News Bytes: Warner and Discovery to join, V-CRX sets first guests, "Sweet Tooth" trailer

AT&T launches and combines WarnerMedia with Discovery
The new standalone media company to be named will be led by Discovery CEO David Zaslav with the goal of creating a "streaming giant" to compete with Netflix. The agreement is expected to take effect in mid-2022.

WarnerMedia owns streamer HBO Max, home to animation brands including Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Toonami and Warner Animation Group, as well as DC Films and the Warner Bros. Pictures catalog. The platform debuted in a hybrid family film Tom and Jerry day and date with theaters earlier this year. Discovery, which launched its Discovery + streamer in the US in January, hosting a library of content from 14 networks including TLC, HGTV, ID, OWN and many more; Discovery Family (a joint venture with Hasbro) is the home of the animated originals Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy e My little pony: pony life.

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo announces the first wave of guests, programming
The highlights of the 2021 event (streaming from 5 to 7 August on expo.crunchyroll.com) will present the first preview of TONIKAWA: Over the moon for you OVA (trailer here), new and returning guests, and exclusive merchandise, including a commemorative t-shirt available for pre-order. Guests include:

• English voice actor Cherami Leigh (Asuna Yuuki in Sword Art Online, Minako Aino / Sailor Venus in Sailor Moon, Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy tail)
• Japanese vegetable carver Okitsugu kado returns to show his talent for carving edible anime characters
• Cosplayer Vampy bit me and content creator Mario Good will return to co-host the Crunchyroll-Hime Cosplay Cup international cosplay contest

Production of Disney's "Disenchanted" begins
The live-action musical comedy sequel to Enchanted will debut exclusively on Disney + in 2022. Directed by Adam Shankman (Hair spray, The Wedding Planner), the film still stars six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams as Giselle, Patrick Dempsey as her husband, Robert Philip; James Marsden as Prince Edward of Andalusia and Idina Menzel as his wife, former seamstress Nancy Tremaine; Maya Rudolph as Malvina, Giselle's new opponent in Monroeville, Kolton Stewart as her son; Yvette Nicole Brown as Rosalyn; Jayma Mays as Ruby; Oscar Nunez as Edgar; and presenting Gabriella Baldacchino as Robert Philip's now grown daughter, Morgan.

Watch the video of 19-year-old Badlacchino receiving news of her film debut from Shankman:

Watch: "Sweet Tooth" Official Trailer
Based on the beloved DC comic and produced by Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr., Sweet tooth is a post-apocalyptic fairy tale about a hybrid boy-deer and a lonely wanderer embarking on an extraordinary adventure. All 8 1-hour episodes premiere June 4, only on Netflix. The showrunners are Jim Mickle and Beth Schwartz. In the cast Christian Convery (Gus), Nonso Anozie (Tommy Jepperd), Adeel Akhtar (Dr. Aditya Singh), Aliza Vellani (Rani Singh), Stefania LaVie Owen (Bear), Dania Ramirez (Aimee Eden), Neil Sandilands (General Abot) ), with Will Forte (father) and James Brolin (narrator).

Platige Image creates a cyberpunk-style anime commercial for Sasa
Artistic director Michał Niewiara, CG supervisor Marek Gajowski and CG producer Agnieszka Górna present the various stages of the stylized 2D / 3D work and reveal some behind-the-scenes details of the commercial, commissioned by MilkyWay Studio in Jakarta.

Watch: WEBTOON collaborates with songwriters Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler on MV
Set on their song "This is how you fall in love", the music video brings together webcomic Suitor Armor protagonists Modeus and Lucia on the ethereal vulnerability of Zucker and Cutler's voice, and captures the essence of what made the series a favorite among webcomic cognoscenti.

Goblins Student Animation wins at the Atlanta Film Festival
The Oscar qualification award went to Un Diable dans la Poche (A devil in your pocket) at the 45th ATLFF. Directed by Antoine Bonnet and Mathilde Loubes, the film centers on a group of children who witness a crime and are forced to keep the terrible secret. August, the youngest, finds the burden too great to bear and breaks the silence, turning the rest of the children against him. Miyu is in charge of the distribution of the short. Watch on Vimeo here.

Moonbug expands original programming to Peacock
Successful programs Blippi, My Magic Pet Morphle e Little baby bum are already available for streaming on the platform in both English and Spanish. Moonbug's other programs joining the streaming platform include Arpo, Gecko's Garage, Go Buster, Playtime with Twinkle, Supa Strikas, T-Rex Ranch e Ring-A-Tangs. Find out more at moonbug.com/shows.

• Little baby bum is an animated show for children aged 1 to 4. Sing along with Mia and her friends in a world where animals can dance, buses are friends and rainy days are never boring! The program supports the emotional, physical and cognitive development of the little ones through classic and original nursery rhymes.
• My Magic Pet Morphle, an animated show loved by kids ages 3-6, follows little Mila and her magical pet Morphle as they turn playtime into a series of fun and educational adventures while teaching themes of friendship, problem solving and creativity.