After a short-lived stint with live-action films, Andrew Stanton returns home to direct Finding Dory, a sequel to the fan favorite Finding Nemo. Angus MacLane (Toy Story of Terror) joins him as co-director. Rather than just have another story about a missing fish, the follow-up changes a few things up by making Dory go missing after realizing that she got separated from her family after being hit with short-term memory loss. Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks will reprise their voice roles as Dory and Marlin respectively, with Hayden Rolence replacing Alexander Gould as Nemo.

During the Walt Disney Animation Studios presentation at the D23 Expo on Friday, we learned that Finding Dory will be adding Ty Burrell (Modern Family) as Bailey, a beluga white whale, Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) an octopus with a missing arm, and Kaitlin Olson (Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as a whale shark. More here below on their characters plus a description of the footage that was shown at the panel.

Warner Brothers has found their Joker for LEGO Batman, the upcoming animated spinoff of their 2015 hit The LEGO Movie.

It’s being reported that Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis has been cast as the super villain. The character has previously been played by names like Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson in movies, and by Star Wars star Mark Hamill in numerous voice acting roles.

Galifianakis joins a cast that already includes Will Arnett, once again playing the Batman role he played in The LEGO Movie, and Michael Cera, who was recently cast as the Boy Wonder, Robin.

If you’re not already watching the hilarious animated series Rick and Morty, now is as good a time as any time to get in on the fun. You’ll regret it if you don’t. The second season just got started a few weeks back, but it’s already being reported that Adult Swim has given the greenlight to a season three.

The show is a brilliant mix of science fiction and raunchy humor, following a crude, drunken genius named Rick, his innocent grandson Morty, and the many crazy adventures they get into involving everything from time travel and parallel universes and inception(ing?) to alien babies, simulation obsessed alien scam artists, and theme parks inside the human body, just to name a few.

Con Report: San Japan: 8-Bit
Where: The Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center/Grand Hyatt Hotel,
San Antonio, Texas
When: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 31st through August 2nd, 2015

As I reported last year, I’m a bit of a strange duck when it comes to anime conventions. I’ve never been into the panels or cosplay competitions, although I have a lot of respect for the people who put so much time and effort into their outfits, and in traveling the convention circuit. I especially had respect for the cosplayers and guests who were in San Antonio, braving the 99° late July and early August heat at San Japan: 8-bit, at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. I’m always looking for two things at an anime convention: The overall feel of the con, and of course, the opportunity to sit back in a room with a bunch of fellow otaku and soak up some anime. I’m happy to say that this con didn’t disappoint.

The state of Hollywood filmmaking has earned the reputation that studios are running out of ideas. There are adaptations, sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, retellings, of books, video games, even films themselves. Whatever the case may be, the dial is about to hit zero, and Sony’s latest acquisition goes to show that there is nothing left.

A new report says Sony has just beat out other studios in a bidding war to make a film based on Emojis, those little icons you use when you want to express a feeling in a text whether it is on a phone or some other social media message. More on the story below.