Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Chomet Recruiting for Feature

    Sylvain Chomet, director of the Oscar-nominated animated feature The Triplets of Belleville, is looking for a few good animators and other artists for his upcoming 2D feature, The Illusionist. In early January, Chomet’s Django Films will send assistant director Paul Dutton on a whirlwind recruitment tour of Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Copenhagen, the Animation Workshop in Viborg (Denmark), Stockholm and Oslo.

    Not to be confused with the live-action Edward Norton feature of the same name, The Illusionist is being adapted by Chomet from an unproduced original script by legendary French comic Jacques Tati, who died in 1982. The star of the film will be an animated version of the late actor and director, who appeared in 15 films between 1932 and 1974.

    Born in France, Chomet currently lives near Edinburgh, Scotland, where Django Films is based. He most recently wrote and directed a five-minute live-action piece for the collaborative feature film Paris Je T’aime The brainchild of Amelie producer Claudie Ossard, the film enlisted the talents of 20 internationally acclaimed directors, including Gus Van Sant, Tom Tyker, Walter Salles, Alfonso Cuaron, Alexander Payne, Wes Craven and Joel and Ethan Coen.

    To find out how to arrange an appointment to show Dutton your portfolio in one of the aforementioned cities, go to www.djangofilms.co.uk.

  • Wii Sales Strong

    Nintendo announced that it has sold more than 600,000 units of its new Wii next-generation video game console singe its Nov. 19 launch. With the busy holiday shopping season just beginning, the company has already earned more than a $190 million in the Americas from sales of consoles, accessories and first-party software.

    Being on the ‘nice’ list won’t be enough to get you one of this year’s must-have items. Nintendo says demand for the Wii continues to exceed supply, though they’ve several times the amount of PlayStation 3 consoles released by Sony the same week. Whereas PlayStation 3 units retail for between $500 and $600, depending on the amount of native memory, The Wii sells for $250, which should give Nintendo a major lead in the next-gen console battle.

    One of the goals Nintendo had in developing the Wii was expanding its appeal beyond the hard-core gamer demographic. Every Wii system shipped includes the Wii Sports software, which offers five-games that take advantage of the wireless remote controller to make gameplay more intuitive and accessible to gaming newcomers.

    According to Nintendo, avid gamers have bought more than 454,000 copies of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which puts a novel twist on the classic franchise by letting players swing the controller to deliver sword blows. The Wii also boasts a ‘Virtual Console’ feature offers downloadable access to a catalog of Nintendo, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 games released over the past 20 years. Moe information on the Wii can be found at www.nintendo.com.

  • Jetix Europe Catches Urban Vermin

    Jetix Europe has acquired European pay TV rights to Urban Vermin, a CG-animated comedy series from Decode Ent. The children’s programming entity has also picked up TV distribution, home video and consumer products rights to the property in European territories except France, and will begin airing the series on Jetix outlets in the fall of 2007.

    Produced by Decode Ent. as a YTV Canada original production, Urban Vermin targets kids 6-12 with tales of raccoon brothers Abe and Ken, who were once best friends and are now sworn enemies. The brothers each lead a rag-tag band of critters in a turf war to end all turf wars and at stake is a smorgasbord of trash-can takeout.

    The concept for the show was originally developed by Decode’s interactive department as a prototype videogame for console systems. Decode has produced ancillary digital assets to be used on Jetix websites across Europe to support the TV launch.

  • Editor’s Note: Revisiting Matinee Superman

    It’s a red-letter day for Superman Fans as Warner Home Video unloads a plethora of material based on the DC Comics property created in 1939 by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster. Consumers will no doubt be rushing out to pick up copies of director Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns and The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection, which includes the super-cool Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios animated shorts which first introduced moviegoers to the Man of Steel. However, one release not to be overlooked is Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection, which offers all 30 of the early live-action theatrical cliffhangers that ran from 1948-1950.

    Kirk Alyn, the first actor to portray Superman on screen, does a fine job as he takes on Spider Lady and Atom Man. Alyn reportedly wanted too much money to reprise the role in the first feature film, 1951’s Superman and the Mole-Men, and lost the role to George Reeves, who went on to don the tights and cape in the popular television series.

