PRESS RELEASE: Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Spark of Rebellion Ignites the Galaxy in
Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One!
    
On Blu-ray™ and DVD September 1, 2015

BURBANK, California, June 26, 2015 –– Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One delivers all 15 action-packed episodes plus never-before-seen bonus material and cast/crew interviews revealing the magic behind the making of the hit series. Releasing on Blu-ray and DVD on September 1, this is a must-add collection to the library!

In the first groundbreaking season of Star Wars Rebels, young hero Ezra Bridger joins the clever but motley crew of the starship Ghost in their resistance against the Empire. As the series begins, Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet, ruling with an iron fist and ruining the lives of its people. Ezra and his new rebel friends -- Hera, Kanan, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper -- embark on daring adventures in their fight against oppression across the galaxy, receiving help from familiar heroes such as Lando Calrissian, Ahsoka Tano, and Jedi Master Yoda. Pursued relentlessly by the Imperials and a Jedi hunter called the Inquisitor, this tenacious ragtag band of rebels will find itself in the crosshairs of none other than Darth Vader when season one closes in a shocking two-part finale. 

Star Wars Rebels is created by Dave Filoni (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes”), and Carrie Beck. The Lucasfilm Animation production is also executive-produced by Filoni and Kinberg as well as Greg Weisman (“Gargoyles”).

Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr. (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall (TV’s “Young Justice”) as Hera, Steve Blum (“The Boxtrolls”) as Zeb, Tiya Sircar (“The Internship”) as Sabine, Taylor Gray (TV’s “Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures”) as Ezra, David Oyelowo (“Selma”) as Agent Kallus and Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter”) as the Inquisitor.

Bonus Features:
Blu-ray:
Rebels Infiltrates Star Wars Celebration (Exclusive to Blu-ray)
Season One shorts: “The Machine in the Ghost,” “Art Attack,” “Entanglement,” “Property of Ezra Bridger”
All DVD Bonus (see below)

DVD:
Rebels Recon: 14 behind-the-scenes featurettes
Star Wars Rebels – The Ultimate Guide
Star Wars Rebels Season 2 – A Look Ahead

Disc Specifications:
Release Date:        September 1, 2015
Format:        Blu-ray (2-Disc) & DVD (3-Disc)
Rating:            TV Y7 FV
Run Time:        Approximately 330 minutes (not including bonus)
Closed Captioned:    Yes
Aspect Ratio:        1:78 (Widescreen)
Audio:         5.1 Dolby Digital
Languages/ Subtitles:    English, French & Spanish

About the TV Show:
New episodes of Star Wars Rebels Season Two premiere this fall on Disney XD.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. STAR WARS © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

# # #

© 2015 Disney / © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd.

Hotel Transylvania 2 - Official Trailer

After a few teasers here's the full official trailer for Sony Picture Animation's "Hotel Transylvania 2" plus a few screen shots:

Click any image to view it larger:

And just for fun, because I like to mention food/animation references, here's a "Hotel Transylvania 2" Cinco de Mayo video:

Get Smurfy Press Release

The World To GET SMURFY on March 31, 2017

—Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson and Mandy Patinkin

To Lend Their Voices to Fully Computer-Animated Feature Film—

Culver City, CA, June 14, 2015 – To mark this year’s June 14^th Global Smurfs Day, Sony Pictures Animation announced the all star cast of Get Smurfy, its brand new, fully computer-animated feature film reminiscent of creator Peyo Culliford’s original recognizable style.

Get Smurfy finds Smurfette and her brothers trekking through the uncharted Enchanted Forest to try and discover a fabled Smurfs village before their nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel, does.  Along the way, some of the mysteries of the little blue creatures’ origins are brought to light:  do Smurfs come in any other colors? are their mushroom houses organic? And... why are there 99 boys and only one girl??? 

Platinum-selling recording artist Demi Lovato has signed to voice the girl-power-ful Smurfette, with Emmy-nominated comic actor Rainn Wilson (The Office, Monsters vs. Aliens) stepping into the evil shoes of the Smurf nemesis, Gargamel. Papa Smurf will be played by Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin (The Princess Bride, Homeland).     

Set for a worldwide release on March 31, 2017, the new feature-length animated adventure will be directed by Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo & Juliet), produced by Jordan Kerner (Charlotte’s Web, The Smurfs) and co-produced by Mary Ellen Bauder (Hotel Transylvania).

Get Smurfy will stand as a brand new entry in the Columbia Pictures movie franchise that has grossed more than $900 million globally.

Says director Kelly Asbury, “The continued popularity of the Smurfs is unmistakeable, and this new outing will return them to the fully-animated world that launched them.”

Producer Jordan Kerner continues, “We felt it was important to take a very different approach with this origin story.  It returns to the roots of Peyo’s creation in this CG animated adventure.  I hope it will delight not only fans but audiences worldwide.  We couldn't be more excited with the talented new cast we're starting to assemble for our Smurfy reboot! ”

Adds Sony Pictures Animation’s Kristine Belson, “We have gathered a group of filmmakers and artists who have grown up with these loveable characters, and Get Smurfy will be imbued with the same spirit of adventure that first made all of us lifelong fans of these little blue guys…and girl.” 

