Fine Tuning Episode 138: Remembering Ed Asner & Animation News

Animation Releases and Updates

• 🚀 GKIDS is making several Japanese animated films and TV shows available in North America, including Lupin the Third: The First and Future Boy Conan.
• 💡 Future Boy Conan, Hayao Miyazaki's first series, is now available on Blu-ray and digital download, noted for its aesthetic influence on Pixar's Luca.
• 📺 Neon Genesis Evangelion has released more affordable Blu-ray versions, with some of the higher-tier sets already sold out.
• 🎬 Star Trek: Prodigy features a gorgeous title sequence and theme music by Michael Giacchino, with two 10-episode seasons planned for Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.
• 🌟 Lower Decks continues to explore the Star Trek universe, with a callback to a ridiculous monster from the original series and Tom Kenny voicing a Fingi.
• 🎅 Warner Brothers Animation is preparing several holiday-themed projects, including Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story, Merry Little Batman, and an untitled Porky and Daffy sci-fi comedy.
• 📺 Acme Night is a new Sunday night programming event on Cartoon Network, emphasizing linear broadcast.

Disney Store Closures and Park News

• 💔 The Disney Store chain is closing, with many locations shutting down by September 15th, marking the end of an era for many fans.
• 🏰 The Glendale Disney Store, the first of its kind, and the Miracle Mile store are among those closing, remembered for their unique designs and merchandise.
• 🎭 Auditions are being held for Mirabel, the central character of Disney's upcoming film Encanto, for performer roles at the Disneyland Resort.
• 🦋 Mirabel is described as a 15-year-old Colombian girl who is optimistic and seeking her place in her magical family.
• 🌟 Raya and the Last Dragon will have a presence in the Magic Kingdom's new fireworks show, Enchantment, alongside Judy Hopps and characters from Soul.
• 🎬 A new untitled Disney Animation film, following Encanto, is in development with Quir Nyun and Don Hall, tentatively scheduled for November 23rd, 2022, with casting notices for a lead character named Ethan Claude.
• 🧸 McDonald's Happy Meal toys for Ron's Gone Wrong debuted five weeks before the movie's release, a departure from the usual timing, with Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary toys set to follow.

Film Release Delays and Streaming

• 🗓️ Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible 7 have been delayed to 2022, with Top Gun: Maverick moving to May 27th and Mission: Impossible 7 to September 30th, potentially due to the Delta variant and production schedules.
• 💻 The release of Hotel Transylvania: Transformania remains uncertain, with speculation it might go to Amazon or a streaming service.
• 👻 The Muppets Haunted Mansion is anticipated to be a great Halloween special.
• 🐶 Clifford the Big Red Dog has been descheduled, likely heading to Paramount+.
• 🏔️ Encanto is increasingly likely to be released directly to Disney+ without Premier Access, following the successful free release of Luca.
• 🎬 The Summit of the Gods, an animated feature based on George Mallory's Everest expedition, will have a theatrical run starting October 24th and release on Netflix on November 30th, aiming for awards consideration.
• 📺 Ultra City Smiths, a six-episode film noir animated series from the creators of Robot Chicken, will debut on AMC+.

Tributes to Ed Asner

• 🎙️ Ed Asner is remembered for his extensive voice acting career, including roles in animation such as Freakazoid! and Up.
• 🎭 Greg Weisman, creator of Disney's Gargoyles, shared a heartfelt tribute, detailing how Asner was inspired by Lou Grant for the character of Hudson and his memorable audition.
• 👨‍🦳 Asner played both extremes of authority figures in Spider-Man animation, voicing Uncle Ben in The Spectacular Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
• 💔 Weisman described Asner as a supportive friend and a "work dad" during a difficult career period.
• 💬 Asner's character Hudson delivered a poignant line in Gargoyles: "True immortality isn't about living forever, it's what you do with the time you have."
• 🌟 Asner's legacy includes hundreds of TV and film credits and significant philanthropic work, embodying true immortality.
• 🎬 His performance in the five-episode Dug Days shorts, which concluded with a touching interaction between Carl and Dug, is seen as a beautiful grace note to his career.
• 🎄 Asner's role as a world-weary Santa in the film Elf is highlighted as a favorite performance, making the fantasy character feel real.