenever she sings their favorite song.

Indie distributor Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights for animated feature Ride Your Wave, which recently premiered at the Annecy animation festival in competition. It will get a North American theatrical release in early 2020.

This is Gkids' fourth film from director Masaaki Yuasa, following local releases of Lu Over the Wall, Mind Game and The Night is Short, Walk On Girl. Ride Your Wave is a love story between a surfer named Hinako and a firefighter named Minato. Their bond is tested after Minato tragically loses his life in a rescue attempt, only to reappear from the water ...