Oscars 2015: Disney Wins It All!

The 87th Academy Awards have revealed their winners in the animation categories. And as you probably guessed from the title of this post, the Oscar goes to…

The BoxTrolls: A Suspenseful Review

With the hypnotic Coraline and the gutsy ParaNorman, Laika was two-for-two in my book. And I certainly believed their third sop-motion outing, The BoxTrolls, would extend their success. In fact this was my most anticipated animated film of 2014, as the teasers and trailers charmed me in a way that very few promotional campaign ever have. Then came the very mixed first reviews, and I started to worry. But despite that negative early buzz, I was still willing to enjoy The BoxTrolls.

So, did the Oregon-based studio strike gold once again, or is this their first flop? You can put an end to this absurdly thrilling suspense and discover my opinion after the break.

The BoxTrolls Review - An Uneven But Utterly Charming Film

The BoxTrolls is Laika's third stop-motion wonder; it's a bizarre and enchanting film that looks just wonderful. The animation is absolutely stunning and the world that the crew have created is rich with detail and hard work. The story doesn't quite hit the same highs that Coraline and ParaNorman did, but it nonetheless offers plenty of charm, making it an enjoyable ride.

[UPDATED] (Very) Early Oscar Predictions for Best Animated Feature

I know most animated films scheduled for this year haven't even been released yet, but I think it'll be fun to make some predictions based on what we know of each film and weigh up their chances of receiving a nod next year for the next Oscar ceremony. So, without much further ado, here are my (very) early predictions for next year's Academy Awards.

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!

Watch: New Handmade Teaser for The BoxTrolls

Laika are making a name for themselves as a really brave, boundary-pushing, outside-the-norm animation studio. With two acclaimed films - Coraline and ParaNorman - under their belt, and a desire to tell personal, spooky stories, in an animation medium that has proven less than popular at the box-office. Yet that's exactly what they're pushing in the new teaser for their next film, The BoxTrolls.

The Top 5 Animated Films to Watch for in 2014

Just over half the way into 2013, it may seem a little premature to start looking forward to next year. And that would be true, if next year weren't looking so damn appetising. Sequels, adaptations and original concepts populate an increasingly more exciting 2014, and here are A113Animation's top 5 animated films to keep your eyes on.

This Week on A113Animation (1st - 7th July, 2013)

This was a jam-packed week for animation fans, not least because we got 4 brand spanking new trailers on the same day. And that was just by Tuesday! We've also got box office updates, interviews, posters and set pictures. As well as your usual features, we've also got a review of Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me 2 and an editorial about the current state of Pixar. Check out links and summaries for all of that below.

First Look: Teaser Trailer and Poster for Laika's The BoxTrolls

Considering Disney only just released the first teaser for a film that's out in November, with Frozen, this is an incredibly quick turnaround. And you won't hear us complaining. Laika have rolled out a teaser trailer and a poster for their upcoming third feature film, The BoxTrolls.

New Concept Art for Laika's The Boxtrolls

Laika have put out two feature films so far - two spooky stop-motion films - Coraline and ParaNorman, and both have been very high quality. Now two-time Oscar nominees, Laika will be hoping to repeat that success with their next film, The Boxtrolls, based on the novel Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow.

William on the Scotty Jo Podcast Again: Wreck-It Ralph, Monsters U, The Boxtrolls and a Whole Lot More!

A few weeks back I went on the Scotty Jo Podcast to talk animation, and yesterday episode 7 of the podcast was released, with another animation-themed appearance by me! Far more extensive than my last visit, Scotty Jo and I discuss the last few weeks' super-exciting animation news (prepare for a link-a-thon): my thoughts on Wreck-It Ralph, the new Monsters University trailer, Laika's The Boxtrolls, the BAFTAs, the Oscars, the Annies, Finding Nemo 2, DreamWorks' current woes, Illumination's upcoming slate, the recently released fake Frozen posters, The Good Dinosaur and even more! If you like animation and don't mind the sound of my voice, give it a listen!

You can listen to the episode here or subscribe to the Scotty Jo Podcast on iTunes. You can check mine and Scott's half hour-plus animation conversation out from about 7:15 on - but I recommend giving the whole show a listen; particularly if you like hilarious Daniel Day-Lewis jokes.

Laika's Next Film Is The Boxtrolls, Due 2014

Fresh off the critically acclaimed ParaNorman, Laika are looking to the future, and have just announced that their next film will arrive in October of 2014 and will be The Boxtrolls.

The Boxtrolls, per Laika's official press release, is "a 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid animated feature based on Alan Snow’s bestselling fantasy adventure novel Here Be Monsters." In our interview with Pete Oswald, a visual development artist who worked on ParaNorman, a few months ago, he mentioned that Laika's next film would be Here Be Monsters (which is now obviously going by The Boxtrolls), saying "While I was working on ParaNorman I saw some development art. It's fantastic." Check out one such instance of that development art down below.