‘SPARK’ Issue 3 Now Available for Free Download
Studio KÄ has released Issue 3 of its monthly magazine SPARK as a free PDF download. The 32‑page issue, edited by founder Adja Soro, spotlights the growing African animation ecosystem beyond production, covering schools, festivals, script‑consulting firms and distribution platforms. Highlights include Morocco’s Flow Motion School, South Africa’s Story Oasis, and a Togolese animation platform. Soro frames these “side” professions as emerging strategic pillars for the continent’s animation future.
‘Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85’ Harnesses the Power of Retro Color
Netflix’s new animated spin‑off “Stranger Things: Tales from ’85” debuted on the platform, revisiting the original characters in a winter‑y 1985 setting. Showrunner Eric Robles emphasizes a bold, neon‑rich color palette that coexists with serious, dramatic moments, echoing 80s visual...
Maxon Makes Autograph Team Licenses Free for Commercial Use
Maxon announced that its Autograph team licenses are now free for commercial use, removing seat‑count, time, and output restrictions. The change follows a recent free release for individual users and expands the tool’s reach to studios, agencies, educators, and brands...
Exclusive: ‘The Last Whale Singer – King Karl the Walrus of Karltopia’ Clip
Viva Kids released an exclusive clip from its upcoming animated feature The Last Whale Singer, slated for U.S. theatrical release on June 5. The film follows Vincent, a young humpback whale who must find his voice to protect the ocean, blending...
The ACLU Launches Stop-Motion Civics Series 'KYR-U' On YouTube Kids
The ACLU has debuted “KYR‑U,” a stop‑motion animated series aimed at teaching children civics, constitutional rights, and free expression. The four‑episode season premiered on April 23 on YouTube Kids and is also hosted on the ACLU website with study guides, music...
Disney Drops Trailer for 'Dragon Striker' Animated Fantasy Sports Series
Disney unveiled the trailer for "Dragon Striker," an animated fantasy‑sports series that fuses European mythic settings with Japanese anime styling. The 11‑episode show premieres on Disney XD on June 9, with all episodes streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the following day. A...
Lightcraft Technology Unveils Spark Story Interactive Previs Tool
Lightcraft Technology has launched Spark Story, an interactive previs platform that lets filmmakers construct 3D shots, edit scripts, and generate shot lists in real time via browser and mobile apps. The tool integrates realistic camera models, motion physics, and imported USD...
Guru Studio Expands ‘True and the Rainbow Kingdom’ with Mindfulness-Focused Shorts
Guru Studio is launching a new series of mindfulness‑focused shorts called True & You on YouTube and YouTube Kids, timed for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. The bite‑sized videos feature guided breathing exercises and ASMR‑style relaxation, using the popular...
Hulu Sets 'King of the Hill' Season 15 Premiere
Season 15 of Hulu’s King of the Hill premieres on July 20, with all ten episodes released simultaneously on Hulu and Disney+ for bundle subscribers. The revival follows a retired Hank and Peggy Hill in Arlen and 21‑year‑old Bobby, now a chef in...
Terence and Rachel Winter to Develop Adult Animated 'Nouvelle' At Bizaar Studios
Bizaar Studios has teamed with award‑winning husband‑wife duo Terence and Rachel Winter to develop "Nouvelle," an eight‑episode adult‑animated drama set in a luxury New York hotel. Inspired by Jacob Tomsky’s bestseller "Heads in Beds," the series will explore power, scandal...
Proof Delivers Extensive Previs and Postvis for 'Stranger Things' Final Season
Proof Inc. released new previs and postvis reels for the final season of Netflix’s *Stranger Things*, covering all eight episodes after nearly two years of work. The studio generated roughly 1,900 combined shots, visualizing major action set pieces such as...
Refuge Add Key Hires, Expands to California, New York, and New Jersey
Visual effects studio Refuge announced a strategic expansion into California, New York, and New Jersey, adding three new offices to its existing sites in Portland, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. The company also appointed four senior leaders: Jason Sperling as VFX Supervisor, Matthew...
