Remembering Gilbert Gottfried and Animation News: Nimona, Blue Sky, and More

Honoring Gilbert Gottfried

• 🎤 The passing of comedian Gilbert Gottfried at age 67 is remembered, noting his distinctive voice and comedic style.
• 🎬 Gottfried's role as Iago in Disney's Aladdin is highlighted, discussing how his casting came about despite a potentially controversial early comedy bit.
• 🎭 The unlikely story of how Jeffrey Katzenberg approved Gottfried for Iago, after initially questioning his voice, is shared.
• 💔 Gottfried's impact is also seen through his role in the documentary Life, Animated, where he and Jonathan Freeman (voice of Jafar) helped a young autistic boy communicate.

Animation News and Studio Updates

• 🚀 Nimona, a project initially shut down by Disney after Blue Sky Studios closed, has been revived by Netflix for a 2023 release.
• 🎬 The film will feature new directors and animation handled by DNA, possibly using a performance capture process, with Chloe Grace Moretz and Eugene Lee Yang reprising their roles.
• 😢 Blue Sky Studios officially closed, with a poignant animated short of Scrat finally getting his acorn serving as a final goodbye.
• 🎨 Pencilish Animation Studios, a crowdfunded studio focused on hand-drawn animation and fronted by Tom Bancroft, has released the first installment of its series Bejorn the Unicorn.
• 🧸 Star Wars Galactic Pals micro-shorts are discussed, featuring toddler versions of Star Wars characters, with related plush merchandise already available at Target.
• 🎬 Sony Pictures Animation unveiled a new mural at its campus celebrating its animated films, including characters from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Hotel Transylvania, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Home Video Releases and Merchandise

• 📀 A copy of The Mitchells vs. the Machines on Blu-ray was purchased for $15, noting its value for extra features.
• 🌟 Lightyear merchandise is expected to hit Target on April 17th, while Turning Red on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD will be available on May 3rd, with deleted scenes and an alternate ending.
• 🎙️ The podcast also mentions Gilbert Gottfried's Awesome Podcast and Light the Fuse as other listening options.