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Out This Week: Mars, Little Amelie or The Character Of Rain, Zootropolis 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:23:00 +0000

Well, hello strangers. After an extended hiatus, we're back with another edition of Out This Week, our weekly round-up of what's new on physical media (and sometimes digital). New this week is the Oscar nominated french feature Little Amelie or The Character of Rain, and Mars, the first and final animated feature from comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U Know.

New in the UK this week is Disney's Zootropolis 2, otherwise known as Zootopia 2, arriving on disc following a record-breaking cinema run, which saw it become the highest grossing American animated film of all time.

All information correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For March 9, 2026

Zootropolis 2 ( Disney, PG) "Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray Steelbook, DVD

Buy From Amazon

Zootropolis: 2 Movie Collection (Disney, PG) "Double bill of animated adventures featuring the voice talents of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray, DVD

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For March 10, 2026

I'm Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!? - Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, TV-14) "Having Samurai blood may be a status symbol in Japan, but as businessman Tsukasa Atsumi discovers, it also makes one a target for demonic attacks. Fortunately, he’s rescued by ninja Shizuri Ideura, who specializes in fighting demons, so the two decide to form a contract wherein she’ll move in to provide 24-7 anti-demon coverage. It’s not like hiring a maid service, though, as Shizuri is also an otaku shut-in who’d rather spend her time playing videogames and lazing about the house than fading into the background. However, given that she’s also uber-adorable, just how far away can the romantic complications be in I'm Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS/ Shout Factory, PG) "Amélie, a Belgian child in Japan, explores life with her companion Nishio-san. Her third birthday becomes a turning point, marking the beginning of life-altering events that shape her understanding of the world."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray, Digital

Buy From Amazon

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny Collection (Warner Bros, NR) "The characters of Looney Tunes get themselves into crazy situations."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season - Complete Box Set (Aniplex, 16+) "While Koyomi Araragi’s time may be ending, the journey continues with the girls he’s saved. Their own tales of struggles and supernatural threats once thought to be resolved are far from over. From the past to the future, discover their stories, challenges, and intertwined destinies they now face in the wake of Araragi’s departure."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Crunchyroll store

Possibly The Greatest Alchemist Of All Time: The Complete Season (Crunchyroll, TV-14) "Accidentally summoned to another world and given the ability of alchemy, Takumi decides to make life better by “inventing” modern technology. But when he becomes the target of a powerful empire, he must join the fight against them to protect his dream."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Rango 4K (Paramount Pictures, PG) "When he becomes lost in the desert, pet chameleon Rango pretends he's a tough guy and ends up sheriff of a corrupt and violent frontier town."

FORMATS: 4K UHD+ Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon

The Whitest Kids U Know's Mars (Whole Grain Pictures, R ) "When he wins a sweepstakes, Kyle Capshaw gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to join billionaire Elron Branson on a voyage to Mars, along with four other winners. Unfortunately, he entered in order to escape his miserable career, his violently insecure soon-to-be-bride, and a secret hobby that nobody would ever understand. But things go wrong almost immediately, and soon Kyle and his fellow amateur astronauts find themselves stranded, horny, and increasingly feral."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Media OCD

Upcoming Releases

Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045 Season 1 March 16 [UK]

Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045 Season 2 March 16 [UK]

Lycoris Recoil March 16

The Boy and The Beast 4k March 17

David March 17

Food Wars: The third Plate March 17

Green Green March 17

Solo Leveling Season 2 March 17

The Glassworker March 24

Loner Life In Another World March 24

Looney Tunes Collector's Vault Volume 2, March 24

RWBY Volume 9 March 24

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off March 24

The Whitest Kids U Know's Mars March 24

Lupin III: Specials Collection March 31

Lpin III vs Cat's Eye March 31

Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-lympics March 31

The Spongebob Movie: Search For SquarePants March 31

Voltes V: The Complete Series March 31

Fate/Grand Carnival April 6 [UK]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off April 6 [UK]

The Dagger Ok Kamui April 7

Farming Life In Another World April 7

One Piece : Season 14 voyage 9 April 7

Over The Garden Wall April 7

Colorful Stage: The Movie April 14

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom 4k April 14

Ushio and Tora: Complete Series April 14

Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up April 20 [UK]

Famous Studios Champion Collection April 21

Hair High (Bill Plympton) April 21

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 April 21

Tada Never Falls In Love April 21

Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World! April 28

The AFA Podcast Interview: Ricard Cusso and Elise Allen (The Pout Pout Fish)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:13:00 +0000

Welcome back to the AFA Podcast, and another edition of our interview specials. This time we got to speak with Ricard Cusso and Elise Allen, the director and writer respectively of The Pout Pout Fish, the new animated feature released in North America on March 20.

Presented and produced by Chris Perkins.

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Zootopia 2 Comes To Streaming This March

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:01:00 +0000

Fans had been waiting just short of a decade for a return to the world of Zootopia (known in the UK and some other markets as Zootropolis). That return finally arrived last year with the release of Zootopia 2. Now Disney has announced that the sequel is going to be streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting this month.

It seems that audiences were extremely hungry for further adventures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, as the film broke all sorts of records. The film went on to become the highest-grossing animated MPA (Motion Picture Association) release of all time, and the eighth highest-grossing film of all time, with $1.85 billion. The film is the fifth film from Walt Disney Animation Studios to gross more than $1 billion at the box office- including, of course, its predecessor. It also had the fourth-highest global opening, behind only the last two Avengers films and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Over $650 million of that $1.85 billion came from China, where it has become the highest-grossing Hollywood release of all time, still dominating the box office after 11 weeks on release.

The film won the BAFTA Film Award for Best Animated Feature and is nominated for the same at this month's Oscars. It has received similar acclaim from audiences too, including a Rotten Tomatoes 96% Verified Hot Audience Score and an A CinemaScore

The film picks up not long after the original, with Judy and Nick still rookie cops (and now partners). The dynamic duo find themselves caught up in a great mystery with the arrival of Gary De'Snake, apparently the first reptile seen in the city in a century. To uncover the mystery, they must travel to previously unseen parts of town, go undercover, and test their new partnership like never before.

The film is directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, written by Bush and produced by Yvett Merino. It features the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Idris Elba, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, Fortune Feimster, Patrick Warburton and Nate Torrence.

Zooopia 2 will be available on Disney+ alongside the original Zootopia and the short-form TV series Zootopia+. Existing titles have been streamed more than 805 million hours globally to date. And it's sure to jump up even higher when the sequel is available. Fans can visit the Zootopia Collection to get caught up or watch an old favourite.

Zootopia 2 will be available to stream on Disney+ from March 11. Subscription required.

The AFA Podcast Interview: David Feiss (Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:36:00 +0000

Well, hello there, and welcome once again to The AFA Podcast and another interview special! This time we got to speak with David Feiss, animation legend and creator of the classic Cartoon Network series Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel. David's new series Armorsaurs is now streaming on Disney Plus and sees his foray into live-action/animation hybrid directing. We spoke about his entire career, from his early years at Hanna-Barbera, via Ren and Stimpy to Cow and Chicken and beyond. We hope you enjoy listening!

Presented and produced by Chris Perkins.

Listen to the show right here or Get the RSS Feed here. Find all our podcasts here, Download the show here.

Find us and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice- including:

If we're not on your podcast platform of choice, let us know and we'll see what we can do!

See all our Episodes here

Other ways to support the site here.

SHOW NOTES

DAVID FEISS IMDB

DAVID FEISS WIKIPEDIA

New Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:19:00 +0000

31 years after it first aired and revolutionised anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion is coming back. Unveiled at the Evangelion:30+; 30th Anniversary of Evangelion festival, the project is described as Evangelion's "Next Genesis". The festival also featured the world premiere of Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening, a new 13-minute short starring fan-favourite character Asuka.

Several staff members were also announced. Yokō Tarō will be script supervisor and screenwriter, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Tōko Yatabe will be the directors. Keiichi Okabe will compose the music. Studio Khara and Cloverworks will be on animation duties. It's not clear at this point if it will be a TV series or movie(s),

The original anime aired for 26 episodes in 1995-1996. It was followed by two feature films Death and Rebirth and The End Of Evangelion. But that wasn't the end of Evangelion as the Rebuild Of Evangelion rebooted the series as a series of four films released between 2007 and 2021. The series has also spun off multiple manga series, video games and a metric ton of merchandise.

The series followed Shinji and his fellow traumatised teens strapped to giant experimental bio-weapons (not giant robots) and forced to fight off The Angels, mysterious invaders sent from an unknown source and seemingly bent on destroying humanity.

The series is well known for its Judeo-Christian and other religious imagery and its deep themes of psychological trauma and mental health, loneliness, depression and identity. It's a long way from your average mecha show.

What form the new anime will take remains to be seen. But presumably it would have to be (another) reboot, as -spoilers- there isn't really much room for a sequel to the original. Will it be a close remake with shinier animation or will it be something more radical? Evangelion has rarely taken the easy route in the past so this looks like an exciting prospect.

