Walt Disney Animation Studios

First Look: Disney Animation’s Next Short – “Feast”

24 April 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The tradition of opening an animated feature film with a short, adopted from the Pixar films, is continuing with the next full-length animated film – Big Hero 6, opening on November 7, 2014. The newest short will be called “Feast” and comes to us from first-time director Patrick Osborne, who was the head of animation in the now beloved, “Paperman” and Walt Disney Animation Studios. “Feast” tells the story of one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend, his dog Winston. The story we share is shown to us bite by bite through the meals they share together. “Feast” will make its world premier at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2014.

Here is the first image from the short, revealed today:

We’ll bring you more images, info and trailers on Feast and Big Hero 6 as they become available!

News for Disney’s Frozen Animated Feature: Concept Art and Voice Talent

20 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

In Frozen, Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven in an epic journey, encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), the Snow Queen, and save their kingdom from eternal winter. Disney just released a piece of concept art from the upcoming film, and it’s just beautiful:

Walt Disney Animation Studios announced yesterday that they have given voice to its extreme mountain man from the comedy-adventure “Frozen.” Tony Award® nominee Jonathan Groff (Broadway’s “Spring Awakening,” TV’s “Glee”) is on board to help bring Kristoff to life in the epic journey slated for the big screen November 27, 2013.

Groff appears in the independent feature “C.O.G.,” which is part of 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The Pennsylvania native made his big-screen debut in Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” and went on to appear in the independent drama “Twelve-Thirty” and “The Conspirator.” His TV credits include Fox’s “Glee,” the Starz series “Boss” and CBS’ “The Good Wife.” On stage, in addition to the Tony Award®-winning musical “Spring Awakening,” Groff appeared in the Public Theater’s revival of “Hair” and off-Broadway plays “Prayer for My Enemy” and “The Submission,” among others. He made his West End debut in Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap,” and appeared in the 2010 Tony Award®-winning “Red” by John Logan at the Mark Taper Forum this year.

Personally, I loved Jonathan Groff on Glee and clips I’d seen from Spring Awakening, so I’m excited that he’s on board for Frozen.

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and produced by Peter Del Vecho, “Frozen” will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

From the studio behind 2010’s “Tangled” and this year’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” Walt Disney Animation Studios presents “Frozen,” the most daring comedy-adventure ever to hit the big screen. The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Featuring music from Tony®-winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit”), “Frozen” journeys into theaters November 27, 2013, in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters. For more information, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyFrozen and follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyAnimation. FROZEN hits theaters on November 27^th, 2013!

Walt Disney Animation Unveils Epic Adventure “FROZEN”—In Theaters NOVEMBER 2013

11 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

BURBANK, Calif. (June 11, 2012) – Walt Disney Animation Studios presents an epic tale of adventure and comedy in “Frozen,” a computer-animated feature film slated for the big screen in November 2013. Directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”), “Frozen” features the vocal talents of film/TV/stage star Kristen Bell as Anna, a young dreamer about to take the adventure of a lifetime, and Tony Award ®-winning actress Idina Menzel as Elsa the Snow Queen. The movie will feature original songs by Broadway greats Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

In “Frozen,” a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

Bell has starred in a variety of films, including the comedies “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Couples Retreat,” and the upcoming films “Hit & Run,” “Some Girls” and the Farrelly Brothers’ “Movie 43.” On the small screen, Bell is currently starring in the Showtime series “House of Lies” alongside Don Cheadle; she has also starred in “Heroes” and “Veronica Mars.” Broadway credits include “The Crucible” and “Tom Sawyer.”

Menzel, who won a Tony Award® as Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Elphaba in Broadway’s “Wicked” (2004), landed her first role on Broadway in 1995 in the Tony Award-winning musical “Rent.” Film credits include “Enchanted” and the feature film “Rent.” She has appeared in a recurring role on TV’s “Glee” and recently released “Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony,” a live concert with an orchestra led by composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch. Menzel is currently on a North American concert tour.

Robert Lopez is a three-time Tony Award®-winning writer of the Tony and Grammy® Award-winning musical “The Book of Mormon,” which was co-written with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (“South Park”), and the musical “Avenue Q,” which ran for six years on Broadway and four years in London’s West End. Lopez teamed with wife Anderson-Lopez, whose Drama Desk-winning show “In Transit” is Broadway-bound, to write original songs for 2011’s “Winnie the Pooh,” a stage version of “Finding Nemo” and a new musical called “Up Here.”

Can’t wait to see and hear more about this new film – what do you think?

The Ballad of Nessie Animated Short to Appear with Winnie the Pooh Movie

17 March 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “THE BALLAD OF NESSIE” is an all new animated short appearing exclusively with the upcoming WINNIE THE POOH theatrical release, which opens in theaters in Spring 2011; the U.S. release date is July 15, 2011.

Here is more about the short: (click to enlarge)

Check out these images from The Ballad of Nessie:

Like WINNIE THE POOH on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh.