The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with a packed week in animation, from awards-season shakeups to shifting box office math and a first real look at Pixar’s next big sequel. Along the way, they spotlight a streaming acquisition that could become a Halloween favorite, a few strategic release-date moves, and close with a heartfelt remembrance of a behind-the-scenes legend whose work helped shape modern animation. HIGHLIGHTS • KPop Demon Hunters dominates the Annie Awards with 12 wins, including Best Feature, while Zootopia 2 goes home empty-handed despite its box office strength • Corrected Presidents Day numbers boost GOAT’s opening and reshape its rivalry with Wuthering Heights in weekend two • Pixar debuts the first official Toy Story 5 trailer, centering Jessie and introducing a toys-versus-tech conflict • Sony begins development on an animated Venom project with Tom Hardy producing • TMNT: Mutant Mayhem 2 moves its release date up by a month • Netflix acquires I Am Frankelda, Mexico’s first stop-motion anim