Skydance Media Acquires Animation Unit of Madrid-Based Ilion Studios
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance Media, the diversified global media company founded by David Ellison in 2010, announced it has acquired the animation unit of Madrid-based Ilion Studios, a world leader in state-of-the-art animation production, to form Skydance Animation Madrid. This strategic acquisition combines the creative capital of Skydance with Ilion’s best-in-class talent, ensuring Skydance Animation’s full oversight of all production aspects guaranteeing quality control throughout the life cycle of every project.
“This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
With a combined workforce of almost 500 employees across two continents, Skydance Animation now has the expanded creative capability, scale and leverage to deliver on its goal of becoming an industry-leading producer of high-end animated films and television series for audiences around the world.
Led by animation visionary John Lasseter and industry veteran Holly Edwards, Skydance Animation has rapidly grown to support a robust development and expanded production slate. Since its inception, Skydance Animation’s roster of creatives has grown to include an array of award-winning talent, including Vicky Jenson, director of the first ever Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature, Shrek; Peggy Holmes; Nathan Greno; Kiel Murray; Lauren Hynek; Elizabeth Martin and Tony Award-nominee and Writers Guild of America West’s Animation Writers Caucus lifetime achievement honoree Linda Woolverton.
“The world is going through an unprecedented and uncertain time. Today’s acquisition marks the culmination of many months of work to build one studio across two continents, with the goal of creating the highest-quality animation, led by best-in-class talent from around the world,” said David Ellison, chief executive officer of Skydance Media. “The addition of Skydance Animation Madrid to our portfolio of businesses underlines my passion and commitment to bringing iconic animated stories and characters to life from some of the most talented artists and voices in the industry.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Skydance Animation and to further collaborate with Skydance founder David Ellison and elite talent like John Lasseter and Holly Edwards,” said Ignacio Pérez Dolset, founder, president and chief creative officer of Ilion. “This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
Skydance Animation’s upcoming feature slate includes:
Luck
Directed by Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars, Cars 3) and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (the Kung Fu Panda series).
When the unluckiest girl alive stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Spellbound (working title)
Directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek, Shark Tale) and written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin (Mulan [2020]) and Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King).
A musical fantasy set in a world of magic where a young girl sets out to break the spell that has split her kingdom in two.
Pookoo (working title/currently in development)
Written and directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled) and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook (The Princess and the Frog).
In addition, Skydance Animation has a slate of soon-to-be-announced high-end television series in various stages of development.
Ilion Animation Studios creates state-of-the-art computer animated feature films of the highest level, combining cutting-edge technology with top artistic quality. Ilion’s animation unit has become a model studio on a global basis, capable of attracting talented individuals who create best-in-class animation production.
Latham & Watkins LLP (Los Angeles and Madrid) acted as legal adviser to Skydance Media and Loyra Abogados (Madrid) provided counsel to Ilion in this transaction.
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Showing posts with label John Lasseter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Lasseter. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Monday, October 7, 2019
Review: "Toy Story 4" is Very Good, But Not Great
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Josh Cooley
WRITERS: Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom; from an original story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Martin Hynes, and Stephany Folsom
PRODUCER: Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera
EDITOR: Axel Geddes
COMPOSER: Randy Newman
ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/COMEDY/FAMILY
Starring: (voices) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Carl Weathers, and June Squibb
Toy Story 4 is a 2019 computer-animated feature film from Pixar Animation Studios. It is the fourth film in the Toy Story franchise. The new film focuses on a new toy and a road trip that will change the life of a beloved toy.
Toy Story 4 opens nine years earlier when Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang were still Andy's toys. Woods leads the successful rescue of a toy car, R.C. In the present, Woody and the other toys are happy in their new life as the toys of a little girl named Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). Bonnie is about to enter kindergarten and is distressed about going to school. Woody sneaks into Bonnie's backpack and joins her on her first day of school. Woody's action even lead to Bonnie using discarded arts and crafts supplies to transform a “spork” (spoon-fork) into a new toy she names “Forky” (Tony Hale). Although Forky becomes Bonnie's favorite toy, the spork does not believe that he is a toy, and he is always trying to return to a trash can.
Bonnie and her mom (Lori Alan) and dad (Jay Hernandez) go on an RV road trip, and Bonnie takes Forky, Woody and company with her. Instead of enjoying the trip, Woody spends his time trying to rescue Forky. This misadventure leads Woody to an antique story, Second Chance Antiques, and also to a fairground/playground, where he is reunited with old friends and makes new friends. And Woody learns just how big the world can be for a toy with an open mind.
Toy Story 4 is a good movie, not as good as Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3, but quite good. Keegan-Michael Key as Ducky and Jordan Peele as Bunny are nice additions to the cast. Keanu Reeves is a surprise and gives a surprising voice performance as Duke Kaboom, the Canadian daredevil toy. The sycophantic ventriloquist's dummies, “the Bensons,” are a nice, creepy distraction. Christina Hendricks is appropriately pathetic and menacing as the tragically desperate doll, Gabby Gabby.
But Toy Story 4 is, more than the first three films, a movie about adult issues and regrets that tries to be a family movie, if not an outright kids' movie. More than anything, Toy Story 4 is Woody's movie. [In this film, Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear is a supporting character and not a co-lead]. In this movie, Tom Hanks gives one of the best voice performances for an animated film that I have had the pleasure of enjoying. In Hanks' performance, you can feel it. Woody is like a father who “lost” one child, Andy (because he grew up and gave away his toys), so he is an obsessive “helicopter parent” about the new child, Molly, who does not need Woody as much as he thinks she does – if at all.
It would be pretentious of me to say that this movie is about becoming a man and putting away the things of boy. No, I think Toy Story 4 is about the change and the passage of time that is forced upon us, so if we don't change and move on, change and the passage of time is going to happen anyway.
Yes, each Toy Story film has its Mission: Impossible-like operation in which our beloved toys try to save another toy or toys, my favorite being the race to save Woody from an unscrupulous toy dealer and a devious toy in Toy Story 2. In Toy Story 4, the new “toy,” Forky, needs to be saved, and Woody keeps endangering first, himself, and then, others in increasingly desperate and dangerous bids to save the spork.
Ultimately, however, this movie feels like the franchise has come back one too many times. The end of Toy Story 3, in which a grown-up Andy gave his beloved Woody and the other toys to Molly, was really meant to be the happily ever after. Once Toy Story 3 grossed over a billion dollars in worldwide box office, it seemed like common-moneymaking-sense to make a fourth film. Don't make another Toy Story film, Disney. Let Toy Story 4 be a very good, but not great coda to the series.
7 out of 10
B+
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Saturday, February 23, 2019
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 17th to 23rd, 2019 - Update #27
Support Leroy on Patreon:
AWARDS - From TheWrap: The winners were announced for the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards. "If Beale Street Could Talk" wins "Best Feature," "Best Director" (Barry Jenkins), and "Best Supporting Female" (Regina King).
From THR: During his acceptance speech for "Best Director" at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Barry Jenkins calls on Hollywood to champion more film directed by women.
----------
SCANDAL - From teleSUR: Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter, R. Kelly, has turned himself into Chicago police. His charges include 10 counts of aggravated criminal abuse, with three out of the four victims being underaged.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: John Krasinski will direct the sequel to his hit film, "A Quiet Place." Emily Blunt is also returning for "A Quiet Place 2."
----------
WHITE SUPREMACY - From YahooUSAToday: USA Today reviews 900 college yearbooks from the 1970s and 1980s and finds (surprise!) shocking images of blatant racism.
---------
STREAMING - From Buzzfeed: CBS All Access debuts the first trailer for the rebooted "The Twilight Zone," with Jordan Peele standing in for Rod Serling.
----------
WHITE SUPREMACY - From NPR: No, the Jussie Smollet is not the most important story today. A 49-year-old Coast Guard lieutenant, Christopher Paul Hasson, has been charged with stockpiling weapons and drugs and is being described as a "domestic terrorist" who was planning "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country," according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland on Tuesday.
From CBS: By the way, there is a Department of Homeland Security report on domestic terrorism that is a must-read. Ten years ago, the GOP and conservative media successfully hamstrung its release.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Michael B. Jordan will star in Denzel Washington's next directorial effort, "Journal for Jordan" for Sony Pictures.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: The ratings for "The Walking Dead" are at an all-time low, and the series is still the #1 show on cable.
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooNews: Jussie Smollet, a star of Fox's "Empire" TV series, has been arrested in Chicago, after turning himself in. He faces charges and accusations that he filed a false police report in relation to an alleged attack against him three weeks ago.
----------
MOVIES - From People: Chris Hemsworth to play wrestler Hulk Hogan in a biopic of the WWE star.
----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool: The third "Bill and Ted" movies, "Bill and Ted: Face the Music" reportedly will begin production this summer.
----------
TELEVISION - From BleedingCool: In The CW's "The Lost Reboot," the "Frog Brothers" will be replaced by the "Frog Sisters."
----------
ANIMATION - From Variety: Oscar-winner, Emma Thompson, has apparently left the Skydance Animation film, "Luck," over Skydance's hiring of former Pixar Animation Studio boss, John Lasseter. Lasseter left Pixar over misconduct allegations.
----------
MONEY - From TwoCents: All the Ways You Can Get Your Student Loans Forgiven
----------
TELEVISION - From Newsarama: Neil Gaiman ("American Gods") has been hired to develop a new version of the late Jim Henson's 1980s anthology TV series, "Storyteller."
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ryan Coogler, director of Marvel's "Black Panther," will produce the film, "Jesus Was My Homeboy," about murdered real-life Black Panther member, Fred Hampton, and the man who betrayed him to the pigs, William O'Neal.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 2/15 to 2/17/2019 (President's Day) weekend box office is "Alita: Battle Angel" with an estimated take of 27.8 million dollars.