    The serials begin with the origin story in which Jor-El sends his only son to Earth in a rocket ship to save him from the destruction of the planet Krypton. To create such visual effects as the Krypton explosion and Kal-El’s rocket landing on Earth, the producers enlisted the talents of animator Howard Swift, who worked on the ‘Dance of the Hours’ segment of Disney’s Fantasia and directed a number of animated shorts for Columbia Pictures in the 1940s.

    Using hand-drawn cel animation, Swift also animated Superman flying and performing other super-heroic deeds that would have been impossible to capture in live-action at the time with a limited budget. It’s a bit jarring at first to see Alyn suddenly turn into a cartoon character and take to the air, but it’s a fantastic effect that keeps the spirit of the comics in the films and makes them more exciting than the later television series which featured George Reeves leaping off of spring boxes and pretending to fly in front of a sky background.

    A friend of mine actually owns what’s left of the animation cels used in the serials and he recently remarked on the fact that the Superman productions have, in a way, come full circle considering Brandon Routh is entirely animated in many scenes in Superman Returns, albeit more convincingly with CG. Still, it’s more fun to see a cartoon Superman land behind a house or a rock so that Alyn can come out from around the corner to help sell the illusion.

    It would be great to see one the studios revive the cliffhanger serial as a way to help make the moviegoing experience special again and perhaps lure people back into theaters. It would be especially cool to see filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg get involved, considering they drew a lot of inspiration from the classic serials and even lifted specific ideas for Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

    No Superman fan should be without Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection, available today for the first time ever on DVD. Extra features include the featurette Saturdays with Superman, a nostalgic look at the serials with interviews of cast members, various writers and Superman historians. The Warner Home video release carries a suggested retail price of $39.98.

  • Ant Bully, ThunderCats on Disc

    Warner Bros. animated feature The Ant Bully marches to home video today after a theatrical run that wasn’t exactly a picnic. Despite a rough time at the box office, the movie had plenty of fans and should make a popular stocking stuffer this holiday season, especially among fans of John Nickle’s popular children’s book on which the film is based. Also hitting shelves today is the remaining set of episodes from the second season of the beloved 1980s cartoon action series Thundercats.

    Directed by John A. Davis (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Santa Vs. the Snowman 3-D) and produced by Tom Hanks through his Playtone shingle, The Ant Bully is a fable about a young boy who floods an ant colony and later finds himself shrunken down to the size of an ant. Living among the insects, Nickie is forced to help repair the damage he caused and learns some important lessons about cooperation and community. The film’s voice cast includes Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Zach Tyler, Paul Giamatti and Bruce Campbell.

    Bonus features on the DVD will include seven animated shorts ,additional scenes from the movie and a behind-the-scenes featuretted titled It Takes a Colony, in which the Black Beetle explores the giant filmmaking process from a tiny perspective.

    Fans of the 1980s Rankin & Bass animated series about super-powered feline/human hybrids can now pick up Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 2 on DVD. The six-disc set features the last 34 episodes of the second and final season of the show.

    In the Thundercats series, the planet Thundera is destroyed by evil forces, leading the inhabtants to flee in escape vessels. The lone surviving crew lands on Third Earth and built a fortress to defend against the centuries-old evil of Mumm-Ra and the mutants that wiped out the rest of the Thunderans. The second season unfolds with a series of multi-part episodes with continuing storylines as Thunderan leader Lion-O struggles to protect his clan with the help of his Sword of Omens.

    Bonus features on the DVD include the interactive challenge ThunderCats Ultimate Adventure. In the game, Lion-O voice actor Larry Kenney leads players through various obstacles as they work to solve the mystery of Third Earth and advance to the final stage. The Warner Home video Release lists for $64.98.

  • Superman Day on DVD

    The Man of Steel is back to save Metropolis from the scheming Lex Luthor in Superman Returns, one of several Warner Home Video releases starring the last son of Krypton. Fans of the DC Comics superhero can also pick up the Christopher Reeve Superman Collection, Richard Donner’s long-awaited director’s cut of Superman II, Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition and Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection.

    Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-2: X-Men United, The Usual Suspects), Superman Returns stars newcomer Brandon Routh as the title character, created for the comics pages by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster in 1939. In the film, the caped crusader returns to Earth after a mysterious absence of several years to find that the world he protected and the woman he loved have learned to get along without him. Meanwhile, old nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is up to his old tricks and launches a scheme that will send our hero on an epic journey of redemption. The script was penned by the writing team of Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, who also wrote X2: X-Men United and Singer’s upcoming Logan’s Run remake. Dougherty studied animation at N.Y.U under Oscar winner John Canemaker and worked as an animator on such shows as Blue’s Clues and Little Bill, in addition to making his own animated shorts.

    The two-disc special edition of Superman Returns includes Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns, a 3-hour documentary that includes the featurettes Secret Origins and First Issues: Crystallizing Superman, The Crystal Method: Designing Superman, An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman, The Joy of Lex: Menacing Superman, He’s Always Around: Wrapping Superman and Resurrecting Jor-El. There are also deleted scenes, and Easter egg and theatrical and video-game trailers, all for the list price of $34.98.

    Superman Returns is a sequel to the movies made from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. All four of those films are now available in one sight-disc set titled The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection. Retailing for $68.98, the set includes the four-disc collector’s edition of Superman: The Movie, The two-disc special edition of Superman II and the deluxe editions of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Extra features include commentaries by the filmmakers, making-of documentaries, restored scenes, screen tests, vintage TV specials, nine Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons and eight Famous studios Superman cartoons mastered from superior vault elements, and the 1951 live-action movie Superman and the Mole-Men, starring George Reeves.

    These four films and more can also be found on Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition, a 14-disc set that lists for $99.98 and includes Richard Donner’s director’s cut of Superman II, Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, a Superman Returns special features disc, Singer’s video journals on the making of Superman Returns and the new documentaries Look, Up Into The Sky! The Amazing Story Of Superman and You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga Of Superman.

    Last, but certainly not least, is Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection, a four discer that contains all 30 of the live-action adventures that screened in theaters before the main feature from 1948 to 1950. Starring Kirk Alyin as the Man of Steel, these very fun shorts feature some cool cel animation effects that make them stand out from all the other live-action incarnations. Pick it up for the suggested retail price of $39.98 and read more about the set in the latest Editor’s Note on this site.

  • Gromit, Adrenalini Bros. Take BAFTAS

    Oscar winning animated feature Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on Sunday during the Children’s Film and Television Awards. The film from DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations was named top feature, while The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers from Pesky Ltd, Studio B Prods. and CITV took the award for television animation.

    After winning last year’s Academy award for Best Animated Feature, Curse of the Were-Rabbit snagged the BAFTA from fellow nominees Disney/Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (winner of this year’s BAFTA Kid’s Vote). Directed by Nick Park and Steve Box, the clay-animated comedy previously won the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year at the Orange British Academy Film Awards back in February.

    Distributed by Bejuba Ent., The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers won out over a field of competitors consisting of King Arthur’s Disasters from Zenith Ent. Ltd and CiTV; The Koala Brothers Outback Christmas from Spellbound Ent. Ltd. And CBeebies; and Those Scurvy Rascals from Blue-Zoo Prods., Entara and Nickelodeon U.K.

    The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers is a Flash-animated 2D series geared to kids 6-12. The show follows the misadventures of three daredevil siblings who live for action and excitement. Having left their little-known homeland of Rendoosia, where danger is a way of life, the Adrenalinis are on a mission to amaze people the world over with their mind-boggling feats, which never quite go as planned. The series debuted on ITV in the U.K. in January and also airs on YTV in Canada. Cartoon Network has acquired the show for its outlets in the U.S., Latin America, Asia and Europe.

    Nickelodeon U.K., which carries Adrenalini, was named Channel of the Year during the awards ceremony. The network beat out CBBC, CBEEBIES and Nick Jr. U.K. for the distinction. Meanwhile, Independent Production Company of the Year went to Darrall MacQueen, producer of the animated series The Rory Stories and Animal Spies. Also up for the arard were Collingwood O’hare Ent., Ragdoll Prods. and Wisedup.

    Honoring kids’ shows produced aborad, the Academy gave the international television award to Lazy Town, the hit Nick Jr. U.K. show produced by Lazy Town Prods. The other nominees for the award included Nickelodoen’s The Fairly Odd Parents and SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as Harry And His Bucket Full Of Dinosaurs from Collingwood O’Hare Ent. Silver Fox Films Ltd. and CCI Ent.

