Puss in Boots hits UK cinemas this Friday, 9th  December and we’re very much looking forward to the whole of the UK getting this fabulous movie! Our review went up yesterday and you can have a read here. But before you do though, scroll down and have a look at this amazing progression concept art showing the transition from a hand-drawn storyboard into the computer animation and then to the completely rendered frame. I am unable to draw to save my life and I always find it fascinating watching these extremely talented animators turn something from a drawing into a 3D object on a movie screen! Love it! You can click each stage to enlarge.

Puss in Boots is directed by Chris Miller and has a voice cast which includes Antonio Banderas​​​, Zeus Mendoza, Walt Dohrn​​​, Billy Bob Thornton​​​, Amy Sedaris​​​, Salma Hayek​​​ and Zach Galifianakis​​. It’ll be with us 9th December.

Plot: Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty​​ and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

You can keep track of all our extensive Puss in Boots coverage here.

The characters are placed within the rough storyboard environment.

Puss In Boots - The characters are animated.

The final version of the scene, with full layout (camera placement), animation (characters performances) and lighting (color and textures).

Shrek’s journey has been one of highs and lows, but it was running out of interesting places to go, something even Shrek the Third director Chris Miller would agree with. Concentrating on another of Shrek’s travelling companions was always going to be a tall order; making a supporting character stand alone in a film can go either way. Miller and co have definitely succeeded with Puss in Boots in the new 3D film of the same name, tapping into the older audience’s nursery-rhyme nostalgia while putting the ‘cool’ back into the time-old stories for the newer generation.

Long before he met Shrek, the notorious fighter, lover and outlaw Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) was an orphan then a criminal then a local hero after an adventure to track down some magic beans and the Golden Goose with tough, street-smart Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and criminal mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis).

Puss in Boots is a hearty hoot with a fairy-tale twist created by feline experts who should count themselves as having got the cream and wiped the floor afterwards with other family animations out there at the moment. Puss is certainly one hell of a fun kitty to watch who revels in his lead role, stepping out of the shadows of Shrek. He gets a chance to reveal his full personality in this, all within a neat 90-minute run-time with some well choreographed action that makes full use of the 3D technology in the sword fights.

Banderas and Hayek conjure up as much sexy Latin charm in their hilarious sparring that a U-rated film can allow, enough to get things sizzling for those old enough to understand, while, thankfully, coming across as playful, squabbling kitties to those too young to know. Banderas’s Puss shows a more vulnerable side in this to his dashing, arrogant self, aided by a purposeful but brief back-story with Humpty Dumpty that balances misfortune and humour in equal, satisfying measure, as not to be over-sentimental. This also serves as Puss’s raison d’être for his spectrum of feelings for his egg-headed friend who betrays him and his subsequent redemption.

Hayek is the confident one to Puss’s self-deprecating side that marries very well in the confrontations – the old ‘opposites attract’ rule. Watching these characters interact is an absolute thrill and creates the film’s high-spirited, often frenetic energy. These ‘meeting of the minds’ moments are wonderfully interrupted by acutely observed feline antics, including the paw-grabbing light trick that is absolutely hilarious after some intense, suave patter.

In contrast, Galifianakis’s vocal performance as Humpty Dumpty adds a child-like innocence to proceedings then changes and becomes self-centred and greedy in nature. Humpty for the kids is like the school bully, hurtful but actually hurting and with more to lose. Galifianakis is a chameleon of charm and menace and an odd, welcoming distraction from the Latin amore at times. It’s this compelling trio of variable characters that make the film so strong in character concept. With Neanderthal-like criminal heavies Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) on their case to shake up events, and a Godzilla-like Golden Goose rampaging through the town at the end, Puss in Boots is a well-crafted, well-intentioned romp through fairy-tale land – even if there are a couple of continuity gaffs some might spot, for example, the weighty golden eggs becoming as light as the chick’s feather back at camp.

Chaotic yet beautifully arranged, sensuous yet innocent, Puss in Boots is a fun-packed treat full of delightful, detailed contradictions and touching tales with a manageable-sized cast that you get well acquainted with and fully enjoy. Cat lovers will be in kitty heaven.

****~ (4/5)

Puss in Boots hits cinemas next Friday, 9th December and as is starting to become customary for many studios, Dreamworks / Paramount have released five minutes of the movie for your viewing pleasure. Have a watch of the video embedded below courtesy of MSN and I have a feeling that you’ll be booking your tickets to see the new movie which has spun off from the Shrek franchise as soon as it opens!

Puss in Boots is directed by Chris Miller and has a voice cast which includes Antonio Banderas​​, Zeus Mendoza, Walt Dohrn​​, Billy Bob Thornton​​, Amy Sedaris​​, Salma Hayek​​ and Zach Galifianakis​. It’ll be with us 9th December.

Plot: Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty​ and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Taking a break from posing heroically the latest poster for Dreamworks’ Shrek spin-off has one of Puss in Boots’ most memorable moments front and centre to emotionally manipulate you into an excitable frenzy.

Antonio Banderas leads with his voice and has Salma Hayek​ as Kitty Softpaws, Zach Galifianakis​ as Humpty Dumpty​, and Billy Bob Thornton as Jack (of Jack and Jill fame) in support.

Given the depths to which the Shrek films have fallen it’s a surprise that the word on Puss in Boots is very positive at the moment, and while I can’t see a dozen sequels sparking off this one like an errant catherine wheel at least we’ll have a decent animated movie from the franchise once again.

Paws, and fingers, crossed. A festive friendly release date of the 9th of December is ours to be had. Look below for the new poster and click if the mood takes you.

IMPA, we salute you.

The upcoming Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots, is getting closer and closer to its 9th December release, and as its release draws closer, we can look forward to seeing more of the advertising campaign for the film.

We’ve been seeing plenty of the film over the past months, and if you’ve fallen behind, then you catch up on all that we’ve seen right here. The film sees Antonio Banderas reprise his role from the Shrek films as the eponymous Puss in Boots, with a supporting cast that includes the voices of Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws, Zach Galifianakis as Humpty Dumpty, and Billy Bob Thornton as Jack (of Jack and Jill fame).

Yahoo Movies have got a brand new clip from the film that brilliantly shows Puss just trying to sip his shot of milk in a pub filled with people mocking him, and when they notice a ‘Wanted’ poster with his adorable-eyed face on it, things start to get violent. At which point, Puss tells them that they don’t want to make him angry. Gotta love little ol’ Puss taking on the lines of the Hulk. Brilliant stuff.

The film is directed by Shrek the Third’s Chris Miller, and will see,

“the legendary Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) going on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.”

With its 9th December release date just a month and a half away, we’ve not got much longer to wait until we can see it on the big screen. Though a tad sceptical at first, everything I’ve seen for the film so far has got me very much looking forward to it, and now I can’t wait for the start of December. Without further ado, here’s the brand new clip, entitled ‘Not Looking For Trouble’, to enjoy.

I must admit, I was a sceptic at first, but everything we’ve been seeing for the film over the past few months has made a believer out of me – I especially recommend the latest viral teaser video for the film.

A new character poster for the hero himself has been released over at IMP Awards, and it’s pretty excellent. Just the right amount of cute and cuddliness / determination and machismo.

Puss In Boots is directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and will see,

“the legendary Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) going on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.”

I really enjoy the use of adjectives like ‘legendary’ and ‘heroic’ in there, as well as referring to Zach Galifianakis’ character as a ‘mastermind’. Excellent stuff.

There’s a little over a month left to go until it’s released here in the UK on 9th December, but it really looks like it will be worth the wait, and it’s something I think a lot of its target audience are quietly optimistic about. Without further ado, here’s the new poster to feast your eyes on. As usual, click to enlarge.

Although it represents another seemingly unnecessary spin off, Puss in Boots may yet surprise us by being, well, good. For every Elektra or Catwoman, there’s a Borat out there and let’s hope we’re not being foolishly optimistic in wishing for less of the former and more of the latter.

The material that has been put out there so far gives reasonable cause for hope and now we have a lovely gallery of images and a brief clip that shows us Puss being cat-like and hooking up with Salma Hayek’s slinky Kitty Softpaws.

It will hopefully be to Puss’s eventual advantage that he was always a reasonably strong character within the Shrek franchise and if nothing else, a decent sprinkling of good script-writing should be able to raise this out of mediocrity.

Enjoy the clip and stills below and then let us know in the comments section whether you have high or low hopes for this latest spin-off project.

Source: Collider and ComingSoon.

MSN have released this third and most likely final trailer and poster for the brand new Dreamworks movie, Puss in Boots. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, when it was first announced, I had the feeling that it was going to be shockingly bad but after seeing quite a bit of footage from the it at various events and online, it actually looks very good, and this new trailer continues that trend.

Puss in Boots is directed by Chris Miller and has a voice cast which includes Antonio Banderas​​, Zeus Mendoza, Walt Dohrn​​, Billy Bob Thornton​​, Amy Sedaris​​, Salma Hayek​​ and Zach Galifianakis​. It’ll be with us 9th December.

Plot: Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty​ and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

The movie is set for release in the UK December 9th and we can’t wait! Keep track of all our Puss in Boots news here.

Click the poster to make it grow!

When news first came of a Puss in Boots spin-off from the Shrek franchise, I think a fair few people were a little sceptical about whether or not it would be worth watching.

Everything we’ve seen so far has definitely been very promising though, kicking off last summer with the first images and plot description, then the first trailer back in March this year, and most recently a great first UK poster.

Now comes a great new viral video for the film courtesy of ComingSoon.net, in which Puss in Boots tells you how much better he is than your cat. And, in pretty much all cases, I’m inclined to agree. Does your cat talk with Antonio Banderas’ voice? Does your cat have golden eggs? Does your cat ride a horse?

That’s what I thought.

Directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third), the film will see,

“the legendary Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) going on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.”

America is lucky enough to be getting this in just a few weeks’ time on 4^th November, but alas we here in the UK will have to wait until 9^th December to enjoy it on the big screen, and shown in 3D. Without further ado, here’s the great new viral video, and the earlier viral “No Pants” Pants parody commercial beneath it. Enjoy.

Sky Movies have had the honour of debuting the first UK poster for new Dreamworks movie, Puss in Boots. By all accounts we thought this movie was going to be a flop when it was first announced but after seeing about 10 or 15 minutes of it at the Big Screen event a few weeks ago, it’s one we’re now most looking forward to!

This new poster is a play on the ones we’ve seen previously but features some of the other characters we can expect to see in the movie including Humpty Dumpty played by the fabulous Zach Galifianakis. If you’ve not seen the trailer for the movie, you can watch it here.

Puss in Boots is directed by Chris Miller and has a voice cast which includes Antonio Banderas​, Zeus Mendoza, Walt Dohrn​, Billy Bob Thornton​, Amy Sedaris​, Salma Hayek​ and Zach Galifianakis​. It’ll be with us 9th December.

Plot: Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty​ and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

The movie is set for release in the UK December 9th and we can’t wait! Keep track of all our Puss in Boots news here.

Click the poster to make it grow!

When I first heard that Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots was in the works, I was certain it was going to be shockingly bad but than Paramount/Dreamworks Animation did that clever thing at Empire Big Screen a couple of weeks ago where they reel you in with a few really funny clips from the movie and I was sold. I am now converted and cannot wait to see the full movie! You can read our write up of what we saw here.

Puss in Boots is directed by Chris Miller and has a voice cast which includes Antonio Banderas, Zeus Mendoza, Walt Dohrn, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis. It’ll be with us 9th December.

Plot: Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Fandango have released this new motion poster which will have you chuckling to yourself (or at least it did me!). I’ve embedded it below.

Somehow, and don’t ask me exactly how, I’ve already done a post on a new poster for Dreamworks’ Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots. I don’t remember doing it, but it’s here for all to see. It’s got my name on it but I can’t say I recall writing it.

