3D Animation Roundup: ME AND MY SHADOW, DESPICABLE ME MINIONS And DWA Acquires Casper, Voltron And More...

Tons of 3D animation news this week! Lets start off with a poster from Dreamworks Animation and their all-star cast for the upcoming 2014 film ME AND MY SHADOW, featuring Josh Gad (Love and Other Drugs), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) and Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, Something Borrowed).

Animation veteran Alessandro Carloni, who most recently served as head of story on DreamWorks Animation's Academy Award-nominated HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, will make his directorial debut on Me & My Shadow. Melissa Cobb (KUNG FU PANDA 1 and 2) will produce and Jeff Hermann (KUNG FU PANDA 1 and 2) will co-produce. Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember (GET SMART) are writing the screenplay. The original script was written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman.

When recently asked about traditional hand drawn animation, DreamWorks Animation Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke spoke about the hybrid animation in ME AND MY SHADOW:

"Me And My Shadow, which is out in spring of 2014, is a combination of CG and traditional hand drawn animation. There is a reason to tell the story in that fashion. It's about what would happen if your shadow, that has been following you around and basically just follows what you do your whole life, just stood up and took over. The shadows will be animated hand drawn, and the other characters will be CG animated. There is a reason to do it [hand drawn animation] that felt creatively interesting."

Here's the storyline for ME & MY SHADOW:
Me And My Shadow reveals the once secret world of shadows and their human counterparts. Stan, our hero's shadow, yearns for a more exciting life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, a timid guy with an extreme aversion to adventure. When a crime in the shadow world puts both of their lives in danger, Stan is forced to take control of Stanley. They go on a madcap adventure to investigate the crime and stop the shadow villain from leading a rebellion where shadows take over the human world. During this adventure, Stan empowers Stanley to let go of his fears and embrace life. Through their adventure, they both learn that one cannot be whole without a true friend. 

Look for ME AND MY SHADOW in the Spring of 2013. Here's the official Facebook page.


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One of the best features of the DESPICABLE ME franchise are those minions. They are pretty irresistible aren't they? Very funny stuff indeed. In fact, they are so irresistible that they have secured their own movie!

Yes, according to Deadline, Universal Picture are going to spawn a spin off movie from the original franchise.

Apparently Pierre Coffin (DESPICABLE ME) will direct with Kyle Balda (THE LORAX) acting as co-director and Brian Lynch (PUSS IN BOOTS) writing the screenplay.

Look for the minions in their own big screen movie in 2014.


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And back to Dreamworks Animation - HUGE news. The studio has just acquired a treasure trove of characters and properties from Classic Media. Just how classic? How about Casper The Friendly Ghost, The Lone Ranger (doesn't affect the Disney movie that's about to pop), Voltron, George Of The Jungle, Rocky And Bullwinkle, Lassie and Where's Waldo?, not to mention all the characters in the Golden Books series. The price of the deal was valued at $155m.


Congratulations to everyone involved and continued success with these iconic brands.

Here's the official press release:
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Classic Media, owner of one of the most extensive portfolios featuring many of the best-known and most-enduring franchises in all of family entertainment, for $155 million in cash from Boomerang Media Holdings I LLC, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR.


Classic Media’s library of intellectual property, which is focused on family characters and brands, features a vast collection of filmed entertainment with over 450 titles and more than 6,100 episodes of animated and live-action programming. Classic Media owns one of the world’s largest comic book archives and media rights to the titles in the Golden Books library, which have sold over two billion copies worldwide. Their properties have been distributed in over 170 territories around the globe.


With well-established titles such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Where’s Waldo?, Lassie, The Lone Ranger, George of the Jungle and Rocky And Bullwinkle, Classic Media’s properties have been a fixture in mainstream entertainment for decades. The Christmas Classics – Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – are the longest-running, highest-rated holiday specials in television history. Classic Media counts among its holdings contemporary bestsellers such as VeggieTales and the beloved Olivia property, as well as hits Postman Pat and Noddy in international markets.


“Classic Media brings a large and diverse collection of characters and branded assets that is extremely complementary to DreamWorks Animation’s franchise business, and we plan to leverage it across our motion picture, television, home entertainment, consumer products, digital, theme park and live entertainment channels,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. “Founders and co-CEOs Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman – seasoned executives with over 20 years of industry experience and a proven track record of success in managing high-quality content – have built an amazing team at Classic Media and are a welcome addition to the DreamWorks Animation family.”


Classic Media has approximately 80 employees and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in the UK and a division, Big Idea Entertainment, in Nashville, TN.


“No company knows the family entertainment business better than DreamWorks Animation and we are excited to join their family in a natural extension of our long-standing relationship that began years ago on Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” said Eric Ellenbogen, co-CEO of Classic Media. “Classic Media brings to the table extensive rights to some of the most beloved family entertainment brands in the world. Our combination with DreamWorks Animation will expand the opportunities for us and for our content and distribution partners around the globe.”


Classic Media’s joint venture with Jay Ward Productions, a legend in animation, manages the rights to the entire Jay Ward animated catalog, which includes Rocky And Bullwinkle and Mr. Peabody And Sherman. DreamWorks Animation’s 3D feature film Mr. Peabody And Sherman is scheduled for release on December 25, 2013.


“For over 75 years, Classic Media’s iconic properties have entertained kids and families around the world with a unique, cross-generational appeal that is also a defining characteristic of DreamWorks Animation’s films,” added Bill Damaschke, Chief Creative Officer at DreamWorks Animation. “We believe their characters and brands will continue to serve as a creative magnet for the industry’s top directors, producers and artists.”


