Animation

DVDActive reports that Fox Home Entertainment has announced DVD and Blu-ray releases of Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder for the 24th February. Extras will include a commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Michael Rowe, Lee Supercinski, Patric M. Verrone and Peter Avanzino, a Storyboard Animatic, featurettes, a “How We Make Futurama So Good” Docudrama, 3D Models with Animator Discussion, Bender’s Movie Theater Etiquette, Zapp Brannigan’s Guide to Making Love at a Woman, and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray release will include all of the above, plus a picture in picture video commentary.

IMPAWARDS shares a new poster for the upcoming animated feature Delgo. Directed by Marc F. Adler & Jason Maurer, Delgo features the voices of Val Kilmer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chris Kattan, Louis Gossett Jr. and Eric Idle. The film is slated for a December 12, 2008 release.

Anime News Network reports that the Golden State Theater in Monterey, California will host the three-night Anime After Dark film program beginning at 6:00 p.m. on November 28. Ten films to be screened over three evenings during Thanksgiving weekend include Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, Tekkonkinkreet, Cat Soup, Princess Mononoke, Millennium Actress, Urotsukidoji, Appleseed, Project A-Ko, Kakurenbo and Grave of the Fireflies.

In an exclusive video interview with Collider, Henry Selick, the director of upcoming stop-motion feature Coraline, talks about the story behind the film, use of 3-D, and more. Selick also explains what fans can expect from the movie and why everyone should stay through the end credits of Coraline. The film, which tells the tale of a young girl named Coraline and her descent into a fantastical alternate reality will be out in theatres on February 6, 2009.

GhibliWorld shares an exclusive word on the English voice cast for Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature Ponyo on the Cliff. According to the report, the English version of Ponyo will feature an all star voice talent cast including Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Frankie Jonas, Noah Cyrus and Cloris Leachman. Produced by Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, Ponyo will see a North American release in 2009.

Andrew Farago reviews four short films: Drux Flux by Theodore Ushev, The Old, Old, Very Old Man by Elizabeth Hobbs, Sandbox by Avi Ofer and The Waif of Persephone by Nick Cross.

Miyazaki Hayao fan site GhibliWorld.com has the American voice cast for the upcoming English dub of PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA, Miyazaki's latest animated feature.

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will soon be opening an animation studio in Los Angeles next summer, according to the LOS ANGELES TIMES.

In its purported curtain call, Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. presents the fourth and final feature-length epic of the animated sci-fi comedy FUTURAMA when FUTURAMA: INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER arrives on DVD and Blu-ray February 24.

U.K. children's television producer Coolabi Productions has begun production on the second season of THE LARGE FAMILY (26x11) for transmission in the U.K. and France.

The success of Ray Harryhausen Presents: THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, a short stop-motion animated film produced by Hand Made Heroes Film & Television has resulted in a comic book deal with Bluewater Productions.

Endemol has partnered with Kuwait-based publishing group Teshkeel Media to bring to life a new animated series based on its popular superhero comic books, THE 99.

Contender Entertainment Group has sold children's puppet-and-animation-based show IT'S A BIG BIG WORLD to television channels in four major territories.

Spike and EA are teaming up to celebrate the creativity of Spore with "The Wright Stuff SPORE UGC" contest.

Great River Arts invites video artists both domestic and international, student and professional alike, to submit interpretive art videos on the theme of "water."

Entertainment Rights' TV content is now available for download and purchase on the iTunes Store in the U.K.

Monstra Animated Film Festival is a meeting and convergence point of animation film and other media and arts.

Pixar co-founder and director John Lasseter picks his five favorite movies of all time, speaking with RottenTomatoes. Lasseter lists his favorites along with a bonus Chuck Jones short in front of each of them.

Miyazaki discussed the inspiration for his latest feature Ponyo on the Cliff and the issues facing the society of Japan, during a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on November 20. TwitchFilm has posted a text version of much of the discussion wherein Miyazaki also shares his views on commercial success, inspiration, Pixar, and more.

Aardman animation’s popular stop-motion show Shaun the Sheep won the International Emmy award in the Children & Young People category, reports AnimationMagazine. Shaun the Sheep which features mischievous adventures of Shaun and his flock, was the only animated program recognized at this year’s International Emmy Awards. Shaun was first introduced in director Nick Park’s Oscar-winning 1995 Wallace & Gromit short, A Close Shave. Park also serves as an executive producer on the series.