Tangled (formerly Rapunzel)

The forthcoming DVD and Blu Ray release of Disney's The Princess and the Frog features a very brief teaser for Tangled, their forthcoming update of the Rapunzel tale. The film is due for release in November 2010 and, whilst a CGI animation, the imagery does seem to capture that classic Disney look.

Coraline

New trailer for Henry Selick's CGI film, based on a story by Neil Gaiman.

Wall E

Prior to the film's DVD release, Slashfilm has an interesting selection of early concept art from the film.

Fear(s) of the Dark

Cinematical has a couple of clips from the French animated horror anthology, Fear(s) of the Dark, which is icking up positive reviews around t'internet.

Bolt!

Slashfilm has a four minute clip from the opening section of Disney's next animated fim, which will be released November 21st

Bolt!

'Bolt' Extended Clip @ Yahoo! Video

Three and a half minute clip from Disney's next, which has apparently been subject to some extensive reworking at the hand of Disney's new head of animation (and Pixar head honcho) John Lassetter.

Source: Slashfilm

100 Years of Animation

100 years ago (17 August to be exact) saw the release of the first animated film,Fantasmagorie. Animated by French artist Émile Cohl the short consists of over 700 double exposed drawings, and runs less than two minutes.

The original cartoon is above.

Source: Slashfilm.com

The Princess and The Frog

Disney have released some concept art from the Princess and the Frog, their much awaited return to 2d animation. More images can be found here.

The film is due for a Christmas 2009 release

Source: Slashfilm.com

Madagascar 2

Is apparently out this November, although this is the first I heard of it. Heres the poster, courtesy of Cinematical

Batman : Gotham Knight

Following some behind the scenes and unofficial trailers a while back, here is the official trailer for Gotham Knights, the straight to DVD animated film which links Batman Begins to the Dark Knight, via a variety of respected directors and comic book writers.

Batman Gotham Knight - Official Trailer


Source: Aint it Cool News

Wall E / Presto

Pixar are known for putting a short film before most of their theatrical films, and the forthcoming Wall E is no exception. Presto, the film in question, tells the story of Alec, a magician's rabbit who becomes increasingly disgruntled as a hat trick involving him makes his master famous. When the magician goes out to dinner one night, he leaves Alec locked in a cage, gazing longingly at a carrot just out of reach.



Source: Cinematical

Pixar / Disney

At a recent press event Disney / Pixar gave details of their forthcoming animated films through to Christmas 2012. The slate is certainly diverse, with a few surprises (is anyone really crying out for Cars 2). The studio also announced that al their forthcoming films will be released in 3D, much to the disapointment of Cyclops and Pirates everywhere.

June 27, 2008: Wall-E

November 26, 2008: Bolt
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Producer: Clark Spencer
Voice Talent: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman
For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue -- at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet -- a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions -- a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman), and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino -- Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") brings her vocal talents to the role of Penny, Bolt's human co-star on the television series.

May 29, 2009: Up
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Pete Docter
Co-Director: Bob Peterson
Producer: Jonas Rivera
Writer: Bob Peterson Voice Talent: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Jordan Nagai
Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. "Up" takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.


Oct 2, 2009: Toy Story 3D

Christmas 2009: The Princess and the Frog
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Producer: Peter Del Vecho
Composer: Randy Newman
Voice Talent: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman
A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, "The Princess and the Frog" marks Disney's return to the timeless art form of traditional animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," with Oscar(R)-winning composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told ...with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator.

Feb 12, 2010: Toy Story 2 3D

June 18, 2010: Toy Story 3
Director: Lee Unkrich
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Writer: Michael Arndt
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty
The creators of the beloved "Toy Story" films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in "Toy Story 3." Lee Unkrich (co-director of "Toy Story 2" and "Finding Nemo") directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award(R)-winning screenwriter of "Little Miss Sunshine," brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.

