Top Animation News: Annie Awards, Golden Globes, Fox and more!

Top Animation News is a weekly column that rounds up the biggest, best and breaking stories from the world of animation. This edition covers November 30 to December 7, 2018.

1. 2019 Annie Awards nominees announced
With the Emile Awards this weekend (and Toon Boom Animation returning as a platinum sponsor), awards season is in full swing. The 2019 Annie Awards announced its nominees this week, with Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet sweeping the list with 11 and 10 nods, respectively. Notably, many Toon Boom-produced pieces made the cut including Tito and the Birds (animated in Toon Boom Harmony), Bob’s Burgers (Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Harmony) and Hilda (Storyboard Pro and Harmony), among others.

See the full 2019 Annie Awards nominee list on “Entertainment Weekly”.

2. Guru Studio to produce two new original IPs in 2019
Toronto-based Guru Studio will be getting to work on two new original IPs in 2019, Pikwik and Big Blue, and will be hiring animators to do so. Both are children’s series and will be produced in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Harmony, with the studio partnering with the software leader to push the limits of what can be done in the programs. Guru Studio is best known for its work on Academy Award-nominated film The Breadwinner as well as acclaimed television shows like Ever After High.

Read more on Pikwik, Big Blue and jobs at Guru Studio on the blog. 

3. Mary Poppins Returns lands three Golden Globes nominations
The 76th Golden Globe Awards also announced its nominee list this week, with Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mirai, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse filling out the Best Motion Picture — Animated category. Mary Poppins Returns, which features extended 2D animated segments, received four nods: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for Emily Blunt, Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for Lin-Manuel Miranda and Best Original Score — Motion Picture for Marc Shaiman.

Explore all the 76th Golden Globe Awards nominees on “Animation World Network”.

4. DISCOMICS Iqembu is developing the African animation industry through education
A group of animation industry powerhouses including Toon Boom Animation, Toonz Media Group, Baboon Animation, African Animation Network and DISCOP Markets have partnered to launch DISCOMICS Iqembu with the express mission of developing a sustainable African animation industry through education. The program will train young artists through a unique pipeline that bridges pedagogy and professional service work. DISCOMICS Iqembu participation requirements will be announced in 2019, though it is known the associated Toon Boom Centre of Excellence will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Learn how DISCOMICS Iqembu will develop the African animation industry on the blog.

Source: Fox

5. Fox dominates Writers Guild Award animated nominee list
Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons and Family Guy (all produced in Toon Boom animation software) scored three, two and one nomination respectively in the animation category at the Writers Guild Awards. The comedic cartoons all air on the Fox network. Despite Kate Purdy winning the 2018 animation Writers Guild Award for BoJack Horseman, the celebrated Netflix series failed to land any nods this year.

Find all the Writers Guild Award info on “Animation Magazine”.

6. Animation takes top two spots at the box office
Disney Animation’s Ralph Breaks the Internet and Universal-Illumination’s The Grinch took the top two positions at the North American box office last weekend, signalling a strong desire for animated content among audiences. The House of Mouse sequel held onto its number-one spot for a second week in a row, and has grossed $25.7 million domestically and $207 million worldwide. The last time two animated features took the top positions was in 2012, with Disney-Pixar’s Brave and DreamWorks’ Madagascar 3 in first and second place respectively.

Catch up on all the box office business on “Cartoon Brew”.

7. Atomic Cartoons launches Ottawa studio
Best known as Canada’s capital, Ottawa has also developed a burgeoning animation industry with world-class schools, events and studios. Now, another big name has joined the mix: Vancouver-based Atomic Cartoons. It opened its Ottawa production hub on Monday in a space formerly occupied by another local toon titan, Amberwood Entertainment.

Dig into all the Atomic Cartoons Ottawa details on “Ottawa Business Journal”.

8. Hulu announces anime partnership with Funimation
American SVOD Hulu will be growing its anime offerings by partnering with Texas-based distributor and streamer Funimation. The multiyear agreement will see the two platforms become the only places US viewers can find titles like Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia, among others. Streamers have been investing heavily in anime recently, with Netflix having just announced even more originals last month including a Pacific Rim series.

Stream all the Hulu-Funimation partnership details on “Kidscreen”.

9. Shrek Retold is a scene-by-scene remake of the original
A group of 200 amateur filmmakers —from animators to actors— collaborated on Shrek Retold. The bizarrely brilliant film is a full-length scene-by-scene remake of the original Shrek and launched this week for free on YouTube. Shrek Retold is a joint effort by Grant Duffrin and 3GI, a Milwaukee-based comic collective that hosts Shrekfest.

Watch the entirety of Shrek Retold above and read the full story on “Wired”.

10. A gift guide for the animation lover
Not sure what to get for your favourite animation aficionado this holiday season? “Animation Magazine” put together a handy gift guide to make shopping a little easier. Among the highlights are Rick and Morty Adidas sneakers, an Adventure Time guitar and tons of ideas for the Marvel and Harry Potter fans in your life.

Browse all the gift guide suggestions on “Animation Magazine”.

What Top Animation News were you most excited about this week? Was there something we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments below!

Banner image source: Fox