Studio Khara released a teaser trailer for the new project:

Translation (from Anime News Network):

Text: Teaser
Credits: Production: Studio Khara x CloverWorks
Text: The eternal summer vacation
Text: This is our paradise
Text: This is our graveyard
Text: What you hear is a song of eternal punishment
Credits: Music: Keiichi Okabe (NieR:Automata, NieR Replicant/Gestalt, Summer Time Rendering)
Credits: Series Script Supervisor/Writer: Yokō Tarō (NieR:Automata, NieR Replicant/Gestalt, Drakengard franchise)
Credits: Directors: Kazuya Tsurumaki (Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy)
Credits: Tōko Yatabe (Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
Text: Production on a brand-new Evangelion series launches
Text: May those souls rest in peace

[source]

The Wingfeather Saga Season 4 Cast Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:14:00 +0000

Angel, one of the most successful independent media companies, has announced the all-star cast for one of its upcoming series, coming to its streaming platform. The Wingfeather Saga, based on the book series of the same name by Andrew Peterson, is returning for a fourth season sometime later this year.

Academy-Award-winning actor Jim Broadband (Game Of Thrones, Paddington) joins the cast as the wonderfully named Bonifer Squoon. He is joined by Jodie Benson (The Little Mermaid), Kevin McNally (Pirates Of The Caribbean), Alkaio Thiele (Wizards of Waverly Place), Romy Faye (The Chosen Adventures), Henry Witcher (The Wild Robot) and many others who are reprising their roles from the previous three seasons.

The Wingfeather Saga follows the adventures of the Igiby family, as they discover their dark family history, flee the evil Fangs of Dang, find their place in the world and stand up to the mysterious ruler Gnag the Nameless. They will need all their special gifts to survive the venomous Fangs, Sea Dragons, flabbits and worst of all, the toothy cows!

The Wingfeather Saga is distributed by Angel and produced by Nashville-based Shining Isle Productions. The animation studio is led by industry veterans from Pixar, Big Idea (Veggietales), Dreamworks Animation, Valve and Blue Sky Studios and has developed a complete production pipeline with proprietary tools. This allows the series to be produced using cutting-edge game engine technology from Unreal Engine, while still delivering a "paint-motion" experience. The series is created by J. Chris Wall.

Season four of The Wingfeather Saga will be available on Angel's streaming platform or Angel.com later this year. Seasons one to three are available to watch now (season one for free). Download the app on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Vizio, and other major platforms.

Akira, Demon Slayer and Kiki's Delivery Service Return to Cinemas

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:04:00 +0000

©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable

A whole host of anime is returning to the big screen in the next couple of months, giving fans an opportunity to relive some classics and recent hits- or experience them for the first time. First up, fans on both sides of the pond will get another chance to see Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle. Nominated for a Golden Globe and longlisted for a BAFTA, the film earned over $795 million at the worldwide box-office, making it the highest-grossing Japanese film, the highest-grossing anime, and 5th highest-grossing non-English language film of all time, as well as the 5th highest-grossing film of 2025.

In the UK, the film broke the record for the highest-grossing anime film in the UK and Ireland when it took £3.4 million at the box-office. In the United States, it became the highest-grossing international film of all time, finally unseating Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which had held the record for 25 years.

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba: The Movie: Infinity Castle will also be making its debut in the SCREENX format, offering an immersive 270-degree field of view. The film will be screened in Japanese with English subtitles.

Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures will also be bringing the film back to regular cinemas in North America (from March 6) and the UK and Ireland (from March 7). The film will be available both in Japanese with subtitles and dubbed in English.

In the UK, Anime Limited have announced that they will be bringing the classic anime Akira back to the big screen this April. The landmark feature film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (based on his own epic manga) will be returning to cinemas, including IMAX, screening in a 4K Restoration.

Set in the aftermath of World War III, Neo Tokyo is a lawless, neon-soaked metropolis, where biker gangs run wild. Two of these young bikers, Kaneda and Tetsuo, crash head-first into a government experiment. Tetsuo is kidnapped and experimented on, transforming him into something not quite human, and the scene is set for the most epic showdown in anime.

Originally released in Japan in 1988, the film is to this day considered one of the best Japanese animated films of all time. On its initial release in the UK and Ireland in 1991, it introduced audiences to the world of anime.

The film returns to UK and Irish cinemas from April 17. Sign up for details here.

Meanwhile, across the pond, GKIDS Films have announced that Hayao Miyazaki's classic Kiki's Delivery Service will be coming exclusively to IMAX theatres in a new 4K restoration.

The release marks the first time that Kiki's Delivery Service has ever screened in IMAX. It follows last year's announcement that GKIDS would be partnering with IMAX to bring 4K restorations of Studio Ghibli films to the Really Big Screen. Hayao Miyazaki's 1989 feature follows the adventures of a young witch.

The film will open exclusively in IMAX locations in the United States and Canada from March 13. It will screen both in Japanese with subtitles and with an English dub. Tickets can be purchased from here.

Zootopia 2, Two Black Boys In Paradise win BAFTAs

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:50:00 +0000

This year's award season is in full swing. Somewhere between The Golden Globes and The Oscars we find the BAFTA Film Awards- otherwise known as simply the BAFTAs. Voted on by the members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, they are essentially the UK's equivalent of The Academy Awards.

Animation was nominated for three categories this year. Most obviously in the Best Animated Film category (which was again relegated to "awards presented earlier" in the TV broadcast). Only three films were nominated this year. K-Pop Demon Hunters was conspicuous by its absence, due to it not having met the qualifying criteria in the UK. BAFTA made up for it by having the first live performance of the film's lead banger Golden outside of North America.

The three nominated films were: Disney's Zootroplis 2 (a.k.a. Zootopia 2), Pixar's Elio and Little Amelie also known as Little Amelie or the Character of Rain. And the ultimate winner on the night was... Zootroplis. This marks the third win for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Opening it up to the wider Disney family, Pixar have won the award eight times (so far).

It feels a bit like the safe choice, but Zootroplis/Zootopia is a crowd-pleaser so who's to say it's the wrong one? Elio feels a bit like it's been nominated because it's Pixar rather than for its quality. Little Amelie faced the uphill struggle that independent and international films always do.

Zootropolis 2 also scored a second nomination in the new Best Children and Family Film. it was only awarded for the first time last year, when Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl won it. Zootropolis was nominated alongside Ugo Bienvenu's animated Arco, the live-action Lilo and Stitch and Indian feature Boong. Unfortunatley, there was no animated winner this year, and the BAFTA went to Boong.

The winner of the Special Visual Effects award was Avatar: Fire and Ash, overcoming competition from F1, The Lost Bus, Frankenstein and How To Train Your Dragon.

Last, but by no means least, we come to the British Short Animation award. The nominees were JP Vine's Cardboard, Luke Angus's Solstice and Baz Sells' Two Black Boys in Paradise. On the night,the ultimate victor was Two Black Boys In Paradise.

The stop-motion animated film was based on the poem by Dean Atta, narrated by Jordan Stephens and directed by Baz Sells.

Poet and co-wriiter Dean Atta said of their win: ""I feel incredibly proud of our whole team. I'm glad we could bring so many people with us today to celebrate this journey which has been the ride of a lifetime and I'm really grateful to Baz and Ben for taking me on this journey with them.”

Producer Ben Jackson said "This means absolutely everything beyond my wildest dreams. Obviously, when we set out to make it, it wasn't with that in mind. We made the absolute best film we could and so many people gave so much to it over five years. So for everyone involved, I'm just really proud and really happy."

Director Baz Sells added "The recognition is incredibly welcome because so many people worked so hard. There were a lot of tough challenges that were only overcome because we had such an extraordinary crew. I'm so proud of Ben and Dean for bringing their stories to the screen and allowing us collectively to share it with the world."

The victory rounds up a very impressive two years for the nine-minute film, which took over five years to produce. It has screened at over 60 international festivals and has racked up a tally of 22 presigious prizes and awards including Portland Festival of Cinema, Big Fridge International Film Festival, Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival, Ealing Film Festival, the Oscar-qualifying Woodstock Film Festival, London Breeze Film Festival, Thessaloniki Animation Festival, Encounters Film Festival and Manchester Animation Festival.

Produced by One6th Animation in Manchester, the film stars the two titular black boys, Edan and Dula. Together, they explore their love for one another, which transports them to a paradise free from shame and judgement. Inspired by Atta's poem from his anthology There Is (Still) Love Here, the film explores the intersection of race, sexuality and indentity, tackling the realaities of racism and homophobia through a hopeful lense.

The film is currently available to view in the UK on Channel 4. You can also listen to our interview with Baz Sells and fellow nominee JP Vine as part of our Manchester Animation Festival Special podcast.

K-Pop Demon Hunters Dominates the 53rd Annie Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:45:00 +0000

Animators will welcome recognition from any awards organisation or ceremony. But the Annie Awards are a little bit special. Dedicated to animation, and voted on by their peers, they are a celebration of the whole medium. The great and the good of the animation world assembled in Los Angeles this past weekend for the glitziest event in the animation calendar.

