Zag Animation recently announced a 52 minute Miraculous Ladybug special, which is set to release this Friday!
Zag Animation studio CEO, Jeremy Zag hinted the project back in 2016, stating a possible cross-over between Ladybug and two other Zag Animation properties, Pixie Girl and Ghostforce, two series that have yet to see the light of day. Will these characters be introduced in this special? highly unlikely, but the special will feature a group of super-powered individuals, never before seen.
Friends or Foes?
The special will also feature the series’ protagonists, Marinette Cheng & Adrien Agreste flying to the United States (hence the title, United Heroez) for the first time. Although this special is nearly an hour long, it is not to be confused with the Ladybug & Cat Noir Awakening movie, slated to be released in 2021.
Watch the trailer below:
Want more Ladybug? check out these awesome interviews we’ve done over the course of Miraculous Ladybug episodes:
Interview with the voice of Marinette Cheng, Cristina Vee
Interview with Ezra Weisz, Miraculous Ladybug Voice Director
Interview with Kagami Tsurugi, Faye Mata
Interview with the voice of Zag Animation Studio producer, Jared Wolfenson
Virtual pop star idol, Hatsune Miku took her newly appointed position as a Coronavirus Countermeasure Supporter of the Office for the Novel Coronavirus Disease Control of the Japanese government’s Cabinet Secretariat, on Sept 9th.
According to Crypton Future Media, the “term of office” will run from now through March 31, 2021. Crypton Future Media has not specified what Miku’s ‘office term’ will entail but did state what this move was to increase awareness of COVID19 and its preventive measures.
Recently, Hatsune Miku’s 5th Anniversary concert tour, which was set to conclude with a USA & Canada tour in Spring 2020, was cancelled at the peck of the Coronavirus spread. The tour has since been postponed.
Crush 40 has affected the lives of many Sonic The Hedgehog fans, and no one knows that better than the vocalist for Crush 40, Johnny Gioeli. Johnny has been preforming since the age of 11, going on to form the 90’s rock band Hardline alongside his brother, Joey Gioeli.
During this venture, Johnny met SEGA employee, Jun Senoue and together formed what would later be known as, Crush 40. Join Johnny and us in this exclusive interview, as we speak about the origins of Crush 40, how the music was created, Johnny’s take on the Sonic movie and, as stated above, Bagel And Butter and so much more!
Based in Seattle Washington, Jim Walker has been producing music since 1986. Having had his music featured in the soundtrack for the 1987 film Three O’Clock High, Jim has produced over 32 Full-Length Albums, making Jim no stranger to the recording booth.
In 2004, Jim decided to try something different and with the help of his agent, Jim went to on to audition for the voice of one of Nintendo’s most popular character, Fox McCloud in Star Fox Assault. Star Fox Assault was released in 2005 and was the second Star Fox game to feature both shoot’em up and run ‘n’ gun shooter genres, different game modes of its original games, Star Fox and Star Fox 64.
Though the game met with mixed reception, it went on to become a childhood favorite among Star Fox fans of today, many praising the game’s soundtrack and Fox’s English performance.
We had the honor of interviewing Jim Walker the voice of Fox McCloud in said game. Join Jim and I as we take a ride down memory lane with this exclusive interview. Listen as we take you behind the scenes as Jim explains how he got the role, his primary musical career, experiences voicing the character and other behind the scenes exclusives!
Watch til the end for a giveaway opportunity and special announcement!
Can’t get enough of Jim? Check his music by visiting his website at JVAMusic.com
New York based film distributor and TV production company, A24 has announced on Friday that it will be picking up Vivienne Medrano’s The Hazbin Hotel for a full television series.
A24 has produced critically acclaimed films such as Room staring Brie Larson and The Disaster Artist staring James Franco. A24 has also produced numerous hit comedy series such as 2 Dope Queens, and Eric Andre: Legalize Everything.
A24 have not release anymore information regarding the show’s production nor its estimated release date.
3 months before the pilot episode was officially released, we had the honor of speaking with Hazbin Hotel creator Vivienne Medrano during Anime Expo 2019 regarding the show’s characters, merchandise and its future, watch below:
We would like to congratulate Vivienne Medrano and her team for their hard work and well deserved, upcoming TV series. We hope that Hazbin Hotel keeps on developing into more than a TV series (Maybe a film?) and wish her and her team the best.