Watch: ‘Remember Us’ Explores 3 Stories From the Tragic 1980s Salvadoran Civil War
100 Volcanoes and partners released *Remember Us*, a 13‑minute hand‑drawn 2D short that follows a journalist documenting three Salvadoran Civil War survivors. The film tackles childhood loss, gender‑based violence, and indigenous trauma while offering a hopeful outlook across three generations....
‘My Adventures with Superman’ Sets Season 3 Adult Swim Return
Adult Swim announced that the third season of the animated series My Adventures with Superman will launch at midnight ET/PT on June 13, with a streaming debut on HBO Max the following day. The show follows a twenty‑something Clark Kent...
Korn, Blizzard Debut 'Reward the Scars' Music Video to Launch 'Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred'
Korn released "Reward the Scars," its first new track in four years, alongside a music video co‑produced with Blizzard to launch Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred. The video premiered on April 27, the game’s release day, and mixes live‑action performance with hand‑drawn...
LINE Digital Frontier, Redice Studio and Kadokawa Launch Studio White
LINE Digital Frontier, Kadokawa and Redice Studio have created Studio White, a new web‑comic studio focused on adapting popular Japanese franchises for the global WEBTOON platform. The studio’s first release is a spin‑off of Record of Lodoss War, slated for...
Nura Studios Launches Showcraft AI-Assisted Animation Platform
Nura Studios announced that its AI‑assisted animation platform Showcraft will enter Early Access on May 19. The tool lets game and animation studios transform existing characters, environments, and assets into episodic series or films while preserving the artistic intent of the...
‘Versa’: Remembering Our Children in the Stars
Disney+ has released "Versa," a three‑minute animated short by veteran Disney animator Malcon Pierce that memorializes his late son Cooper. The dialogue‑free film uses celestial choreography, kintsugi‑styled golden scars, and a star‑filled visual language to portray parental grief and healing....
Huace and Utopai Studios Partner on Long-Form AI-Driven Content Creation
Huace Film & TV Co., one of China’s largest content producers, has signed a partnership with U.S.-based Utopai Studios to embed its PAI cinematic storytelling AI across the company’s long‑form production pipeline. The agreement features a sizable annual usage commitment...
Disney to Share ‘Cars: Lightning Racers’ and Other First Looks at Annecy
Disney Television Animation is using the Annecy Festival (June 21‑27) to unveil first looks at three upcoming Disney+ series. The preschool‑focused "Cars: Lightning Racers," slated for a 2027 Disney Jr. debut, will be featured in the festival’s Work‑In‑Progress program. "The Doomies," a...
Autodesk Announces AI Rigging and Neural Layer in Flow Studio
Autodesk unveiled AI Rigging and Neural Layer for its Flow Studio platform, promising to turn 3D models into animation‑ready characters within minutes and deliver cinematic‑quality rendering without a traditional pipeline. The AI‑driven rigging automates bone creation, skinning and motion capture,...
Adobe Releases Photoshop and Lightroom Updates
Adobe announced a major update to Photoshop and Lightroom, introducing several productivity‑focused features. Rotate Object becomes generally available, offering non‑destructive, real‑time object rotation. Layer Cleanup automatically renames and removes empty layers, while Firefly Boards links Photoshop and Lightroom for seamless...
Exclusive Clip: ‘Family Guy - Lower G.I. Joe’
Fox announced the upcoming Family Guy episode “Lower G.I. Joe,” scheduled for April 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The plot follows Peter Griffin’s colonoscopy, which uncovers a rare G.I. Joe action figure lodged in his intestine, sparking a comedic conflict over its resale value. The...
Exclusive Clip: ‘Bob’s Burgers – Keyboard Kid’
FOX is debuting a brand‑new episode of its Emmy‑winning animated series Bob’s Burgers titled “Keyboard Kid” on Sunday, April 26 at 8:31 PM ET/PT. The episode follows Tina Belcher as she tries to boost her GPA through a quirky typing class, setting...
Exclusive Excerpt From ‘Rick and Morty Forever #0’ 48-Page Series Finale
Oni Press, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, announced the 48‑page double‑sized finale "Rick and Morty Forever #0," slated for May 27, 2026. Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Troy Little, the issue caps a decade‑long, 100‑plus‑issue run adapting the...
