NickALive!: Nickelodeon At Annecy

Showing posts with label Nickelodeon At Annecy. Show all posts

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Never-Before-Seen 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Short 'Order Up' Is Coming to Theaters With New 'Smurfs' Movie

Are ya ready, kids? Nickelodeon is gearing up for a big summer in theaters with the return of the Smurfs with a starry new musical animated feature headlined by Rihanna in July. In front of the film, however, will be a little surprise for SpongeBob SquarePants fans!

Ahead of Nickelodeon and Paramount Animation's annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival panel on Tuesday (June 10), it has been revealed that the never-before-seen short, "SpongeBob: Order Up," will finally hit the big screen starting Friday, July 18 alongside Smurfette's big adventure.

The news, first reported by Collider, comes ahead of the SpongeBob and Squidward-centric short's global premiere at Annecy on the heels of the long-running animated series' 25th anniversary last year.

"Order Up" was produced by Nickelodeon Animation in 2011-2012, yet, for one reason or another, has remained locked within the company's archives. Created with the classic SpongeBob aesthetic and animation, it centers on the odd-couple dynamic between the always optimistic SpongeBob and his perpetually grumpy neighbor, Squidward, during one of their typical shifts at the Krusty Krab.

SpongeBob annoying his pal is so routine that he literally has it penciled into his calendar, yet, in the short, he's at his most abrasive, overusing the "order up" bell to the point that it drives the octopus* mad. It's classic SpongeBob material, highlighting an aspect of the series that's been present since Stephen Hillenburg conceived Bikini Bottom in 1999 and featuring the iconic voices of Tom Kenny and Roger Bumpass as SpongeBob and Squidward, respectively.

* Yep, Squidward Tentacles is actually an octopus!

Sean Charmatz and Paul Tibbitt co-wrote the short, and both have quite the resumes, both within and beyond the confines of the beloved Nickelodeon series. Charmatz has an extensive background in animation and penned several episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants from Seasons 6 through 8, though he most recently got his big directorial break as the helmer of DreamWorks' Orion and the Dark on Netflix in 2024. Tibbitt, meanwhile, has writing credits on 115 SpongeBob episodes and previously co-directed and helped pen the story of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water in 2015. On "Order Up," Tibbitt also executive-produced alongside Hillenberg, with a team that featured creative director Vincent Waller, animation and supervising director Alan Smart, art director Peter Bennett, producer Jennie Monica Hammond, and production manager Alvaro Zalaya, among others.

Update (7/17): Paramount has unveiled a first look at the new SpongeBob short, billed as a "lost episode", during a new trailer for the Smurfs movie!

Along with the short, Nickelodeon and Paramount are also expected to debut a first look at the upcoming SpongeBob movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, during their Annecy panel.

What Is Smurfs About?

This little piece of SpongeBob history will be the perfect lead-in for Smurfs, which brings the little blue creatures created by Belgian artist Peyo back to the big screen for the first time in eight years. Helmed by Puss in Boots director Chris Miller and written by South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut scribe Pam Brady, the film centers on Smurfette as she leads the inhabitants of Smurf Village on a mission to stop the evil wizards Gargamel (JP Karliak) and Razamel (also Karliak) after they kidnap Papa Smurf (John Goodman) for their latest nefarious scheme. Their adventure takes the Smurfs into the human world, encountering other Smurfs, like Papa's brother (Nick Offerman), who have learned to live beyond the village and provide more insight into exactly what a Smurf is. Smurfs will also be featured in Nickelodeon's Annecy panel, alongside the yellow sea sponge's next feature-length adventure, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, featuring Mark Hamill as The Flying Dutchman, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"SpongeBob: Order Up" will finally see the light of day at Annecy on June 10, before heading to theaters in front of Smurfs on July 18.

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More Nick: Paramount and Nickelodeon Announce Launch of 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change', A New Global Ocean Conservation and Sustainability Initiative!

Originally published: June 10, 2025.

Update H/T: Special thanks to @KeydalisColo2 for the news!

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Thursday, June 12, 2025

Nickelodeon and Paramount Preview 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' at Annecy, Announce New Cast Members

Regina Hall (Honk For Jesus, Scary Movie, Girls Trip), Sherry Cola (Nobody Wants This, Shrinking), Arturo Castro (Tron: Ares, Matchbox), George Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez, The Underdoggs) and rapper Ice Spice have joined the voice cast for upcoming animated feature The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants!

The Flying Dutchman and SpongeBob SquarePants

Nickelodeon

Four-time Grammy multi-platinum selling rapper Isis “Ice Spice” will also contribute a song to the movie.

The rapper reacted to the news on her Instagram Story, writing, “yay!!!” to express her excitement. It serves as a full circle moment for Spice, who dropped off the single “Bikini Bottom” back in 2022. The track appeared on her debut EP Like…?, which reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200.

Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, announced the new voice cast members during a presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Tuesday, June 10.

Naito said that the studios had a busy six months ahead with the release of Smurfs in July, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants in December.

She also noted the packed production slate topped by PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2.

All movies are all in active development, with PAW Patrol is set to hit theaters July 24, 2026, followed by Aang’s animated return on Oct. 9. Fans of pizza-loving martial artist turtles will need to wait until Sept. 27, 2027, for the next TMNT bigscreen appearance — or will they? Read on to find out.

Produced by Paramount Pictures with Nickelodeon Movies in association with Domain Entertainment and MRC, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants will be released in the U.S. on December 19.

Regina Hall, Arturo Castro, George Lopez, Sherry Cola, Ice Spice | Getty, Amanda Ramon, Chris Hastings, Bonnie Nichoalds, Getty, Deadline

Director Derek Drymon, a SpongeBob veteran who has worked on the beloved franchise on and off for more than two decades and returned to the franchise after co-directing Hotel Transylvania 4 in 2022, also took to the stage to introduce the premiere of the first act of the film.

“It’s like coming home,” he said, before giving a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming SpongeBob film, talking the Annecy audience through the artwork for the “spooky” underwater setting of the latest installment.

The exclusive footage of the “first act” sets the scene for SpongeBob’s latest adventure, in which SpongeBob finally grows tall enough to ride a rollercoaster but backs out at the last moment, only to be pulled into an even scarier pirate adventure with the Flying Dutchman. He then signs away his fate and plunges into the Underworld.

After he reaches the height of 36 clams, SpongeBob is allowed into the big people’s fairground park.

There he bumps into Mr. Krabs, who tells him that there is more to being grown up than height and regales him with a tale of his adventures at sea.

SpongeBob hits on the idea of getting his swashbuckler certificate but in the process, he unwittingly summons the spirit of the Flying Dutchman.

The evil pirate, voiced by Mark Hamill, abducts SpongeBob and Patrick Star with the aim of using them to break a curse on his back.

“We wanted to recapture the spirit of the first season,” said Drymon. “I’m so thankful to Paramount for backing a creator-led project. What wins the day is being a kid, and that’s what we infused in this feature.”

Blending 3D animation with cutting-edge 2D, this visually dynamic installment follows in the stylistic footsteps of The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Spider-Verse. It will hit theaters Dec. 19, 2025.

Tom Kenny returns to voice SpongeBob SquarePants, with Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), Mr. Lawrence (Plankton).

Cola is repped by CAA, Stark Management and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis. Castro is represented by WME, Untitled Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox. Lopez is repped by UTA and 3 Arts.

Based on the SpongeBob SquarePants series, created by Stephen Hillenburg, the screenplay for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, was written by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, from a story by Pam Brady alongside franchise veterans Andrew Goodman and Kaz. John Debney, who previously worked on the music for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water, returns to do the music here.

Producers are Lisa Stewart, Pam Brady, Aaron Dem, alongside executive producers Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants is produced by Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies, animated by Reel FX, and will hit theaters on December 19, 2025.

“Back then, ‘Bikini Bottom’ was just me having fun, paying homage to a show I loved growing up,” said Ice Spice during Annecy’s press panel. “Now, being in the actual movie? That’s wild. It’s like my childhood and career collided.”

The presentation also featured a sneak peek of the first 20 minutes of Smurfs featuring the voice of Rihanna for Smurfette and James Corden as No Name, whose search for identity leads to Papa Smurf being kidnapped.

Director Chris Miller said he had wanted to remain true to the spirit and style of the original Smurfs at the same time as creating something fresh with CGI animation.

“It’s not about just pixels and key frames, it’s about creating something that moves hearts,” he said.

Following a brief Q&A with Drymon and Miller, moderated by Paramount Senior Vice President (SVP) Emily Nordwind, audiences got one last surprise: two never-before-seen shorts.

Order Up, a dialogue-free SpongeBob short directed by Sean Charmatz (Orion and the Dark), will debut in front of Smurfs in July. The slapstick comedy had been sitting in the Nickelodeon/Paramount vault for nearly a decade.

The second short, Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey, is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tale directed by Kent Seki. With a visual style similar to Jeff Rowe’s Mutant Mayhem, this installment takes a comedic look at artificial intelligence and will premiere alongside the new SpongeBob film in December.

Shop SpongeBob: https://www.paramountshop.com/pages/spongebobsquarepants

Stream the SpongeBob BingePants podcast here!

More Nick: Paramount and Nickelodeon Announce Launch of 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change', A New Global Ocean Conservation and Sustainability Initiative!

Originally published: June 10, 2025 at 22:15 BST.

Original sources: Variety, Deadline; H/T: Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, HypeFresh Inc, No Jumper; Additional source: Anime Superhero.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

New 'TMNT' Short 'Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey' Set to Debut In Theaters In December 2025

The next feature-length Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2, isn't set to be released in theaters until September 2027, however, fans won't have to wait long until the Heroes in a Half Shell leap back onto the big screen in their latest adventure!