We had the honor of interviewing another very talented Jak II cast member, Cutter Garcia who voiced Underground commander, TORN.
Garcia has made appearances in television series such as Monk, Weeds, Pretty Little Liars, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Mom. He is known for voicing Torn in the Jak and Daxter video game series. For the first time ever actor, Cutter Garica speaks about voicing Torn and working inside the recording studio with Dan Arey and much more!
GIVEAWAY
Subscribe AND answer the following question on YouTube in the comment section to have an opportunity to win an AUTOGRAPHED print signed by Cutter Garcia!
Who is your favorite Jak and Daxter character & why?
You’ll have until August 15th 2020 to enter, good luck freedom fighter!
Earlier this year we interviewed with former Jak II voice actress, Dr.Britton Arey. Dr. Britton had left the entertainment world in order to pursuit a career in psychiatry, but in 2003 she voiced Daxter’s girlfriend, Tess in Jak II. Watch our exclusive interview below:
GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for legendary animation house Studio Ghibli’s latest feature EARWIG AND THE WITCH.
The film is directed by Goro Miyazaki (From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea) and produced by studio co-founder Toshio Suzuki, with planning on the feature from his father, Academy Awardâ-winner Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro).
Based on the children’s novel “Earwig and the Witch” by Diana Wynne Jones (“Howl’s Moving Castle”), the film marks Studio Ghibli’s first entirely 3DCG animated feature.
The story follows Earwig growing up in an orphanage, who has no idea that her mother had magical powers. Her life will take a new turn when a strange family takes her in, and she is forced to live with a selfish witch. For now, that is all the Gkids has let on about the film.
The film is slated to air on NHK in Japan Winter 2020. GKIDS will release the film theatrically in North America in early 2021. Director Goro Miyazaki has previously commented about the film stating,
“Nowadays, in our country, there are many adults and few children. It must be tough for these children, so few of them having to deal with so many adults. It was while I was thinking about this that I got to know Earwig. And I realized, ‘That’s it!’ How does Earwig deal with the annoying adults? Please watch Earwig and The Witch to find out. She may be cheeky, but I sincerely hope that our adorable Earwig will encourage children and cheer up adults.”
– Goro Miyazaki (2020 GKids Interview)
“A new Studio Ghibli film is always a cause for celebration for fans around the world,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “We are excited to see Goro Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli working in a new animation style, and look forward to sharing the film with audiences early next year.”
– David Jesteadt (GKIDS’ President)
For updates regarding Earwig And The Witch visit, Gkids.com.
In more recent news, Gkids has also announced the English dub cast for the upcoming The Lupin the 3rd: The First film! Click here for more information.
The Lupin the 3rd franchise created by Monkey Punch began in 1967 and has spanned a variety of manga, TV series, games, a theme park ride, and musical adaptations. It featured acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki in his first feature film debut with The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979. The Lupin the 3rd: The First is a highly anticipated film that marks the VERY first installment in CGI for the lauded animated franchise. In recent news, the upcoming English language dub film will feature the voices of
Lupin III – Tony Oliver Daisuke Jigen – Richard Epcar Goemon Ishikawa – Lex Lang Fujiko Mine – Michelle Ruff Koichi Zenigata – Doug Erholtz Laetitia – Laurie C. Hymes Lambert – J. David Brimmer Gerard – Paul Guyet
From 2D to CGI 3D
“I’ve been looking forward to seeing Lupin III in 3DCG for a long time now. I saw the characters and story, and it looks like this new Lupin is going to have a whole new feeling to him. It’s exciting just imagining how the movie is going to turn out.”
-MONKEY PUNCH (OCT. ‘18)
An excerpt from Gkids’ Interview with LUPIN III: THE FIRST director Takashi Yamazaki:
As soon as the project began in September 2015, the 3DCG Lupin character designs were also developed. Lupin has different characteristics between the TV series and the specials, and likewise, various options were considered for this movie.
First, several character designers and concept artists were hired to develop about 30 different designs of Lupin in 2D. The Staff cast voted on the three most popular designs. Those were further improved until the final design was completed. Once Lupin was finalized, developing Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa, and Inspector Zenigata was relatively easy by applying the same style.
