Fall 2014 Animated Film Preview

It’s hard to believe that fall is already upon us, but here we are. The best thing about it is that we’ve got some terrific animated feature films to see over the next few months.

Here is Animation Fascination’s official look at the major animated feature films coming to U.S. theaters this fall.

The BoxTrolls

Studio: LAIKA
Directors: Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi
Release Date: September 26th
Official Summary: An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Arichibald Snatcher.
Voice Cast: Ben Kingsley, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Tracy Morgan, Richard Ayoade
Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Fascination Meter: High – Looks like another fantastic, inventive film from the superbly talented filmmakers at LAIKA.

The Book of Life

Studio: Reel FX/20th Century Fox
Director: Jorge R. Gutierrez
Release Date: October 17th
Official Summary: The Book of Life is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, The Book of Life encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.
Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Voice Cast: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Danny Trejo, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube
Fascination Meter: High – On the animation scale, Medium on the story scale (jokes in the preview seemed a bit lame, but we could definitely change our minds after seeing the film).

Big Hero 6

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Release Date: November 7th
Official Summary: Big Hero 6 is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name.
Voice Cast: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez, T.J. Miller, Damon Wayans Jr., Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell
Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Fascination Meter: High – We can’t wait to see this film.

Feast

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Director: Patrick Osborne
Release Date: November 7th, playing in front of Big Hero 6
Official Summary: Feast is the story of one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.
Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Fascination Meter: High – The short has been getting rave reviews on the festival circuit and we are excited to see it for ourselves.

The Penguins of Madagascar

Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Directors: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith
Release Date: November 26th
Official Summary: Super spy teams aren’t born…they’re hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Led by handsome and husky Agent Classified (we could tell you his name, but then…you know), they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.
Voice Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malcovich, Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Ken Jeong
Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Fascination Meter: Medium High – It could just be a one-joke movie; however, having Benedict Cumberbatch in the voice cast is a big plus. (But that’s just this guy’s opinion.)