The Neglected Festival of Links

Now, a dollop of end-of-week linkage ... which we haven't done one in ever so long.

There's a new director for a cartoon prequel.

... Dan Scanlon, will make his full-length movie debut with the recently announced Monsters University. ... He worked as a writer on Cars, and co-directed the short Mater And The Ghostlight. He also worked as story artist on Toy Story 3 and produced Up. ...

A voice actor is announced by one of those other studios that do sequels:

Ryan Reynolds ... to play a snail

[Ryan Reynods] already has a DreamWorks cartoon feature coming out ..., the caveman-era comedy The Croods. But ... Reynolds will next speak for a garden snail who dreams of winning the Indy 500 in the studio's June 2013 release, Turbo ...

Then there was the little lizard (amphibian?) that could:

... "Rango" in its fourth weekend took in a solid $16 million in 48 territories for a global total of $159.5 million. ...

With the $109.2 million collected stateside, the Paramount release now has a worldwide total of $268.7 million in theatrical receipts.

Film composer Christopher Lennertz talks about making music for Hop:

... It’s a very secular Easter movie; the factory that makes the Easter eggs and candy is on Easter Island, and we decided early on that we weren’t going to get into any religious overtones or anything of that nature. So we played up on the magical, secular side of the holiday. ...

Cartoon Network sinks money into Philipine animation.

Cartoon Network is looking to engage animation studios based in the Philippines for a few long-term projects that would see the children's entertainment group co-developing original animation in the region. ... "[T]his is the first time in our company's history that we are considering to work with Filipino animators to develop a new show that we can produce for airing not only on Cartoon Network Asia, but for our other markets as well, like Europe," Silas Hickey, Creative Director, Asia-Pacific Animation Development, TBS Asia Pacific, commented ...

And here's what's happening with a former Disney exec:

... Bets are on [Dick] Cook launching a film production company once he raises the requisite money, but it’s unclear whether he will distribute his own films. Producers and talent — Johnny Depp tops the list — are eager for Cook to get back in the game. Cook’s close relationship with Depp has been the stuff of Hollywood lore since the idea for the Pirates franchise first came together during a one-on-one meeting between the two.

“All we had was this tiny little two-page treatment, based on the attraction at Disneyland,” Cook recalls. “Before the end of the conversation, Johnny said, ‘I’ll do it.’ I believe at that particular moment, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the character. He was in.” ...

Apparently Mr. Cook is so well-loved in Tinseltown, that even bitter enemies gather at the same Will Rogers charity fund event to honor him.

... Everybody showed up for Dick Cook - including people who officially can't stand each other. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner sipped a drink at the VIP cocktail party near DreamWorks Animation (and former Disney studio chief) Jeffrey Katzenberg, managing to momentarily forget that he lost a $280 million lawsuit to him. ...

Lastly, the Reporter reports that studios are getting into the cross-pollination/ synergy thing: releasing live-action and animated versions of their comic book super-heroes simultaneously.

... [T]he world will be inundated by many things Thor, as Marvel Studios will release one of this summer’s first big movies featuring the Norse god of thunder May 6.

One of those things will be Thor: Tales of Asgard, from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Thor, the live-action (and please ignore the trailer on top of the trailer.)

And Thor, the animated:

Have a fine weekend.