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In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, so the perfect follow-up to watch is John Huston’s film adaptation of the literary classic. Based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s historical account of the same name, In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story of the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820. The cast of In the Heart of the Sea features huge stars like Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Holland, with Ben Whishaw playing Melville.

Since it arrived on Netflix, In the Heart of the Sea has become a streaming hit. Viewers who have finally caught up with Ron Howard’s harrowing nautical adventure, a decade after it underperformed at the box office, might be wondering what to watch next. Given that the movie chronicles the inspiration for Moby Dick and ends with Melville putting pen to paper,...

Regardless of how many times directors like Guillermo del Toro, Phil Lord, and Chris Miller try to kill the stereotype that the medium of animation isn’t just for kids but for adults as well, and establish that “animation is cinema,” the evidence points to the fact that most animated properties are primarily aimed towards children. Just as an experiment, if I look at some of my favorite animated projects from the 2020s, I’ll come across stuff like Wolfwalkers, Cryptozoo, Luca, Mad God, Turning Red, Apollo 10 ½, The Bad Guys, My Love Affair with Marriage, The Sea Beast, Entergalactic, Oni: Thunder God’s Tale, Gdt’s Pinocchio, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Across the Spider-Verse, Nimona, Carol & the End of the World, The Peasants, Orion and the Dark, and Ultraman Rising. And maybe only 7 of them can be considered unsuitable for children. The rest are uncomplicated and digestible enough for little kids.

Bad Robot veteran Hannah Minghella has been hired as Head of Feature Animation and Live-Action Family Film at Netflix, Deadline can confirm. We understand that her departure from the J.J. Abrams-led company was amicable.

Also announced today was the news that Sharon Taylor, formerly CEO of Animal Logic Studios, will return to Netflix to head up production on feature animation, based out of Vancouver.

With this change, Karen Toliver and Traci Balthazor are exiting Netflix, we’re told. Both helped build the streamer’s animated film division into a powerhouse in the industry, launching hit films like Leo, Academy Award winner Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, The Sea Beast and Nimona, while also integrating Animal Logic Studios and expanding key creative partnerships.

During her four years at Bad Robot, Minghella served as President of Motion Pictures, working across all live action, animation and documentary features. Prior to that, she...

Veteran studio executive and producer Hannah Minghella has joined Netflix as head of feature animation and live-action family film, Variety can exclusively report.

Minghella joins the tech giant from Bad Robot, where she worked across live action, animation and documentary features. She’ll now report to Dan Lin, the recently installed chariman of Netflix’s film operation. In addition to Minghella, Sharon Taylor will return to Netflix to lead production at the unit. Based in Vancouver, Taylor was previously the CEO of Animal Logic studios.

“Hannah brings her unique skill set and experience to this role, along with strong relationships with top filmmakers. As a studio executive and producer, Hannah has overseen many franchise films across animation and live-action. I believe her expertise will deepen our efforts to bring variety and quality to both our animation and live action family film slate,” said Lin.

As a result of the change,...

Nathan Lane introduces Spellbound Image: Netflix In the last decade, Netflix has become a hub for quality animation, with critically acclaimed and award-winning original series like BoJack Horseman, The Dragon Prince, Love, Death + Robots, Blue Eye Samurai, and Arcane, plus movies like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, The Mitchells vs. the Machines,...

Christopher Sean Image: Netflix

In the last decade, Netflix has become a hub for quality animation, with critically acclaimed and award-winning original series like BoJack Horseman, The Dragon Prince, Love, Death + Robots, Blue Eye Samurai, and Arcane,plus movies like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, The Mitchells vs. the Machines,...

We're just a few days away from the premiere of "Ultraman: Rising" on Netflix, the latest addition to the ever-growing animation library of the streamer. Animation has been on shaky ground for the last few years, with the animation guild growing stronger to fight for fair contractions as creatives continue to battle against the dystopian threat of artificial intelligence. Fortunately, animation is still as popular and well-loved as ever, and Netflix has been absolutely crushing it as of late. Not only did the streamer pull in an Academy Award for Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" in 2022, but shows like "Blue Eye Samurai," "Arcane," "Love, Death, & Robots," and movies like "Wendell & Wild," "The Sea Beast," and "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" are some of the best releases of original animation, period.

Today I was in attendance at the Next on Netflix: Animation event to preview their upcoming slate of animation,...

Four years ago, Rebel Moon filmmaker Zack Snyder and producing partner and wife Deborah Snyder met with Netflix executives to discuss possibilities in animation.

The medium was growing fast inside the company, as fast as its subscriber base. One exec threw out the idea of doing something with Norse mythology. Zack Snyder, who had spent much of his career making movies with grand mythological overtones, took to it. Partnering with storyboard artist and animation director Jay Oliva, the Snyders eventually came up with a love and revenge story titled Twilight of the Gods.

“We pitched them an outline; they had a few notes but they let us have free reign,” Deborah Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter at a Netflix animation event Thursday. “They had no guardrails, no limitations.”

That lack of guardrails or limitations may be the best way to describe the free-wheeling, anything and everything goes ethos that has overtaken Netflix’s animation arm.

When Netflix released its latest major data set on Thursday — its second under the name of What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report — animated features continued to demonstrate a major impact for the streamer. Of the top 100 most viewed titles in the period of review, from July to December 2023, 33 were animated, bringing in a total of 1,087,600,000 views.

That being said, titles licensed from other studios continued to heavily overshadow Netflix originals, in terms of impact. Of the 33 animated titles in the Top 100, five were produced by Netflix; the Adam Sandler starrer Leo ranked the highest at #3 overall, coming in with 96 million views. Others that made the cut included The Monkey King, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the Oscar-nominated Nimona, The Sea Beast and Back to the Outback.

By far the greatest supplier of Netflix’s top ranking animated films was Universal, which through a exclusive licensing deal,...

Aang: The Last Airbender, the Avatar film currently in the works at Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Studios, has found its leads, Variety reports.

Dave Bautista and singer/songwriter Eric Nam are set to headline the animated movie slated for theatrical release on Oct. 10, 2025. Bautista will voice a villainous character while Nam will portray Aang, TVLine has confirmed.

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Dionne Quan (The Fairly OddParents, All Grown Up!), Jessica Matten (Dark Winds,...

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,...

HBO is developing another Game of Thrones spinoff series.

The company is actively heating up its long-in-discussion Aegon’s Conquest idea.

HBO is partnering with Mattson Tomlin, an in-demand scribe who did uncredited work on Matt Reeve’s The Batman and is co-writing its upcoming sequel, The Batman Part II. He also wrote the Keanu Reeves action comic adaptation Brzrkr and an animated Terminator series which he is also showrunning for Netflix.

Aegon’s Conquest is basically a direct prequel to the hit House of the Dragon, telling the story of the Targaryen’s bloody and brutal conquest of Westeros. The story follows the invader Aegon Targaryen, who conquered the continent of Westeros with his sister wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, and their dragons. Aegon successfully unified six of the Seven Kingdoms in just two years, with only Dorne able to successfully resist.

One source described the project as taking a...

Adam Sandler's animated musical comedy 'Leo' is getting a sequel.Netflix's co-ceo Ted Sarandos has confirmed they are "firing on all cylinders" to make a follow-up to the hit 2023 flick.The positively reviewed movie tells the story of a tuatara longing for the wild and worried about dying who is taken home by different students per the assignment of a strict substitute teacher, but gets himself caught up in the troubles of each student, and offers great advice to each of them.Speaking to The Wrap, Sarandos said: "We're kicking around Leo 2 right now. The animation team is firing on all cylinders."On why it pulled in the viewers, he continued: "Look, I think Leo resonated for the same reason The Sea Beast did last year. People love it. And they do watch it over and over again, which drives engagement and attachment."Leo and The Sea...

Pictures: Netflix

Welcome to your weekly rundown of the biggest stories from Netflix’s top 10 hourly figures drop for the week ending December 25th, 2023. This week, we’ll look into the first weekend viewing figures of Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire, The Taming of the Shrewd 2, Gyeonseong Creature, and another deep dive into the Netflix Engagement Report.