There was also a trailer. I don’t remember seeing that either, but here it is in all its glory.

And now comes a new poster and a new trailer. They are nothing special at all, but for the booted CG feline enthusiast in your life there’s never been a better time to have access to the internet.

It’s hard to say how it will play out in the event of its release but with the Shrek series plummeting in quality there’s a cat-shaped glimmer of hope on the horizon and it may well be Antonio Banderas’ prurient pussy to the resuce. Hauling in Salma Hayek and Zach Galifiankis is probably a decent move but the plundering of fairy tales is fine as long as you’ve got your wits about you and there’s an element of fun. The last two Shrek films had neither.

Anyway – here’s your poster. A cat is walking out of a fire.

And trailer fans will get a kick out of this,

Oi! Yahoo? Cheers.

DreamWorks Animation have announced a very exciting total of nine films to be released in the coming five years.

Three of the nine will be sequels to previous successes (Kung Fu Panda 2, Madagascar 3, and How To Train Your Dragon 2), and the rest will be originals – albeit, with Puss In Boots being a spin-off from the Shrek franchise.

The release schedule looks as follows:

– Kung Fu Panda 2, 26th May, 2011
– Puss In Boots, 4th November, 2011
– Madagascar 3, 8th June, 2012
– Rise Of The Guardians, 21st November, 2012
– The Croods, 1st March, 2013
– Turbo, 7th June, 2013
– My And My Shadow, 8th November, 2013
– Mr. Peabody & Sherman, 21st March, 2014
– How To Train Your Dragon 2, 20th June, 2014

Looking down the list, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched a prediction to expect the studio to have nine very successful films on their hands. The three sequels will naturally attract and build on the original audience, and Puss In Boots will undoubtedly bring in the Shrek fans amongst us.

I personally was a really big fan of the original Kung Fu Panda film, and am very much looking forward to seeing Po and the Furious Five back in action in two and a half months. The original cast will be reprising their roles, now fighting against the evil Lord Shen, peacock emperor, voiced by Gary Oldman, who of course has much experience playing darker, more sinister characters.

The third in the Madagascar series definitely looks promising at the moment. The second in the series, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, didn’t bring in as much as the first did at the box office in the States, but made up for it by bringing in more than the first worldwide, and personally I think both are excellent films. Interestingly, DreamWorks’ statement does not mention director Eric Darnell as being one of the scriptwriters this time around. Instead, that duty has been given to Noah Baumbach, who has proven his dexterity in writing with past films like The Squid And The Whale and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Of all of the nine films, though, the one I am most looking forward to – and sadly, one I will have to wait another two and a half years to see – is Me And My Shadow, which DreamWorks has previously announced as being a combination of CG and traditional animation. Though the cast’s voices are yet to be announced, Mark Dindal is signed on to direct, whose previous experience in both fields with Chicken Little and The Emperor’s New Groove would certainly suggest this is going to be a film worth waiting for. It tells the story of:

“Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world’s most boring human.  Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World — “They lead, we follow” — and takes control of Stanley!”

Something about that one rule of the Shadow World, “They lead, we follow,” just makes me really want to see this film.

So it looks to be an incredibly successful few years ahead for DreamWorks Animation. They will be releasing at least two films a year until 2014, with everything kicking off for them in a couple of months’ time with Kung Fu Panda 2. I must confess, I’m a little bit sad that the sequel no longer has the subtitle “The Kaboom Of Doom” but I am nonetheless very much looking forward to its release in May. The first full trailer was released a few days ago, coupled with the few teaser posters that have surfaced in recent months, suggest that the team will be returning with another great movie that almost everyone will enjoy.

For a full run-down of the rest of the films, you can read the descriptions in the following press release:

DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) today announced its feature film release slate through 2014.  The Company’s current plan features six original films and is anchored by three sequels based on its hit Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon franchises.

