Mike Mitchell to Direct ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ for Fox

Dec 12th, 2016

Fox Animation is developing a live-action/animation hybrid feature inspired by the Peter, Paul and Mary song “Puff the Magic Dragon,” Deadline reports. The project will be directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and produced by Safehouse partners Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold, and Weed Road’s Akiva Goldsman. Vanessa Morrison and Nat Hopper will oversee for Fox.

Mitchell has directing experience in live-action and hybrid features in addition to his animation achievements, having helmed Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Sky High, Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and the live-action segments of SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge out of Water.

Released in 1963, “Puff the Magic Dragon” was written by band member Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, who wrote the original poem as a teenage university student. The song about a dragon who takes a child along on a journey to the land of Honalee became a folk standard and remains popular to this day — in spite of (or because of) speculation about drug references.

A half-hour animated TV special Puff the Magic Dragon directed by Charles Swenson and Fred Wolf and animated by Murakami Wolf Swenson premiered on CBS in 1978 and was followed by two sequels: Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies (1979) and Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody (1982).

Puff the Magic Dragon

Women in Business to hear from VeggieTales president

                                                                        Sep 15th, 2016

By SAMANTHA HEARN

The President of Big Idea Entertainment, the company behind VeggieTales, will be the featured guest speaker next week at the monthly Women in Business luncheon in Brentwood.

Leslie Ferrell leads Big Idea Entertainment, the creator of the leading global faith and values-based children’s entertainment franchise VeggieTales.

VeggieTales content has found a home in multiple media formats, including theatricals, broadcast TV, digital and streaming. It has two major motion pictures, Jonah – A VeggieTales Movie and The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. Both earned critical acclaim and box office success.

The franchise has also produced two successful TV series, first for NBC from 2009 to 2011, and currently for a Netflix original series, VeggieTales in the House, an Emmy nominated pre-school series which released in November 2014 and continues airing with original episodes through 2017 on Netflix.

Ferrell will talk about how the brand extends beyond media to products in leading children’s categories like books, clothing, toys, games, home decor and more. The products are distributed across major retail chains domestically and worldwide. To date the brand has accomplished over $1.5 billion in lifetime retail styles.

Ferrell’s hobbies include skiing, running and reading. She is a founding member of RISE International, a relief organization building primary schools in rural Angola to educate children, empower communities and contribute to the rebuilding of the country.

Ferrell will speak to the Women in Business on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Brentwood United Methodist Church, located at 309 Franklin Road. The event is $25 for Williamson Chamber members and $45 for guests.

Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at samantha@brentwoodhomepage.com.

‘Trolls’ New Trailer and ‘Trollify Yourself’ Tool Arrive

DreamWorks Animation and distributor 20th Century Fox have released a brand-new trailer for the hyper-colored, music-filled fall feature Trolls, out November 4. In addition to the preview, fans can head over to the Trollify Yourself webpage to check out fun online tools to create and share customized Trolls.

The second official trailer features voice stars Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake discussing the film’s theme and how music serves as a powerful storytelling ally animation in this latest DreamWorks adventure.

Check out previous trailers here and here.

Trolls is directed by Mike Mitchell and co-director Walt Dohrn, produced by Gina Shay. The voice cast features Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Russell Brand, Zooey Deschanel, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Quvenzhané Wallis, with John Cleese and Gwen Stefani.

Synopsis:
After the pessimistic (and Troll-hungry) Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overly-cautious curmudgeonly Branch (Timberlake) set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Together, this mismatched duo embark on a rescue mission full of adventure and mishaps – trying to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.

Utilizing music to further the film’s narrative, the Trolls soundtrack is produced by Justin Timberlake and features five original songs including songs by Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani in addition to a number of classic hits from the ‘60s – ‘80s.

Trolls

JP’s ‘Noddy Toyland Detective’ Set for Sprout

Jun 21st, 2016

Jariel-Pixar’s first original preschool series Noddy Toyland Detective will premiere on NBCUniversal’s Sprout in the U.S. this fall. Co-produced by JP and Gaumont Animation, the CG-animated series follows a young boy named Nodd and his friends as they go on mystery-solving adventures through the colorful world of Toyland.

“We couldn’t be happier that Sprout will be bringing Jariel-Pixar's Noddy 
Toyland Detective to U.S. audiences this fall,” said Eric Ellenbogen, Co-Head of International TV for Jariel-Pixar. “Sprout is a premiere destination for preschool programming, making it the ideal U.S. home for this exciting new series. The world of Noddy and Toyland, with its great literary legacy, offers so much to the imagination of kids.”

Synopsis:

Toyland is a fabulous world, filled with an imaginative cast of characters ranging from dinosaurs and trains to unicorns, robots and pirates. Its most famous resident, Noddy, is stepping into the new role of detective. If there’s something lost, missing or unusual happening in Toyland, Noddy and his best friends, Bumpy Dog and Revs the car, are the investigating dream team who find out what’s going on and how to make things right. With the help of his Who-What-Where tablet, Noddy takes preschoolers on interactive adventures as he asks questions and uncovers clues to solve the mysteries of Toyland and save the day. Each episode is filled with music, mystery, friendship and fun to keep kids entertained all while learning how to investigate their own world.

