WB Animation Details Mindy Kaling’s “Velma” ; New “Lord of the Rings” Anime Film

 

Tom Ascheim was part of a Kids Summer Festival that was run digitally, but it’s news about an upcoming adult animated series that’s making the most news from it. In this case, it’s Mindy Kaling’s Velma series which he says will be quite different than the Scooby-Doo character you grew up on. In this take, Velma will be of East Asian descent in a completely different world that will have no dog, no van, but a take on the classic characters from a different lens. HBO MAX previously announced a ten-episode series order for Warner Bros. Animation’s VELMA.

For those that don’t know, VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of  Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang.  An original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers, executive producer Mindy Kaling will voice the titular character. Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein and Sam Register also serve as executive producers. VELMA is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

---

Twenty years after delivering the award-winning “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the iconic books by J.R.R. Tolkien, New Line Cinema has partnered with Warner Bros. Animation to produce an original anime feature directed by acclaimed filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama that will plunge fans into a legendary battle that helped shape Middle-earth and set the stage for the epic adventures brought to life in “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” explores and expands the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep, delving into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.

With Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series) at the helm, the all-new standalone feature is being produced by Joseph Chou (“Blade Runner: Black Lotus” TV series) with Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”) penning the screenplay.  Oscar-winner Philippa Boyens, from the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, is serving as a consultant on the project.

Though a standalone story, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is being created as a companion piece to New Line’s “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with story and artistic elements woven throughout that will reconnect fans to the excitement and cinematic wonder of Middle-earth.

The project is being fast-tracked for the big screen, with animation work at Sola Entertainment and voice casting currently underway. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.