----------
STREAMING - From Variety: Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke says Amazon is still in the movie game.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Netflix cancels "Jessica Jones" and "The Punisher," which likely marks the end of its relationship with Marvel TV than began in 2013.
----------
AWARDS - From Variety: The 2019 Writers Guild Awards winners have been announced. "Eighth Grade" (original screenplay) and "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (adapted screenplay) lead the winners.
----------
AWARDS - From teleSUR: A white Mexican actor, Sergio Goyri, uses a racial slur to criticize Oscar-nominated actress, Yalitza Apaicio ("Roma"), the first Indigenous actress to be nominated for an Oscar.
----------
SPORTS - From Slate: How Colin Kaepernick beat the NFL. [Whoop that trick!]
----------
BOND - From Deadline: The release date for BOND 25 has been moved back to April 8, 2020. Daniel Craig will return as James Bond-007.
OBITS:
From IndieWire: Film and theater director, Stanley Donen, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, February 23, 2019. Donen is considered to have re-invented the Hollywood movie musical with such films as "On the Town," Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and "Singin' in the Rain," considered by some to be the greatest movie musical of all time.
From ESPN: Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Don Newcombe, has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, February 19, 2019. A Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers legend, Newcombe was the first pitcher to win "Rookie of the Year," "Most Valuable Player," and the "Cy Young Award" during his career. In fact, Newcombe was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, as he won the award in its inaugural year, 1956. Newcombe, the first African-American pitcher to win 20 games in the MLB, was also a bridge player between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From THR: Swiss actor, Bruno Ganz, has died at the age of 77, Friday, February 15, 2019. Ganz was nominated for playing Adolf Hitler in the film, "Downfall" (2004). He also appeared in the film "Wings of Desire" and "The Reader."
AWARDS - From TheWrap: The winners were announced for the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards. "If Beale Street Could Talk" wins "Best Feature," "Best Director" (Barry Jenkins), and "Best Supporting Female" (Regina King).
From THR: During his acceptance speech for "Best Director" at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Barry Jenkins calls on Hollywood to champion more film directed by women.
----------
SCANDAL - From teleSUR: Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter, R. Kelly, has turned himself into Chicago police. His charges include 10 counts of aggravated criminal abuse, with three out of the four victims being underaged.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: John Krasinski will direct the sequel to his hit film, "A Quiet Place." Emily Blunt is also returning for "A Quiet Place 2."
----------
WHITE SUPREMACY - From YahooUSAToday: USA Today reviews 900 college yearbooks from the 1970s and 1980s and finds (surprise!) shocking images of blatant racism.
---------
STREAMING - From Buzzfeed: CBS All Access debuts the first trailer for the rebooted "The Twilight Zone," with Jordan Peele standing in for Rod Serling.
----------
WHITE SUPREMACY - From NPR: No, the Jussie Smollet is not the most important story today. A 49-year-old Coast Guard lieutenant, Christopher Paul Hasson, has been charged with stockpiling weapons and drugs and is being described as a "domestic terrorist" who was planning "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country," according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland on Tuesday.
From CBS: By the way, there is a Department of Homeland Security report on domestic terrorism that is a must-read. Ten years ago, the GOP and conservative media successfully hamstrung its release.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Michael B. Jordan will star in Denzel Washington's next directorial effort, "Journal for Jordan" for Sony Pictures.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: The ratings for "The Walking Dead" are at an all-time low, and the series is still the #1 show on cable.
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooNews: Jussie Smollet, a star of Fox's "Empire" TV series, has been arrested in Chicago, after turning himself in. He faces charges and accusations that he filed a false police report in relation to an alleged attack against him three weeks ago.
----------
MOVIES - From People: Chris Hemsworth to play wrestler Hulk Hogan in a biopic of the WWE star.
----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool: The third "Bill and Ted" movies, "Bill and Ted: Face the Music" reportedly will begin production this summer.
----------
TELEVISION - From BleedingCool: In The CW's "The Lost Reboot," the "Frog Brothers" will be replaced by the "Frog Sisters."
----------
ANIMATION - From Variety: Oscar-winner, Emma Thompson, has apparently left the Skydance Animation film, "Luck," over Skydance's hiring of former Pixar Animation Studio boss, John Lasseter. Lasseter left Pixar over misconduct allegations.
----------
MONEY - From TwoCents: All the Ways You Can Get Your Student Loans Forgiven
----------
TELEVISION - From Newsarama: Neil Gaiman ("American Gods") has been hired to develop a new version of the late Jim Henson's 1980s anthology TV series, "Storyteller."
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ryan Coogler, director of Marvel's "Black Panther," will produce the film, "Jesus Was My Homeboy," about murdered real-life Black Panther member, Fred Hampton, and the man who betrayed him to the pigs, William O'Neal.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 2/15 to 2/17/2019 (President's Day) weekend box office is "Alita: Battle Angel" with an estimated take of 27.8 million dollars.
----------
STREAMING - From Variety: Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke says Amazon is still in the movie game.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Netflix cancels "Jessica Jones" and "The Punisher," which likely marks the end of its relationship with Marvel TV than began in 2013.
----------
AWARDS - From Variety: The 2019 Writers Guild Awards winners have been announced. "Eighth Grade" (original screenplay) and "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (adapted screenplay) lead the winners.
----------
AWARDS - From teleSUR: A white Mexican actor, Sergio Goyri, uses a racial slur to criticize Oscar-nominated actress, Yalitza Apaicio ("Roma"), the first Indigenous actress to be nominated for an Oscar.
----------
SPORTS - From Slate: How Colin Kaepernick beat the NFL. [Whoop that trick!]
----------
BOND - From Deadline: The release date for BOND 25 has been moved back to April 8, 2020. Daniel Craig will return as James Bond-007.
OBITS:
From IndieWire: Film and theater director, Stanley Donen, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, February 23, 2019. Donen is considered to have re-invented the Hollywood movie musical with such films as "On the Town," Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and "Singin' in the Rain," considered by some to be the greatest movie musical of all time.
From ESPN: Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Don Newcombe, has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, February 19, 2019. A Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers legend, Newcombe was the first pitcher to win "Rookie of the Year," "Most Valuable Player," and the "Cy Young Award" during his career. In fact, Newcombe was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, as he won the award in its inaugural year, 1956. Newcombe, the first African-American pitcher to win 20 games in the MLB, was also a bridge player between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From THR: Swiss actor, Bruno Ganz, has died at the age of 77, Friday, February 15, 2019. Ganz was nominated for playing Adolf Hitler in the film, "Downfall" (2004). He also appeared in the film "Wings of Desire" and "The Reader."
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Pixar Co-Founder John Lasseter Joins Skydance Media
Skydance Media Names Animation Visionary John Lasseter Head of Skydance Animation
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Lasseter has been named Head of Skydance Animation, it was announced today by David Ellison, Chief Executive Officer, Skydance Media.
“John is a singular creative and executive talent whose impact on the animation industry cannot be overstated”
Lasseter, who will report directly to Ellison, will be based in Los Angeles and start later this month.
“John is a singular creative and executive talent whose impact on the animation industry cannot be overstated,” said Ellison. “He was responsible for leading animation into the digital age, while telling incomparable stories that continue to inspire and entertain audiences around the globe.”
Ellison continued: “And yet we did not enter into this decision lightly. John has acknowledged and apologized for his mistakes and, during the past year away from the workplace, has endeavored to address and reform them.”
“We look forward to John bringing all of his creative talents, his experience managing large franchises, his renewed understanding of the responsibilities of leadership and his exuberance to Skydance as we continue to expand our animation efforts for the global marketplace.”
Lasseter said: “I’m grateful to David and the Skydance team and know that I have been entrusted with an enormous responsibility. It is a distinct privilege that I will relish.”
“I have spent the last year away from the industry in deep reflection, learning how my actions unintentionally made colleagues uncomfortable, which I deeply regret and apologize for. It has been humbling, but I believe it will make me a better leader.”
Lasseter continued: “I want nothing more than the opportunity to return to my creative and entrepreneurial roots, to build and invent again. I join Skydance with the same enthusiasm that drove me to help build Pixar, with a firm desire to tell original and diverse stories for audiences everywhere. With what I have learned and how I have grown in the past year, I am resolute in my commitment to build an animation studio upon a foundation of quality, safety, trust and mutual respect.”
In his new role, Lasseter will be responsible for setting the overall strategy and creative direction for Skydance Animation. He will drive the division’s artistic growth, overseeing production and operations, to ensure a robust slate of animated entertainment across all media.
Established in 2017, Skydance Animation has embarked on a multi-year partnership with Ilion Animation Studios, a dedicated CGI feature animation studio based in Madrid, to develop and produce a slate of high-end animated feature films and television series. Its first two animated feature-length films have been announced: Luck, directed by Alessandro Carloni and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger and an Untitled Action Fantasy, directed by Vicky Jenson and written by Linda Woolverton.
About John Lasseter
Lasseter is the former Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor, Walt Disney Imagineering. In that role, he maintained creative oversight of all films and associated projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios.
Lasseter made his directorial debut in 1995 with Toy Story, the world’s first feature-length computer-animated film, for which he received a Special Achievement Academy Award® recognizing his inspired leadership of the filmmaking team. He and the rest of Toy Story’s screenwriting team earned an Academy Award® nomination for best original screenplay, marking the first time an animated feature had ever been recognized in that category.
Lasseter also directed A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011). Lasseter executive produced all Pixar features since Monsters, Inc. (2001), including the studio’s eight Academy Award®-winners Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), WALL•E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Brave (2012), and Inside Out (2015), as well as films The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), and Incredibles 2 (2018).
To date, Pixar’s films have earned more than $11 billion in gross box-office receipts. Lasseter was the executive producer of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning feature Frozen (2013), which also won an Academy Award® for best original song (Let It Go). The film, which crossed the $1 billion mark in March 2014, is the number one animated feature of all time.
