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When visual development artist Chris Appelhans (“Coraline”) realized that “Aladdin” was originally a Chinese folk tale while visiting Shanghai 20 years ago, he had an aha moment about writing and directing an animated genie-in-a-bottle retelling set in modern Shanghai. The result is “Wish Dragon” (streaming Friday on Netflix), an American-Chinese co-production with Sony Pictures Animation, in which working-class college student, Din (Jimmy Wong), teams up with pink, fluffy, snarky genie, Long (John Cho), to reunite with his long-lost childhood friend, Lina (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), now a famous model.

As Appelhans watched a friend in Shanghai “struggling with family and class and concepts of success, it seemed like that timeless [‘Aladdin’] story… about a peasant boy who lives with his mother, meets a wish-granting genie, falls in love with a princess, loses himself, and finds himself again, could have newfound relevance today,” he said. “It made me think a lot about the world.

After unveiling their first wave of programming last week, New York Comic Con and McM Comic Con’s Metaverse have even more panels and entertainment to feed your fandom. The all-digital confab is set to take place October 8-11 via the New York Comic Con YouTube channel.

This year’s edition will include everything the in-person event offers all in the comfort of your own home. They will stream exclusive panels as well as addition content and programming including a look at the Apple film Wolfwalkers, a panel with the writers’ room of Colin Trevorrow and Scott Kreamer’s Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, a behind-the-scenes look at the Dylan O’Brien post-apocalyptic adventure Love and Monsters, a Smallville reunion and the return of the Osbournes in their upcoming Travel Channel event. Check out the second wave of programming below.

Inside the World of Wolfwalkers from Apple TV+

Join directors Tomm Moore...

In today’s TV news roundup, Natalie Martinez will guest star in CBS All Access’ “The Stand,” and USA announces the third season premiere date of “The Sinner.”

Casting

Natalie Martinez (“The I-Land”) will guest star in CBS All Access‘ adaptation of “The Stand,“ based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Variety has exclusively learned. Martinez began her career as the spokesmodel for Jennifer Lopez’s (“Hustlers”) fashion line and has since gone on to star in “Self/less” opposite Ryan Reynolds and Warner Bros. “Reminiscence,” which is currently filming.

Karen Fukuhara (“Suicide Squad”), Deon Cole (“Black-ish”), Coy Stewart (“Are We There Yet”), Sydney Mikayla (“The Gabby Douglas Story”) and Dee Bradley Baker (“American Dad”) have been cast in Dreamworks‘ Netflix original series “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts,“ premiering Jan. 14. The animated series follows a young girl thrust into adventure on the surface of a fantastical post-apocalyptic Earth.

Annecy, France — DreamWorks Animation Television will produce “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts” a fantastical comedy adventure and coming of age tale created by Radford Sechrist (“How to Train Your Dragon 2”), and developed for TV by Bill Wolkoff (“Once Upon a Time”).Voice starring Karen Fukuhara (“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”), “Kipo” will be made available on Netflix in 2020.

“Kipo” was announced at a Dwa TV presentation in Annecy on Thursday which also revealed a full title for the studio’s upcoming “Fast & Furious” TV series – “Fast & Furious: Spy Racers” and teased a stylish test and trailer for the spin-off. Dwa TV released “Kipo” and “Spy Racers” teaser trailers soon after the event.

Also on the presentation’s panel was “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” Noelle Stevenson, talking about Upcoming Season 3. The presence of two young animators, both graphic novel creators and, in Sechrist’s case,...

DreamWorks Animation has released two teaser trailers for its upcoming shows, including a first look at previously announced Fast & Furious: Spy Racers and a glimpse of newly greenlit original post-apocalyptic series, Kipo & the Age of Wonderbeasts, from Radford Sechrist (How To Train Your Dragon 2) and Bill Wolkoff (Once Upon A Time).

Created by Sechrist and Wolkoff, Kipo & the Age of Wonderbeasts explores the world of a human girl trapped in a post-apocalyptic earth. After spending her entire life living in an underground burrow, Kipo is thrust into an adventure on the surface. She joins a ragtag group of survivors as they embark on a journey through a vibrant wonderland where everything trying to kill them is downright adorable. Karen Fukuhara (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) is the voice of Kipo.

Sechrist and Wolkoff executive produce.

The trailers and other announcements came today during the studio’s presentation...

DreamWorks has lined up a new series, Kipo & the Age of Wonderbeasts, for Netflix, the company announced at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France. The postapocalyptic tale is created and executive produced by How to Train Your Dragon 2's Radford Sechrist and executive produced by Once Upon a Time writer Bill Wolkoff.

Sechrist said that he was inspired by shows including The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones and wanted to do a gritty, dark drama in the same vein but kept coming up with more comedic concepts and found himself sketching animals. "So I decided ...