Channel Frederator Blog

The Fox/Blue Sky film Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs has been filling theaters since its release on July 1st. As of this post, the film has done over $80 million in the US, and $148 million world wide.

While it was good to see Manny, Sid, Diego, and Scrat back in action, to me the film felt like an odd mix of a ride film and a sitcom. The really interesting character in the film was Buck, the one eyed weasel who helps our gang through the dino infested underworld in their adventure. Unlike some of the other big animated sequels, this film had more of an episodic feel to it. If you’ve ever seen an episode of a network television series where a woman has a baby, the odds are you’ll see some of the same gags. The neurtoic first time dad, the “get me some water” moment, and a super [Read more…]

Yeardly Smith talks about her 20 years on the Simpsons as Lisa Simpson (can you believe it!) and her new novel “I, Lorelei”.

-Floyd Bishop

via Animation Magazine

The Walt Disney Co. has moved up the release date for its 2D animated musical feature The Princess and the Frog to Dec. 11. Previously set to open on Christmas Day, the movie also will get an exclusive run in Los Angeles and New York starting Nov. 25, Variety reports.The movie now opens opposite the Peter Jackson film The Lovely Bones, leaving the Christmas Day family market to Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

It would appear that the mouse is afraid of Chipmunks? Things have changed quite a bit since the 90’s, when Disney put The Little Mermaid re release directly up against Fox Animation’s Anastasia. So did Fox films get better, maybe too good to compete with directly, or did Disney lose its nerve in the current economic climate?

-Floyd Bishop

Maybe there’s hope yet for Hank Hill. Variety is reporting that  ABC may pick up “King of the Hill”, now that Fox has decided not to order any new episodes of the series. According to Variety:

Fox’s decision not to order any new episodes of “King of the Hill,” meanwhile, came just three days before the animated laffer posted its best ratings in a year, averaging a 4.3 rating/10 share in adults 18-49 on Sunday night.

Oops!

-Floyd Bishop

Fox has cancelled “King of the Hill”. Above is the pitch trailer Mike Judge used to help sell the show, animated by Heart of Texas Productions back in 1996.

Mike’s new series, “The Goode Family”, will debut on ABC midseason.

-Floyd Bishop