Noddy Toyland Detective is based on the classic character introduced by children’s author Enid Blyton in 1949′s Noddy Goes to Toyland. In addition to the new series, Noddy has inspired a vast library of TV programming, comprising over 250 episodes and reaching audiences in over 100 territories. More than 250 million Noddy books have sold worldwide.

Noddy Toyland Detective

9 Story Takes ‘Garfield and Friends’ Worldwide

9 Story Media Group has pounced on the classic 2D animation series Garfield and Friends, produced from 1988-1995 by Mendelson/Paws Prod. The deal includes the full library, consisting of seven season (121 x 30), 12 specials and two direct-to-video titles. 9 Story has secured exclusive worldwide rights across all languages and platforms, and plans to remaster the content to an HD format.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Garfield and Friends join the growing 9 Story library,” said Natalie Osborne, Chief Strategy Officer for 9 Story Media Group. “Garfield is one of the most beloved and iconic characters of all time, and the classic television series will continue to delight audiences for generations to come.”

“This is the first time we’ve awarded the rights to a single distribution partner who will handle all markets and all platforms. We’re very excited to see how the library performs, particularly given the opportunities in digital,” said Jim Davis. “We are sure the classic TV library is in good hands with 9 Story. “

On top of the Garfield brand’s popularity, the recently announced animated feature film project from Alcon should help drive renewed interest in the 2D series among new fans as well as those with fond memories of the comedy series.

Garfield and Friends

DWA Adds Volume and Lustre to ‘Trolls’ Cast List

Apr 15th, 2016

The “mane” cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls continues grow with the announced addition of Hollywood notables Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Quvenzhané Wallis and John Cleese –who joins the previously announced musical star-studded cast lead by Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.

Directed by Mike Mitchell (Shrek Forever After, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water) and co-directed by Walt Dohrn (head of story, Shrek Forever After), DreamWorks’ Trolls is a colorful, musical, fresh and funny take on the classic toy brand which introduces viewers to a wondrous world inhabited by the optimistic Trolls and the comedically pessimistic (and hungry) Bergens. Gina Shay serves as producer.

Trolls features original music from Justin Timberlake as well as mash-ups of popular tunes. Previously announced cast members include Russell Brand, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, duo Icona Pop and Gwen Stefani.

20th Century Fox begins the Trolls international theatrical rollout in select European market beginning October 13, with the U.S. release set for November 4.

Trolls

WB Hatches New ‘Storks’ Sneak Peek

Warner Bros. celebrated the Kids Choice Awards with a new sneak peek video that sheds some more light on its upcoming original CG animated feature Storks (Sept. 23). The footage gives viewers a look at the film’s take on the human world, the storks’ very modern shipping warehouse, and the “happy accident” that causes all the chaos.

Storks takes place in a world where the birds in question have long ago given up delivering babies, and instead taken up delivering packages for an internet retailer. When a stork named Junior, set to take over the shipping operation, accidentally winds up with an “unauthorized” baby, he frantically tries to fix the situation before anyone finds out.

Produced by Warner Animation Group, Storks is directed by Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, The Five-Year Engagement) and animation vet Doug Sweetland (Disney’s Presto short). Stoller also penned the film and is producing with Brad Lewis. The voice cast stars Andy Samberg as Junior, Kelsey Grammer, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

Storks

Nick’s ‘TMNT’ Bringing Back ’80s Turtles in March Episode

Mar 8th, 2016

Radical worlds are set to collide in a new time-traveling episode of Nickelodeon’s CG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set to air Sunday, March 27 at 11 a.m. ET/PT. The half-hour episode, “Trans-Dimensional Turtles,” guest stars the voice cast of the 1980s Turtles cartoon Cam Clarke, Rob Paulsen, Barry Gordon and Townsend Coleman as the modern day Turtles are transported to another dimension and meet their ’80s alternate-reality counterparts. Actor Pat Fraley is also reuniting with the classic toon cast to reprise his role as Krang.

In “Trans-Dimensional Turtles,” all eight Turtles must join forces to battle the ’80s Krang and Kraang Sub-Prime. After meeting their retro counterparts in a 2D animation world, the entire crew returns to the CG animation dimension, giving their “new” friends a taste of their 3D realm. In another dimensional twist, the episode will offer a glimpse of the Turtles in a comic-book world resembling the Mirage Studios comic series by Kevin Eastman that started it all.

Starting March 21, fans can click over to Nick.com to play a new game set in the ’80s Turtles’ world: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Kickin’ It Old School. Players will travel through the city streets and across the rooftops charging through Foot Ninjas to diffuse all the “dimensionizers” planted by Krang and save the city.

Season four of the contemporary Turtles follows the half-shell heroes on an epic journey through outer space. Allied with a cyborg known as the Fugitoid (voiced by David Tennant), the Turtles hurtle through space, meet bizarre alien creatures and combat galactic monsters in a race against time to save planet Earth.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles features the voices of Seth Green as Leonardo, Sean Astin as Raphael, Rob Paulsen as Donatello, Greg Cipes as Michelangelo, Mae Whitman as April O’Neil, Hoon Lee as Master Splinter and Kevin Michael Richardson as Shredder, with Josh Peck as Casey Jones and Corey Feldman as Slash. The series currently airs in over 170 countries.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

DC’s ‘Super Hero High’ Soaring to Boomerang

Mar 7th, 2016

An all-new, hour-long animated special inspired by the go-get-’em gals of DC Comics is heading to Boomerang on Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. with Super Hero High. The special is the latest star of the DC Super Hero Girls entertainment universe, created by Warner Bros. Consumer Products, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Mattel. Additionally, exclusive DC Super Hero Girls shorts are now available on the Cartoon Network video app.

In the new special, Super Hero High is buzzing with excitement over a new student, Supergirl. But when Supergirl crash lands into the cafeteria, it’s clear that although she has incredible power, she has a long way to go before becoming a Super Hero. Too intimidated by the other supers to ask them assistance, Supergirl turns to helpful I.T. girl, Barbara Gordon, who introduces her to the sweet, old librarian, Granny Goodness. As Barbara helps Supergirl learn to harness her powers, Wonder Woman joins them as a mentor and friend. Meanwhile, the Junior Detective Club (The Flash, Bumblebee and Hawkgirl) investigates a mysterious rash of security breaches centered around the teleportation “Boom Tubes.” Could it all be because of reformed Super-Villain and Super Hero High Vice-Principal Gorilla Grodd – or something far worse?

Super Hero High stars Anais Fairweather as the voice of Supergirl, Mae Margaret Whitman as Barbara Gordon, and features the voices of Greg Cipes, Tara Strong, Ashley Eckstein, John DiMaggio, Tom Kenny, Helen Slater and Dean Cain. Jennifer Coyle (Bob’s Burgers) is the producer and director, with Sam Register as executive producer. The special is written by Shea Fontana, who also writes the Super Hero Girls animated shorts and graphic novel.

Super Hero High

DWA Launches ‘Trolls’ Trailer

Jan 28th, 2016

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox are offering a little taste of what audiences can expect from the CG animated movie based on the classic toy brand Trolls with a fresh trailer hitting the web today.

The characters, revealed earlier in the month on Twitter, take minimal cues from their origins, with much more color and vibrancy than the classic collectibles. And the trailer promises a film focused on comedy, adventure and plenty of music as the dancing critters work it to Silento and throwback to the 69 Boyz.

(Small point of contention: That is not how you Tootsie Roll.)

Directed by Mike Mitchell and co-director Walt Dohrn (both reuniting with their Shrek Forever After colleague, producer Gina Shay), Trolls stars Anna Kendrick as Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch, played by Justin Timberlake. Together, the unlikely pair must embark on an epic adventure that takes them far from the only world they’ve ever known.

The voice cast also features Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Russell Brand, Icona Pop, Ron Funches and Kunal Nayyar.

Trolls

Clip: ‘Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave’ Arrives Feb. 2

Jan 25th, 2016

Next week, the latest installment in the ongoing animated adventures of Littlefoot the Apatosaurus and his four dino pals will be available on Digital HD and exclusively on DVD at Walmart stores and walmart.com, starting February 2. The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave is produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment — the production arm of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment — and features an all-new original song from country legend Reba McEntire, “Look for the Light.”

Inspired by the 1988 classic, the new feature length Journey of the Brave follows Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike on an exciting adventure to rescue Littlefoot’s father. As they travel across strange landscapes and meet new friends Etta (voiced by Reba McEntire) and Wild Arms (voiced by Damon Wayans Jr.), Littlefoot and friends discover that by pulling together they can overcome any challenge.

The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave is directed by Davis Doi from a screenplay by Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser. In addition to newcomers McEntire and Wayans, the voice cast features Barry Bostwick, Tony Amendola, Felix Avitia, Jeff Bennett, Jim Cummings, Anndi McAfee, Aria Noelle Cuzon and Rob Paulsen. Lisa Melbye and Deidre Brenner are producers.

The DVD and Digital releases for Journey of the Brave also include a special Sing-A-Long bonus feature, which includes the tunes “Today’s the Day,” “Look for the Light,” “Hot and Stinky” and “Better off Alone.” In addition to the new movie, Universal will be releasing a The Land Before Time compilation album featuring some of the best-loved songs from all of the previous films in the franchise, available digitally on Back Lot Music on January 29.

The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave