Watch Cyberpunk ‘Sherwood’ Free on YouTube

S H E R W O O D

Ireland’s Giant Animation at the Fore of 

YouTube Originals Free Relaunch

[Source: Animation Magazine] An animated series produced by Irish studio Giant Animation will be spearheading YouTube’s changing approach to its YouTube Originals content when it is made available for free to all viewers this February.

Sherwood is a 10-episode animated series inspired by the legend of Robin Hood and set in a dystopian future where Earth has been destroyed by climate change and is ruled by the evil sheriff of Sherwood. In this modern retelling, Robin is a 14-year-old girl who uses technology and code to hack and do battle with the sheriff.

“A key focus of the show is trying to inspire young women and girls to be more interested in technology and to know that they can have an impact on the future of technology. We were very pleased to partner with YouTube to produce Sherwood, which is their first original animated series,” said Alex Sherwood, Creative Director & Co-Founder, Giant Animation.

“The response to Sherwood has been truly outstanding and we are thrilled that it already has over 20 million views. We are also delighted that it will be going free to all viewers in February so even more people will get a chance to watch it. More than 120 people worked on Sherwood at our Dublin office and it has a world-class cast, including The Witcher’s Anya Calotra.”

Sherwood was the first animated series commissioned for the YouTube Premium service, and other series include Cobra Kai, Impulse and Step Up: High Water. The first episode of Sherwood has over 20 million views.

YouTube is now changing its approach to its Premium service and is making all of its YouTube Originals series free to all viewers globally. This is a significant change from its plans to charge a monthly fee for access to the original content and could prove to be a major headache for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney. In September 2019, YouTube also announced a major $100 million investment in original children’s content.

Sherwood was co-produced by Baby Octopus in New York and Toybox in Auckland, New Zealand. In the last 15 years, the number of animation studios in Ireland has risen from six to over 30. An estimated 1,500 people work in the sector, which generates around €200 million for the Irish economy annually.

▶ Watch the First Episode

Learn more about Giant Animation at http://giant.ie/animation/.

Star Wars: Underworld - CANCELED

STAR WARS: UNDERWORLD, 

What Could Have Been...

Released test footage from 2010 of the canceled Star Wars TV show "Underworld," which was to take place in the lower levels of Coruscant. The series was set after the events of Order 66. The video game "1313" was to be a tie-in of this series. Due to the immense cost of shooting the series, as well as the selling of Lucasfilm to Disney, "Underworld" was delayed and eventually canceled. This footage was produced by Stargate Studios (whose VFX resume includes Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, The Orville) in partnership with Lucasfilm. The VFX technology displayed in the making-of portion is Stargate Studios' impressive real-time rendering Virtual Backlot Live technology.

▶ Watch the Footage

Dragon Quest: Your Story - Official Movie Trailer

DRAGON QUEST - YOUR STORY

Dragon Quest arrives on the big screen this year in Dragon Quest Your Story.

Click on Closed Captions to view the subtitles. 

▶ Watch the Trailer

The Dam Keeper (2014)

THE DAM KEEPER

The Dam Keeper, a short film by feature animation artists Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi tells the tale of a young pig encumbered with an important job, and the meeting of a new classmate who changes everything.

The short blends traditional hand-drawn animation with lush brushstrokes to bring Kondo and Tsutsumi's celebrated painting style to life like never before. Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen (Forbrydelsen, Sherlock) narrates the film.

▶  Watch the Short Film

New Marvel Trailer

Falcon and Winter Soldier,

WandaVision, and Loki

Watch the first trailer for Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki, all coming to Disney+.

Star Trek: Picard - Free Series Premiere Episode

STAR TREK: PICARD

Watch the series premiere of the critically acclaimed CBS All Access Original Series, Star Trek: Picard, now available on YouTube for a limited time only, presented by Geico. At the end of the 24th Century, and 14 years after his retirement from Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is living a quiet life on his vineyard, Chateau Picard. When he is sought out by a mysterious young woman, Dahj (Isa Briones), in need of his help, he soon realizes she may have personal connections to his own past.

▶ Watch a Clip of the First Episode

Sign up for CBS All Access at http://cbs.com/startrekpicard.  

Best of CES 2020 - Artist Edition

Best of CES 2020

I went to CES looking for anything tech that I could draw on. I found a lot from Lenovo's new fold-able Thinkbook X1, I got hands-on time with Samsung's new galaxy books like the flex and ion. And even a tour of LG's new products aimed at creative professionals

- Brad Colbow

▶ Watch the Video

Geralt's Story Before THE WITCHER 1

THE WITCHER

Yennefer, Letho, The Wild Hunt

What Happened To Geralt Before THE WITCHER 1? All Geralt's memory flashbacks related to his past in The Witcher 2. 

▶ Watch the Video

(WARNING: Blood, Violence, and Nudity)

Protocole Sandwich - Animation Short Film

Protocole Sandwich

In a wild, inhabited desert, a team of rangers is in charge of rescuing people who get lost and defragged. One of them, Jean-Mi, walks away from the group to repair a dysfunctioning beacon and meets an unexpected character who says he has found a way to survive the defragging curse.

▶ Watch the Film

Nothing Left to Lose ⚡| Music Video

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures Returns

CASSANDRA'S REVENGE

Varian tries to convince Cass that she doesn't have to be the villain! 

Watch Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures on Disney Channel! And check out more Rapunzel videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... 

After being on the road for months, Rapunzel returns to Corona where she assumes the role of temporary queen and must deal with the looming threat of her friend-turned-enemy, Cassandra.

▶ Watch the Music Video

 

▶ Watch the Full Episode: "Cassandra's Revenge"

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

In the year 2045, the world has entered a systematic “Sustainable War.” Hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan’s elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of “Post-Human,” a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities. 

Netflix Original Anime Series “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” Streaming worldwide in April 2020, only on Netflix.

▶ Watch the Trailer

RIDE YOUR WAVE [Official US Trailer]

From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Devilman Crybaby) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery. 

IN THEATERS ONE NIGHT ONLY - FEBRUARY 19

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea. 

Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as soon as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato’s sudden reappearance?

▶ WATCH THE TRAILER

Anime Classic - Sol Bianca OVA

Remembering: SOL BIANCA

Sol Bianca is a two-volume Japanese OVA series released in 1990 and 1991. It was directed by Katsuhito Akiyama and Hiroki Hayashi in association with AIC.

Tech Designs were quite visionary for the '90s

The name of the OVA is also the name of the ship that serves as both the home and the interstellar headquarters for an all-female band of notorious pirates. Thanks to a stowaway who hides aboard their ship following one of their raids, they learn of the ultimate treasure: the Gnosis (pronounced "G'Nohsis" in dialogue), an artifact reputedly from old Earth itself. 

Music and characters were cutting edge

Unfortunately for them, the Gnosis happens to be in the hands of Emperor Batros, the brutal ruler of the planet Tres (pronounced "trez" in dialogue) who is executing great numbers of enemies, real or speculated, as a result of his military occupation of the neighboring planet Uno. Armed with a little luck, a sniper gun that can shoot from orbit, and a technologically advanced ship, the crew of the Sol Bianca are about to make a run for the greatest prize of all. 

▶ Watch the Video