Netflix Bringing Ultraman, Arcane Season 2 and More To Annecy

Netflix has, in a relatively short space of time, turned itself into one of the biggest names in animation globally. In just five years since they released their first original animated feature, they have bagged an Oscar win for Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio, and nominations for Nimona, The Sea Beast, Over The Moon and Klaus. Earlier this year Blue Eye Samurai was the most successful series at the Annie Awards

The streamer-turned-studio has been teasing its line-up for the upcoming Annecy International Animation Festival. Festival highlights will include an on-stage panel Next On Netflix Animation: From Twilight Of The Gods to Wallace and Gromit, and the world premiere of Ultraman: Rising, the reimagining of the iconic Japanese character from director Shannon Tindle.

• The panel, taking place on June 12 will feature the award-winning Aardman team Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, who will ofter a sneak peek at the untitled Wallace and Gromit film. Director and slow-mo specialist Zack Snyder and executive producer Deborah Snyder, along with  Xilam Animation Director Slimane Aniss will be screening preview clips of adult animation Twilight Of The Gods. Lucky attendees will also get to see material from Roald Dahl adaptation The Twits and Skydance Animation's Spellbound.
• The premiere of Ultraman Rising will take place on June 12. The animated feature is a reimagining of the iconic Japanese superhero by Kubo and The Two Strings-creator Shannon Tindle.
• The Work In Progress sessions will give an insight into the various aspects of production. Acclaimed director Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Four Weddings and A Funeral) and animation veteran director Simon Otto (How To Train Your Dragon, Love Death & Robots, will give a preview of This Christmas from Locksmith Animation. They will be joined by producer Nicole Hearon and production designer Justin Hutchinson-Chatburn.
• The Making Of sessions will go behind the scenes of the final stage of production of Ultraman Rising. In attendance will be director Shannon Tindle, John Aoshima (co-director), Sunmin Inn (art director), Hayden Jones (VFX supervisor) and Scot Stafford (composer). They will also take festival goers behind the scenes of the final season of Big Mouth with Nick Kroll (co-creator, EP, voice cast), Andrew Goldberg (co-creator, EP), Jennifer Flackett (co-creator, EP) and Mark Levin (co-creator, EP). There will be a first look at the hotly anticipated season two of Arcane. There to offer insight into production will be  Showrunner Christian Linke (Riot), Scriptwriter Amanda Overton (Riot), Senior Concept Artist Arnaud Baudry (Riot), Director Bart Maunoury (Fortiche), and Producer Christine Ponzevera (Fortiche).
•  A Wallace and Gromit exhibition will feature some puppets from the new film.
• Blue Eye Samurai and Pokemon Concierge will be screening in competition ( in the TV Film category).

The Twits