Classic Nickelodeon Characters will Crossover in 'Nicktoons'

The Tracking Board revealed that Paramount is planning to release a crossover movie based on the classic cartoons of Nickelodeon. The film, Nicktoons, would be a live action/animation hybrid. More after the break.

Paperman Director John Kahrs to Helm Feature Film for Paramount Animation

Oscar-winning Paperman director John Kahrs left Disney back at the end of August last year, and we now know what for: the animator-turned-director will helm Shedd for Paramount's recently-established animation division!

Paramount's Plan: SpongeBob 2 and Monster Trucks for Release in 2015

Paramount Animation set up shop in the wake of Rango's success and the studio's expired distribution deal with DreamWorks (who are now under the Fox banner). We heard about their plans back in August of last year, but have heard close to squat since. Today, we got details and release dates for their first two projects: SpongeBob SquarePants 2 and Monster Trucks.

DreamWorks Sign With Fox

DreamWorks Animation's distribution deal with Paramount comes to a close at the end of the year - with Paramount looking to cut out the middle man and set up their own animation studio - which left DreamWorks looking for a new partner. Studios rumoured to be in consideration were Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Sony, and today, Deadline tells us that the house that brought us Shrek has now signed a five year distribution deal with Fox.

Per the deal, Fox will receive an 8% cut of box office and home video takings, and 6% of digital takings - meaning DreamWorks' lucrative deal with Netflix. DreamWorks CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, called the deal "an absolute win-win".

Of note also, is that Fox already has its own built-in animation division, Blue Sky Studios, which is pretty damn successful. Fox's Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman spoke about this in a DreamWorks conference call, saying:

“We are particularly excited to add DreamWorks Animation’s films to the strong and growing slate of movies from our outstanding Blue Sky Studios division, which is coming off another global blockbuster with Ice Age: Continental Drift, and has Epic and Rio 2 in advanced production. Together we will be a dominant force in animated entertainment for years to come.”

The first film released under this new deal will be Chris Sanders' The Croods, due on 22nd March, 2013.

Paramount Animation's Slate Fills Up - J.J. Abrams to Direct

Following the commercial and critical success of Rango last year (winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature) and the impending loss of the profit generated from distributing DreamWorks' films when the two companies part ways later this year, Paramount decided to go into business for itself and set up its own animation department. It's worked well for Fox, Sony and Universal, with their respective animation divisions, and Paramount is hoping for success for its animated slate - and it's looking promising so far.

So far, all we'd heard about the division is that it was starting off with a sequel to Nickelodeon's successful The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, due in 2014; to be followed by The New Kid, based on the Penny Arcade comic. But today, in addition to lots of new details about these projects, we got some hints at what we can expect from Paramount Animation in the future - which you can read all about after the jump break!

Classic Cartoons #10 - Popeye the Sailor

Our last Classic Cartoon was Superman, AKA The Mad Scientist, the first in the critically revered Superman short film series from Fleischer Studios. The Superman shorts were the Fleischers' last hurrah, as, despite critical adulation and an Academy Award nomination for the first in the series, the high budget meant that the Fleischers soon ran out of funds, and Paramount, their financiers and distributors, soon ran out of patience. Amidst personal squabbles between brothers, Max and Dave, Paramount acquired the Fleischer Studios, and fired the brothers, renaming it Famous Studios in 1942.

However, the Fleischers had experienced much success prior to this. In their heyday, Fleischer Studios was the most significant competitor to Walt Disney and his cartoons. In fact, at one time, one of the Fleischers' series eclipsed Disney and Mickey Mouse in terms of popularity: Popeye the Sailor. Based on the Thimble Theatre comic strip, the Popeye cartoons were huge successes and inspired popular culture for years to come.

The first appearance of Popeye - as well as his love-interest, Olive Oyl, and his nemesis, Bluto - was actually in this Betty Boop cartoon from 1933. Indicative of things to come though, Boop was merely a cameo, whereas Popeye was the focus. Popeye would later get his series of theatrical cartoons - starting with I Yam What I Yam later that year - and the famous theme song, the outdated - but wonderful and hilarious - rubber hose animation and the beloved characters made Popeye the Sailor, both today's Classic Cartoon and the series it spawned, huge hits.

Don't forget, as well, that Sony Pictures Animation are moving ahead with a CG Popeye film, directed by Hotel Transylvania helmer, Genndy Tartakovsky.

Rango Takes Home a BAFTA

Although the presentation of the award appears to have been cut from the broadcast of the 65th British Academy Film Awards, earlier today the BAFTA for Best Animated Film was awarded to Paramount and Nickelodeon's Rango. The Gore Verbinski directed animated western is the favourite heading into the 84th Annual Academy Awards in two weeks' time and this is a huge honour for the film.

Rango beat out Steven Spielberg's mo-cap adventure, The Adventures of Tintin and the British film, Arthur Christmas. Check out the full BAFTA results here.

39th Annual Annie Awards Results

Saturday was the 39th Annual Annie Awards, honouring the greatest achievements in animation over the past year. Following on from a controversial year last year, where DreamWorks' How to Train your Dragon swept the ceremony, this year it was Nickelodeon and Paramount's Rango that topped the ceremony, winning 5 awards.

The animated western story of lonely and eponymous chameleon, Rango, is the frontrunner for the Animated Oscar this year, and beat out DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots, as well as Pixar's Cars 2 and others to scoop the top prize at this year's Annies. The Gore Verbinski directed film also took home awards, including Editing and Writing in a Feature Production.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson took home the award for Best Director for Kung Fu Panda 2, and there were awards handed to The Adventures of Tintin, Winnie the Pooh and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

For a full list of winners, click here.

Tintin Winwins at the Globes

If you can excuse my shameful pun one moment: yes, The Adventures of Tintin took home the Best Animated Feature Film award at the 69th Annual Golden Globes last night.

The high-octane, globe trotting film, based on the acclaimed books by Hergé, scooped the top A113Animation Award here a few weeks ago, and the HFPA clearly loved it too. Director Steven Spielberg (top) was on hand to collect the award.

This year's Globes marks the first time since the category's inception in 2006, that a non-Pixar film has won the award. Tintin is a very deserving film to unthrone Pixar, and it deserves all the praise it's getting.