‘My Brother the Minotaur’: A Mystical Being Embraces Community and Individuality
Apple TV will launch the animated series *My Brother the Minotaur* globally on April 24. The show, co‑produced by Dog Ears, Cartoon Saloon and funded by Northern Ireland Screen and the Irish Film Board, follows half‑bull, half‑boy Lorcan as he navigates a human world with...
Travis Knight and LAIKA to Debut 'Wildwood' Footage and Exhibition at Annecy
LAIKA’s upcoming stop‑motion feature Wildwood will hit theaters on October 23, 2024, and the studio is debuting exclusive footage at the Annecy International Animation Festival (June 21‑27). Director‑CEO Travis Knight makes his first Annecy appearance to introduce a special exhibition that runs...
Prime Video Drops ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 4 Trailer
Prime Video released the official trailer for Season 4 of the adult‑animated series The Legend of Vox Machina, set to debut on June 3. The new season will roll out three episodes per week and will be available in more than 240...
Stephan Franck Launches Kickstarter for Final ‘Palomino’ Volume
Stephan Franck, the award‑nominated cartoonist behind shows like Spider‑Man and The Iron Giant, has opened a Kickstarter for “Palomino” Volume 6, the concluding chapter of his Ringo Award‑nominated neo‑noir graphic‑novel series. The campaign bundles all six volumes and a line of...
Netflix Drops ‘Devil May Cry’ Season 2 Trailer
Netflix unveiled the official trailer for Season 2 of its animated adaptation of Capcom’s Devil May Cry, slated to debut on May 12. The new season pits Dante against his estranged twin Vergil, deepening the series’ family‑drama and supernatural conflict. Creator Adi Shankar promises a...
ADAPT Launches //ACADEMY Learning Ecosystem
ADAPT has launched //ACADEMY, a creative learning ecosystem that trains artists for animation, VFX, and game development through career‑driven tracks. The program emphasizes a “thinking‑first” approach, focusing on decision‑making and production constraints rather than just tool proficiency. Around 30 industry...
‘The Lemurian Candidate’ Debuts on Substack
Crossing Bridges Films has launched its 90‑minute alien‑adventure buddy comedy *The Lemurian Candidate* as the first feature film on Substack’s premier annual subscription tier. The indie movie follows three college friends on a psychedelic trek to Mt. Shasta that spirals into...
Beeble Launches AI-Powered Background Remover
Beeble, an AI‑focused deep‑tech firm, unveiled Background Remover, an AI‑powered rotoscoping tool that generates high‑quality alpha mattes in seconds. The web‑based solution handles video, images, and sequences, offering batch processing of up to 20 files or 2,000 frames and instant...
India-Based Digikore Studios Releases ‘Kingdom Games’ Trailer
India‑based Digikore Studios unveiled the trailer for its 90‑minute 4K animated feature *Kingdom Games*, slated for worldwide theatrical release on July 24. The studio employed an AI‑assisted pipeline that touched every production stage, compressing tasks that once took weeks into hours...
Vine FX Promotes Simon Carr to Creative Director
Vine FX has elevated longtime VFX supervisor Simon Carr to Creative Director, bolstering its creative leadership as the Cambridge‑based studio expands its high‑end film and television slate. Carr joined Vine FX in August 2024 after a 30‑year career that includes stints at...
GKIDS and Fathom Announce 2026 Studio Ghibli Fest Slate
GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment have announced the 2026 Studio Ghibli Fest, a seven‑film theatrical run beginning June 13. The slate features milestone screenings such as the 20th anniversary of *Tales from Earthsea*, the 35th anniversary of *Only Yesterday*, the 40th...
Zee Entertainment Announces Strategic Investment in PhantomFX
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. announced a strategic investment of up to Rs 116 crore (about $1.4 billion) in visual‑effects studio Phantom Digital Effects Ltd. (PhantomFX) via convertible debentures, pending shareholder approval. The partnership gives Zee access to PhantomFX’s U.S. and UK studios, AI‑driven...