For the 12 months ended February 29, 2012, Classic Media earned net revenue of $82.2 million and operating profit of $19.2 million.The acquisition of Classic Media will be financed through a combination of cash and borrowings under DreamWorks Animation’s revolving credit facility. The purchase price of $155 million includes amounts required to retire indebtedness.


“As part of DreamWorks Animation’s ongoing diversification strategy, this acquisition combines our hit-driven business with Classic Media’s extensive and sustainable library revenue stream,” added Lew Coleman, DreamWorks Animation’s President and Chief Financial Officer. “We expect the transaction to be accretive to our earnings in the first full year following the completion of the acquisition.”


The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. DreamWorks Animation expects that the transaction will be completed during the quarter ended September 30, 2012.


J.P. Morgan Chase And Co. acted as financial advisor and Cravath, Swaine And Moore LLP and O’Melveny And Myers LLP served as legal advisors to DreamWorks Animation in connection with the transaction. Jefferies And Company, Inc. acted as financial advisor and Kirkland And Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Classic Media in connection with the transaction.

Dreamworks Animation's Production Slate AND Photos Of KUNG FU PANDA 2's New Characters!

I have said it before and I will say it again: Dreamworks Animation is amping up their game to the point where I was guessing that they might actually take home the Oscar this year, rather than Pixar (But really, TOY STORY 3 was just about perfect). Any other year and I think DWA had it. They are that good. And getting better.

And speaking of better - KUNG FU PANDA was amazing! We all knew we would get a chance to revisit the Jack Black led gang after the worldwide acclaim the original has received. I have some shots of the new characters that will be in KFP2 and I have placed the pics throughout the post. Here are their descriptions:

- The Wolf Boss and his pack were once guards in Gongmen City’s royal palace. Now he is Lord Shen’s most loyal servant, military strategist and trusted right paw.
- The Gorillas are the muscle in Lord Shen’s army. If his evil schemes require any heavy lifting, they’ll be the ones doing it. Shen’s personal guard is made up entirely of these powerful (and powerfully large) brutes, who are honor bound to their master.
- The aged Soothsayer has been advisor to the Peacocks, rulers of Gongmen City, her entire life. She is wise and gifted with knowledge of the future.
- Lord Shen is hyper intelligent, supremely lethal, and burns with ambition. It’s a combustible combination. He’s intent on wiping out kung fu and taking over China. That puts him on a collision course with Po and The Five.

So, what about Dreamworks Animation's other plans? How about their production slate up to summer 2014? Here it is!

- KUNG FU PANDA 2, May 26, 2011
- PUSS IN BOOTS, November 4, 2011
- MADAGASCAR 3, June 8, 2012
- RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, November 21, 2012
- THE CROODS, March 1, 2013
- TURBO, June 7, 2013
- ME AND MY SHADOW, November 8, 2013
- MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN, March 21, 2014
- HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, June 20, 2014

"At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we’re unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation.

Here are more details about each individual movie:

KUNG FU PANDA 2 will be released on May 26, 2011. It is being directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda), produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda) and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda). It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh. In the sequel, Po is living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po’s life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins… only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

PUSS IN BOOTS will be released on November 4, 2011. It is directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and produced by Joe Aguilar (Merry Madagascar) and Latifa Ouaou (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Tom Wheeler (The Cape). Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. It’s the adventure of nine lifetimes!

MADAGASCAR 3 will be released on June 8, 2012. It is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and produced by Mireille Soria (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and Mark Swift (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa). It is being written by Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and once again stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce. The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel. It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

THE CROODS will be released on March 1, 2013. It is being written and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) and Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) and produced by Kristine Belson (How to Train Your Dragon) and Jane Hartwell (Shrek). It stars Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman. The Croods is a comedy adventure that takes us back to a previously undiscovered era in the history of our planet known as the Croodaceous, when nature was still a work-in-progress… full of never-before- seen creatures and landscapes. Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as an imaginative and resourceful newcomer helps the Croods navigate their way through the fantastic world beyond their cave.

TURBO will be released on June 7, 2013. It is being directed by David Soren (Merry Madagascar), who first brought the project to the studio, and produced by Lisa Stewart (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After) together with Soren. Turbo tells the story of an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become the fastest snail in the world. When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make this dream come true.

In ME AND MY SHADOW, which will be released on November 8, 2013, the studio will pioneer a groundbreaking combination of both CG and traditional animation techniques seamlessly together throughout the film. The film is directed by Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, The Emperor’s New Groove) and produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) and Teresa Cheng (Shrek Forever After, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). It is being written by Tom Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart). Me and My Shadow tells the story of Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world’s most boring human. Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World – “They lead, we follow” – and takes control of Stanley!

MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN will be released on March 21, 2014. It is directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) and produced by Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little) and Denise Nolan Cascino (Megamind). It is being written by Craig Wright (United States of Tara, Six Feet Under). Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Bullwinkle Studio’s Tiffany Ward and Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Robert Downey Jr. Based on Jay Ward’s classic cartoon, Mr. Peabody is the world’s smartest person who happens to be a dog. He and his “pet” boy Sherman discover that someone has stolen their time traveling WABAC machine and is changing moments in history to disastrous and comical results. It’s up to this most unexpected of father-son teams to somehow put a stop to this villain before his actions destroy the space-time continuum in Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated original film from 2010, will be released on June 20, 2014. It is being directed and written by Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon) and produced by Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon). Also based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the sequel is being executive produced by Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) together with DeBlois. How to Train Your Dragon 2 again stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller and Kristen Wiig.

All in all an impressive lineup and a challenge for DWA to keep dishing out the good stuff. In glorious stereoscopic 3D of course! I will have more info on these tentpoles as they become available.

Source: The Film Stage