News

Nobody is rooting for Marvel Studios to emerge stronger from its post-"Endgame" slump harder than us. The studio that completely reinvented and defined the superhero movie subgenre for the contemporary age -- and, for better and for worse, turned the entire filmmaking industry on its head -- has had to endure an awkward transitional phase as it weathers behind-the-scenes controversies, pandemic-related scheduling issues, and corporate pressures to creatively overextend. As a result, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was wildly uneven. The safest bets often felt constrained by forces outside the story, while the biggest swings lacked the polish and consistency expected of the brand today.

When Phase Five kicked off in 2023 with "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," MCU fans were actually worried for the first time that the franchise was losing its magic for good -- but were things really as bad as they seemed in hindsight?...

Love it or hate it, Rotten Tomatoes is now more important than ever when it comes to whether film and TV fans decide to check out the latest releases at home or in theaters, and it's not uncommon for studios to tout scores as proudly as star ratings.

Marvel Studios Animation has proven to be a big part of the Multiverse Saga with What If...? kicking things off in 2021. Since then, we've had a spin-off of a hit movie, a new take on the McU's Spider-Man, and a revival of one of the most beloved animated TV shows ever.

To mark the release of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, we're taking a look at how each of these shows compares based on their respective Rotten Tomatoes scores. There are no "Rotten" titles but where each of these sits is bound to be a point of contention.

To check them out, you...

From its inception in 1908 with Émile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie, film animation has always been a medium that esteems the conveyance of visuals, by its very definition. As animation as we know it has evolved in its 116 years of official existence, animators have consistently used the medium as an incubator for...

One of the things that Disney+ has afforded the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the ability to explore corners of the universe that might not otherwise get the spotlight in the movies. This includes live-action shows like "WandaVision" and "Loki," but it also includes the two-season run of animated shorts "I Am Groot." This put the fan-favorite character from "Guardians of the Galaxy" in the spotlight, particularly Baby Groot, whom we got to know in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Of all the episodes in the show's run, the director fought hardest for one above all the others.

Series director, writer, and executive producer Kirsten Lepore spoke with Marvel.com in 2023 timed to the release of "I Am Groot" season 2. During the conversation, she discussed the show's season 2 premiere, titled "Are You My Groot?" Lepore explained that this episode was the one she fought to make. Here's what she had to...

Updated with all winners: HBO/Max’s Sesame Street, Disney+’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Jack Black and Tony Hale were among the winners Sunday at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

The ceremony capped a full weekend for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which hosted the Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday.

See the full list of winners both nights below.

Sesame Street won for Outstanding Preschool Series as well as for puppetry and direction, giving it five awards across the weekend, tying it with Saturday’s big winner, Netflix’s Lost Ollie. Guardians and Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur from Disney Channel also scored best-in-field wins tonight to bring their tallies to four apiece.

Among the winners tonight in the voice categories, Black wo for reprising Po in Netflix’s Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight,...

HBO/Max’s Sesame Street, Disney+’s The Muppets Mayhem and Jack Black were among the winners at the second annual Children’ &’s and Family Emmy Awards, which were handed out Sunday night by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Among its wins, Sesame Street (in its 56th season) was named best preschool series, while The Muppets Mayhem — which was canceled last month after airing only one season — was named best children’s or family viewing series.

Black, meanwhile, won his first-ever Emmy for best voice performance in a children’s or young teen program for his work as Po on Netflix’s Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.

An excited Black took the stage to accept his award, giving a high kick and belting out “Kung Fu Panda, the dragon knight!”

“I’m really nervous and stoked to be here,” he added, noting that he was cast in the role 20 years ago.

The Academy Museum Gala returned for its third year on Sunday night, honoring Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola among an A-list group of guests.

The Los Angeles event — which was originally scheduled for Oct. 14 but was delayed until December following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel — serves as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ marquee annual fundraiser, raising vital funds to support museum exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming; it has also quickly become one of Hollywood’s starriest nights.

The gala raised more than $10 million in support of the museum, and presented four awards to reflect the its mission to advance the understanding, celebration and preservation of film and to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema.

Colman Domingo, Niecy Nash-Betts, Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Michelle Bathe and Angela Bassett. Selena Gomez and Meryl Streep.

