Episodes

April 15, 2025

How long was “Black Cauldron” actually in the works at Disney (Ep 302)

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by offering birthday greetings to a modern animation master. They then welcome Neil O’Brien, author of “After Disney,” to discuss what it was like to work on the Burbank Lot b...
April 8, 2025

Minecraft Breaks Records, Disney Pauses Tangled, and Animation Takes Over CinemaCon (Ep. 301)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor break down the biggest stories shaking up the animation world, including: The explosive box office debut of A Minecraft Movie – Surpassing expectations with $157 mill...
April 1, 2025

Princess Mononoke Returns, The Critic Revival Buzz, and What’s Next for Looney Tunes (Ep. 300)

In this milestone 300th episode, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into the biggest animation stories of the week, including: GKIDS’ 4K re-release of Princess Mononoke – How this Studio Ghibli classic led the box office in per-scr...
March 25, 2025

Snow White’s Box Office, Coco 2, and Pixar’s Elio Gets a Rewrite (Ep. 299)

In this episode of Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor , Jim Hill and Drew dive deep into the latest news and developments in the world of animation: Snow White’s Slow Start – Disney’s live-action remake stumbles at the box office,...
March 18, 2025

Snow White’s Box Office Concerns and the Future of Disney’s Live-Action Remakes (Ep. 298)

In this episode, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dive into the latest animation and entertainment news, including: Disney braces for a rough opening weekend for Snow White – How revised box office projections signal trouble for the ...
March 11, 2025

Disney Cancels Tiana Series and Favreau’s Oswald Project (Ep. 297)

In this episode, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor break down a massive week in animation news, including: Disney’s shocking decision to cancel the Tiana series for Disney+ and why the studio is stepping away from long-form streaming ...
March 4, 2025

“Flow,” “In the Shadow of the Cypress” take home Oscar gold (Ep.296)

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing the 97th Academy Awards. They then offer up a tribute to the late great publicist & animation champion, Fumi Kitahara Throughout this episode, listeners will learn a...
Feb. 25, 2025

Ne Zha 2 Breaks Records, Mufasa Hits Streaming, and The Future of Adult Animation (Ep. 295)

In this episode, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor break down the latest in animation news, including: Ne Zha 2’s historic box office run – How the Chinese animated epic became the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, surpassing ...
Feb. 18, 2025

How to Train Your Dragon’s Live-Action Leap and The Race for Best Animated Feature (Ep. 294)

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dive into the biggest stories in animation, including: The live-action How to Train Your Dragon – Drew shares behind-the-scenes details from his visit to the Universal...
Feb. 11, 2025

The Wild Robot Sweeps the Annies and The Lost Coyote vs. Acme Movie (Ep. 293)

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor break down one of the biggest nights in animation as The Wild Robot dominates the Annie Awards, winning eight major categories. They also dive into the frustrating fat...
Feb. 4, 2025

How Dog Man Became DreamWorks’ First Big Hit of 2025 (Ep. 292)

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: Dog Man’s impressive $36M opening weekend and what it means for DreamWorks Animation. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the fascinating history behind Splash Mounta...
Jan. 29, 2025

Animated Oscars Buzz: The Wild Robot, Flow, and Surprising Snubs (Ep. 291)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: Warner Bros. Animation’s ambitious adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go! and its 2028 release plans. The marketing genius behind DreamWorks’ Dog...
Jan. 21, 2025

How Hades Became the Star of Disney’s Hercules (Ep. 290)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: A behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s Hercules , from the creation of Hades to Jeffrey Katzenberg’s surprising influence on the character. The passing of lege...
Jan. 15, 2025

Wildfires Impact Animation and Josh Gad’s Olaf Journey (Ep. 289)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: The devastating wildfires in Southern California and their impact on the animation industry. Updates on box office hits like Moana 2 , Mufasa: The Lion King ...
Jan. 7, 2025

Animation at the Golden Globes and Donald Duck’s Wartime Legacy (Ep. 288)

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: The 82nd Golden Globes nominees for Best Animated Motion Picture, including Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Hayao Miyazaki’s...
Dec. 31, 2024

A Look Back at 2024 and What’s Next for Animation in 2025 (Ep. 287)

In this final episode of Fine Tooning for 2024, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor explore: How Mufasa: The Lion King roared back at the box office, edging out Sonic 3 during the holiday weekend. Updates from Pixar, including Tim Allen...
Dec. 24, 2024

Bluey’s Disney Debut and the Challenges of Mufasa: The Lion King (Ep. 286)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dive into: The excitement surrounding Bluey 's upcoming presence in Disney theme parks and its debut on Disney Cruise Line. Highlights from the Annie Awards, where Th...
Dec. 18, 2024

Celebrating 35 Years of The Simpsons and Bluey’s Big Screen Debut (Ep. 285)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: The 35th anniversary of The Simpsons debut with "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," and how production challenges shaped its legacy. The upcoming Bluey feat...
Dec. 10, 2024

How Roy E. Disney got “Fantasia Continued” greenlit (Ep 284 )

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by discussing how well “Moana 2” did at the box office over its second weekend in theaters. They also talk about why “Paddington in Peru” had its release date pushed back to F...
Dec. 5, 2024

What became of Disney+’s “Tiana: The Series” (Ep 283)

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing how well “Moana 2” did at the domestic box office over its opening weekend. They then talk about the role that General Electric’s housewares division played in creat...
Nov. 26, 2024

From Wicked’s Box Office Smash to Oliver & Company’s 80s Charm (Ep. 282)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor bring you the latest in animation news and insights. Tune in as they dive into: "Wicked" Dominates the Box Office: Universal Pictures’ adaptation dazzles with a massi...
Nov. 20, 2024

Rediscovering Disney’s Lost "Hero of Otherwhere" (Ep. 281)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: The history and mystery behind Disney’s forgotten project The Hero of Otherwhere , a live-action/animation hybrid tied to Pete’s Dragon and Jerome Courtland'...
Nov. 12, 2024

Inside the 'Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail': Tim Burton’s Latest Haunting Spectacle (Ep. 280)

In this episode of Fine Tooning , Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dive into the magical world of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail . Hear all about Jim's recent visit to this dazzling event at the New York Botanica...
Nov. 5, 2024

Did You Know Godzilla Had a Sidekick? Godzilla's Forgotten Cartoon (Ep. 279)

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dive into some of animation’s quirkiest corners and biggest news: Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary: Celebrating Godzilla Day with a look back at the 1978 Godzilla animated ...