After assuming creative oversight of Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2006, Lasseter served as executive producer on all of its feature films, including Bolt (2008); The Princess and the Frog (2009); Tangled (2010); Winnie the Pooh (2011); Wreck-It Ralph (2012); Big Hero 6 (2015); Academy Award® -winning Zootopia (2016); Moana (2016), which was nominated for two Academy Awards®, and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). He also served as executive producer for Disneytoon Studios’ films.
Lasseter wrote, directed and animated Pixar’s first short films, including Luxo Jr., Red’s Dream, Tin Toy, and Knick Knack. Luxo Jr. was the first three-dimensional computer-animated film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award® when it was nominated for best animated short film in 1986; Tin Toy was the first three-dimensional computer-animated film ever to win an Academy Award® when it was named best animated short film in 1988.
Lasseter executive produced all of the studio’s subsequent shorts, including the Academy Award®-winning shorts Geri’s Game (1997) and For the Birds (2000), recent shorts La Luna (2011), The Blue Umbrella (2013), Lava (2015), Sanjay’s Super Team (2016), and the Academy Award®-wining Piper, which opened in front of Finding Dory (2016).
He also served as executive producer for Walt Disney Animation Studios shorts, including the Academy Award®-winning shorts Paperman (2012) and Feast (2014), as well as Get A Horse! (2013), and Frozen Fever, which recently debuted in front of Cinderella (2015).
In his role as principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, Lasseter was instrumental in bringing the beloved characters and settings of Radiator Springs to life for Disneyland Resort guests with the successful 2012 launch of Cars Land, a massive 12-acre expansion of Disney California Adventure Park.
In 2009, Lasseter and the directors of Pixar were honored at the 66th Venice International Film Festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The following year, Lasseter became the first producer of animated films ever to receive the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures. Lasseter’s other recognitions include the 2004 outstanding contribution to cinematic imagery award from the Art Directors Guild, an honorary degree from the American Film Institute, and the 2008 Winsor McCay Award from ASIFA-Hollywood for career achievement and contribution to the art of animation.
Prior to the formation of Pixar in 1986, Lasseter was a member of the computer division of Lucasfilm Ltd., where he designed and animated The Adventures of André and Wally B., the first-ever piece of character-based three-dimensional computer animation, and the computer-generated Stained Glass Knight character in the 1985 Steven Spielberg-produced film Young Sherlock Holmes.
Lasseter was part of the inaugural class of the character animation program at California Institute of the Arts and received his B.F.A. in film in 1979. He is the only two-time winner of the Student Academy Award for Animation, for his CalArts student films Lady and the Lamp (1979) and Nitemare (1980). His very first award came at the age of five, when he won $15 from the Model Grocery Market in Whittier, Calif., for a crayon drawing of the Headless Horseman.
About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high-quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories with immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive and animation divisions. Recent feature films include Mission: Impossible–Fallout and Annihilation. Skydance’s upcoming feature films include 6 Underground, Gemini Man, the Untitled Terminator project and Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance Television launched in 2013, and its current slate includes two Emmy-nominated series, Grace and Frankie and Altered Carbon, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Condor and Foundation. Skydance Interactive launched in 2016 to create and publish original and IP-based virtual reality video games; their library includes the mech-shooter game Archangel: Hellfire and the upcoming 2019 title The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. In 2017, Skydance formed an animation division to develop and produce a slate of high-end feature films and television series in partnership with Spain’s Ilion Animation Studios.
-----------------------------
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Lasseter has been named Head of Skydance Animation, it was announced today by David Ellison, Chief Executive Officer, Skydance Media.
“John is a singular creative and executive talent whose impact on the animation industry cannot be overstated”
Lasseter, who will report directly to Ellison, will be based in Los Angeles and start later this month.
“John is a singular creative and executive talent whose impact on the animation industry cannot be overstated,” said Ellison. “He was responsible for leading animation into the digital age, while telling incomparable stories that continue to inspire and entertain audiences around the globe.”
Ellison continued: “And yet we did not enter into this decision lightly. John has acknowledged and apologized for his mistakes and, during the past year away from the workplace, has endeavored to address and reform them.”
“We look forward to John bringing all of his creative talents, his experience managing large franchises, his renewed understanding of the responsibilities of leadership and his exuberance to Skydance as we continue to expand our animation efforts for the global marketplace.”
Lasseter said: “I’m grateful to David and the Skydance team and know that I have been entrusted with an enormous responsibility. It is a distinct privilege that I will relish.”
“I have spent the last year away from the industry in deep reflection, learning how my actions unintentionally made colleagues uncomfortable, which I deeply regret and apologize for. It has been humbling, but I believe it will make me a better leader.”
Lasseter continued: “I want nothing more than the opportunity to return to my creative and entrepreneurial roots, to build and invent again. I join Skydance with the same enthusiasm that drove me to help build Pixar, with a firm desire to tell original and diverse stories for audiences everywhere. With what I have learned and how I have grown in the past year, I am resolute in my commitment to build an animation studio upon a foundation of quality, safety, trust and mutual respect.”
In his new role, Lasseter will be responsible for setting the overall strategy and creative direction for Skydance Animation. He will drive the division’s artistic growth, overseeing production and operations, to ensure a robust slate of animated entertainment across all media.
Established in 2017, Skydance Animation has embarked on a multi-year partnership with Ilion Animation Studios, a dedicated CGI feature animation studio based in Madrid, to develop and produce a slate of high-end animated feature films and television series. Its first two animated feature-length films have been announced: Luck, directed by Alessandro Carloni and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger and an Untitled Action Fantasy, directed by Vicky Jenson and written by Linda Woolverton.
About John Lasseter
Lasseter is the former Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor, Walt Disney Imagineering. In that role, he maintained creative oversight of all films and associated projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios.
Lasseter made his directorial debut in 1995 with Toy Story, the world’s first feature-length computer-animated film, for which he received a Special Achievement Academy Award® recognizing his inspired leadership of the filmmaking team. He and the rest of Toy Story’s screenwriting team earned an Academy Award® nomination for best original screenplay, marking the first time an animated feature had ever been recognized in that category.
Lasseter also directed A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011). Lasseter executive produced all Pixar features since Monsters, Inc. (2001), including the studio’s eight Academy Award®-winners Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), WALL•E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Brave (2012), and Inside Out (2015), as well as films The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), and Incredibles 2 (2018).
To date, Pixar’s films have earned more than $11 billion in gross box-office receipts. Lasseter was the executive producer of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning feature Frozen (2013), which also won an Academy Award® for best original song (Let It Go). The film, which crossed the $1 billion mark in March 2014, is the number one animated feature of all time.
After assuming creative oversight of Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2006, Lasseter served as executive producer on all of its feature films, including Bolt (2008); The Princess and the Frog (2009); Tangled (2010); Winnie the Pooh (2011); Wreck-It Ralph (2012); Big Hero 6 (2015); Academy Award® -winning Zootopia (2016); Moana (2016), which was nominated for two Academy Awards®, and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). He also served as executive producer for Disneytoon Studios’ films.
Lasseter wrote, directed and animated Pixar’s first short films, including Luxo Jr., Red’s Dream, Tin Toy, and Knick Knack. Luxo Jr. was the first three-dimensional computer-animated film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award® when it was nominated for best animated short film in 1986; Tin Toy was the first three-dimensional computer-animated film ever to win an Academy Award® when it was named best animated short film in 1988.
Lasseter executive produced all of the studio’s subsequent shorts, including the Academy Award®-winning shorts Geri’s Game (1997) and For the Birds (2000), recent shorts La Luna (2011), The Blue Umbrella (2013), Lava (2015), Sanjay’s Super Team (2016), and the Academy Award®-wining Piper, which opened in front of Finding Dory (2016).
He also served as executive producer for Walt Disney Animation Studios shorts, including the Academy Award®-winning shorts Paperman (2012) and Feast (2014), as well as Get A Horse! (2013), and Frozen Fever, which recently debuted in front of Cinderella (2015).
In his role as principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, Lasseter was instrumental in bringing the beloved characters and settings of Radiator Springs to life for Disneyland Resort guests with the successful 2012 launch of Cars Land, a massive 12-acre expansion of Disney California Adventure Park.
In 2009, Lasseter and the directors of Pixar were honored at the 66th Venice International Film Festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The following year, Lasseter became the first producer of animated films ever to receive the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures. Lasseter’s other recognitions include the 2004 outstanding contribution to cinematic imagery award from the Art Directors Guild, an honorary degree from the American Film Institute, and the 2008 Winsor McCay Award from ASIFA-Hollywood for career achievement and contribution to the art of animation.
Prior to the formation of Pixar in 1986, Lasseter was a member of the computer division of Lucasfilm Ltd., where he designed and animated The Adventures of André and Wally B., the first-ever piece of character-based three-dimensional computer animation, and the computer-generated Stained Glass Knight character in the 1985 Steven Spielberg-produced film Young Sherlock Holmes.
Lasseter was part of the inaugural class of the character animation program at California Institute of the Arts and received his B.F.A. in film in 1979. He is the only two-time winner of the Student Academy Award for Animation, for his CalArts student films Lady and the Lamp (1979) and Nitemare (1980). His very first award came at the age of five, when he won $15 from the Model Grocery Market in Whittier, Calif., for a crayon drawing of the Headless Horseman.
About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high-quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories with immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive and animation divisions. Recent feature films include Mission: Impossible–Fallout and Annihilation. Skydance’s upcoming feature films include 6 Underground, Gemini Man, the Untitled Terminator project and Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance Television launched in 2013, and its current slate includes two Emmy-nominated series, Grace and Frankie and Altered Carbon, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Condor and Foundation. Skydance Interactive launched in 2016 to create and publish original and IP-based virtual reality video games; their library includes the mech-shooter game Archangel: Hellfire and the upcoming 2019 title The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. In 2017, Skydance formed an animation division to develop and produce a slate of high-end feature films and television series in partnership with Spain’s Ilion Animation Studios.
-----------------------------
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 10th to 16th, 2018 - Update #11
Support Leroy on Patreon:
SCANDAL - From Deadline: TV host and fanboy supreme, Chris Hardwick, is being shutdown from his TV and hosting gigs in the wake of abuse allegations from his former girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra.
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooMovies: Catherine Zeta-Jones is sick of (fucking) being humble. [Honestly, I did not think that was a problem she had - Editor.]
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant: The "Kingsman" films may have a sequel, prequel, spinoff, and TV series.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist: The Todd Phillips-directed "Joker" film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is apparently happening.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From Deadline: Director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot reveal first photographic images from "Wonder Woman 2," which is due Nov. 1, 2019.
----------
BUSINESS - From WSJ: A federal court clears the way for AT&T to acquire Time-Warner. The U.S. Department of Justice had stood in the way of the deal.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: If you care, here are the winners at the 2018 Tony Awards.
----------
PIXAR - From Deadline: Pixar Animation Studios co-founder John Lasseter will leave Pixar by the end of the year.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 6/8 to 6/10/2018 weekend box office is "Ocean's 8" with an estimated take of $41.5 million.
From Deadline: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" opens at $151.1 million in 48 markets at the international box office.
TRAILERS-VIDEO:
From Deadline: First teaser trailer for Disney's live-action "Dumbo," which is directed by Tim Burton. The film is due March 29, 2019.
OBIT:
From Deadline: The actor Jackson Odell has died at the age of 20, Friday, June 8, 2018. Odell had a recurring role on ABC's "The Goldberg's" and had appeared on Nickelodeon's "iCarly."
From Variety: Guitarist and recording artist, Danny Kirwan, has died at the age of 68, Friday, June 8, 2018. Kirwan was an original member of the band "Fleetwood Mac," joining in 1968. He was fired from the group in 1972.
SCANDAL - From Deadline: TV host and fanboy supreme, Chris Hardwick, is being shutdown from his TV and hosting gigs in the wake of abuse allegations from his former girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra.
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooMovies: Catherine Zeta-Jones is sick of (fucking) being humble. [Honestly, I did not think that was a problem she had - Editor.]
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant: The "Kingsman" films may have a sequel, prequel, spinoff, and TV series.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist: The Todd Phillips-directed "Joker" film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is apparently happening.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From Deadline: Director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot reveal first photographic images from "Wonder Woman 2," which is due Nov. 1, 2019.
----------
BUSINESS - From WSJ: A federal court clears the way for AT&T to acquire Time-Warner. The U.S. Department of Justice had stood in the way of the deal.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: If you care, here are the winners at the 2018 Tony Awards.
----------
PIXAR - From Deadline: Pixar Animation Studios co-founder John Lasseter will leave Pixar by the end of the year.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 6/8 to 6/10/2018 weekend box office is "Ocean's 8" with an estimated take of $41.5 million.
From Deadline: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" opens at $151.1 million in 48 markets at the international box office.
TRAILERS-VIDEO:
From Deadline: First teaser trailer for Disney's live-action "Dumbo," which is directed by Tim Burton. The film is due March 29, 2019.
OBIT:
From Deadline: The actor Jackson Odell has died at the age of 20, Friday, June 8, 2018. Odell had a recurring role on ABC's "The Goldberg's" and had appeared on Nickelodeon's "iCarly."
From Variety: Guitarist and recording artist, Danny Kirwan, has died at the age of 68, Friday, June 8, 2018. Kirwan was an original member of the band "Fleetwood Mac," joining in 1968. He was fired from the group in 1972.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 19th to 25th, 2017 - Update #32
Support Leroy on Patreon.
BOX OFFICE - From Variety: "Coco" pushing past "Justice League" at holiday box office.
----------
POLITICS - From WashPost: The complete list of President Trump and the women accusing him of sexual misconduct. [I think they may have missed some. - Ed.]
----------
FOOD - From NPR: What The Industry Knew About Sugar's Health Effects, But Didn't Tell Us
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: First footage from "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," features Chris Pratt playing with a baby raptor.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap: Jude Law will play the male lead in Marvel's "Captain Marvel" opposite Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. Law's specific role is unknown.
----------
BLM - From Newsweek: Three years ago a Cleveland police officer killed a Black boy who had a toy gun. Newsweek takes a look at that toy.
----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: On the 20th anniversary of his passing, here are six songs inspired by the death of INXS lead singer, the late Michael Hutchence.
----------
PIXAR - From THR: Pixar boss John Lasseter becomes the latest boss man who has to disappear because of his sexually abusive behavior.
----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: Producers Guild names its nominees for best nonfiction (or documentary) films of 2017.
From TheWrap: 2017 NAACP Image Award nominees announced.
----------
HOLOCAUST - From YahooNews: 102-year-old Holocaust survivor who thought his entire family died meets nephew he didn't know existed.
-----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: 2017-18 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations have been announced.
----------
CRIME: From TheNewYorker: A former journalist has created "The Serial-Killer Detector."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel "Runaways" debuts on the streaming service, Hulu, today. Yahoo critic Ken Tucker reviews the early episodes of the series.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooNews: CBS fires veteran television news host and interviewer Charlie Rose, in the wake of sexual misconduct accusations made against him in a Washington Post article. Rose was a correspondent for the venerable TV news show, "60 Minutes" and hosted its weekday morning news, "CBS This Morning."
----------
BLM - From YahooNews: Ex-cop Shannon Kepler, who abandoned his daughter and then shot her African-American boyfriend to death, gets 15 years in prison for the shooting.
----------
SCANDAL - From WashPost: Exalted television news host and celebrity interviewer, Charlie Rose, has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women. Rose's various gigs have been suspended or shut down.
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: "Vanity Fair" has plot details about Quentin Tarantino's next film (referred to as "#9").
----------
SCANDAL - From EW: Armie Hammer called out what he perceives as a double standard in the way eventual Oscar winner Casey Affleck and Nate Parker, whose Oscar hopes were dashed, were treated in the wake of past sexual misconduct against each man being revived.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 11/17 to 11/19/2017 weekend box office is Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment's "Justice League" with an estimated take of $96 million.
From WeGotThisCovered: "Thor: Ragnarok" rocks past $700 million in worldwide box office.
----------
SCANDAL - From TheGuardian: Harvey Weinstein had a secret hit list that he was going to use to quash or manage his sex scandal.
----------
CIVIL RIGHTS - From CNN: Jesse Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
From YahooNews: This article looks at the many roles of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jackson announced on Friday, Nov. 17th that he has been treated for Parkinson's disease for the past two years.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety: "Justice League" opens with $96 million in box office, about $14 million less than forecasts.
From TheWrap: DC Comics film fans want a release of "Justice League" that is original director Zach Snyder's cut of the film. Snyder left the film earlier this year after the sudden death of his daughter. Joss Whedon finished the film, also doing some reshoots.
----------
TERROR - From Alternet: Area north of Denver, Colorado rocked by terror attack in Walmart.
----------
POLITICS - From ALdotcom: Said in defense of Alabama U.S. Senate candidate "Judge" Roy Moore, "More women are sexual predators than men."
----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV: Highlights from Chance the Rapper hosting "Saturday Night Live," on November 18, 2017.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Sony Pictures wins domestic and international distribution rights to next film, his ninth which is due in 2019.
----------
CULTURE - From TheNewYorker: "How to Get Rich Playing Video Games Online"
OBITS:
From THR: Former teen idol, recording star, and actor, David Cassidy, has died at the age of 67, Tuesday, November 21, 2017. Cassidy arose to fame in the early 1970s playing "Keith Partridge" on the ABC series, "The Partridge Family" (1970-74) about a suburban family that doubled as a pop music band. After the show, Cassidy continued a successful recording career, and was a huge concert draw in the 1970s. He remained a popular concert attraction later in life.
From the NewEnglandPatriots: Former NFL wide receiver, Terry Glenn, died at the age of 43, Monday morning, November 20, 2017. Glenn played his first six seasons with the Patriots and caught Tom Brady's first touchdown pass. Glenn spent one year with the Green Bay Packers and the last five years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys.
From PEOPLE: Actress and music legend Della Reese has died at the age of 86, Sunday, November 19, 2017. Reese was best known for her playing "Tess" on "Touched by an Angel," for which she earned two Emmy Award nominations. Reese also released several albums and hit songs and was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
From YahooNews: Notorious cult leader and mass murder, Charles Manson, has died at the age of 83, Sunday, November 19, 2017. A hippie cult leader, Manson orchestrated the gruesome murder of seven people including actress Sharon Tate, and his ugly mug became the face of evil in America.
From THR: The actor Earle Hyman has died at the age 91, Friday, November 17, 2017. The classically trained and admired actor of stage, television, and film may have been best known for playing "Russell Huxtable," the father of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." He was also the voice of "Panthro" on the 1980s animated series, "ThunderCats."
From RollingStone: Country music singer and songwriter, Mel Tillis, died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 19, 2017. He was the "CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1976 and he is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
From Deadline: The actress Ann Wedgeworth has died at the age of 83, Thursday, November 16, 2017. She was known to generations of TV viewers as the lusty divorce, Lana Shields, in "Three's Company." She appeared in numerous TV shows, including "Evening Shade" and the soap opera, "The Edge of Night." Wedgeworth won a Tony Award for her role in "Neil Simon's Chapter Two."
From WashPost: Edward S. Herman, a media critic and economist, died at the age of 92, Saturday, November 11, 2017. He co-wrote the book, "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media" (1988) with scholar and political activist, Noam Chomsky.
BOX OFFICE - From Variety: "Coco" pushing past "Justice League" at holiday box office.
----------
POLITICS - From WashPost: The complete list of President Trump and the women accusing him of sexual misconduct. [I think they may have missed some. - Ed.]
----------
FOOD - From NPR: What The Industry Knew About Sugar's Health Effects, But Didn't Tell Us
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: First footage from "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," features Chris Pratt playing with a baby raptor.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap: Jude Law will play the male lead in Marvel's "Captain Marvel" opposite Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. Law's specific role is unknown.
----------
BLM - From Newsweek: Three years ago a Cleveland police officer killed a Black boy who had a toy gun. Newsweek takes a look at that toy.
----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: On the 20th anniversary of his passing, here are six songs inspired by the death of INXS lead singer, the late Michael Hutchence.
----------
PIXAR - From THR: Pixar boss John Lasseter becomes the latest boss man who has to disappear because of his sexually abusive behavior.
----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: Producers Guild names its nominees for best nonfiction (or documentary) films of 2017.
From TheWrap: 2017 NAACP Image Award nominees announced.
----------
HOLOCAUST - From YahooNews: 102-year-old Holocaust survivor who thought his entire family died meets nephew he didn't know existed.
-----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: 2017-18 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations have been announced.
----------
CRIME: From TheNewYorker: A former journalist has created "The Serial-Killer Detector."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel "Runaways" debuts on the streaming service, Hulu, today. Yahoo critic Ken Tucker reviews the early episodes of the series.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooNews: CBS fires veteran television news host and interviewer Charlie Rose, in the wake of sexual misconduct accusations made against him in a Washington Post article. Rose was a correspondent for the venerable TV news show, "60 Minutes" and hosted its weekday morning news, "CBS This Morning."
----------
BLM - From YahooNews: Ex-cop Shannon Kepler, who abandoned his daughter and then shot her African-American boyfriend to death, gets 15 years in prison for the shooting.
----------
SCANDAL - From WashPost: Exalted television news host and celebrity interviewer, Charlie Rose, has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women. Rose's various gigs have been suspended or shut down.
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: "Vanity Fair" has plot details about Quentin Tarantino's next film (referred to as "#9").
----------
SCANDAL - From EW: Armie Hammer called out what he perceives as a double standard in the way eventual Oscar winner Casey Affleck and Nate Parker, whose Oscar hopes were dashed, were treated in the wake of past sexual misconduct against each man being revived.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 11/17 to 11/19/2017 weekend box office is Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment's "Justice League" with an estimated take of $96 million.
From WeGotThisCovered: "Thor: Ragnarok" rocks past $700 million in worldwide box office.
----------
SCANDAL - From TheGuardian: Harvey Weinstein had a secret hit list that he was going to use to quash or manage his sex scandal.
----------
CIVIL RIGHTS - From CNN: Jesse Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
From YahooNews: This article looks at the many roles of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jackson announced on Friday, Nov. 17th that he has been treated for Parkinson's disease for the past two years.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety: "Justice League" opens with $96 million in box office, about $14 million less than forecasts.
From TheWrap: DC Comics film fans want a release of "Justice League" that is original director Zach Snyder's cut of the film. Snyder left the film earlier this year after the sudden death of his daughter. Joss Whedon finished the film, also doing some reshoots.
----------
TERROR - From Alternet: Area north of Denver, Colorado rocked by terror attack in Walmart.
----------
POLITICS - From ALdotcom: Said in defense of Alabama U.S. Senate candidate "Judge" Roy Moore, "More women are sexual predators than men."
----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV: Highlights from Chance the Rapper hosting "Saturday Night Live," on November 18, 2017.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Sony Pictures wins domestic and international distribution rights to next film, his ninth which is due in 2019.
----------
CULTURE - From TheNewYorker: "How to Get Rich Playing Video Games Online"
OBITS:
From THR: Former teen idol, recording star, and actor, David Cassidy, has died at the age of 67, Tuesday, November 21, 2017. Cassidy arose to fame in the early 1970s playing "Keith Partridge" on the ABC series, "The Partridge Family" (1970-74) about a suburban family that doubled as a pop music band. After the show, Cassidy continued a successful recording career, and was a huge concert draw in the 1970s. He remained a popular concert attraction later in life.
From the NewEnglandPatriots: Former NFL wide receiver, Terry Glenn, died at the age of 43, Monday morning, November 20, 2017. Glenn played his first six seasons with the Patriots and caught Tom Brady's first touchdown pass. Glenn spent one year with the Green Bay Packers and the last five years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys.
From PEOPLE: Actress and music legend Della Reese has died at the age of 86, Sunday, November 19, 2017. Reese was best known for her playing "Tess" on "Touched by an Angel," for which she earned two Emmy Award nominations. Reese also released several albums and hit songs and was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
From YahooNews: Notorious cult leader and mass murder, Charles Manson, has died at the age of 83, Sunday, November 19, 2017. A hippie cult leader, Manson orchestrated the gruesome murder of seven people including actress Sharon Tate, and his ugly mug became the face of evil in America.
From THR: The actor Earle Hyman has died at the age 91, Friday, November 17, 2017. The classically trained and admired actor of stage, television, and film may have been best known for playing "Russell Huxtable," the father of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." He was also the voice of "Panthro" on the 1980s animated series, "ThunderCats."
From RollingStone: Country music singer and songwriter, Mel Tillis, died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 19, 2017. He was the "CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1976 and he is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
From Deadline: The actress Ann Wedgeworth has died at the age of 83, Thursday, November 16, 2017. She was known to generations of TV viewers as the lusty divorce, Lana Shields, in "Three's Company." She appeared in numerous TV shows, including "Evening Shade" and the soap opera, "The Edge of Night." Wedgeworth won a Tony Award for her role in "Neil Simon's Chapter Two."
From WashPost: Edward S. Herman, a media critic and economist, died at the age of 92, Saturday, November 11, 2017. He co-wrote the book, "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media" (1988) with scholar and political activist, Noam Chomsky.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Review: "Inside Out" is Outta Sight
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
Inside Out (2015)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter
WRITERS: Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley; based on an original story by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen
PRODUCER: Jonas Rivera
EDITOR: Kevin Nolting
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino
Academy Award winner
ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/COMEDY/FAMILY
Starring: (voices) Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dais, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Paula Poundstone, Bobby Moynihan, Frank Oz, Dani Dare, Dara Iruka, Dawnn Lewis, and Rashida Jones
Inside Out is a 2015 computer-animated feature film from Pixar Animation Studios. The film is directed by Pete Docter and is based on a story written by Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen (who also co-directed this film). Inside Out focuses on a 'tween girl who struggles with the move to a new home and on her animated emotions who get carried away by her stress. Inside Out was executive produced by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton.
Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dais) has within her mind, five personifications of her basic emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). This quintet influences Riley's actions by using a console in her mind's Headquarters. The emotions' biggest challenge comes when Riley is 11-years-old.
Riley and her parents, Bill Andersen (Kyle MacLachlan) and Jill O'Riley-Andersen (Diane Lane), move from her birthplace in Minnesota to San Francisco for Bill's new business. Joy, who is the leader of the emotions, is determined to keep Riley happy during this transition. However, an accident sends Joy and Sadness far away from Headquarters, leaving Anger, Disgust, and Fear in charge. Chaos ensues, and Joy is determined to get back in order to take charge and fix the problems. But can she get back in time before a great disaster occurs, and does she know what the problem with Riley really is?
Sometimes, it seems pointless to review Pixar movies, especially when they are as exceptionally good as Inside Out most certainly is. Of course, this film is gorgeously animated. Of course, it is both inventive in its conception and powerfully moving in its drama. Inside Out is the best non-sequel Pixar film since 2009's Up. So instead of heaping more praise on a movie upon which much praise (and an Oscar) has already been heaped, I will talk about a few things I liked about Inside Out.
I liked how the film emphasized that it is okay for people not to be happy all the time, that it is okay to sometimes be sad. Joy and sadness go hand in hand, and sometimes they are connected in ways we never realize. Obviously, Inside Out seems to be a movie made by filmmakers who are parents and who wish that their children would never grow up, but realize that of course they will. Inside Out is about change, and sometimes change is painful for the things that we lose that we cannot get back. Sometimes, we should not even want to get back things that are recoverable.
The voice performances are, all around, quite good. I particularly liked Richard Kind as Riley's former imaginary friend, Bing Bong. Amy Poehler's turn as Joy is full of shifts in character, mood, timbre, and color that not only define Joy, but also shape and define the narrative. Lewis Black is surprisingly nimble as Anger, and Bill Hader manages to make his character, Fear, stand out when he could easily disappear into the pack. I have to admit that I find Kaitlyn Dias exceptionally good as Riley; her performance makes the character seem genuine and goes a long way in making Inside Out work.
I won't say that this film is perfect. I think the first 25 minutes are problematic because the story struggles. It is as if the storytellers cannot hide the fact that they are bored with the obligatory set-ups and cannot wait to get to the part where the story really begins.
I have often heard it said or read that Pixar is like classic Walt Disney animated film in that Pixar movies have heart. I think that Pixar's storytellers are willing to grapple with the bittersweet nature of life. Like true artists, they find beauty in life: the good, the bad, and even the mundane. Pixar sells hope and embraces the fight for survival... or at least for something better. Some might think of this as American middle class values. I think Pixar's films are timeless and universal. Woody and Buzz Lightyear's race to catch up to the car at the end of Toy Story will always be compelling. And now, Inside Out has Joy and Riley's journey, and I don't think that story will ever grow old.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, April 22, 2016
NOTES:
2016 Academy Awards, USA: 1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera); 1 nomination: “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Pete Docter-screenplay/story, Meg LeFauve-screenplay, Josh Cooley-screenplay, and Ronnie Del Carmen-story)
2016 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Best Motion Picture – Animated”
2016 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Film” (Pete Docter); 1 nomination: “Best Original Screenplay (Josh Cooley, Pete Docter, and Meg LeFauve)
The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Monday, June 20, 2016
Review: "Zootopia" Another Classic from the Disney Utopia
Zootopia (2016)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some thematic elements, rude humor and action
DIRECTORS: Byron Howard and Rich Moore with Jared Bush
WRITERS: Jared Bush and Phil Johnston; from a story by Byron Howard, Jared Bush, Rich Moore, Josie Trinidad , Jim Reardon, Phil Johnston, and Jennifer Lee
PRODUCER: Clark Spencer
EDITORS: Jeremy Milton and Fabienne Rawley
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino
ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY with elements of comedy, crime and mystery
Starring: (voice) Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, Tommy “Tiny” Lister, and Maurice LaMarche
Zootopia is a 2016 computer-animated fantasy film from Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS). Directed by Byron Howard and Richard Moore, the film was originally released to theaters in 3D. It is the 55th animated feature film in the “Walt Disney Animated Classics” line, with John Lasseter of Pixar being the film's executive producer. Zootopia follows a rookie bunny cop who unites with a cynical con artist fox to uncover a dark conspiracy.