DreamWorks Animation’s theatrical release schedule is currently planned as follows: Kung Fu Panda 2 for May 26, 2011 and Puss In Boots for November 4, 2011; Madagascar 3 for June 8, 2012 and Rise of the Guardians for November 21, 2012; The Croods for March 1, 2013, Turbo for June 7, 2013 and Me and My Shadow for November 8, 2013; Mr. Peabody & Sherman for March 21, 2014 and How to Train Your Dragon 2 for June 20, 2014.

At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we’re unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation.

“Thanks to the extraordinary talent base at DreamWorks Animation today, our feature film slate is full of both original story ideas and exciting new franchise chapters that will form a solid foundation for the studio’s creative output through 2014,” added Bill Damaschke, the Company’s Chief Creative Officer.

Below is additional detail on the feature films that comprise DreamWorks Animation’s theatrical release schedule:

Kung Fu Panda 2 will be released on May 26, 2011.  It is being directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda), produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda) and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda). It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh. In the sequel, Po is living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five.  But Po’s life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu.  Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins… only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

Puss In Boots will be released on November 4, 2011. It is directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and produced by Joe Aguilar (Merry Madagascar) and Latifa Ouaou (Monsters vs. Aliens).  It is being written by Tom Wheeler (The Cape). Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris.  Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.  It’s the adventure of nine lifetimes!

Madagascar 3 will be released on June 8, 2012. It is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and produced by Mireille Soria (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and Mark Swift (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa).  It is being written by Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and once again stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure.  Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent — Madagascar style.

Rise of the Guardians, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce.  The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel.  It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes — each with extraordinary abilities.  When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

The Croods will be released on March 1, 2013. It is being written and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) and Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) and produced by Kristine Belson (How to Train Your Dragon) and Jane Hartwell (Shrek). It stars Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman.  The Croods is a comedy adventure that takes us back to a previously undiscovered era in the history of our planet known as the Croodaceous, when nature was still a work-in-progress… full of never-before- seen creatures and landscapes.  Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as an imaginative and resourceful newcomer helps the Croods navigate their way through the fantastic world beyond their cave.

Turbo will be released on June 7, 2013. It is being directed by David Soren (Merry Madagascar), who first brought the project to the studio, and produced by Lisa Stewart (Monsters vs. Aliens).  It is being written by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After) together with Soren.  Turbo tells the story of an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become the fastest snail in the world.  When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make this dream come true.

In Me and My Shadow, which will be released on November 8, 2013, the studio will pioneer a groundbreaking combination of both CG and traditional animation techniques seamlessly together throughout the film.  The film is directed by Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, The Emperor’s New Groove) and produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) and Teresa Cheng (Shr ek Forever After, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). It is being written by Tom Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart).  Me and My Shadow tells the story of Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world’s most boring human.  Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World — “They lead, we follow” — and takes control of Stanley!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman will be released on March 21, 2014. It is directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) and produced by Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little) and Denise Nolan Cascino (Megamind).  It is being written by Craig Wright (United States of Tara, Six Feet Under).  Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Bullwinkle Studio’s Tiffany Ward and Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Robert Downey Jr.  Based on Jay Ward’s classic cartoon, Mr. Peabody is the world’s smartest person who happens to be a dog.  He and his “pet” boy Sherman discover that someone has stolen their time traveling WABAC machine and is changing moments in history to disastrous and comical results.  It’s up to this most unexpected of father-son teams to somehow put a stop to this villain before his actions destroy the space-time continuum in Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

How to Train Your Dragon 2, the sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated original film from 2010, will be released on June 20, 2014. It is being directed and written by Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon) and produced by Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon). Also based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the sequel is being executive produced by Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) together with DeBlois. How to Train Your Dragon 2 again stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller and Kristen Wiig.

Yesterday we put up the trailer for Dreamworks’ Shrek Spin Off Puss In Boots, and we’d like to follow that up with a look at the official poster for the film.

While the Shrek franchise is feeling its bones being driven into the ground there’s clearly life in the old cat and pushing Antonio Banderas to the forefront may kick some life into the CG series, certainly casting Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis was a good move.

