Watch: A Fun Trailer for 'Hotel Transylvania 3'

The third film in the Hotel Transylvania will have little to do with the titular hotel, as the gang of monsters will take a break on a cruise ship (hence the subtitle, A Monster Vacation). Genndy Tartakovsky is back at the helm for what looks like another funny, slapsticky romp. Watch the international trailer below.

'Hotel Transylvania': A New TV Show and Tartakovsky is Back

Sony Pictures Animation and Nelvana announced that they will work together on a TV based on the Hotel Transylvania brand. The series will debut on Disney Channel in 2017.

Sony Finds a New Writer for Its 'Popeye'

Deadline reports that Sony hired T.J. Fixman to write the Popeye movie. The project had been up in the air since the departure of Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania, Star Wars: Clone Wars) from the project earlier this year, but it seems Sony Pictures Animation still wants to move forward with it.

Watch: a New 'Hotel Transylvania 2' Trailer

Sony Pictures Animation released a new trailer for Hotel Transylvania 2. The film, which will be released in the fall, sees Genndy Tartakovsky coming back to direct the second installment of the franchise. Watch the trailer below:

Tartakovsky's 'Popeye' Likely Cancelled

When the first teaser of Hotel Transylvania 2 premiered yesterday also came an interview between the director Genndy Tartakovski and Moviefone; and it brings bad tidings regarding the Popeye movie, which appears to be up in the air.

Watch: 'Hotel Transylvania 2' Teaser Features a New Character

Sony Pictures Animation just debuted a teaser trailer for their upcoming film, Hotel Transylvania 2. Genndy Tartakovsky who directed the first movie in 2012 is back at the helm, as is most of the voice cast - with some additions. Watch the dangerously funny teaser below.

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!

Sony Pushes Genndy Tartakovsky's Popeye Back to 2015

Sony Pictures Animation had a profitable 2012, with the financial success of Hotel Transyvania. The film was also very enjoyable though (our review here), not so much due to the somewhat derivative characters and story, but rather because of the inherent sense of fun and the wonderfully stylised CG orchestrated by Dexter's Lab creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Although Sony are moving ahead with a sequel to that film, Tartakovsky won't be at the helm, as he's instead shepherding the studio's CG reimagining of the gravel-voiced, spinach-stomaching sailor man, Popeye.

Watch: Roundtable Discussion with Animation Directors

The L.A. Times have posted an absolutely enthralling roundtable discussion with five animated film directors, in anticipation of the very tight Best Animated Feature competition at awards season this year. Hosted by L.A. Times reporter Rebecca Keegan, the roundtable includes Mark Andrew (Brave), Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians), Chris Butler (ParaNorman), Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) and Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania).

It's not all too equal a discussion, Rich Moore and Mark Andrews tend to dominate it, and it would've been nice to see Brenda Chapman and Peter Lord in the mix, but it really is brilliant! The start's your general stuff: talk about your film, your studio, your team, etc..., but it really takes off in the last fifteen minutes or so, when the conversation turns towards animation as a medium, the problem with American animation, and the directors' shared interests in seeing more 2D animated films, more adult animated films, and the versatility of animation as a medium.

Check it out!

Via Cartoon Brew.

Hotel Transylvania 2 Officially in the Works - Due 2015

In a move that won't please the critics, but will satisfy kids and other fans alike - and probably already has Sony execs drooling - The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Sony Pictures Animation are officially working on Hotel Transylvania 2.

The project, which is very early on in development, is tentatively scheduled for a 25th September, 2015 release. Considering that the first film took seven years to make, three is a significant improvement! That said, it took Hotel Transylvania a long time to find Genndy Tartakovsky as its director, and 2's going to be without the Dexter's Lab creator. Tartakovsky is working on Popeye (now due on 26th September, 2014) for Sony at the moment, so Hotel T 2 will have to find a new director.

Hotel Transylvania's been a big hit for the studio (its highest grossing fully-animated film in fact - although it bows to CG/live-action mash-up The Smurfs' $563.7 million gross), having taken about $253.6 million worldwide, so, a sequel makes sense. The first film was good enough, I'm not overly-eager to see a second, but so long as it replicates the original's formula of light-hearted gags and unpretentiousness, it should be fun.

Related posts:

• Hotel Transylvania Review - Frightfully Frivolous But Fairly Fun
• Sony to Release Hotel Transylvania Short Goodnight, Mr. Foot
• Interview: Pete Oswald, Vis. Dev. Artist on Hotel Transylvania and ParaNorman

Interview: Pete Oswald, Vis. Dev. Artist on Hotel Transylvania and ParaNorman

This latest A113Animation interview seems particularly relevant given our recent competition to give away a copy of an Art of book. The companion books to most animated films are a great portal behind the screen, giving you a look at the colossal glut of fantastic visual development artwork that goes into a production and that we might otherwise never get to see. When reviewing The Art and Making of ParaNorman and The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania, one artist consistently stood out to me, Pete Oswald.

