From ‘Nimona’ to ‘Ruby Gillman’ and ‘Mutant Mayhem,’ Big Plays, Buzz Titles, and a Central Paradox at This Year’s Annecy
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent ANNECY — Opening under the pall of Thursday’s knife attack, – which prompted a spirited show of solidarity and communal defiance at its opening ceremony on Sunday – this year’s Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival has never been bigger. Creativity is exploding, from “Spider-Verse” and beyond. Animation is flowering in India and Africa. Yet studio work, much courtesy of streamer orders, may rebound, but never return to the halcyon levels of the last few years. Theatrical for most animation titles has yet to return, moreover – save for extraordinary mega-blockbusters such as “Across the Spider-Verse” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” 10 takes on this year’s Annecy, the biggest animation festival on the world: