Welcome to the “This Week in Animation” news round up, a summary of the biggest and best stories from The Rotoscopers news site and our partner site, Animated Views.

We also started a new series of articles called “Podcast Pump-Up Week.” The week prior to the podcast release, which will now be released every two weeks on Friday, we will post opinion articles about the movie we will be reviewing in the show. The articles will range from serious topics to more fun top-10 lists.

Animation Addicts Podcast

Episode 39: Rise of the Guardians – Guardians of Liberty
Mason, Morgan, and Chelsea are taking on a new DreamWorks film with Rise of the Guardians! This episode hits the history of the film, all the highs and lows of the movie, characters and a million tangents! Also includes an interview with our site writer, Blake Taylor.

News:

First Stills & More Plot Details for Reel FX’s ‘Free Birds’
Reel FX’s newest animation film is called Free Birds and tells the story of two turkeys who travel back in time to try and stop turkeys from being the famous Thanksgiving main course. This story give us more plot and character details, as well as two new photos from the film.

Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ Returns! Console Game In The Works
Disney classic animated film Fantasia is making a comeback, but no, it’s not another movie. It’s a new interactive motion-controlled video game that will be released for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms in 2014.

Check Out The Official Poster For ‘Get A Horse’!
Walt Disney Animation Studios has revealed the official poster for their upcoming Mickey Mouse short film, ‘Get A Horse’! The poster is old fashioned and recalls classic Disney cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s. The reds and yellows pop out and give the poster a definite ‘retro’ look.

DreamWorks Goes Down Under
The newest announcement from DreamWorks is that the studio is producing an animated musical called Larrikins, which will follow Outback critters in Australia. Interesting premise considering DreamWorks isn’t especially known for its musical. Read more!

‘Kung Fu Panda’ Director Directing ‘The Little Prince’
The Little Prince is one of the most enchanting children’s books of the last century and now it’s being adapted into an animated film! The film will be directed by Kung Fu Panda director Mark Osborne and already has a slew of A-list Hollywood actors and actresses attached to the project.

Podcast Pump-Up Week: Rise of the Guardians

5 Great Things About ‘Rise of the Guardians’
Writer, Mayra, share her thoughts about why DreamWorks film Rise of the Guardians is such a great film. Her list covers things from fun characters, yettis, to character design. What was your favorite part of Rise of the Guardians? Let us know in the article’s comment section.

The Amazingness of Jack Frost Throughout History
Are you a Jack Frost fangirl or fanboy? Alissa tells us more about Jack’s tragic backstory and real origins in legends and throughout history. Bet you’ll learn something new when reading this article.

‘Rise of the Guardians’: How It Could’ve Been Better
We all known Rise of the Guardians could have done better in the box office. But is marketing really to blame? Should we blame the fierce November competition? No. In this article, Pablo explores the film’s faults and weakness and proposes ways that it could have been better.

Opinion Corner:

Thawing Disney’s ‘Frozen’ Secret: Is Hair The Clue?
Writer, Gary Wright, notices something very strange about Anna’s hair: a tiny platinum blonde streak! Could this blonde piece of hair be a clue to some plot points in the story? What could it mean? Is it coincidence?