The world of animation is one of the most creative and unique. Growing up, when you think of cartoons, it may have been anime, Pixar, Bugs Bunny, or Mickey Mouse, but there is far more to offer. Over the decades, filmmakers have taken audiences to brave new worlds too vast to imagine. Even before the advent of CGI, animators created incredible stories for decades that ran the gamut of imaginative tales. And over the past few years, Netflix has proven to be a powerhouse for animated tales. With the successful Academy Award win for last year’s exceptional Pinocchio from Guillermo del Toro, you can expect much more.

I recently attended the Next on Netflix: Animation Preview, which included something for the entire family. The event took place at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles. And our announcer? That would be “Lola” from the hilariously crude animated series Big Mouth. And what a joy that was! Throughout the presentation, the fine folks at Netflix and a series of celebrity presenters led us through all that is coming in the next few months. From entertainment geared towards the more mature crowds to the very young, Netflix is thinking BIG! Just ask Lola.

And speaking of hosts, Days of Our Lives star – and something announced by Lola before he came on stage, upcoming “Playgirl” cover model – Christopher Sean stepped into the role. Do they still print that magazine? Either way, Christopher was a solid host and the star of the new animated feature Ultraman: Rising. Throughout the afternoon panel, Zack and Deborah Snyder, Nick Kroll, Emilia Clarke, Natalie Portman, John Derderian, Ali Wong, Craig Robinson, Nathan Lane, and various others offered up previews of their projects.

That morning, they offered animation fans several fun surprises and cool treats. The variety of entertainment ran the gamut for the young and the old. They include:

• Adult series from action with Arcane, Twilight of the Gods, and Terminator Zero to over-the-top antics of Exploding Kittens and the final season of Big Mouth.

• New films including The Imaginary, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, Spellbound, That Christmas, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Twits, K-Pop: Demon Hunters, Plankton: The Movie, Pookoo; and series like Motel Transylvania and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.

• Preschool treats like CoComelon, CoComelon Lane, and Gabby’s Dollhouse..

• Anime series include Tokyo Override and Leviathan, as well as films Pretty Guardian, Sailor Moon Cosmos: The Movie, and My Oni Girl.

With all that, here are a few highlights from the evening, starting with Twilight of the Gods.

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

Zack and Deborah Snyder were on hand to discuss their latest Twilight of the Gods, which will begin airing on September 19th. And yes, we were given a short sneak peek at the new series. While the footage was brief, it promises an exciting adventure heavily influenced by Norse Mythology.

ZACK SNYDER: Twilight of the Gods was a show that we’ve been working on for quite some time –  years in the making, actually. I’ve always been obsessed with Norse mythology. I think it’s an amazing place. I love mythology in general, and so the idea of actually being able to dig into this rich tapestry of heroes and gods was an incredible opportunity for both of us. And this show is really a story. It’s a story about love and revenge, and it just takes us across this massive and beautiful landscape in pursuit of, well, you’ll have to see now.”

DEBORAH SNYDER: “This is the first time anyone’s going to see anything. And as Zack said, it’s been about just over four years in the making, developing these scripts and then having an in-house team of about 48 artists who developed all the characters and the worlds. And in animation, nothing is for free. Every prop and everything, as you know, has to be created. And we were so lucky to be able to work with this group of very global artists, and then even more lucky to have Xilam do the animation through layout and compositing.”

TERMINATOR ZERO

The wonderful world Jim Cameron created with The Terminator is back with this futuristic adventure in animated form. During the presentation, they screened a short clip from the upcoming series. The vibe it offered harkened back to Cameron’s original, so here’s hoping the series takes a few risks to create something special with this particular property.

The biggest news for Terminator Zero was the revelation that Timothy Olyphant voices the Terminator. And yes, more than a little excitement was generated at this news. As a fan of the actor, he is a fantastic choice to return to the mad world of Terminators and Skynet.

Terminator Zero is created by Mattson Tomlin, and animated by Production IG Studio and will hopefully fill the void that many were left with after the recent spat of less-than-stellar sequels. Audiences everywhere will have the opportunity to witness the “Judgement Day,” on August 29th. He did say he’d be back.

SAVING BIKINI BOTTOM: THE SANDY CHEEKS MOVIE

Another franchise that I’m fond of is returning to Netflix. And it appears that Bikini Bottom may be in trouble, folks. Spongebob and crew are back, but Sandy Cheeks has the spotlight this time. Craig Robinson was on hand to discuss his role in not one but two projects. The series In Your Dreams and Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (Premiering on August 2nd) both feature the comedic actor. Yet he also spilled the beans on another SpongeBob-inspired tale called Plankton: The Movie.

CRAIG ROBINSON: “If you want even more SpongeBob on Netflix, you’re in luck because they’ve got another movie coming out next year! This one’s called Plankton: The Movie, and it’s about…Plankton. And SpongeBob. And maybe Sandy Cheeks, too. All I know is I’m not in it. 

But as awesome as it was to finally reach a place in my career where I got to voice a Squirrel Dad, it pales in comparison to my next role. I think it proves I’m at the top of my game:  A stuffed giraffe. I was told by the filmmakers that I was their first and only choice. They said, “Craig, you were born to play this part.”  

His name’s Tony… Baloney Tony — because he’s stuffed with processed meat.  Oh, and he can shoot laser farts. Damn, that’s awesome.  Daniel Day-Lewis had Lincoln; I got Baloney Tony. I’m already working on my Oscar speech.”

WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL

Wallace and Gromit are favorites of mine. And anytime we get a new story about these lovable characters, it brings a smile to my face. Joining the conversation, Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham announced the upcoming Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. And thankfully, the two shared a few details before revealing the short clip. I’m completely sold.

MERLIN CROSSINGHAM: “We start with Wallace in the thick of an inventing spree that turns Gromit’s world upside down when the latest invention – a “smart” gnome – is much more than even Wallace had ever hoped. At the heart of it, this is a story about technology and how great it can be – but also the danger of it getting in the way of our relationships.”

NICK PARK: “As directors, it’s our obsession to never stop pushing ourselves to tell the funniest, most unique, and absurdly compelling stories that we can imagine. Working on this new adventure, it seemed only right in figuring out this story that we bring back to the screen a massive fan favorite, one of cinema’s most nefarious villains – a penguin everyone loves to hate: Feathers McGraw.”

And yes, they did reveal a few projects that we cannot name at this point due to embargos. Even still, there is something here for everybody. Massive thanks to everyone at Netflix for making us all feel so very welcome. Which of the upcoming entries are you most excited about? Let us know in the chat below!

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