Episodes

As Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down just hours before Zootopia 2 preview screenings begin, they dig into the film’s early reactions, the surprising box-office shape of the holiday season, and the escalating economics behind today’s animated franchises. HIGHLIGHTS Early reactions to Zootopia 2 and what Drew learned from scoring sessions and long-lead press days. How Wicked: For Good outpaced the original film’s opening—and why reviews may complicate the long-term outlook. Stephen Schwartz’s ...

As the long Thanksgiving weekend approaches, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor dig into a flurry of newly dropped animation trailers, surprising box office projections, and the industry shifts shaping Spring and Summer 2026. Recorded just as holiday season ramps up, this week’s Fine Tooning mixes news, nostalgia, and some unexpected industry history. HIGHLIGHTS Why studios dropped so many major trailers this week — and what their early online rollouts say about today’s marketing playbook. A look at th...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor salute Veterans Day and talk about Xavier “X” Atencio, the new Disney Editions book celebrating the Imagineer behind the Haunted Mansion’s “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” Then, Drew and Jim dive into the weekend box office — from Predator: Badlands breaking franchise records to the upcoming Zootopia 2 — before Jim goes solo to finish his deep-dive on the 20th anniversary of Chicken Little: Disney’s first CG feature and the film that changed everything at the studio. HIGHLIGHTS ...

This week on Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor mark the 20th anniversary of Chicken Little — Disney’s first fully computer-animated feature — and trace how the film’s rocky launch reshaped the studio’s animation strategy in the mid-2000s. Recorded the morning after Daylight Savings Time kicked in, this episode mixes history, humor, and behind-the-scenes insight as the guys unpack what really happened inside Disney Animation during one of its most volatile eras. HIGHLIGHTS ...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor celebrate Halloween week by taking a deep dive into Disney’s darkest fairy tale — and the long, strange legacy of “Pinocchio.” From canceled attractions and creepy Hong Kong mazes to Julie Taymor’s unrealized Broadway musical, this little wooden boy has haunted Disney history for over 80 years. Why Walt Disney once scrapped six months of work on “Pinocchio” The forgotten Disneyland expansion that almost gave us “Pinocchio Square” How Hong Kong Disneyland turned the fi...

This week on Fine Tooning, Drew Taylor and Jim Hill explore how Disney’s most beloved songwriting duo—the Sherman Brothers—found new creative life after leaving the Mouse House in 1968. From the heartfelt melodies of Snoopy Come Home to the timeless charm of Charlotte’s Web, Jim revisits how their music carried Disney’s spirit into other studios’ animated worlds. Drew shares highlights from the Animation Is Life event, including Q&As for ChaO and Arco Why TRON: Ares’s box office dip has Disney...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor welcome special guest Matt Kazantzik, Program Director for the Animation Is Film Festival, to talk about what fans can expect at this year’s event at the TCL Chinese Theatre. From exclusive screenings and panels to the state of the animation industry, this episode dives deep into the heart of Hollywood’s celebration of animated storytelling. Jim and Drew also cover the latest box-office chatter, streaming updates, and big animation headlines. • Why Tron: Ares may still ...

This week on Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor, Jim Hill and Drew dive into Disney’s animation future, beginning with Drew’s firsthand report from the “Zootopia 2” press day. From the creative direction behind the sequel to updates on everything from “The Simpsons Movie 2” to Quentin Tarantino’s surprise animated project, this episode covers the wild world of animation news and commentary with Jim and Drew’s trademark insight. What Drew learned at Disney’s “Zootopia 2” press day Why “The Simpsons ...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor wrap up September with a packed episode of Fine Tooning. From this year’s sold-out Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood to the long, winding saga of Richard Williams’ unfinished opus The Cobbler and the Thief, the guys cover the latest in animation news, box office battles, and even a courtroom clash over Steamboat Willie. Highlights from Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Pixar’s Gatto facing off against heavy-hitting sequels in 2027 Crunchyro...

This week on Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor rewind to the mid-1950s to uncover how a forgotten studio sale and one scrappy rodent changed television forever. Along the way, they’ll cover everything from box office updates to Paw Patrol holiday specials, plus the latest shake-ups inside Disney corporate. The Disney-related twist behind CBS launching Mighty Mouse Playhouse in 1955 How that decision created the Saturday morning cartoon tradition What the Jimmy Kimmel controversy means fo...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor are back with another packed episode of Fine Tooning. From anime shattering records at the box office to Pixar showing off the future of Toy Story, the duo break down the biggest stories shaping animation this week. Demon Slayer’s record-breaking $70 million North American debut and what set this release apart Toy Story’s 30th anniversary celebration and the first five minutes of Toy Story 5 revealed at Destination D Disney updates on Frozen 3, Incredibles 3, and Coco...

Awards season is heating up, and Jim Hill and Drew Taylor are here to break it all down. From the Venice Film Festival and TIFF premieres to box office shocks and studio shakeups, this episode dives into the films and animated projects making headlines around the globe. Highlights include: Venice Film Festival winners and early buzz from TIFF “The Conjuring: Last Rites” breaking horror records Updates on “The Bad Guys 2” and Aaron Blaise’s hand-drawn short “Snow Bear” Disney’s new animated ...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor kick off September with a packed episode of Fine Tooning, covering the biggest stories in the world of animation: The record-shattering success of KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix and what’s next for the franchise Updates on Big Mouth, its Emmy legacy, and the upcoming series Mating Season Aardman’s latest projects, including Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom Pixar’s Elio and how its international release stood out in u...

Jim Hill is solo this week and breaks down the end of the 2025 summer movie season and why traditional blockbusters are struggling at the box office. From shocking second-weekend drop-offs to Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” taking the No. 1 spot in theaters, Jim covers the hits and misses of the season. How films like Fantastic Four: First Steps and 28 Years Later stumbled in their second weekends Why streaming habits continue to disrupt box office expectations “KPop Demon Hunters” theater deb...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with a packed episode of Fine Tooning, highlighted by an interview with legendary voice actor Jim Cummings. From Pooh and Tigger to Darkwing Duck, Jim shares behind-the-scenes stories from a career that shaped generations of animation fans. The shifting release date of Shrek 5 and what it means for DreamWorks Why Disney pulled back marketing on The Rocketeer opening weekend This week’s box office projections — and why Jim calls them “wild guesses” Streaming su...

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with another jam-packed episode of Fine Tooning, covering everything from Sirius the Dog Star to the latest in animated film and TV news. This week’s stories span box office winners, Netflix premieres, and the challenges of recasting beloved characters. • The history of the “Dog Days of Summer” and why Sirius is more than just a bright spot in the sky • Genndy Tartakovsky’s Fixed - the long road to Netflix for this R-rated animated comedy • Box office breakdown...

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 trends Jared Bush’s surprising hint at the return of hand-drawn animation at Disney Highlights 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...