News

Fumi Kitahara, the animation publicist who guided award-winning campaigns for DreamWorks, Aardman, Laika, Netflix, Disney and independent studios during her distinguished 30-plus years in the industry, has died. She was 56.

Kitahara died Monday in Los Angeles of complications related to her long battle with a rare blood cancer, a spokesperson for Walt Disney Animation announced.

Among the many acclaimed animated features she helped to publicize are the first three Shrek films, Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, How to Train Your Dragon, Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Over the Moon and The Sea Beast.

She also oversaw the awards campaigns for numerous Oscar-winning shorts, including such recent titles as The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse and War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.

Born on March 2, 1968, Kitahara graduated from California State University Northridge with a degree in business marketing.

Fumi Kitahara, a respected publicity executive who guided award-winning campaigns for studios including DreamWorks, Aardman, Laika, Netflix and Disney, died Monday of complications related to a rare blood cancer. She was 56.

Among the features Kitahara helped publicize are the first three “Shrek” films, “Chicken Run,” “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Coraline,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” “Over the Moon” and “The Sea Beast.”

She oversaw awards campaigns for Oscar-winning shorts such as “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse,” and “War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.”

Kitahara graduated from Cal State Northridge and started her career in 1992 at Walt Disney Studios in the office of Howard Green, working with him on features including “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Toy Story,” and “Frank and Ollie,” in addition to a variety of live-action titles.

Atresmedia Cine and Buena Vista International have announced their collaboration as producers and distributors for the upcoming feature film, “A Morte Nos Teus Ollos.” Directed by Guillermo de Oliveira and produced by Sideral and Sétima, this film marks de Oliveira’s second feature following his 2019 debut “Sad Hill Unearthed.”

The production, which will commence this fall, is set to hit Spanish theaters in 2026, distributed by Buena Vista International. Based on a 1994 true story, “A Morte Nos Teus Ollos” turns on two agents of the Vigo national police who murdered a businessman, his wife, their eldest daughter and their housekeeper for a meager 20 million pesetas, or $160,000 at the time. The events happened only a few yards from Oliveira’s own house in Nigrán.

Expectations for a Galician-language true crime story are likely high, given the recent success of the Catalan-language feature “The 47,” similarly based on a true story. That film, released last year,...

New Year’s Eve is finally here, and there’s no better way to kick it off than to watch a feel-good movie with your loved ones. Entering 2025, you want to feel hopeful, warm, and inspired, so whether you intend to have some quiet time or a blast with your friends and family, a great movie can really elevate the experience.

Wil and Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness | Columbia Pictures

But it’s such a drag to go on Netflix and browse through thousands of options for God knows how long. So, save yourself some time and go through this curated list of movies that would be perfect to stream this New Year, trust us!

5. Klaus: a heartwarming animation for the holidays Klaus | Netflix

Klaus is a stunning animated film that chronicles the origins of Santa Claus. Even though Christmas is gone, the spirit of the festival...

When thinking about the best Christmas movies, it comes to mind the blockbusters that remain classics to this day, such as Home Alone and Jingle All the Way, while among the animated options, hits such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Klaus stand out. However, what many viewers don’t know is that although there aren’t many anime movies or series related to these holidays, there is a fun and heartwarming film to enjoy at Christmas directed by none other than the acclaimed director Satoshi Kon and by the same writer of Cowboy Bebop.

Far from the psychological approach of his acclaimed films Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, Satoshi Kon created his more realistic and underrated work Tokyo Godfathers more than 20 years ago. The film is not only full of the holiday spirit with a touch of magical realism, but also has become the Japanese equivalent of Home Alone,...

It’s Christmaaaaaas! Well, almost, and movie fans have taken to social media to urge audiences to sit in front of the TV and stream a particularly festive Netflix movie this year. Released back in 2019, the animated Christmas adventure comedy, Klaus, was met with rave reviews at the time, but remains a largely unsung and underrated movie of the genre. But, could that all be about to change in 2024?

Co-written, co-produced, and directed by Sergio Pablos in his directorial debut, Klaus boasts a hugely impressive 95% from critics and 96% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. “Beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative make Klaus an instant candidate for holiday classic status,” the critics’ consensus reads.

Featuring an all-star cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Sergio Pablos, Joan Cusack, and Norm Macdonald in one of his final roles, Klaus centers on a selfish postman and a...