Every Tuesday, Netflix updates its top 10 stats page with 40 new hourly figures of the top movies and shows of the past seven days. If you want to browse the top 10 hourly data easily, visit our tool, which has just been updated with even more data from the Nielsen top 10s.

Note: In this report of Netflix’s hours viewed from December 18th, 2023 to December 25th, 2023, we’ll use “Complete Viewings Equivalent,” or Cve, expressed in millions. That means we divide the hours viewed announced by Netflix by the runtime of films or series.

A broad range of titles, animation styles and plenty of music define this season’s animated feature race, with some expected contenders still to debut.

For instance, as the studio celebrates its centennial, Walt Disney Animation Studios hopes to grab one of the five nomination slots with its Nov. 22 musical Wish, which tells the story of how Disney’s wishing star came to be. Its voice cast is led by Ariana DeBose as young protagonist Asha and Chris Pine as villainous King Magnifico. The cast performs a collection of original songs from Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, including “This Wish,” “I’m a Star” and “This Is the Thanks I Get.” Oscar winner Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn direct, and Disney Animation chief creative officer and Oscar winner Jennifer Lee is a writer and executive producer.

This title joins an already crowded field. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — the bold...

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,...

Michelle Grady has been promoted to president of Sony Pictures Imageworks, the influential and groundbreaking visual effects house and animation studio. She was previously EVP, Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Most recently, Sony Pictures Imageworks provided the animation for “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which was produced by their partners at Sony Pictures Animation. The sequel to the Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” opened this summer and grossed $690 million worldwide. Earlier this year they provided visual effects and animation for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania,” and last year did the animation for Netflix’s Oscar-nominated “The Sea Beast” and Sony Pictures Animation’s spooky sequel “Hotel Translyvania: Transformania.”

“Under Michelle’s leadership for the last seven years, Imageworks has become the most innovative and ground-breaking visual effects and animation facility in the world, renowned for its work on first of their kind CG features and large scale live-action VFX projects,...

Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Michelle Grady has been upped to President of Sony Pictures Imageworks. She was previously, EVP Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Grady’s promotion comes in the wake of Sony Pictures Imageworks work on the blockbuster hit, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse which grossed $690M. Together with the first movie, which Sony Pictures Imageworks worked on, the Oscar winning 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the franchise counts $1.07 billion.

During Grady’s tenure at Sony Pictures Imageworks, the division has worked on the Oscar nominated, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, The Sea Beast, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, among many others.

Grady has spent over 20 years in the VFX and post-production industry in Vancouver, Canada. She joined Imageworks from the visual effects studio Mpc, where she served as head of film, managing projects including Suicide Squad, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,...

Karl Urban is known for his ability to embody a diverse range of roles across various genres, from major franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek to hidden gems. Urban's attention to detail allows him to completely disappear into his characters, employing a variety of speech patterns, mannerisms, and body language. Urban's performances have greatly contributed to the success of various projects, such as his instant-classic take on Billy Butcher in The Boys.

If there's anything that Karl Urban's best movies and TV shows have in common, it's that they all feature Urban's character as a complicated badass. Indeed, though the New Zealander has been somewhat typecast, this has also led to Urban playing some of the most interesting characters in both television and film. Known for his versatility, Urban's career is notable for his ability to embody a diverse range of roles across various genres of fiction.

Dora and Boots are headed to theaters in a new short film debuting with Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.

Dora and the Fantastical Creatures marks the first time an animated iteration of Dora has hit theaters, following the live-action 2019 feature Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which starred Isabela Merced as Dora.

The short sends Dora (Diana Zermeño) and Boots (Asher Spence) on a journey to the land of alebrijes, which according to the logline is a place full of “most magical and colorful creatures in the rainforest. There, they must band together against Swiper (Marc Weiner) to save the beloved alebrijes and their Copal Tree Celebration.”

Dora and the Fantastical Creatures will lead into a new CG animated series, Dora, which will stream on Paramount+ in spring 2024, and also air on Nickelodeon. The film also voice stars Anairis Quiñones as Luna Arcoiris, Danny Burstein as Sol, and Kate del Castillo as Ale.

Solar Opposites season 4 sees a major change with Dan Stevens replacing Justin Roiland as Korvo, the show's narrator and alien with a distaste for humans. Thomas Middleditch joins the cast as Terry, the laid-back alien partner of Korvo, while Sean Giambrone plays Yumyulack, a cunning and prank-loving scientist alien. Mary Mack, Christina Hendricks, Kieran Culkin, and Christopher Meloni also join the cast, bringing a talented and diverse range of actors to the new season of Solar Opposites.

The Solar Opposites season 4 cast brings back some of the biggest names from the animated series, but there is also one major change that shakes up the entire show. Created by Rick and Morty co-creators Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, the show is about aliens who ended up landing on Earth after their home planet was destroyed by an asteroid. These aliens then set up on Earth, pretending to be humans and fit in,...

It started as a joke. Way back in the ’80s, the phenomenon we now call “superhero fatigue” was already a thing, at least among comics afficionados. Frustrated with pulp creators recycling the same old ideas, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird hatched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The idea was to poke fun at how lame mainstream heroes had gotten, but the parody got so popular, it spawned a mini-empire of its own: movies, games, TV series and a whole lotta merch. At a certain point (around the time Michael Bay got involved), the brand got out of hand. Time for a reset.

With “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” Nickelodeon Movies takes the fertile turtle property back to its roots: Tapping “permanent teenager” (as the trailer cleverly dubs the former “Freaks and Geeks” star) Seth Rogen to produce, the toon studio commissioned an animated reboot that focuses on the ooze-boosted vigilantes’ awkward adolescent identities,...

Since his time playing Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, New Zealand-born Karl Urban has shown his range by starring in some projects very different from Star Trek. Karl Urban first played Dr. McCoy in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film in 2009, alongside Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock. Taking place in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Abrams' movies follow the early adventures of the USS Enterprise and her crew. In both the Prime timeline and the Kelvin timeline, Dr. McCoy eventually becomes the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise, and Urban mastered Bones' Southern charms in a pitch-perfect tribute to the late DeForest Kelley.

After the success and positive reception of Star Trek (2009), two sequels were made: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Karl Urban played Dr. McCoy in all three films and was slated to reprise the role for the fourth Star Trek film.

If you thought Disney’s American Born Chinese was the only place the Monkey King would display his sweet moves, wait until you see Netflix’s The Monkey King trailer! The streamer is bringing a colorful martial arts adventure to screens with director Anthony Stacchi’s next animated voyage! Get ready! Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, and Stephanie Hsu voice star in the mystical animated adventure inhabited by ancient gods, demons, and a wise-cracking hero of the people.

The Monkey King (Jimmy O. Yang) might be famous, but he’s an outsider in his community. With his trusty compatriot “stick (voiced by Nan Li),” the warrior of legend steps up to challenge 100 demons to gain the attention of “the immortal ones.” With few willing to cheer him on, the Monkey King travels to a human village, where he accepts the task of protecting the people from a fiery...

Disney's animation losing streak is even more embarrassing considering Netflix's recent massive success. Disney is failing in both audience approval and financial departments for animated movies in 2023, while Netflix has continued to generate critically-acclaimed animated movies such as its recent hit Nimona. To make matters even worse for Disney, Universal has had an exceptional year with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has cleaned up at the box office with a staggering total revenue of nearly $1.35 billion worldwide and counting.

Disney has placed much of its strategy and efforts into churning out its live-action remakes that have widely performed lower at the box office than initially expected. Although Disney's brand and legacy still remain intact, its recent downfall from its typical number-one spot creates concern about the franchise's future. With Disney's losing streak extending its narrative into the second half of 2023, the question remains whether it will be able...