Synopses rarely come better than this,

Puss In Boots – one of the most beloved characters of the Shrek universe – tells the hilarious and courageous (daring, bold, brave) tale of Puss’s (Antonio Banderas) early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

So now, here’s that poster – you’ve got until the 4th of November to ready yourselves,

The very first trailer for the Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots has been released courtesy of Sky Movies.

Plot: Puss in Boots – One of the most beloved characters of the Shrek Universe – Tells the hilarious and courageous (daring, bold, brave) tale of Puss’ (Antonio Banderas) early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed goose that lays the golden egg”.

We also get our first look at Hayek’s character, Kitty in the images below but I’m looking forward to seeing Humpty Dumpty!

Love the way it intros with an Inception style score going into something a little more apt for the movie that we were expecting!

Dreamworks Animation (Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon) have acquired the adaptation rights to Maintenance.

Maintenance, an Oni Press comic book, “follows the exploits of two janitors who work for TerroMax, Inc., the world’s biggest and best evil science think tank. When they’re not dealing with toxic spill monsters and menial time machine repairs, they have to contend with their boss, a multitude of mad scientists, jetpack-equipped cavemen, alien repomen, and the cute girl who works at reception”.

The comic book was written by Jim Massey and illustrated by Robbi Rodriquez.

Warner Bros. previously held the adaptation rights as a possible vehicle for McG, but the rights were let go during a turnaround from the studio.

THR reported this.

I had the great pleasure of seizing a few minutes of Jeffrey Katzenberg’s time yesterday and being the ‘K’ in DreamWorks SKG as well as the Chief Executive busy out promoting the prolific studio’s newest, bluest 3D animated hero Megamind before his UK debut, I am sure you can imagine how little of these precious moments are up for grabs.

Ranking 23^rd in the Film Season 2010 Power 100 Katzenberg is no stranger to the cut-throat, ‘make it bigger – make it better’ world of film animation. But with Shrek and Po the Panda on his side as well as Megamind’s $30.1 million killing at the American box office in its first week HeyUGuys were curious to see how he feels about the future of DreamWorks.

HeyUGuys: Fey, Ferrell and Pitt provide a particularly strong and distinctive vocal cast for Megamind. How do you go about casting such a star-studded film?

It really starts with the film-makers, the director and producer and writers and when they are creating, particularly the original films. Most of the time they have voices in mind when they sit down at the very start of the creation process. Pretty early on we’ll all gather around and listen to actors and find that perfect voice. We’ve always been very very lucky in that, almost without fail, the actors our film-makers want we usually get!

Will Ferrell is quite keen on his comic improv, how much leeway do you get for improvisation in animation, hopefully it isn’t a case of back to the drawing board?

Will got a tremendous amount. All of our directors allow a lot. I think one of the most exciting parts of making these movies is when they are able to get inside a recording studio with a great comedic actor – particularly those who have good improvisational skills – they’re able to bring out very spontaneous and completely unique comedic ideas as well as fun performances. It’s one of the things most of these great actors love about animation. They can actually get in a studio, in a completely safe environment and go crazy! And the rewards have been very obvious.

Is Megamind the answer to Pixar’s The Incredibles?

We don’t think about it that way. Really The Incredibles wasn’t a consideration for us one way or another. We all love the movie and I thought it was quite brilliant and Brad Bird did something very, very unique and very exciting with that. So we think Megamind could definitely be a more different movie.

How involved do you get to be in the various productions at Dreamworks, being CEO must take up a lot of your time?

(Laughs) Oh I don’t know, somehow or another it all works and I like to be as involved as possible.

How to Train your Dragon and Megamind seem to appear a turning point for Dream Works Animation, how confident do you feel about moving into 3D as an independent film studio?

We’re very excited about 3D. We think that it’s here to stay and animation has in many ways paved the way for 3D probably both technologically and in the tools that are available not to mention the knowledge of our film-makers. It definitely puts us further ahead in the live action business.

Do you think 3D cinema and 3D in the home is the future?

You’re going to see the live action side of film start to accelerate a lot in the next year or two. You’ve got a number of very gifted film-makers who are starting to use 3D. Martin Scorsese, Michael Bay and Peter Jackson and other really great film-makers are going to go to work in 3D and I think we’ll start to see some really exciting results.

Animated films can’t afford to get by on huge impressive stunts alone, dialogue and plot is invaluable, does the studio rely more on its favourite animation writers or do you scout around for new talent and ideas?

Both. We have a staple of people who have worked with us over the years who are very much a part of our studio, who have been contributors on multiple movies. We’re also always looking to bring new talent in. Megamind is a perfect example. This was written by two first-time screen-writers and we were extremely excited about their script. And then in a way that is almost unprecedented in any kind of movie-making the same writers who started, finished. It’s their movie and nobody else is accredited on it, they were able to go the whole distance which is obviously a good thing.

What can we look forward to next from Dream Works?
Two pretty great movies next year that we couldn’t be more excited about. First is the next chapter of Kung Fu Panda which will be out next summer, really happy to see Po back. Great things coming for him. Following that we have Puss-in-Boots which will give us a chance to go back and tell the origin stories of where he came from and he came to have the boots, the cape, the hat and the sword.

Do you think Puss-in-Boots as a Shrek spin-off is a wise move?

We love the movie and we’re excited about it but we’ll see. It’s up the movie-goers to decide that.

Do you have a personal favourite animated film from amongst the DreamWorks collection?

Oh no (laughs) … I love them all, they’re all our children!

Not even a favourite film in general…

Not one, I like many… I like so many different movies! If I had to pick one movie it would probably have to be Lawrence of Arabia.

Megamind hits UK cinemas on Friday December 3^rd 2010.

Coming six years after Pixar’s tale of those domesticated defenders of good, The Incredibles, DreamWorks Animation pulls on the spandex and attaches the long flowing cape to deliver a superhero spoof with a difference in the form of Megamind.

The twist in the tale here is the story focuses instead on the devious villain, and not the bright-shining, incorruptible hero. Voiced by Will Ferrell (pleasantly restrained), Megamind is an evil genius with a skin tone which would make the Na’vi proud and a bulb-shaped head to cope with his huge, overstimulated brain. He is forever battling for control of Metro City from it’s lantern-jawed defender, Metro Man (Brad Pitt doing Brad Pitt), a muscle-bound do-gooders cut from the same heroic cloth as Superman.

After accidentally disposing of the city’s hero in a cleverly staged trap early on in proceeding, Megamind soon begins to lament the lack of action and competition when he finds himself in the position of ruler. Hitting on the idea of creating another superhero to fill the gap left by Metro Man, he finds himself falling for the Lois Lane-like reporter Roxanne Ritchi (30 Rock’s Tina Fey) who he initially used as bait in trapping Metro Man. Could she be the key to him giving up his evil ways and opting instead for a life as a defender of good, and not a destroyer of it?

No prizes for those who have already guessed the outcome, but there is much pleasure to be had from the film before the conflicted villain finally makes his Megamind up. DreamWorks have upped their game of late, producing a number of slick, well-crafted pieces of family entertainment which more than stand up to the likes of Woody and Buzz, and Megamind is no exception. The plot flies along at a breakneck pace, although never sacrificing astutely-observed character moments or development in the process. Like the Shrek series before it, the film contains the usual fun visual pop culture references which cater for an older, knowing crowd (there’s an amusing Donkey Kong gag for eagle-eyed viewers who grew up in that gaming era) and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the film also contains a number of humorous homages to the Man of Steel himself.

In a beautifully-constructed flashback prologue, we see Megamind as a baby (aided by his loving parents) escaping the destruction of his home planet (à la Krypton), only for the well-known myth to be hilariously turned on it’s head when Megamind’s pod ends up crash landing in a concrete prison yard and not in some corn field near Smallville. From there, he’s brought up and educated by the kind of criminals his parents initially envisioned him ridding the world of.

The nods to Superman don’t end there either. Megamind’s construction of a new superhero, achieved by using DNA left over from Metro Man, strongly echoes the plot for the much-maligned forth entry into the Christopher Reeves series of films. Megamind also disguises himself as a mentor for his new creation, whose image and voice bears more than a passing resemblance to Marlon Brando’s character in the first Superman movie, complete with his silver Mr Whippy-style quiff.

It’s also a handsomely animated tale, although its budget is clearly much bigger to that of Despicable Me’s – the recent 3D feature from Fox, and a film which Megamind will no doubt be compared against. Despite both having a central premise which hinges on the transformation of a bad guy who just needs a little love in his heart for him to see the error of his ways, like Antz and A Bug’s Life before them, the two films manage to be thoroughly entertaining in their own right, regardless of the similarities.

Alongside the likes of Ferrell and Fey, strong voice support also comes in the form of Judd Apatow regular Jonah Hill, who plays Ritchi’s infatuated cameraman and eventual subject of Megamind’s superhero replacement. Hill manages to make his character even creepier to that of his recent role in indie comedy Cyrus, and his transformation from puny, overweight wannabe love interest to powerful super being who still can’t get the girl, is genuinely unpleasant and presents something a little more disturbing behind the obvious bad guy boo-hiss theatrics.

Already this year there have been a number of CG-animated films which have resonated deeply with the popcorn crowd as well as appeasing those hard-to-please critics. Megamind is a welcome addition to that list and will hopefully be a continuation in quality for DreamWorks. Although it’s too early to tell if the film will have the longevity of some of its animated predecessors, it’s a welcomed slice of superior Hollywood entertainment and engaging enough for a mainstream adult audience, tired of being let-down by all the below-par live-action product on offer out there.

With Monsters vs. Aliens and the Madagascar penguins already riding the airwaves, and Shrek scheduled for a televisual reprise, it is no surprise that Dreamworks has announced via Deadline plans to bring another of their properties to TV.

How to Train Your Dragon, a sequel for which was this week confirmed, will also continue on television as an animated series on Cartoon Network.

Expected to launch on both sides of the Atlantic in 2012, approximately one year before the sequel will reach cinemas, there is currently no information regarding the series’ plot. With the movies drawing from Cressida Cowell’s nine-book set as well as humouring the film-makers own dramatic deviations, the series will likely follow suit.

How to Train Your Dragon, easily my favourite film of the year so far, earned an impressive $500 million worldwide, garnering uniformly excellent reviews in the process. While this was enough to secure the extended voice-casts’ return for cinema audiences’ second trip to Berk, it is not yet known who will reprise their roles for the series, if anyone.

With the bar set so high, however, it remains to be seen whether the quality can be sustained over another movie, let alone a weekly TV series. That said, with such series as The Emperor’s New School doing little to detract from their superior source material, the opportunity to spend some more time in Berk is not to be sniffed at.

Do the words ‘final instalment’ mean nothing in Hollywood? Is there some kind of breakdown of communication between American English and English English, because over here final tends to means last, finished, no more.

To DreamWorks, however, the concept of last apparently doesn’t include television specials and the obligatory spin-off. Forever after, a place we left many of our favourite characters from childhood, cannot be that happy if, the next Halloween, they are contracted into another half-hour adventure.

As such, Shrek, along with Kung Fu Panda, will go back to work with ‘Scared Shrekless’ and the less imaginatively titled Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special respectively.

THR report that these specials will follow on the backs of past successes Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space and Merry Madagascar – continuing the relationship between the animation studio and NBC, who according to President of Primetime Entertainment Angela Bromstad, will bring the shenanigans to it’s schedule.

“NBC is proud to team with DreamWorks Animation to broadcast such quality holiday programming that includes some of their many popular film characters. These animated specials will provide top-flight family entertainment for fans of all ages.”

Shrekless sees Shrek challenge his fairy tale friends to a full night in Lord Farquaad’s haunted castle to exchange ghost stories and will be aired on October 28th. The Kung Fu Panda Special will follow Po’s attempts to host a formal winter feast at the Jade Palace, during which he must choose between his family obligations and his duties as the Dragon Warrior, it will air on November 24th in the U.S.

And then Shrek can live happily ever after…right?