Sony Confirms New Trio of Directors for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” Sequel
photo: Miles Morales from “Spider-Verse;” Joaquim Dos Santos; Kemp Powers; Justin K. Thompson.
“Spider-Verse 2” swings toward theaters next year with a tentative release date of Oct. 7, 2022, guided by directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson.
Dos Santos has tallied more than a decade of experience in the animated DC and Avatar franchises. Most recently, he served as the executive producer of Netflix/DreamWorks production “Voltron: Legendary Defender.”
Powers directed two films that premiered on Dec. 25, 2020: Disney/Pixar’s “Soul” and Amazon’s “One Night in Miami.” His screenplays on both are up for honors in the 2021 award season, with an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay (”Miami”) and an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for an Animated Feature (”Soul,” with Pete Docter and Mike Jones).
Thompson oversaw production design on the original “Spider-Verse,” as well as both original and sequel “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” features. Like Dos Santos, Thompson has worked on many of your favorite cartoons before moving to feature.
- Courtney
Disney Television Animation is developing another Marvel property into an animated show: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” will follow fellow Marvel property “Big Hero 6” as the next more-obscure comic property to be developed for Disney Channel (or its sister stations Disney Junior or Disney XD).
According to the comics, Moon Girl — also known as Lunella Lafayette — is a “preteen super genius” as well as a part of the Inhuman race (as in, ABC show Marvel’s Inhumans, or obviously the comics). The nine-year-old teams up with her partner, Devil Dinosaur, after he was transported through time to our modern age.
The show is being developed by Lawrence Fishburne (“Black-ish,” The Matrix) and Helen Sugland (executive producer, “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish”). Disney has not yet announced the intended channel, but the premise seems to be an equally good fit for the Marvel-heavy Disney XD, the strong female leads of Disney Channel or the encouraging, educational Disney Junior.
While the show is likely to be based solely on the comic books by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare, Devil Dinosaur originated from a comic and television series concept developed by comic legend Jack Kirby: Devil Dinosaur. This comic, following the exploits of the dinosaur and his partner Moon-Boy, had a very short run (April-December 1978) and was never developed for animation as planned.
The Moon Girl comics have been in publication since 2015.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Teaser Trailer
We finally have a first look at the new animated Spider-Man feature coming to theaters in 2018, now officially titled Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (IMDb still has it listed as untitled as of this writing). This take on Spider-Man features Miles Morales as the Spider-Man of an alternate universe. As we’ve written before, this film is a collaboration of some major writing chops, featuring the likes of Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), Chris Miller and Phil Lord (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie). The project will be co-directed by Bob Persichetti (The Little Prince) and Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians).
For a while now we’ve been waiting on a title and an animation style, but revealed here, along with the title, we see a clever mix of mainly CG animation with some 2D elements, which adds a nice bit of comic book gloss to the overall presentation. Interesting lights and colors here too.
Sony Pictures Animation has also revealed an official release date: Christmas 2018.
Funko acquires in-house animation studio formerly known as A Larger Evil Corporation
The United Kingdom-based Evil Corp has been acquired by toymaker Funko this December after producing videos together since 2014, according to a report from NASDAQ.
In 2016, the studio collaborated with Funko and Marvel to produce several superhero shorts, beginning with the above film “Spellbound.”
Currently, the now Funko Animation Studios will continue to produce more Marvel shorts. No other projects have yet been announced.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
A look at Sony Pictures Animation in 2018
Hotel Transylvania gets another sequel with Hotel Tranyslvania 3: Summer Vacation, in theaters next July.
The surprisingly cute original premiered in 2012, with a follow-up in 2015, all directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Star Wars Clone Wars [2003-05], Sym-Bionic Titan, Samurai Jack). A Hotel Transylvania television series premiered on the Disney Channel in June 2017.
Sony Pictures Animation is in theaters now with The Star (originally The Lamb), and two more films are slated for 2018: Peter Rabbit this coming February and the still-untitled Spider-Man animated feature on December 14, 2018.
This Spider-Man film follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) rather than the original webslinger Peter Parker, with Gravity Falls’ own Alex Hirsch as a story contributor to the writing team of 21 Jump Street’s Rodney Rothman and Christopher Miller/Phil Lord (21 Jump Street, Lego Movie).
The project will be co-directed by Bob Persichetti (The Little Prince) and Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians). The plot and even the animation style are currently under wraps.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
Disney to Develop Monsters Inc., High School Musical, Marvel and Star Wars Television Shows
In addition to the announcement of a future Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars film trilogy upon the completion of Episode IX, Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger announced several future projects for the company, Variety reports. Johnson is the director of this year’s Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi.
The live-action Star Wars TV series is slated for Disney’s announced streaming service, which means the show will arrive no sooner than 2019.
While there is little information so far on the Marvel or High School Musical shows in development, I will not hesitate to assume the Monsters Inc. adaptation will be animated, possibly continuing the “CG-film turned 2D-animated show” trend established lately by Tangled the Series and brand new Big Hero 6 shows.
Whatever the style of animation, this announcement may be a good step towards giving the people what we really want: an Incredibles prequel series. (OK, maybe that’s just me!)
- Courtney ( harmonicacave )
A sneak peak of Big Hero 6 The Series, the new Big Hero 6 show on Disney XD!
This sneak peak, first shared by Entertainment Tonight, will also air during the return of the new DuckTales on Saturday, September 23. BH6 The Series debuts in November.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
Big Hero 6: The Series Theme Song
D23 news keeps giving, with now a first look at the complete Big Hero 6 TV show opening title sequence.
As you may recall, most of the film’s cast has returned for the show, and Baymax, voiced by the film’s Scott Adsit, sounds as great as expected. Looking forward to hearing newcomers Brooks Wheelan and Khary Payton in their takes on Fred and Wasabi, respectively.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
San Diego Comic-Con’s schedule is still being updated, but some quality film panels for animation fans have already appeared in the first couple days.
THURSDAY, JULY 20
On Thursday, we recommend checking out Disney Animation Studios: The Art of the Story (Room 7AB, 2-3 p.m.). However, DC comic fans may prefer to hit up the DCU Original Movies 10th Anniversary panel (Room 6BCF, 2:15-3:15 p.m.) instead just a few minutes later.
Later that day, pencil in stops for “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Remastered and Ready for Blu-ray” (Room 6A, 4:15 - 5:15 p.m.) and “The Lego Ninjago Movie” panels (Room 6A, 6:45 - 7:45 p.m.)
FRIDAY, JULY 21
Friday moves its focus to aspiring animators and Hollywood artists, with two panels on art in the film industry:
- Hollywood’s Illustrators: Craft, Pop-Culture and Careers (Room 9, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.)
- ASIFA-Hollywood: The State of the Animation Industry (Room 28DE, 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.)
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Nothing much yet on the Saturday schedule, but there might be some news during the Marvel Studios panel (Hall H, 5:30-7 p.m.)
Since the Movie Panel lineup is still being updated, you’ll have to check the link to The Hollywood Reporter above for a full and updating 2017 SDCC movie panel schedule.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
All the TV Animation Panels You Care to See at Comic-Con
The Hollywood Reporter published a schedule for every 2017 television panel at San Diego Comic-Con, but we’ve pared it down to just the animated stuff:
THURSDAY, JULY 20
Teen Titans Go! (Cartoon Network) 10-11 a.m., Room 6A.Voltron: Legendary Defender (Netflix) 10:30-11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF.
Batman: The Animated Podcast LIVE! (Fox) 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library.
Unikitty (Cartoon Network) 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room 6A.
Justice League Action (Cartoon Network) 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 6A.
Rocko’s Modern Life (Nickelodeon) 1:45-2:45 p.m., Room 6A.
Miraculous Ladybug (Netflix) and Zak Storm, 5:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Room 6DE.
Castlevania (Netflix) 7 p.m. - 8 p.m., Room 5AB.
TBS Gets Animated [American Dad!, Final Space, Tarantula and a new show by J.G. Quintel] 7-8 p.m., Room 7AB.
Cartoon Network Summertime Go! Screening and Costume Contest (Cartoon Network) 8 p.m. - 9 p.m., Room 7AB.
FRIDAY, JULY 21
Young Justice (WB Digital) 10-11 a.m., Room 6BCF.OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes (Cartoon Network) 10-11 a.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Hey Arnold! From Hillwood to the Jungle! (Nickelodeon) 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6A.
I Know That Voice: The Series, 12-1 p.m., Horton Grand Theatre.
The Jellies! (Adult Swim) 12:15-1 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon) 1-2 p.m., Room 6A.
Buddy Thunderstruck (Netflix) 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 24ABC.
Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) 1:15-2 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Star vs. the Forces of Evil / Milo Murphy’s Law (Disney XD) 2:15-3:15, Room 6A.
Robot Chicken (Adult Swim) 2:15-3 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Mike Tyson Mysteries (Adult Swim) 3:15-4 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
DuckTales (Disney XD) 3:30-4:30 p.m., Room 6A.
Bob’s Burgers (Fox) 4:15-5:05 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
Archer (FX) 5:15-6:05 p.m., Indigo Ballroom.
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Saturday Morning Cartoons (Boomerang) 10-10:50 a.m., Indigo Ballroom.Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legend and Legacy (Nickelodeon) 10-11 a.m., Room 25ABC.
Ben 10 (Cartoon Network) 10:50-11:50 a.m., Indigo Ballroom.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon) 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room 6A.
The Simpsons (Fox) 12-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20.
Marvel animation (various) 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 6A.
Family Guy and American Dad (Fox/TBS) 1-2:15 p.m., Ballroom 20.
Invader ZIM: It’s a Comic?! (Yes! Yes it Is!) (Nickelodeon) 1:30-2:30 p.m., Room 24ABC.
The Science of Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) 2-3 p.m., Room 7AB.
TV Producers Sid and Marty Krofft (Nickelodeon, Amazon) 2-3 p.m., Room 23ABC.
Bravest Warriors / Bee and Puppycat (Frederator) 5:30-6:30 p.m., Room 24ABC.
The Arkham Sessions Podcast: Psychology of Batman the Animated Series (Fox) 7-8 p.m., Room 25ABC.
SUNDAY, JULY 23
Steven Universe: Art & Origins (Cartoon Network) 10-11 a.m., Room 29AB.Marvel animation: Spider-Man (Disney XD) 10:15-11:15 a.m., Room 6A.
Bruce Timm of Batman: The Animated Series (Fox) 11-12 a.m., Room 7AB.
Danger & Eggs (Amazon) 1-2 p.m., Room 24ABC.
Niko and the Sword of Light (Amazon) 2-3 p.m., Room 24ABC.
Hanna-Barbera 60th Anniversary, 2-3 p.m., Room 7AB.
I recommend checking out the full schedule of animation-themed programs for SDCC here.
- Courtney ( @harmonicacave )
Note: this post has been updated to include more panels not listed in the original Hollywood Reporter list on July 11. (Thanks for the note, Loki0panda)