Ctam and Common Sense Media have partnered on StreamSafely Summer Camp,, an online destination at StreamSafely.com where parents and kids can find safe, family-friendly programming without the risks that come with pirated content. The site includes a collection of 46 movies curated by the nonprofit Common Sense Media available through June, July and August, along with a checklist for parents on safe streaming.

A Ctam study from October 2022 found that 38% of households with kids report accessing pirated content a few times a year, well above the mean for the US adult population overall (26%). Piracy sites appear free, but they make money by stealing personal information, often by installing destructive malware or ransomware on users’ home computers. Digital video piracy accounts for more than $50 billion in revenue losses for the global tv and movie industry, according to the study.

“Many families stream pirated content...

“Nimona” took a twisty road to the big screen. But now it’s ready for its debut at Annecy Animation Film Festival. Pictured above is an exclusive still from the anticipated fantasy adventure.

Based on the graphic novel by N.D. Stevenson, the feature follows Ballister Boldheart, a knight in a futuristic medieval world who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. The only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he’s sworn to destroy.

“Nimona” started out at 20th Century Fox’s animation shingle Blue Sky Studios, which optioned the novel in 2015. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane were brought onboard in 2020 when creative direction of the film changed. The film continued production apace even after Disney completed its $71.9 billion merger with 20th Century Fox in 2019.

Production continued during the pandemic as well, but then in 2021, Disney shuttered Blue Sky.

The Boys season 3 cast and character guide helps show how special the series is. More than a year and a half after the season 2 finale, The Boys returned to Prime Video for season 3, with season 4 now on the way. The series, created by Eric Kripke and adapted from the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, picked up a year after the explosive events of season 2 and its cast was better and bigger than ever. With the Deep cast back into The Seven, The Boys season 3 saw quite the upheaval in many regards and also showcased more supes than previously seen on the show.

The Boys season 2 left the characters in precarious situations, though it seemed like things were getting better. Stormfront was no longer a threat after Ryan dispatched her with his powers. Butcher joined Grace Mallory's task force, and Hughie teamed up with Congresswoman Victoria Neuman in...

Karl Urban is in final talks to star as fan-favorite character “Johnny Cage” in the sequel to New Line’s hit 2021 action adventure “Mortal Kombat” based on the blockbuster video-game franchise.

Simon McQuoid, who directed the 2021 film, is set to return. Jeremy Slater wrote the screenplay for the sequel.

The previous film was a new adaptation of the popular video-game franchise that offered a grittier, more violent take on the material than the 1990s films. It was released in April 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max, and was an early pandemic hit for distributor Warner Bros., ranking as one of the top feature titles on HBO Max since the streaming service debuted.

“Mortal Kombat” is based on the global video-game phenomenon created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.

A postcredits scene in the 2021 film...

Netflix’s animated output is certainly having a moment, between the Best Animated Feature win for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” and the acquisition of Animal Logic, the Australian animation studio that had previously been responsible for “Happy Feet,” “The Lego Movie” and “DC League of Super-Pets” (among many others). The streamer has just unveiled its 2023-2024 slate, revealing new details about upcoming projects like “Nimona” and announcing new movies like “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” a brand-new “SpongeBob SquarePants” film.

Read on for the full rundown of Netflix’s upcoming animated films and see brand-new images.

“Nimona” “Nimona” (Netflix)

Coming this summer is “Nimona,” based on the graphic novel by Nd Stevenson and set in a futuristic yet still medieval world, it centers around a disgraced knight (Riz Ahmed) and a young shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) who team up to clear both of their names. We’d...

This year Netflix is returning to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival as newly crowned kings, having just secured the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio.” Not that they have any intention of slowing down, as this year they are bringing a slate of potential commercial and artistic triumphs to the rolling hills of the French countryside – from Annapurna’s “Nimona” to Aardman’s highly anticipated “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” and much, much more.

On Wednesday, June 14, Annecy will present an exclusive screening of their absolutely fabulous new feature film “Nimona” at the Theater Bonlieu at 6 p.m. which will include appearances from directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, creator Nd Stevenson (whose graphic novel is the basis for the film), producers Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary and production designer Aidan Sugano. The team will reconvene for a “Making Of” session on Thursday,...

The sun never sets in the world of streaming. After a jam-packed March that saw both "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" series going head-to-head with "Ted Lasso" -- not to mention, the much-buzzed-about return of "Yellowjackets" and the final hurrah of the Shakespearean tragedy that is "Succession" — it seems April is angling to keep the party going. Between "Schmigadoon!" and "The Afterparty" coming back, "Barry" setting sail for the Grey Havens with its final season, and whatever the hell Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof have cooked up for us with "Mrs. Davis," next month won't be hurting for appointment TV.

Not about to be left in the dust by its competitors, Netflix has its own plans for April. In addition to its typical monthly smattering of non-exclusive titles, the streamer will be dropping a 30th anniversary "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" reunion special, "Once & Always," just to make all you Millennials...

Based on the novel of the same name by Kate Dicamillo, The Magician’s Elephant is an endearing, whimsical tale about one boy's quest to find his lost sister and the town he inspires to believe in magic again. In Netflix’s latest animated film, directed by Wendy Rogers from a screenplay by Martin Hynes, the story has less to do with magic and is more focused on the feeling attached to magic.

In the vaguely European town of Baltese, war has brought in clouds of despair. The once vibrant town is now plagued with melancholy, with very few citizens willing to hope. Enter Peter (Noah Jupe), a young orphan who happens upon a tent one day. He meets a fortuneteller who speaks in riddles — until she gives him the answer he needs to set off on an adventure to find his lost sister. Believing she was dead for so many years,...

With the 95th Academy Awards in the rearview, this week is light on new-to-streaming releases that could credibly contend for future awards. Our top pick this week was a contender – it was nominated for an Oscar, but didn’t win. It’s still very much worth watching once it hits HBO and HBO Max this weekend.

The contender to watch this weekend: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”

This documentary was nominated for Best Documentary Feature this year, losing to “Navalny.” It comes from acclaimed director Laura Poitras – a previous Oscar winner for “Citizenfour” – and follows artist and activist Nan Goldin’s righteous crusade to hold Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma and the controlling Sackler family responsible for the company’s role in creating the opioid crisis. The Sacklers were big funders of art institutions, and Goldin’s pressure campaign successfully got their names off many donor rolls. The documentary comes...

The Magician’s Elephant is an animation movie directed by Wendy Rogers, and based on a novel written by Kate Dicamillo.

The Magician’s Elephant is a children’s film that aims for the highest “Disney” spirit (that of some years ago): but more tender, childish and somewhat naive, and that, woven by magic, achieves exactly the result it intends to – a film of the old school that, if we let ourselves go, will certainly be charming.

About the Film

Good animation on the technical side that – without being Pixar – takes us along the path of The Sea Beast (another Netflix animation): classicism in form, plot and overall style.

Is it one of those movies for young and old to watch? Absolutely, and with a lot of quality to it. If it sticks to what’s an”easy” approach, it’s a debate that, surely, we shouldn’t get into...

The 95th annual Academy Awards aired live Sunday night from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Jimmy Kimmel returned as host for the third time. He first took the helm in 2017 – the infamous year of “envelopegate” where La La Land was announced as the winner instead of Moonlight. However, this awards show went much smoother and without any major incidents.

Everything Everywhere All At Once was the big winner of the night, earning a total of seven Oscars, including Best Picture. The film’s seven wins make it the most won by a Best Picture winner since Slumdog Millionaire, which took home eight awards in 2008.

Among Everything Everywhere‘s wins include Michelle Yeoh for Best Actress. She made history as the first Asian woman to win Best Actress.

In addition to Yeoh, Everything Everywhere emerged victorious in two other acting categories with wins for Jamie Lee Curtis for Supporting Actress...

The winners of the 2023 Academy Awards have been announced.

Stars of the big screen attended the ceremony in Los Angeles to see whether Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans or German film All Quiet on the Western Front would win Best Picture.

Other films in contention included The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Triangle of Sadness and Women Talking.

