Disney and Pixar have released the newest trailer for Toy Story 5, and it feels like the franchise is stepping into something very real. Not another collector’s item. Not a daycare disaster. This time, the toys are up against technology in the form of a cute green frog tablet named Lilypad (Greta Lee)
Continue reading “‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer Reveals How Woody Returns to Save the Day”
GOAT may look like one of those underdog sports movies where you can clock the protagonist and antagonist in the first five minutes, but it has more on its mind than simply winning the big game. The animated film is a love letter to basketball and everything that comes with it. This isn’t just about the score. It’s about the plays, the chemistry, the legacy a veteran fights to protect, and the way a team can become the heartbeat of a community.
Continue reading “‘GOAT’ is an Animated Love Letter to the Game of Basketball”
GOAT looks like an underdog sports story on the surface, where a goat tries to earn his place in a league built for bigger animals, but it’s really driven by something more intimate. Family, belief, legacy, and the ache to prove you belong are what actually ground the journey.
Continue reading “‘GOAT’ Brings Basketball Culture to Life in Sony Animation’s Boldest Experiment Yet”
Hoppers, directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong, doesn’t feel like a traditional Pixar film by any stretch of the imagination. And that’s what makes it so appealing. This wild and unpredictable film riffs on Avatar, Mission: Impossible, and Frogs, never loses control of its own madness, and delivers something heartfelt and timely for the masses.
Continue reading “Inside the Unexpected Inspirations of Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’”
Avatar Roku is back in The Awakening of Roku. It is the latter half of his respective duology, as part of the Chronicles of the Avatar series — the young adult fiction series set within the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Continue reading “Randy Ribay on Returning to Write the Last of the ‘Roku’ Duology”
Actor Adam McArthur offers a thoughtful and often surprising look into the art of character-building. Known for voicing an eclectic mix of earnest heroes, unlikely fighters, and delightfully chaotic menaces, McArthur approaches each role with a level of emotional intelligence that elevates even the wildest premises.
Continue reading “Adam McArthur: The Heart, Humor, and Chaos Behind His Characters”
To say that Disney’s Zootopia is just another animated feature with anthropomorphized animals would be completely reductive. It’s a buddy cop comedy full of laughs and pop culture references, threaded with themes of tolerance, bias, and who gets to feel safe in a city that prides itself on being for “anyone” and “anything.” Asking Zootopia 2 to match, let alone surpass, that mix of vibrant visuals, sharp humor, and pointed social commentary feels like a tall order, yet somehow the sequel rises to it and then some.
Continue reading “‘Zootopia 2’ Twists the Buddy-Cop Formula Without Losing Social Commentary”
When the first Zootopia hit theaters in 2016, it turned out to be more than an animated menagerie about predator and prey sharing a city peacefully. It was stealth social commentary about bias, belonging, and who gets to feel safe. Zootopia 2 dials that up with more humor, more banter, and another timely message. And the directors and cast talk about what it means to carry the franchise’s legacy forward.
Continue reading “‘Zootopia 2’ Stars on Creating Something Wildly Entertaining and Thought Provoking”
Jeanine Mason stars as Eva in WondLa, based on Tony DiTerlizzi’s bestselling book series, The Search for WondLa. The third and last installment includes six episodes and premieres November 26 on Apple TV.
Continue reading “‘WondLa’ Star Jeanine Mason Discusses Season 3 and Keeping Her Characters Close”
It’s no secret that SpongeBob is one of the most innocent and wholesome animated characters in the media. It could be because he’s a sponge, as they factually are brainless animals, so he’s in a constant state of ignorance. But still, it’s what makes him so lovable and one of the most popular Nickelodeon characters of all time.
Continue reading “SpongeBob’s Soul’s in Danger in New ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ Trailer”
The nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards were announced last Friday, and the hottest animated film of the year, KPop Demon Hunters, is a five-time contender. Netflix’s most-watched original animated film of all time is in the running for Song of the Year, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Remixed Recording, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. With the exception of the last category, all the others are in recognition for only one particular song from the film: “Golden.”
