Monsters University Gets its Director



A week after Floyd Norman let it slip that "Monsters2" (now Monsters University) was to be helmed by a new director, we find out just who that is.

According to Mike of The Pixar Blog and other sources, at the Cars 2 Blogger event today, it was announced that Mater and the Ghost Light co-director, Dan Scanlon, will direct Pixar's first prequel. Scanlon also did storyboards on Cars and on Toy Story 3. Once again, it's great to see Pixar trust a new director with one of their established franchises.

Sure, it's no Bob Peterson, but I'm still excited to see how Dan fairs in the director's chair!

New Pooh

Above is the newest clip that Walt Disney Animation Studios have released for their next theatrical animated feature, the hand drawn, Winnie the Pooh.
As I've said previously, this film looks great, classic, innocent Disney magic.

Apart from anything else you've got to love Winnie the Pooh!

Roll on July.

Brave Concept Art Poster

Following on from the newt poster I made from all of the concept art yesterday, I decided to make one for Pixar's next release following Cars 2, Brave, using all the concept art released so far.

Since this most recent concept art has surfaced, I have been super psyched for Brave, it looks brilliantly original and I'm hyped to see Pixar's first fairytale.

Fortunately this one didn't take as long as the newt one did!

Monsters University

Months after all of the rumours that Monsters, Inc. 2 might in fact not be the sequel we expected, but rather a prequel, we get confirmation. We now know that not only is the film a prequel, but that it is not Monsters, Inc. 2 at all, the title for the film is Monsters University. This more or less confirms the rumours about the plot.

This announcement was made at today's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas and is, needless to say, very exciting.

Now if we could just find out who the director is...

Newt Concept Art Poster

Well that's an hour and a half of my life I'll never see again! I thought it would look very cool to compile all of the concept art for Pixar's cancelled film project, newt.

As regular blog followers will know, I was immensely excited for newt and was distraught by its cancellation, so it seemed only right to pay homage to the film, now that we will (sadly) not be seeing it.

I'm quite pleased with how the poster turned out, thoughts?

Lewis Hamilton in Cars 2!

For those of us in the UK, or indeed Europe, this is a very big deal. When checking my YouTube subscriptions I saw the above video uploaded onto the WaltDisneyStudiosUK YouTube Channel, the turntable of the newest Cars 2 character, Lewis Hamilton!

The Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton is a former F1 World Champion and one of the most famous faces in Britain, this is a very savvy move by Pixar, to reach out to the British market; as if they needed any extra help!

This is a great sounding idea to me, Cars 2 looks to be stacked full of cameos and we'll see them all in July (June in North America)!

New Brave Details Emerge, New Artwork

After months of silence on Pixar's 13th feature film, and its first attempt at a fairytale, we finally get something more substantial to do with Brave. When I got home this afternoon and checked my Twitter feed, I was greeted by an interesting tweet by Pixar animator Chris Chua, announcing new Brave concept art.

What I found on The Pixar Times and Entertainment Weekly was perhaps even more interesting, shedding new light on the plot, cast and director.

First of all, we have some fantastic new concept art, it's eerily beautiful, yet also a bit darker and grittier than we may have expected from Pixar, very brave (if you'll pardon the pun). You can see all of this concept art above, however Entertainment Weekly has a great article about the piece including updated plot points, a new description and new information on the voice cast and director.

These points are that, Reese Witherspoon will no longer be voicing Merida - the main character - due to scheduling issues, instead, Scottish actress, Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) will voice her. This, to be honest, will fit better, using an actual Scottish actress to play a Scottish Princess.

The other main point is that, whilst Mark Andrews (One Man Band) has replaced Brenda Chapman as director, they will both be credited as the film's director. This is an interesting development to say the least. You can read the full article with all the entailing information on Entertainment Weekly's website.

These pictures and this information has got me incredibly psyched for Brave, which I previously could make head nor tail of. Brave is to hit theatres in June 2012.

Angry Birds Rio Review - No Need to be Angry, This Bird Can Fly

Following up from my review last week of Doodle Jump Hop, I have decided to write my second ever A113Animation Game Review. This newest review is of Angry Birds Rio, a continuation of the wildly successful Angry Birds franchise, to help promote Blue Sky Studios' next animated film (out next month), Rio.

