Annecy, France; Wednesday, June 12, 2023 – Following last week’s Los Angeles Next on Netflix: Animation event, Netflix continued the momentum, revealing more of its new lineup of diverse films and series. Five years after releasing its first animated feature, Netflix has gone on to receive 8 Oscar noms and 1 win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; 4 BAFTA noms and 2 wins for Klaus and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; 273 Annie noms and 79 Annie wins across film and series, including this year’s Oscar nomination for Nimona and BAFTA nomination for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, plus wins at the Annies (Arcane). Today award-winning filmmakers and creators took audiences behind the scenes with world-exclusive clips and sneak peeks from their highly anticipated new projects during the “Next On Netflix Animation: From Wallace & Gromit To Twilight Of The Gods” panel.

Hosted by the multi-talented, producer Anna Higgs, the panel got underway, welcoming Alain Chabat and Fabrice Joubert directors of the French series Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight, produced by French studio TAT and based on the beloved comic strips created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The directors showcased a world-exclusive clip from the show. Chabat said: “After the extraordinary experience of making the film “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” and the audience’s reception, it is an immense pleasure to dive back into the universe and characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo! Animation brings us back to the very essence of the work and offers new creative spaces to have fun in different ways. Revealing the first images (even WIP) at Annecy is a privilege and a great joy shared with the team!”

Up next, esteemed industry experts and Annecy veterans, Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, from Aardman, took to the stage to discuss the much-buzzed-about Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and treated audiences to a clip. They shared the sentiment: “Annecy has welcomed Wallace and Gromit warmly and generously for many years, and so there couldn’t be a more perfect festival for us to share a special sneak peek of our latest upcoming Wallace and Gromit extravaganza, ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’. It’s so exciting to return to Annecy again, stepping away from production for a couple of days, to share a special taster of the latest madcap adventure we’ve been cooking up for the duo over the last couple of years and to reveal the return of our most infamous villain, Feathers McGraw!”

Fan favorites and the new animated drama series Twilight of the Gods showrunners, Zack and Deborah Snyder, alongside the art director Slimane Aniss also participated in a Q&A. The Synder’s said of their first experience of Annecy: “We are so excited to make our first voyage to Annecy, such a remarkable showcase for groundbreaking animation, with our series, Twilight Of The Gods, a monumental tale, steeped in the rich lore of Norse Mythology, of mortals and gods facing off in a pitched battle, where the lines between honor and revenge are blurred. It has been an amazing journey creating this epic series in partnership with both Netflix and Xilam. We’re thrilled for audiences to finally see it – on a big screen.”

Other highlights from the presentation included director, Vicky Jenson, talking about Skydance Animation’s Spellbound. She shared a sneak peek from the film on stage and her thoughts in the lead-up to the festival: “I am so looking forward to bringing a preview of Spellbound to Annecy. The audiences there are some of the most enthusiastic in the world and are filled with not only animation fans but also students, professionals and old colleagues! Spellbound is a truly special film, and I could not be more proud of it and every artist who helped to make it happen. It is a new fairytale that, while feeling rooted in classic storytelling, has a twist that is both unexpected and universal at the same time.” 

FILM:

• ULTRAMAN: RISING Launch date: June 14, 2024 With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he reluctantly adopts a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Sato must rise above his ego to balance work and parenthood while protecting the baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans. In partnership with Netflix, Tsuburaya Productions, and Industrial Light & Magic, Ultraman: Rising is written by Shannon Tindle & Marc Haimes, directed by Shannon Tindle, and co-directed by John Aoshima. Director: Shannon Tindle Co-director: John Aoshima Written by: Shannon Tindle, Marc Haimes Produced by: Tom Knott, p.g.a. and Lisa M. Poole, p.g.a. Executive Producers: Takayuki Tsukagoshi, Masahiro Onda, Kei Minamitani Cast: Christopher Sean (You, Hawaii Five-O), Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles), Tamlyn Tomita (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Keone Young (Men in Black 3, Star Wars Rebels), Julia Harriman (Camp Rock)

• SPELLBOUND Launch date: November 22, 2024  Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters. Spellbound is directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek) with original score from EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and lyrics by Glenn Slater (Tangled). A Netflix Film from Skydance Animation, Spellbound boasts an all-star voice cast led by Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane, and Tituss Burgess. Spellbound is written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda and produced by John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bruce Anderson and Linda Woolverton for Skydance Animation. Directed by: Vicky Jenson Written by: Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda Story by: Vicky Jenson and Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin Produced by: John  Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bruce Anderson and Linda Woolverton for Skydance Animation  Score by: Alan Menken Songs by: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater Cast: Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane with Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman
• THAT CHRISTMAS Launch date: Coming December 2024 Synopsis: Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! This heartwarming comedy from Locksmith Animation marks Curtis’ first foray into animation, serving as the film’s writer and executive producer, and also the feature directorial debut of renowned animation veteran Simon Otto (Love, Death & Robots, How to Train Your Dragon films). Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers. Directors: Simon Otto Writers: Richard Curtis & Peter Souter Produced by: Nicole P. Hearon p.g.a, Adam Tandy p.g.a Executive Producers: Mary Coleman, Natalie Fischer, Julie Lockhart, Elisabeth Murdoch, Bonnie Arnold, Lara Breay, Sarah Smith, Rebecca Cobb, Richard Curtis, Colin Hopkins Music by: John Powell Cast: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry, Ava Talbot, with Bill Nighy and Rhys Darby.
• WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL Launch date: Coming this Winter. The film will premiere exclusively on Netflix around the world except in the UK, where it will debut on the BBC before also coming to Netflix. Synopsis: Aardman’s four-time Academy Award®-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again! Creator of Wallace & Gromit: Nick Park Director: Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham Story: Nick Park Screenplay: Mark Burton Producer: Richard Beek Voice cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, Muzz 
• THE TWITS Launch date: Coming 2025 Synopsis: Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city. A hysterically funny, wild ride of a film (chock-full of the Twits’ beloved tricks–from the Wormy Spaghetti to the Dreaded Shrinks), The Twits is also a story for our times, about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy. Director: Phil Johnston Co-Directors: Katie Shanahan, Todd Kunjan Demong Writers: Phil Johnston (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph), Meg Favreau Produced by: Phil Johnston, Maggie Malone, Daisy May West  Voice cast: Margo Martindale, Johnny Vegas, with Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke

SERIES

• TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Launch date:  19 September, 2024  Synopsis:  The animated series brings Zack Snyder’s daring and spectacular vision of ancient Norse mythology to life, and features the voices of Sylvia Hoeks, Stuart Martin, Pilou Asbaek, John Noble, Paterson Joseph, Rahul Kohli, Jamie Clayton, Kristopher Hivju, Peter Stormare, Jamie Chung, Lauren Cohan, and Corey Stoll, among others.  Created By:  Zack Snyder, Jay Olivia, Eric Carrasco Executive Producers:  Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller, Jay Oliva Directors:  Zack Snyder (101 & 108); Jay Oliva (102 & 107); Tim Divar/Andrew Tamadl (103 & 105); Dave Hartman/Andrew Tamadl (104 & 106) Animation Studio:  Xilam Animation Production Company:  Stone Quarry Animation
• ARCANE Launch date: Coming this November Studio:  Riot Games Animation: Fortiche Productions  Created by: Christian Linke, Alex Yee Executive Producers: Christian Linke, Marc Merrill, Brandon Beck Announced Voices: Hailee Steinfeld (Vi), Ella Purnell (Jinx) and Katie Leung (Caitlyn Kiramman), among others to be announced\

• BIG MOUTH (S8) Launch date: Coming 2025  Synopsis: Big Mouth is the critically-acclaimed and Emmy-winning adult animated comedy about the glorious nightmare that is puberty. Inspired by Kroll and Goldberg’s childhood, it follows a group of friends and their hormone monsters as they navigate adolescence, human sexuality, and coming of age. The final season, which will air in 2025, will make Big Mouth the longest running series in Netflix history, outside of Kids & Family programming. Executive Producers/ Co-Creators: Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin. Cast: Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Andrew Rannells, and Jordan Peele Animation Studio: Titmouse
• ASTERIX & OBELIX : THE BIG FIGHT  Launch date: Coming 2025  Synopsis: Rome is desperate to conquer the last independent village in Gaul and the home of Asterix and Obelix. The secret to the Gauls’ battle superiority is a magic potion, but when the potion master loses his memory, the villagers are left to their own devices against the might of Rome. Created by: Alain Chabat Based on the original work: by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo Directors: Alain Chabat and Fabrice Joubert  Adaptation rights: Les Editions Albert René Adaptation and Dialogues: Alain Chabat, Benoît Oullion and Piano Produced by: Alain Goldman Animation studios: TAT Productions

(Source: Netflix)