Continue reading ““What It Sounds Like” is the Underrated, True Heart of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’”
Dreaming is one of the most powerful ways kids make sense of chaos or imagine what comes next. Whether it is school pressure, first crushes, or home shifting under their feet, dreams turn fear into something they can face.
Continue reading “‘In Your Dreams’ Balances Candy-Colored Chaos with Real Heart”
Ginnifer Goodwin reprises her role as Judy Hopps in Zootopia 2, which opens in theaters on November 26. While covering the 2025 Disney Upfront red carpet, The Nerds of Color spoke to the actress about making projects that the whole family can enjoy, what surprised her most about voice acting, and more.
Continue reading “Ginnifer Goodwin Discusses ‘Zootopia 2’ and Voice Acting”
We speak to the actors Bobby Moynihan, Yonas Kibreab, Haley Tju, and Michael Benyaer about their roles in the new Prime series Bat-Fam.
Continue reading “Yonas Kibreab, Haley Tju, and Michael Benyaer on Bringing the ‘Bat-Fam’ to Life”
Netflix’s In Your Dreams may look like that burst of color and imagination coming alive in the world of a child’s dreams, but underneath the sugar-coated chaos and sweet soundtrack is a story about an older sister and younger brother refusing to let their parents separate and relying on the myth of the Sandman to pull a drifting family back together.
Continue reading “‘In Your Dreams’ Stars on Turning Childhood Fantasy into a Story About Letting Go”
I’ve been covering the Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) for several years for The Nerds of Color, yet haven’t attended its festival in-person since 2019. When I obtained many ticket vouchers from serving on the screening committee for its 45th iteration, I realized before me I had a really good excuse to actually travel back to Honolulu this year to attend it. Little did I expect at the time of starting in the committee back in March that by the time I flew out to O’ahu, I would also be attending this year’s festival as a new filmmaker.
Continue reading “Reflections on Watching Shorts at the Hawai’i International Film Festival as a New Filmmaker”
Disney is doing MORE Japanese anime styles, and I’m here for it. Based on Japan’s popular mobile game, Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation is set to debut October 29 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Continue reading “Disney Does Anime Again with ‘Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation’”
When KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix in June, nobody could have predicted the global phenomenon the animated movie would become. Clocking in at over 236 million views to date, it’s secured the crown as the most popular Netflix film of all time. Months after its release, the hype is still going strong.
Continue reading “‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Creators and Vocalists on the Unifying Power of Fandom”
As Walt Disney Animation enters its second century, Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush says the studio is guided by three principles: joy, collaboration, and the courage to “swing for the fences.” That ethos is alive in Zootopia 2, which reunites Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) on a case involving a slithering new suspect, Gary DeSnake (Ke Huy Quan), challenging both their partnership and their cross-species friendship.
Continue reading “‘Zootopia 2’ Expands Disney’s Animal Metropolis with New Characters and Timely Themes”
Zootopia 2 marks Walt Disney Animation Studios’ return to the bustling animal metropolis nearly a decade after the original. The Nerds of Color caught up with directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, as well as the creative team behind the film, to discuss expanding the world, creating new characters, and bringing the film’s themes of empathy and connection to life.
Continue reading “‘Zootopia 2’ Creators Break Down the Sequel’s Themes and Animation”
“So dreams are where you can break the rules, but the story still has to feel true.” That’s how director Alex Woo sums up the delicate balance at the heart of Netflix’s In Your Dreams.
Continue reading “‘In Your Dreams’ Director Alex Woo on Family, Fantasy, and Nightmares”
Marvel Zombies gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “no guts, no glory.” The upcoming miniseries, which is a continuation of the What If… ? Season 1 episode What If… Zombies?!, is Marvel Studios Animation’s first foray into TV-MA territory. At just four bloody episodes long, it’s easily the studio’s most gruesome show to date.
Continue reading “‘Marvel Zombies’ Producers on the Power of Ms. Marvel and the Future of ‘What If… ?’”
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past is more than just kids with a wild imagination playing “what if” with their minifigs, brick builds, and BrickHeadz. It’s a fully realized box of bricks clicking together, where one can play with iconic Star Wars moments to their heart’s content.
Continue reading “‘LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past’ Mixes Fun and Brick-Built Chaos”