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In The Masked Singer season 12, singer and actress Aj Michalka placed third as Strawberry Shortcake, and she has some exciting career updates. Aj is one half of the duo, Aly & Aj, who are known for their hit song, "Potential Breakup Song." Aly and Aj are sisters. Aj is also an actress, who's starred in The Goldbergs and its spin-off, Schooled, among other projects. In The Masked Singer season 12, Aj came in third to runner-up Mario (Wasp) and winners Boyz II Men (Buffalos).

Throughout The Masked Singer season 12, Aj was one of the most spectacular singers in the show's history. She stunned the panelists--Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora--and the audience with her phenomenal performances. They included "Slow Burn" by Kacey Musgraves, "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus, "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack, "Closer" by Tegan and Sara, and "Lose You to Love Me" by Selena Gomez.

Warning! This Article Contains Major Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12 Group C contestant Strawberry Shortcake was one of the 15 mystery celebrity singers competing for the Golden Mask trophy, and she was unmasked during the semi-finals and revealed to be singer and actress Aj Michalka, who's best known for being one half of the musical duo, Aly & Aj. The Masked Singer host Nick Cannon returned for season 12, along with panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora. For the first time in the show's history, The Masked Singer has introduced Masked Ambassadors, who are alums of the show with special connections to the newest singers.

The Masked Singer season 12 began with Group A, which included Leaf Sheep (John Elway), Showbird (Yvette Nicole Brown), Woodpecker (Marsai Martin), Ship (Paula Cole), and finalists, the Buffalos. The Group B contestants consisted of finalist Wasp, Dust Bunny (Andy Richter...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 11 of “The Masked Singer,” “Semi Finals: Final Three,” which aired Wednesday, December 11 on Fox.

Aj Michalka was originally supposed to perform on “The Masked Singer” with her sister Aly, the other half of their Aly & Aj musical duo. But with Aly unavailable — she recently gave birth to her first child — Aj decided to give it a try as a solo act. And she went far: Aj Michalka was revealed on Wednesday’s penultimate Season 12 episode of “The Masked Singer” as Strawberry Shortcake.

“Initially, we were supposed to do it together, and we were like, this would be really fun to do as a team,” Michalka told Variety. “But it was going to be really tricky to schedule. So I ended up doing it on my own. And she fully supported it.

“The challenge and the excitement came from knowing that I had never...

Rita Ora is missing from The Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals promo, causing fans to panic about why she wasn't there after some have already expressed backlash about Nicole Scherzinger's continued absence for season 13 and Rita once again taking her place. The Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals will feature the Buffalos, Wasp, and Strawberry Shortcake battling it out for a spot in the season finale. Panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken, and Rita, along with host Nick Cannon have been trying to figure out their identities all season, but it seems that Rita will sit out the semi-finals.

Clips of Robin, Jenny, and Ken watching and enjoying the performances were shown, but Rita wasn't seen.

In a promo for the semi-finals posted by The Masked Singer via YouTube, clips of Robin, Jenny, and Ken watching and enjoying the performances were shown, but Rita wasn't seen. These performances included the Buffalos singing...

Warning! This Article Contains Major Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12 contestant Goo was one of the 15 mystery celebrity singers competing for the Golden Mask trophy, and, during the quarterfinals, he was unmasked and revealed to be NFL player, Kobie Turner. The Masked Singer season 12 welcomed back host Nick Cannon, along with panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora. For the first time ever, they were joined by Masked Ambassadors, who are alums from the show with special connections to the newest contestants.

The Masked Singer season 12 began with Group A, which included Leaf Sheep (John Elway), Showbird (Yvette Nicole Brown), Woodpecker (Marsai Martin), Ship (Paula Cole), and the Buffalos, the quarterfinalists. Goo was saved by the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell, after competing against his fellow Group B contestants, including fellow quarterfinalist Wasp, Dust Bunny (Andy Richter), Chess Piece (Laverne Cox...

