Neuigkeiten

The Visual Effects Society has chimed in on the awards season conversation.

On Tuesday, the visual effects industry’s global honorary society announced nominees for the 23rd Annual Ves Awards — with top Best Visual Effects Oscar contenders Better Man, Dune: Part Two, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes among the films recognized.

Dune: Part Two led the way among photoreal features with seven nominations, including Best Feature. The Wild Robot led all animated films with five nominations; Shōgun and The Penguin earned four bids each on the TV side.

Wicked and Gladiator II, which are currently predicted to land among the Best Visual Effects Oscar nominees later this month, were both absent from the Best Feature lineup. Instead, the Ves Awards went with Mufasa: The Lion King and Twisters. Last year, just two of the five Best Visual Effects Oscar nominees were similarly nominated in the Ves Awards...

Updated with ceremony hosts: Dune: Part Two scored a leading seven nominations to lead the 2025 Ves Awards, which the Visual Effects Society revealed today. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel will battle for the marquee Photoreal Feature category against Better Man, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mufasa: The Lion King and Twisters.

The Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature race is among Blitz, Civil War, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One, Nosferatu and Young Woman and the Sea. Battling for VFX in an Animated Feature are The Wild Robot — which leads all toon movies with five noms — Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Transformers One and Ultraman: Rising.

Shōgun and The Penguin nabbed received four nominations each to lead in the episodic TV field. See the list of nominees in all 25 categories below.

Related: Visual Effects Society Sets VR Pioneer Jacquelyn Ford Morie For Career Honor At Ves...

The Visual Effects Society (Ves) is the entertainment industry’s only official organization representing the extended global community of visual effects practitioners, including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators, and studio executives. The 5,000-member Ves body has now selected nominees for its 2025 awards honors in features, animation, television, commercials, games, and new media, as well as the VFX supervisors, VFX producers, and hands-on artists who bring their work to life.

“Dune: Part Two” leads the photoreal feature film field with seven nominations, although nominations include character work on “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” as well as “Better Man” and nominations for the virtuosic digital camerawork in Episode 4 of “House of the Dragon” Season 2, “The Red Dragon and the Gold.”

“The Wild Robot” is the top animated contender with five nominations. “Shōgun” and “The Penguin” each received four nominations in the episodic field, with “The Penguin” also nominated for...

The Visual Effects Society (Ves) announced its nominees for the 2025 Ves Awards, a celebration which annually “recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in features animation, television, commercials, games and new media.”

Dune: Part Two led the film nominations with seven nods, while Shogun and The Penguin tie in the episodic field with four each. The Wild Robot led the animation field with five.

“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” says Kim Davidson, Ves Chair. “We are seeing best in class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation. The Ves Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of our nominees.”

The nominees in 25 categories were selected by Ves members at 49 in-person and virtual panels around the world.

Ultraman has been a prominent media franchise in Japan since the television series Ultra Q first premiered in 1966. Even from a distance, the character made an impact on a young Shannon Tindle growing up in rural Kentucky, who would go on to become the writer-director of Netflix’s animated Ultraman: Rising. Along with co-director John Aoshima, the pair brought out a new side of the kaiju fighting giant with a focus on caretaking rather than destruction.

The film follows Ken Sato (Christopher Sean), a baseball star who returns to Japan to take the mantle of Ultraman when his father retires. Though his brash and self-centered attitude doesn’t get him many fans, his outlook soon changes when he becomes the caretaker of Emi, a newborn kaiju.

Deadline had the opportunity to sit down with Tindle and Aoshima, as well as VFX supervisor Hayden Jones and composer Scot Stafford at Industrial...

The animation team behind Netflix’s “Ultraman: Rising” held a recent press event at Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light & Magic, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the complex work that went into directors Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima‘s film about Ken Sato, a superstar baseball player who returns to Japan to become the latest hero to carry the mantle of Ultraman. Ken’s world gets complicated when he is compelled to raise a newborn kaiju monster, the offspring of his greatest enemy, as his own child.

Visual effects supervisor Hayden Jones and composer Scot Stafford each sat down with Gold Derby to discuss their work on the film. Watch the video interviews above.