K-Pop Demon Hunters was the big winner of the night, taking home all ten awards it was nominated for, including Best Feature and Best Direction (Feature). Pixar's Elio, by contrast, was completely shut out, losing out in all ten categories it was nominated for. Also going home empty handed was Zootopia 2 and Little Amelie or The Character of Rain. The Best Feature- Independent award went to Ugo Bienvenu's time-travelling adventure Arco.

Snoopy Presents A Summer Musical took home the Best Special Production and the Best Short Subject award went to Aaron Blaise's Snow Bear. Best Sponsored was awarded to Olipop Yeti.

In TV Best Preschool was given to Wow Lisa for the episode Rainy Day. Best TV/Media- Children went to the recently revived The Wonderfully Weird World Of Gumball. Adult Swim's debuting series Common Side Effects took home an incredible four awards, including Best TV/Media- Mature, Best Writing and Best Direction. Pixar's Disney+ series Win Or Lose took home three awards, including Best Character Animation. Netflix and Blur Studios' Love Death + Robots also won three awards, including Best Production Design.

The Voice acting awards went to Dan Mintz for Bob's Burgers (in television) and Arden Cho for K-Pop Demon Hunters (in features).

Best Storyboarding (Feature) went to The Bad Guys 2.

Best FX- TV/Media was awarded to Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, with K-Pop Demon Hunters taking Best FX- Feature. Best Character Animation- Live Action went to the remake of How To Train Your Dragon. Best Character Animation- Video Game went to South Of Midnight.

As previously announced juried awards were also presented.The Winsor McCay Award, in recognition of lifetime or career achievement, was given to Michael Dudok de Wit, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord and Chris Sanders. The June Foray Award was given to Sandy Rabins, producer and founder of the AnimAID initiative. The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry was presented to Wacom, manufacturer of the Cintiq graphic tablet. The Special Achievement Award was presented to LightBox Expo.

The full list of winners and nominees is below:

1. Best Feature

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

The Bad Guys 2

DreamWorks Animation

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

2. Best Feature - Independent

A Magnificent Life

Mediawan, What the Prod and Bidibul productions

Arco

Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma

I'm Frankelda

Cinema Fantasma, Warner Bros. Discovery, Woo Films, Cine Vendaval

Lost In Starlight

Netflix / Climax Studio

Scarlet

Studio CHIZU

3. Best Special Production

A Loud House Christmas Movie: Naughty or Nice

Nickelodeon Animation Studio & Jam Filled Entertainment

Adult Swim's The Elephant

Titmouse and Williams Street

Not Just a Goof

Venturia Animation Studios ® for CNEK Films LLC

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical

WildBrain Studios in association with Apple

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland

Lupus Films, Universal Pictures Content Group

4. Best Short Subject

Cardboard

Locksmith Animation

Ovary-Acting

Klipp og Lim, Jante Films, Apparat Filmproduktion AB

Pillowzzz

Animoshe

Snow Bear

The Art of Aaron Blaise

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

National Film Board of Canada

5. Best Sponsored

Animated Short: "Trek" | Honkai: Star Rail

FLiiiP Design

Fortnite x The Simpsons: Apocalypse D’Oh!

A Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation

LouiMax Dreams of Being An Adult

Imagine Create Media Inc. in conjunction with Maileg APS

Olipop Yeti

Screen Novelties & Passion Pictures

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - The Animation

SEGA of America in association with GXS Productions

6. Best TV/Media - Preschool

Eva The Owlet

Episode: Welcome to Treetopington

Brown Bag Films / Scholastic Entertainment in association with Apple

Kindergarten: The Musical!

Episode: Gotta Go!

Oddbot Entertainment, Disney Branded Television

The Tiny Chef Show

Episode: Tiny Chef's Spooky Stump Spectacular

Imagine Entertainment, Tiny Chef Productions and Nickelodeon Productions

Wow Lisa

Episode: Rainy Day

Punkrobot

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Episode: I am Jackie Robinson

9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films

7. Best TV/Media - Children

My Melody & Kuromi

Episode: All For Our Best Friend

Sanrio Company for Netflix

Spice Frontier: Escape From Veltegar

Episode: 1

Steamroller Animation

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja

Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point Grey Pictures

The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball

Episode: The Rewrite

Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe

Wylde Pak

Episode: Sungandeul

Nickelodeon Animation Studios / Jam Filled Entertainment

8. Best TV/Media - Mature

Bob's Burgers

Episode: Grand Pre-Pre-Pre Opening

20th TV

Common Side Effects

Episode: Pilot

Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment and Williams Street Productions

Haha, You Clowns

Episode: 107 - Duncan Holds a Baby

Williams Street

Il Baracchino

Episode: Claudia entra in un caffè

Luckyred, Megadrago

South Park

Episode: Sermon on the 'Mount

Comedy Central LLC

9. Best TV/Media – Limited Series

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Episode: Episode III

Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films

Eyes of Wakanda

Episode: Into The Lion's Den

Marvel Studios

Marvel Zombies

Episode: 2

Marvel Studios

Star Wars: Visions - Volume 3

Episode: BLACK

david production

Win Or Lose

Episode: Episode 8: Home

Pixar Animation Studios

10. Best Student Film

A Sparrow's Song

Student Director: Tobias Eckerlin

Student Producer: Tobias Eckerlin

School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Acrobats

Student Directors: Eloïse Alluyn, Hugo Danet, Anna Despinoy, Antonin Guerci, Alexandre Marzin, Shali Reddy

School: Gobelins

Jour de vent

Student Directors: Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding

School: École des Nouvelles Images

The Undying Pain of Existence

Student Director: Oscar Jacobson

Student Producers: Franz Rügamer, Nadiia Yunatska

School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

TRASH

Student Directors: Maxime Crançon, Alexis Le Ral

Student Producers: Robin Delaporte, Romain Fleischer, Mattéo Durand

School: ESMA

11. Best FX - TV/Media

Marvel Zombies

Episode: Episode 4

Production Company: Marvel Animation

FX Production Company: Stellar Creative Lab, Inc.

Emma Badia, Tristan Fairclough, Jimmy Dumont, Sheng Hung, Arth Vasavada

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age

Episode: The Big Freeze

Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit

FX Production Company: Framestore

Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Shuleman, Benedikt Roettger, Kevin Tarpinian

Spice Frontier

Episode: 1

Production Company: Steamroller Animation

FX Production Company: Steamroller Animation

Steamroller Animation Effects Department

Star Wars: Visions - Volume 3

Episode: The Bird of Paradise

Production Company: Polygon Pictures

FX Production Company: Polygon Pictures

Takashi Okamoto, Kohei Yamamoto, Genyo Sasaki, Chizuru Nakamura, Erika Matsui

WONDLA

Episode: Lost

Production Company: Skydance Animation

FX Production Company: ICON Creative Studio

EP 209 ICON Creative Studio FX Team

12. Best FX - Feature

Elio

Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios

FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios

Ferdi Scheepers, Shaun Galinak, Alyssa Lee, Nate Skeen, Gary Bruins

In Your Dreams

Production Company: Netflix, Kuku Studios

FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks

Dmitriy Kolesnik, Stephen Paschk, David Sellares, Stephanie McNair

KPop Demon Hunters

Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks

Filippo Macari, Nicola Finizio, Simon Lewis, Naoki Kato, Daniel La Chapelle

The Bad Guys 2

Production Company: DreamWorks Animation

FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation

Landon Gray, Michael Losure, Zachary Glynn, Chris Wombold, Olivier Malric

Zootopia 2

Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios

FX Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Le Joyce Tong, Shamintha Kalamba Arachchi, Dimitre Berberov, Chris Carignan, Cristiana Covone

13. Best Character Animation - TV/Media

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Episode: Episode III

Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films

Floriane Caseiro

Forevergreen

Special Production

Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears

Brendan Gottlieb

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical

Special Production

WildBrain Studios in association with Apple

Chris Derochie

The Simpsons

Various Episodes

A Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation

Nik Ranieri

Win Or Lose

Various Episodes

Pixar Animation Studios

Alli Sadegiani

14. Best Character Animation - Feature

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Jonah Sidhom

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix

Ryusuke Furuya

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Juliette Laurent

The Bad Guys 2

DreamWorks Animation

Ludovic Bouancheau

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Tony Smeed

15. Best Character Animation - Live Action

A Minecraft Movie

Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures / Mojang Studios / Vertigo Entertainment / On the Roam

FX Production Company: Weta FX

Kevin Estey, Anthony McIndoe, Jade Lorier, Caroline Ting, Luisma Lavin Peredo

Captain America: Brave New World

Production Company: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

FX Production Company: Weta FX

Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Andrew William Park, Marco Röth, Paul Seyb, Thien Ly

How To Train Your Dragon

Production Company: DreamWorks Animation

FX Production Company: Framestore

Kayn Garcia, Jean-Denis Haas, Meena Ibrahim, Nathan McConnel, Nick Tripodi

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age

Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit

FX Production Company: Framestore

Adrien Annesley, Alvise Avati, Riyad Chalakkara, Daniel Mizuguchi, Liam Russell

Superman

Production Company: DC Studios

FX Production Company: Framestore

Loic Mireault, Michael Elder, Philipp Winterstein, Victor Dinis, Diego De Paula Pereira Batista

