Episodes

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down with Alan Siegel from The Ringer to discuss his new book Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television and America Forever. Together, they revisit how Matt Groening’s crude interstitials on The Tracey Ullman Show evolved into a cultural juggernaut, what nearly derailed the series before it ever aired, and why The Simpsons continues to matter nearly four decades later. Along the way, the guys dig into:• The box office performan...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor wrap up July with box office milestones, Comic-Con exclusives, and some major animation developments:Chris Sanders returns to write Lilo & Stitch 2 – After the billion-dollar success of the live-action film, Disney is moving forward with a sequel, with Sanders bringing fresh ideas from the original “Pitch to Stitch.”Inside the “Magic of Disney Animation” revival – A massive reimagining of the former Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Ho...

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s episode by discussing “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” that new show at Disneyland Park in Anaheim.examineThey then look at how Paramount Pictures’ new “Smurfs” film performed at the domestic box office.For this episode, listeners will learn about:Who did Chris Buck & Kevin Lima originally want to voice Tantor the elephant in Disney’s animated version of “Tarzan”Which role will Josh Gad be playing in the live concert version of “Jesus Christ Supers...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into a wide-ranging conversation about box office trends, Comic-Con reveals, and the growing debate around casting A-list celebrities in animated films. Highlights include:Paramount debuts the first teaser for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants – Mark Hamill joins as the Flying Dutchman, and Jim reflects on the franchise’s enduring magic.Godzilla’s 70th anniversary celebration hits San Diego Comic-Con – Drew previews his ...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into a packed slate of animation and entertainment news—including box office wins, deep animation history, and Broadway updates:Universal celebrates a huge opening for Jurassic World Rebirth with $318M globally, while How to Train Your Dragon crosses the half-billion mark.Disney’s Lilo & Stitch nears the billion-dollar club, expected to cross the threshold by the time Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters later this month.Pi...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor reunite (despite a case of post-Annecy crud) to cover a wide range of animation and industry news, including:Disney officially announces Lilo & Stitch 2 after the live-action original crosses $945M globally.Elio holds better than expected with a solid second weekend as it climbs past $42M domestically.Live-action Tangled delayed to 2029, reportedly to make room for the Lilo & Stitch sequel.Warner Bros. loses the rights to Akira af...

On this week’s jet-lagged edition of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor keep things quick but packed with insight. Drew is back from his travels—and despite the sleep deprivation, he’s ready to recap his time at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and his first-ever visit to Disneyland Paris.How Annecy 2025 addressed AI concerns and global animation trendsJared Bush’s surprising hint at the return of hand-drawn animation at DisneyHighlights from Annecy’s screenings, filmma...

In this solo episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill covers the latest from the animation and box office world while Drew Taylor wraps up his trip to Annecy and Disneyland Paris. This week’s highlights include:Live-action How to Train Your Dragon opens to $197M globally, including a $83M domestic debut that surpasses every previous entry in the franchise.Disney’s Lilo & Stitch nears the billion-dollar mark, with over $858M earned just four weeks after release.Pixar’s Elio faces a soft box office...

In this solo episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill covers a whirlwind of animation news, box office milestones, and fast food tie-ins—while Drew Taylor checks in from Annecy. Topics include:Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch nears $800M globally, but with How to Train Your Dragon, Elio, and Jurassic World approaching, can it hold on?A live-action Tangled revival is gaining momentum, possibly hitting theaters in 2029.Burger King’s How to Train Your Dragon menu gets taste-tested, including the D...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor unpack the biggest stories in the animation world, including Drew’s visit to Pixar for an exclusive look atElio. The upcoming original film continues to evolve creatively, now led by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, and features bold technical advances and emotional storytelling. The duo also confirmsCoco 2is officially on the way—with directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina returning—though its release date may be in flux.They also dive into the mixed reactio...

In this episode ofFine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor reunite to cover a packed Memorial Day weekend full of animation and theme park headlines, including:Disney’sLilo & Stitchstuns with a $183M opening, far surpassing projections and proving the power of theatrical releases.Conan O’Brien joinsToy Story 5as Smarty Pants, revealed during Disney’s Licensing Expo presentation.First look atZootopia 2– A mysterious villain, new districts, and plenty of fan theories sparked ...

In this solo episode ofFine Tooning, Jim Hill dives into a packed week of animation news while Drew Taylor covers the opening of Epic Universe in Florida. Topics include:The 70th anniversary ofGumby– A look back at Art Clokey’s clay-animated classic and upcoming updates likeGumby Kids.Faith-based animation on the rise– Following the box office success ofThe King of Kings,Fairly OddParentscreator Butch Hartman launches a new animation studio focused on spiritual storytel...

In this solo episode ofFine Tooning, Jim Hill covers a wide range of animation news and commentary while Drew Taylor is away covering the global premiere ofMission: Impossible 8. Topics include:Controversy around Disney’s live-actionLilo & Stitch– Director Dean Fleischer Camp shares concept art of Pleakley in a dress after Disney reportedly vetoed the idea.A first look at Elsa’s new castle fromFrozen 3– How Disney Abu Dhabi’s concept art may hint at major design elements from...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor explore a wide range of animation and entertainment industry news, including: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad each get renewed for four more seasons—an unprecedented move ensuring job security and a pipeline of adult animation through the end of the decade. Marvel’s Thunderbolts debuts at #1 at the domestic box office with $76 million, signaling a possible rebound for the MCU. Korean animated feature The King of Kings becomes the highest-grossing Korean film in U.S. history, surpassing Parasite. Big City Greens celebrates its 100th episode with a special titled “One Hundred,” now streaming on Disney+. Boop! The Musical and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 30th Anniversary Tour – A look at how cartoon-based Broadway shows are faring in 2025 and what’s next for Disney Theatrical. A heartfelt look at aging voice talent, with reflections on cast longevity for The Simpsons and how Disney once replaced Paul Win…

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor cover a busy week in animation and theme park news, including:Drew’s full report from FanFest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, including Back to the Future Hill Valley experiences, new anime tie-ins, and what could be coming to the East Coast.King of the Hill revival update – A new panel announced for the ATX TV Festival, with co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels and voice actors returning.The Simpsons streaming hiccups – Y...

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down with filmmakers Eric Kimelton, Christopher Ninness, and Scott Seibold to talk about the making of Not Just a Goof, the heartfelt new Disney+ documentary celebrating the 30th anniversary of A Goofy Movie. They discuss lost footage, creative challenges, pop culture legacy, and their unexpected journey from fans to contributors in Goofy’s story.Also in this episode:Star Wars animation news out of Tokyo – Updates on Tales of the ...

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 back in the Late 1970s / Early 1980sThroughout this episode, listeners will learn about:When did “BOOP: The Musical” do its out-of-town try-out in ChicagoHow long after Charles Dickens’ death was his short story, “Life of Our Lord,” publishedWhen did Glen Keane first ...

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 million, becoming the biggest opening ever for a video game adaptation.Disney pauses its live-action Tangled remake – After Snow White’s underperformance, the studio rethinks its strategy for adapting more recent animated hits.CinemaCon 2025 highlights – Major announcements ...

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-screen average nearly three decades after its debut.Disney’s Snow White struggles at the box office – What the 66% second-week drop means for the future of live-action remakes.Jon Lovitz and Al Jean hint at a revival of The Critic – Could Jay Sherman return for a new seaso...

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, and Drew shares his take after seeing the film.Coco 2 Announced (and Unannounced) – A sequel to Pixar’s Coco is confirmed by Bob Iger... and then quietly walked back.The Elio Overhaul – Pixar’s original story of a shy kid mistaken for Earth’s leader has been rewritten i...

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 live-action remake.The Lilo & Stitch trailer breaks records – Why it’s Disney’s second-most viewed live-action trailer ever.What’s next for Disney’s live-action Tangled – Could Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi return for cameo roles?A disappointing start for The Day the E...

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 content.Ne Zha 2’s unprecedented box office run – How the Chinese animated film crossed $2 billion and is climbing the list of the highest-grossing films ever.Jon Favreau’s new Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series – What to expect from this live-action/animation hybrid for Di...

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 KitaharaThroughout this episode, listeners will learn about:When is “Ne Zha 2” expected to blow through the $2 billion barrier at the worldwide box officeWhich produced-by-Marvel-Animation series just got renewed for a fifth seasonWhy is the redesign of the characters for “Shrek 5” really not a big dealHow many “Krypto”...

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 Frozen 2.Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King and DreamWorks’ Dog Man hit digital – What their home release means for the industry.The rise of adult animation – Robot Chicken celebrates 20 years, while Nikelodeon expands its lineup with Avatar: The Seven Havens.Disney+’s la...