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There’s a wider range of indie movies joining the usual studio suspects in this year’s animation race. Disney/Pixar returns with “Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird’s superb advance on the original Oscar-winning 2004 superhero feature, while Disney Animation offers its own sequel to an Oscar-nominated original, “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” (November 21), and Universal/Illumination will try to make its return to awards contention with another Dr. Seuss adaptation, “The Grinch” (November 9).

Longer shots include Aardman’s stop-motion “Early Man” (Lionsgate) and two Sony Animation entries, sequel “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,” from director Genndy Tartakovsky, and the Phil Lord & Chris Miller-produced “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (December 14), a likely holiday hit with a wild stylistic look directed by animators-turned-directors Bob Persichetti and Rodney Rothman and Peter Ramsey (“Rise of the Guardians”). Are Lord and Miller now considered worthy of Oscar contention, with experienced animators in the directors’ chairs?...

Netflix has made its first acquisition of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in the form of a $30 million deal for animated robot movie “Next Gen.” The acquisition is for international rights, excluding China. “Next Gen” is the first feature for directors Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander and will feature the voices of Michael Pena, Jason Sudeikis, David Cross, Kitana Turnbull, and Constance Wu. The deal was made at the Cannes market.

Cannes and Netflix have had a rocky relationship in 2018. The streaming giant removed all of its films from consideration for the festival after Cannes implemented a rule banning films without French theatrical distribution from competing for the Palme d’Or. The rule made Netflix-backed features ineligible to premiere in the Competition lineup, but it would’ve still allowed Netflix to debut titles like Orson Welles’ finished “The Other Side of the Wind” out of competition. The company didn’t budge and skipped Cannes entirely.

Netflix has acquired the animated movie “Next Gen” for $30 million out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The deal is for worldwide rights to the film from first-time feature directors Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander about two boys who become friends in a society populated by robots.

“Next Gen” will feature voice performances by Jason Sudeikis, Michael Pena, David Cross, Kitana Turnbull and Constance Wu.

CAA negotiated the sale, which was first reported by Deadline.

Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to the animated film “Next Gen” for $30 million, an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.

The animated feature is directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander. The worldwide distribution deal does not include China. The film features the voice cast of Jason Sudeikis, David Cross, Michael Peña and Constance Wu.

CAA Media Finance Group negotiated the deal that is one of the biggest deals to come out of the Cannes Film Festival so far.

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“Next Gen” tells the story of two unlikely friends in a robot-filled world. The movie is based on the original comic 7723 by Wang Nima from Baozou, and Baozou is the producer and financier of the film.

Netflix pulled out of submitting films to the Cannes Film Festival this year after organizers implemented a new rule that bans any films that don’t have theatrical distribution in France. The streaming company had the option to screen films out of competition.

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Deadline first reported the news.

Read original story Netflix Buys Animated Film ‘Next Gen’ for $30 Million At TheWrap...

Exclusive: Just because Netflix withdrew its movies from playing here, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a player in the Cannes market. The streaming service has completed a worldwide distribution rights deal worth around $30 million for Next Gen, an animated feature film that is directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander and has a voice cast including Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, David Cross, Michael Pena and Constance Wu.

Netflix won it in competitive bidding, and it’s one of the biggest deals so far at Cannes.

Pic is described as an action-packed and touching tale of two unlikely friends in a world filled with robots. It is based on the original comic 7723, by Wang Nima.

The English-language pic deal excluded China, where Alibaba and Wanda will give the film a wide release this summer. Baozou financed the film and produced with Tangent Animation.

CAA Media Finance Group brokered the deal.