Rumour: Monsters, Inc. 2 to be Helmed by New Director

You've met Floyd Norman before. The notorious Disney blabbermouth who has a tendency to leak things on Twitter, last year he was the first to report that Newt was cancelled, most recently he leaked plot details about Pixar's upcoming Toy Story Toon, Hawaiian Vacation; and now he strikes again. Over the past couple of days, Norman has gave us the most information we've received about Monsters, Inc. 2 since the prequel rumours.

Floyd tweeted earlier this week that he'd just seen a screening of "Monsters2", he later tweeted that it is "Nice to see a new director helming Pixar's "Monsters2." Very refreshing.", this spurred all kinds of guesses as to whom this may be.

The Pixar Times has some interesting ideas as to who this director may be, the main choice to come up is one that I would very much like to see as a director, Bob Peterson. The co-director of Up and voice of Roz in the original Monsters, Inc. has never served as a solo director and it would be great to see Bob - who served as a storyboard artist in the first film - helm the sequel. However, it could be a new director all together, a la Lee Unkrich's fantastic effort with Toy Story 3. I guess only time will tell, nonetheless I trust Pixar to make the right choice.

On a side note, Pixar Talk has an article interviewing Pixar's Tom McCarthy, about MI1 director, Pete Docter's next feature; described as "ambitious".

Can't wait to here more about Pixar's 14th feature film, as Norman says "Pixar will tell you when they're ready".

New Cars 2 Characters: Gorvette and Cartrip

We have recently been treated to 2 new Cars 2 characters, based on (in a similar vein to John Lassetire) real life celebrities. These are Jeff Gorvette (based on and voiced by NASCAR star, Jeff Gordon) and Darrell Cartrip returns (based on and voiced by announcer, Darrell Waltrip), below are the official descriptions, character images and turntables:

Jeff Gorvette

Official Description: Jeff Gorvette is one of the greatest American racecars alive today. Donning the stars and stripes of his country’s flag, the #24 Corvette C6.R has proven his ability to succeed on the big ovals and the road courses of the Grand Touring Sports circuits. Having moved from his hometown of Vallejo, California to Indiana to be closer to the racing world, Gorvette’s ability to accelerate at such a young age has turned hoods wherever he competes. His championships and number of victories are unmatched, making him a respected competitor-and legitimate threat-at the World Grand Prix.

Darrell Cartrip



Official Description: Darrell Cartrip is a legendary multi-Piston Cup champion turned beloved racing announcer. The Kentucky-born #17 Chevrolet Monte Carlo is known for his wild color commentary, delighting Piston Cup fans with his humor, charisma and signature catch phrases—"Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's go racin' boys!" He’s spent years on the track, in the pits and in the grease, and he’ll tell you all about it. This American Southern gentleman knows what it takes to win, and plans to bring that fervent expertise to calling the World Grand Prix.

We also have the two awesome new posters for Cars 2 (below).

Doodle Jump Hop Review - An Egg-celent Way to Spend Your Easter

This is the very first of a new breed of A113Animation Reviews, namely of an animation linked game. As those of you who follow the blog will know, I am soon uploading a review of Angry Birds Rio (released today), however, as previously reported, Illumination Entertainment and Lima Sky have united to promote IE's upcoming movie, Hop. That is what this very review will deal with:

More Newt Concept Art

Following the very public cancellation of Pixar's Newt last year, we were treated to a large amount of beautiful concept art for the film, as anyone who frequents the blog will know, this was the Pixar film I was most looking forward to and I was very disappointed by its cancellation. However, we have just been treated to a new batch of concept artwork for the film and its characters (courtesy of The German Pixar Blog) by Pixar artist, Jason Deamer (above and below).

Needless to say, the artwork looks fantastic!

Details on The Ballad of Nessie

Today details emerged on Disney's upcoming hand-drawn animated short, The Ballad of Nessie! The short film is based on the Loch Ness Monster and will be attached to Winnie the Pooh! The short looks wonderful and seems to be embracing the good ole Disney hand-drawn magic, so fitting that this be attached to Winnie the Pooh.

Below you'll find stills from the film and some details by one of the animators on the short:

This short film is based off of Stevie’s (one of the directors) ideas she had come up with while back at CalArts I believe. The style is meant to be flat. The character animation was traditionally done on paper as well as the cleanup. The effects were done using Toon Boom and were drawn on Cintiq’s the same way we did all of the effects on PATF. All ink and paint and comp was done in Toon Boom as well. I even used maya (3d) on a couple of shots but you would never know it by the way it was treated in Toon Boom. I believe Joe Mildenberger (2d efx) used After Effects with Toon Boom for one of the sequences with art direction based of Lorelay Bove’s work. Dan Lund set up the look of the effects with some scenes he did. It is a simple story and the style is simply done. Not everything needs all the bells and whistles. Enjoy the animation and enjoy the story from this film. Both go hand in hand and neither one of them tries to overshadow the other. This film was completed at the end of PATF and was a nice way to roll of a very busy film. Andy Harkness was the art director and was so great to work with as was everyone at Disney. People who dont work there or never have need to find out facts before they bash on a place. Does Disney have its problems, yes but at the same time it employs some of the most amazing people and I believe in time things will get to where they should be at Disney.

Thanks to Cartoon Brew for the details!

A Collection of Things - Blogwise

I just thought I'd best compile a list of new features on the blog for you guys to take note of:



Firstly, above you'll see the like button for our brand new Facebook page, please like us on the world's biggest social networking site... it's always nice to be liked!

Secondly, you'll find our new Word of the Week page here, I'll be uploading a new one every week, please feel free to give feedback on the words, we hope they help!

Finally, please remember to vote in our poll to the right as to which blog logo you prefer, not long left to vote now, the winning logo will stay up!

Also, in this time of pain and suffering, I hope you'll all join me in saying a prayer for all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and hope that it all gets better for them all very soon!

Angry Birds Rio Gameplay Trailer

On the day that we get our first look at the gameplay for my most anticipated game of all time, Batman; Arkham City (sequel to the smash hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum), we also get our first look at the gameplay for a game that I am also very much anticipating, Angry Birds Rio (above)!

Rather than just the continuation of the already awesome Angry Birds formula that many people (including myself) may have though AB: Rio would be, it appears to be somewhat different. The setting for one and some of the background characters you can see are completely new and look brilliant. It also seems more objective based as a game, having to specifically free the stolen birds and... correct me if I'm wrong, but is that a boss battle with Rio's villain Nigel that I spy?

I'm very much looking forward to this game and can't wait for it's March 22nd release date!

Newest Rio Clip

The newest clip for Blue Sky Studios' upcoming film, Rio, was released today (above). As I predicted, as the film's April release date draws ever closer, we're being treated to more and more clips, and they're all great. As regular blog followers will know, Rio is one of the animated films that I'm most looking forward to this year and these clips are very reassuring!

The animation looks great, the music looks great, the story sounds great and - as the film that allegedly was the reason for Pixar's newt being cancelled - I'm hoping it is great.

Stay tuned for more!

Rango Review - Depp-initely Worth Watching

This latest A113Animation Review is on a film that I couldn't make head nor tail of, Rango. The film just opened this weekend here in the U.K. and after some positive reviews I was anxious to see it!

The trailers for Rango sent somewhat mixed messages, they looked really funny, interesting, sporadically deep; yet also... not groundbreaking. In this portrayal of the film, the trailers were rather accurate.

Rango comes from Nickelodeon Movies a company renowned for films that range from mediocre to terrible - Rugrats Go Wild, I am Number 4 and The Last Airbender -, however I can happily say that Rango is leagues better than the rest of Nickelodeon's resume combined! However the actual animation was handled by Industrial Light & Magic, a special effects company best known for their work on the Star Wars films. This is ILM's first attempt at branching out into the feature film market for animation and it is a phenomenal one.

A113Animation featured on The Pixar Touch Website



It's just came to my attention that author David A. Price, posted about my review of his brilliant book on his blog! As I said at the time the book is great and I'm enormously grateful to David for including my post, it's very honouring!

I encourage you all to buy the book ASAP, you won't be disappointed!

