The Animation Blog

Super Bowl LXI Gets Animated in ‘Star Wars Funday Football’ Telecast on Disney Platforms

October 20, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

ESPN, Lucasfilm, Disney and the NFL will present a real-time, animated alternate telecast of Super Bowl LXI set in the Star Wars galaxy and featuring characters from across the franchise, including original 1977 cast member Anthony Daniels returning to voice C-3PO.

Star Wars Funday Football will stream live in the U.S. on Disney+ and the ESPN App and air on Disney Channel and Disney XD on February 14, 2027.

The Star Wars animated telecast will recreate every play of Super Bowl LXI in real time, transforming players on the field into animated avatars, while Star Wars characters sub in during key moments and various Easter eggs appear throughout the game.

Short Film Spotlight: As I Was a Tree

October 19, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: The Self moves through a constantly shifting world, searching for a way out.

Along the journey, it encounters Proteus, an ever-changing presence that takes different forms, sometimes appearing as an outside force, sometimes as something coming from within.

As reality continually reshapes itself, the Self is pushed to confront the forces that influence who we become, what we believe, and how much control we really have over our own path.

Written, animated and directed by Jalal Maghout.

Sound by Larissa Kischk and Nicolas Voss.

Music by Marcus Sander.

Short Film Spotlight: Fleur Bleue (Blue Flower)

October 18, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: In a distant future, men and women are locked in a merciless war.

Their most powerful weapons are Rocket Robots, highly advanced machines designed to break through enemy spacecraft and destroy everything in their path.

But during one battle, one of these combat robots crashes onto a deserted island.

Far from the battlefield, something unexpected begins to happen: the machine starts to experience emotions.

Directed by Thomas Guerigen.

Cinematography by José Gerel.

Sound and music by Vincent Boutolleau.

Short Film Spotlight: Matcha Mountain

October 17, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Granny lives alone on Matcha Mountain. She rescues an injured balloon dog, addicted to matcha desserts by chance. Something begins to stir, and danger slowly creeps toward their fragile happiness…

Written and directed by:
Seiya Carpentier
Zijin Chen
Pauline Gisèle Gautschi
Jiamin Li
Yuanxin Ling
Alexane Pierrot-Zago

Music by Arthur Dairaine.

Sound by Laurent Jimenez.

‘Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There’ Documentary Trailer, Release Date and Synopsis

October 16, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: November 20, 2026 on Amazon

Synopsis: Before he defined childhood nostalgia and arcade history with Dragon’s Lair, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, and Anastasia, Don Bluth did the unthinkable: he walked away from Disney to wage an independent war for the soul of traditional animation.

Weaving intimate modern conversations with hundreds of hours of never-before-seen personal archives, Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There reveals the unvarnished story of a master craftsman caught between art and commerce, ego and faith, and the cost of building an empire on his own terms.

Written and directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker.

‘A Proud Family Wizmas’: Release Date, Guest Cast and Poster Revealed for Disney+ Christmas Special

October 15, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: November 14, 2026 on Disney+

Synopsis: After her rant about Wizmas and the commercialization of Christmas causes Santa to quit on Christmas eve, Penny Proud finds herself guilted into putting on the red suit and replacing him.

And in the process of delivering Yuletide cheer with the help of Santa’s irreverent elves, she discovers that indeed the Christmas spirit is still alive.

Directed by Bruce W. Smith.

Written by Ralph Farquhar.

Co-directed by David H. Brooks.

Music by Kurt Farquhar.

Short Film Spotlight: Ninjaaa

October 14, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Théo, a young ninja specialist, panics upon learning that he has to give a presentation alone. To help him, his cat is ready to train him to overcome this challenge…

Directed by:
Thibault Boistault
Jules Douilly
Romain Gauthier
Clélia Mallet
Lola Mauger Durel
Maïlys Riso
Marie Roos
Camille Sully

Original Score by Mathias Genty.

Sound by Baptiste Leblanc, Tristan Le Bozec, Yoann Poncet, Valentin Gay and Lionel Gaillardin.

Voice cast:
Gabriel Bismuth-Bienaimé as Théo
Emmanuel Curtil as Ninchat
Dany Laurent as Janine
Alexandre Nguyen as Bernard

‘Artemis Fowl’ Animated Series Coming to Disney Channel and Disney+

October 13, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: TBD

Synopsis: Artemis Fowl follows 13-year-old genius Artemis Fowl as he uncovers an underground world of armed and dangerous — and surprisingly high-tech — fairies as he launches a plan to capture one and steal its magic to heal his dying mom and save his family.

The series is executive produced by author Eoin Colfer, alongside Ben Juwono (Big Hero 6: The Series) and Colleen Evanson (DuckTales).

Author’s statement: “I am proud and delighted to be part of the formidable team that is putting the ‘Artemis Fowl’ animation on screen. Everyone is so talented and so positive that I feel certain the fairy world is in excellent hands.”

‘Common Side Effects’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer, Release Date and Synopsis: Mushroom Thriller Returns to Adult Swim and HBO Max

October 12, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: January 24, 2027 on Adult Swim. Next day on HBO Max.

Synopsis: Season 2 continues the story of Marshall and Frances, who share a secret: a mushroom that can cure almost anything. Now fugitives, the two former lab partners face the enormous consequences of their discovery.

Created by Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (American Dad!).

Executive produced by Mike Judge (King of the Hill) and Greg Daniels (The Office).

Short Film Spotlight: There’s a Robbery in Progress

October 12, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A British police officer is having a difficult day.

Written and Directed by Morgan Miller.

Sound by Simon Walker, Therese Mahler, Jared Horowitz and Jairo Garcia.

Additional Visual Effects by Robert Carducci III.

Production Assistance by Ruyin Tsai.

Voiced by Brian Croucher.

Short Film Spotlight: Mont Noir

October 11, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Marguerite suffers three losses as a child: her mother, who dies in childbirth, her dog, and her nursemaid, dismissed by her father. Alone in the nature of Mont Noir, these losses shape her path to becoming a writer.

Directed by Erika Haglund and Jean-Baptiste Peltier.

Written by Erika Haglund.

Sound by Arnaud Rolland and Benjamin Viau.

Voice cast:
Selma Serero as Marguerite
Marie Vialle as Barbe
Pierre Zéni as Michel

Short Film Spotlight: Heart-Bit Dim Sum Friends!

October 10, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: On the outskirts of Hong Kong, lies a humble dim sum shop named A Little Heart Restaurant.

Three dim sum, Pobu the char siu pork bun, Mai the shumai, and Gao the crystal shrimp dumpling come to life and use their Kung Fu powers to save the day!

Written, Directed and Animated by Veda Lee.

Rough Animation: Michelle Qiu, Celine Hung and Chun Kit Fong

Cleanup Animation: Michelle Qiu and Renita Tang

Colorists: Harold Tsui, Renita Tang, Miranda Lu, Michelle Qiu, Fionna Chang, Sumin Cho and Natalie Worcester

Music Composed by An Binh Tat.

Sound Mix by Daniel Eaton.

‘Go With the Clouds, North-by-Northwest’ Official Trailer: Aki Irie’s Manga Gets Netflix Anime Adaptation

October 9, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: 2007

Synopsis: Sometimes a journey. Sometimes a mystery. Welcome to Land’s End, Iceland, 64 degrees north.

17-year-old Kei Miyama carries three secrets: he can talk to cars, he can’t talk to girls, and, well… he’s a detective.

One day, he’s bringing home a runaway dog. The next, he’s tracking down a stranger’s love at first sight.

Directed by Yosuke Kubo.

Written by Takashi Sano.

Character Design by Chikashi Kubot.

Based on the manga series by Aki Irie.

Starring Tomohiro Ono as Kei Miyama.

Short Film Spotlight: Take Me Drunk I’m Home

October 8, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: It’s 5 o’clock here. As a town descends deeper into their cups, one man tries desperately to ascend his stairs to bed.

Directed and Animated by Nolan J. Downs.

Sound by Jack Weiss, Alejandra Molina Rios and Aria Analise Dines.

Music by Phil Sciurba.

Voice cast:
Ian Ballantyne
Samuel Buroker
Nolan J. Downs
Adam Gold
Amanda Lake
Emily Mattaliano
Chris Rutledge
Isaiah Schetelick
Sarah Schmidt

Short Film Spotlight: Clutch

October 7, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: In a futuristic Lagos, Kay, bike mechanic prodigy, yearns to become a street racer like his idol Maze.

Desperate to turn his dream into reality, he enters the dangerous Japa Rush. Will he make it to the finish line?

Written and Directed by:
Akin Oluwatomiwa Aduniyi
Christopher Carter
Adriano Correia
Jia Guo
Pochih Ko
Gaïa Locque

Music by Jeremiah Oginni.

Sound by Mathieu Tiger, Clément Naline, Sylvain Dodane and Christoph Burdet.

Voice cast:
Serah Johnson as Kay
Tevin John Nwajei as Maze
Menghan Li as Ejo