Meanwhile, actors in the running were Brendan Fraser for The Whale, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once and Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Below are all the winners at this year’s ceremony.

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once Winner

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Best Actress...

The 2023 Oscars hit almost all the right notes, with Jimmy Kimmel doing a terrific job of hosting, starting with a monologue that acknowledged last year’s slap heard around the world. Kimmel used his opening bit to point out there are 16 first-time acting nominees, including two from Encino Man – Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan.

Kimmel poked fun at Babylon for being a bust at the box office and noted Batgirl is the first superhero to be defeated by an accounting department. He also confirmed James Cameron declined his invitation, joking that you know a show is too long when even Cameron can’t sit through it.

“Some of the critics are saying Jim Cameron isn’t here because he didn’t get a ‘Best Director’ nomination. And, well, I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility. He does have a point. I mean,...

From the electric performances of the nominated songs to all the big stars, The 95th Academy Awards went off without a slap hitch.

The performance of Rrr's hit song Naatu Naatu brought the entire house to their feet, as did the wins for Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh.

So who came out on top?

Everything Everywhere All At Once led the nominations with 11 and led the winners with seven total trophies!

Find out the rest of the winners here!

Best Picture

Everything Everywhere All at Once *Winner*

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Best Actress

Michelle Yeoh - Everything Everywhere All at Once *Winner*

Cate Blanchett - Tár

Ana de Armas - Blonde

Andrea Riseborough - To Leslie

Michelle Williams - The Fabelmans

Best Actor

Brendan Fraser -...

Image Source: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

A new crop of Oscar winners have just been named. On Sunday, March 12, a jam-packed year of movies was capped off with the 2023 Academy Awards. One film reigned supreme though: "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which took home seven awards including best picture, best actress, and best supporting actress. Other big winners included best actor honoree Brendan Fraser and "Women Talking"'s Sarah Polley.

Heading into the show, fan-favorite movies like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" nabbed some huge nominations, with both of them getting best picture nods. Rihanna also received her very first nomination for her song "Lift Me Up" from the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack, which she performed during the show.

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" had received the most nominations with 11. Some of the most surprising nods included the nine for Netflix's "All Quiet on the Western Front...

The 2023 Oscar winners have been named in Hollywood.

Stars of the screen attended the ceremony in Los Angeles to see whether Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans or German film All Quiet on the Western Front would win Best Picture.

Other films in contention included The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Triangle of Sadness and Women Talking.

Meanwhile, actors in the running were Brendan Fraser for The Whale, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once and Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Below are all the winners at this year’s ceremony.

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once Winner

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Best Actress in a Leading...

Here is the full list of winners from the 95th annual "Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honoring films released in 2022:

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front” “Avatar: The Way of Water” “The Banshees of Inisherin” “Elvis” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” “The Fabelmans” “Tár” “Top Gun: Maverick” “Triangle of Sadness” “Women Talking”

Actress In A Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Hong Chau, “The Whale” Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor In A Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway” Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans” Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

International Feature Film

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany“Argentina, 1985,” Argentina “Close,” Belgium “Eo,” Poland “The Quiet Girl,...

Netflix picked up big wins at the 95th Academy Awards, including the international feature film Oscar for “All Quiet on the Western Front” and its first animated feature film Oscar for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”

Overall, Netflix won six Oscars on Sunday, after receiving 16 total nominations this year.

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Edward Berger, won four Oscars (on nine nominations), picking up the trophies for international feature, cinematography (James Friend), original score (Volker Bertelmann) and production design. The film — a grim, disquieting adaptation of the famous World War I novel — had dominated the U.K.’s BAFTA Awards with a record-breaking seven wins, including best film, director (Berger), adapted screenplay, cinematography, sound, original score and non-English language film.

Del Toro’s “Pinocchio,” a stop-motion adaptation of the classic fairy tale, beat out the four other contenders in the category, including Netflix’s “The Sea Beast,...

