LOS ANGELES --

The Wild Robot, DreamWorks’ blockbuster hit, won Best Feature, along with eight more categories at the 52nd Annie Awards celebration Saturday night (2/8) on the campus of UCLA. In addition to Best Feature, The Wild Robot also took home Annie Awards for Best FX- Feature (Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow, Nyoung Kim, Steve Avoujageli), Best Character Animation – Feature (Fabio Lignini), Best Character Design – Feature (Genevieve Tsai), Best Direction – Feature (Chris Sanders), Best Music – Feature (Kris Bowers), Best Production Design – Feature (Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc) Best Voice Acting – Feature (Lupita Nyong’o as Roz) and Best Editorial – Feature (Mary Blee, Collin Erker, Orlando Duenas, Lucie Lyon, Brian Parker).

Flow (Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Dream Well Studio) earned Best Independent Feature distinction. Flow also won an Annie for Best Writing – Feature (Gints Zilbalodis, Matiss Kaza). Best Special Production was presented to Orion and the Dark (DreamWorks Animation), and Best Short Subject was presented to Wander to Wonder (Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Les Productions de Milou, Beast Animation, Blink Industries & Pictanovo).

The wins for The Wild Robot and Flow could loom large based on history. The Annie Awards have often been a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Arcane (A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix) took home seven Annies for Best FX – TV/Media – (Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Adam Bachiri, Guillaume Zaouche, Jerome Dupre); Best Character Animation – TV/Media (Tom Gouill); Best Direction – TV/Media (Arnaud Delord, Pascal Charrue, Bart Maunoury); Best Music – TV/Media (Ryan Jillian Santiago, Alexander Seaver, Simon Wilcox); Best Production Design – TV/Media (Arnaud-Loris Baudry, Julien Georgel, Faustine Dumontier, Charlotte O’Neill); Best Storyboading – TV/Media (Josephine Meis); and Best Editorial – TV/Media (Nazim Meslem, Gilad Carmel, Roberto Fernandez).

Best Character Animation – Live Action was presented to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Christian Kickenweitz, Aidan Martin, Allison Orr, Radiya Alam, Howard Sly – Weta FX); and Best Character Animation – Video Game to Neva (Nomada Studio Animation Team).

Best Student Film was presented to Adios (National Film and Television School Jose Prats, Bernardo Angeletti); and Best Sponsored Production to “Fuzzy Feelings” (Passion Pictures Hungry Man). Best TV/Media – Children went to Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur for “The Molecular Level” episode (Flying Bark Productions, Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, Cinema Gypsy); Best Animated TV/Media – Preschool to The Tiny Chef Show for the episode titled “Tiny Chef’s Spooky Stump Spectacular” (Imagine Entertainment, Tiny Chef Productions and Nickelodeon Productions); and Best TV/Media – Limited Series to Dream Productions for “A Night to Remember” (Pixar Animation Studios).

The first presenter of the evening was kept secret until he walked onto the stage. Actor Steve Buscemi and former member of the FDNY presented the first two Annie Awards, along with local Los Angeles firefighter Brian McGrath. ASIFA-Hollywood announced at tonight’s ceremony an unprecedented fundraising campaign, AnimAID, created in collaboration with industry co-workers and animation studios, to provide financial support for those in the animation community who have lost so much in the recent L.A. fires. AnimAID plans to also partner with Sotheby’s this spring for a prestigious online auction of animation art, followed by other events to come. For more information on AnimAID and to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit here.

Juried Awards were also presented during the ceremony, honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions went to three recipients: longtime Disney supervising animator/director Aaron Blaise, National Film Board of Canada (NFB) writer, director, producer, and Academy Award influencer Eunice Macaulay (posthumous); and influential NFB composer and sound designer Normand Roger.

The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent impact was awarded to the global non-profit Women in Animation (WIA), advocating for gender equity and inclusion in animation, VFX, and gaming.

The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry was presented to visual effects, animation and gaming pioneer Alberto Menache who contributed founding technology to performance capture, virtual production and more. The Special Achievement Award acknowledging unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure was presented to “Directing at Disney-The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films,” the historically important new book by Pete Docter and Don Peri.

Here’s a full rundown of the evening’s winners:

BEST FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation

BEST FEATURE-INDEPENDENT
Flow
– Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Dream Well Studio

BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION
Orion and the Dark
– DreamWorks Animation

BEST SHORT SUBJECT
Wander to Wonder
– Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Les Productions de Milou, Beast Animation, Blink Industries & Pictanovo

BEST SPONSORED
Fuzzy Feelings
– Passion Pictures Hungry Man

BEST TV/MEDIA – PRESCHOOL
The Tiny Chef Show
Episode: Tiny Chef’s Spooky Stump Spectacular
– Imagine Entertainment, Tiny Chef Productions and Nickelodeon Productions

BEST TV/MEDIA – CHILDREN
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: The Molecular Level
– Flying Bark Productions, Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television