Greta Gerwig presented Streep with the Academy Museum Gala Icon Award,...

Marvel Studios has received eight Children's and Family Emmy Nominations for Guardians of the Galaxy and I Am Groot.

2023 marks the second annual Children's and Family Emmy Awards, and the list of nominees was released Nov. 2. Marvel announced that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special received seven nominations -- Outstanding Achievements in Fiction Special, Directing for a Single Camera Program, Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program, Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design, Costume Design/Styling, Hairstyling and Makeup and Stunt Coordination for a Live Action Program. Marvel Studios' I Am Groot also received one nomination for Outstanding Short Form Program. There is currently no date set for the awards ceremony.

Bradley Cooper Dresses Up as Rocket Raccoon for Halloween

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special On Disney+

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was released Nov. 25, 2022, and served as the conclusion of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Vin Diesel effortlessly showcases his exceptional performance in the latest season of I Am Groot. The seemingly simple three-word phrase requires a remarkable level of nuance and perfect inflection to convey the character's intended meaning. Director Kirsten Lepore expresses interest in exploring a potential Rocket-centric spinoff, delving into the lovable yet enigmatic raccoon's backstory and adventures.

In the latest season of I Am Groot, Vin Diesel made a return to lend his voice to the beloved character. Although Diesel's presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, his portrayal of Groot is unique. The character rarely utters more than the three words, "I am Groot," and is mostly obscured behind computer-generated imagery. Nevertheless, these three words have become synonymous with Diesel's association with the Marvel universe, and his return to the animated series allowed him to deliver an exceptional performance.

Director Kirsten Lepore shared insights...

Director Kirsten Lepore is intrigued by the idea of exploring Rocket Raccoon's past in a spinoff, particularly focusing on his time at High Evolutionary's lab. The inclusion of High Evolutionary as a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was highly praised by fans, suggesting that delving deeper into Rocket's story could be a successful endeavor. While a prequel centered on Rocket's past could be a good option, the introduction of a new Guardians of the Galaxy team opens the possibility for future adventures featuring Rocket and his allies, potentially in a Disney+ original show.

Fans may not be the only ones that want baby Rocket Raccoon to get its own spinoff within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I Am Groot director Kirsten Lepore would love to know more about the past of Bradley Cooper's character beyond what was shown in the latest movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3...

Baby Rocket Raccoon, introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, could be perfect for his own spin-off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rocket Raccoon's well-developed backstory and exploration of his character evolution make him a good candidate for a spin-off. A Rocket Raccoon spin-off series could showcase more of his life before meeting the other Guardians, offering emotional depth and plenty of lovable adventures.

Baby Rocket Raccoon, introduced in this year's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, could get his own Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-off if one director's idea comes to life. Since he was introduced in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, Rocket Raccoon has been a beloved and intriguing character, but it was James Gunn's third movie in the trilogy that really explored his backstory and set up his future in the MCU. In the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene, Rocket was...

“I Am Groot”, a series of animated shorts created by Kirsten Lepore based on Marvel Comics character ‘Groot’, follows ‘Baby Groot’ , voiced by Vin Diesel, now streaming Season 2, on Disney+:

“…each short follows ‘Baby Groot’ as he grows up in the galaxy, going on adventures with new and unusual characters that get him into trouble…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

I Am Groot director Kirsten Lepore says she had a pipe dream about giving Baby Groot a nose in Season 2 of the animated series but never thought Marvel Studios would agree.

"'Groot gets a nose' was the original logline," Lepore told The Hollywood Reporter. "I felt like I was sneaking it under the door at the eleventh hour. I was like, 'There's no way [Marvel Studios is] going to choose this one.' So I was shocked when that one came back circled." The episode title was eventually reworked into "Groot Noses Around." The story follows the noseless titular character as he explores the marvels and horrors of experiencing the world with a sense of smell. This leads to a hilarious moment demonstrating how young children choose the easiest option available.

Related: Tony Stark Upgrades Iron Man Armor In What If...? Season 2

Baby Groot's child-like innocence was influenced by Lepore's young son, who...

I Am Groot’s Kirsten Lepore had a pipe dream that involved giving Baby Groot a nose, and she never imagined that Marvel Studios would actually say yes to the zany idea.

