Henry Selick Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Ben Croll Stop-motion giant Henry Selick is back circling the Neil Gaiman adaptation “The Ocean at the End of the Lane,” confirming ongoing work with the English author alongside plans to make the project his next feature. The filmmaker holds Gaiman’s 2013 novel in high esteem – calling the book Gaiman’s crowning achievement – and envisions the film as a companion piece to the duo’s modern classic “Coraline,” describing the development title as “almost a sequel.” “Instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother, it’s a monstrous mother who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid’s life,” he tells Variety.

William Earl Variety is expanding its presence at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market with three programmed conversations moderated by Variety journalists, taking place over the festival from June 10 to June 13. On June 10, Variety’s international editor Elsa Keslassy will host behind-the-scenes interviews at the “Transformers One” screening, with Josh Cooley, director of “Transformers One”; Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation; Lorenzo di Bonaventura, founder of Di Bonaventura Pictures and producer “Transformers” film series; and Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy Animation Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Keegan-Michael Key and his multi-hyphenate partner Elle Key, along with their Bigger Picture Media Group banner, have signed with Range Media Partners for management.

Tim Burton is clear that a sequel or a reboot of The Nightmare Before Christmas is not happening. In a new interview, the director talks about what he thinks about the idea of the stop-motion film getting a follow-up 30 years after the movie’s debut.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Fans clamoring for another “Nightmare Before Christmas” movie should know Tim Burton is vehemently against the idea. The filmmaker, who came up with the “Nightmare” story, co-produced the film and created character designs, recently told Empire magazine that the stop-motion classic is too important to him to ever create a sequel, prequel, reboot or more. “To me the movie is very important,” Burton said.

EXCLUSIVE: The Gotham Group has signed Nigerian filmmaker C.J. Obasi, whose latest feature Mami Wata is Nigeria’s entry for Best International Feature Oscar in the 96th Academy Awards.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Henry Selick and Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is officially 30 years old. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the two collaborators recalled Disney not wanting to have its name on the project due to its darker tone. The studio had the film developed under its more adult-leaning production banner Touchstone Pictures.

The Nightmare Before Christmas fans shouldn’t be expecting a sequel… at all.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” reigned supreme in theaters for the second Friday in a row, earning $10.4 million, according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.After her negotiations with movie studios failed, the songstress struck an unprecedented agreement with AMC Theatres for its distribution.Some fans told The Post that they are getting reprimanded by fellow Swifties and theater employees for singing and dancing while watching the movie. Swift managed to beat out Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which saw sales of $9.4 million on Friday, its opening night.

It’s been 30 years since The Nightmare Before Christmas was released. While there are no firm plans, director Henry Selick has an idea for a potential prequel.

Pete Kozachik, a visual effects and stop-motion artist whose work on acclaimed animated films by Tim Burton, Henry Selick and others brought recognition and an Oscar nomination, died Sept. 12 at his California home in the Bay Area following a years-long battle with aphasia and primary progressive aphasia. He was 72.

Terry Flores Pixar vice president and creative director Peter Sohn will talk about his new animated film “Elemental” at the VIEW Conference in Turin, Italy, which runs from Oct. 15-20. Sohn will attend the conference in person to discuss the creative journey he took to bring the story to the screen.   “I’m so excited to welcome Peter Sohn to VIEW Conference 2023,” says conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “Peter is a true force of nature – a multi-talented storyteller, film director, animator, actor; you name it. In bringing his unique energy and wisdom to VIEW Conference, he is certain to leave our global audience feeling energized and inspired.”

Alejandro González Iñárritu (Bardo) is set to receive the Cinema Audio Society’s Filmmaker of the Year honor at the59th CAS Awards, taking placing at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel on March 4.

Christmas is the season of giving — and the director of the classic stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas is hoping the world finally gives him… some effing credit this holiday season!

In 2009, it was considered almost shocking when Pixar’s Up addressed the subject of death in its now-classic opening sequence, a bittersweet mini-movie of love and loss.

“I’m going to keep trying to come up with original stories and meet the expectations the audience has for me,” Jordan Peele said on a recent edition of Variety’s podcast. “I hope to continue to lift original filmmakers up.”And he’s been true to his word.

Clayton Davis Jordan Peele is looking to push boundaries as a writer, director and producer every time he creates something new. “I’m going to keep trying to come up with original stories, and meet the expectations the audience has for me,” Peele says. “I hope to continue to lift original filmmakers up.” On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we sit down with Academy Award winner Peele to discuss his two feature film projects in the awards conversation: the sci-fi horror film “Nope,” which he wrote and directed, and the animated feature “Wendell & Wild,” which he voiced, co-wrote and produced. Also on the episode, he talks about his long friendship and collaboration with Keegan-Michael Key, and whether fans might ever see the comedy duo reboot their beloved Comedy Central and Emmy-winning sketch series “Key & Peele.”

Zack Sharf Halloween is upon us, which means it’s perfect timing for Ti West’s “X” and David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future,” two of the best new horror movies of the year, to hit streaming platforms. But that’s not all this scary season.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Eddie Redmayne, Janelle Monáe, Jonathan Majors and Sadie Sink are among the stars being honored at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival later this month. The Savannah College of Art and Design celebrates 25 years with the 25th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, taking place in person Oct. 22–29. Redmayne will receive the Virtuoso Award for “The Good Nurse,” Monáe will be presented with the Spotlight Award for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Jonathan Majors with the Spotlight Award for “Devotion” and Sadie Sink with the Rising Star Award for “The Whale.” Among the other honorees, Kerry Condon is set to receive the Distinguished Performance Award for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” JD Dillard with the Rising Star Director Award for “Devotion,” Nicholas Hoult with the Vanguard Award for “The Menu,” Jeremy Pope with the Distinguished Performance Award for “The Inspection.” Henry Selick is being honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Animation Award for “Wendell and Wild.” Previously announced honorees include Colson Baker (Machine Gun Kelly) who will receive the Discovery Award for “Taurus” and Ron Howard who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing for “Thirteen Lives.”

Michaela Zee editor The U.S. premiere of Jordan Peele and Henry Selick’s “Wendell & Wild” will kick off the fifth edition of Animation Is Film (AIF) on Oct. 21. The screening of the forthcoming Netflix feature will be followed by an in-person Q&A with Selick. “I’m delighted my new film ‘Wendell & Wild’ — co-written and produced with Jordan Peele — will have its U.S. premiere at Animation Is Film, a festival that celebrates the non-traditional and ground-breaking in animated movies,” Selick said in a statement. “Our made-in-the-USA stop-motion feature is many things: scary, funny, creepy, sad, and empowering, but most of all, it’s very very original so I can’t think of a better place for its U.S. premiere than Animation Is Film. Hope you enjoy the show.

EJ Panaligan editor NewFest, a New York-based LGBTQ+ film festival, has announced the full lineup for its 34th iteration. The 2022 edition will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25. With world, North American, U.S. and New York premieres for more than 130 films from 23 countries, the festival will be headlined by the world premiere of HBO documentary “Mama’s Boy” from Laurent Bouzereau as the opening night screening. Additionally, the festival will hold an advance screening for the Season 2 premiere of popular HBO series “The White Lotus.” Other high-profile screenings through the festival’s run include Michael Grandage’s love triangle film “My Policeman,” starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, and the stop-motion horror comedy “Wendell & Wild,” from writer-director Henry Selick. Jordan Peele co-writes, while also featuring in a lead voice role. Keegan-Michael Key inhabits the film’s other lead voice role, marking a “Key & Peele” reunion on the animated stage between the two longtime collaborators.

restructuring to its leadership for that department. The team, led by Karen Toliver (VP Animation Film Content) and Traci Balthazor (VP Animation Film Production), aims for better collaboration closer to traditional animation film studios, resulting in 30 different roles that are no longer needed, an individual with knowledge of the decision said.

EXCLUSIVE: The Netflix Animation overhaul continues with the exit of 30 employees, Deadline has confirmed. This comes after Netflix set new leadership for the Animation Film team with Karen Toliver (VP Animation Film Content) and Traci Balthazor (VP Animation Film Production). They have been tasked with streamlining the animation team, which explains the attrition.

It must be tough to work with Jordan Peele – not because he seems a particularly difficult collaborator (quite the opposite, frankly), but because lazy and/or SEO-hunting websites tend to ascribe his ownership to just about anything he touches. We saw it with last year’s “Candyman” (which he co-wrote and produced but did not direct), with Spike Lee’s “BlackKklansman” (producer), with the recent “Honk For Jesus.

Clayton Davis Almost 30 years after “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), Henry Selick returns with “Wendell & Wild,” another stop-motion animated sensation that’s sure to generate acclaim throughout the industry. Co-written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Jordan Peele, the Netflix feature film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival and may have asserted itself as the new frontrunner for best animated feature. Based on Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman’s unpublished book of the same name, the film tells the story of two scheming demon brothers, Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele), who enlist the aid of a 13-year-old Kat (Lyric Ross) to summon them to the Land of the Living. It also features the voice talents of Angela Bassett, James Hong and Ving Rhames.