However, Fujiko Mine proved to be difficult. She was portrayed as a provocative lady in the TV specials with eyes slanting upwards, whereas she was cute and playful with eyes slanting down in the series. Her characteristics changed according to the staff. After many discussions about which direction to go and whether she should be slim or voluptuous, the production team decided on the current design.
Building 3D models based on 2D concepts turned out to be challenging since small details make or break Lupin’s likeness. Two dedicated 3D modelers were building digital maquettes in ZBrush for the main characters. What resulted were completely different models, and it was hard to believe that they came from the same concept art. In the end, the one chosen was the model that was most expressive in CG animation. Attention to small details such as the sideburns and jawline were considered to finalize the 3D models.
The new characters Laetitia, Lambert, and Gerard were developed based on Director Yamazaki’s rough sketches. Lambert’s 3D model was almost entirely developed from Director Yamazaki’s sketch. Gerard’s design was less straightforward. Ultimately, the character drawn in the animatics turned out to be well-received, so the model was developed from that design.
What is great about 3DCG is its rich texture. The slick texture of Lupin’s leather jacket was made possible because of the medium. There were more than 10 different outfits designed for Fujiko and Director Yamazaki mentioned that it was like an upscale costume fitting. However, because of the budget, only a couple of outfits were developed. Fans can enjoy the carefully selected outfits in the film.
Special thanks to GKids for interviewing the film Director Takashi Yamazaki, and providing us with the said interview. For those interested in reading the entire interview please do so here (Lupin III: The First Press Kit PDF).
Follow the iconic “gentleman thief” as Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades, and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that has made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new. Watch the trailer below!
Follow Lupin at these official social media links:
MixBox is a new streaming program by Bandai Namco Arts that will connect you to a variety of video content as well as, both classics and, the latest tunes from the Lantis music label all free of charge!
▲MixBox Service Image Character: The Navigator, Lan Amane
MixBox will also be releasing exclusive and previously unpublished content by MixUp, a project that supports remote production by artists and creators as part of the #StayHome initiative to prevent the spread of COVID19. Some of these contents are currently being released on the Lantis YouTube Channel.
A teaser website is LIVE as of today ahead of the launch. You can check it out here: MixBox.live. Bandai Namco Arts will be streaming a beta version of MixBox on the Lantis YouTube channel for 24 hours from 12:00 on June 12 (Friday). Take advantage of this opportunity to experience the service before it is launched.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, the latest installment in the highly-acclaimed Ghost in the Shell series, is currently available worldwide on Netflix.
The Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 original soundtrack was released today. The Soundtrack was composed by Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi.
Using a combination of elements from orchestral, acoustic, and electronic genres, they have created scores for numerous films, video games, and anime including, the Metal Gear Solid series, Uzumasa Limelight, Halo 5: Guardians, and Ultraman. The musical duo had the following comments about the release of the Ghost in the Shell SAC:_2045 soundtrack:
“We are sincerely grateful to be part of the creative team for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.
It was such an inspiring process to work with the wonderful director duo, Mr. Kamiyama, and Mr. Aramaki, and our focus was to deliver music that maximizes their vision. We hope the soundtrack album lets you relive the still-evolving world of SAC_2045.”
-Nobuko Toda x Kazuma Jinnouchi
Over the last two decades, the duo have received numerous awards and honors including the BAFTA Games Award, NAVGTR Awards, Global Music Award, and MPSE Golden Reel Award.
The Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 soundtrack also features renowned musicians such as legendary drummer Simon Phillips (pictured below), a former member of the band Toto, and Ernest Tibbs, the bassist from the Protocol Series.
SAC_2045 directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama the had the following to say about working with Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi,
“We first met Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi during the production of Ultraman (2019), and they fulfilled our requests so perfectly that it only felt natural to invite them to do the music for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. As the first members of staff to objectively read our work, they thoroughly studied the scenario and storyboard and then began proposing ideas for the music, so we always looked forward to music meetings and dubbing sessions. Once again, they exceeded our expectations, and we were surprised by the depth of their knowledge. We look forward to seeing what they are going to come up with for season 2!”
-Kenji Kamiyama x Shinji Aramaki
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 OST now available for digital download
Ghost in the Shell: Arise The New Movie Blu-ray/DVD
Ghost in the Shell README 1995-2017 (Hardcover)
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex Complete Collection DVD Anime Legends