Written by Karlamon :

Hello again Animation Source. Well, it’s Sunday, so time for another round of Weekly News! This week, I’ll report about the surprise comeback of Anime master Hayao Miyazaki, The Dam Keeper being turned into a feature-length film, Warner Bros.’ Bone getting a director, and Sainsbury's new animated Christmas commercial “The Greatest Gift”.

Hayao Miyazaki quits retirement to return to movies

In all of Japanese anime, no individual has been more greatly admired than Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki. The man responsible for creating some of the most iconic animated features of Japan, including Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), Howl’s Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城), the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), and much more. Back in 2013, Miyazaki announced that The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ) would be his swan song before retirement, meaning it would be the last time we’d see a feature directed by him…

Well we can throw that fact out the window, because Miyazaki has just reversed that decision yet again! Last Sunday, the news broke on NHK’s TV special Owaranai Hito Miyazaki Hayao (The Man Who Is Not Done: Hayao Miyazaki). While discussing his upcoming CG-animated short Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar) made exclusively for the Ghibli Museum, the 76-year-old announced he plans to make more feature films.

Why this sudden announcement? Well, it appears that Miyazaki was getting bored of his relaxing retirement. Along with being dissatisfied with his Boro short, he has longed for a major goal to accomplish, “because doing nothing is boring. That’s all.”, he said.

Miyazaki pitched his feature idea to Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki in August. Hoping to complete the movie by 2019, he is committed to keep drawing storyboards until he dies. Miyazaki stated “If I start now, and it takes five years, I’ll be eighty by the time it's done. I can’t just say I want to make a movie simply on a whim. If my heart gives out, then it would cause major problems.”

Studio Ghibli has been on hiatus since 2014’s When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー). So with Miyazaki back on board, this already seems to become a very promising comeback for the legendary studio.

• Sources: Anime News Network, ANIME NOW!
• Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Tonko House is making The Dam Keeper movie

In 2014, two Pixar art directors Robert Kondo and Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi teamed up to create their own animation studio named Tonko House, with the ambition to make their dream animated projects. Hence The Dam Keeper was born, an ambitious dialogue-free animated short about the friendship between the shy Pig and the artistic Fox. It was critically hailed on it’s release, and was nominated the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film (which it lost to Disney’s Feast).

Tonko House have big plans for The Dam Keeper. Not only with a trilogy of graphic novels in 2017 and a 10-episode miniseries for Hulu Japan, but also an animated feature!

Tonko House will be teaming up with 20th Century Fox to expand the short into a feature film. Kondo and Tsutsumi are in charge as directors, with screenwriter John Henry Hinkel and ex-Blue Sky producer Kane Lee hired to work on the project. Unlike the short, the film will feature full dialogue, and will be created primarily with CGI.

“We are thrilled to be in business with Tonko House and honored to help develop their groundbreaking short into a feature.” said Fox Animation president Vanessa Morrison.

There is no release date for the movie as of now, but I am very intrigued with what Tonko House will do with this. I just watched the short myself, and I have to say I was wowed by it. A sad, but very powerful piece of artistry that really makes you feel deeply for Pig and Fox. I highly encourage you to buy The Dam Keeper on iTunes and experience it for yourself.

• Source: Variety

Kung Fu Panda director Mark Osborne to helm Bone

Mark Osborne’s filmmaking career has been a solid one. From his Oscar-nominated animated short More, to his live-action work on SpongeBob Squarepants, to starting one of DreamWorks’ biggest franchises as the director of the first Kung Fu Panda movie. After recently creating his beloved animated adaptation of The Little Prince, Mark’s next project will be Bone, based on the cult comic series by Jeff Smith.

For those unaware of the source material, the Bone comics are about three humanlike big-nosed cousins named Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone. All three have been run out of Boneville, and separated, and now must venture through a vast desert filled with terrifying creatures. Published between 1991 and 2004, the 55-issue comics have since gathered a bigger audience thanks to Scholastic releasing them as graphic novels.

Warner Bros. have been trying to get an animated adaptation off the ground ever since picking up the rights in 2008. Now with Osborne on board and Adam Kline co-writing with him, the movie seems to be becoming more of a reality. Dan Lin of Lin Pictures and Zareh Nalbandian of Animal Logic will be producing, with hopes of turning Bone into a trilogy. Animation service will be provided by Animal Logic, the studio that animated Happy Feet, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and the new Lego movies.

Mark Osborne told The Hollywood Reporter that “Bone is very special and unconventional because it blends elements together that you don’t necessarily expect — soft, little comic characters and epic high-stakes fantasy adventure. To carry this into the cinematic realm presents both an opportunity to represent what readers of all ages have loved about the series, while pushing animated storytelling into exciting and different areas."

No release date is set yet, but we’ll probably get more updates on Bone once Animal Logic gets through some of their upcoming Lego projects.

• Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Cartoon Brew

Sainsbury's “The Greatest Gift” advert

As we come into the Christmas season, we’re bound to be bombarded by so many Christmas commercials. In the case of UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, their latest animated advert “The Greatest Gift” boasts impressive stop-motion animation, a catchy musical number, and has gone viral online with over 7 million YouTube views at time of writing.

An original, uplifting, and humorous song performed by English comedian James Cordon and composed by Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords. This musical commercial follows the story of Dave, a hard-working father who realises the greatest Christmas gift he can give to people is his time. Devoted to spend holiday time with his family, he must also get through the typical Christmas duties and obstacles that get in the way.

The stop-motion animation was crafted by Passion Animation Studios, and was made under the direction of Sam Fell (known for his directing work on Flushed Away, The Tale of Despereaux, and ParaNorman). The aim of the marketing campaign is to raise funds to create new accomodation for Great Ormond Street Hospital, so parents can stay close their hospitalised child.

A tremendous amount of work and effort went into this commercial, so don’t forget to also check out the Behind the Scenes video to fully appreciate the grand scale of “The Greatest Gift”.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this week’s news. Next week is going to be a big one for us animation fans. Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we all know what that means. The release of Disney’s Moana! See you next time!

• - Karlamon