Don’t stress out trying to find your favorites – we’ve got them all right here!

Streaming is hard sometimes, especially when it comes to finding all those feel-good holiday movies you want to binge for the rest of the week. You won’t really find one streamer that has all of the big Christmas movies in one place; rather, they are quite spread out across the board.

We’ve scoured through endless lists of Christmas content to find all of the best streamers where you’ll find all of your favorite flicks. From “Home Alone” to “Elf” and everything in between. Here’s where you can stream the best Christmas movies in 2024.

Where to stream the best Christmas movies

Disney+: Chock-full of Christmas content this year, with greats like “Home Alone”, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Santa Clause” series.

Hulu: A great option for Christmas movies this year,...

Ho ho ho, ’tis the Holiday season, and Christmas is nigh upon us. Also, high time that people stop talking like this. Christmas is most fondly defined with the usage of words like “tis” and “twas”, and talking about things like Santa and egg nog. Surely the world has moved past that? There are plenty of other ways to keep the old Christmas traditions alive. One of them is through cinema. The magic of moviemaking has always enthralled, and ever since It’s a Wonderful Life was released, people have religiously watched movies about Christmas with their families. Anything around the subject catches your fancy; we have got you covered. Let us define your Christmas with this list of the best Christmas movies you can stream on everyone’s favorite Ott platform Disney Netflix. Happy reading!

1. Klaus (2019)

The Christmas spirit is most gleefully captured in Klaus’ plot, which is the textbook...

’Twas the weekend before Christmas… With the holiday season upon us, many of us are starting to revisit some of our of Christmas favourites. I actually went to see a 4K re-release of the original Black Christmas last night here in Montreal. There’s something comforting upon returning to our old favourites every year, whether they be traditional Christmas classics, or perhaps something a little more modern, like Die Hard, which, despite many claiming otherwise, has totally established itself as a Christmas classic over the years.

Whatever the case, there are certainly Loads of Christmas movies, with everything from old-time classics like It’s A Wonderful Life or some of the many versions of A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version is the best Imo), or something like Love Actually, which is virtually inescapable at this time of the year.

With that in mind, we’d love to figure out just...

Although there is no shortage of Christmas movies out there, very few of them end up lasting a long time in the public consciousness. The last movie to truly prove itself long-term was the 2003 comedy "Elf," which is up there on most people's rewatch list every time the holidays come around. For the most part, though, our favorite Christmas movies are the older ones, like "Home Alone" (1990), "A Christmas Story" (1983), "A Christmas Carol" (1951), or "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947).

Before all of those was "It's a Wonderful Life," which came out in 1946 and is now considered the absolute best film the Christmas genre has to offer. With a score of 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb, the movie is ranked 21st among the site's top movies ever. In 2024, at least, nobody's got a bad thing to say about the film. It's a heartwarming story about a guy who learns to value the wonderful life he has,...

In today’s streaming era, it’s difficult for audiences to find movies and TV shows they love when so many are released on a repeated weekly basis. And with so many streaming services and movies in theaters to choose from, it’s hard to really nail down what can be considered a future classic. However, in 2019, Netflix released an incredible animated feature for the holiday season that retells the story of how old Saint Nick became known as Santa Claus. Borrowing ideas from hit classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town and The Santa Clause, Klaus follows the greats in line as what should be considered a modern Christmas classic. And even though it was thrown onto Netflix and didn’t garner a huge fan base upon release, Klaus has been able to grow its popularity due to fans discovering its heartwarming charm, hilarious moments, breathtaking animation and incredible story.

Netflix is one of the best places to get your Christmas movie fix this year!

‘Tis the season to be streaming! If you’re in the holiday spirit and looking for the best Christmas movies to stream on Netflix, we’ve got you covered. While you won’t find many of the Christmas classics here, there are certainly plenty to keep you entertained. I think Netflix is one of the best streamers you can have in 2024 to maximize your Christmas content.

Whether you’re 6 or 60, Netflix has a slew of holiday hits that are guaranteed to be sure-fire crowd pleasures. From the hilarious “Family Switch” to the award-winning “Klaus”, there are plenty of fantastic holiday movies to carry you straight through until Christmas.

Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com Best Christmas movies to stream on Netflix A Boy Called Christmas November 24, 2021

An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an...