Rise & Shine 2026 Selection Announced
Rise & Shine, a development and pitching lab for emerging animators, announced its 2026 cohort of eleven short films selected from more than 80 applications. The three‑part program launches in June 2026 at Animafest Zagreb, continues online in October, and...
A New ‘Breed’ of Mystery - 'The Sheep Detectives' Featurette Released
Amazon MGM Studios released a behind‑the‑scenes featurette for its upcoming animated mystery comedy "The Sheep Detectives," slated for a May 8 theatrical debut. The film is directed by Kyle Balda, the mind behind the hit "Minions," and boasts an all‑star voice roster...
AI-Native Animation: A New Business Paradigm
Kevin Geiger’s guide argues that artificial intelligence is reshaping animation from a labor‑heavy, capital‑intensive pipeline into an AI‑native, system‑driven model. Studios will shift focus from producing individual projects to building reusable IP platforms that generate continuous content across formats. The...
Sony Releases New ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Images
Sony Pictures Animation unveiled new images for the third installment of its Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse franchise, titled Spider‑Man: Beyond the Spider‑Verse, set for a June 18 2027 theatrical release. The series, which began with the Oscar‑winning 2018 film and continued with...
'DRAGGLiNS' Solo Artist-Created AI-Animated Kids’ Series Launches on YouTube
Independent filmmaker Brandon Craig launched DRAGGLiNS, a 3D AI‑animated kids series, on YouTube on April 5. The show follows six elemental baby dragons and targets children aged 4‑8, positioning itself as “Bluey meets PAW Patrol.” Craig produced four broadcast‑quality episodes alone...
‘ChaO’: A Story of Boundless Love and Boundless Art
Studio 4°C’s new 2D animated feature ChaO, distributed by GKIDS, hits U.S. theaters on April 10, 2026. The film follows a quirky romance between a human named Stephan and a mermaid princess, set in a wildly stylized city where physics bend and...
‘Kill Blue’ Anime Global Streaming Premiere Set for April 11
DMM announced that the anime adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki’s Shonen Jump manga “Kill Blue” will debut globally on April 11 across seven North American streaming services, including Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Prime Video. The series follows legendary assassin Juzo Ōgami, who is transformed into...
Exclusive Clip: ‘Family Guy - A Few More Ways to Die in the West’
Fox released an exclusive clip from the upcoming “Family Guy” episode “A Few More Ways to Die in the West,” slated to air on April 12 from 8:00‑8:31 PM ET/PT. The clip features Peter Griffin, dubbed “Quiet Burp,” engaging in a comedic...
NBA Superstar James Harden’s Signature Beard Inspires AI-Animated Short
Utopai Studios partnered with NBA star James Harden to produce an AI‑driven 3D animated short that spotlights his signature beard. The film was created using PAI, the studio’s proprietary screenplay‑to‑screen AI that generates characters, shots, and sequences without prompt‑based tinkering....
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation Developing 'Thisby Thestoop' Feature
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has optioned Zac Gorman’s middle‑grade fantasy series "Thisby Thestoop" and is developing it into a feature film. Writers Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, known for "Knock at the Cabin," are attached to pen the screenplay. The...
Exclusive Excerpt: Top Shelf Releases 'Punk’n Heads' Graphic Novel
Top Shelf Productions has launched “Punk’n Heads,” a new graphic novel by Eisner‑nominated creators Dave Baker and Nicole Goux. The story follows Hannah Lipsky, an art‑school dropout who joins a horror‑punk band and navigates messy relationships in a shared flop...
Shotopop Debuts Animated Short 'Workout Demon'
Shotopop, an East London animation studio, has launched the short film "Workout Demon," a two‑year passion project that dramatizes the emotional lift a bike workout can provide. The narrative follows Jordan, a weary commuter whose reluctant ride transforms into a...
Academy Software Foundation Adds OpenPGL as New Hosted Project
The Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) has added OpenPGL, an open‑source path‑guiding library, as its newest hosted project. Developed originally by Intel, OpenPGL lets artists achieve more realistic lighting while keeping rendering performance high. The library is already integrated into major...