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New spin-off series for Avatar: The Last Airbender
Given the popularity of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it's not surprising that Nickelodeon has decided to create a sequel to the series. The new series will be titled The Legend of Korra and it will take place 70 years later in the same world. It will follow the new Avatar, a teen girl named Korra who has learned to bend earth, water and fire and seeks to master air under the tutelage of Aang’s son, Tenzin.
You can find an interview with Avatar's creators on the new series on the Wall Street Journal website.
Despicable Me arrives in theatres
Universal/Illumination Entertainment is looking to join the field alongside the 3D powerhouses like Pixar and Dreamworks and, thus far, Despicable Me seems to be enjoying a warm response from the critics. It's presently hanging out around the 80% mark on Rotten Tomatoes with praise for its Looney Tune-like wackiness and general family fun.
Do you agree? Well, that's what we're here for. If you've seen Despicable Me be sure to drop in your own star-rating and review.
In the meantime, enjoy this behind-the-scenes peek at some of the voices in the film courtesy of MakingOf.com.
Teaser trailer for Rango
What does a chameleon having an identity crisis have in common with slightly loopy pirate? Well, they are both the creations of actor Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski who last teamed up to bring you Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Carribean movies. This time the setting is the Mohabi desert which is populated by a whole range of critters that the film's star, Rango, must attempt to save from bandits.
Happy 90th Birthday to Ray Harryhausen
Long before CG animation took over the reins as Hollywood's visual effects medium of choice, Ray Harryhausen was delighting movie-going audiences with his stop-motion animation. He's most famous for such films as Mighty Joe Young, The Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts where you'll find the well-known skeleton fighting sequence.
As Harryhausen turns 90, many folks are paying tribute to this old master of animation. Last Saturday, the BAFTA/BFI threw a birthday party hosted by John Landis with many big names from animation and visual effects in attendance.
And this morning Lineboil posted this tribute animated by long-time Harryhausen fan, Mark Sullivan. The short film pays homage to the poster for One Million Years B.C. which was created by Harryhausen back in 1966.
Happy birthday, Ray!
Podcast with Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
The animation podcasting site, Speaking of Animation, recently posted a new podcast interview with Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois on their experience directing DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon. Their film has been enjoying critical and financial success with a current worldwide box office of $475 Million. The hour-long podcast covers a wide range of topics and delves into the creative process of the directors.
Tiny Trolls headed for big screen debut
Happy cute little faces. Shocks of brightly coloured hair. You know you've seen them in toy aisles and car dashboards. However these Good Lucks Trolls are about to be bigger than ever as Dreamworks Animation has inked a deal that will send them to the big screen. No word yet on a release date, but brother and sister writing team Adam Wilson and Melanie Wilson LaBracio will write the screenplay and Dannie Festa of Festa Entertainment will be the executive producver. You can read the full press release here.
While they haven't had a big screen presence before now, this is not the first time that the Good Luck Trolls have been animated. They had their own TV series, Trollz, that aired in 2005, as well as a TV special in 1993 called The Magic Trolls & The Troll Warriors and a series called Stone Protectors that lasted just one season in '94, based on a boy-centric troll toyline and subsequent marketing campaign.
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