Tag: Animation

Animation, Interview, MoviesLeave a comment

Directors Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford on the Filipino Roots of ‘Forgotten Island’

Mike Manalo

What a week it has been for Filipino representation! Last Wednesday, we got our first glimpse of Dreamworks Animation’s Forgotten Island. On Friday, we unveiled our intimate interview with superstars H.E.R and Liza Soberano. And today, we’re continuing the streak with our conversation with the directors of Forgotten Island and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford!

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Animation, Interview, MoviesLeave a comment

Feeling the Filipino Pride with H.E.R and Liza Soberano from ‘Forgotten Island’

Mike Manalo

This week, Dreamworks Animation and Universal dropped a historic trailer for Filipino film fans everywhere. They revealed the first official look at their latest feature, Forgotten Island; Hollywood’s first Filipino-centric animated feature.

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Animation, Movies2 Comments

How Dreamworks’ ‘Forgotten Island’ Fosters Filipino Culture and Folklore

Mike Manalo

I am a proud Filipino American nerd. As such, I grew up here in the US searching for, but never quite finding, mainstream Hollywood movies that propelled the voice of the Filipino community strongly.

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Animation, Interview, Streaming

‘WondLa’ Star Jeanine Mason Discusses Season 3 and Keeping Her Characters Close

Sophia Soto

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.

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Animation, Music, Opinion

“What It Sounds Like” is the Underrated, True Heart of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

Lauren Lola

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.”

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Animation, Interview, Movies

Ginnifer Goodwin Discusses ‘Zootopia 2’ and Voice Acting

Sophia Soto

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.

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Animation, DC Comics, Interview1 Comment
Image promo of Bat-Fam for Prime

Yonas Kibreab, Haley Tju, and Michael Benyaer on Bringing the ‘Bat-Fam’ to Life

Swara Salih

We speak to the actors Bobby Moynihan, Yonas Kibreab, Haley Tju, and Michael Benyaer about their roles in the new Prime series Bat-Fam.

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Interview, Marvel, Television

Brad Winderbaum Reflects on the NYCC Experience and Longevity of Marvel Characters

Sophia Soto

While covering the Marvel press line for The Nerds of Color at NYCC 2025, I had the chance to speak with Marvel’s Head of Television, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, about how conventions allow filmmakers to be part of the community, spending time with these characters through television, and more.

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Animation, Interview, Music

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Creators and Vocalists on the Unifying Power of Fandom

Kelly Martinez

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.

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Animation, Interview, Movies
Vincent from 'The Glassworker'

Writer/Director/Composer Usman Riaz Talks about Crafting ‘The Glassworker’

Swara Salih

Usman Riaz has achieved his lifelong dream of realizing his story, The Glassworker, to the screen. Drawing from his own love and practice of art and music, it is easy to see how both characters are avatars for Riaz, as he uses his own experiences to masterfully craft his anti-war story, serving as the film’s writer, director, and co-composer.

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Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘The Glassworker’ Masterfully Crafts its Anti-War Message

Swara Salih

Writer, director, and co-composer of The Glassworker, Usman Riaz, worked on his inaugural animated film for over a decade. And the results show vividly in the finished feature, giving us a simultaneously intimate and grand story showcasing the beauty of art against the horrors of war.

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Animation, Interview, Movies

Smurfing About Kindness with ‘Smurfs’ Director Chris Miller

Mike Manalo

Some properties for kids are so legendary, they withstand the test of time. We’ve seen multiple iterations of Garfield, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Peter Rabbit, and Paddington hit screens big and small. Another such beloved property is Peyo’s timeless Smurfs.

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Animation, Interview, Movies

Jasmine Derry on Bringing ‘Elio’ to Life Through Innovation and Representation

Michael Lee

For Pixar’s Elio, artist Jasmine Derry stepped into uncharted creative territory through the studio’s unconventional “College Project” approach — a departure from the traditional animation pipeline. As a Simulation Technical Director, Derry worked on bringing Elio’s cape to life, blending physics and emotion to elevate the character’s performance.

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Animation, Interview, Television

Jeanine Mason on the Second Installment of ‘WondLa’

Sophia Soto

Jeanine Mason voices Eva in WondLa, which is based on Tony DiTerlizzi’s bestselling book series, The Search for WondLa. The seven-episode second season is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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Animation, Movies

Dreamworks Unveils Filipino Animated Film ‘Forgotten Island’ for September 2026

Mike Manalo

Okay, this one is close to the heart for me. To date, there hasn’t been a single (long-form) animated film centered around Filipino mythology from any of the major Hollywood animation studios. However, as of today, Dreamworks Animation has finally announced, we have one coming!

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Animation, Interview, Television

The Cast and Creatives of ‘Grimsburg’ Discuss Voice Acting and the Fun of Conventions

Sophia Soto

While covering NYCC 2024, I had the opportunity to speak with Grimsburg showrunner/EP Chadd Gindin, star/EP Jon Hamm, Rachel Dratch, and Alan Tudyk for the second season. New episodes air Sundays at 8:30 PM ET/PT on FOX.

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Animation, Reviews, Streaming

Disney Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’ Feels Like a Stalemate

Laura Sirikul

At first glance, Disney Pixar’s Win or Lose looks very similar to the popular award-winning films Inside Out and Inside Out 2, centering on the emotions of tweens and teens and their stories as their softball championship game approaches. Yet, it doesn’t just focus on the children on the team but also their parents and the adults around them as they deal with real-life problems like love, heartbreak, dating, parenthood, and still trying to figure things out. Spoilers follow.

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Animation, Marvel, Television

NOC Review: A Somewhat Satisfying Send-Off for Marvel’s ‘What If…’

Mike Manalo

Once more into the breach, as we ponder the question one final time. The final season of What If… is officially debuting on Disney+ tonight, with an eight-night event gifting us an episode per day.

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Interview, Movies, Video Games

Chatting with the Director and Stars of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’

Sophia Soto

Today is the day: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is officially in theaters! To celebrate, I had the chance to interview director/executive producer Jeff Fowler along with cast members Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Krysten Ritter.

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Animation, Interview, Movies

The Filmmaking Team of ‘Spellbound’ on Fairy Tales and Bringing the Story to Life

Sophia Soto

On behalf of The Nerds of Color, I had the opportunity to attend a virtual presentation with Spellbound Director Vicky Jenson, Editor Susan Fitzer, Head of Story Brian Pimental, Production Designer Brett Nystul, and Character Art Director Guillermo Ramirez to hear about the filmmaking process.

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Animation, Interview, Streaming1 Comment

Vicky Jenson and the Stars of ‘Spellbound’ Discuss the Movie’s Ending and Themes

Sophia Soto

With Spellbound now streaming on Netflix, I’m thrilled to share my spoiler-filled interviews with director Vicky Jenson and cast members Rachel Zegler, Javier Bardem, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, and Nathan Lane.

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Animation, Marvel, Streaming

Ponder the Question ‘What If…’ For One Final Watch

Mike Manalo

Uatu The Watcher is back, bringing us one last season of multiversal madness. The third and final season of What If… is coming this December, and today we got our first look at the epic conclusion to the stunning animated series.

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Animation, Movies, Trailers

Break the Spell with the New ‘Spellbound’ Teaser Trailer

Sophia Soto

Netflix has just shared a fun teaser for Skydance Animation’s Spellbound, which will begin streaming on November 22. The talented voice cast includes Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane, Tituss Burgess, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman.

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