Christmas 2010: Rapunzel
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Glen Keane, Dean Wellins
Producer: Roy Conli
In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair ... lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010 holiday.

Summer 2011: Newt
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Producer: Richard Hollander
Writers: Gary Rydstrom, Leslie Caveny
What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can't stand each other? That's the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of "newt," the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award(R) winner for sound Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short, "Lifted." Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.

Christmas 2011: The Bear and the Bow
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brenda Chapman
Producer: Katherine Sarafian
Voice Talent: Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson
A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar's action-adventure "The Bear and the Bow." The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. Director Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt," "The Lion King") and the storytelling wizards of Pixar conjure humor, fantasy and excitement in this rich Highland tale.

Summer 2012: Cars 2
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brad Lewis
All the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the "Cars" saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe. "Cars 2" is being directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar(R)- winning film "Ratatouille."

Christmas 2012: King of the Elves
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
Producer: Chuck Williams
Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick's short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.

Source: chud.com

South Park

Although not strictly movie related, fans of South Park may want to head over to the new official website which, amongst other items, features streaming versions of every show released. Even better, the episodes are absolutely free of charge.

The one caveat is that UK and Australian viewers will have to wait a little while longer until they can use the service, due to some rights difficulties. Of course, the more IT literate of you will know this is not something that is particularly difficult to circumvent.

As far as I am aware this is the first time the entirety of a major series has been placed online for free, and it will be interesting to see whether other shows follow suit.

Source: Cinematical.

Heavy Metal

In today's second remake news, plans are afoot for a revival of Heavy Metal, the 80's animated fantasy film. This new version is intended to be a portmentau effort , under the supervision of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle creator Kevin Eastman. The film, like the original, will be R rated.

The biggest news on the project however is that David Fincher has been tapped to direct one of the segments, which opens up some interesting possibilities as to what the Fight Club auteur will produce in the animated medium. Other big name directors will apparently be announced in the near future

Source: Variety

Wall-E

The final trailer for the forthcoming Pixar animation is online exclusively at Apple here

Monsters vs Aliens

Details on the voice cast of the forthcoming Dreamworks animated comedy 'Monsters Vs Aliens', together with some promotional images, have been released.

The film, a spoof of 1950's sci fi and monster movies, will feature Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland and Will Arnett.

The film will be released, in 3D no less, in March 2009.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

Gotham Knight

As the behind the scenes clip posted a few weeks ago seems to have been pulled, here's a few stills from 'Gotham Knight' the new animated Batman DVD which will hit shelves before The Dark Knight premieres. The film features a selection of stories, with some big name comic writers on board, animated in an anime style. The film is intended to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, in a similar style to the Animatrix.





Source: Kung Fu Rodeo

Destino

Destino was an intended collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. The film was begun in the 1940's but abandoned. In 2003 Roy Disney finished the project and since then the film has been shown at a number of festivals. The short (15 min) film is now being released on DVD, with a host of extras, as part of the Disney's Treasures series.

Below is a short clip from the film, which combines classic era Disney animation with Dali's surreal imagery.

The film is set for a November 11th release in the USA, with no UK date as of yet




Source: Cinematical

Toy Story 3

In an article regarding computer game adaptations of forthcoming movies, the Wall Street Journal gives a first indication of the plot of the upcoming Toy Story 3. The short description is as follows :-

In Pixar’s upcoming movie “Toy Story 3,” Woody the cowboy and his toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college.

This outline certainly seems more in line with the themes explored in Toy Story 2 than the previous plan for the film, which involved the characters traveling to Japan.

Toy Story 3 will be released (in 3D) in Summer 2010.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Cinematical

Akira

Warner Brothers have announced a live action remake to 'Akira', which will hit cinemas in two parts in 2009.

The original Japanese film was to a large extent responsible for introducing anime to a western audience, and has been a major influence on sci-fi flicks since. How well the film will adapt as mainstream summer blockbuster is not easy to predict however, and the original story will no doubt be substantially reworked.

Source: Variety