Pete's work was colourful, lively, caricatured, playful and full of cartoony energy! So, I sought Pete out, I found his website and sent him an email saying how much I enjoyed his work and asking if he'd mind doing an interview. Thankfully, he said yes - and expressed a great deal of enthusiasm about it too! Pete's a great guy; modest, helpful and very talented, and I'm grateful he took the time to speak to me.

In our interview - which we did via email - Pete and I discuss his role on the two aforementioned films, what working on them was like, his other work (including The Ricky Gervais Show!), working on Cloudy 2 for Sony right now, and broader animation. Check it out after the jump break!

Sony to Release Hotel Transylvania Short Goodnight, Mr. Foot

Genndy Tartakovsky had some downtime between wrapping on Hotel Transylvania and starting on Popeye, and he used it to return (briefly) to hand-drawn animation. Because Sony are releasing a traditionally animated, Hotel Transylvania-based, short film, called Goodnight, Mr. Foot.

The short is showing in front of Hotel Transylvania right now - but only in Regal Entertainment Group Cinemas. The short film is directed by the 13-time Emmy nominee Tartakovsky, who also animated every single key-frame in the short. Check out a snippet from Sony's press release about the film, and some stills from it, below:

Entitled “Goodnight, Mr. Foot,” the short stars none other than the legendary monster Bigfoot, and follows his adventure as he, too, checks in to Dracula’s five-stake resort in search of a little R-and-R, only to find himself faced with an enthusiastic witch-maid, eager to make Mr. Foot’s stay a memorable one.

Genndy Tartakovsky commented, “After we finished HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA I got an itch to animate! Taking inspiration from my favorite directors Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones I animated a short cartoon in the traditional 2D style. It was difficult and exhilarating all at once and I hope people will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Head on over to Collider to check out the full press release, which also touts "a specially-created promo video popping up some time around October 31". Exciting news - I assume the short will then find its way onto the Hotel T DVD and Blu-ray release, and we're very eager to see it!

And be sure to check out our review of Hotel Transylvania here!

Via Cartoon Brew.

UPDATED - 22:45 (GMT)

Head over to Entertainment Weekly to check out a great little clip from the short, which segues into the image you see directly above. The visual style is great, and I really like the music used too.

Hotel Transylvania Review - Frightfully Frivolous But Fairly Fun

Hotel Transylvania, the latest animated feature film from Sony Pictures Animation (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Smurfs), has received a lukewarm response from critics, but a very enthusiastic one from fans; so I walked into the cinema on Wednesday not quite knowing what to expect. I walked out none the wiser: simultaneously, impressed and underwhelmed. But the main vibe I got from Hotel Transylvania was fun, and it's a film that's not ashamed to wear its relative one-dimensionality on its vampiric sleeve.

Interview: Marcelo Vignali, Production Designer on Hotel Transylvania

Marcelo with Hotel Transylvania's vocal lead, Adam Sandler.

Last Friday, I had the chance to speak to Marcelo Vignali, the production designer on Hotel Transylvania, the latest film from Sony Pictures Animation. The Genndy Tartakovsky directed film is getting a lukewarm critical response, but is going down a treat with audiences everywhere, who are very receptive to its fun, cartoony style. Hotel T is playing now in the US and Canada, and opened here in the UK today!

I'd like to thank Lauren Woosey at Titan Books for putting me in contact with Sony in the first place and her constant kindness; I'd also like to extend huge thanks to Olivier Mouroux and Kyle Rapone at the Sony Pictures Animation PR team for setting the whole thing up and being so accommodating and friendly.

Of course, I also want to thank Marcelo. One thing I've been astounded at when doing these interviews is how kind and down-to-earth everyone is. Marcelo made a point of asking me about my own life, and acted very modestly, while displaying huge enthusiasm for the film and his work. Not to mention he's a really talented guy! Topics covered in our exclusive interview include his role on Hotel T and thoughts on the film, working around the many directorial changes, working with Genndy Tartakovsky, the film's visual and animation styles, animation at Sony and the future.

Genndy Tartakovsky Reddit Recap: Samurai Jack Movie, Hotel Transylvania and New Powerpuff Girls Series!

Genndy Tartakovsky is a busy man. He's just wrapped on Hotel Transylvania for Sony, which he's now hard at work promoting, he's also working on a CG Popeye film for them, trying to get his planned Samurai Jack film off the ground, and much more that we don't even know about yet! But he still found time to answer questions from rabid fans on Reddit on 27th September.

Questions answered by the very talented Mr. Tartakovsky encompassed everything from working on Hotel T, to his planned Samurai Jack movie, to, excitingly, even a new series of The Powerpuff Girls on the way! Check out our belated coverage of the event which happened the day before Hotel T came out, after the jump break.