The head writer-director is back with a second volume of animated shorts for Disney+, including the aforementioned episode, “Groot Noses Around.” The noseless tree-like creature from James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy discovers the wonder (and the horror) that a sense of smell can offer, culminating in a gag that perfectly illustrates how young children will often take the path of least resistance.

“‘Groot gets a nose’ was the original logline, and I felt like I was sneaking it under the door at the eleventh hour,” Lepore tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I was like, ‘There’s no way [Marvel Studios is] going to choose this one.’ So I was shocked when that one came back circled.”

Lepore is also...

Uatu the Watcher, voiced by Jeffrey Wright on What If...?, will return in Season 2 of I Am Groot.

The Watcher's appearance was teased in the first trailer for the series of shorts. Writer-director Kirsten Lepore confirmed the character's return in an interview with Josh Wilding of ComicBookMovie.com. "That was a really fun kind of undertaking," she said. "It was also an example of something that we pitched where I was like 'I don't know if they're gonna let me do this.' But they did and they were really excited about the prospect of bringing the Watcher in in a very different capacity than we've seen him in What If...?" The Watcher will appear in the fifth episode of the season, "Groot and the Great Prophecy," narrating the adventure as Groot (Vin Diesel) "finds himself in the heart of an ancient Drez-Lar temple with a mythic prophecy he must fulfill to save the universe.

When it comes to I Am Groot Season 2, one major influence on the collection of animated shorts was director Kirsten Lepore's own son.

Speaking with Collider, the filmmaker was asked whether the depiction of the titular character as a toddler was influenced by her child who seemingly had some impact on some of Season 2's stories. "I was very excited that they allowed me to make the episode where Groot becomes a parent and takes care of the baby bird. I’d say that one is probably the most autobiographical, where you get everything about parenting – the good, the bad, the exhaustion and the excitement," Lepore explained. "Personally, I feel like it’s a very fun and honest story about all that experience can be sometimes. I love to see Groot go through it. It’s extra funny."

Related: I Am Groot Made Star-Lord's Most Unconventional Weapon Quite Horrific...

From writer/director Kirsten Lepore, Season 2 of the five-episode I Am Groot series of shorts sees the beloved twig (voiced by Vin Diesel) up to all manner of mischief, whether it’s because of an intergalactic ice cream truck, a newly hatched bird, or getting a nose. When Baby Groot explores the universe, you can be sure that he’ll get into all sorts of trouble, but that he’ll also have a lot of fun doing it, hopefully learning something along the way.

Kirsten Lepore reflects on the deep respect and collaboration with James Gunn, aiming to portray Groot in a manner true to his vision. Despite Gunn's departure, his influence and trust in the team endure, allowing for a seamless transition and continuity of essence in I Am Groot season two. Fans can expect a captivating new narrative while staying true to the cherished roots of the character, as the release of season two marks a new milestone in the McU's rich narrative odyssey.

Kirsten Lepore, the heralding force behind I Am Groot season two, shares insights on weaving the narrative fabric in the post-James Gunn era of the MCU. In the ever-evolving tapestry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, transition seems to be the only constant. As we stand at the cusp of a new chapter, where the legacy characters embark on journeys under new stewardship, the limelight finds itself focusing on the adored tree-like entity,...

I Am Groot director Kirsten Lepore says James Gunn's DNA was all over Season 2, even though his tenure within the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Speaking to ComicBook, Lepore explained that while Gunn did not return as an executive producer for I Am Groot Season 2, he believed the team would do justice to the story. "I think he had a lot of trust and faith in us, especially after Season 1. I took it as an approval where I was like, 'Okay, we got our groove, we're doing our thing, James gives us the thumbs up. I think we're good to go for Season 2,'" Lepore said. "His fingerprints and DNA are always in there because he created this character."

Related: I Am Groot Season 2 Sets a New Runtime Record for Disney+ and Marvel

Gunn had worked as an executive producer on I Am Groot...

Baby Groot will get his time to shine on the big screen if it's up to I Am Groot writer/director Kirsten Lepore.

Developed for Disney+ by Lepore, I Am Groot serves as a series of short films following Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) and his mischievous misadventures. The first season, consisting of five separate short stories, premiered on Disney+ last August. Season 2 is days away from its release, set to hit the streamer with another five shorts on Sept. 6. It won't take long at all for fans to binge their way through the new season, which lasts about 15 minutes in total. Speaking about the potential future of the series, via Toonado, Lepore shared her hopes for a third season while adding that she feels Baby Groot deserves his own feature-length film as well.

Related: Rocket and Groot's Origin Still Has a Place in the MCU

"I would be very interested in [Season 3]," she said.

Even though MCU’s television schedule was recently reshuffled, with many upcoming series delayed, and some of them even indefinitely, we still have a handful of MCU content to watch by the end of this year. Apart from ‘Loki’ Season 2, which starts in October, and ‘The Marvels,’ which opens in theaters in November, MCU fans will get to watch the second season of ‘I Am Groot,’ a series of shorts that premiered last year. Everyone’s favorite tree, voiced by Vin Diesel, returns with another five episodes.

Vin Diesel debuted as Groot in 2014’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ written and directed by James Gunn. After the original Groot was killed off in the movie, he was succeeded by Baby Groot, who appeared only in 2017’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,’ before teenage Groot came onto a scene in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ a year later. However, only that one appearance...

Baby Groot is back in the all-new I Am Groot shorts, featuring five exciting mini adventures full of mischief and mayhem. Season 2 of I Am Groot, written and directed by Kirsten Lepore, with Vin Diesel reprising his role as Groot, will be available on Disney+ on September 6. Kirsten Lepore discusses the creative process of I Am Groot, including the freedom given by Marvel and the possibility of bringing more Guardians into future shorts.

While the Guardians of the Galaxy's story may be over for now, fans can still enjoy the mischief and mayhem of Baby Groot with the all-new I Am Groot shorts. Baby Groot is back for all new mini adventures with five exciting shorts. In the first season, Groot discovered a miniature alien village, got into a dance battle with an alien replica of himself, and created an explosive art project to show Rocket.

Each I Am Groot...

“I Am Groot”, a series of animated shorts created by Kirsten Lepore based on Marvel Comics character ‘Groot’, follows ‘Baby Groot’ , voiced by Vin Diesel, streaming Season 2, September 6, 2023 on Disney+:

“…each short follows ‘Baby Groot’ as he grows up in the galaxy, going on adventures with new and unusual characters that get him into trouble…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

The upcoming season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Disney+ show, I Am Groot, is set to stream soon.

However, a recent revelation via X (formerly known as Twitter), which confirms that the season will have an even reduced runtime than Season 1, has left fans of the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy character disappointed.

Related: Secret Invasion Director Addresses Season 2 Possibilities

The Boy is back! You won’t believe how much magic we packed into 15 minutes of content. https://t.co/8X5LQF1TYk — Ryan Little (@PlasticSwordPrs) August 6, 2023

Despite the excitement surrounding its upcoming release, this newest addition to McU's Disney+ lineup is set to create an unexpected record in terms of length. Ryan Little, who serves as one of the writers for I Am Groot, took to X, to share the update about the show's runtime. He expressed excitement about the action-packed content, stating, "The Boy is back! You won...

Disney+ is continuing to provide more expansion opportunities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With multiple series like WandaVison and Ms. Marvel streaming on the platform right now, and tons of new projects in the works, Marvel fans are sure to continue seeing content appear on Disney+ for years to come. An often overlooked series within the MCU is about Groot, the talking tree from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the adventures he has as a baby. In a recent surprise, Marvel announced that I Am Groot would be getting a second season on September 6 with five new shorts.

Unlike other animated Marvel content, I Am Groot takes place alongside The Infinity Saga in the main MCU timeline. Reprising his voice role from the main Guardians films is Vin Diesel as Baby Groot. Guardians character Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a slightly wild, genetically modified raccoon is also returning to the screen in I Am Groot.

In honor of National Tree Day yesterday, Disney+ revealed that five new “I Am Groot” shorts are heading to the streamer beginning Sept. 6. The troublemaking twig returns to mischief in the second season of “I Am Groot.” This time, Baby Groot finds himself exploring the universe and beyond aboard the Guardians’ spaceships, coming face-to-face—or nose-to-nose—with new and colorful creatures and environments. Vin Diesel is back as the voice of Groot in five all-new shorts. Kirsten Lepore, writer/director of season one, returns in the same capacity for season two. The supervising producer is Danielle Costa; producers are Craig Rittenbaum and ... Read more...