BEST TV/MEDIA – MATURE
Bob’s Burgers
Episode: They Slug Horses, Don’t They?
– 20th Television Animation

BEST TV/MEDIA – LIMITED SERIES
Dream Productions
Episode: A Night to Remember
– Pixar Animation Studios

BEST STUDENT FILM
Adiós
Student Director: José Prats
Student Producer: Bernardo Angeletti
School: National Film and Television School

BEST FX – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails
– Production Company: A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
– FX Production Company: Fortiche Studio
○ Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Adam Bachiri, Guillaume Zaouche,
Jérôme Dupré

BEST FX – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– Production Company: DreamWorks Animation
– FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation
○ Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow, Nyoung Kim, Steve Avoujageli

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episodes: Killing Is A Cycle, Heavy Is the Crown, Finally Got the Name Right, The Message Hidden Within the Pattern, The Dirt Under Your Nails, Pretend Like It’s the First Time, Blisters and Bedrock
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Tom Gouill

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Fabio Lignini

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – LIVE ACTION
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
– Production Company: 20th Century Studios
– FX Production Company: Wētā FX
○ Christian Kickenweitz, Aidan Martin, Allison Orr, Radiya Alam, Howard Sly

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – VIDEO GAME
Neva
– Nomada Studio
○ Nomada Studio Animation Team

BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – TV/MEDIA
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: The Molecular Level
– Disney Television Animation, Cinema Gypsy Productions
○ Jose Lopez

BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Genevieve Tsai

BEST DIRECTION – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Arnaud Delord, Pascal Charrue, Bart Maunoury

BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Chris Sanders

BEST MUSIC – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Ryan Jillian Santiago, Alexander Seaver, Simon Wilcox

BEST MUSIC – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Kris Bowers

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Arnaud-Loris Baudry, Julien Georgel, Faustine Dumontier, Charlotte O’Neil

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc

BEST STORYBOARDING – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: Killing is a Cycle
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Joséphine Meis

BEST STORYBOARDING – FEATURE
Despicable Me 4
– Illumination
○ Habib Louati

BEST VOICE ACTING – TV/MEDIA
Dream Productions
Episode: Out of Body
– Pixar Animation Studios
○ Paula Pell (Character: Paula)

BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Lupita Nyong’o (Character: Roz)

BEST WRITING – TV/MEDIA
Orion and the Dark
Special Production
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Charlie Kaufman

BEST WRITING – FEATURE
Flow
– Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well Studio
○ Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža

BEST EDITORIAL – TV/MEDIA
Arcane
Episode: Pretend Like It’s the First Time
– A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
○ Nazim Meslem, Gilad Carmel, Roberto Fernandez

BEST EDITORIAL – FEATURE
The Wild Robot
– DreamWorks Animation
○ Mary Blee, Collin Erker, Orlando Duenas, Lucie Lyon, Brian Parker

JURIED AWARDS
Juried Awards honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation.

The Winsor McCay Awards
○ Aaron Blaise
○ Eunice Macaulay
○ Normand Roger

June Foray Award
○ Women in Animation

Ub Iwerks Award
○ Alberto Menache

Category:News

Tags:Annie Awards ASIFA-Hollywood The Wild Robot

“Dog Man” Still Has Bite, Tops Weekend Box Office For 2nd Straight Week

Sunday, February 9, 2025

On a quiet winter weekend at the box office, DreamWorks Animation's "Dog Man" chased its own tail, repeating as the top movie in theaters.

The animated Universal Pictures release, adapted from Dav Pilkey's popular graphic novel series, collected $13.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Both new releases – the Ke Huy Quan action movie "Love Hurts" and the Valentine's Day-themed slasher "Heart Eyes" – were left nipping at the heels of "Dog Man."

Hollywood often largely punts Super Bowl weekend to the small screen. Last year, Apple's much-derided "Argylle" debuted on the same weekend. Instead, the movie industry spends more energy pitching its blockbusters in trailers for the huge football audience on TV.

It wasn't a banner weekend for "Dog Man." It fell steeply, dropping 62% in it second weekend. But with a production budget of $40 million, "Dog Man" has already tallied $54.1 million domestically in two weeks.

Coming in second was Spyglass Media Group's "Heart Eyes," released by Sony. The horror-rom-com mashup earned $8.5 million from 3,102 locations. Reviews have been good for the film, directed by Josh Ruben and starring Oliva Holt and Mason Gooding, though audiences were less impressed. Moviegoers gave it a "B-" CinemaScore. Spyglass made "Heart Eyes" for $18 million.

"Love Hurts," the action comedy from 87North Productions ("John Wick," "The Fall Guy"), debuted with a paltry $5.8 million in 3,055 theaters. In his first big movie role since his Oscar-winning comeback in "Everything All at Once," Ke Huy Quan stars as a mild-mannered realtor with a hitman past. Ariana DeBose co-stars. It, too, was modestly budgeted at $18 million. Audiences, however, mostly rejected the movie, giving "Love Hurts" a... Read More

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