    The BAFTA for Preschool Animation was presented to Pocoyo, a CG-animated series from Granada Kids, Zinkia Ent. and Cosgrove Hall Films. The show about a curious child who lives in a world of limitless possibilities recenty picked up major awards at Annecy and Cartoons on the Bay and is currently in its second season. The other animated preschool series in the running for this year’s BAFTA were Charlie And Lola from Tiger Aspect Prods., Postman Pat from Entertainment Rights and Cosgrove Hall Films, and Spellbound’s aforementioned The Koala Brothers.

    For a full list of this year’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts Children’s Film and Television Awards, go to www.bafta.org.

  • Cartoons on the Bay Wants Submissions

    Organizers of the 11th annual Cartoons on the Bay festival and market are now accepting competition submissions of animated series, pilots, short films, TV specials and social and educational programs. Heald each year in beautiful Positano, Italy, the event will host buyers, television heads, producers, distributors and creative directors from all over Europe.

    The deadline for consideration in this year’s competition is Jan 15. An International Jury will decide the winners of Pulcinella awards for the main categories, which now include Best Music Score and Best Digital Library. Three grand prizes will be awarded for Best Animated Character of the Year, Best Series of the Year and Best European Program of the Year.

    Last year, Cartoon Network’s Camp Lazlo, created by Joe Murray, was the top winner on the bay, taking Best TV Series, Best Series for Children and Best Character for Lazlo. Other big winners included Pocoyo from Zinka Ent. and Granada International (Best Preschool Show, Best European Program) and The Amazing Adrenelini Brothers from Pesky and Studio B (Best TV Series for All Ages). Winners in past years include Cartoon Network’s Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.

    To submit a production or view more information on this year’s Cartoons on the Bay, go to www.cartoonsbay.com.

  • Voltron Back in Force

    Amidst the hype surrounding the upcoming live-action Transformers feature film, World Events Prods. has announced plans to re-launch its popular 1980s anime and toy property Voltron: Defender of the Universe. In addition to releasing and endorsing newly licensed products including figures from Toynami, the company is releasing the classic action show on DVD and recently signed a deal with Cartoon Network to air the entire series during Adult Swim starting this month. There is even a live-action Voltron feature film in development.

    Voltron revolves around five space explorers who journey to the planet Arus in search of a legendary robotic defender. The group unlocks the secret of the five elemental powered Robot Lions, who assemble together to form Voltron, an awesome fighting robot dedicated to defending the universe. The show first hit U.S. airwaves in 1984 and became an instant hit, providing come tough competition for such ’80s staples as He-Man, GI Joe and Transformers. Three seasons were produced before the property was re-imagined in 3D with the CG series Voltron: The Third Dimension.

    The DVD release Voltron: Defender of the Universe was completely re-mastered and re-mixed from the original episodes. The first volume, ‘Blue Lion,’ enjoyed a successful retail launch in September and will be followed by seven more volumes debuting throughout 2007. Each release will contain 15 episodes along with exclusive documentaries and rare behind-the-scenes clips.

    St. Louis-based World Evens Prods. has teamed with producer Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan, The Day After Tomorrow) and urban-music creator turned exec. producer Pharrell Williams (N.E.R.D. Neptunes) for a live-action feature film set in the Voltron universe. The film will be co-produced by Marc Costa and Ford Oelman of NHO Ent.

  • Warner Bros. Thankful for Happy Feet

    The Thanksgiving weekend may have been bad news for a lot of birds, but not the singing and dancing penguins in Warner Bros. animated feature Happy Feet. The CG family flick held onto the top spot at the North American Box office over the holiday period and even managed to cross the $100 million mark in its second week of release.

    Over the five-day holiday period, Happy Feet took in an estimated $57.5 million, pulling well ahead of Sony’s James Bond pic, Casino Royale, after last weekend’s neck-and-neck race. Director George Miller’s arctic adventure also rolled out in select foreign markets, earning approximately 4.7 million in ticket sales abroad. Despite opening late in a year saturated with animated releases, the film has managed to achieve a level of success that has eluded many of the previous contenders, including Warner Bros.’ own The Ant Bully, which made only $54.6 million worldwide.

    Out of the twelve CG features to get wide releases this year, Happy Feet is one of just four that have crossed the $100 million mark domestically. Disney/Pixar’s Cars made well over $200 million in North America and Fox Animation’s Ice Age: The Meltdown passed $195 million on home turf. Happy Feet may be on track to pass up DreamWorks Animation’s Over the Hedge, which finished its domestic theatrical run with just over $155 million.

    Casino Royale held onto the No. 2 spot for a second week, earning an estimated $45 million over the five-day frame and driving its cumulative domestic take to around $94 million. The film has been an even bigger hit overseas, racking up more than $128 million in theaters abroad for a worldwide take of approximately $222 million.

    Debuting at No. 3 was Buena Vista’s time-travel thriller D’j’ vu, which pulled in an estimated $29 million over the holiday period. Christmas comedy Deck The Halls from 20 Century Fox was No. 4 with around $16.8 million and Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan made an estimated $15.4 million to round out the top five and earn a spot it into the $100 million club.

    The Fountain, director Darren Aronofsky’s visually arresting and poetic fable about man’s quest for immortality, debuted at No. 10. Featuring impressive visual effects work, the film opened in 1,472 theaters and made around $5.4 million for Warner Bros., barely edging out New Line’s rock & roll comedy Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny for a top-10 finish.

    Also holding onto a top-10 spot is DreamWorks Animation’s and Aardman Animations’ Flushed Away, which gobbled up an estimated $7.6 million in Thanksgiving leftovers to come in at No. 8. during its fourth week of release.

  • Zaentz Wants Jackson for Hobbit

    A J.R.R. Tolkien film without director/producer Peter Jackson at the helm? The thought incited fans to protest after New Line Cinema announced that it would move on with plans to produce a feature adaptation of The Hobbit without the New Zealand filmmaker who made the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, Jackson may get his chance to make the movie after all.

    Recently interviewed for German website Elbenwald.de, Saul Zaentz, who owns Tolkien Enterprises, said he wants to make The Hobbit with Jackson when the rights revert back to the Saul Zaentz Co. next year. Zaantz acquired rights to Tolkien’s works in 1976 and produced the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings, which Ralph Bakshi directed.

    In the interview, Zaentz said he’s confident that Jackson would choose to work with him rather than New Line. Jackson and New Line had a falling out when the filmmaker took the studio to court over profits he claims he was supposed to receive from the Lord of the Rings films.

    First published in 1937, The Hobbit is a prequel of sorts to Lord of the Rings books. The tome follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins as he travels Middle-Earth with great wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves on a quest to retrieve a treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug.

  • Taffy Ent. Opens Asia Office

    Taffy Ent., distributor of such animated series as Fantastic Four, ToddWorld and Code Lyoko, has added Shanghai to the growing list of cities where its offices can be found. Headed by experienced TV and advertising exec Yangsook (Grace) Lee, the extension will further the company’s presence in Asia and compliment its operations in Los Angeles, Paris and London.

    In her new role, Lee will focus on extending the reach of Taffy Ent. programming with Asian broadcasters. She most recently served as VP of business development at House, a producer of advertising and live shows, and also held the position of international sales manager at Neuroplanet Group, where she was responsible for the Asia Pacific region.

    ‘Asia is already one of the largest and most important television markets in the world, and it’s still growing,’ says Lionel Marty, president of worldwide distribution for Taffy Ent. ‘We already have excellent relationships in place with broadcasters and producers through our many co-production partnerships.’

    The opening of the Shanghai office follows on the heels of several deals Taffy has signed throughout Asia in advance of the Asia Television Forum in Singapore. NTV7 in Malaysia and TV12 in Singapore have acquired Moonscoop’s Fantastic Four, a new series based on the classic Marvel comic-book series and hit feature film. TV12 has also picked up Mike Young Prods.’ popular preschool series ToddWorld, as well as SamSam, a new comic-book-based, CG-animated television property produced in HD by Bayard Jeunesse Animation. SamSam has also been pre-bought by C4U in Korea and the Yoyo channel in Taiwan. In addition, C4U pre-bought the CG series Dive Olly Dive!, a co-production of Mike Yong Prods., Flying Bark Prods., KI.KA, ARD, Telegael and GDC, while PT Cintra in Indonesia has acquired all three seasons of Code Lyoko.

    In other deals, Cartoon Network Asia has committed to Pet Alien from Mike Young Prods., MoonScoop, TF1 France, Crest and Telegael, as well as Little Vampire, a series based on the comic books by Joanne Sfar. Co-produced by MoonScoop, Story and Telegael in collaboration with France 3, Little Vampire has also been snapped up by Hong Kong’s ATV and the Horror Channel Japan, in a deal brokered through Tokyo Media and Hiro International. Preschool show Babaloos on Vacations has been renewed for a third time with TWA Japan.

