Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor are back together after Drew's birthday escape to Palm Springs, and they've got plenty of animation news to talk about. Pixar has its biggest ever box office for an original film opening, Pete Docter's Wall Street Journal interview takes an odd turn but at least they have a musical on the way, and of course there are the Old Spice marketing tie-ins to the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy movie that want you to smell like Bowser.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Disney Legend Floyd Norman's screening and Q&A at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC has been postponed with no rescheduled date available as of yet

• Hoppers has the best opening for a Pixar original film yet with an 88 million dollar worldwide gross

• The first 40,000 fans through the gates on March 31st at the L.A. Dodgers game against the Cleveland Guardians will get an exclusive Yoshi bobblehead

• Drew drops an exclusive story about the upcoming sequel to The Wild Robot

• Cartoon Lagoon has a new film, Kindred Spirits, coming in 2028 

• Jim and Drew discuss Pete Docter's recent interview with the Wall Street Journal and the reactions to it

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

Unlock MagicPlanning a Disney or Universal trip in 2026? Unlock Magic helps you secure the very best deals on theme park tickets, with expert support from people who truly know the parks. Visit unlockedmagic.com to start planning your next adventure.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
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Jim Hill and Drew Taylor kick off this week’s show a little early to accommodate Drew’s Palm Springs getaway, but that doesn’t slow down the animation news. From Netflix making a rare physical media play with KPop Demon Hunters to Zootopia 2 quietly becoming 2025’s biggest domestic hit, there’s a lot to unpack. They also look at Smiling Friends stepping away at its peak, new anime headed to theaters, and a wave of animation-themed events happening coast to coast.

HIGHLIGHTS

• KPop Demon Hunters lands a rare Criterion Collection physical media release after sweeping major awards, signaling a big win for Netflix animation.

• Zootopia 2 becomes 2025’s top domestic release and sees strong demand for its 4K Steelbook on launch day.

• Smiling Friends ends on its own terms, with two final episodes set to air April 12.

• Crunchyroll dates the next That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime movie for May 2026 as Season Four arrives this spring.

• Hulu’s upcoming animated comedy Swap Meet begins development at 20th Television Animation and Sony Pictures Television.

• Don Hahn’s Huz: Drawn to Life spotlights Disney animator Ron Husband and his legacy.

• Dana Terrace premieres The Knights of Guinevere pilot and plans a March panel and gallery event in Alhambra.

• Drawing Magic: Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida opens in Orlando with a March 8 creators panel.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

Unlock MagicPlanning a Disney or Universal trip in 2026? Unlock Magic helps you secure the very best deals on theme park tickets, with expert support from people who truly know the parks. Visit unlockedmagic.com to start planning your next adventure.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 animated feature, for a fall debut
• A tribute to Jane Baer, whose career included Sleeping Beauty, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, and more

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. If a Disney or Universal trip is on your radar for 2026, their team can help you secure great ticket prices and plan smarter. Learn more at UnlockedMagic.com.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As The Simpsons hits its 800th episode, Jim Hill takes a moment to appreciate how this once-scrappy Fox upstart became an animation institution that may never actually end. From the long-lost series finale concept where Homer and Krusty were secretly the same person to the show’s upcoming theatrical sequel and Disney’s long-term park plans, this week’s Fine Tooning looks at how Springfield keeps evolving. Plus, box office updates, Avatar sequel math, Matt Braly’s next move after Sony, and a wild Steven Spielberg phone call that changed animation history.

NEWS

• The Simpsons celebrates its 800th episode with “Irrational Treasure,” the 14th episode of Season 37, as the series eyes renewal through Season 40 and a second theatrical film set for September 3, 2027.

• Disney+ viewers can compare Season 1’s “Santa’s Little Helper” to the new milestone episode to see just how dramatically the show’s animation quality has evolved since 1989.

• Sony Pictures Animation’s Goat opens strong over Presidents Day weekend, reportedly close behind Warner Bros.’ Wuthering Heights, with final box office numbers still shifting.

• Zootopia 2 crosses $1.83 billion worldwide, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of all time, though its upcoming March 3 home video release may slow its push toward $2 billion.

• Avatar: Fire & Ash reaches $1.46 billion globally, profitable but well below the franchise’s prior installments, raising questions about costs and expectations for Avatar 4 and 5.

• Matt Braly and Rebecca Sugar’s previously in-development Sony feature is shelved, but Braly launches a Kickstarter on March 13 for his indie gothic horror pilot Clara and the Below.

• The RiffTrax team raises nearly $1.9 million on Kickstarter for The RiffTrax Experiments, offering a hopeful blueprint for creator-driven animation crowdfunding.

FEATURE

• The behind-the-scenes story of how Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss were hired by Steven Spielberg to write The Land Before Time, following his surprise discovery of Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird.

• Spielberg’s now-legendary phone call to Freudberg, initially mistaken for a prank, ultimately led to a creative partnership that bridged Sesame Street and major animated feature filmmaking.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com

• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. Get real discounts on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets, sometimes up to 12% off. Unlocked Magic is run by the team behind DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market, making it easy to plan your 2026 Central Florida trip and save big.

Grab your tickets today at UnlockedMagic.com and be sure to tell them Drew and Jim sent you.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Fine Tooning, where Drew Taylor and Jim Hill record on Super Bowl Sunday, dodge football talk, and instead zero in on animation news, box office bruises, and one of the biggest corporate shake-ups in Disney history. Along the way, there is chatter about Super Bowl trailers, art books you are not allowed to open yet, and why studios still love spending big bucks for 30 seconds of attention. Then the conversation turns serious as Disney’s future leadership comes sharply into focus.

NEWS
• Super Bowl 60 trailer watch, including expected spots for Toy Story 5, Hoppers, and whether Universal should hype the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie
• A rough North American box office weekend, with Send Help limping to number one and Zootopia 2 still padding its already massive worldwide total
• Angel Studios news, including a release date for Andy Serkis’ long-awaited Animal Farm
• GKIDS picks up a new original animated feature from Macross creator Shoji Kawamori
• Genndy Tartakovsky reportedly circling an animated Game of Thrones spin-off, plus a look at Netflix’s Stranger Things: Tales from ’85

FEATURE
• Disney announces its next era as Josh D’Amaro is named CEO, effective March 18, 2026
• A deep dive into D’Amaro’s path through Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and why Iger ultimately chose him
• Dana Walden promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer, with oversight of Disney’s vast entertainment portfolio
• What this leadership pairing signals for Disney’s creative direction, corporate culture, and long-term strategy

HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
• Instagram: JimHillMedia
• TikTok: JimHillMedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency

SPONSOR
Unlocked Magic helps you save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets, sometimes up to 12 percent off. Just pick your dates, grab your tickets, and go. Visit UnlockedMagic.com and be sure to tell them Drew and Jim sent you.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices