Editorial: In Animation, Anonymity is the Brand that Sells

"From the creators of:" Disney and Pixar are big selling points, but the directors rarely get a mention
in animated film marketing. As opposed to what we see in live-action.

When you hear about an animated film, you don't hear who's directing it but rather the name of the studio that's doing it. Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Blue Sky, among others, are studios that sell their films through the power of their respective brands but who rarely name the human talent behind the projects. For the record, I don't condemn that practice as people have come to expect a certain level of excellence when they hear a new film is coming from Pixar or Disney, but I think that this  kind of anonymity has contributed to the general disregard that animated films are an "easy" thing to do; leading to not taking the people behind them seriously.

Frozen Overtakes Toy Story 3 to Become Highest-Grossing Animated Film Ever!

At the start of the month, Disney's Frozen became the second animated film ever to pass the billion dollar barrier. And now, as we posited then, it has surpassed Pixar's Toy Story 3's gross of $1.063 billion to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time! Not only that, but, at $1.072 billion, it's also now the tenth highest-grossing film ever.

Pete Docter Was Given Newt Before It Was Cancelled, Says Ed Catmull

Ed Catmull's got a book coming out. Creativity, Inc. tells the story of the studio's rise "from a small, money-losing hardware company to a movie studio with 1,200 employees and a streak of fourteen #1 movies in a row that has garnered 30 Academy Awards and earned more than $7 billion worldwide." And, to help promote that book, the Pixar president has been chatting to Fast Company, spilling a lot of really exciting and interesting titbits from inside the studio's walls. Like, for instance, what actually happened to newt. Read on to find out.

Breaking: Pixar Announce The Incredibles 2! And Cars 3...

You've been asking for it since 2004; every time somebody makes an "unmade sequels that need to happen" list, it's there; and now, it's actually bloody happening: Pixar have officially announced that they're making The Incredibles 2! Also on the way - although far less surprising and largely less welcome - is a third Cars film. And no, it's not April 1st.

Good Grief, It's a CG Charlie Brown - Teaser Trailer for Blue Sky's Peanuts Film

Blue Sky Studios have finally released the teaser trailer for their upcoming CG adaptation of Charles Schulz's beloved Peanuts comics. And it's actually not half bad.

Ranking the Best Animated Feature Winners - From Worst to Best

Another Oscar ceremony has passed and another animated film has been crowned as the best of the year. Frozen was awarded the Best Animated Feature prize, marking the first win for Walt Disney Animation Studios in that category. But, how does it compare to the previous winners? Let's take a look at the films that have won in this category since its inception in 2002.

Toshio Suzuki of Studio Ghibli to Retire

On hearing that Hayao Miyazaki would be retiring after the completion of The Wind Rises, it was only a matter of time before the other shoe fell. And yesterday, the announcement was made: Toshio Suzuki, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli and producer of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, The Wind Rises, From Up on Poppy Hill, among many others, will be retiring from his post as producer at Studio Ghibli.

Sony Detail Third Smurfs Film, Hotel Transylvania 2 and New Original Genndy Tartakovsky Film

Sony Pictures Animation have announced some juicy new details about their upcoming slate. Across the next few years, the studio will release a third Smurfs film, a second Hotel Transylvania film, and a brand new, original film from Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania, Samurai Jack), says The Hollywood Reporter!

Watch: Honest Trailer for Disney's Frozen

Frozen's got its talons into pop-culture at the moment, and now the folks at Screen Junkies have released a hilarious 'Honest Trailer' for the film!

Although the comments section is kind of filled with "people like this film therefore it sucks" hipsters, Screen Junkies' good-natured ribbing is really quite funny. I personally like their summing the film up as "the feature length music video for 'Let It Go.'"

Check it out above.

The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service Review

When my boyfriend got me The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service for Christmas, I was ecstatic. Kiki's Delivery Service is my favourite Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki film - though I realize it is not the best one of the bunch. It served as my first exposure to the world of Studio Ghibli, and also served to show me that I wasn't alone in adolescence. So I hold this film very close to my heart for expressing how I felt and giving me something new to love. Now, having read The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service, I feel even more strongly about my love for both Studio Ghibli and the film.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman Review - DreamWorks Animation is Back!

After a disappointing 2013, with middling efforts like The Croods and Turbo, DreamWorks Animation is starting this year on a high note, with their newest film, Mr. Peabody & Sherman! Based on the popular 1960s cartoons, the film takes the unlikely pairing of the smartest dog in the world and his adopted human son and brings them to the XXI century in grand fashion. After The Lego Movie kicked the year off with a bang, it's reassuring to see that Mr. Peabody & Sherman is continuing this trend of excellence in what appears to be a superb year for animation.

Poster and New Clip for Monsters U Short, Party Central

Pixar might not be releasing a feature film this year, but that doesn't mean they're just sitting it out; the studio will release the Monsters University short film, Party Central, before Muppets Most Wanted later this month! And to get us hyped for that, Fandango has a new poster and clip.

Watch: Another New Teaser Trailer for Laika's The BoxTrolls

We've already had two stellar teaser trailers (first here, second here) for the third film from Laika (Coraline, ParaNorman), and now we've got another equally great one, showing us some new footage from The BoxTrolls!

Frozen Wins Two Oscars! Mr. Hublot and Gravity Also Take Home Awards

(L-R) Producer Peter del Vecho, and directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck,
accepting the Best Animated Feature Oscar on Sunday night.

It's been a big few days for Frozen: it's just became only the second animated film ever to pass a billion dollars at the worldwide box-office, and, immediately after that news, it won two Academy Awards at Sunday's Oscars! More below.

Frozen Becomes Second Animated Film Ever to Make $1 Billion!

On the eve of possibly two Oscar victories, musical smash-hit Frozen has just become the second animated film ever to cross the billion dollar mark! This latest landmark makes Frozen Walt Disney Animation Studios' highest-grossing animated film of all time, having passed The Lion King's $987 million gross. It's a magnificent apex to Disney Animation's phoenix-like resurgence since 2006.

86th Annual Academy Awards Predictions

Oscar night is upon us once again, so it's time for me to start pretending I know what I'm talking about and venture my guesses as to what's going to take home tonight's big awards! The animation awards are listed first, then the rest of the categories below that.