News Bytes: Colin Jost Joins ‘Tom & Jerry’, Bilibili Snags ‘Three-Body Problem,’ Licensing Expo ’19 Results & More

GOP Congressman Wants PBS Defunded Over Cartoon Gay Wedding Between a Rat and Aardvark
“Enough is enough,” declared Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado), in regards to the adorable season 22 premiere of Arthur … during Pride Month. The episode was pulled in Alabama but you can watch it online.

Blizzard and LEGO Reveal Overwatch Junkertown Sets, Announce Twitch Rivals Tournament
New heroes arrive in two upcoming LEGO Overwatch sets, Wrecking Ball ($19.99), piloted by fan favorite Hammond the hamster, and Junkrat & Roadhog ($49.99), inspired by the Junkertown map, which will be seen for the first time at the Blizzard Entertainment booth (#140) at San Diego Comic-Con before they are available in October this year. Plus, LEGO Group is hosting a day-long Twitch Rivals Overwatch tournament on July 25 in which teams are battling for a special prize!

WATCH: Juice Reel 2019 – VFX & Animation
Check out the studio’s latest work, from Coca-Cola spots to the incredible world of Cloud Atlas. Juice specializes in animation, effects and sound, with offices in Wroclaw, Warsaw and Tokyo.

Licensing Expo Reinforces Its Value Across All Property Categories with 2019 Results
The Vegas confab saw a 38% increase in repeat attendees year-over-year. The next edition will mark Licensing Expo’s 40th year milestone at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, May 19-21, 2020.

Bilibili Obtains Exclusive Animation Rights to ‘The Three-Body Problem’
The leading online youth entertainment platform in China has snagged exclusive animation rights to the award-winning sci-fi trilogy written by Cixin Liu. The deal was announced at the company’s 10th anniversary ceremony in Shanghai, and included adaptation rights across movies, comics, mobile games, audio dramas and other IP-derived products.

‘Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost Joins Warner Bros.’ ‘Tom and Jerry’
The co-head writer and “Weekend Update” anchor for SNL joins previously announced voice stars Chlöe Grace Moretz and Michael Peña in the iconic cat-and-mouse comedy’s theatrical feature update. Tim Story (Shaft, Fantastic Four) is directing and exec producing the Hanna-Barbera inspired hybrid project, produced by Chris DeFaria with Adam Goodman as EP.

LEGO Overwatch Junkertown Set

The Three-Body Problem