16. Best Character Animation - Video Game

Bye Sweet Carole

Little Sewing Machine

Chris Darril

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Kojima Productions

Hideo Kojima, Masaaki Kawata, Kojima Productions, PlayStation Studios XDEV

Ghost of Yōtei

Sucker Punch Productions

Sucker Punch Productions Animation Team

Keeper

Double Fine Productions

Zach Baharov, Alex Turner, Jerry Matsko, Anne-Sophie Savard, Geneviève Desbiens

South of Midnight

Compulsion Games

Mike Jungbluth, Sebastien Dussault, Vincent Schneider, Remi Edmond

17. Best Character Design - TV/Media

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Episode: Episode IV

Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films

Borja Montoro

Bat-Fam

Episode: A Knight at the Movies

Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment

Benjamin Tong

Love, Death + Robots

Episode: 400 Boys

Blur Studio for Netflix

Robert Valley

Wednesdays with Gramps

Short Film

DreamWorks Animation

Seth St. Pierre

Win Or Lose

Episodes: Episode 8, Home

Pixar Animation Studios

Lou Hamou-Lhadj

18. Best Character Design - Feature

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Matt Nolte, Yingzong Xin, James Woods, Kaleb Rice, Bob Pauley

Fixed

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Craig Kellman

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Scott Watanabe, Ami Thompson

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies

Adam Paloian, Thaddeus Couldron, Alvi Ramirez

The Twits

Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company

Kei Acedera, Tristan Poulain, Jules Rigolle, Fernando Peque, Remi Salmon

19. Best Direction - TV/Media

Common Side Effects

Episode: Cliff's Edge

Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment and Williams Street Productions

Vincent Tsui

DAN DA DAN

Episode: Clash! Space Kaiju vs. Giant Robot!

Science SARU, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Distributed by GKIDS

Fuga Yamashiro, Abel Góngora

Not a Box

Episode: It’s a Boat

Silver Creek Falls Entertainment / Passion Pictures in association with Apple

Siri Melchior

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja

Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point Grey Pictures

JJ Conway, Kevin Molina-Ortiz

The Quinta's Ghost

Short Film

Martirio Films & Illusorium films

James A. Castillo

20. Best Direction - Feature

Arco

Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma

Ugo Bienvenu, Adam Sillard, Anaëlle Saba

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc

MAPPA Studios

Tatsuya Yoshihara

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han

Scarlet

Studio CHIZU

Mamoru Hosoda

21. Best Music - TV/Media

Common Side Effects

Episode: Lakeshore Limited

Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions

Nicolas Snyder

Devil May Cry

Episode: The First Circle

A Netflix Series / Studio Mir / Adi Shankar Animation / Capcom

Power Glove, Alex Seaver

Éiru

Short Film

Cartoon Saloon

Leo Pearson, Ceara Conway

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical

Special Production

WildBrain Studios in association with Apple

Ben Folds, Jeff Morrow, Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner

Win Or Lose

Episodes: Episode 6, Mixed Signals

Pixar Animation Studios

Ramin Djawadi, Shane Eli, Johnny Pakfar

22. Best Music - Feature

Arco

Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma

Arnaud Toulon

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Rob Simonsen

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

KPop Demon Hunters Music Team

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Mari Fukuhara

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin, Michael Giacchino

23. Best Production Design - TV/Media

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Episode: Episode II

Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films

Aurélien Prédal

Forevergreen

Special Production

Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears

Jeremy Spears, Gregory Culp

Love, Death + Robots

Episode: How Zeke Got Religion

Blur Studio for Netflix

Gigi Cavenago

ParaNorman: The Thrifting

Special Production

LAIKA

Thibault Leclercq, Santiago Montiel, Jung Woonyoung, Stephanie Bray-Lee

Wednesdays with Gramps

Short Film

DreamWorks Animation

Frederic Stewart

24. Best Production Design - Feature

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Harley Jessup, Ernesto Nemesio, Maria Lee, Kristian Norelius, Kyle Jones

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Helen Chen, Dave Bleich, Wendell Dalit, Scott Watanabe, Celine Kim

The Bad Guys 2

DreamWorks Animation

Luc Desmarchelier, Floriane Marchix

The Twits

Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company

Estefania Pantoja, Alexandre Diboine, Clement Dartigues, Fernando Peque, Remi Salmon

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Cory Loftis, Limei Z. Hshieh

25. Best Storyboarding - TV/Media

Love, Death + Robots

Episode: How Zeke Got Religion

Blur Studio for Netflix

Edgar Martins

ParaNorman: The Thrifting

Special Production

LAIKA

Coleton Palmer, Katherine Jay Myong, Heewon Jeong

Snow Bear

Short Film

The Art of Aaron Blaise, LLC.

Aaron Blaise

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja

Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point Grey Pictures

Richard Chi, Matthew Kim, Sheldon Vella, Lyndsay Simpson

Win Or Lose

Episodes: Episode 8, Home

Pixar Animation Studios

Esteban Bravo

26. Best Storyboarding - Feature

Arco

Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma

Ugo Bienvenu

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Tony Rosenast

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Nicolas Pawlowski

The Bad Guys 2

DreamWorks Animation

Anthony Holden, Young Ki Yoon

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Hikari Toriumi

27. Best Voice Acting - TV/Media

Bob's Burgers

Episode: Don't Worry Be Hoopy

20th TV

Dan Mintz (Character: Tina Belcher)

Hazbin Hotel

Episode: Behind Closed Doors

Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment

Erika Henningsen (Character: Charlie Morningstar)

Long Story Short

Episode: Shira Can’t Cook

Tornante Television and ShadowMachine for Netflix

Abbi Jacobson (Character: Shira Schwooper)

Smiling Friends

Episode: Shmaloogles

Williams Street

Zach Hadel (Character: Evil Wizard)

The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball

Episode: The Amadain

Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe

Alkaio Thiele (Character: Gumball Watterson)

28. Best Voice Acting - Feature

Dog Man

DreamWorks Animation

Lil Rey Howery (Character: Chief)

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Remy Edgerly (Character: Glordon)

In Your Dreams

Netflix Presents a Kuku Studios Production / Sony Pictures Imageworks

Craig Robinson (Character: Baloney Tony)

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Arden Cho (Character: Rumi)

The Twits

Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Character: Beesha)

29. Best Writing - TV/Media

#1 Happy Family USA

Episode: Episode 101: NINE TEN

Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Cairo Cowboy

Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady

Adult Swim's The Elephant

Special Production

Titmouse and Williams Street

Pendleton Ward, Ian Jones-Quartey, Rebecca Sugar, Patrick McHale

Common Side Effects

Episode: Pilot

Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions

Joe Bennett, Steve Hely

Lulu is a Rhinoceros

Special Production

Bento Box and Propagate in association with Apple

Allison Flom

Win Or Lose

Episodes: Episode 4, Pickle

Pixar Animation Studios

Carrie Hobson, Michael Yates

30. Best Writing - Feature

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade, Eddine Noël

Scarlet

Studio CHIZU

Mamoru Hosoda

Zootopia 2

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Jared Bush

31. Best Editorial - TV/Media

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Episode: Episode III

Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films

David Boyadjian

Common Side Effects

Episode: Raid

Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions

Tony Christopherson, Joie Lim

Haunted Hotel

Episode: The Acolytes of Abaddon

Titmouse for Netflix

Benjamin Morse, Benjamin Martian, Marshall Wetta

Invincible S3

Episode: I Thought You'd Never Shut Up

Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Animation

Luke Asa Guidici, Matt Michael, Lea Carosella, Liam Johnson

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch

Episode: Up From the Grave

Ubisoft Film & Television

Thomas Belair, Nicolas Bourgeois, Julien Perez

32. Best Editorial - Feature

Arco

Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma

Nathan Jacquard

Elio

Pixar Animation Studios

Anna Wolitzky, Steve Bloom, Noah Newman, Greg Snyder, Ben Morris

KPop Demon Hunters

Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

KPop Demon Hunters Editorial Team

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS

Ludovic Versace

Olivia & las Nubes

Cine Chani, Historias de Bibi & Guasábara Cine

Tomás Pichardo Espaillat

Toy Story 5 Trailer Drops

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:39:00 +0000

Of all the animated sequels releasing this year, the most highly anticipated has to be Toy Story 5. Although some are concerned it could be a sequel too far, a lot of the audience is just happy to see Woody, Buzz and the gang again. Pixar have this week released a brand new full-length trailer for the film, alongside a new poster.

The toys are back in town, and this time Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs are under threat from Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), a new state-of-the-art tablet that is competing for Bonnie's attention. Lilypad has her own ideas of what's best for Bonnie, and the scene is set for the ultimate clash between toys and tech.