Based on the characters and works of PEYO.

SMURF, and all Smurfs characters: ©Peyo. All Rights Reserved. “Smurf” and “The Smurfs” are registered trademarks of STUDIO PEYO

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated and family entertainment for audiences around the world.  The studio is following its worldwide comedy hits—the 2012 monster hit comedy Hotel Transylvania, the hybrid live action/animated blockbusters The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2, and the mouth-watering Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies—with the family comedies Hotel Transylvania 2 scheduled in September 2015,  and Get Smurfy in March 2017.  The studio, in conjunction with Aardman Animations, has produced two critically acclaimed feature films:  the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas; and the Academy Award® nominated stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  In 2007, Surf's Up also received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.  The division, whose first feature film Open Season led to a very successful movie franchise, turned 10 in 2012.

·         Website: http://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/
·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SONYPicturesAnimation

·         Twitter:  http://twitter.com/sonyanimation

·         Tumblr: http://sonyanimation.tumblr.com/

·         YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SonyAnimation

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT THE SMURFS

The story of the Smurfs - a property created by Peyo - started in 1958 with the creation of comic books which were later brought to both the big and small screen. Over the years, the little blue characters haven't just limited themselves to the page and the screen. They have inspired records and CDs that have sold millions of copies, entire collections of figurines and toys, and many more products. In all, more than 3,000 derived products have been produced and leading brands and companies have spread their messages worldwide with the help of the Smurfs. A multitude of new projects appear regularly, thus making the success of the Smurfs planetary!

ABOUT LAFIG BELGIUM S.A.

Lafig Belgium is the owner of the rights to produce audio-visual works based on the Smurf universe and of the Smurf worldwide licensing rights (together with IMPS). Lafig Belgium is controlled by the heirs of Pierre Culliford, better known under his pseudonym Peyo, the author/creator of the Smurfs. For 50 years, the Culliford family has controlled the Smurf characters and all licenses worldwide.

Open Season: Scared Silly

 

Sony Pictures Animation Announces

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY for Spring 2016

Culver City, CA (June 10, 2015) – Continuing one of its most successful franchises, Sony Pictures Animation today announced the upcoming release of OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY, the fourth installment in the titled series. This latest production brings back Elliot, Boog and all of the beloved woodland creatures in a brand new comedy adventure, with David Feiss (head of story on the original Open Season and creator of the popular TV series Cow and Chicken) directing and John Bush (The Simpsons, Family Guy) producing.  

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY opens with Elliot telling a campfire story about the legend of the Wailing Wampus Werewolf that lives in Timberline National Forest. Domesticated Boog is terrified by the story and decides to “chicken out” of their annual summer camping trip until he knows the werewolf is gone. Determined to help Boog overcome his fears, Elliot and their woodland friends band together to scare the fear out of Boog and uncover the mystery of the Wailing Wampus Werewolf. 

Says Director Feiss, “My affection for these characters has only grown since we introduced them in Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature.  We’re having a lot of fun bringing them back for a new adventure—it feels like a big party with old friends.”

Most recently, Feiss—whose prolific career began as a story artist for Hanna-Barbera—directed four mini-movies for the home entertainment release of Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2, entitled Steve’s First Bath, Super Manny, Attack Of The 50ft Gummy Bear and Earl Scouts. 

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY is slated for a Spring 2016 release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, with Canadian computer animation and design company Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc. serving as the animation facility for the production.

PRESS RELEASE: Walt Disney Animation Studios Shorts Collection on Digital Aug 11 & Blu-ray Aug 15

Together For the First Time! 12 Animated Short Films

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS SHORTS COLLECTION

Available Early on Digital HD/Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) on August 11, 2015. Bring It Home on Blu-ray™ on August 18, 2015

Fans Can Now Enjoy The In-Home Debuts of the Beloved Animated Shorts "Frozen Fever," "Lorenzo," and "Tick Tock Tale." Also includes Academy Award®-Winning Animated Shorts "Feast" (2014) and "Paperman" (2012), Special Filmmaker Introductions and More!

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes an extraordinary new collection of award-winning and beloved short films featuring Disney's Frozen Fever, starring Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Sven and Kristoff, and the Oscar®-nominated "Lorenzo" (Best Animated Short, 2004). The Short Films Collection includes contemporary shorts starring classic characters, such as the groundbreaking 2013 Mickey Mouse cartoon, "Get A Horse!" and the holiday treat "Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa", as well as celebrated Oscar winners "Paperman" (2012) and "Feast" (2014). Enjoy them together for the first time in this must-own collection with all-new extras including an inside look at the Disney Animation shorts, featuring introductions and interviews with the acclaimed filmmakers themselves.