The dialogue’s not all that compelling, given Groot’s very limited vocabulary, but the visuals are fun in Marvel Studios’ first trailer for I Am Groot season two. The one-minute trailer teases the new adventures the weird little creature will be up to in the second season of the kid-friendly shorts.

Disney+ also released a couple of photos and a poster from the upcoming five shorts that make up the new season.

Vin Diesel, the voice of Groot in all the films involving the Guardians of the Galaxy, is back as the voice of the fan-favorite character. Kirsten Lepore returns as writer, director, and executive producer. Craig Rittenbaum and Alex Scharf produce, and Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Victoria Alonso are involved as executive producers.

Disney+ released this very basic description of season two: “The troublemaking twig returns to mischief in the second season of I Am Groot.

Disney+ is bringing back everyone's favorite talking tree as "I Am Groot" season 2 is on the way. And we've got a trailer today that teases the rambunctious little alien's next round of adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Groot may have grown up quite a bit in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" but when this short-form series returns next month, we're going to be catching up with Baby Groot once again. It's like it's 2017 all over again.

The first season of the series debuted last summer on Disney+ and contained a series of shorts almost purely focused on Groot, who gets into trouble in various situations around the galaxy. This latest season of shorts looks very much in line with what came before. Stunning animation, silly situations, lots of Groot. Check it out.

Read more: The Most Powerful Aliens In The MCU Ranked

I Am Groot Season 2 Trailer Teases...

Marvel Studios has launched a new trailer for the second season of its ‘I Am Groot’ series of animated short films.

This time, Baby Groot finds himself exploring the universe and beyond aboard the Guardians’ spaceships, coming face-to-face—or nose-to-nose—with new and colourful creatures and environments.

Vin Diesel is back as the voice of Groot in five all-new shorts. Kirsten Lepore, writer/director of season one, returns in the same capacity for season two. The supervising producer is Danielle Costa; producers are Craig Rittenbaum and Alex Scharf; executive producers are Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Kirsten Lepore. Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt is the co-executive producer.

Also in trailers – Teaser Trailer drops for final season of ‘Disenchantment’

All five new episodes of ‘I Am Groot’ hit the Disney+ service on September 6th.

The post The mischief returns in trailer for season 2 of ‘I Am Groot’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

“I Am Groot”, the series of animated shorts created by Kirsten Lepore based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character ‘Groot’, follows ‘Baby Groot’ , voiced by Vin Diesel, streaming Season 2, September 6, 2023 on Disney+:

“…each short follows ‘Baby Groot’ as he grows up in the galaxy, going on adventures with new and unusual characters that get him into trouble…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Season 2 of the Disney+ series I Am Groot has been given an official trailer ahead of its streaming premiere next month.

Released to YouTube by Disney+, the new trailer shines a spotlight on the five new shorts that will be featured in Season 2 of I Am Groot. The trailer was released on Aug. 6, which just so happens to be National Tree Day, while the season will start streaming on Sept. 6. An official description for Season 2 was also released alongside the trailer by Disney+ and Marvel Studios.

Related: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's Big Tragedy Did Groot a Major Disservice

In Season 2, per the official description, "The troublemaking twig returns to mischief in the second season of I Am Groot. This time, Baby Groot finds himself exploring the universe and beyond aboard the Guardians’ spaceships, coming face-to-face—or nose-to-nose—with new and colorful creatures and environments."

Vin Diesel Is...

"You woodn't beleaf what Groot gets up to in Season 2!"...

In a city where you can discover a film festival every weekend of the year, perhaps the most unique of such offerings is located in Rockaway, Queens. Taking place just a few blocks from the beach, the 6th edition of the Rockaway Film Festival will occur August 19-August 27, and we’re pleased to exclusively debut the lineup of award-winning documentaries, premieres, live music and dance performances, shorts programmes, and rare repertory screenings.

