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Exclusive: UTA has signed stand-up comedian, actor, and creator Frankie Quiñones (This Fool) for representation in all areas.

Quiñones is perhaps best known for starring as Luis, former gang member turned Hugs Not Thugs program participant, on Hulu’s critically acclaimed series This Fool, having been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Independent Spirit Awards last year.

He also has a recurring role on FX’s acclaimed vampire comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, as well as Fired on Mars and Victor & Valentino on Max. Additional acting credits include Mr. Mayor (NBC), Feliz Navidad (Lifetime), The Dress Up Gang (TBS), Papi Chulo (Blue Fox Entertainment), and AMC’s spin-off miniseries The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, to name a few.

Most recently, Quiñones wrapped a pilot for his own sketch show at Hulu titled Get Frankie, with more details forthcoming. Launched...

(Welcome to Animation Celebration, a recurring feature where we explore the limitless possibilities of animation as a medium. In this edition: season 3 of "Clone High" and "Jellystone!")

Animation fans (and fans of good movies regardless of style) have been thrust into an emotional tornado spinning as wildly as the Tasmanian Devil regarding the release of director Dave Green ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows") and writer Samy Burch's ("May December") live-action/animated hybrid Looney Tunes courtroom flick, "Coyote vs. Acme." What should be an absolute no-brainer hit at the box office is at risk of being scrapped for a tax write-off despite positive test screenings, the result of yet another frustrating corporate decision prioritizing capitalism over creativity, and an all-out attack on the art of filmmaking.

Of course, you realize, this means war.

Listen, I don't think I need to tell anyone that despite the animation industry...

Exclusive: Senior television literary agent Melissa Orton-Cortez, most recently from CAA, has joined Adventure Media as a manager and partner alongside founding partners Chris von Goetz, James Robins Early and Aaliyah Williams.

This marks a reunion for Orton-Cortez and fellow former lit agents-turned-managers von Goetz and Robins Early who worked together for a decade at ICM Partners prior to the agency’s acquisition by CAA last year when von Goetz and Robins Early left and teamed with Williams to launch Adventure.

Meanwhile, Orton-Cortez transitioned to CAA where she had been for the past year. She was the highest profile departure in the recent round of layoffs at the agency, and a number of companies pursued her over the last couple of weeks. She opted to go with Adventure.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Adventure with my dear friends and colleagues,” Orton-Cortez said. “For the last year, I’ve...

In its current form, the Best Animated Program Emmy category allows submissions targeted at viewers aged 13 and above, while series and specials made for younger audiences are now relegated to the Children’s and Family Emmys. Potential nominees for this award are also required to have runtimes in excess of 15 minutes.

The 2023 Best Animated Program ballot list below consists of 33 entries. Per category rules, all are either one-off specials or single episodes of continuing series. Seeking their dozenth victory and first since 2019 are the team behind “The Simpsons,” who just wrapped their 34th season. Other shows hoping for repeat wins this year include “Archer,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,” “Rick and Morty,” and “South Park.”

Unlike the nominees in most program categories, which are chosen by all 20,000 plus academy members, the animated program contenders are picked only by voters from the animation, children’s programming, emerging media programming, and motion and title design branches.

“Velma” has been renewed for Season 2 at Max.

The announcement was made at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival by Suzanna Makkos, the executive vice president of original comedy and adult animation for Max and Adult Swim, during her “Share With” session.

“Velma” debuted its first season on what was then HBO Max in January. The adult animated comedy series tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley and the Mystery Inc. gang from “Scooby Doo.” Mindy Kaling voices Velma with the cast also including Glenn Howerton, Sam Richardson, Constance Wu, Jane Lynch, Ming-Na Wen, Wanda Sykes, and more. Charlie Grandy developed the series for television and serves as executive producer and showrunner. Kaling also executive produces along with Howard Klein and Sam Register.

“The series that we create at Max are art and voice driven, with character and comedy coming before anything else,” said Makkos. “We’re always looking for...

Suzanna Makkos, Executive Vice President, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, Max and Adult Swim, showcased the Max Original Adult Animation Slate at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival during her “Share With” session, unveiling the official second season trailer for the Max Original “Ten Year Old Tom” and revealing a first look image from the Max Original “Young Love.”

Makkos outlined the strategy behind the Max Originals adult animation slate, highlighting what sets the platform apart in the adult animation space. “The series that we create at Max are art and voice driven, with character and comedy coming before anything else,” said Makkos. “We’re always looking for hard comedy with heart and edge, diverse and inclusive shows with underlying thematic resonance, and character design that showcases the hand of the artist. I am so excited to share these incredible series with the world, and continue to show why Max...