Zootopia is populated by anthropomorphic mammals (cartoon or fictional animals that walk and talk like humans). Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a young female rabbit from the rural hamlet of Bunnyburrow. Her childhood dream was to be a police officer. She recently moved to the urban utopia of Zootopia where she just became a rookie cop with the Zootopia Police Department.
However, her boss, Chief Bobo (Idris Elba), a cape buffalo, does not believe that a bunny can be a cop; honestly, almost no one believes a little bunny rabbit can make it as a cop. Chief Bobo assigns Officer Hopps to the traffic division where she becomes a meter maid, handing out parking tickets. Early in her career, Judy is even tricked by Nicholas P. “Nick” Wilde (Jason Bateman), a cynical red fox who runs various cons and hustles. Fate brings them together to solve the mystery of missing mammals, and the straight-laced Judy and street-smart Nick make a good team. However, neither understands the true extant of the conspiracy surrounding this missing persons case.
After Disney formally purchased Pixar (in 2006), the deal essentially united the Oscar-winning computer-animation studio with Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), there has been a marked improvement in the computer-animated films produced by the WDAS. The credit for that success often goes to Pixar's John Lasseter who is Chief Creative Officer (CCO) for both units. Under his watch, Walt Disney Feature Animation has produced such smash hits as Tangled and Wreck-It-Ralph, as well as the Oscar-winning, worldwide, monster hit, Frozen.
I keep thinking that there is nothing left that either Pixar or WDAS can do to surprise me, but Pixar blew my mind with last year's Inside Out. Now, I am stunned by Zootopia, which is not only fantastic, but is also timely. Zootopia is an American animated film that is aimed at the broad family audience, yet bluntly addresses issues of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes. Zootopia is a film about us, the human race, but especially about the United States of America.
We are Zootopia, that shining city on the hill. This place of dreams and of hope is filled with people who secretly harbor all manners of assumptions and prejudices about their fellow citizens. The course of Zootopia's story and of Judy's story is to steer everyone to their better selves. This could have been yet another animated film full of wise-cracking, eccentric talking animal characters that make the audience laugh, but the creators and filmmakers behind Zootopia wanted more. The result truly is a film that can be called a “Walt Disney Animated Classic.”
As the lead characters, Judy and Nick, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman give performances that certainly deserve to be called great. Goodwin gives Judy so much color and depth, making the bunny cop a character that is bigger than than this movie; Zootopia seems to be a single chapter in the life of a fictional character with much more to say. Bateman delivers his usual genial, smooth, and droll comedy style onto Nick, but he makes the sly red fox the wise, guiding hand that a young rookie bunny cop needs.
Thoughtful and occasionally brilliant, Zootopia cheats a little in its last act, taking the easy way out so that it can deliver a happy ending. Still, even its action-centered resolution of the conspiracy offers a delightful surprise and sticks to the story's message about the harm of prejudice and the dangers of racism and xenophobia. Perhaps, live-action films can learn a lesson from the state-of-the-art, computer-animated Zootopia. Movies can be smart, timely, and deliver a few messages AND also be big, entertaining event films.
9 of 10
A+
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Thursday, July 23, 2015
D23 2015 Previews Upcoming Films from Walt Disney Studios
The Walt Disney Studios Presents Upcoming Film Slate and More at D23 EXPO 2015
‘Can’t Miss’ Offerings Include Frozen Sing-Along, Toy Story 20th Anniversary, Star Wars, and Secret Special Guests
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Studios offers an exclusive look at its upcoming projects from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm at D23 EXPO 2015, taking place August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Studio will unveil its animation and live-action film slates via two huge Hall D23 presentations featuring surprise guests and many unforgettable moments. Other not-to-be-missed events include a Frozen FANdemonium musical celebration with Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and the 20th anniversary celebration of Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story with John Lasseter and the original Pixar crew.
HALL D23 PRESENTATIONS:
Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films, Hosted by John Lasseter
Friday, August 14, 3:00 p.m. - Hall D23
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo, where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents this in-depth look at the animation studios’ slate. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent.
Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios
Saturday, August 15, 10:30 a.m. - Hall D23
Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet’s best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—and much, much more.
Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!
Sunday, August 16, 3:00 p.m. - Hall D23
Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa—with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.
CALENDAR OF KEY EVENTS:
In Conversation with the Filmmakers and the Emotions Behind Inside Out
Friday, August 14, 11:30 a.m. – Stage 28
Get the inside story on the making of Pixar’s latest summer release, Inside Out. Hear from Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up) as they reminisce and share their personal stories of creating a world that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen.
Welcome to Zootopia!
Saturday, August 15, 1:30 p.m. - Stage 28
Welcome to Zootopia, a magnificent mammal metropolis, and home to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature, the comedy-adventure Zootopia. Join directors Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), producer Clark Spencer (Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), and artists from the incredible production team as they introduce rookie rabbit-officer Judy Hopps, con-artist fox Nick Wilde and a host of dynamic animal characters, sharing footage and behind-the-scenes stories with D23 EXPO-goers.
Pixar Secrets Revealed! Hear the Stories They Didn’t Want You to Know!
Saturday, August 15, 3:00 p.m. – Stage 28
Ever wonder where your favorite Pixar stories began? Hear the stories you don’t know about the classic films that you love. Pixar senior development executive Mary Coleman hosts this experience, welcoming the storytellers behind some of Pixar’s most successful films, including Darla K. Anderson (A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave), Ronnie del Carmen (Up, Inside Out) and Dan Scanlon (Cars, Toy Story 3, Monsters University), as they talk about the twists and turns of crafting a narrative and share some of the crazy story ideas that didn’t make the final cut.
Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back
Saturday, August 15, 4:30 p.m. – Stage 23
From flipbooks to feature films, animation has taken audiences to fantastical new worlds, far beyond the limits of any real-world setting. Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of this evolution, blurring the line between art and technology and bringing beloved characters to life with heart and humor. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1995’s Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, join members of the original crew, including filmmakers John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Galyn Susman, Ralph Eggleston, Sharon Calahan, Eben Ostby, Bob Pauley and Bill Reeves as they share their stories and the challenges they faced along the way.
Aladdin – The Making of a Classic
Saturday, August 15, 6:00 p.m. - Stage 28
Join Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers, including legendary directors John Musker and Ron Clements, animators Eric Goldberg (Genie) and Mark Henn (Jasmine), as well as Jasmine herself, Linda Larkin, and the two actors who gave life to the character Aladdin: Scott Weinger and Brad Kane, as they unveil the stories behind one of the great Disney classics, Aladdin, a film that led to a “whole new world” for animation.
The Shorts of Walt Disney Animation Studios: from Paperman to Prep & Landing, Feast to Frozen Fever
Sunday, August 16, 11:30 a.m. - Stage 28
When Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923, their first medium for storytelling was the animated short. More than 90 years later, Walt Disney Animation Studios continues this tradition, making groundbreaking and award-winning shorts including Feast, Paperman and this year’s hit Frozen Fever. Join the filmmakers behind these shorts and so many others, including Get A Horse!, John Henry, Lorenzo and The Ballad of Nessie for a conversation about this truly animated art form.
The Tunes Behind the Toons: Screening/Q&A
Sunday, August 16, 6:00 p.m. - Stage 28
D23 EXPO invites you to a special screening and Q&A panel for The Tunes Behind the Toons, a short form documentary that celebrates the power of music in animation. From the silent film days when organists played live accompaniments, to the music within today’s animated features, this documentary traces the origins of cartoon music and its pioneers. Featuring interviews with Alan Menken, Randy Newman, Patrick Doyle, Mark Watters, Bruce Broughton, Richard Sherman and many others. Producer/director Dave Bossert will lead a star-studded Q&A following the presentation.
ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR:
The Walt Disney Studios – Show Floor Exhibition
Step into the worlds of The Walt Disney Studios in this wide-ranging showcase of exciting projects from Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. Among the many highlights:
Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite
Take pics and share them in the Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite. It’s also the perfect opportunity to learn more about Disney Movies Anywhere, Disney’s digital movie app that lets you watch your Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movie collection across your favorite devices, anywhere you go.
Say Aloha to John Lasseter’s Film-Themed Hawaiian Shirts
Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter takes Disney and Pixar animation to heart—literally. For nearly every film, from Finding Nemo and Wreck-It Ralph to Frozen and Inside Out, Lasseter has commissioned an exclusive movie-themed Hawaiian shirt. And those who know the Oscar®-winning storyteller know that he loves his Hawaiian shirts—and dons one for almost every occasion. Animation fans will see their favorite film characters “materialize” before their eyes in this colorful collection, which will be exhibited on the show floor.
An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg
D23 hosts the first public exhibition anywhere of “An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg.” Celebrate Goldberg, whose artistry at Walt Disney Animation Studios began with his groundbreaking work on Genie in Aladdin, and continues to this day on projects such as the upcoming Moana and the 2014 Oscar®-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get A Horse! The exhibition features a collection of more than 100 of Goldberg’s caricatured creations of Disney characters, drawn in a style reminiscent of art seen on the famed walls of Sardi’s Restaurant and The Brown Derby. This incredible collection of art is from the newly released book An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters, and will be available for purchase in the Walt Disney Publishing pop-up shop on the EXPO show floor.