The Masked Singer is back!

The quarter-finals of the mystery celebrity singing competition aired on Wednesday night (December 4) on Fox.

The show, which began in South Korea, features celebrities singing songs while wearing costumes and face masks concealing their identities until they’re eliminated. Throughout the season, the contestants provide clues to try and help the judges and fans figure out who is under the mask.

This season also features Ambassadors, who are all alums of the series, that have a special connection to each singer and will be providing major new clues about their friends’ identities.

During the episode, the Top Four – Wasp, Goo, Strawberry Shortcake, and Buffaloes – hit the stage for their quarter-finals performances.

While on stage, Buffaloes performed “You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain.

Click inside to check out all of the clues and guesses for Buffalo…Keep scrolling to check out the clues and guesses…...

Warning! This Article Contains Major Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals will have a brand-new twist, and the songs that the Final 3 will sing have been revealed. The Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals will feature three of the four quarterfinalists--Group A's Buffalos, Group B's Wasp and Goo (saved by the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell), and Group C's Strawberry Shortcake--battling it out for a spot in the finale. The quarterfinals will air on December 4, while the semi-finals will air on December 11. Panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora will try to decipher who's behind the masks.

For the first time ever, the Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals will combine the Battle Royale and the Smackdown into a round called the "Smack Royale."

According to The Futon Critic, The Masked Singer season 12 semi-finals episode is titled, "Semi-Finals: The Final Three." For the first time ever,...

Warning! This Article Contains Possible Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12's Group C winner Strawberry Shortcake has been a mystery since she debuted in the competition, but a clue in last night's Peanuts Night episode has all but confirmed her identity as singer and actress Aj Michalka, who's also one half of the duo Aly & Aj. Strawberry Shortcake first appeared on Who Are You Fest Night when she sang "Slow Burn" by Kacey Musgraves. She then performed "Wrecking Ball" on Miley Cyrus Night, and "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack on Peanuts Night.

During The Masked Singer season 12 Group C finals on Peanuts Night, Strawberry Shortcake went head-to-head with Sherlock Hound in the Battle Royale, during which they each sang their own spectacular versions of "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran. Sherlock Hound was unmasked and revealed to be Major League Baseball pitcher Bronson Arroyo,...

The Masked Singer Season 12: Which Quarterfinalists Got Eliminated in the Thanksgiving Episode? - Main Image

The Masked Singer season 12 had its A Peanuts Thanksgiving Night where three contestants performed some hit songs with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the gang.

The night went as usual with fun performances from the contestants with obscure mascots and appearances of our favorite characters from the Peanuts comics. However, two of them got eliminated in the end. Let's recap below.

Who Got Eliminated in The Masked Singer Season 12's A Peanuts Thanksgiving?

Group C performed some iconic songs with the Peanuts mascots in last night's Week 9 of The Masked Singer season 12 with all of them receiving loud applause from the studio audience.

Panelists Rita Ora and Robin Thicke also performed the '80s classic "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates which was met with enthusiastic response by the live audience and their fellow panelists.

Season 12 of “The Masked Singer” continued Wednesday night on Fox, with the Group C final in “Peanuts Night.” Following the studio audience vote, Royal Knight became the first singer eliminated, followed by Sherlock Hound, who lost a Battle Royale to Strawberry Shortcake. The doggy detective became the 10th eliminated singer of the season, and was revealed to be 2004 World Series champ Bronson Arroyo. Watch our video interview above.

While waiting for host Nick Cannon to read the results, the former pitcher admits, “I was definitely nervous. Anytime you get in a position where you’re fighting for something, or just competing, it doesn’t matter if it’s playing jacks as a kid or ping-pong, you get a little competitive fire. I can definitely take a loss with the best of them, but you get nervous and you want to move on to the next round and do your best.

Warning! This Article Contains Major Spoilers About The Masked Singer Season 12!The Masked Singer season 12 quarterfinals songs have been revealed after the show's shockingThanksgiving Week shakeup, which will air the Group C finals Peanuts Night on Thanksgiving Night, instead of in its usual Wednesday night time slot. On Wednesday, November 27, a repeat episode of the Group C premiere will air. Then, on Thanksgiving on November 28, the final three Group C contestants--Strawberry Shortcake, Royal Knight, and Sherlock Hound--will battle it out for a spot in the Masked Singer season 12 quarterfinals, alongside Group A's Buffalos and Group B's Wasp and Goo.

The episode will include pivotal clues, and feature the contestants singing "Standing Next To You," "Iris," "Closer" and "You're Still The One."

According to The Futon Critic, The Masked Singer season 12 quarterfinals will air on Wednesday, December 4, and feature the quarterfinalists--Buffalos, Wasp, Goo, and the Group C winner, who'll be...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” “Who Are You Fest Night,” which aired November 13 on Fox.

It may have been a wipeout, but surfer Bethany Hamilton told Variety that she still enjoyed her brief appearance on “The Masked Singer.” Hamilton was the latest celebrity to be unmasked, revealed to be the star under the Macaron costume as the show’s Group C competition got underway on Wednesday’s episode.

“I wanted to originally do ‘The Masked Singer’ just because I thought it would be fun,” Hamilton said. “I sing to my children every day and thought maybe I’d get better at singing. And it’s also an opportunity to encourage people, and that’s what my life is all about.”

Among the show’s panelists, Rita Ora got it right, naming Bethany Hamilton — and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg agreed. Ken Jeong though it was Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

Paramount’s free streaming service Pluto TV has revealed its November highlights. The Pluto TV November 2024 lineup serves up a delicious selection of TV shows, movies, and new channels, including the return of their Season’s Greetings category and a cornucopia of fresh options.

For those inspired to trace their roots, check out PBS Genealogy to explore the fascinating and emotional histories of the famous and not-so-famous. And if the dinner conversation turns competitive (as it often does), settle it with the new Family Feud channel, hosted by Steve Harvey.

As a special holiday gift to you, Pluto TV is bringing back Pluto TV 007! Dive into 20 official James Bond films, including Daniel Craig in No Time to Die, now streaming for free. Whether you’re a longtime James Bond fan or just discovering the legend, enjoy the 007 experience on Pluto TV.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service,...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 5 of “The Masked Singer,” “Barbie Night,” which aired October 23 on Fox.

Check mate. “Orange Is the New Black” star Laverne Cox was the next celebrity to be eliminated on “The Masked Singer,” revealed on Wednesday’s episode to be the celebrity under the Chess Piece costume.

None of the panelists got it right. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg said it was Serena Williams. Ken Jeong though it was Issa Rae. Robin Thicke named Misty Copeland. Rita Ora said it was Tyra Banks.

“As a kid, I was a rich target for others to tease. It seemed like every piece of me was something others could poke at,” Cox-as-Chess-Piece said in her “Masked Singer” voiceover. “And on top of that, I loved Barbie. But the part that hurt was that I wasn’t allowed to play with her. The criticism and scrutiny continued over the years and...

The channel is the first single-ip Fast network dedicated exclusively to the world of Pocket Monsters!

Pluto TV is one of the best-known and most-used free streaming platforms on the market already, and there’s a good chance that families with kids are about to start using the service even more. That’s because on Tuesday, Pluto announced it was launching the first-ever free ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) channel dedicated exclusively to the Pokémon franchise.

Key Details: Pluto’s new Pokémon channel is the first to ever be solely dedicated to that intellectual property. The channel will offer episodes from 22 different seasons of the Pokémon anime. Pluto is also adding the “Go Go Gadget” channel and the “Strawberry Shortcake and Friends” channels. Watch Now Free Pluto.TV

The Pluto TV Pokémon channel is available to viewers in the United States now. The network is being launched in conjunction with The Pokemon Company International and WildBrain,...

Two of the most beloved childhood icons, Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears, are joining forces for a brand-new animated special, as announced by WildBrain. The special, tentatively titled “The Care Berry Switch”, is a 44-minute animated preschool special being co-developed by WildBrain and Cloudco Entertainment, with production led by WildBrain’s Vancouver studio. The upcoming special will celebrate Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears with a retro-inspired style, reflecting the colorful vibes of the 1980s. Fans of these classic franchises can expect a mix of old-school animation styles and modern twists, making it a treat for both those who grew up with these characters and a new generation of fans.

WildBrain aims to include lessons about friendship, kindness, and positivity in this special. The storyline will reportedly involve an adventure that requires the beloved residents of Strawberryland to work alongside the Care Bears to solve a mystery and bring cheer back to their worlds.

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 2 of “The Masked Singer,” “Footloose Night” which aired October 2 on Fox.

Wednesday night’s “The Masked Singer” reveal was an emotional one for “Community” star Yvette Nicole Brown, who was unmasked as Showbird on episode 2 of Season 12. As Brown was taping the episode she was also dealing with some personal matters involving the care of her father.

“Some of it felt heavy because I’m singing, but I’m thinking, ‘is daddy Ok,’” she told Variety. “But by the time I was revealed, I was able to kind of let that all out. Plus I got to surprise Ken, and it was everything that I hoped it would be!”

That’s “Ken” as in “The Masked Singer” panelist Ken Jeong, Brown’s “Community” co-star who of course guessed her right. Among the other panelists, Robin Thicke agreed with Jeong, while Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg thought it was Taraji P. Henson.

There are some very cool options available to viewers who are about to be blocked from Disney+ thanks to new password-sharing rules.

The days of sharing a friend’s Disney+ account are just about over. On Wednesday, Disney unveiled full details regarding its paid sharing program, which will allow Disney+ account holders to pay an extra $7 per month to add someone outside their household to their Basic subscription. It’s likely that many viewers who are now borrowing someone else’s password will lose their access thanks to password-sharing restrictions that are being enforced by Disney these days, and if this describes your situation, we’ll walk you through some good options for leaving Disney+ behind and saving money as well.

On-Demand Replacements for Disney+ Paramount+

Paramount+ is a great way to help replace Disney+ in your streaming lineup. You’ll have to pay for this streamer, but an account...

In the wake of ten new horror movies releasing last week, this week is bringing even more fresh frights to the table. Today alone, Eleven new movies have already been offered up.

Here’s all the new horror that released on Tuesday, September 24, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

Breaking Glass Pictures celebrates Halloween with Hayride to Hell, an indie movie that reunites horror legends Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder. It’s now available on VOD outlets.

The team previews, “Bill Moseley, known for his roles in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and House of 1000 Corpses, brings his intense, chilling presence to the role of Farmer Sam. Kane Hodder, famous for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in four Friday the 13th films, adds his unique, menacing charm as the corrupt Sheriff Jubel. Their pairing makes Hayride to Hell a must-see for horror enthusiasts...

Futurama is finally back with season 12, and here are all eight of the show's non-canon anthology episodes, ranked. Non-canon anthology episodes have been a staple of Futurama since season 2's "Anthology of Interest I," with these special compilations being included in almost every season since. While the Futurama non-canon anthology episodes have ranged in quality since their introduction, they all have something of value. So, here is a breakdown of each segment in Futurama's various non-canon anthology episodes, including which of the eight are the best.

Futurama is finally back, with Hulu reviving the beloved Matt Groening sci-fi series for an eleventh season more than a decade after the series last went off the air. The success of the streaming service's Futurama revival has led to the release of a twelfth season, bringing back the Planet Express crew for more wacky sci-fi adventure. Futurama season 12, episode 9, "The Futurama Mystery...