The Oscars don't always (or often) get it right, but the first award of the 95th Academy Awards was well-deserved. Guillermo Del Toro's "Pinocchio" is not only a gorgeous adaptation of the classic children's novel and a feat of stop-motion animation, but it takes the source material to the next level by flipping the story into a dark fable about fascism. A stout (yet menacing) Mussolini even makes an appearance, just in time to sit through a hilarious musical number in his honor, with profound lyrics such as, "He's just doo-doo to me." For that song alone, this movie deserves its gilded trophy -- which I assume will live on a shelf of honor, alongside the adorable Pinocchio and Gepetto puppets that brought this story to life.

This win marks Del Toro's third Oscar win (out of seven nominations), after taking home Best Picture and Best Director for "The Shape of Water...

Here is the full list of nominees for the 95th annual "Academy Awards, to be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honoring films released in 2022, scheduled to be broadcast March 12, 2023 from Los Angeles:

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front” “Avatar: The Way of Water” “The Banshees of Inisherin” “Elvis” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” “The Fabelmans” “Tár” “Top Gun: Maverick” “Triangle of Sadness” “Women Talking”

Actress In A Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Hong Chau, “The Whale” Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor In A Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway” Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans” Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin” Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

International Feature Film

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany“Argentina,...

Los Angeles, March 13 (Ians) The Academy had the right nose to smell out the Best Animated feature film nominated at the 95th Academy awards as acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s movie “Pinocchio” has taken home the Best Animated Feature Film honour.

The award was presented by Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson at the prestigious event.

Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” was contending against animated movies such as “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”, “The Sea Beast” and “Turning Red”.

After winning the award, Del Toro on stage said that Animation should be kept in the conversation.

He said: “Animation is cinemation, it is not a genre and ready to be taken for the next level. Keep animation in the conversation. I want to dedicate to my wife, kids and parents who are not there with me.”

–Ians

dc/khz/...

“Animation is ready to be taken to the next step,” asserted Guillermo del Toro as his Pinocchio won at the 2023 Oscars for best animated feature on Sunday. “Keep animation in the conversation.”

With the win, del Toro became the first filmmaker to win best picture, director and animated feature, while it delivered Netflix its first Oscar in the category.

The stop-motion adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s classic novel delvers del Toro his third Oscar, having previously won best picture and best director Academy Awards for his 2017 movie The Shape of Water.

It’s the first Academy Award for stop-motion vet Mark Gustafson, who directed alongside del Toro; producer Alexander Bulkley, a partner in animation production studio ShadowMachine; and del Toro’s longtime collaborator, producer Gary Ungar.

“It’s good to know that this art form that we love so much, stop-motion, is very much alive and well,” said Gustafson, accepting...

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, beating out Turning Red, The Sea Beast, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

This marks writer-director Guillermo del Toro’s third Oscar win and his first win in the Animated Feature category, as well as the first nomination and win for director Mark Gustafson and producers Alex Bulkley and Gary Ungar. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio also marks Netflix’s first win in the Best Animated Feature Oscar category.

“Animation is cinema,” said del Toro. “Animation is not a genre and animation is ready to be taken to the next step. We are all ready for it. Please help us keep animation in the conversation.”

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio delivers a visually stunning stop-motion adaptation of the Pinocchio fable, reimagining the story in 1930s Italy during the Fascist reign of Benito Mussolini.

Netflix is a real studio now.

The once and seemingly future king of streaming has taken home its first Oscar for Best Animated Feature for “​​Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” a stop-motion animated film that reimagines Carlo Collodi’s classic tale about a wooden puppet who comes to life.

Directed by del Toro, now a three-time Oscar winner, and Mark Gustafson, the film features the voices of Gregory Mann and David Bradley as Pinocchio and his father, the carpenter Geppetto, respectively, while Cate Blanchett, nominated for Best Actress again this year for her work in “TÁR,” voices the mistreated monkey Spazzatura. A visually stunning interpretation of the source material that leans into darker themes about life and death, the film fiercely proves that, despite some viewers’ preconceived notions and a frequent focus on kid-friendly stories, the animation genre is not just for children.

Following positive reviews from critics for its visuals and emotional storytelling,...