Organized by Sam Fleischner and Courtney Muller and sponsored by Blundstone®, Istic Illic Pictures, and NYC Ferry, this year’s edition will open at their flagship outdoor theater, Arverne Cinema (constructed using scraps of boardwalk that were destroyed during Hurricane Sandy), with Disney’s famous feature masterpiece Fantasia. There will be a program of shorts preceding it by cine-magician Oskar Fishinger, whose groundbreaking animations changed the cinematic frontier. The festival will also present the New York Premiere of...

Since the MCU kicked off with Phase 4, we’ve finally gotten an expansion from movies only to TV shows that are a part of the MCU as well. One such show that is quite unique compared to the others, though, was ‘I Am Groot.’ The endearing five-episode first season of short animated films about Baby Groot captured our hearts – but will there be another season?

It is confirmed that ‘I Am Groot’ Season 2 will happen, but an official date hasn’t been set just yet. However, some sources suggest that we could see ‘I Am Groot’ Season 2 arrive on Disney+ as early as September 2023. Meaning – it would be the next MCU entry in line right after ‘Secret Invasion’ and before ‘Loki’ Season 2 in October.

Now that the industry-wide strikes are in full effect as we speak, everything could eventually be pushed back a bit, so take this information with a grain of salt.

.

We will update all our Oscar predictions throughout the season, so keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Oscar race. The nomination round of voting will take place from January 12 to January 17, 2023, with the official Oscar nominations announced on January 24, 2023. The final voting is between March 2 and 7, 2023. Finally, the 95th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 12 and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

See our initial thoughts on what to expect at the 95th Academy Awards here.

The State of the Race

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” moved a step closer to winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature after leading Asifa-Hollywood’s 50th Annie Awards (held February 25 at UCLA’s Royce Hall). The stop-motion “Pinocchio” from Netflix took the Best Feature prize, as well as feature film awards for Best Character Animation (Tucker Barrie), Best Direction (del Toro and Mark Gustafson), Best Music,...

Filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a tonic. His incredibly endearing and novel mockumentary follows a 1-inch tall shell, who wears shoes, and who has managed to capture the imagination of so many on the big screen after he initially found fame on YouTube. For those who are yet to meet him, Marcel, voiced by Jenny Slate, lives in an Airbnb with his Nana Connie and pet lint Alan and ponders the big and small questions in life, delicately drawing the audience into his miniature yet epic existence. The feature film came to be after seven long years of meticulous writing, planning, recording and brainstorming in order to create the utterly delightful spontaneous and immersive life we see on screen. Marcel asks you to question your perceptions of death and family while captivating with his daily perambulations, be they using sticky honey feet to...

Jenny Slate is not a controversial figure. The Boston-raised actor’s particular brand of comedy can be physical and absurdist and sometimes confessional. For the most part, it’s not contentious stuff. It’s surprising, then, that Slate has found herself caught in the slipstream of vast cultural currents. In 2009, she accidentally let the F-word slip during her Saturday Night Live debut. Three years ago, she chose to step down from her role voicing a biracial character on a Netflix hit show. Then, last summer, she made a scene-stealing, though somewhat divisive, appearance in Oscars contender Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s hard to believe that her latest film, about an adorable anthropomorphic shell who cares for his elderly grandma, will cause any kind of kerfuffle.

If you don’t know Slate by name, you’ll know her voice. It has a distinct nasal rasp, equal parts throat and nose.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio leads the feature competition of the 50th annual Annie Awards for animation, with nine nominations including one in the top category for best animated feature. That’s followed by Turning Red with seven noms and Puss in Boot: The Last Wish and The Sea Beast, with six apiece.

Alongside Pinocchio, the movies Turning Red, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Sea Beast and Wendell & Wild are nominated for best animated feature. Charlotte, Inu-Oh, Annecy winner Little Nicholas, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and My Father’s Dragon are nominated for best independent animated feature.

It’s was a big morning for Netflix’s young animation unit in the feature categories. Pinocchio, The Sea Beast, My Father’s Dragon and Wendell & Wild were all released from the streaming service.

In the combined best direction category, nominees are Pinocchio‘s del Toro and Mark Gustafson...

Netflix has scored 50 Annie Award nominations across series and features, including bids for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” which leads in individual nominations with nine.

“Pinocchio,” which has picked up 38 awards so far this season, including the Golden Globe for animated feature, is one of three Netflix projects up for best feature, along with “The Sea Beast” and “Wendell & Wild.” Netflix has one contender in the indie feature field: “My Father’s Dragon,” with Cartoon Saloon.

Other films nominated for best feature are Disney-Pixar’s “Turning Red” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Rounding out the indie feature category are “Charlotte,” from January Films, Balthlazar Productions and Walking the Dog; “Inu-Oh,” from Science Saru; “Little Nicholas, Happy as Can Be,” from On Classics (Mediawan) and Bidibul Productions; and “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” from Marcel the Movie, LLC.

Del Toro, with co-director Mark Gustafson, is...

Over a decade after creating Marcel the Shell with Jenny Slate, director Dean Fleishcer Camp now brings the character into a feature-length animation with Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. Filmmaker Dean (Camp) moves into an Airbnb where he finds a tiny talking shell named Marcel (Slate). Marcel lives in the home with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and has created whimsical and resourceful ways of dealing with problems in his everyday life. Dean begins filming Marcel’s antics and uploads the videos to YouTube, leading to Marcel becoming a cultural phenomenon that attracts the attention of 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl. To make sure he didn’t lose the charm of his original animated shorts, Camp stuck to a documentary-style approach to filming.

Deadline: Where did the original idea for the short films come from?

Dean Fleischer Camp: It was a very long time ago in 2011. Jenny Slate, who does the voice of Marcel,...

.

By qualifying for Best Animated Feature, A24’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” became the first stop-motion/live-action hybrid to enter the Oscar race. Now it could make history as the first hybrid nominee. If nominated along with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” — the favorite in the category — and Henry Selick’s “Wendell & Wild,” this would be another milestone for the technique, tying the record for most stop-motion Best Animated Feature nominees set in 2013, when “Frankenweenie,” “ParaNorman,” and “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” all vied for the award.

“What constitutes animation as it relates to the Oscar qualification is an important discussion,” director Dean Fleischer Camp told IndieWire. “We got to show the process. What some people don’t understand is how animated it is. They think it’s a stop-motion character and some objects composited into a live-action world. But so much of that live-action world was animated to impersonate real physics,...

Here are all the details you need to know about where to watch I Am Groot, a series of 5 animated shorts created by Kirsten Lepore for Marvel Studios.

Ever since Groot made the ultimate sacrifice at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy and Baby Groot emerged, he instantly became a character worthy of obsession for Marvel fans. I Am Groot offers a concise but entertaining viewing experience consisting of 5 mini-EPs each around 3 minutes in length. The adventures of Baby Groot have been much anticipated since he was last seen in the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In this new Marvel production, Vin Diesel returns to voice Baby Groot with Bradley Cooper once again voicing the genetically enhanced raccoon, Rocket.

I Am Groot is a light-hearted closer look into everyone's favorite little alien tree, and you can watch it now on Disney+.

Watch I Am Groot on...

There has never been a better time to be a VFX vendor. With so much content coming from streaming, high-quality television, feature films and commercials, the demand for visual effects and VFX

artists continues to grow.

Santa Monica-based visual effects studio Luma Pictures, which celebrates its 20-year anniversary this month, has seen an increase in everything from creature effects to animation to set extensions to full sequences.

To keep up with all the additional work, Luma expanded to Vancouver in January, after establishing an office in Melbourne in 2012 to take advantage of the emerging market there. A staff of more than 200 works for the company across all three locations, providing effects for a client list that includes Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Disney and Warner Bros., and films such as “Elvis,” “Dr. Strange 2” and “Once

Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

Vincent Cirelli, VP and head of digital production, notes that one way...

The panels have been announced for the 2022 Gotham Week Conference, the first time the event will occur in person since 2019. The panelists include Jenny Slate and other team members behind Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, director of Bodies Bodies Bodies Halina Reijn and co-directors of The Janes Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes. Slate, who voiced the title character and co-wrote the script, will be joined by Marcel director Dean Fleischer Camp and animation director Kirsten Lepore. Other panelists at the 2022 Gotham Week Conference include Adamma and Adanne Ebo, the respective director and producer of Honk For Jesus. […]

The post Gotham Week 2022 to Feature Panels with Jenny Slate and Directors of Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Janes first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Click here to read the full article.

The 2022 Gotham Week Conference will feature panels with Jenny Slate and more of the team behind Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Bodies Bodies Bodies director Halina Reijn and the directors of timely abortion documentary The Janes, Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes.

Slate, the co-writer of the film and voice of Marcel, will be joined by writer and director Dean Fleischer Camp and animation director Kirsten Lepore to discuss developing IP.

Other public panels at the New York event, returning in person for the first time since 2019, will feature panels with the director and producer, respectively, of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, Adamma and Adanne Ebo, and Nanny director Nikyatu Jusu and producer Nikkia Moulterie. Both Honk for Jesus and Nanny are alums of the 2019 Gotham Week Project Market.

The Conference will also feature conversations about incorporating sustainable practices into filmmaking in partnership with The Green Shot,...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has built its brand on connections: one film introduces a character who spins off into their own movie; a streaming series sets up a new star who cameos in another show; a mob of characters team-up in a group film and everything eventually leads to the current saga’s conclusion. And while the increasing web of link-ups across Marvel Studios’ various projects can be exciting for fans to unpack, for those who find it intimidating or exhausting, the studio’s new animated series “I Am Groot” offers a welcome reprieve.

“I Am Groot” stars Vin Diesel as Groot himself, a bizarre tree-like alien that can only say the titular phrase. Introduced in the MCU via James Gunn’s 2014 sci-fi comedy “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the original Groot sacrificed his life to save his best friend Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and the rest of the Guardians. But from his body,...

“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” the micro-budgeted, partially animated indie starring Jenny Slate as the voice of an andromorphic shell (with shoes on), is a mega-watt charmer that has also become one of the summer’s sleeper hits. Now in over 800 theaters, it feels like a balm for these troubled times – it is gloriously cute but not totally sanded down.

The plot of the movie, as much as there is one, concerns Marcel (Slate) and his attempt to reunite with his family, who were hastily whisked away after hiding in a sock drawer. Marcel forms a connection with a documentary filmmaker who is renting the house and that’s … pretty much it. From this simple premise, one of the year’s most beautiful (and most unexpectedly moving) features emerges.

TheWrap talked to Camp about the movie’s seven-year journey to the big screen, resisting the urge to make Marcel...

“I Am Groot” is the new animated series of shorts directed Kirsten Lepore, featuring the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, streaming August 10, 2022 on Disney+:

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Marvel Comics “Tales to Astonish” #13 (Nov. 1960).

An extraterrestrial, sentient tree-like creature, the original ‘Groot’ first appeared as an invader that intended to capture humans for experimentation.

The character was reintroduced as a heroic, noble being in 2006, and appeared in the crossover comic book storyline "Annihilation: Conquest". Groot went on to star in th spin-off series, “Guardians of the Galaxy” joining the team of the same name.

Click the images to enlarge…...

.

A24’s acclaimed stop-motion/live-action hybrid “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” could be the wild card in the animated feature Oscar race — going up against such early favorites as Pixar’s “Turning Red,” Disney’s “Strange World,” and Netflix’s two stop-motion behemoths: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” and Henry Selick’s “Wendell & Wild” (the latter being the lone animated feature premiering at TIFF).

And why not? The feature debut from director Dean Fleischer Camp (adapting a series of shorts he created with “Marcel” star Jenny Slate), has been embraced by critics for its charm, wit, inventive stop-motion, and its adorable breakout star. The one-inch anthropomorphic shell (voiced by Slate) lives with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and develops a friendship with doc filmmaker Dean (Fleischer Camp), who moves in and films Marcel’s daily activities, which go viral. Marcel, who’s in search of his lost family,...

“I Am Groot” is the new animated series of shorts directed Kirsten Lepore, featuring the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, streaming August 10, 2022 on Disney+:

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Marvel Comics “Tales to Astonish” #13 (Nov. 1960).

An extraterrestrial, sentient tree-like creature, the original ‘Groot’ first appeared as an invader that intended to capture humans for experimentation.

The character was reintroduced as a heroic, noble being in 2006, and appeared in the crossover comic book storyline "Annihilation: Conquest". Groot went on to star in th spin-off series, “Guardians of the Galaxy” joining the team of the same name.

Click the images to enlarge…...