Fanboys Anonymous

After being rumored for quite some time—at one point even said to be a traditional hand-drawn short—DreamWorks has finally announced the existence of a CGI Rocky & Bullwinkle short. This short is set to hit theaters in 2014, the same year as the Mr. Peabody & Sherman movie. Although it has not been announced as yet, previous mentions of the short as well as the time frame of its release suggest that it will play before the Mr. Peabody & Sherman feature.


Also of note: reprising her role as Rocky the Flying Squirrel is animation legend June Foray.

The following is a press release from Dreamworks made available on Cartoon Brew:

Glendale, CA and Frostbite Falls, MN – November 4, 2013

The moose is loose. DreamWorks Animation is giving audiences a dose of nostalgia in 2014 with an all new short film Rocky & Bullwinkle, featuring the legendary June Foray as the voice of Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel. This original and updated short will bring everyone's favorite moose and squirrel back to the hearts of fans around the world while introducing the duo to a new generation. Also in 2014, the studio will release Mr. Peabody & Sherman on March 7, reintroducing characters who initially appeared on the original "Rocky & Bullwinkle Show.

"For an incredible 83 years, June Foray has left a tremendous imprint on the entire entertainment industry," said Executive Producer Tiffany Ward. "Her amazingly indelible performances have enchanted generations and earned her a permanent place in the annals of popular culture."

The original "Rocky & Bullwinkle Show" (originally titled "Rocky and His Friends") began airing on November 19, 1959 with supporting segments which included "Peabody's Improbable History"—upon which DreamWorks Animation's upcoming film Mr. Peabody and Sherman is based. Rocky, Bullwinkle, Natasha, Boris and a few other familiar faces get the show started with the all-new madcap adventure.

Rocky & Bullwinkle is being directed by Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast), produced by Denise Nolan Cascino (Megamind) and written by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant (Night at the Museum). It stars June Foray (Rocky and His Friends) as the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel and Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as the voice of Bullwinkle Moose. The short will be released in 2014.

Universal Studios' 2000 animated feature The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle portrayed our heroes using a mixture of cell shading techniques and CGI to stay true to their original designs. Even closer to their original look were the hand-drawn segments of that movie. Why DreamWorks is not making a hand-drawn short akin to the traditionally animated segments of the 2000 feature is anyone's guess. After all, by today's standards, the type of animation technique used by Jay Ward would be very cheap to replicate.

Still, it's nice to see our two heroes heading into the limelight once again, whatever form they may take.

So are you looking forward to seeing Rocky and Bullwinkle once again? Maybe even more than Mr. Peabody and Sherman? Sound off below to let us know.