The trailer also teases the much anticipated reunion between Woody and Buzz, after Woody made the decision to leave the gang and help lost toys at the end of 2019's Toy Story 4.

The sequel features a mix of familiar and new characters. Making his debut is Craig Robinson as Atlas, a cheerful talking Hippo GPS toy; Shelby Rabara voices Snappy, an excitable camera toy; Scarlett Spears appears as the now 8-year-old Bonnie; Mykal-Michelle Harris is Blaze, an independent 8-year-old girl who loves animals and Matty Matheson stars at Dr Nutcase, a tech-fearing toy.

Also rounding out the cast are John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Blake Clark as Slinky Dog, Jeff Bergman as Mr Potato Head, Anna Vocino as Mrs Potato Head, Annie Potts as Bo Peep, Bonnie Hunt as Dolly, Melissa Villaseñor as Karen Beverly, John Hopkins as Mr Pricklepants, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl B and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom.

These are in addition to the previously announced voice cast which includes Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Joan Cusack (Jessie) Greta Lee (Lilypad), Conan O'Brien (Smarty Pants) and Tony Hale (Forky).

Toy Story 5 is written and directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton (Wall.E, Finding Nemo) and co-directed by Kenna Harris (Ciao Alberto) and produced by Lindsey Collins (Turning Red, Wall.E, Finding Dory). Randy Newman returns to score his fifth Toy Story film.

Toy Story 5 will be released in cinemas from June 19 on both sides of the pond. Check out the trailer below.

Adult Swim Announces 'My Two Cars'

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:28:00 +0000

Adult Swim has been THE destination for adult animated comedy for more than two decades now. From Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Venture Bros. to Rick and Morty and Common Side Effects, the network has been home to some of the most popular shows. Now, a new series has been announced to be joining their line-up.

My Two Cars is "the only show brave enough to explore what happens when a man owns two cars and the joys and frustrations that come with it." The animated quarter-hour comedy comes from co-creators Joe Pera (Joe Pera Talks With You) and Dan Licata (Saturday Night Live), and follows a man who must grapple with a daily dilemma: which of his beloved vehicles to choose.

The official synopsis:

Imagine you are lucky enough to own both a PT Cruiser and a Mini-Cooper. Your day-to-day life would be insane! But also hard hard. Keith Asshole does not have to imagine this, and in each episode he has to make the difficult decision which one to drive.

The character of Keith Asshole (yes, that's his name), an Ohian navigating the show's central daily decision, is played by Licata.

“Few shows (and fewer show runners) are courageous enough to explore life’s biggest questions,” said Michael Ouweleen, president, Adult Swim. “But Dan and Joe are more than brave enough to confront head-on the perplexity of which car to drive today.”

“It's a simple premise with good characters and great cars,” said Licata and Pera. “We appreciate Adult Swim allowing us to see such a dumb idea through into an entire season.”

My Two Cars is the second Adult Swim series for Joe Pera. The live-action series Joe Pera Talks With You ran for three seasons on the Network. This is his first animated series. Licata is also returning to Adult Swim, after writing for Pera's previous series and Teenage Euthanasia.

My Two Cars is animated by Green Street Pictures, producers of the acclaimed Common Side Effects and sci-fi action series Scavenger's Reign.

Presumably, the series will also stream on HBO Max. No release date or window, or further casting details have been announced at this time.

'The Last Blossom' Coming To Cinemas In The UK and Ireland This March

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:08:00 +0000

Over the past several years, anime features in cinemas has become a familiar sight. Thanks to companies like the UK's Anime Limited and the US's GKIDS Films, Japanese animated movies have been no strangers to the big screen. And now, as part of their ambitious theatrical plans for 2026, Anime Limited have announced their next film. The Last Blossom will release exclusively in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from March 27 2026.

The Last Blossom is described as "a breathtaking ode to love and life itself" and comes from the duo behind the award-winning series Odd Taxi. Anime Limited describe it as a "tender and thrilling" crime drama.

The film follows Akutsu, a former Yakuza on his deathbed in a solitary cell. His only company is a talking flower, and even he complains "What a pathetic life". Looking back on his past, unravelling the mysteries of the people Akutsu met and the decisions he made, The Last Blossom is a powerful thesis on life itself, and whether all our risks and sacrifices are worth it in the end.

The Last Blossom premiered at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and went on to win both the Juried Award and Audience Award at last year's Scotland Loves Anime Festival. It also screened at the Manchester Animation Festival, Bucheon International Animation Festival and more.

The film marks the original feature debut of director Baku Kinoshita and writer Kazuya Konomoto, the duo who attracted great acclaim for the crime noir series Odd Taxi. Their series was named one of The New Yorker's Top TV Shows of 2021, and saw Kinoshita named Best Director at the 6th Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Animation production is by Clap Animation Studio (Pompeo The Cinephile).

The film will screen in Japanese with English subtitles only.

Synopsis:

“What a pathetic life.”
Akutsu, an elderly inmate serving life in prison, is on the verge of a lonely death in his solitary cell. The voice mocking him belongs to a balsam flower with an uncanny ability to talk. Through their ‘conversation,’ Akutsu begins to reflect on his past.
1987, summer. In a town by the sea, down-and-out yakuza Akutsu moves into a shabby apartment found for him by his sworn brother, Tsutsumi. Out in the yard, a balsam flower grows. Akutsu shares his new home with Nana, a woman six years his junior, and her newborn son Kensuke. From their veranda, they watch a massive fireworks display. The three of them live happily, until Akutsu suddenly finds himself in need of a huge sum of money, which leads him to join Tsutsumi in an attempt to rob their own organization’s safe of 300 million yen...
“You gotta hit a dead end to get a chance to turn it around.”
This is the tale of one man’s life, and the ones he loves.

Ninja Scroll 4K Restoration To Premiere At Berlinale

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:49:00 +0000

Ninja Scroll is one of the most influential anime movies of the nineties. Originally released in 1993, it was written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Studio Madhouse. Set in Japan's feudal era, it follows the exploits of ninja Jubei. Now, the film has received a 4K restoration, which will get its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this February before getting a 4K UHD release in early 2027.

In summer 2024, Sentai Filmworks together with HIDIVE released Ninja Scroll in more than 500 cinemas across the United States, in partnership with Iconic Events Releasing as part of its AX Cinema Nights series.

Produced by Sentai and overseen by director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the digital restoration of Ninja Scroll was a painstaking process and restoration of the movie. It was a meticulous process that involved a 4K scan (3840 × 2160 pixels) of the original 35mm negative, then repairing any damage and lastly performing colour correction to create an archival quality digital master of the film.

“We’re both thrilled and humbled to be able to preserve the original 1993 Ninja Scroll film as a modern digital movie. This is Ninja Scroll at its very best!,” said John Ledford, President of Sentai. “Ninja Scroll in 4K is nothing short of a pristine version of this cinematic masterpiece, presented in stunning high definition, contrast and colour. The digital adaptation offers a truly immersive experience. In fact, seeing it is like watching Ninja Scroll for the very first time!”

The World Premiere of Ninja Scroll will take place on Sunday, February 15 at 10:00 PM CET at Berlinale, the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, followed by encore screenings on February 16 and 22. The film is one of ten selected from nine different countries and the first ever anime selected for the Berlinale Classics sections of the festival's program.

Beyond Berlinale, fans will get their first chance to see Ninja Scroll's 4K restoration when Sentai release the film as a limited edition Steelbook 4K UHD in early 2027.

Courtesy of HIDIVE

'Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles' Series Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:19:00 +0000

There's a long tradition of shows featuring younger versions of beloved characters. Think Muppet Babies, Baby Looney Tunes and heck, even Young Sheldon. The latest franchise to get such a spin-off is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles is a CG-animated series aimed at a preschool audience. Set to launch on YouTube later this year, the 30-episode series will focus on the childhood years of the Ninja Turtles.

This is the latest in a series of short-form content from the franchise, that has previously included The Summer Shorts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 and the recently cancelled Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This was announced as part of Paramount's sweeping plans for the franchise, which include a major toy licensing deal with Mattel, an illustrated novel for middle-schoolers, an adult novel and themed pizzerias opening in Santa Monica, Monterrey, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil later this year.

In June, a full novelisation of the successful TMNT graphic novel The Last Ronin is set to be released. Adapted by Erik Burnham and published by Abrams, the novel tells the story of the last remaining turtle who returns to New York City to avenge his brothers by slaying the head of The Foot Clan. The comic is famously dark and gritty, so hopefully the novel will do a good job of capturing the tone.

Launching in September is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splinter's Dojo, an illustrated middle-grade novel from Scholastic. According to the synopsis, it takes the turtles to "the most radical middle-school around."

Paramount's partnership with Mattel will start in 2027. It will see the release of action figures, playsets, accessories, vehicles, role-playing items, collectables, and more products. Additionally, Mattel will release products tied in with 2027's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 and with the untitled live-action/animation hybrid feature due out in 2028.

Outside of the Paramount deal, Fathom Entertainment, Saga Arts and Warner Bros. Pictures will re-release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret Of The Ooze, in cinemas across the US for one week only, to celebrate its 35th Anniversary.

“‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ is full of action, humour, and heart, and showcases relationships that have resonated with generations of fans worldwide,” Paramount president of global products and experiences Josh Silverman said. “Continuing the Turtles’ adventures through products and experiences enables consumers to embark on their own journey. Whether it’s watching a movie, wearing a costume, playing with action figures or reading a book, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ has made an impact not only on people’s lives but on pop culture in ways that few franchises can claim. Our new offerings continue the growth of this incredible property and demonstrate new ways for global audiences of all ages to relate to these stories and characters.”

[source]

Carrot Productions Announces 'Aardman In Concert'

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Aardman is one of the UK's.. nay, the world's most beloved animation studios. Their stop-motion films, shorts and specials have been charming audiences for many decades now. 2026 marks the studio's 50th Anniversary. And to celebrate the occasion, Carrot Productions have announced Aardman In Concert, a major new touring production in association with Aardman.

The landmark 50th Anniversary show will tour the UK between May and October 2026, bringing Aardman's most loved characters to the big screen with live orchestration and a special appearance from Wallace and Gromit themselves.

Aardman In Concert will visit concert halls, festivals and cultural venues across the country, celebrating iconic characters that generations of families have grown up with, amplified by the power of a live orchestra. Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy classic moments from Wallace and Gromit, Morph, Shaun The Sheep, Creature Comforts and more.

The first half of the performance offers a celebration of Aardman's 50-year history. It opens with a brand-new montage sequence and score, created especially for the event, showcasing the highlights from Wallace and Gromit's greatest capers, Shaun The Sheep's funniest moments and characters who have become part of everyday life.

The second half features a screening of either The Wrong Trousers or A Matter Of Loaf And Death, each accompanied by a full Orchestra. Screenings will vary by venue, check with your local box-office for details.

In The Wrong Trousers, Wallace’s decision to take in a lodger leads to chaos when the coolly calculating Feathers McGraw hatches a daring criminal plan, sending Gromit into a race against time to save his hapless owner. A Matter of Loaf and Death finds the duo running a bakery and stumbling into danger once again, as Wallace is distracted by a romance with Piella Bakewell and Gromit steps up to foil a serial killer and save the day.

Together, the films and music form a joyful celebration of British storytelling, craft and humour, providing an opportunity for families to laugh together, share memories and pass on characters that have been part of our lives for decades.

“Celebrating 50 years of Aardman with a live orchestra feels incredibly special, "says Rachel Whibley, Managing Director of Carrot Productions "These are characters many of us grew up with, and now we’re seeing families bring their own children to experience them live. Creating something that parents, children and grandparents can enjoy together is exactly what Carrot, and our friends at Aardman, are about.”

“What better way to continue our longstanding partnership with Carrot Productions than celebrating our 50th anniversary together, allowing fans of all ages the chance to experience our favourite Aardman moments from the last 50 years in such a joyful and uplifting concert, while introducing children to the wonder of a live orchestra, " said Molly Van Den Brink, Senior Attractions & Live Experiences Manager at Aardman.

The show builds on the successful creative partnership of Aardman and Carrot Productions, including Wallace and Gromit's Musical Marvels, a 38-date tour in 2019. That production premiered at the National Film and Television School, and was attended by Nick Park and Julian Nott, who both studied and met there, and where A Grand Day Out was first concieved.

Between May 1 and October 26, Aardman In Concert will tour a wide variety of venues with performances in Birmingham, London, Salisbury, Guildford, Bristol, Glossop, St Albans, Budleigh and Chester.

Aardman in Concert Tour Dates:

1 May - Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham
2 May - Cadogan Hall, London
3 May - Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury
4 May - G Live, Guildford
11 June - Bristol Beacon, Bristol
15 June - Glossop Music Festival, Glossop
19 June - Glossop Music Festival, Glossop
20 June - Glossop Music Festival, Glossop
27 June - The Alban Theatre, St Albans
3 July - Budleigh Music Festival, Budleigh
26 Oct - Storyhouse, Chester

You can buy tickets for any performance here.

Watch This: Sunny Side Down

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Science fiction and animation are natural bedfellows. With the only limitation your imagination, animation is arguably the perfect medium for sci-fi. If anything, it's surprising that there isn't more of it. In most cases (in the west at least) animated sci-fi is also sci-fi comedy. Stuff such as Futurama and Final Space. And now we can add to the list the rather excellent parody sci-fi series Sunny Side Down.

Created by MAKE Originals, the series launched in October 2025. It has released four episodes so far, of around two to three minutes each, with another two episodes still to go. The series is fully hand-drawn 2D animation with a retro feel, and it looks pretty great.

The series follows Nat, who works as a waitress at the diner Sunny Side Down. Now, this isn't your average American-style diner, as it is located in outer space at the edge of a Super-Massive Black Hole. Nat is seemingly the only human around as the clientele and fellow staff are all aliens of various different species.

Trailer

Despite their modest running time, the episodes are full of sci-fi and 90s cultural references. They range from the obvious- Star Trek, The Matrix, Star Wars- to deep cuts- Daft Punk's Interstella 555, Dr Who-. Keep an eye on the backgrounds for other visual references and imaginative designs.

The first episode Boldy Going Nowhere, sees Nat encounter a Star Trek-esque starship crew. The second episode, The Black Hole: Reloaded riffs on The Matrix franchise. The third episode Imposter Syndrome is a smart spin on John Carpenter's The Thing. Meanwhile, the most recent episode EP IV: A New Dope, references Star Wars and crashes in into an inspirational sports movie.

MAKE describes the series as "Spaceballs meets Cheers meets Radical 90's"."Our human waitress Nat is our Sam, interacting with a cast of diner regulars. Meanwhile, the diner is stuck in time, permeated aesthetically with 90’s nostalgia… and a whole lot of smoking. Does anyone not chain smoke here??? Besides the sci-fi parody, the series features the relationship between Nat and her older alien mentor, Yabba.

Sunny Side Down is a slickly made series with beautifully done 2D animation. But it's not just a pretty face- it's also very funny and every detail down to the music and voice acting is top draw. It's easy to imagine that with full length episodes it could happily air on Adult Swim or stream on Netflix.

The series is directed by Natalia Poteryakhin and written by Kevin Wisdom, Mike Fasolo and Natalia Poteryakhin. The six-episode series was produced in-house at MAKE over the course of three years, produced between client work. The series' visual style was finalised by Natalia Poteryakhin and Aaron Quist who described it as “what if an adult animated comedy got anime compositing and cinematic staging to look the best it could?” Well, we think you'll agree they have achieved it!

The final two episodes will be released soon. For more on the series, you can read this article and check out tons of great artwork. For more on MAKE Originals, see here.

Lupin III: The Movie: Immortal Bloodline Coming To UK Cinemas

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:01:00 +0000

Lupin III is one of the most iconic characters in anime and manga. Originally created by Monkey Punch, the Gentleman Thief has been stealing hearts and a whole lot more for over 50 years. Anime Limited have announced that his latest caper Lupin III: The Movie: The Immortal Bloodline will come to cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday, 21 February 2026.

The movie is directed by Takeshi Koike, the visionary behind the classic Redline. It is the first traditionally animated film in the franchise in over 30 years. The film is a continuation of Koike's unique interpretation of the franchise, that began with The Woman Named Fujioko Mine, and included Jingen's Gravestone, Goemon's Bloodspray and Fujiko's Lie. The film also references past adventures such as The Secret Of Mamo.

You won't need an encyclopedic knowledge of the Lupin franchise to enjoy the new film, but it will definitely reward long-time fans.

The film combines Koike's trademark kinetic visual flair with the pulp tones of characters inspired by James Bond and MAD Magazine, with a dash of Ridley Scott's Prometheus to create Lupin III: The Movie: The Immortal Bloodline, an action-packed sci-fi adventure than connects celebrated capers past and present, forcing Lupin and co to confront foes from their past, and their legacy. Koike will also appear in a specially recorded video intro that will be shown exclusively in cinemas.

First appearing on the page back in 1967, the character was the grandson of the legendary literary gentleman thief Arsene Lupin. Lupin made the jump to the small screen in 1971, and would go on to star in six further TV series. Annual TV specials were released between 1989 and 2013. Lupin and the gang also graduated to the big screen, starting with The Secret Of Mamo in 1978. It was followed by The Castle Of Cagliostro in 1979, which is famously the feature debut of one Hayao Miyazaki. The franchise also gave a start to legendary filmmakers, including Isao Takahata (Grave Of The Fireflies), Seijun Suzuki (Branded To Kill) and modern breakouts like Takashi Yamazaki (Godzilla Minus One).

Lupin was last seen on the big screen in Lupin III: The First, his first ever CGI animated movie. The Immortal Bloodline is very much a return to the franchise's roots- and it goes beyond the animation.

Lupin III The Movie: The Immortal Bloodline will screen in Japanese with English subtitles from February 21.

Adobe U-Turns On Plans To Kill Off Adobe Animate

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Back in January 2021, Adobe killed off Flash Player, switching off the format that powered two decades of internet animation. The Flash software itself had long ago transformed into Adobe Animate, but it was still very much the end of an era. On February 2, 2026 Adobe announced that it was discontinuing Adobe Animate.

Animators received a very unwelcome and disturbing email in their inboxes. "We're contacting to let you know that Adobe will be discontinuing Adobe Animate on March 1 2026. As an existing Animate user you may continue to use Animate, but please note that technical support will no longer be available after March 1, 2027."

Then comes the real kicker: "Please note that access to your Animate files and project data will end on March 1, 2027. To ensure a smooth transition, we encourage you to export your Animate FLA and XFL files to other formats such as SWF, SVG and MP4 files before this date."

The news came out of nowhere and sent a seismic shock through the industry and community. Hundreds of studios and thousands of independent artists rely on the software, and have done so for more than 25 years. What was Adobe;s justification for the shutdown? A mealy-mouthed business-speak explanation was the best thay could do.

"Animate has been a product that has existed for over 25 years and has served its purpose well for creating, nurturing, and developing the animation ecosystem. As technologies evolve, new platforms and paradigms emerge that better serve the needs of the users. Acknowledging this change, we are planning to discontinue supporting Animate.” Speculation online is that it is in fact part of their efforts to double down on A.I., at the expense of everything. It's probably no coincidence that it coincided with an expansion of their Firefly Artificial Intelligence platform.

The news was predictably met with an almighty stink online as users around the world voiced their displeasure. For many people its their career, their livelihood that is at stake. Several key animation figures voiced their displeasure, including David Firth (Salad Fingers) and TomSka.

The backlash was huge, and in a victory for people power, and on Wednesday, Adobe decided to do a U-turn on the discontinuation. The company said in a post “We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers, and we will ensure you continue to have access to your content.”

"There is no longer a deadline or date by which Animate will no longer be available."

Adobe now say that Adobe Animate is in "maintenance mode" for all customers. That means that they will continue to support the software and provide security updates and bug fixes, but will no longer be adding new features.

While it's undoubtedly good news that it's not being discontinued, it's far from a perfect solution. The lack of new features is one thing but the whole sordid affair has left a bad taste in a lot of user's mouths. Don't be surprised if a lot of Animate users look for alternatives anyway- and their faith in Adobe has been shaken.

At least- thanks to people making themselves heard- users will be able to continue to access Animate for the foreseeable future.

[source]

Hoppers Screening Leads New York International Children's Film Festival Line-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:52:00 +0000

New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF) is back for another year this February and March. The event can usually be relied upon for a decent animation line-up- and this year is no different. After all, this is the festival that led to the founding of GKIDS Films.

The opening night film is Disney and Pixar's latest, Hoppers. The film, directed by Daniel Chong, will be screening ahead of its March 6 wide release. The screening will be preceded by a pyjama party and red carpet during the day, which will be followed by the screening of Shorts For Tots.

Chong's comedy adventure introduces us to Mabel, who uses an advanced technology to 'hop' her consciousness into a lifelike robot beaver, in order to live amongst and communicate with the animals at a nearby pond.

“We’re so excited to be introducing the unique magic of Pixar artistry, as shaped by Daniel Chong’s distinctive vision and wit, to a fresh generation of film fans,” said NYICFF Director of Programming Maria-Christina Villaseñor. “As we’re known for our world class animation slate, it feels fitting to be kicking things off with this highly anticipated new feature that promises not only to delight, but also asks us to consider how we value and respect each other across creature lines.”

This year's Audience Spotlight selection is My Life In Versailles. Holding its US premiere at the festival, the feature is based upon the short of the same name, winner of the NYICFF Grand Prize in 2020. It follows recently orphaned 8-year-old Violette, who leaves her life in Paris to live with her uncle Régis, a caretaker at the Palace of Versailles.

“We are thrilled, both for the filmmakers and our audience, that such a beloved film from a previous festival has made its way back to us as a feature,” said NYICFF Executive Director Nina Guralnick. “And we’re even more excited to be bringing Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H'limi to NYC to premiere their wonderful film and share their vision with our audience.” The film’s directors will also be in attendance at the festival for an audience Q&A.

Other animated features screening at the festival include Belgian/Swiss film Mary Anning (US Premiere), a specially created movie-edit of TV series Moominvalley, Brazilian feature My Grandfather Is A Nihonjin (North American Premiere), Brazilian feature Papaya (North American Premiere), Canada's Space Cadet (East Coast Premiere), and Japan's Whoever Steals This Book (North American Premiere).

Additionally, there are eleven programs of shorts. None are specifically dedicated to animation, but any of which could feature animated shorts. They include Short Films 1-3, Heebie Jeebies, Best Of The Fest, Student Showcase, Girls' POV, Celebrating Black Stories and Native Stories.

More films to be announced. This year's New York International Children's Film Festival runs from February 28- March 15. For the full line-up and to buy tickets, see the festival website.

WIA Appoints Hayley Porter First Executive Director

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:28:00 +0000

WIA, formerly known as Women In Animation, the organisation that is dedicated to advancing women, non-binary and underrepresented groups in animation, VFX and gaming, has made a major appointment. The non-profit has announced that they have hired Hayley Porter as the organisation's first ever Executive Director.

Porter is a strategic and executive founder with more than 25 years of experience operating in a senior leadership role across the animation and entertainment industries. She advises executive teams, identifies business opportunities and strategic partnerships, and leads international marketing and PR campaigns.

Her career so far includes in-house and consulting roles with world renowned studios including Aardman, Locksmith Animation, Baobab Studios, Sunrise Productions and many more. Porter was also part of the campaign team for War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John and Yoko, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 2024.

As WIA's first Executive Director, Porter will provide strategic leadership across WIA’s global programs and initiatives, working closely with the Board and Executive Committees to ensure strong governance and alignment. Having been part of WIA's PR and fundraising committee for almost a decade, she will now focus on WIA's international presence, strengthening industry partnerships, driving membership growth and advancing fundraising efforts.

“We’re thrilled to bring Hayley on board,” Marge Dean, WIA president, said. “We look forward to the vision, leadership and international perspective she brings. Her dedication and commitment to gender equity within the animation, VFX and gaming fields are an asset and will be critical in amplifying our efforts globally.”

“Supporting women and non-binary creators has always been central to my work throughout my career, " Porter said. “As the industry continues to navigate significant challenges and rapid change, my focus is on building upon and strengthening WIA’s foundation while accelerating our international and membership growth.”

Porter's appointment reinforces WIA's dedication to equality in the animation, VFX and games industries worldwide, creating global partnerships and ensuring long-term sustainability as it positions itself for greater industry impact.

For more information or to join WIA visit wearewia.org.

Cardiff Animation Festival Reveals First Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:17:00 +0000

One of the UK's biggest animation events- and the only global animation event in Wales- is returning for its ninth edition. Cardiff Animation Festival is returning to Chapter Arts Centre from April 23-26, 2026. The festival will feature a mix of guest speakers, special screenings and events designed to inspire industry professionals and enthusiasts alike. The festival is renowned not only for championing bold, imaginative storytelling but also for its commitment to inclusivity- at a time when such values are under attack.

As Passes go on sale, the festival has announced its first program highlights. Festival director Lauren Orme said: “Cardiff Animation Festival has always been about celebrating community and connection through animation, and 2026 is no different. We’ve put together a playful, joyful programme packed with great films, inspiring talks, cosy workshops, inclusive socials, late‑night discoveries, and the return of some festival favourites! We can’t wait to welcome brilliant creators from around the world alongside incredible Wales‑based talent - and we’re so excited to welcome you there.”

Highlights include Julia Potts, the British, L.A.-based animator known for her work on Adventure Time and for creating Summer Camp Island. The programme also includes a Japanese feature-film focus in association with Kotatsu Japanese Animated Film Festival. The Festival will be screening 100 Meters and The Last Blossom, shining a light on contemporary independent Japanese animation.

The festival received its highest ever number of submissions this year- over 700 films from 61 countries. Of that 98 films were selected to screen in competition that will be showcased in eight themed programmes, including true stories, Welsh work and films intended for the very young.

CAF will also highlight the best work being done in games, with events featuring Pip Williamson, 2D Animator on the BAFTAⓇ‑winning British video game Thank Goodness You’re Here, who will share insights into the making of the hit title. Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm of Moonhood will also join, sharing making-of details from The Midnight Walk, their BAFTAⓇ‑nominated stop‑motion horror VR game. An accompanying exhibition will allow attendees to see the puppets from the game up close.

A series of workshops will be run throughout the festival, including Aardman model-making sessions, The Print Haus flipbook workshops and a session with Oscar-nominated animator Joanna Quinn.

Bringing the festival to a close is the annual Best Of The Fest awards, hosted by Radio 1 film critic and animation enthusiast Ali Plumb. The event will round up the weekend's highlights with interactive elements- including an animation quiz- before presenting the awards for Best Short, Best Student Short, Best Micro short, The Young Jury Award and The Audience Award.