Frozen Album Signing
With the purchase of Frozen: The Songs or Frozen Picture Disc at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Tom MacDougall (Co-Producer, Frozen Soundtrack) on Saturday, August 15, at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
About D23 EXPO 2015
D23 EXPO—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. For the latest D23 EXPO 2015 news, visit D23EXPO.com. To join the D23 EXPO conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 on Twitter and use #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold and General Membership levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
-----------------
‘Can’t Miss’ Offerings Include Frozen Sing-Along, Toy Story 20th Anniversary, Star Wars, and Secret Special Guests
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Studios offers an exclusive look at its upcoming projects from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm at D23 EXPO 2015, taking place August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Studio will unveil its animation and live-action film slates via two huge Hall D23 presentations featuring surprise guests and many unforgettable moments. Other not-to-be-missed events include a Frozen FANdemonium musical celebration with Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and the 20th anniversary celebration of Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story with John Lasseter and the original Pixar crew.
HALL D23 PRESENTATIONS:
Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films, Hosted by John Lasseter
Friday, August 14, 3:00 p.m. - Hall D23
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo, where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents this in-depth look at the animation studios’ slate. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent.
Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios
Saturday, August 15, 10:30 a.m. - Hall D23
Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet’s best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—and much, much more.
Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!
Sunday, August 16, 3:00 p.m. - Hall D23
Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa—with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.
CALENDAR OF KEY EVENTS:
In Conversation with the Filmmakers and the Emotions Behind Inside Out
Friday, August 14, 11:30 a.m. – Stage 28
Get the inside story on the making of Pixar’s latest summer release, Inside Out. Hear from Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up) as they reminisce and share their personal stories of creating a world that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen.
Welcome to Zootopia!
Saturday, August 15, 1:30 p.m. - Stage 28
Welcome to Zootopia, a magnificent mammal metropolis, and home to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature, the comedy-adventure Zootopia. Join directors Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), producer Clark Spencer (Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), and artists from the incredible production team as they introduce rookie rabbit-officer Judy Hopps, con-artist fox Nick Wilde and a host of dynamic animal characters, sharing footage and behind-the-scenes stories with D23 EXPO-goers.
Pixar Secrets Revealed! Hear the Stories They Didn’t Want You to Know!
Saturday, August 15, 3:00 p.m. – Stage 28
Ever wonder where your favorite Pixar stories began? Hear the stories you don’t know about the classic films that you love. Pixar senior development executive Mary Coleman hosts this experience, welcoming the storytellers behind some of Pixar’s most successful films, including Darla K. Anderson (A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave), Ronnie del Carmen (Up, Inside Out) and Dan Scanlon (Cars, Toy Story 3, Monsters University), as they talk about the twists and turns of crafting a narrative and share some of the crazy story ideas that didn’t make the final cut.
Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back
Saturday, August 15, 4:30 p.m. – Stage 23
From flipbooks to feature films, animation has taken audiences to fantastical new worlds, far beyond the limits of any real-world setting. Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of this evolution, blurring the line between art and technology and bringing beloved characters to life with heart and humor. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1995’s Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, join members of the original crew, including filmmakers John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Galyn Susman, Ralph Eggleston, Sharon Calahan, Eben Ostby, Bob Pauley and Bill Reeves as they share their stories and the challenges they faced along the way.
Aladdin – The Making of a Classic
Saturday, August 15, 6:00 p.m. - Stage 28
Join Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers, including legendary directors John Musker and Ron Clements, animators Eric Goldberg (Genie) and Mark Henn (Jasmine), as well as Jasmine herself, Linda Larkin, and the two actors who gave life to the character Aladdin: Scott Weinger and Brad Kane, as they unveil the stories behind one of the great Disney classics, Aladdin, a film that led to a “whole new world” for animation.
The Shorts of Walt Disney Animation Studios: from Paperman to Prep & Landing, Feast to Frozen Fever
Sunday, August 16, 11:30 a.m. - Stage 28
When Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923, their first medium for storytelling was the animated short. More than 90 years later, Walt Disney Animation Studios continues this tradition, making groundbreaking and award-winning shorts including Feast, Paperman and this year’s hit Frozen Fever. Join the filmmakers behind these shorts and so many others, including Get A Horse!, John Henry, Lorenzo and The Ballad of Nessie for a conversation about this truly animated art form.
The Tunes Behind the Toons: Screening/Q&A
Sunday, August 16, 6:00 p.m. - Stage 28
D23 EXPO invites you to a special screening and Q&A panel for The Tunes Behind the Toons, a short form documentary that celebrates the power of music in animation. From the silent film days when organists played live accompaniments, to the music within today’s animated features, this documentary traces the origins of cartoon music and its pioneers. Featuring interviews with Alan Menken, Randy Newman, Patrick Doyle, Mark Watters, Bruce Broughton, Richard Sherman and many others. Producer/director Dave Bossert will lead a star-studded Q&A following the presentation.
ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR:
The Walt Disney Studios – Show Floor Exhibition
Step into the worlds of The Walt Disney Studios in this wide-ranging showcase of exciting projects from Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. Among the many highlights:
- For the first time at D23 EXPO, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios have created a joint experience no Disney fan should miss. With live demonstrations, presentations, and autograph signings with top filmmakers from each studio, plus free giveaways and interactive displays featuring the films Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Finding Dory and Moana, this is a can’t-miss attraction for animation fans.
- Explore costumes, props and photo ops from the Studios’ live-action films, including Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm.
Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite
Take pics and share them in the Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite. It’s also the perfect opportunity to learn more about Disney Movies Anywhere, Disney’s digital movie app that lets you watch your Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movie collection across your favorite devices, anywhere you go.
Say Aloha to John Lasseter’s Film-Themed Hawaiian Shirts
Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter takes Disney and Pixar animation to heart—literally. For nearly every film, from Finding Nemo and Wreck-It Ralph to Frozen and Inside Out, Lasseter has commissioned an exclusive movie-themed Hawaiian shirt. And those who know the Oscar®-winning storyteller know that he loves his Hawaiian shirts—and dons one for almost every occasion. Animation fans will see their favorite film characters “materialize” before their eyes in this colorful collection, which will be exhibited on the show floor.
An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg
D23 hosts the first public exhibition anywhere of “An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg.” Celebrate Goldberg, whose artistry at Walt Disney Animation Studios began with his groundbreaking work on Genie in Aladdin, and continues to this day on projects such as the upcoming Moana and the 2014 Oscar®-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get A Horse! The exhibition features a collection of more than 100 of Goldberg’s caricatured creations of Disney characters, drawn in a style reminiscent of art seen on the famed walls of Sardi’s Restaurant and The Brown Derby. This incredible collection of art is from the newly released book An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters, and will be available for purchase in the Walt Disney Publishing pop-up shop on the EXPO show floor.
Frozen Album Signing
With the purchase of Frozen: The Songs or Frozen Picture Disc at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Tom MacDougall (Co-Producer, Frozen Soundtrack) on Saturday, August 15, at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
About D23 EXPO 2015
D23 EXPO—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. For the latest D23 EXPO 2015 news, visit D23EXPO.com. To join the D23 EXPO conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 on Twitter and use #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold and General Membership levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
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Friday, May 22, 2015
Negromancer New Bits and Bites for the Week of May 17th to 23rd, 2015 - Update #12
NEWS:
From Gawker: This can't be real - Bill O'Reilly: wife beater.
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From YahooCelebrity: Josh Duggar, one of Jim Bob and Michelle's 19 kids, has been accused and also investigated for child molestation, including committing those acts against his younger female siblings.
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From Collider: At Cannes, John Lasseter previews "Finding Dory," "Toy Story 4," and more.
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From Moviesdotcom: Chris Pratt talks about what movies he will be in going forward and what is bull-crap.
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From TheWrap: Peter Saarsgard joins Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt in MGM's remake of The Magnificent Seven to be directed by Antoine Fuqua.
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From YahooTV: Melissa McCarthy addresses sexist critic.
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From Variety: The winner of the May 15th to 17th, 2015 is Pitch Perfect 2 with an estimated haul of $70.3. The first film only made $65 million during its entire theatrical run, although the film has been big in its move to home entertainment. The other new film, Mad Max: Fury Road made an estimated $44.4 million, with Avengers: Age of Ultron finishing third with $38.8, after two weeks at #1.
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From Variety: Jude Law headed to TV with "The Young Pope," which will air on HBO in America.
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From YahooMovies: Matthew McConaughey defends Gus Van Sant's "Sea of Trees," at Cannes 2015, where critics are having fun reviling it.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: The Maze Runner sequel: The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.
MISC:
From VillageVoice: A review of Dark Star, a documentary about the late surrealist artist, H.R. Giger.
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From Salon: Roger Waters responds to Dionne Warwick.
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From YahooNews: Jay Z and Beyonce put their money where their mouths are.
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From YahooNews: This is probably the closest most will get to seeing a naked Mitt Romeny - shirtless, sweaty, and fight Evander Holyfield.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Disney Consumer Products Preps for Pixar's Big 2015
Disney Consumer Products Gears Up for a Powerful Year from Pixar
Innovative New Toy Lines from TOMY Supporting Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur Unveiled Ahead of Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disney Consumer Products today unveiled exclusive details about the new global toy lines celebrating Disney∙Pixar’s Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, debuting theatrically in the U.S. on June 19, 2015, and Nov. 25, 2015, respectively. Both movies will have robust toy lines from best-in-class licensee TOMY, whose innovative approach, strength in international markets and ability to reflect Pixar’s unique storytelling in its product lines made them the ideal choice for Pixar Animation Studios’ most exciting year yet.
“When I visited TOMY's headquarters in Japan, I was impressed by their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. The toys they've created for Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur are fantastic—they've truly brought our characters to life.”