Jones won an Emmy for his work on “The Mandalorian” in 2020, and explains how the challenges of VFX in animation are different than live action. “It’s scope and scale,” he says. “You have to build absolutely...

With Ultraman: Rising,” animator-turned-director Shannon Tindle combined his love of the superhero anime franchise with a parenting drama wrapped around Ilm’s dazzling 2D animated look drawn from manga and anime.

It all comes together in an epic water battle involving Ultraman (Christopher Sean), Ultradad (Gedde Watanabe), and baby Kaiju, Emi. First Ultraman and Emi fight Mecha Gigangtron, only to discover that the real Gigantron (Emi’s mom) is still alive underneath. She then joins Ultradad as part of a foursome to fight Dr. Onda, head of the Kaiju Defense Force, who commands the robotic Destroyer.

Tindle, who participated in a recent press confab at Skywalker Ranch and Ilm in San Francisco, told IndieWire that his choice of water for the climactic battle was purely economical. He couldn’t afford to destroy a city and crowds. “I knew that I could make it on the water, and it would allow...

Ultraman: Rising continues the beloved Ultraman universe that first began in the 1960s, with the new Netflix original treading new ground in terms of visuals and storytelling. The film has set itself apart as an original kaiju movie that focuses more on the protection of the giant creatures than battling them, after new protagonist Ken Sato discovers an egg of a baby Gigantron that imprints on him as its parent. The film is directed by duo Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima, who previously collaborated on the 2016 release Kubo and the Two Strings.

Rising marks the introduction of Sato, who's only recently taken up the Ultraman mantle from his father, and must navigate his heroic duty with the duty he has to his own family and Emi. The film has received critical praise for its visual direction, much of which was spearheaded by VFX supervisor Hayden Jones. Jones is an industry veteran in effects,...

Ultraman: Rising , a CG-animated feature film co-produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Netflix, released two new main trailers today in both English and Japanese dub versions. The movie will start streaming worldwide on June 14, 2024. Ultraman: Rising main trailer The main voice cast members for the English version include: Ken Sato / Ultraman voiced by Christopher Sean Professor Sato voiced by Gedde Watanabe Emiko Sato voiced by Tamlyn Tomita Dr. Onda voiced by Keone Young Ami voiced by Julia Harriman Ultraman: Rising Japanese dub main trailer The main voice cast members for the Japanese dub version include: Ken Sato / Ultraman voiced by Yuki Yamada (Joe Gibken/Gokai Blue in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger ) Professor Sato voiced by Fumiyo Kohinata (Dr. Dee in Mary and the Witch's Flower ) Emiko Sato voiced by Akari Hayami (ex-Momoiro Clover Z member) Dr. Onda voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki (Gendo Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion ) Ami voiced by Ayumi Tsunematsu...

Netflix unveiled the trailer for “Ultraman: Rising” (premiering at Annecy June 12 and streaming June 14), the animated feature from first-time director Shannon Tindle, who re-imagines the legendary anime franchise from Tsuburaya Productions as an action-packed, heartwarming ode to parenthood.

With Tokyo under siege from rising kaiju attacks, Dodgers baseball superstar Ken Sato (Christopher Sean) reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of rogue superhero Ultraman from his father (Gedde Watanabe) while signing with the Giants. But he has trouble balancing his passion for baseball and his family obligation to be Ultraman. Then, when forced to raise a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju girl, Sato must confront his huge ego to protect her and Japan from destruction.

Tindle first conceived of his film as an original parental superhero story (“Made in Japan”). That was back in 2001 when he was a character designer on “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.” He later developed it...

Ultraman: Rising , an upcoming animated film that re-imagines the origins of Tsuburaya Productions most famous tokusatsu TV series hero, will have its world premiere on June 12 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France. The film launches on Netflix beginning on June 14, 2024. Ultraman: Rising poster Related: Ultraman: Rising Animated Film Reveals Official Teaser Trailer Based on characters created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Tetsuo Kinjo, Shannon Tindle directs Ultraman: Rising at Industrial Light & Magic. John Aoshima co-directs, while Tindle and Marc Haimes provide the script, Hayden Jones supervises the visual effects, and Scot Stafford composes the music. Tindle, Aoshima, Haimes, Jones and Stafford will also be guests along with art director Sunmin Inn for a “Making of Session” at Annecy. The main cast of Ultraman: Rising includes: Ken Sato / Ultraman voiced by Christopher Sean Professor Sato voiced by Gedde Watanabe Emiko Sato voiced by Tamlyn Tomita Dr. Onda voiced...

Netflix and the Annecy Film Festival have fostered an incredible relationship over the last several years. No other major studio or distributor has been as omnipresent at the French film festival, and this year should be no different.

Netflix is planning several major sneak peeks of upcoming titles, a work-in-progress session, the world premiere of “Ultraman: Rising,” an exhibition of stop-motion figures from the upcoming Wallace & Gromit film, and two of its titles – “Blue Eye Samurai” and “Pokémon Concierge” – are screening in competition.

On Wednesday, June 12, the streamer will host Next on Netflix Animation: From Twilight of the Gods to Wallace & Gromit, a sneak peek at some of its most high-profile upcoming film and series titles.

“Wallace & Gromit” directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham and several of the film’s puppets will be in Annecy to tease their upcoming film. “Twilight of the Gods” will be presented by director Zack Snyder,...

Netflix will be out in force at France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival once again this June, after last year’s high-profile attendance with Nimona as well as teasers for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Blue Eye Samurai.

Its annual Annecy presentation will see directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham give a sneak peek of Aardman’s upcoming new and still untitled Wallace & Gromit film, while Zack Snyder, executive producer Deborah Snyder and Xilam Animation Director Slimane Aniss will unveil clips from the adult animated series Twilight of the Gods.

The Netflix event will also feature material from The Twits and Skydance Animation’s Spellbound directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek) and featuring Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and John Lithgow in the voice cast.

The new Wallace & Gromit feature will also be spotlighted in the wider festival with an exhibition featuring some of the puppets from the upcoming sequel.

"Lost Ollie" is Netflix's latest limited series, an animation/live-action hybrid with a narrative that will be familiar to everyone who has seen "Toy Story" or "The Velveteen Rabbit." It follows a patchwork bunny who has lost his human and best friend, Billy, and subsequently embarks on an epic adventure to be reunited with him. 

The series packs more emotional gut punches than any warning can prepare you for, but it is still a delightful and fun adventure in the vein of a Mark Twain novel. It also has an incredible cast that includes Jonathan Groff, Tim Blake Nelson, Mary J. Blige, Gina Rodriguez, and Jake Johnson. Sure, the mid-point can be a bit repetitive and slow, but the pay-off of the show can easily cue the waterworks. In her review for /Film, Shania Russell wrote: "'Lost Ollie' doesn't need to be a grand epic or end-of-the-world type quest.

Disney dominated the 18th annual Ves Awards with five nominations apiece for Jon Favreau’s frontrunner “The Lion King” and Robert Rodriguez’s surprising “Alita: Battle Angel” (acquired from Fox). Joining them for the top photo-real prize were the Disney-led “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” along with Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man”. The Ves Awards will be held January 29th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Competing for supporting VFX were Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Sam Mendes’ “1917,” (which stitched together the World War I thriller as one continuous shot and offered various enhancements), James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” and “The Aeronauts.”

In animation, Disney also fared well, with Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” (which grabbed five nominations) and “Frozen 2.” They were joined by Golden Globe nominee “Missing Link” from Laika, surprise nominee “Klaus” (the innovative 2D feature from Netflix and Spanish director Sergio Pablos), and,...

The Visual Effects Society has unveiled nominations for its 18th annual Ves Awards, which honor VFX work in film, animation, TV, commercials and video games. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony January 29 at the Beverly Hilton.

Disney’s CG redo of the The Lion King and 20th Century Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel lead all film nominees with five apiece, joining the top animated nominee Toy Story 4. In TV, Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian and the final season of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones lead the field with six nominations each.

Along with naming winners in 25 categories, the group’s ceremony later this month includes honoring Martin Scorsese with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ves Visionary Award will be given to Roland Emmerich, and the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal.

Here’s the list of noms:...