More events and highlights will be announced in the coming weeks. Early Bird Passes have already sold out (in a day!) but regular passes, industry passes and online passes are still available from here.

All You Need Is Kill Coming To UK and Irish Cinemas

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:16:00 +0000

One of the most hotly anticipated anime of the year has been confirmed to be coming to cinemas in the UK and Ireland, Anime Limited and GKIDS Films (now stablemates at Toho Global) have announced the release of All You Need Is Kill. If that name sounds familiar, it's because it was the original Japanese sci-fi model that was adapted into the Tom Cruise film Edge Of Tomorrow. Produced by the acclaimed Studio 4°C, the film will screen exclusively in UK and Irish cinemas from February 27.

Based on the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, the film follows Rita, a resourceful but isolated young woman who finds herself in a seemingly endless timeloop. She is killed while investigating the sudden emergence of monsters from giant alien flowers, only to wake up again and again. She meets a shy young man called Keiji, caught in the same situation. Can they work together to break out of the timeloop and bring meaning to the chaos that surrounds them?

All You Need Is Kill is directed by Ken'ichirô Akimoto and Yukinori Nakamura, and written by Yûichirô Kido and Hiroshi Sakurazaka. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2025, before a Japanese release this January. It's an impressively fast turnaround for the UK release, and not far behind the US release.

The film is just the start of Anime Limited's plans for anime in cinemas this year. They will be releasing Akira, Angel's Egg, The Last Blossom, Lupin III The Movie: The Immortal Bloodline, Grave Of The Fireflies and more during 2026.

All You Need Is Kill will screen both in original language with subtitles and with an English dub.

One-Man Animated Feature 'Squareheads' Now Available On Apple TV

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:26:00 +0000

Animation is usually produced through the cooperation of hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. Which makes it all the more impressive when an animation is produced by just one person. It's a rare thing, but that's just what Square Heads is. Produced single-handedly by animator Serhan Yorganci, the film is now available on Apple TV.

"After years of having scripts passed on, I decided to stop waiting for permission and taught myself 3D animation instead," said Serhan."That process eventually turned into Square Heads, a fully CG animated feature I produced on my own."

The film follows three children who grew up taking money for granted, until they are forced to make it for themselves. It's a simple story, rooted in everyday reality.

Square Heads has screened at festivals including the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival and Cartoons on the Bay (RAI). In addition to streaming on Apple, the film is also available in the US on Plex. It's also been licensed to platforms including The Roku Channel, YouTube Movies & TV (AVOD/SVOD), Xumo, and Midwest Tape, which distributes the film through public libraries across the U.S.

The film was produced over the course of several years in his small, self-run studio Digitoons. Originally devised as a live-action project but after early financing efforts stalled, the direction changed. Yorganci brought on help to provide the film's music and voice acting, but all other roles were filled by the filmmaker himself.

Looking back on the process, Yorganci describes a production path that relied more on consistency than speed.

“Independent projects move slowly, and there are times when you question whether what you’re making will ever reach an audience,” he says. “But continuing to work, even in small increments, allows the project to grow beyond its original form.”

"Square Heads ended up becoming more than a film. It became proof that imagination can move on its own in a world focused on speed and size. And sometimes one idea is enough, as long as you stay curious andstubborn enough to carry it yourself."

Square Heads is available on Apple TV now.

Anime Limited Reveal 2026 Theatrical Line-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:17:00 +0000

Anime Ltd., also known as All The Anime, have been one of the UK anime fans' best friends for quite some years now. Not only do they release anime on disc- often in fancy special collectors' edition, but they have also established a reputation as a theatrical distributor. Their releases are impressive in scale, and wider than many other anime cinema runs have been.

The company was recently acquired by the Japanese cultural giant Toho Global. But any fears that would disrupt their cinematic strategy seem to have been laid to rest. Anime Ltd. have announced their 2026 theatrical slate.

The line-up includes classics like Akira, Grave Of The Fireflies and Angel's Egg, as well as brand new films like All You Need Is Kill, Cha0 and The Last Blossom. These films and more will be released throughout the year, but there are no firm release dates yet.

Lupin III The Movie: The Immortal Bloodline

The iconic Gentleman Thief returns to the big screen in an action-packed caper, that sees him in a rematch against past foes. The film is directed by Takeshi Koike (Redline), bringing his trademark visual flair to the 50-odd year-old franchise.

All You Need Is Kill

Adaptation of the sci-fi novel that was previously adapted as Edge of Tomorrow. From Studio 4°C, the film follows Rita, a resourceful young woman who is killed when investigating an alien flower... and then she wakes up. Again and Again. Time loop thriller based on the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.

The Last Blossom

From director Baku Kinoshita and writer Kazuya Konomoto, the team behind TV series Odd Taxi, comes this bittersweet and life-affirming tale. It tells the story of the last days in prison of a man and his only cell-mate- a talking flower. Winner of both Audience and Jury Award at last year's Scotland Loves Anime festival.

Akira

The anime that started it all. What more can be said about Katsuhiro Otomo’s cyberpunk classic? This will be a welcome chance to catch this iconic film on the big screen, for those who have not yet had the opportunity. Presumably, it will be screening in the 4K restoration (and will be followed by a 4K UHD home release).

Angel's Egg

Mamoru Oshii's lost classic comes to British cinema screens for the first time. A collaboration between Oshii (Ghost In The Shell) and renowned artist Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy), Angel's Egg is described as an "experimental sci-fi". Heavily symbolic and exquisitely made, it's unlike anything else you'll see.

ChaO

The year's second release from Studio 4°C could scarcely be more different from All You Need Is Kill. Set in a futuristic Shanghai, hapless engineer Stephen finds himself inadvertently engaged to Mermaid Princess Chao. His career, geopolitical relationships and their happiness rely on a happy marriage. Can Stephen and Chao make it work?

Grave Of The Fireflies

Studio Ghibli's devastating wartime drama is unique among their films. Bringing to life the terrible plight of children in wartime (whatever 'side' they're on), Isao Takahata's film is once seen, never forgotten.

[source]

Miss Moxy (2025)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:21:00 +0000

Cats have starred in animation for a long time. Stretching back more than a century to Felix The Cat, right up to 2024's Flow, our feline friends have remained popular. Miss Moxy is a new Dutch-Belgian co-produced CG animated film featuring a young female cat protagonist

The film is directed by Vincent Bal and Wip Vernooij and written by Maureen Versprille. It is produced by BosBros and Eyeworks, with animation production by Phanta Animation, Capybara Animation, Fabrique Fantastique and Polder Animation. It was released in UK and Irish cinemas on January 16 by Dazzler Media.

The film centres on the titular kittie, a pampered pet, who lives with beloved owner Joosje (pronounced Josie). When she's not at home, she hangs around with an all-female gang of cats that call themselves the Pink Ladies (not to be confused with the classic musical Grease). One day, Moxy discovers her family is going somewhere called "holiday", and is crestfallen to discover she is going to be left behind. Joosje isn't happy either and decides to secretly smuggle Moxy, hidden away in her bag. She's not discovered until they arrive at the holiday cottage.

A family emergency means that the family must cut their holiday short. But when they go to leave, Moxy is nowhere to be found. Reluctantly, they have to leave without her. Escaping the holiday cottage Moxy sets off on a perilous journey home to Holland, along with a dimwitted dog and an elderly bird. The film is based on the true story of a tabby cat who found their way home after 13 years.

The film opens with a song and dance number performed by Moxy and The Pink Ladies. As with the other songs in the film, it is not the fully orchestrated number you might find in a Disney film, nor is it a polished pop song of the kind you might find in K-Pop Demon Hunters. They are much more simple- some are even performed acapella- but catchy enough all the same.

The film has some impressive visuals. The character designs are well done, with a pleasingly chunky look to them. The animation is excellent, particularly when it comes to the animals. Cat behaviour is captured with real skill, and is clearly well observed. Cat owners will surely recognise the little touches. Other animals are well animated, too. The animation uses a slightly lower frame rate than a typical Hollywood production, giving it a stylised look and just a hint of the 'Spider-Verse style'.

Moxy is a likeable lead- indeed, she has moxy, with her plucky spirit helping her get through her adventure across Europe. The other characters are also easy to warm to, with her canine companion proving strangely adorable in his own way. The bond between Moxy and her owner Joosje is heartwarming and believable, and easy to root for.

The film is essentially a classic road movie set-up, with mismatched companions forced together on a journey. It's therefore not really anything you won't have seen before, but it's well executed, snappily paced and diverting enough to entertain young audiences and amenable adults alike.

This isn't exactly a new animated classic. But don't dismiss it so easily. It's well made and a fun and good-natured way to while away just under an hour and a half. Miss Moxy is well worth a look- especially if you're a cat lover.

FORMAT: MOVIEAVAILABLE ON: CINEMA RELEASE [UK] FROM: DAZZLER MEDIA RATING: U RUNNING TIME : 1 HR 25 mins

IN A NUTSHELL:

Expertly made and cute as a button, Miss Moxy is fine feline fun.

★★★☆☆