Announced during Nickelodeon and Paramount Animation's Annecy 2025 presentation, "Smurfs x SpongeBob x Turtles: A Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Presentation," a brand new TMNT animated short titled Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, December 19, playing alongside The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants!

Directed by Kent Seki and featuring a visual style similar to Jeff Rowe’s Mutant Mayhem, this installment will take a comedic look at artificial intelligence.

Nickelodeon and Paramount also treated audience members to a first look at the new TMNT short during their Annecy presentation.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 was previously slated to open in theaters on Friday, October 9, 2026, however, Paramount announced in May that the film's release date had been delayed, with the animated sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 now set for wide theatrical release Friday, September 17, 2027. The shift stems from delays in animation physical production.

A follow up to Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies' 2023's megahit, which collected $180 million worldwide, the sequel was first announced in July 2023, prior to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem being released in theaters. The sequel is being produced by Point Grey Pictures and directed by Jeff Rowe, who also served as the director and co-writer of Mutant Mayhem. Seth Rogen is returning to produce this new installment with Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Ramsay McBean. Rowe has co-directors Kyler Spears and Yashar Kassai also on the team.

The star-studded voice cast for the first Mutant Mayhem included Micah Abbey (Cousins for Life) as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. (The Chi) as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) as Leonardo, Brady Noon (Family Switch) as Raphael and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) as April O’Neil, along with Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube and Paul Rudd.

It's currently unknown whether the film's new release date will affect the upcoming release of the second season of Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a 2D animated series set in the world of Mutant Mayhem that bridges the two movies. Season one premiered in August last year, with season two currently slated to be released later this year.

In addition to Mutant Mayhem 2, Paramount is also working an an R-rated movie adaptation based on the critically-acclaimed TMNT comic, The Last Ronin.

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More Nick: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Movie Sequel and Paramount+ Series in the Works!

Originally published: June 11, 2025.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Nickelodeon and Paramount Preview 'Smurfs' Movie at Annecy

Annecy crowds were in for a treat as Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, and longtime festival supporter, opened the studios’ 2025 showcase with a preview of the upcoming projects during a presentation titled "Smurfs x SpongeBob x Turtles: A Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Presentation" on Tuesday, June 10.

Naito, one of the most prominent animation executives in Hollywood today, expressed her excitement about returning to Annecy, and noted that the studios had a busy six months ahead with the release of Smurfs in July, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants in December.

She also noted the packed production slate topped by PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2, with sneak peeks reportedly shown to the audience. All movies are all in active development, with PAW Patrol is set to hit theaters July 24, 2026, followed by Aang’s animated return on Oct. 9. Fans of pizza-loving martial artist turtles will need to wait until Sept. 27, 2027, for the next TMNT bigscreen appearance — or will they? Read on to find out.

During the presentation, Naito turned attention to a tiny mushroom village in a magical forest, home to the most famous blue characters on Earth.

Director Chris Miller returned to Annecy to present the first 20 minutes of his upcoming summer tentpole Smurfs, ahead of its July 18, 2025 release. Last year, he showed early footage at MIFA. Now, with the film nearly complete, Miller spoke about the project’s unique blend of CG and 2D animation.

“I’m delighted to bring the Smurfs back to the big screen with a project blending CG and 2D animation so closely,” said Miller. “For me, animation isn’t all about pixels and keyframes. It’s about moving an audience and infusing every frame with the same heart, color and charm that Peyo put in his original ideas more than 60 years ago.”

Production is already underway on Season 4 of the CG-animated TV series. Nele De Wilde, CCO of Peyo Company, noted how closely the studio collaborated with Paramount, eight years after Sony Pictures Animation’s Smurfs: The Lost Village.

“Paramount were very respectful of our input,” said De Wilde. “Friendship, helping each other and respecting nature are timeless values at the core of the Smurfs’ identity. Paramount was committed to bringing these ideas to life in a modern, adventure-packed film.”

These values also spoke to Rihanna, who voices Smurfette. “That’s gangster,” said her partner A$AP Rocky to Variety earlier this year.

Miller praised Rihanna, saying that she exhibited “a deep knowledge of Smurf lore, she knew way more than I did.”

The film’s musical energy and visually rich medieval-fantasy setting, powered by Cinesite Montreal’s animation, promise to get kids “Smurfin’ all day long.” The story centers on a Smurf with no name who seeks to discover his unique identity, aided by Smurfette, Hefty and other classic characters. Gags like “Quiet,” “Soundtrack” and “Shark-Taming Smurf” had the Annecy audience in stitches.

A standout moment introduced Razamel, Gargamel’s equally inept brother, as a new villain. By the film’s end, the Smurfs tumble through a multiverse portal into real-world Paris, to Grouchy’s great dismay.

The film will premiere in Brussels on June 28, 2025, coinciding with World Smurfs Day, painting the city blue ahead of its global rollout.

The CG-animated family feature also features the voices of Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña and Marshmello, with Kurt Russell and John Goodman.