"We put our hearts into these films, so it's incredibly important to us that our toy-making partners care about and do justice to these characters we know so well," said John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. "When I visited TOMY's headquarters in Japan, I was impressed by their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. The toys they've created for Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur are fantastic—they've truly brought our characters to life.”
TOMY’s toy line for Inside Out is inspired by the humor, visual style and whimsical elements within the film. The poseable character figures have light up features and all of the toys allow for self-expression and re-creation of key movie moments. The broad toy range for The Good Dinosaur appeals to kids of all ages, for both action figure play and more sophisticated remote control walking and talking. The unique characteristics of the film’s dinosaurs, such as how they move and run, are reflected in the toy line, and several working models were built and shared with filmmakers to get the movements just right. Additionally, RFID technology allows the characters to interact as they do in the film, bringing their unique personalities and stories to life.
“With the debut of Cars in 2006, we introduced personality and humor to toy vehicles adding a new dimension of storytelling to an established play pattern, and lifting the entire category at retail. Dinosaurs have always fascinated kids and we believe Pixar’s unique take on our prehistoric friends will have a similar impact on the way they play with them in the future,” said Josh Silverman, executive vice president global licensing, Disney Consumer Products.
Pixar films have a strong track record of success at the box office and at retail. 20 years after the theatrical release of Toy Story in 1995, a film that transformed the animation industry and jumpstarted a billion dollar toy franchise, Pixar stories and characters hold a unique place in audiences’ hearts and kids’ toy boxes. Toy Story 3 holds the title of the second biggest animated film of all time reaching more than $1 billion in global box office sales. The iconic 12 inch Buzz Lightyear action figures have sold in excess of 10 million units globally over the past decade.
This summer Disney Consumer Products will roll out a special toy line to celebrate Toy Story’s 20th anniversary that will include a broad assortment of characters in a collectible figure range, favorite characters in action figure form and true-to-film talking versions of Buzz, Woody and Jessie.
About Inside Out
From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In Disney∙Pixar’s original movie Inside Out, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
About The Good Dinosaur
The Good Dinosaur asks the generations-old question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters November 25, 2015, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event unsettles Arlo’s family, he sets out on a remarkable journey, gaining an unlikely companion along the way—a human boy. The Good Dinosaur is an extraordinary journey of self-discovery full of thrilling adventure, hilarious characters and poignant heart.
About Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that delivers innovative and engaging product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art. As the world's largest licensor, DCP inspires the imaginations of people around the world by bringing the magic of Disney into consumers' homes with products they can enjoy year-round. DCP is comprised of three business units: Licensing, Publishing and Disney Store. The Licensing business is aligned around five strategic brand priorities: Disney Media, Classics & Entertainment, Disney & Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Princess & Disney Fairies, Lucasfilm and Marvel. Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books, magazines, and digital products and also includes an English language learning business, consisting of Disney English learning centers across China and a supplemental learning book program. DPW's growing library of digital products includes best-selling eBook titles and original apps that leverage Disney content in innovative ways. The Disney Store retail chain operates across North America, Europe and Japan with more than 350 stores worldwide and is known for providing consumers with high-quality, unique products. Disney's official shopping portals online are www.DisneyStore.com and www.DisneyStore.co.uk. For more information, please visit Disney Consumer Products www.DisneyConsumerProducts.com or follow us at www.YouTube.com/DisneyLiving, www.Facebook.com/DisneyLiving, www.Twitter.com/DisneyLiving and www.Pinterest.com/DisneyLiving andwww.Instagram.com/DisneyLiving.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Review: "Planes" Flies Pretty High
Planes (2013)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for some mild action and rude humor
DIRECTOR: Klay Hall
WRITERS: Jeffrey M. Howard; from a story by John Lasseter, Klay Hall, and Jeffrey M. Howard
PRODUCER: Traci Balthazor-Lynn
EDITOR: Jeremy Milton
COMPOSER: Mark Mancina
ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY/SPORTS
Starring: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Danny Mann, Colin Cowherd, Oliver Kalkofe, Klay Hall, John Ratzenberger, and Brent Musburger
Planes is a 2013 computer-animated fantasy adventure film and sports comedy that was produced by DisneyToon Studios. It was originally intended to be released straight-to-video, but was instead released to movie theaters as a 3D film in August 2013. Planes is a spinoff of Pixar's Cars film franchise and is co-written and executive-produced by John Lasseter, the director of Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011). Planes focuses on a cropduster plane who dreams of competing in a world-famous aerial race.
Planes opens in the small town of Propwash Junction and introduces Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook). This young airplane is a cropduster, but he dreams of being an air racer and even has a racing alter-ego he calls “Strut Jetstream.” Dusty's pal, a fuel truck named Chug (Brad Garrett), encourages Dusty's dream of flying in the airplane race, the Wings Around the Globe Rally.
However, Dusty was built to be a cropduster, not an air racer, but he is determined. After barely qualifying for the rally, Dusty seeks the help of an elderly and reclusive Navy war plane named Skipper (Stacy Keach), who reluctantly agrees to help him. Still, the odds are against Dusty, and so are some of his competitors. Does he have what it takes to win? Does Dusty truly understand the motto “Volo pro veritas” (“I fly for truth.”)?
I was kind of interested in seeing Planes when it first played in movie theaters, but I changed my mind. However, I was able to get a Blu-ray copy for review of its sequel, Planes: Fire & Rescue, which was released to theaters in July 2014. So I decided to see the original film, and I have to be honest, dear reader: I really like Planes.
Planes is a formulaic animated film aimed at the family audience; meaning children watch it and the parents who take them to the movie suffer through it. However, Planes is a well-executed and entertaining formulaic animated family film.
The characters are a mixture of familiar little-guy heroic types, ethnic stereotypes, and assorted comic caricatures. But they're mostly all lovable, and stand-up comedian and actor, Dane Cook, who can be, at best, an acquired taste, is quite good as the voice of Dusty Crophopper. Carlos Alazraqui is a treat as El Chupacabra, a friendly competitor of Dusty's in the Wings Around the World Rally, and Sinbad makes the most of his character, Roper, the forklift who is also a rally official.
Planes is a well-written version of the little engine that could (in this case, an airplane), and the writers are constantly putting believable obstacles in his way that the audience will want to see him overcome. Some, like me, will find their hearts lifting as Dusty soars over those obstacles, and also over his primary antagonist and rival, Ripslinger (Roger Craig Smith), who is the kind of jerk I want to see get his comeuppance. I enjoyed Planes enough, surprisingly so, that I'm ready for the sequel.
6 of 10
B
Sunday, November 2, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Review: Disney's "Frozen" is Pixar Good
Frozen (2013)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some action and mild rude humor
DIRECTORS: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
WRITERS: Jennifer Lee; from a story by Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, and Shane Morris (based on the story “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen)
PRODUCER: Peter Del Vecho
EDITOR: Jeff Draheim
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck
SONGS: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Academy Award winner
ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY
Starring: (voices) Kristin Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk, Ciaran Hinds, Chris Williams, Stephen J. Anderson, Eva Bell, Spencer Lacey Ganus, Tyree Brown, and June Christopher
Frozen is a 2013 computer-animated musical, comedy, and fantasy film directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Frozen was released theatrically in 3D. Frozen is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Snow Queen,” which was first published in 1844. Frozen focuses on a young woman trying to break the curse of eternal winter, a curse started by the Snow Queen, who is her sister.
In the kingdom of Arendelle, the King and Queen have two daughters. The older sister, Elsa, has the magical ability to create ice and snow. The younger daughter, Anna, accidentally becomes a victim of her older sister’s power, causing a rift between the two formerly close siblings. Years later, Elsa (Idina Menzel), is about to be crowned Queen of Arendelle. Anna (Kristin Bell) is excited about her sister’s coronation, which will open the castle to the outside world for the first time in years. At the coronation, a dispute between the sisters leads to Elsa loosing control of her now immense powers. She inadvertently puts Arendelle in a deep freeze, before running away.
Anna is determined to find Elsa, now known as the “Snow Queen,” and to reconcile their relationship. She befriends Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), a mountain man, and his reindeer, Sven, who decide to help her find the reclusive Elsa. They are eventually joined by Olaf (Josh Gad), a joyous snowman. Their journey is epic, but if Anna cannot reach Elsa, Arendelle will be cursed to suffer an eternal winter.
Frozen is one of the truly great animated films from Walt Disney Pictures. It is the first computer-animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios that is artistically and technically equal to the best computer-animated films from Pixar Animation Studios (now a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company). In fact, Pixar’s John Lasseter was an executive producer on and a guiding hand behind Frozen. Everything fantastic, wonderful, magical, joyous, and poignant that people expect of the best Disney and Pixar films is more than plentiful in Frozen, one of the finest films of 2013.
The voice cast, top to bottom, is excellent. Honestly, every voice performance seems to be superb. Kristin Bell and Idina Menzel give bravura performances individually and together; they have the kind of screen chemistry of which many casts can only dream of having. Of course, Menzel is a standout singing Frozen’s signature song, the Oscar-winning “Let It Go.” Josh Gad is scene-stealing gold as the comic-relief snowman, Olaf. I have to admit that I’d like to see Olaf again.
Frozen’s song and musical score also make it the best Disney animated musical film since The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’s songs for Frozen recall both the Broadway-styled numbers in Beauty and the Beast and the comic fantasy tunes of Aladdin.
Once upon a time, Walt Disney’s animated films were called “instant classics;” Frozen is an instant classic. Also, the resolution of Elsa and Anna’s relationship separates Frozen from Disney’s other female-centric animated features. For me, Frozen is now a personal favorite that I plan to watch repeatedly.
10 of 10
Monday, April 21, 2014
NOTES:
2014 Academy Awards, USA: 2 wins: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Peter Del Vecho) and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for the song “Let It Go”)
2014 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film” and 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for the song, “Let It Go”)
2014 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Film” (Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee)
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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