Poster for Sony's Popeye

With Hotel Transylvania now in cinemas in the US, and arriving in UK cinemas on the 12th, both director Genndy Tartakovsky and Sony Pictures Animation begin to look to the future, and that's this. Sony and the Dexter's Lab creator are working on a CG adaptation of Popeye!

The most well known version of the character being the Fleischers' shorts, Genndy and Sony are going to have an uphill battle adapting it for the big screen. But, given how wonderfully cartoony Hotel T looks, it might well be just the right pairing to make it happen.

Check out a poster that Cartoon Brew's Jerry Beck snapped at SPA's HQ last week. It's a good start! No release date as of yet.

Cool Mash-Up: Breaking Lab

Because even cartoons have Meth-heads apparently. Threadless, who've made some awesome Disney villain t-shirts, bring us this mash-up of Dexter's Laboratory and Breaking Bad. So if you ever wanted to combine the genius of Genndy Tartakovsky and Bryan Cranston in a hazmat suit (as you do), then here you are. Whoever knew Dexter would look like such a badass with a goatee?

The t-shirts are $20 each and come in a variety of sizes for both genders (link here).

Related news: What If: Fan-Made "Indiana Jones: The Animated Adventures" Artwork

Hotel Transylvania Takes a Vampire-Sized Bite out of the Weekend Box-Office

The critics may not be loving it, but US audiences clearly are; Sony Pictures Animation's Genndy Tartakovsky-directed Hotel Transylvania has done the studio proud on its tenth anniversary, opening to an astonishing (estimated) $43 million!

The studio's seventh film (including two Aardman releases, Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! in an Adventures with Scientists) sits at a lukewarm 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has raked in over a million dollars for every one of those percent at the US box office, placing it in the number 1 spot this weekend. Hotel T is the studio's strongest opener (far surpassing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' previous record of $30.3 million), and, if it proves to have reasonable legs, it could be the studio's highest grossing film yet! The film has also raked in $8.1 million from foreign territories.

Second place this weekend goes to another Sony pic, Rian Johnson's acclaimed sci-fi actioner, Looper, with $21.2 million (again, estimated). Looper boasts a cast including Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt, while Hotel T has the more youth-friendly line-up of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez.

In spite of the negative reviews, it seems audiences are really taking to Sony's monster-flick (of course, the timing isn't bad either, with Halloween just around the corner). Speaking from an outside perspective, having not seen the film yet (it doesn't open here until 12th October), I think what's resonating with audiences is exactly what's putting critics off: it doesn't take itself too seriously. Hotel T looks like fun for the sake of fun, with not too much focus on emotional twists - the 'Art of' book stated that they repeatedly chose to forego solemn moments in favour of comedy. Jerry Beck says it best, that Hotel T is a "full “cartoon” feature"; just look how perfectly poised and considered the animation is! Genndy Tartakovsky's stylised cartoon style is here in abundance!

Seen Hotel Transylvania? What did you think? Let us know below!

Stats via Box Office Mojo.

Review Round-Up - Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania

Following precious few releases in the first half of the year, it's been a strong summer for animation, with great films like Brave and ParaNorman - oh, and there was The Lorax too I guess. Coming up in winter we have DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians and Disney's Wreck-It Ralph - as well as Pixar's 3D re-release of Monsters, Inc. But right now, as we turn towards autumn, we've got two big releases (and, finally, the UK release of Madagascar 3): Hotel Transylvania and Frankenweenie.

Check out our recaps, reviews coverage, and thoughts after the jump break!

6 Brand New Hotel Transylvania Clips

Moments ago we posted six brand spanking new clips from Disney and Tim Burton's black and white stop-motion film, Frankenweenie. Now, at the other end of the spectrum, the hilarious, lively and colourful end, we have six equally new clips from Sony Picture Animation's Hotel Transylvania!

Collider has our back again and brings us the six, almost continuous, clips as one video, which you can check out above! The clips focus on the comedy, and while it's hard to glean much emotional resonance or depth from these clips, it sure looks like fun! The voice acting and chemistry is top-notch, and the comic timing is strong. However, the highlight of all of the clips for me is the animation.

When I say animation, I mean it in the literal sense - as opposed to when it's often used interchangeably to describe graphics. When reviewing The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania, I said how much thought had clearly gone into poise and movement, and it definitely shows here. Look at Dracula, look at his fluid movements and how the cape is almost an extension of him: it's spectacular! Director Genndy Tartakovsky's stylised traditional-animation experience has clearly translated well!

Hotel T is released a week today, on 28th, in the US, and on 12th October in the UK, and stars the voices of Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Selena Gomez.

Check out the clips above, and let us know what you think! What do you make of Hotel Transylvania so far?