Smurfs is directed by Chris Miller (Puss in Boots, Shrek the Third) and written by Emmy winner Pam Brady (South Park; Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken). The film is produced by Jay Brown, Ty Ty Smith, Robyn Rihanna Fenty and Ryan Harris, p.g.a.

The project is produced by Paramount Animation, Lafig Belgium and Smurfs rightsholders IMPS, with distribution by Paramount Pictures.

Next up, director Derek Drymon shared a behind-the-scenes look at The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. A SpongeBob veteran, Drymon returned to the franchise after co-directing Hotel Transylvania 4 in 2022.

Audiences were treated to the first full act, in which SpongeBob finally grows tall enough to ride a rollercoaster but backs out at the last moment, only to be pulled into an even scarier pirate adventure with the Flying Dutchman. He then signs away his fate and plunges into the Underworld.

Following a brief Q&A with Miller and Drymon, moderated by Paramount Senior Vice President (SVP) Emily Nordwind, audiences got one last surprise: two never-before-seen shorts.

Order Up, a dialogue-free SpongeBob short directed by Sean Charmatz (Orion and the Dark), will debut in front of Smurfs in July. The slapstick comedy had been sitting in the Nickelodeon/Paramount vault for nearly a decade.

Shop The Smurfs: ParamountShop.com

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More Nick: ‘Smurfs’ Movie Cast Unveiled: Nick Offerman, James Corden, Hannah Waddingham, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Kurt Russell, John Goodman, and More!

Originally published: June 10, 2025.

Additional source: Deadline.

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Monday, June 09, 2025

Paramount Animation to Host 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' Presentation at Annecy 2025

Paramount Animation will host a special presentation of the upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants theatrical film The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival on ~~Thursday, June 12~~ Tuesday, June 10! The feature film's presentation will take place in the afternoon.

During the presentation, director Derek Drymon will join the Paramount & Nickelodeon 2025 slate reveal panel to share a sneak peak at the upcoming film.

The presentation, titled Smurfs x SpongeBob x Turtles: A Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Presentation, will also feature screenings of two exciting new animated shorts: SpongeBob: Order Up, directed by Sean Charmatz and TMNT: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey, directed by Kent Seki.

Smurfs x SpongeBob x Turtles: A Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Presentation

Date: Tuesday 10 June 2025, from 14h30 to 15h45

Duration: 01h15

Get ready for a colorful first look as Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon unveil their 2025 film slate.

The panel features Smurfs, directed by Chris Miller, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, helmed by Derek Drymon.

Plus, don't miss two exciting new animated shorts SpongeBob: Order Up, directed by Sean Charmatz and TMNT: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey, directed by Kent Seki.

Cowabunga!

Speaker(s):

Ramsey Naito

Chris Miller

Derek Drymon

Emily Nordwind

Not too much is currently known about The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, however, it was recently teased in a trailer during Paramount Pictures' presentation at CinemaCon that it'll follow SpongeBob's efforts to become a "big man." When Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) tells SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) about his days on the seas, it motivates SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) to follow in his footsteps and go on a swashbuckling sailing adventure. When SpongeBob and Patrick cross paths with the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), he takes them to the underworld, where they must endure terrors beyond the sponge’s imagination, including scary rollercoasters. The movie will boast CG-animation and live-action.

During Paramount's CinemaCon presentation, Tom Kenny and Mark Hamill took to the stage to discuss The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.

Hamill offered up a particularly eyebrow-raising tease for his role as the Flying Dutchman: "I actually did an episode of SpongeBob in the fifth season, and I did such a great job they asked me back 18 years later...And if I do my job correctly, every child in America will hate my guts."

The original SpongeBob SquarePants voice cast will return for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The cast includes Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward Tentacles), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) and Mr. Lawrence (Sheldon J. Plankton).

The Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies release, based on the beloved series created by Stephen Hillenburg, is being directed by Derek Drymon. Pam Brady and Lisa Stewart and producing.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is currently slated to be released in theaters on Friday, December 19, 2025 during the holiday season.

Returning to the scenic French Alps from June 8-14, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and its accompanying MIFA market, running June 10-13, has revealed a staggering lineup of programming highlights, including screenings in and out of competition, behind-the-scenes sessions, special guests and milestone celebrations. Particular spotlights of this edition are a tribute to Hungarian animation, the music video works of auteur animators and the MIFA’s 40th anniversary.

Among the many delights awaiting visitors, the 2025 edition introduces a new short film program, Midnight Shorts, as a complement to the Midnight Specials screenings which focus on weird and wonderful films, and a first look at Netflix's upcoming Stranger Things animated series. This year’s attendees will also be the first to experience the Annecy Dome, a cozy new 32-seat venue to experience immersive works, in the heart of Annecy’s city center.

For more information about this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, visit annecyfestival.com.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants x Annecy Festival 2025

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More Nick: Paramount and Nickelodeon Announce Launch of 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change', A New Global Ocean Conservation and Sustainability Initiative!

