Animation News & Commentary: War Eagles, Marvel's What If?, and Disney's Owl House

Animation Industry Updates

• 🎬 The episode begins with a discussion on the release date shift for "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" to January 14th on Amazon Prime Video, noting the unusual timing for a family film.
• 💡 "Ron's Gone Wrong," Locksmith Animation's first feature, is discussed with its numerous release date delays, with a review highlighting its charm but noting a story that feels "old hat" due to the delays and comparison to "Mitchells vs. the Machines."
• 🚀 Locksmith Animation will continue producing for Warner Animation Group with their next film, "That Christmas," while director Sarah Smith departs for new creative endeavors.

Unproduced & In-Development Projects

• 🦅 The potential animated fantasy drama "Hawkmaster" is introduced, featuring knights and birds of prey.
• ⚔️ This leads to a deep dive into the unproduced 1940 project "War Eagles," a massive stop-motion film involving giant eagles, Norsemen, and a Nazi attack on New York City, which came close to production but was ultimately shelved.
• 🌟 Ray Harryhausen's long-standing efforts to revive "War Eagles" are mentioned, alongside the book "War Eagles: The Unmaking of an Epic."

Disney Animation & TV News

• 📺 "The Simpsons" featured a cameo by Bill Cipher from "Gravity Falls," voiced by Alex Hirsch, a moment Hirsch described as a lifelong dream.
• 🦉 Conversely, "The Owl House" creator Dana Terrace expressed disappointment over the show's winding down, citing a Disney Channel executive's decision that the show didn't fit the brand, potentially due to its LGBTQ+ characters and budget constraints.
• 🐭 The discussion touches on Disney's shift towards conservatism in programming, contrasting it with past shows like "Gravity Falls" and "Wander Over Yonder."

Short Films & Specials

• ❤️ "Blush," a short film by Joe Mateo, is highlighted as a poignant love letter to his late wife, Maryanne, detailing their life and his grieving process.
• 🍎 Apple TV+ is releasing a new "Peanuts" holiday special, "For Old Times' Sake," and partnering with PBS to offer classic "Peanuts" specials ad-free.
• 🌟 The animation for "Marvel's What If...?" is praised for its scale and scope, with specific mention of AC Bradley and Brian D. Adams, and the creative freedom given by Kevin Feige.

Animation History & Easter Eggs

• 📺 A 1988 TV special, "Mickey's 60th Birthday," is discussed for its new animation featuring Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit.
• 🐇 The special "Sports Goofy in Soccer Mania" is noted for containing hidden animation of Daryl Van Citters' original version of Roger Rabbit in the crowd scenes.
• 🎬 A potential future appearance of Roger Rabbit is teased, though not in his own movie.