The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has become an increasingly important marketing opportunity for major U.S. studios to show off their upcoming animated offerings. This year, Warner Bros. Discovery companies are putting forth one of their strongest lineupsto date.
Below, we break down the major highlights from this year’s Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe lineups for this year’s Annecy Festival.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” – Filmmaker Conversation and Exclusive Extended Look
One of Warners’biggestswings this year is its first animated feature adaptation of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, which will debut in theaters on December 13. Annecy attendees who manage to snag one of the surely hard-to-get tickets to this presentation will catch an early look at the first publicly screened footage from the film, presented by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens (“The Lord of the Rings”), award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (“Blade Runner: Black Lotus”) and producer Joseph Chou (“Blade Runner: Black Lotus”), joined by special guest Andy Serkis.
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“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” World Premiere
Directed by Pete Browngardt and the creative team behind Max’s “Looney Tunes Cartoons,”“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” will world premiere at this year’s Annecy in what will surely be one of the fest’s highest-profile screenings. The feature stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as Earth’s only hope against the threat of alien invasion.
“Creature Commandos” – Making-Of Session
After a hit-or-miss track record with its DC Universe, Warner Bros. put filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran in charge of the comic-based franchise in late 2022. The first fruit of their combined labor is the Max original animated series “Creature Commandos,” which will get an Annecy Making-Of session at this year’s festival. Supervising producer Rick Morales and supervising director Balak Yves will host the presentation and discuss the creative process behind their show, which marks the highly anticipated reboot of the DCU.
“The Amazing World of Gumball” – Making of Session
One of Cartoon Network Studios’ most popular series of the 2010s, “The Amazing World of Gumball,” is being rebooted by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. Executive producers Ben Bocquelet and Matthew Layzell, series producer Emma Fernando, composer Xav Clarke, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe senior vp of series Sarah Fell will team up to provide an inside look at the production of the show’s long-awaited return.
Spotlight on Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe
Annecy’s popular Studio Focus presentations provide a look into the future of animation production at some of the world’s most influential animation companies. A trio of WBD-owned outfits will feature this year in a more grown-up version of the format: Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. Michael Ouweleen (President, Adult Swim), Suzanna Makkos (Head of adult animation, Adult Swim), and Peter Girardi (Executive vice president, alternative programming, Warner Bros. Animation) will be on hand to preview current and upcoming projects at their respective outfits.
100 Years of Shorts – Annecy Classics Screening
Warners celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, and to mark the company’s rich animation history in the century since, Annecy will be screening a selection of classic short films from Warner Bros. Animation, Hanna-Barbera, and Cartoon Network Studios. Audiences willget tosee films on the big screen from animation legends such as Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, Chuck JonesandGenndy Tartakovsky.