Originally published: April 24, 2025.

Sources: Animation Magazine, ToonHive; Special thanks to @KcaWomansRights and RegularCapital for the news!

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Paramount Animation to Host 'The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender' Presentation at Annecy 2025

Paramount Animation will host a special presentation of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, Nickelodeon Movies and Avatar Studios’ highly-anticipated animated feature film set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Thursday, June 12! The movie's presentation will take place in the afternoon.

Slated for release on January 30, 2026, The Legend of Aang will continue the story begun in the critically acclaimed Nickelodeon animated series (2005), which is set in a world divided into four nations — Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads — where beings called Benders have the power to control their realm’s element. A figure known as the “Avatar” is the only one who can control all four elements.

The series introduced a 12-year-old named Aang, the long-lost Avatar, and the new movie will pick up with the grown-up Aang (now in his early twenties) and his companions some years after the events of the show's finale.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is being directed by series alum Lauren Montgomery (Superman: Doomsday, Wonder Woman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) and co-directed by William Mata (Dora and the Fantastical Creatures), with series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko executive producing alongside Eric Coleman. The voice cast is led by Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista as an unnamed villain, Dionne Quan as Toph, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka and Steven Yeun in a TBA role.

For more information about this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, visit annecyfestival.com.

Shop your Paramount favorites: https://www.paramountshop.com

Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

More Nick: Paramount Plus Expands Kids and Family Programming with New Slate of Films and Series from Nickelodeon Studios!

Originally published: April 24, 2025.

Original source: Animation Magazine.

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Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Rihanna’s ‘Smurfs Movie’ Reveals First Footage and Demo Track at Annecy 2024

Director Chris Miller teased the pop superstar's work on new original music for the feature that is set for release in early 2025 from Paramount Animation.

The Smurfs Movie title art | COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT ANIMATION

Rihanna is proving to be a powerful force for Paramount Animation‘s upcoming feature The Smurfs Movie.

Director Chris Miller led the film’s presentation at the Annecy Animation Festival on Tuesday (June 11), where he was joined on the stage by Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito. The Smurfs Movie is based on the characters and work of artist Peyo and is set to hit theaters Feb. 14, 2025.

Miller (Puss in Boots) debuted work-in-progress footage from the movie’s opening sequence, along with a demo version of original music. The filmmaker went on to describe how Peyo’s art laid the groundwork for the film’s vision.

“The DNA in Peyo’s original drawings guide so many creative choices in the film,” Miller said. “It’s the blueprint for the kind of film I want to make. All of the action lines and thought bubbles from the comics are going in the movie, and the comics have inspired the style of animation to be fun and buoyant, with plenty of squash and stretch.”

Rihanna | STUART C. WILSON/GETTY IMAGES

Rihanna is voicing Smurfette in The Smurfs Movie, alongside an expansive voice cast that also includes Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, James Corden, Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell and John Goodman.

Miller praised Rihanna’s contributions to the project, with the star writing, producing and singing new original songs that will help inform the spirit of the movie. Additionally, he described the movie’s look as naturalistic and lush.

During Paramount’s presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas earlier this year, studio chief Brian Robbins described Rihanna as “the most legendary Smurfette ever.” She was nominated for an Oscar for her song “Lift Me Up” from 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with that track marking her first new solo music since her 2016 studio album, Anti.

The Smurfs became recognizable pop culture figures with their eponymous 1980s cartoon TV series. Sony released the animated movie The Smurfs in theaters in 2011 with Katy Perry as Smurfette, followed by a 2013 sequel. Smurfs: The Lost Village, a 2017 reboot, featured Demi Lovato voicing Smurfette.

In additional The Smurfs news, IMPS — The Smurfs‘ global license holder — announced at Annecy that it will operate under a new name going forward and begin to revive other original creations from the little blue characters’ famed founder Peyo, aka Pierre Culliford. Characters created by Peyo will be brought to life in new TV shows inspired by the original Johan & Peewit and Benny Breakiron comic books. A fourth season of The Smurfs animated series was also announced, along with plans for Nickelodeon to premiere season three this summer.

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More Nick: ‘Smurfs’ Movie Cast Unveiled: Nick Offerman, James Corden, Hannah Waddingham, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Kurt Russell, John Goodman, and More!

Original source: The Hollywood Reporter.

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‘Transformers One’ Producers, Director Discuss the Franchise’s First Animated Feature in 40 Years at Annecy

Last year, Paramount Animation presented a work-in-progress version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem at the Annecy Animation Festival, which was met with overwhelming support from the crowd.

Transformers One | Paramount

On night two of this year’s event, the studio returned with a WIP screening of its big 2024 offering, Transformers One, and reactions were equally enthusiastic.

Backstage before the show, Annecy’s artistic director, Marcel Jean, told Variety that he’s wanted Transformers One at the festival since seeing early footage from the film during a West Coast trip last fall.