EJ Panaligan editor “Key and Peele” co-creators Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele reunite for leading voice roles in the new teaser for Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild.” The new stop-motion animated comedy horror film from Netflix is director Henry Selick’s first since 2009’s “Coraline.” Based on Clay McLeod Chapman’s unpublished book of the same name, the film follows two demon brothers with scheming tendencies, Wendell and Wild, voiced by Key and Peele respectively, who enlist the help of a 13-year-old named Kat, voiced by Lyric Ross, to summon them back to the Land of the Living. Selick and Peele co-wrote the adapted screenplay. In addition to Key, Peele and Ross, additional cast in the film include Angela Bassett, James Hong, Sam Zelaya, Tamara Smart, Seema Virdi, Ramona Young and Ving Rhames in supporting roles.

Wendell & Wild.Directed by filmmaker Henry Selick, and written by Selick and Jordan Peele, Wendell & Wild followsscheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele), who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot (Lyric Ross) -- a tough teen with a load of guilt -- to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other.The animated fantasy defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.Angela Bassett, James Hong, Tamara Smart, Natalie Martinez, Tantoo Cardinal, Gabrielle Dennis, Igal Naor, David Harewood, Maxine Peake, Ramona Young, Sam Zelaya, Seema Virdi, Gary Gatewood and Ving Rhames also star in the film.Wendell & Wild is one of several titles coming to spook Netflix viewers this year, along with Mike Flanagan's new series The Midnight Club, season two of , the previously teased and more. Wendell & Wild premieres Oct.

Henry Selick, the wildly original mastermind behind such extraordinarily conceived feature film animations as “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “James And The Giant Peach,” marks his first feature film since 2009s unsettling creeper, “Coraline,” in “Wendell & Wild.” Debuting on Netflix later this year, the stop-motion animation, billed as a dark fantasy comedy horror, “Wendell & Wild” is based on a screenplay penned by Selick and Jordan Peele, who also produces and stars in a voice role alongside long time collaborator Keegan-Michael Key.

“Coraline,” since it was the last feature project that Selick completed, is as good a place as any to start when it comes to explaining where the director has been for the past decade. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, “Coraline” was released in February 2009.

“The School for Good and Evil,” which debuts Oct. 19 and stars Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington. There’s also Tim Burton’s TV series “Wednesday,” which doesn’t yet have a release date but is a series-long spin on the Addams Family daughter starring Jenna Ortega.And master of Netflix horror Mike Flanagan – the mind behind the “Haunting of Hill House” and “Bly Manor” shows as well as “Midnight Mass” – is back with his Christopher Pike adaptation “The Midnight Club,” which premieres Oct.

Here in its near entirety are the streaming and some theatrical dates for Netflix’s fall and holiday movie lineup.

Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One), Nicholas Hoult (The Menu), Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) and Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) have signed on to star alongside Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson in Alcon Entertainment’s animated feature adaptation of Garfield.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

“The Graveyard Book,” based on Neil Gaiman’s bestselling book of the same name (which was a spooky reworking of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”), is back from the great beyond. The Disney project, which has been developed by various filmmakers since 2009, has a new director in Marc Forster (“Quantum of Solace,” “World War Z”), TheWrap has confirmed.Forster’s producing partner Renée Wolfe will produce through their 2Dux2 banner along with Gil Netter.

“A little bit of horror, a little bit of comedy; I’m always going to try and give you a big show.”

Ben Croll Beginning midday at the halfway mark of a weeklong expo, Netflix’s first ever animation showcase was in many ways the centerpiece event of this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival.Over the course of a ninety-minute presentation hosted by Variety’s Peter Debruge, executives and creative teams previewed upcoming films and series from the streamer’s adult, family, and preschool divisions while directors Henry Selick and David Fincher beamed in with behind-the-scenes looks at projects “Wendell & Wild” and “Love, Death & Robots” released episode “Bad Travelling” and rapper Kid Cudi made a surprise appearance to boost his visual-album “Entergalactic.”And then Guillermo del Toro took the stage, receiving a hero’s greeting as he announced, “Animation is not a f—ng genre. Animation is film!” When the cheers died down, he world premiered eight minutes of footage, finished and unfinished, from his stop-motion fable about a wooden boy with a borrowed soul.