‘Saga Of Rex’ Trailer; Disney Health Cuts; Toxic Fandoms

Over the weekend, Michel Gagné unveiled the first trailer for The Saga of Rex, an hour-long hand-drawn feature he spent 14 years creating and animating almost entirely by himself. We’ll revisit the nearly-finished film soon with a more expansive feature article, but the trailer alone is well worth watching several times.

Less uplifting news hit this week when Disney decided to end health coverage for thousands of employees’ spouses. North of the border, WildBrain purchased the kids’ generative AI company behind Hey Peppa Pig in a deal that could approach nearly $70 million. We also took a look at the ugly and inorganic backlash surrounding Lesbian Space Princess, which represents online fandom at its worst.

It’s been a particularly big week so far for anime. Toei announced two new One Piece films, God Valley and Bāad, for 2027 and 2029; Science Saru shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the production of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia; and GKIDS picked up Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s gothic classic Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust for a new North American theatrical and home entertainment release, and the Crunchyroll Anime Forum scored a high-profile list of speakers including Guillermo del Toro, James Gunn, and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson.

Check out these stories and more at cartoonbrew.com.

1. 
   Michel Gagné Unveils The First Trailer For ‘The Saga Of Rex,’ A Solo Hand-Drawn Feature 14 Years In The Making

   'The Iron Giant,' 'Ratatouille,' and 'Spider-Verse' veteran Michel Gagné created, directed, and animated the 60-minute feature almost entirely by himself.
2. 
   The ‘Lesbian Space Princess’ Backlash Shows Online Fandom At Its Worst

   Criticism of 'Lesbian Space Princess' is fair game, but the ugly online campaign against the film and its creators feels feels cruel, targeted, and inorganic.
3. 
   Disney To End Health Coverage For Thousands Of Employees’ Spouses

   Disney will limit spousal health coverage in 2027 while committing at least $9 billion this year to stock buybacks intended to support shareholder value.
4. 
   ‘Peanuts’ Studio WildBrain Acquires ‘Hey Peppa Pig’ GenAI Company Personality AI

   The company behind 'Hey Peppa Pig' joins WildBrain in a deal with $11 million in upfront cash, shares, and up to $58 million in additional payments.
5. 
   Science Saru Has Posted A Brilliant BTS Video For One Of The Year’s Best New Series, ‘Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia’

   Naoko Yamada, Abel Góngora, and Kenichi Yoshida reveal how the studio translated Tomato Soup’s singular manga artwork and pacing into animation.

6. 
   Two New ‘One Piece’ Movies Announced For 2027 And 2029

   Toei Animation will release 'One Piece Film God Valley' in summer 2027, followed by the mysterious Oda-designed 'One Piece Film Baad' in 2029.
7. 
   Guillermo Del Toro, James Gunn, Bob Persichetti, And Justin K. Thompson To Headline Crunchyroll Anime Forum

   The inaugural Anime Future Forum will bring leading filmmakers and Japanese animation executives to New York on October 7.
8. 
   Miyu, Les Films Du Préau Will Bring Joeri Christiaen’s Modern-Day Fable ‘The Wolf’s Dinner’ To Theaters

   The 30-minute Blender-made special follows a courageous young lamb whose encounter with a mysterious wolf challenges her clan’s inherited fears and prejudices.
9. 
   Pixar’s ‘Cars’ Will Return To Theaters For Its 20th Anniversary This Fall

   The 2006 Pixar fan-favorite will race back into theaters on September 4 as Disney continues its year-long anniversary celebration.
10. 
    GKIDS Acquires Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Gothic Anime Classic ‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’

    GKIDS will bring Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s gothic anime classic back to North American theaters in a new HD master, followed by a home entertainment release.