“In October of last year, I was in Los Angeles, and I had the opportunity to watch footage from the film,” he said. “It was, for me, a very high-level work. I spoke with Josh Cooley, and I said to Ramsey Naito, ‘We need to have the whole film in Annecy, like what we did with Mutant Mayhem last year.’ It was a huge success here in Annecy. We have the best audience for that kind of production.”

Jean, who joined the festival as artistic director 12 years ago, insisted that developing the studio relationship necessary to secure this kind of screening took time and effort but that the results have been well worth it.

“It’s been a long-term process to convince the studio that Annecy is a place to be for them,” he explained. “Thanks to [Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation President] Ramsey Naito, we have a great relationship now with Paramount. I remember one of my first trips to Los Angeles for Annecy. I went to Nickelodeon, and nobody there had ever heard of Annecy.”

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, a producer on Transformers One and the franchise’s popular live-action films, was one of those people unfamiliar with Annecy until recently. “I never really knew much about [Annecy],” he admitted. “Last year, I heard about it, and I was jealous that I had not been. I’m particularly excited to show our film to a group of people who care so much because I think the reaction will be different.”

Paramount and Nickelodeon animation boss Naito says that Annecy is now “a place where all the majors can come and present their wares like we’re doing today with Transformers One. It’s just an incredible blend of independent and big animation.”

Ahead of the Annecy WIP screening of Transformers One, Variety spoke backstage with Naito, di Bonaventura, the film’s director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) and Hasbro Head of Film Zev Foreman about putting together the first animated Transformers feature in four decades, the challenges they faced along the way and the allure of Annecy.

This is the first animated Transformers movie in 40 years. What challenges did you face in getting it made?

Cooley: There were a lot of different challenges on this film. The fact that it’s animated, I think, is a benefit, though. Being that it’s set on Cybertron, there are no humans, and it’s all about the robots; it just feels natural to animate that as opposed to doing any other version. We went as big and as epic as possible just to match that feeling that people remember from the ’86 film.

Di Bonaventura: What’s so surprising about the ’86 film is how dark it is. Honestly, I don’t understand why people love it so much. For some, maybe it was their first cinematic experience, but it’s really a downer movie. Interestingly, when we showed our trailer for the first time, the fans’ reaction was to compare our movie to that one. But they’re so not comparable because that’s so dark, and this has so much humanity. They’re completely different movies in many ways.

Naito: I think for us at Paramount Animation, what was so great about partnering with Lorenzo and Josh is that this particular story could really only be told through animation. I mean, the world that Josh envisioned for Cybertron is extraordinary. It has so much innovation and beauty alongside a story that has so much heart.

Foreman: An animated Transformers movie was not part of the other piece of our relationship with Paramount and the live-action movies, so it’s something independent that we both had to agree on. But, from the very beginning, we all decided this was something we wanted. We brought Josh onto the project and developed it with Paramount as equal partners, and it’s basically been that way throughout the entire process.

Can you lure audiences who are not fans or familiar with the Transformers?

Cooley: It’s an origin story, so we not only talk about these characters that people know, but of the origin of the species itself. We go back to the beginning. This is what happened. This is how we got to this place. You can go in knowing absolutely nothing and enjoy this film.

Naito: That’s really important because we don’t want people to feel like, “Wow, I need to see seven movies before I go see this.” With this film, you don’t have to understand anything to follow along and enjoy it.

Josh, you previously directed Toy Story 4. How is it to be back again with a movie about a toy franchise?

Cooley: I didn’t approach this one as toys. In Toy Story, they are physically toys, and so everything they do is down on the floor, and they can only go as fast as their body allows them. But in this film, the characters are robots. They are on another planet. They are huge. They can do a lot more than a toy. That’s how I approached it, making sure that we still have those restrictions in play of what these characters actually are, which makes it way more fun when you’re watching it. It doesn’t feel like two people in suits acting it out. It’s like, “No, these are robots that are actually going a bunch of these emotions that you’re feeling and you’re along with.”

And you’ve enlisted some big Hollywood talent to voice these characters and bring them to life.

Cooley: Yeah, we have an incredible cast. I can’t believe how great it was. Everybody was fantastic. I would walk them through the scene, and they’d suggest a lot of stuff. Keegan[-Michael Key], of course, rifted like crazy on things. But Chris Hemsworth is also extremely funny. I was not prepared for how funny he is. A lot of his lines in this film are riffs off of what we had written, but he just brought his charisma and his comedy to it. He totally got it.

Di Bonaventura: That was really important because, from a fan point of view, the original voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, is revered. To have somebody else voice Optimus Prime was like, “Whoa, we better get this right.” We couldn’t use Peter because the audience needs to feel the character’s youth. That’s why we pursued Chris. I was surprised, too, but not how funny Chris was. I’ve seen him in things where he was funny. But he has a very strong sense of story. That’s not true with every movie star.

Comedy is also a great way to broaden the appeal, right?

