The Links of Fall

Your end-of-week linkage.

Welcome to the Anaheim of the Middle Kingdom.

Shanghai Farmers Lose Fields as Disney Builds Magic Kingdom

... Walt Disney Co.’s newest castle may rise from the Shanghai fields where retired farmer Jin Xinmei and her husband grow Chinese cabbage, potatoes and strawberries to supplement their $103 monthly pension.

Jin, 72, said the local government already told her that she and her husband will have to relocate from their native Qigan Village in the Pudong district so Disney can build its newest theme park. Jin wasn’t told how much the government will pay for her 30-square-meter (323-square-foot) house and its backyard vegetable patch, she said ....

But at least they're not tearing out orange groves ...

The DWA gang in Glendale launches a new theatrical trailer, and I'm sniffing box office success.

... [DreamWorks Animation] has now released the first trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, which features the voice talents of McLovin (that'll be Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Gerard Butler and Jonah Hill ...

Newsarama profiles Pixar:

“When we develop these films we look for themes that guide us in how we tell the story." ...

The Chinese are getting serious about toonage, since party bigwigs are now talking about it.

Senior Chinese official Li Changchun Thursday called for reform and innovation in promoting the development and prosperity of the country's animation industry.

Li, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark during his visit to the first China Animation and Cartoon Arts Exhibition held in Beijing ...

Antonio Banderas becomes an animation producer.

Antonio Banderas, producer Enrique Posner and Kandor Graphics have launched pre-production on Spanish animation feature "Goleor, the Scale and the Sword." Banderas will voice a character and will cast and direct voice talent. Budgeted at E22 million ($33 million), the pic is Spain's first higher-bracket digital 3D movie. The English-language epic adventure depicts, in a lighthearted, comedic tone, the fantasy medieval land of Gabilonia ...

Rupert and Friends acquire a South American long-form 'toon.

20th Century Fox has picked up the North American rights to Peruvian CGI animated pic "The Dolphin, Story of a dreamer." Fox released pic across Latin America and Brazil since October where it scored the biggest opening weekend for a local film in Peru. ...

And there is the growing animation industry in the rest of South America:

... Latin America is expanding with co-production and animation service deals. Argentina's Illusion Studios, for example, is partnering with India's Toonz Animation for "Gaturro," a stereoscopic 3D animated feature about a cheeky cat. Another deal is with Canada's Cookie Jar and Germany's Optix for a toon-series version of "Doodlebops Rocking Road Show." ...

Lastly, the "lost" but now "found' Chaplin short ... with genuine 1916 animation ...

The film features footage of Zeppelin airships flying over England during the First World War, and out-takes from three pictures that Chaplin shot with the film company Essanay

An animated scene shows Chaplin wishing he could leave America to join his British countrymen in the war, before being taken on a cloud and deposited on an English church spire ....

Have a safe and sane sabbath.