Chris and Shane Houghton celebrate six years of Big City Greens success for The Mouse House with a new feature-length film. Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation premieres this Thursday June 6th at 8pm on Disney Channel and is available on Disney+ starting this Friday June 7th. In this new Animation Scoop Q&A, the Houghtons discuss how they landed on this story and the giant leap from 11 minutes to 80. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Chris, we’re approaching 55 years since the Moon Landing. Have you always been fascinated with space? Chris Houghton: Ye ..read more

For nearly 100 years, she’s remained a cultural icon. Soon, Comic-Con Museum visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the worldwide debut of Becoming Betty Boop, a Comic-Con Museum exclusive and original exhibit opening on Thursday, June 27. In collaboration with Fleischer Studios, Comic-Con Museum curated this one-of-a-kind multimedia exhibit to take fans on a nostalgic journey, starting with Betty’s beginnings to her rise to international popularity—and what makes her a fan favorite today. Visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase an exclusive poster created by comic artist ..read more

Pablo Berger won an Annie Award and was nominated for an Oscar this past awards season for his incredible feature Robot Dreams. NEON just kicked-off the film’s official North American theatrical release in New York City, and it will continue to expand to more cities across the nation throughout the summer, including Los Angeles starting this Friday June 7th. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Berger shares what Robot Dreams has meant to him and audiences around the world. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: I saw “Robot Dreams” six months ago. I love it. Many hav ..read more

Today, reboots and spin-offs are everywhere. Studios seem to be interested in using existing IP when producing content, no matter how long it’s been since the original came out. Among all the reboots and spinoffs, some stories are better suited for a comeback than others. In this discussion, Ashleigh Crystal Hairston and I explore how the new Fairly Odd Parents captures the fun of the original while adding fresh, heartfelt elements that resonate with today’s kids. We also discussed the effort, creativity, and collaboration that went into the making of this project. Lauren Ashton: I grew up wa ..read more

Weigel Broadcasting Co. today unveiled the programming schedule (below) for its highly anticipated new network, MeTV Toons which will launch Tuesday, June 25, as the only TV network destination dedicated exclusively to classic animation. This first launch schedule showcases many of the greatest names and most famous characters and series in all of classic animation. Future schedules will feature even more classic animation favorites. MeTV Toons will also feature daily and weekend curated blocks with even more cartoon favorites: ● Cartoon All-Stars – Every day of the week, MeTV Toons puts the ..read more

Academy Award winner Chris Lawrence (Gravity) is the Visual Effects Supervisor of America’s No. 1 movie, IF. Director John Krasinski’s new family film, starring Ryan Reynolds, is about the power of imagination and memories. Lawrence describes the work that went into creating the vibrant, CG characters and bringing Krasinski’s passion project to the screen. (This Animation Scoop Interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: Paramount Pictures.) Jackson Murphy: What were your initial reactions to John Krasinski’s vision of these imaginary ch ..read more

New DreamWorks and Universal animated series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (premiering this Friday May 24th on Netflix) is the next chapter in a franchise that has delighted and terrified generations. Executive Producers and showrunners Scott Kreamer and Aaron Hammersley detail their latest Jurassic journey. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Scott, you did 50 episodes of “Camp Cretaceous”, which aired from 2020 to 2022. What goes into deciding, “Alright, let’s continue the “Jurassic” saga in animated form?” Scott Kreamer: I’ll be honest, after “C ..read more

Starting this Friday May 17th on Netflix, the whole family can enjoy the new animated music comedy feature Thelma the Unicorn, based on the books by The Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey. Here’s my Animation Scoop Q&A with directors Jared Hess and Lynn Wang. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Congratulations on this. And Jared, congratulations on “Ninety-Five Senses”, the excellent, Oscar nominated short from this year. When it comes to that and this, and you worked on the “Napoleon Dynamite” animated TV series as well, how has animation inspired you throughout ..read more

Viva Pictures is pleased to share its recent acquisition of “Scarygirl”, a feature-length animated film inspired by the popular graphic novels and merchandise. Boasting a unique style and captivating storytelling, the film is a “coming-of-age” project that aims to appeal to family audiences. A collaborative co-production between Like A Photon Creative and Highly Spirited, the feature is executive produced by Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson.   “I loved Nathan Jurevicius’ Scarygirl” John Stevenson said.  “It is a bold and totally original invention… conceived in Nathan’s u ..read more

While visiting Pixar in March, I got to see the first half-hour of Inside Out 2 — opening in theaters one month from today, June 14th. For this Animation Scoop Q&A, here are my conversations with editor Maurissa Horwtiz and DP, Camera Adam Habib. (These interviews were combined and edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Maurissa, what’s interesting about the 30 minutes of footage I’ve seen is the back and forth movement — from Riley to inside the mind and having these new characters. How much of a challenge was putting all that together? Maurissa Horwitz: Definitely balancing the ..read more