Cooley: The comedy in the live-action Transformers is always the balance between the humans and the robots. It’s almost like a fish-out-of-water story. I knew that would be a challenge with this film because we don’t have humans to play off of. It really had to come out of these characters. They had to be strong characters that could do what I call the elevator test, which is you could take two characters and put them in an elevator together and just let the scene play out.

After the success of Mutant Mayhem last year, Paramount is on a real high. How important is it that you follow that up with a film of the same quality and one that resonates with audiences the way that film did?

Naito: Extremely important. I think this film will appeal to the super fans and usher in a new generation of fans that will just ignite their interest in the entire franchise in a really exciting way. The film is beautiful. It’s innovative. The vision that Josh and Lorenzo have brought to the film is just incredible. The movie has so much soul.

And what does this film signify for Hasbro?

Foreman: For Hasbro Entertainment and the new iteration of our company, we are more likely to be more closely involved in the creative than we have been in the past with our brands. We’re in it for the long-term health of these things, the beautiful, emotional, nostalgic attachment that people have to these evergreen properties like Transformers. We want to make sure we protect them in every way possible. In the past, the company has been okay with dropping these pieces of IP off with other people, and I think the approach is different now. I’m hoping with movies like Dungeons & Dragons and this one, people see the quality has a little bit to do with our involvement.

Transformers One is slated for a Sept. 20 release in the U.S.

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Tuesday, June 11, 2024

'The Smurfs' Season 4 Currently In Pre-Development; IMPS to Rebrand as Peyo Company

A fourth season of the popular animated series The Smurfs is currently in pre-development, IMPS — The Smurfs‘ global license holder — announced today (June 11) at the 2024 Annecy Animation Festival!

Peyo Company

IMPS also revealed that it will operate under a new name going forward and begin to revive other original creations from the little blue characters’ famed founder Peyo, aka Pierre Culliford. Characters created by Peyo will be brought to life in new TV shows inspired by the original Johan & Peewit and Benny Breakiron comic books.

Described as an “entertainment entity that proudly promotes and perpetuates Peyo’s work and legacy of creating fascinating stories and art,” Peyo Company will oversee “a wide range of consumer products and experience for kids and adults alike,” Variety reports.

“Tales of Johan & Peewit” | Peyo Company

Peyo Licensing is the worldwide licensor for consumer products, family entertainment and experiences, as well as book publishing. Peyo Distribution manages the distribution of the audiovisual catalogue, Peyo Productions oversees the production of audiovisual content and Peyo Creations regroups the studio activities, producing new artwork and stories.

“Peyo Company is currently looking for talents to make these exciting projects happen,” the team explained to Variety ahead of their Annecy presentation.

Interestingly enough, Peyo introduced the Smurfs as a supporting act in a Johan & Peewit story called The Smurfs & the Magic Flute in 1958.

“Readers from the weekly magazine in which Johan & Peewit was published were so enthusiastic about how much they loved these blue characters that they returned and, eventually, Peyo created a spin-off fully dedicated to their adventures,” Peyo Company explained in a release.

As for the company, IMPS was founded in 1984 by Véronique Culliford, Peyo’s daughter.

“Under her guidance, The Smurfs has become an immensely popular brand across the globe, reaching an incredible 95% global brand awareness.”

Now, as a tribute to her father, Culliford and IMPS have created Peyo Company to regroup all of Peyo’s fascinating universes under a single banner.

“It’s been an honor to be able to build such a success out of the blue characters my father created. And now I hope we will do the same for some of his other creations, Johan & Peewit and Benny Breakiron,” she said.

Peyo in the publication of the “Flûte à six schtroumpfs” | Peyo Company

She also asserted that the decision to rename the company will “underline their engagement to expand his legacy beyond The Smurfs.”

“It’s a well-deserved tribute to my father and features his signature, with which he signed thousands of drawings, as our new logo.”

Although the company has broader ambitions, the Smurfs won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Season 2 of the latest version of the show is coming to Netflix on June 30, and Season 3 will launch on Nickelodeon this summer. Season 4 is currently in pre-development.

There is also a new Paramount movie on the horizon, teased by co-director Chris Miller during Variety’s Innovation and Inspiration in Global Animation panel at Annecy.

Nele De Wilde, CCO at Peyo Company, said: “We are delighted to be working with Paramount Animation on an all-new theatrical production, The Smurfs Movie. Paramount pulled together a dream team of filmmakers led by the smurftastic director Chris Miller, co-director Matt Landon and producers Ryan Harris, Rihanna, Laurence ‘Jay’ Brown and Tyran’ Ty-ty’ Smith.”

The film will see the Smurfs going on an “interdimensional adventure” to discover the power within and answer the universal question: “What is a Smurf?”

“We’re thrilled that Rihanna is on board to voice Smurfette and write, produce and perform original songs for the film,” De Wilde added.

The movie will also feature the voices of Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, James Corden, Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña with Kurt Russell and John Goodman.

The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in February 2025.

During Tuesday’s presentation, De Wilde further discussed Johan & Peewit comics and upcoming Tales of Johan & Peewit, which will be an origin story.

“We will follow Johan on his quest to discover where he comes from. With Peewit, of course, a couple of new friends and a Smurf. It’s a full circle. We will do a spin-off of a spin-off.”

The original comic debuted in 1947.

“It was very successful at that time. Peewit has many flaws – he is an anti-hero. He is not perfect like Johan. Peyo, being a bit of a prankster himself, loved to play around with this character. What he couldn’t do with Johan, we could do with Peewit, who is a bit lazy and greedy. He loved that.”

Peewit also served as a visual prototype for the Smurfs.

“His nose is the same and his hair looks like a Smurf cap,” she observed.

As for Benny Breakiron, he was always defending the weak.

“He is not just very nice – he can leap very high and he is very strong. He could lift elephants! He is not some perfect superhero, however, and when he catches a cold, he loses his superpowers. And he always catches a cold when he shouldn’t, which leads to many funny situations.”

Peyo’s grandson Nicolas Tytgat also opened up about his grandfather’s work.

“I think its appeal lies in the universal themes and values. The Smurfs emphasize friendship, teamwork and adventure,” he said. But, as noted by De Wilde, Peyo was sometimes frustrated by the Smurfs’ success.

“They took up all his time,” she said.

“It doesn’t make sense to profile ourselves just as ‘the Smurfs’ company’ anymore, so we needed this rebranding.”

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Paramount Animation Announces Slate ot New Movies in Development at Annecy 2024

Bad Bunny and Will Ferrell Film Dropz Among Five New Projects in Development at Paramount Animation, Says Chief Ramsey Naito

As the 2024 Annecy Animation Festival gets underway, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito has revealed development on a string of original films — including the Bad Bunny– and Will Ferrell-produced film Dropz and a Swan Lake adaptation — which will sit alongside franchises such as Smurfs, SpongeBob SquarePants and Transformers.

Naito describes Dropz as “our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation,” reports Variety.

Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and David Koplan have teamed up with Bad Bunny, who is on board as an executive producer. Rob Letterman is directing and co-writing the script with Ike Holter. Naito adds that the story is “infused with fashion” and will be a “cultural statement” for kids and families.

Muttnik is a sci-fi comedy about a sweet puppy turned “Han Solo-type space bandit,” who is forced to return to the family on Earth that abandoned him. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Zareh Nalbandian are producing. Mike LeSieur, Chris Yost and Michael McCullers are writing the script; a director has not yet been named.

Paramount Animation Announces Slate ot New Movies in Development at Annecy 2024

Beth Collier/Getty Images

Another newly-revealed project is Once Upon a Motorcycle Dude, which Naito describes as a “fairytale disrupter” in which a kick-ass princess teams up with a post-apocalyptic motorcycle dude to save their kingdom. Karen Rosenfelt is producing.

The studio is also developing Swan Lake, a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale of the same name, which will be written by Kourtney Kang (How I Met Your Mother) and produced by Temple Hill.

Finally, Naito revealed development of Yokai Samba, which she called “our The Last Starfighter and a destination movie to Brazil.” On board to direct is Leo Matsuda, a Disney Animation alum whose credits as a story artist include Wreck-It Ralph and who helmed the 2016 short Inner Workings. Mitch Watson (Big Nate) is writing and Stacey Lubliner will produce.

Previously announced projects in development include Real Pigeons Fight Crime, based on the comedic book series written by Andrew McDonald and illustrated by Ben Wood; and Superworld, based on the book series by Yarrow Cheney and Carrie Cheney (Yarrow Cheney will direct from a script that the pair will write.)

Says Naito: “We have an incredible slate coming out of franchise titles, and that has also allowed us to develop an original slate that’s really exciting.”

Paramount Animation also previewed a work in progress of its upcoming Transformers One later in the evening, where it received a standing ovation. Naito describes the film as a stylized origin story set on Cybertron about how Optimus Prime (voiced by Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) went from friends to enemies. It’s directed by Josh Cooley, an Oscar winner for Toy Story 4, who is in attendance this week at Annecy. Transformers One is slated for a Sept. 20 release in the U.S.

Set for a Feb. 14 opening, The Smurfs Movie marks the return of the Smurfs franchise on the big screen and aims to answers a big question: What is a Smurf? Naito says the filmmakers also aim to embrace the roots of Peyo’s Belgian comics and “interpret that world in 3D in a way that paid homage to him.”

Also slated are The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, set to open Dec, 12, 2025; Aang: The Last Airbender, Jan. 30, 2026; “Paw Patrol 3,” July 31, 2026; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Oct. 9, 2026.

Says Naito of the strategy, “We want to make movies that reach kids and families everywhere that have a real relatability, that feel broad and diverse.”

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Originally published: June 11, 2024.

H/T and lead image: Animation Magazine.

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