The company Ben Cooper, Inc. is one of the biggest game-changers in the history of the Halloween holiday, responsible for mass producing the very first licensed Halloween costumes that children in America ever had at their disposal. The plastic masks. The vinyl smocks. Ben Cooper’s costumes have truly become as iconic as the characters they transformed us into.

Bloody Disgusting has learned that Nacelle will release Dressing Up Halloween: The Story of Ben Cooper, Inc. on September 24, a brand new documentary that explores the company’s history and legacy.

Nacelle previews, “On Halloween the streets were filled with little Draculas, Spider-Mans and Luke Skywalkers, thanks to Ben Cooper, Inc. Ben’s grandson reunites with former Ben Cooper, Inc. employees at their old factory to talk about the lasting impact of the costumes and many of their top licenses, including Star Wars, Universal Monsters, Batman, Masters of the Universe, Strawberry Shortcake and more.

‘Peppa Pig’ Writer Part Of Kartoon’s ‘Winnie-The-Pooh’ Team

Just days after unveiling a $30M, multi-year Winnie-the-Pooh plan, Kartoon Studios has unveiled its writing, directing and commercial team. Sam Morrison, who was part of the writing team for Nickelodeon’s Peppa Pig, has been named Head Writer, with Emmy winnner Michale Maliani the director. Kids TV industry veteran Paul Robinson, who was former Managing Director of Disney Channel Worldwide and is the current President of Kartoon Channel! Worldwide & Head of International Sales, will handle international distribution and former Paramount Pictures, Electronic Arts and Dic Entertainment exec Ryan Gagerman has been appointed Head of Global Licensing. He’s known for rolling out Strawberry Shortcake, on which he previously worked with Kartoon Chairman and CEO Andy Heyward. As part of Kartoon’s plan to make several feature films and a series based on A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books, a retail deal was...

Exclusive: Sky Kids is developing children’s book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding as an animated special, as David Levine’s Lightboat Media supercharges its focus on stories with LGBTQ+ stories at their core.

Sarah S. Brannen’s story, told through the eyes of a young girl, Chloe, who learns her beloved Uncle Bobby is getting married to his boyfriend, Jamie. Initially concerned that she’ll no longer be his favorite, she realizes she’ll actually be gaining another uncle after a fun-filled day out with the couple.

The kids division of UK network Sky is developing it as a 30-minute special for June 2025, in time for Pride, with former Moonbug Entertainment and Disney exec Levine in active development on the project. Michael Vogel is attached as the writer.

Lightboat is eyeing co-production, distributor and pre-buying commissioner partners ahead of the KidScreen Summit in San Diego,...

Cr. Colleen Hayes/Netflix © 2023.

The holiday season is upon us. That means the release of brand-new Christmas-themed movies, series, and specials. Below, we’ll track everything coming to Netflix over the next several weeks.

If you want help picking out a Christmas movie, series, or special, you can sift through all of Netflix’s Christmas titles here or use category codes to sort through them on Netflix itself.

Please note that this list was originally a coming soon post and has been updated to reflect other licensed new movies that have dropped on Netflix in the US and UK.

Table of Contents New Global Netflix Original and Licensed Christmas Movies in 2023 New Christmas Movies and Specials on Netflix US Motion Picture Corporation of America Collection Added to Netflix Internationally New Christmas Movies Coming Soon - 2024 & Beyond New Global Netflix Original and Licensed Christmas Movies in 2023 Love at First Sight...

The latest episode of "Futurama," titled "The Prince and the Product," is the show's seventh anthology episode, and it's the weirdest one to date.

The "Futurama" anthology episodes began back in the series' second season with "Anthology of Interest I", and featured stories that were too outlandish, even for the already-bizarre show. The conceit behind the anthology format, at least at first, was merely to sensationalize the drama in a 1950s style, complete with an over-the-top announcer (Maurice Lamarche) yelling things like "You've seen it! Now you can't unsee it!" As the show progressed, however -- and the showrunners wanted to get even wilder -- the conceit fell away, and anthology shows would be presented just for fun.

