Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor
Jim and Drew break down the animation world frame by frame, until you get the singular picture. If you love Disney animation, Pixar, and the classics that were hand sketched, or built out of 1's and 0's in a computer, this is the podcast that draws you in.
Episodes
August 26, 2025 • 38 mins
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 continu...
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August 19, 2025 • 46 mins
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...
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August 12, 2025 • 44 mins
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 ...
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August 5, 2025 • 59 mins
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 lat...
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July 29, 2025 • 43 mins
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...
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July 22, 2025 • 55 mins
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 w...
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July 15, 2025 • 43 mins
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 ...
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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 b...
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July 1, 2025 • 35 mins
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 mak...
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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 h...
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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 e...
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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.
...
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Jim Hill and Drew Taylor unpack the biggest stories in the animation world, including Drew’s visit to Pixar for an exclusive look at Elio. 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 confirms Coco 2 is officially on the way—with directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina returning—though its release...
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In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor reunite to cover a packed Memorial Day weekend full of animation and theme park headlines, including:
Disney’s Lilo & Stitch stuns with a $183M opening, far surpassing projections and proving the power of theatrical releases.
Conan O’Brien joins Toy Story 5 as Smarty Pants, revealed during Disney’s Licensing Expo presentation.
First look at Zootopia 2 – A ...
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May 20, 2025 • 41 mins
In this solo episode of Fine 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 of Gumby – A look back at Art Clokey’s clay-animated classic and upcoming updates like Gumby Kids.
Faith-based animation on the rise – Following the box office success of The King of Kings, Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman l...
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In this solo episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill covers a wide range of animation news and commentary while Drew Taylor is away covering the global premiere of Mission: Impossible 8. Topics include:
Controversy around Disney’s live-action Lilo & 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 from Frozen 3 – How Disne...
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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, si...
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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 Gr...
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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:
...
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April 15, 2025 • 50 mins
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 1980s
Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about:
When did “BOOP: The Musical” do its out-of-town try-out in Chicago
How long after Charles Dickens’ death was his sho...
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