Mars Needs Moms Released!

Disney and Imagemovers Digital's latest animated released, the motion capture film, Mars Needs Moms was released today (trailer above). The film has been heavily advertised by Disney, but was released to a slightly apathetic reaction; it currently holds a 51/100 rating on Metacritic and a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I guess it's a matter of opinion, so only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more! Thoughts?

Also, remember to vote in the poll to the right as to which blog logo you prefer!

Newest Cars 2 Character: Rip Clutchgoneski



Today we were treated to yet another Cars 2 Character (as the Pixar Blog points out, this is the tenth week of the character rollouts) and now we have Rip Clutchgoneski (that's a mouthful).

Disney's official description says Rip originates from the newly independent European "Republic of New Rearendia", who are "desperate to put their name on the map."

"After putting together a remarkable string of qualifying races, Rip’s entry into the World Grand Prix is clearly the Cinderella story of the competition."

 

Stay tuned for more characters as June (July here in the UK) and Cars 2's release drives ever closer!

Mars Needs Moms Clips

Well, Disney and Imagemovers Digital's next animated release, Mars Needs Moms is out tomorrow! As such and to help feed the hype we have four new clips from the film (below), showcasing various scenes in the film and the absolutely stunning animation:









This film is starting to look ever better, definitely seems like a hybrid of WALL E and Tron: Legacy. Stay tuned for more and please share your thoughts!

Also, please remember to vote in the poll to the right as to which blog logo you prefer!

Another New Rio Clip

As predicted yesterday, the roll out of Rio videos continues as we get another clip of Blue Sky Studios' upcoming feature animated film, Rio. The film, due out next month, looks great and this clip gives us another little look at the film's main human protagonist.

Stay tuned for more Rio updates and, as the end of the video suggests, updates of Angry Birds Rio - I will even be uploading a review of the game after it's release on the 22nd!

New DreamWorks Films: 2011-2014

DreamWorks Animation yesterday announced their very impressive schedule of released for 2011-2014, whilst it seems a tad over the top to have 9 films in 3 years, it is encouraging to see the large number of original films - but there is still a lot of sequels. Nonetheless, time will tell and you can view the full press release below:

GLENDALE, Calif., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) today announced its feature film release slate through 2014.The Company's current plan features six original films and is anchored by three sequels based on its hit Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon franchises.

DreamWorks Animation's theatrical release schedule is currently planned as follows: Kung Fu Panda 2 for May 26, 2011 and Puss In Boots for November 4, 2011; Madagascar 3 for June 8, 2012 and Rise of the Guardians for November 21, 2012; The Croods for March 1, 2013, Turbo for June 7, 2013 and Me and My Shadow for November 8, 2013; Mr. Peabody & Sherman for March 21, 2014 and How to Train Your Dragon 2 for June 20, 2014.
"At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we're unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. "Thanks to the extraordinary talent base at DreamWorks Animation today, our feature film slate is full of both original story ideas and exciting new franchise chapters that will form a solid foundation for the studio's creative output through 2014," added Bill Damaschke, the Company's Chief Creative Officer.

Below is additional detail on the feature films that comprise DreamWorks Animation's theatrical release schedule:

Kung Fu Panda 2 will be released on May 26, 2011. It is being directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda), produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda) and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda). It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh. In the sequel, Po is living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po's life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins... only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

Puss In Boots will be released on November 4, 2011. It is directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and produced by Joe Aguilar (Merry Madagascar) and Latifa Ouaou (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Tom Wheeler (The Cape). Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. It's the adventure of nine lifetimes!

Madagascar 3 will be released on June 8, 2012. It is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and produced by Mireille Soria (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and Mark Swift (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa). It is being written by Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and once again stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

Rise of the Guardians, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce. The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel. It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

The Croods will be released on March 1, 2013. It is being written and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) and Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) and produced by Kristine Belson (How to Train Your Dragon) and Jane Hartwell (Shrek). It stars Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman. The Croods is a comedy adventure that takes us back to a previously undiscovered era in the history of our planet known as the Croodaceous, when nature was still a work-in-progress... full of never-before- seen creatures and landscapes. Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as an imaginative and resourceful newcomer helps the Croods navigate their way through the fantastic world beyond their cave.

Turbo will be released on June 7, 2013. It is being directed by David Soren (Merry Madagascar), who first brought the project to the studio, and produced by Lisa Stewart (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After) together with Soren. Turbo tells the story of an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become the fastest snail in the world. When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make this dream come true.

In Me and My Shadow, which will be released on November 8, 2013, the studio will pioneer a groundbreaking combination of both CG and traditional animation techniques seamlessly together throughout the film. The film is directed by Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, The Emperor's New Groove) and produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) and Teresa Cheng (Shrek Forever After, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). It is being written by Tom Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart). Me and My Shadow tells the story of Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world's most boring human. Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World – "They lead, we follow" – and takes control of Stanley!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman will be released on March 21, 2014. It is directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) and produced by Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little) and Denise Nolan Cascino (Megamind). It is being written by Craig Wright (United States of Tara, Six Feet Under). Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Bullwinkle Studio's Tiffany Ward and Classic Media's Eric Ellenbogen are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Robert Downey Jr. Based on Jay Ward's classic cartoon, Mr. Peabody is the world's smartest person who happens to be a dog. He and his "pet" boy Sherman discover that someone has stolen their time traveling WABAC machine and is changing moments in history to disastrous and comical results. It's up to this most unexpected of father-son teams to somehow put a stop to this villain before his actions destroy the space-time continuum in Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

How to Train Your Dragon 2, the sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated original film from 2010, will be released on June 20, 2014. It is being directed and written by Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon) and produced by Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon). Also based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the sequel is being executive produced by Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) together with DeBlois. How to Train Your Dragon 2 again stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller and Kristen Wiig. About DreamWorks Animation SKG DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques.

Keep your eyes pealed for more updates!

Rio Song

Blue Sky Studios just now uploaded the above video, our first proper look at the main villain of their upcoming animated film, Rio. As regular readers of the blog will know, Rio is one of the films I am most looking forward to this year and this gave us our first proper look at its villain, Nigel. It also provided another full glimpse at the musical aspect of the film.

Stay tuned for more updates as the film's release next month draws ever closer.

2 New Hop Clips

2 new clips from Illumination Entertainment's (Despicable Me) upcoming Live Action/CGI mash up, Hop, were recently released (above and below). They show some new footage mixed in with some already seen footage from previous trailers.

Personally I don't know what to make of it, I really like the CGI bits and the main character is a great one, however the Live Action/CGI mash-ups have a bad track record (*ahem* Yogi Bear *ahem*).

I guess we'll have to wait until April 1st!

Monsters, Inc. 2 That Never Was!

Remember Bob & Rob, the screenwriters who shared details on the Circle 7 Version of Toy Story 3 last year? Well now they're here to give us an in depth look at the Monsters, Inc. 2 that would have been, coinciding with previous speculation about Pixar's plan for the sequel!

As per usual for Bob & Rob, this is really interesting! Check out the video embedded above, via their blog!

Also, remember to vote in the poll to the right as to which blog logo you prefer!

New Cars 2 Stuff: New Trailer and Stills

Once again we are treated to a cornucopia of Cars 2 stuff, namely the third official trailer (above), which is a mix of previously seen footage from the Cars 2 Daytona 500 TV Spot and some previously unseen (yet awesomely action-packed) footage. We also have 4 new Cars 2 stills courtesy of Stitch Kingdom (below).

Announcing New Awards

Though they're still months away now, I'm taking this opportunity to announce more A113Animation Awards for the 2nd Annual Event this coming January. In addition to all of the existing awards (which you can view here), I'm adding the below awards. Feel free to give feedback:

• The Second Opinion Award
• Best Song
• Best Score
• Best Animation/Animation Technique

I look forward to expanding the awards each year and hope you all enjoy them and feel free to suggest more.

Also, please vote in the new poll to the right as to which of the blog's logos you prefer.

Trailermania: Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda 2, Mars Needs Moms

YouTube is a veritable cornucopia of new trailers and clips today, we've been treated to a horde of brilliant videos.