The episode "Reincarnation", for instance, merely featured a trio of segments in different animation formats. One was a black-and-white Ub Iwerks-style cartoon, another appeared to have been animated on an Atari...

Like the first day of Lollapalooza 2023, Day Two featured competing headliners that vied for some 100,000+ people’s attention. On one side was the 1975, whose frontman Matty Healy has been making headlines, and on the other was one of the greatest rappers of all time, Kendrick Lamar.

Unlike Thursday, where it felt like every person was there to see Billie Eilish, Friday’s finales were more equally divided. So while Lamar headlined the bigger end of the park, both artists’ sides were comfortably packed at set time.

Of course, there was...

Chinese video streaming firm iQiyi has teamed with Canada’s Wildbrain to jointly produce kids’ animation series “Jonny Jetboy.” The series was hatched by Keith Chapman, creator of “Paw Patrol” and “Bob The Builder” and will run to an initial forty 11-minute episodes.

The story follows Jonny Jones, the youngest member of a family of heroes as he learns to become a superhero like his JetForce family. They are committed to protecting the high-tech city Calamity Canyon, from its many villains. Jonny wields a JetGlove and is the fastest member of the force, but often he struggles to control his special powers.

The deal marks first global partnership for original China IP struck by WildBrain’s dedicated Shanghai team. Now under way, production is taking place at China’s WingSing Animation Studio with WildBrain acting as supervisor. Delivery is scheduled for 2023.

The Canadian company is also handling global distribution and licensing outside of Greater China.

The animated series adaptation of “The Supernatural Academy” books by Jaymin Eve has been ordered at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.

Variety originally reported the series was in the works from 41 Entertainment back in October 2019. The half-hour series will debut on Peacock on Jan. 20, 2022. The first season will consist of 16 episodes.

Like the books, the show chronicles an otherworldly adventure of sisters marked at birth. One twin sister was raised in the Supernatural world, confident and popular. The other was raised in the human world, an offbeat outsider. Now they’re about to be reunited at the Supernatural Academy, and neither one of them is thrilled about it. These adversarial twins will have to learn to get over their differences and trust each other in order to save themselves and save the world.

“It is so incredible to see my original story come to life in this high-quality animation project,...

Univision, fresh off the closing of its sale to new owners and installing a new senior management team, is launching a new foray into the streaming wars.

The Hispanic media company announced plans to launch PrendeTV, which it says will be the only dedicated streaming service aimed at a U.S. Latino audience with free, ad-supported Spanish-language programming. PrendeTV is set to debut later in the first quarter of 2020 with 30-plus channels and 10,000 hours of on-demand programming.

PrendeTV (prende.tv) will comprise Spanish-language movies and TV series, including novelas, comedies, classic sports, documentaries, lifestyle shows and children’s programming. The service will be the exclusive streaming home for a range of programming drawn from Univision and Televisa’s libraries.

While Univision’s PrendeTV may represent the first free U.S. streaming service fully dedicated to Spanish-language programming, other AVOD providers feature Hispanic content as part of their offerings. Those include NBCUniversal’s Peacock Latino,...

Long ago, during a brief “ecstasy phase,” Eddie Vedder tried to write some techno music. “I was listening to all this stuff on ecstasy,” he told me in 2006, during an all-night chat in a Cleveland hotel room. “But I was wondering, ‘Are they writing it on ecstasy?’ I decided that the pure way to do it is to actually take ecstasy, and then write ecstasy music. That didn’t work out. But I enjoyed the ecstasy.” Around the same time, guitarist Stone Gossard revealed a desire to experiment with Pearl...

Melanie Martinez is taking her fans on a fantastical trip. In her directorial debut, the singer presented “K-12” in Los Angeles Tuesday (Sept. 3), ahead of the film’s worldwide one-night-only release on Sept. 5. The colorful feature-length production was financed by Martinez’s label, Atlantic Records, totaling an investment of $5 million to $6 million, she estimates.

A coming-of-age fantasy tale, “K-12” follows the character Cry Baby, played by Martinez, to a boarding school whose student body includes kids with magical powers, evil adults and angels who descend from above. As the story unfolds against a kaleidoscopic backdrop (Fernanda Guerrero served as production designer), real issues are tackled, including bullying, transphobia and gender inequality.

“Showing societal conditioning was a big goal of mine,” Martinez told Variety at the “K-12” L.A. premiere. “I thought it was the perfect metaphor. School being like this thing that we have to go through and learn from...

Garfield, the lasagna-loving comic-strip feline, has a new owner.

The lazy cat has for more than 40 years been the property of owner Jon Arbuckle, a socially awkward fellow who must indulge his pet’s debilitating laziness and constant sarcasm. But in weeks to come, the character will become one more element in Viacom’s vast Nickelodeon portfolio of intellectual property, taking his place alongside SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora The Explorer and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Viacom has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Paws, Inc., the entity that holds all global intellectual property rights to both “Garfield” as well as “U.S. Acres,” another Davis creation, including corresponding rights related to content, consumer products, and location-based experiences. The acquisition is expected to close in the upcoming weeks. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the character is said to generate millions of dollars a year in merchandise alone.

“I’m...

“Toyland, Toyland…”I know, Christmas was seven weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have some fun at the multiplex with some of our favorite playtime pals. The studios have been raiding the toy chest in search of film franchises for decades, from Raggedy Ann and Andy (originally a cartoon short from the Fleischers) to the cult favorite Clue in the 1980s (trivia question staple: it had three endings). Now with longtime movie series based on GI Joe and Transformers, toys have become as much a source material as comic books and TV shows. But could these product-spawned flicks actually be witty and (gasp) satirical, even entertaining to adults? Pixar certainly tested the waters with their first hit feature back in 1995 Toy Story (which included kid superstars like Mr. Potato Head and Barbie alongside original characters). Jump ahead 20 years and some great comedy talents garnered big...

In a highly competitive situation, Apple has made a deal with Dhx Media to produce new “Peanuts” content for the tech giant’s upcoming streaming service, Variety has learned.

Dhx and its subsidiary, Peanuts Worldwide, will develop and produce original series, specials and shorts based on the iconic gang of characters created by Charles M. Schulz.

As part of the partnership, Dhx will produce original short-form Stem content that will be exclusive to Apple featuring astronaut Snoopy. Peanuts Worldwide and Nasa recently signed a Space Act Agreement, designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and the Stem fields among the next generation of students.

Dhx acquired a large stake in the “Peanuts” gang in May 2017. The $345 million deal also gave Dhx control of the “Strawberry Shortcake” franchise, adding to a children’s programming portfolio that also includes “Teletubbies,” “Caillou,” “Inspector Gadget,” and the “Degrassi” franchise.

Schulz debuted the characters...

Popeye, the 89-year-old spinach-powered mariner, will be launching his first new adventures in more than a decade in new animated originals slated to debut on the brand’s YouTube channel.

The new material will come under a pact between WildBrain, a digital kids’ network and studio, and Hearst’s King Features Syndicate, which handles licensing for the Popeye franchise. WildBrain will create new animated content in the “squash-and-stretch” animation style of Popeye, in collaboration with King Features.

Also under the agreement, WildBrain will take over management of the “Popeye and Friends Official” channel on YouTube, launched in January 2017, with an eye toward boosting its audience. Initially, WildBrain plans to produce new compilations of Popeye classic cartoons, drawing from shows including “Popeye,” “Popeye and Son,” and “The Continuing Adventures of Popeye.”

It’s worth noting that King Features is focusing on YouTube and digital platforms to serve as Popeye’s anchor — not TV.