Freakazoid!, Animation History, and Pixar's 'Inside Pixar' Docuseries

Harley Quinn & DC Universe Rebrand

• 🎙️ Harley Quinn has been renewed for a third season, moving from DC Universe to HBO Max.
• 💡 DC Universe is being rebranded as DC Universe Infinite, a comic book subscription service, shifting away from original scripted series.

Pixar's 'Inside Pixar' and 'Soul'

• 🎬 A new documentary series, Inside Pixar, is set to explore the studio's inner workings.
• 🤔 There's speculation that the release of Inside Pixar might be linked to the direct-to-Disney Plus release of the film Soul.
• 🗓️ Soul was originally slated for a theatrical release in June 2020 but is now scheduled for November 25, 2020, potentially impacting its release strategy.

Animation Industry Updates

• 🎬 Croods 2: A New Age is now set for a November 25th release, with Joel Crawford directing.
• 🦕 Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is a new animated series on Netflix, described as a bloodless version of Jurassic World, set before, during, and after the first movie.
• 🎬 Boss Baby 2: Family Business is slated for a March 26, 2021 theatrical release, directed by Tom McGrath.
• 🦇 Hotel Transylvania 4 is scheduled for August 6, 2021, with new directors Derek Dryman and Jennifer Klusa, and Gendy Tartakovsky returning to write and executive produce.
• 🏆 Forky Asks a Question won an Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Series.
• 🩸 A new trailer for Primal season 2 has dropped, with the show returning to Adult Swim on October 4th.
• 📺 Animaniacs is getting a revival on Hulu, with the original cast returning.

The Rise and Fall of Warner Bros. Animation

• 🌟 The period around 1995-1996 saw a significant push in animation from Warner Bros., including Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Freakazoid!.
• 💥 Freakazoid!, initially conceived as a more straightforward superhero show, was pushed by Steven Spielberg to be more comedic, inspired by the success of Animaniacs.
• 💰 The show was expensive to produce due to its high-quality animation and voice cast, which contributed to its financial struggles.
• 📉 Warner Bros. Television Animation faced financial difficulties, leading to the cancellation of shows like Hysteria!, which was intended to be an educational program but was too expensive and poorly received.
• 📉 The decision to prioritize educational content due to FCC rulings, coupled with financial mismanagement, led to the premature end of shows like Freakazoid!.
• 🌐 The internet's rise is noted as a factor that changed how children consume entertainment, impacting traditional programming blocks.

Podcast Updates

• 🎙️ Fine Tuning co-hosts Drew Taylor and Jim Hill discuss various animation news and industry trends.
• 🎬 A new spin-off podcast, Light the Wick, will focus on the John Wick movies and their relation to the Mission Impossible franchise.
• 🤖 The discussion touches on Boston Dynamics' robot dog, Spot, and its naming convention.
• 🎢 Mentions of other podcasts include Disney Dish with Lesto, Looking at Lucasfilm with your goat, Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams, and Universal Joint with Dustin Fuse.