First of all, and to me most importantly, we have our first ever look at Puss in Boots. The trailer above looks fantastic, I love it, Puss is my favourite Shrek character - and whilst I think the Shrek franchise has lasted a tad too long - Shrek 4 was a strep back in the right direction and this looks great. The film comes out this November and I can't wait for it! On this note we have a cool poster (top).



Secondly from DreamWorks, we have the newest Kung Fu Panda 2 trailer. Whilst I don't live in confidence that this film will be great, the trailer is. The battle action scenes look Lord of the Ringsy. The film does like quite far removed from its predecessor.



Finally, we have two Mars Needs Moms clips (above and below) for Disney and Imagemovers Digital's upcoming mo-cap film. The animation actually looks really good, as does the plot. It seems like WALL E meets Tron: Legacy.



I'm looking forward to all of these film and all of the clips are great. Thoughts?

The Pixar Touch Review - A (David A.) Price-less Look at the Building of The Animation Gurus of Our Generation

This is going to be the first of a different breed of A113Animation Reviews, namely a review of David A. Price's insanely detailed chronicle of all things Pixar, about the turbulent rise to the top of Pixar Animation Studios.

The first thing to say is that this book has been out for a while now, first published not long after Ratatouille's original theatrical release in 2007, now with an updated epilogue that covers the release of WALL E. The book literally touches on practically every single detail of Pixar's history... ever... this book is insanely, absurdly, completely-over-the-top-ly detailed. I'm a massive Pixar mark myself and have at times have completely immersed myself into everything Pixar for weeks on end, yet, nonetheless The Pixar Touch taught me a thing or two (to understate it a million fold), a very trivial example would be that I had no idea that Ed Catmull was a Mormon! Price's devotion to the source material is, simply put, exemplary; he obviously spent weeks and weeks and years and years fully devoting himself to every little morsel of Pixar, and it shows. The level of detail is one absent from any other documentary or book I've seen out there, even more spectacular considering that it's based on a very secretive company.

10,000+ Views

Well, we finally broke 10,000 views over here at A113Animation. Thank you all so much for helping us to achieve this huge landmark and here's to another 10,000 more!

New Cars 2 Characters: Professor Z and Tomber

We were recently treated to yet another batch of Cars 2 Characters - there's certainly going to be a lot of them - namely: Professor Z and Tomber. We've Professor Z in previous trailers however this is Tomber's debut:

Professor Z (voiced by Thomas Kretschmann)

Official Description:

Professor Z, aka “The Professor,” is an internationally wanted weapons designer in a small, sophisticated German package. He is a brilliant, but mad monocle-wearing scientist who is plotting to sabotage the World Grand Prix. Though his true motive is unclear, Professor Z is willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate all obstacles and keep the “project” on schedule.

Tomber (voiced by Michel Michelis)

Tomber is a dubious little French car with an unusual, and very unstable, three-wheeled design that befits the meaning of his name – to fall. By trade he deals car parts from a stall in a Parisian market—though his questionable merchandise sources have led to his reluctant acquaintance with British secret agent Finn McMissile.

Head on over to HeyUGuys for the turntables, I'll upload them when they're on YouTube.

Rango Released

Nickelodeon Movies' newest animated film, Rango, has its full theatrical release on Friday. However it has been open to specific audiences for a day or two and reviews are very positive. Review aggreagators Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are both seemingly fans, on Metacritic, Rango holds a 73/100 and on Rotten Tomatoes it has a mighty impressive 89% (so far equal to Tangled).

Not bad, not bad at all. Only 2 days until we can all see.

Update

Now slightly down on RT, to 88%, but up to 75 on Metacritic! Still great so far, I'm off to see it this weekend so keep you're eye out for the review that counts!

First Proper Look at Hawaiian Vacation

Disney and Pixar just unveiled the first proper look at the upcoming Toy Story Toon, Hawaiian Vacation, the short that is to be attached to Cars 2. Just days after unveiling the first hi-res stills of the short and announcing Gary Rydstrom as director.

The short looks, needless to say since it's a Toy Story, great. It's also great to know, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, that all of the voice cast are returning. You can also read a great interview over at Entertainment Weekly with Gary Rydstrom as well.

I can't wait!!!