December 1 has officially been and gone, so get your Christmas decorations up, turn on those fairy lights, and prepare for a festive movie marathon. While we all know someone that takes Christmas a bit too far, Hulu subscribers are putting even them to shame, as holiday films are already dominating the streamer's Top 10 charts. According to data from Flix Patrol, eight out of the top 10 streamed movies on Hulu this week are Christmas themed. We haven't even hit the official 12 days of Christmas yet, but audiences are already in the yuletide spirit.

Long-time fan favorite Elf holds the top spot as the most streamed movie on Hulu this week. Directed by Jon Favreau, the Will Ferrell-led comedy is an all-time classic that fans come back to year-after-year. Other notable classics also comprise the list. In third place sits National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, starring Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid. Dropping down to sixth,...

This year, Christmas lovers will see a different side of the North Pole with Red One. The holiday/action film has an arguably unique premise: Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), aka the titular "Red One," is kidnapped by the ancient witch Grla (Kiernan Shipka), leading his chief of security Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) and hacker Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans). Mileage will probably vary on whether Red One is fit to add to one's holiday movie marathon, but it is not the first time Simmons played Santa. He first took up the role in the Netflix original Klaus, which is a beautifully animated take on the Santa Claus legend...and features one of Simmons' best performances to date.

Before he played a beefed-up Santa in the new Christmas movie Red One, J.K. Simmons has revealed that he played jolly old Saint Nick many years ago in a shopping mall. The beloved actor has played many memorable roles, most notably that of Spider-Mans J. Jonah Jameson in several Marvel movies, but his latest appearance alongside Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans is not the first time he has experienced the role of Santa Claus.

While many fans will be aware that he previously voiced the one-night-a-year worker (nice job if you can get it) in the animated movie Klaus, the actor revealed in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that he has a much older affinity with Father Christmas from his day as a mall Santa, although he was possibly not the best fit for the wholesome role. He explained:

I don't know how the opportunity came up or why...

The Holiday season is upon us, and so is the season of unoriginal Christmas-themed rom-coms. With an obvious attempt to disassociate myself from The Grinch, I would like to add that I am quite the sucker for films that embrace the Yuletide cheers. Originality is not the first thing I look for when it comes to Christmas Movies, although it does not hurt when something uniquely joyful wanders into our path at this time of the year — like 2019’s “Klaus” for instance. However, I can look past the obvious, the cliched, for the predictable comfort of a half-decent Christmas movie.

Having said that, there is a fine line that separates the familiar cheers from the absolute trites. And Netflix’s “The Merry Gentlemen” is too hackneyed to be taken seriously. Even with the leniency reserved for films that have more than three Christmas songs, and the leniency that the Holiday season demands of us,...

Christmas-themed releases have always been a mix of movies that can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of where they are from or what religion they follow, and then movies that are for a certain kind of audience. Upon closer inspection, you’ll also notice the difference in the quality of filmmaking between these two categories of Christmas films, with one feeling timeless and the other reeking of blandness and regression. I have grown up watching stuff like Home Alone, Die Hard, Jingle All the Way, and of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Amongst recent releases, there are some good examples like Klaus, Anna and the Apocalypse, Krampus, and Merry Little Batman. But it seems like this snowy landscape has been hijacked by Netflix now. And the streaming platform is giving Hallmark a run for its money with garbage like the Princess Switch films, Love Hard, A Not So Merry Christmas,...

The new Netflix Christmas movie featuring one of the stars of the original Mean Girls has debuted with a strong Rotten Tomatoes score. At the time of writing, the streaming service has a wide variety of holiday movies available, including a robust slate of Christmas titles. In the United States, their catalog includes modern entries such as the comedy sequel A Bad Moms Christmas, the musical Journey to Bethlehem, and a slate of newly added Hallmark rom-coms including Haul Out the Holly and A Biltmore Christmas.

Their slate of originals also includes quite a entries in the interconnected Netflix holiday movie universe. This modern Christmas rom-com franchise includes the A Christmas Prince and Princess Switch trilogies, which take place in neighboring kingdoms, as well as A Castle for Christmas and The Knight Before Christmas. The streamer has also produced standalone titles such as Single All the Way, Falling for Christmas,...

Christmas specials. You really don't see that many new ones these days, especially those that are completely original and don't have a connection to a specific IP. Now, when I say "Christmas special," I'm not talking about the dozens of feature films that are released across theaters and streaming. We've got plenty of those, and some pretty darn good ones too in recent years, such as Klaus and Spirited. I'm talking about those sweet short-form stories that typically aren't longer than 35 minutes that you'd find by pure happenstance when you turned on the TV, such as the dozens of iconic projects from Rankin/Bass including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and A Year Without a Santa Claus.

Animation from Spain is attending the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s Tac (The Animation Conference) for the first time this year and has brought with it three of Spain’s hottest up-and-coming animation producers for a roundtable to discuss the current state of Iberian animation and pitch their pipelines to the international and North American markets.

A Spanish government-backed presence at North America’s most important animation festival and the leading indie-dedicated animation event on the global calendar indicates a desire to become a bigger player in Canada and the U.S. while bolstering the country’s global reputation.

International ambitions are being fueled by increased activity in Spain. According to Icex Spain Trade and Investment, the Spanish government body that spearheads this year’s Ottawa involvement, in 2023, Spanish companies produced six animated features, 25 short films and 68 seasons of animated TV series.

Commercial and critically, Spanish animation is also reaching new heights.

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans set out to save Santa in Red One. The second trailer can be viewed within.

Update: A second trailer for the Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans-starring festive action film Red One has emerged. The pair star as bounty hunters on a mission to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus, with the latter played by Jk Simmons. Jake Kasdan, of Jumanji reboot fame, directs.

Here’s the second trailer for Red One, due in US cinemas on the 15th November. It has a CGI polar bear in it, among other visual effects.

Our original story follows…

26th June 2024: Santa Claus has been kidnapped. Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans have to fight their way across the world to save him.

It’s the kind of elevator pitch that makes you wonder how it took this long for the film to appear. Not to be confused with Red Notice,...

Animation oriented sales outfit Gebeka International has boarded Xilam Films’ upcoming family feature “Lucy Lost,” while France’s Le Pacte and Canal+ have picked up French domestic distribution and pay-tv rights.

Together the three new partners will help launch this seaside adventure tale, co-written and directed by animation vet Olivier Clert and adapted from “War Horse” author Michael Morpurgo’s 2014 novel “Listen to the Moon.” Production is now underway at Xilam’s animation studio in France, ahead of a March 2026 delivery date.

A longtime collaborator with Mark Osborne and Sergio Pablos, director Olivier Clert will make his feature debut with this project co-written with BAFTA-winner Helen Blakeman and produced by Xilam’s Marc du Pontavice and Lucie Bolze.

Set on the Isles of Scilly just off the Cornish coast, the film follows a young girl named Lucy raised by a clan of fishermen she knows not to be hers. However,...

The free multiplayer party game Squad Busters has in-app purchases that players can get more out of if they use Creator Codes. There are a fair few social media creators that make Squad Busters content, and, by using their codes, your money goes a little further by giving them a small piece of it and showing them your support. These codes go a long way toward helping them continue to make the content that you love.

Many mobile games like Squad Busters use codes to support the creators who boost the game's popularity. Sometimes these creators are also given other types of codes that give players free items as well. While there are not any universal codes players can use to get free items for themselves, you can support your favorite creator by using a code to show the game that they are making good content that you enjoy.

All...

Now The Rock has a machine gun Christmas movie, ho-ho-ho. 

Is it a stretch to say Dwayne Johnson has been in a bit of a slump of late? His return to wrestling earlier this year didn't go over well with WWE fans; his much-ballyhooed plan to change the hierarchy of the DC Universe with "Black Adam" and "DC League of Super-Pets" failed to pan out (but don't tell Johnson that); his Netflix action-comedy "Red Notice" was apparently watched by every single person on the planet yet nobody seems to remember a damn thing about it beyond the alcoholic product placement; and even his mega-expensive "Jungle Cruise" movie was the victim of a bungled hybrid streaming and theatrical release (although the tepid reviews probably didn't help). 

Hoping to turn things around, The Rock is joining forces with his "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "The Next Level" director Jake Kasdan for "Red One,...

Netflix dropped the trailer for “The Imaginary,” the hand-drawn fantasy from Japan’s Studio Ponoc (streaming July 5), currently in competition at the Annecy Animation Festival. The Oscar hopeful is adapted from the A.F. Harrold novel (illustrated by Emily Gravett) and is told through the eyes of young Amanda (Evie Kiszel) and her imaginary companion, Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan), a boy who introduces her to make-believe adventures that turn dangerous when he encounters forgotten Imaginaries in a mysterious town.

“The Imaginary” is directed by former Studio Ghibli animation vet Yoshiyuki Momose (“Grave of the Fireflies”) and produced by Studio Ponoc founder and former Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (the Oscar-nominated “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There”).

“The Imaginary” marks the second feature from Studio Ponoc and the first in its multi-film deal with Netflix. The studio was founded in 2015 as a spiritual successor to Ghibli and released its debut feature,...

Women In Animation (Wia) will hold the eighth edition of its World Summit at Annecy festival at the Impérial Palace Hotel on June 10 under the banner, ‘Stronger Together: The Equitable Future of Animation’.

Wia president Marge Dean, Citia CEO Mickaël Marin, and Wia secretary and CEO of Collective Moxie Julie Ann Crommett will present the think tank comprising three sessions exploring industry innovations and the power of community.

Limitless Studio CEO Agnes Soyode-Johnson, Incessant Rains Studioco-ceo Deepa Joshi, and Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito will analyse global trends in the first session, “What Now?: Global Opportunities...

Leading French production-distribution outfit Le Pacte has boarded the upcoming 2D animated feature project “Conference of the Birds,” which will be spotlighted at the Marché du Film’s Animation Day during this year’s Cannes Festival.

In addition to co-producing, Le Pacte will handle French distribution and serve as international sales agent on the film, part of the five-title Annecy Showcase at the Animation Day. Confirmed voice cast members include Golshifteh Farahani and Louis Garrel.

“Conference of the Birds” is an updated adaptation of Farid al-Din Attar’s 900-year-old Persian poem of the same name. The film centers on a flock of birds who are the sole survivors of a man-made natural disaster. Leading the avian gang is Hod-Hod, a young adventurous hoopoe who sets off on a quest to meet the legendary bird Simorgh, rumored to hold the key to solving all the birds’ problems.

According to the filmmakers,...

Netflix has easily proven itself to be the titan of the streaming era, with a wide variety of interesting and creative original works that have been released by them over the years. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the multitude of comedy films released on the platform, ranging from massively successful films like Glass Onion to endlessly rewatchable films like Klaus, there is no shortage of creative and high-quality original comedies. However, comedy is one of the broadest genres in the medium of film, and with such a massive lineup of comedy films released by the service, a select few were always going to fall through the cracks.

Netflix on Wednesday unveiled the voice cast of CG animated feature film That Christmas from Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) and director Simon Otto’s (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). The movie will star Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw as Ms. Trapper, Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams, and Bill Nighy as Bill.

They are the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. The film will debut on Netflix later this year.

That Christmas is an adaptation of the children’s book series (The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas) written by BAFTA Award-winning and Oscar-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday). “A film of firsts, it marks Curtis’ first animation project as well as the directorial debut for animation veteran Otto,” Netflix said.

The film also stars Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen,...

Originally developed as an eight-episode series, the maritime adventure “Lucy Lost” will instead hit the silver screen now that Paris-based powerhouse Xilam Animation has retooled the project as a feature. “Klaus” alum Olivier Clert has boarded as co-writer and director, joining BAFTA-winning screenwriter Helen Blakeman for a seaside family tale adapted from “War Horse” author Michael Morpurgo’s 2014 novel “Listen to the Moon.”

Xilam has shared this first-look with Variety ahead of the reformatted project’s pitch at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux.

Set on the Isles of Scilly just off the Cornish coast, the film follows a young girl named Lucy raised by a clan of fishermen she knows not to be hers. However, she remembers little else about her past, and as a terrible war rages off in the distance, a chance encounter with the mysterious girl her own age soon helps Lucy put back the pieces of her...

Malaga — Opening last Friday with “Dragonkeeper,” also in competition, Spain’s Malaga Festival, its biggest dedicated event for movies from Spain and Latin America, is studded by latest films by Isaki Lacuesta – “Saturn Return,” reportedly fun, broad audience and radical – David Trueba – “The Good Man,” small scale but almost certainly ingratiating – and Antonio Chavarrías’ “Holy Mother,” about an extraordinary real life female figure in Spain’s 9th century Reconquista.

Also in the running is “Rest in Peace,” from notable Argentine writer-director Sebastián Borensztein (“Chinese Takeaway”).

All are front-runners for some kind of award next Saturday. Prominent also is a bevy of first or second features, featuring from Spain three titles from women directors – gender abuse drama “The Snows,” “Nina,” reportedly a Western set in a northern Spanish town, and tragi-comedy “We Treat Women Too Well” – plus a clutch of debuts from Latin America.

This year’s Competition may, in the final analysis,...

Quick Links Orion and the Dark Teaches Kids About Fear and Anxiety Chicken Run Returned With Dawn of the Nugget Wendell & Wild is Another Spooky Hit by Henry Selick The Sea Beast Offers Plenty of Adventure and Monsters Nimona Was a Leap Forward for LGBTQ+ Representation Entergalactic Replicates the Style of the Spider-Verse Films Apollo 10 1/2 is a Comforting Nostalgia Trip The Mitchells vs the Machines Combines Family Fun With Sci-Fi Mayhem Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Might be the Character's Best Adaptation Klaus is a Heartwarming Tale of Santa Claus' Origins

Studios like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks have been noteworthy names when it comes to crafting animated films. However, the rise of streaming services has allowed other studios to make a name for themselves in the world of animation. Netflix is a primary example that has released many animated hits in recent memory. While they are underappreciated...

Oscar frontrunner “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” won a leading seven races at the Annie Awards on Feb. 17, including Best Studio Animated Feature over two of its Oscar rivals — “The Boy and the Heron” and “Nimona” — plus “Suzume.” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” The fifth Oscar contender, “Robot Dreams ” won Best Independent Feature over “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia,” “Four Souls of Coyote,” “The Inventor” and “White Plastic Sky.”

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” went seven for seven with wins also for director, character design, editorial, FX, music and production design. “The Boy and the Heron” picked up a pair of prizes from its seven bids: character animation and storyboarding. Likewise “Nimona” prevailed in two of its nine races: voice acting (Chloe Grace Moretz) and writing.

Eight of the last 12 Annie Awards champs have previewed the Oscar winner: “Rango” (2012), “Frozen” (2014), “Inside Out” (2016), “Zootopia” (2017), “Coco” (2018), “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse...

2023 was a decent year as far as Netflix's original feature films go. From Bradley Cooper’s somewhat controversial Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro, Sam Esmail’s creepy apocalyptic nightmare, Leave the World Behind, or David Fincher’s return to the thriller with The Killer, there were some highly respectable contributions made by the streaming giant.

While improvements are still to be made if Netflix has any aspirations of replicating 2018 and 2019’s levels of output, which produced the likes of The Irishman, Roma, The King, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Klaus, the streaming platform will, no doubt, be seeking to ramp up their collection of high-quality original movies in its portfolio, especially with the theatrical release schedule looking rather sparse for the year ahead. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what’s in store for original releases in February 2024…

Orion and the Dark (2024)

Coming to Netflix on Feb.

Not surprisingly, our five leading contenders for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars also dominate the Annie Awards nominations announced on January 11. The predicted Oscar winner, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” reaped a lucky seven nominations. However, it is another likely Oscar contender, “Nimona,” that topped the nominations chart with nine bids.

All three of these films contend for Best Studio Animated Feature as does six-time nominee “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” We expect another six-time nominee, “Elemental” to reap an Oscar bid for Best Animated Feature even though it was snubbed in the top race by the Annies. That category is filled out here by “Suzume,” which earned seven nominations in all.

The Best Independent Feature nominees are: “Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia,” “Four Souls of Coyote,” “Robot Dreams,” “The Inventor” and “White Plastic Sky.”

These precursor prizes are presented by the Hollywood chapter of the International Animated Film Association.

2023 has been an interesting year for cinema, especially regarding animated movies. Previous years delivered outright masterpieces of the medium, including Klaus, Wolfwalkers, and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. 2023 continued this trend, albeit with a more eclectic and, it must be said, uneven collection of films. They still hold the power to enthrall and challenge, but some rest firmly on the safer side of things.

Clockwise from bottom left: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (Miramax), Ed Asner in Elf (New Line Cinema), and Edmund Gwenn in Miracle On 34th Street (20th Century Flox)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Tis the season to talk movie Santas. With Christmas upon us, we decided to dig deep into...

With Christmas just one week (and one day) away, we wanted to ask you, the people, what your favorite Christmas Movie is? It doesn’t have to be the movie you think is the best, just the one that you eagerly anticipate watching every year. Is it the timeless tale of an angel getting its wings in It’s A Wonderful Life? or perhaps the under-appreciated (and genuinely hilarious) R rated The Night Before is how you kick off your holiday season?

Do you look forward to seeing Jack Skellington discover the true meaning of Christmas in the Christmas Movie Classic The Nightmare Before Christmas or watching Kevin McCallister take down the Wet/ Sticky Bandits in Home Alone 1&2 or perhaps seeing Clark W. Griswold struggle to have the perfect family Christmas in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more your speed? Whatever film fills you with yuletide glee, we would love...

Thanksgiving weekend featured an animation face-off between a titan of the industry, the 100-year-old Walt Disney Animation Studios, and a relative upstart, Netflix, which only started releasing its own animated features in 2019.

Disney’s holiday movie, “Wish,” was a musical extravaganza featuring the watercolor backgrounds of the studio’s past combined with cutting-edge CGI, while Netflix’s “Leo” was a more budget-conscious musical set in modern-day Florida.

It was a showdown of theatrical versus streaming, legacy studio versus blustery upstart, fairy tale versus contemporary storytelling. And the results were startling.

While “Wish” came in third at the box office with a disappointing $31.6 million, the Adam Sandler-starring “Leo” debuted to 34.6 million views (which is hours viewed divided by total runtime), according to Netflix, which in box office terms equaled a haul of around $500 million for its opening weekend, one insider with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap. “Leo” has been...

Animated Christmas movies are beloved for their childlike charm and focus on kindness and togetherness, bringing nostalgia and a sense of magic to the holiday season. These films often feature visually appealing animation styles like stop-motion or hand-drawn 2D, bringing to life moving toys and colorful books. From classics like "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" to newer films like "Klaus," animated Christmas movies offer heartwarming stories, memorable characters, and a touch of fantasy that can be enjoyed for years to come.

For some families, animated Christmas movies are an unmissable holiday tradition, and the best ones will be watched year after year. Their childlike charm is a reliable source of nostalgia, and although their stories vary, they almost always focus on the importance of kindness and togetherness. Classic animated Christmas movies often feature Santa Claus and the North Pole. Their sweet and innocent approach urges the audience to believe in magic,...

(Clockwise from bottom left:) White Christmas (Paramount/Getty Images), Klaus (Netflix), The Christmas Chronicles (Netflix), Falling For Christmas (Netflix) Graphic: The A.V. Club What makes a classic holiday film? Browsing Netflix’s options, it seems a malleable term; 1954’s White Christmas is as classic as they come, but what...

(Clockwise from bottom left:) White Christmas (Paramount/Getty Images), Klaus (Netflix), The Christmas Chronicles (Netflix), Falling For Christmas (Netflix)Graphic: The A.V. Club

What makes a classic holiday film? Browsing Netflix’s options, it seems a malleable term; 1954’s White Christmas is as classic as they come, but what...

The Santa Clauses executive producer Jason Winer recently explained why he feels confident the fan-favorite Disney+ series will be back for a third season.

Speaking with Behind the Lens, Winer revealed that The Santa Clauses has been "a giant for Disney+" over its first two seasons, leading him to think, "while it's never a certainty, it feels like we got a good shot" at a third season. The executive producer added that if The Santa Clauses was renewed, the series would continue to bring back characters and cast members from the original film trilogy: "So, we literally bend over backwards to connect our series to the original movies, and create Easter eggs for the fans, and we have so many cameos though, and so many roles, frankly, that we would love to make, and hopefully we get to do a Season 3, and we can scratch all those itches for the fans.

There might be numerous animated films out there, but nothing beats the charm of the good old classics ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

Christmas is defined by a multitude of old family traditions — like making egg nog, matching ugly sweaters with loved ones, and decorating the Christmas tree. Add a great Christmas movie night to it, right next to your loved ones, and there’s probably no other activity in the world more beautiful to curl up to. While a few of us appreciate a good new holiday film like this year’s “Candy Cane Lane,” revisiting a few oldies is never a bad idea.

In this guide, we’ve got you a few classic animated films to watch this Christmas. They’re nostalgic. Some of them even felt scared as children! But the vibe was immaculate, and the goal is to help you recreate it. It’s even better if you...

Sergio Pablos earned a lot of acclaim for his work on the brilliant animated Christmas film, Klaus. He may not be a household name, or one typically associated with big-name filmmakers. Yet, there's a good chance you've experienced his work and likely loved all of it. Pablos is now a respected animator, screenwriter, and since 2019, a director too. He began his career as an animator for Disney, before landing a role at the highly praised Walt Disney Animation Studios.

From there, he honed his skills as an animator, working on classic Disney animated films like Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. After many more years of becoming a talented and accomplished animator, Pablos would later go on to create the very popular and successful Despicable Me franchise. His immense success from there drove him to later start his own company in Madrid, Spain.

Spa Studios became the driving force...

Quick Links Jingle All the Way Has Entered the Festive Pantheon It Seems Christmas Is Starting to Lack Originality Click & Collect Saves The Day... In More Ways Than One Jingle All the Way has become a Christmas classic even with its many flaws. However, recent Christmas outings, good and bad, focus more on recapturing the magic rather than making its own. In many ways, Click & Collect cpatured everything great and cheesy about Jingle All the Way and recaptured the magic of Christmas movies.

The festive season always invites debate. It's become such a significant tradition to dip back into the cornucopia of beloved Christmas movies in the build-up to the big day. The holiday season seems to be full of festive favorites across all screens, whether it be on streaming, cable, or the result of a DVD cabinet raid. Regardless, everyone has their favorites, irrespective of whether they are actually good or not.

This article is part of Collector’s Digest, an editorial series powered by:

The holidays are here, and there’s no better time to shower your loved ones with nerdy gifts. Reading materials are objectively the best thing to get anyone over four as presents, and holiday comics are a chance to help your friends get outside their comfort zones and try something new, while at the same time adding a dash of collectability to their lives. We’ve picked out a nice mix of old and new, seasonal and evergreen, comics for you to choose from.

Black Panther by Christopher Priest

Christopher Priest has been on fire lately, writing back to back to back gems at DC—Deathstroke, followed by Black Adam, followed by (currently running) Superman Lost is one of the greatest three-series stretches in the last 30 years of comics. But while Priest’s career stretches back to the ‘70s,...

In a shocking move, Skydance Animation has inked a multiyear agreement with Netflix to develop and produce animation features that will be released directly on Netflix. According to the release, the deal also brings Skydance’s full existing animated feature slate exclusively to Netflix.

The move comes only two years after a wide-ranging partnership between Skydance Animation and Apple TV+ was announced, following Apple’s acquisition of Skydance Animation’s “Luck.” That deal was meant to include both television and features. (The Netflix release doesn’t mention television series.)

“Spellbound,” a high-concept musical fantasy from director Vicky Jenson, will be the first film released under the pact, in 2024. The movie features a score by composer Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater and an all-star voice cast led by Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane and Tituss Burgess. The movie was previewed at this...

Skydance Animation has signed a multiyear pact with Netflix to develop and produce animated movies for the streamer. First up for release under the deal is Spellbound, a title that was previously set up at Apple, where Skydance Animation signed a pact in 2021. Now, the animation arm of the David Ellison-run studio has found a new streaming home at a time when Netflix is restructuring its animation efforts.

Apple and the John Lasseter-led Skydance Animation have parted ways, with the latter bringing its full existing animation slate to Netflix. In addition to Spellbound, which voice stars Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem and features music from Alan Menkin, Netflix will release the once Apple-bound Pookoo from Tangled director Nathan Greno. Spellbound is due out in 2024, with Pookoo hitting the service a year later.

The Skydance and Netflix slate also includes Ray Gunn, directed by Pixar alum Brad Bird,...

Damien de Froberville has been hired as EVP of production and operating strategy at Sony Pictures Animation, TheWrap has learned. He comes from his post as CEO and producer at Sergio Pablos Studio in Spain.

The industry vet’s new role was announced by Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson in an email to staff Monday. The move is, in part, meant to fill the role that Pam Marsden, head of production, will leave when she retires in the new year.

Additionally, SVP of physical production Erik Vignau, who has been leading new series production, will continue to do so but will also be leading “feature productions day-to-day” (according to the email).

“Those two production leads, in addition to artist management and operations, finance, technology and post-production will all report to Damien,” Belson wrote.

You can read the full email below:

Dear all,

As many of you know, Pam Marsden...