The influence of “The Simpsons” on adult animation is undeniable in terms of tone, format, and look. Today, shows like “Family Guy,” “Rick and Morty,” “BoJack Horseman,” and more carry on the traditions of Matt Groening’s magnum opus, pushing the medium of animation forward while looking back at what came before. In recent years, anime too has planted a foot in the Western animation industry, influencing a bigger focus on serialized storytelling, fluid action, and a cinematic approach to visuals. But when it comes to Max’s new animated series “Fired on Mars,” its influences harken back to a different time, when Mike Judge was making cartoons and grounded realism was key.

“Fired on Mars” is based on a 2016 short of the same name about Jeff Cooper, a graphic designer working for a brazen start-up situated on Mars. Things get complicated when he is unceremoniously fired after relocating to the Red Planet.

(Welcome to Animation Celebration, a recurring feature where we explore the limitless possibilities of animation as a medium. In this edition: "Fired on Mars.")

I've dedicated a lot of time to writing about the various ways the Hollywood machine disrespects the work of those in the animation field, which is to say I'm completely unsurprised that HBO Max released their new series, "Fired on Mars," with little fanfare. This is the same streaming app that quietly removed a massive chunk of its animation library for tax write-offs, and one that's run by a billionaire CEO who thinks a "love of working" will end the current WGA strike, rather than, you know, paying them fairly.

It's doubly ironic considering "Fired on Mars" is a show about a man named Jeff who gave up everything he held dear for the job opportunity of a lifetime, only to be unappreciated and tossed onto...

Fresh off her win at last month’s Academy Awards, Michelle Yeoh will return to the “Star Trek” universe as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the special Paramount+ movie event “Star Trek: Section 31.” The “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star played the character in the first season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” In the upcoming film, She will join a secret Starfleet division tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets. This new assignment will force Georgiou to face the sins of her past. The film begins production later this year.

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Emmy winner John Mulaney is back on Netflix with a new comedy special April 25. The comic’s third stand-up special for the streamer is called “John Mulaney: Baby J,” and was filmed at Boston’s Symphony Hall. Directed by Tony winner Alex Timbers,...

“Fired on Mars” is a new 8-episode animated science fiction TV series, created by Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey, starring Luke Wilson, Leslie David Baker, Cory Loykasek, Stephen Root and Cedric Yarbrough streaming April 20, 2023 on HBO Max:

“…‘Jeff Cooper’ (Wilson) has it all: a fulfilling career as the graphic designer for space start-up ‘Mars.ly’, a relationship with his soon-to-be ‘Red Planet’ bound girlfriend, ‘Hannah’ and... well, maybe that's it.

“But when his bosses unceremoniously eliminate his role, Jeff finds himself jobless and unable to return to Earth. Adrift in the sprawling office colony, Jeff is forced to reinvent himself as he attempts to find meaning in a dangerous, alien, yet all-too-familiar corporate landscape.”

Click the images to enlarge…...

One day, perhaps even in our lifetime, human beings will be living on Mars. When that time comes, not every colonist will be a super scientist or engineer, there would still be a need for cooks, janitors, and… graphic designers? Max has released the first official trailer for Fired on Mars, a workplace comedy series which tells the story of Jeff Cooper, a man who finds himself adrift after taking a one-way trip to the Red Planet only to have his bosses unceremoniously eliminate his role.

Luke Wilson stars as Jeff Cooper in Fired on Mars, leading a cast which includes Leslie David Baker, Cory Loykasek, Stephen Root, and Cedric Yarbrough. The eight-episode series will also feature Pamela Adlon, Thomas Haden Church, Tim Heidecker, Frankie Quinones, Emily Watson, and Sean Wing in guest-starring roles.

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“Jeff Cooper (Luke Wilson) has it all: a fulfilling career...

HBO Max has released the official trailer and key art for the upcoming original adult animated series Fired On Mars. Created by Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey, Fired On Mars tells the story of Jeff Cooper who finds himself adrift after taking a one-way trip to the Red Planet only to have his bosses unceremoniously eliminate his role. The series stars Luke Wilson along with a cast that includes Leslie David Baker, Cory Loykasek, Stephen Root, and Cedric Yarbrough. The eight episode season debuts Thursday, April 20 on HBO Max.

Guest Stars: Pamela Adlon, Thomas Haden Church, Tim Heidecker, Frankie Quinones, Emily Watson, and Sean Wing.

Logline: Jeff Cooper (Luke Wilson) has it all: a fulfilling career as the graphic designer for space start-up Mars.ly, a relationship with his soon-to-be Red Planet-bound girlfriend, Hannah, and… well, maybe that’s it. But when his bosses unceremoniously eliminate his role, Jeff finds...