The Ides of Link

Okay, not exactly the middle, but we're getting there. And I needed a title, so sue me.

Frederator and Sony Pictures Animation have forged a bond:

Sony Pictures Animation has set a multi-year deal with Fred Seibert and his Frederator Studios to develop animated feature films, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, and Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation. Seibert, a prolific animation producer, promises to be a rich source of original ideas as Sony Pictures Animation continues to advance its development slate ....

It's always nice to have new synergy in Animationland ...

One more "Best" list, this from MSNBC (like, what do they know?).

Will Shane Acker’s “9,” in theaters today, someday take a place among the all-time classics—including “Coraline,” “Up,” and “The Lion King”—we’re counting down here?

20. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ (1995)

How much soul remains when most of the human body has been replaced by machine? That’s the philosophical question at the cyborg-y center of director Mamoru Oshii’s anime classic — and it’s surrounded by some blistering action.

John Lasseter dazzles the Brits with previews of upcoming Disney and Pixar projects.

Timothy Dalton, a former James Bond and a Shakespearean actor to boot, will voice a worthy thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants in Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3."

Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter on Thursday showed a five-second clip of the newly created character as part of a two-hour presentation at Odeon Leicester Square. The footage was greeted with hoots of laughter.

... and Empire has this about The Bear and the Bow:

Pixar's The Bear and the Bow [is the studio's] first real attempt at a leading female character (and a female director in Brenda Chapman), and focuses on Merida (Reese Witherspoon), a princess in 10th century Scotland. She's something of a wild girl who's most at home in the Highlands rather than in the family castle, and is somewhat alienated from her family: King Fergus (Billy Connolly), Queen Eleanor (Emma Thompson) and her much younger triplet brothers. We don't know many details of the plot, except that it's less about finding a prince and more about Merida's relationship with her mother (Yay!), but we do know that there will be a baddie, who's a witch (she prefers "Wise Woman") and is voiced by Julie Walters.

So maybe DreamWorks Animation gets eated and maybe it doesn't, but analyst David Miller says some suitors don't have the cash to do it:

Miller said of the possible buyers, CBS Corp. does not have complimentary assets, News Corp. already owns animation studio Blue Sky, and Viacom Inc. doesn't have the cash.

Time Warner Inc., with $7 billion in cash, could buy the company, he said, but it would cost more than $3 billion if Marvel's valuation were applied to DreamWorks. Also, $2 billion of Time Warner's cash is already earmarked for debt service before the end of the year.

Anime bops into Disney XD:

Disney has struck a deal with Viz Media to bring the anime series "Naruto Shippuden" to the Disney XD network beginning next month.

"Shippuden" is the sequel to the popular Japanese import and picks up with the ninja lead characters now in their teens. The original "Naruto" series has been airing on Cartoon Network since 2005.

Have a rejuvenating weekend.