    On the production side, Taffy has signed a co-production agreement with Korean broadcaster EBS and France 5 for its new preschool series Lamimila, produced by MoonScoop and Characterplan. MoonScoop is now in production on a fourth season of Code Lyoko, bringing the total number of episodes to 97 plus a a 45-minute special. The series airs on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and around the world.

  • Disney, Comcast Ink Distrib Deals

    The Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp. have entered into long-term distribution agreements for the ten ABC-owned broadcast television stations and an array of Disney networks including Disney Channel, Toon Disney, ABC Family, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS and ESPN HD. Comcast also shelled out $1.23 billion to acquire Disney’s 39.5% ownership stake in E! Networks, making it a wholly owned Comcast subsidiary.

    Disney has also agreed to offer its feature films, primetime TV shows and cable network series on Comcast’s ON DEMAND service, marking the first time ABC broadcast programs such as Lost and Desperate Housewives will be available on via VOD. Several ABC primetime series will be offered free by Comcast in ABC-owned television station markets and promotional content from the Disney-ABC Television Group awill vailable on Comcast’s broadband portal, www.comcast.net.

    “This agreement reflects our ability to distribute content on multiple platforms and signals another first for Comcast and Disney as we continue to explore the evolving possibilities of digital technology,’ says Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts. ‘Putting Disney, ESPN and ABC’s extremely popular content on Comcast VOD is a watershed event for both of our companies.”

    Disney president and CEO Robert Iger adds, “This is one of the broadest distribution agreements in the history of our company. Disney’s great brands and great content combined with Comcast’s leading distribution platforms provide an incredibly compelling consumer experience in sports, family, news and entertainment.’

    Under the movie VOD agreement, Comcast Digital Cable customers will be able to order recent release feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone and Miramax for $3.99 each, while library titles will be available for $2.99 apiece. Among the initial titles to be available in 2007 are Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Invincible and The Guardian.

  • CN Airs Foster’s Marathon, Movie

    Starting at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23, Cartoon network will broadcast a Thanksgiving Day marathon of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episodes, all leading up to the premiere of the first-ever Foster’s hour-long movie. Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends: Good Wilt Hunting will debut at 7 p.m. after 12 hours of bact-to-back episodes of the hit animated show from creator Craig McCracken (Powerpuff Girls).

    Produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif., Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends centers on 8-year-old Mac and his imaginary friend, Blooregard, who was sent to a rather unique orphanage when Mac’s mother decided he was too old for invisible pals.

    The special movie presentation promises to introduce fans to the creators of the other imaginary friends who reside at Madam Foster’s wacky mansion. Once again, the annual Creator Reunion Picnic finds a lonely Wilt without a visitor. When he sets out across country in hopes of reuniting with his long-lost creator, the rest of the gang begins to worry and embarks on a road trip to find him. Hindered by Bloo’s far-out theories and Wilt’s overly helpful nature, the chase takes many unexpected twists and turns as viewers e come to learn about Wilt’s mysterious past.

    Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends airs regularly on Fridays at 7 p.m. on Cartoon Network. Fans can also catch Bloo and his pals as they cruise down Broadway during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The high-profile appearance is part of Cartoon Network’s efforts to make the Foster’s characters “spokestoons” for the cable outlet.

  • Moviegoers Get D’j’ Vu, Fountain

    Will Mumble and his fellow penguins hold onto the top box-office spot over the long Thanksgiving weekend or will one of the highly promoted newcomers set Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet aside to thaw? That’s the question as kids and adults alike across the U.S. ditch school and work to spend time with family and take in a movie or two. Warner Bros. opened its trippy, vfx-laden sci-fi thriller The Fountain in theaters today as Buena Vista uncovers the phenomenon known as D’j’ Vu and 20th Century Fox takes holiday decorating to madcap extremes with Deck the Halls. Fans of Jack Black and novelty rock music can also check out New Line Cinema’s Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.

    The Fountain may be one of those movies that people either love or hate. The trailers are selling it as a love story that deals with the concept of immortality, but many are calling this latest effort from director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) an art film that requires some effort on the part of audiences. Still, Warner Bros. is giving it a fairly wide release in just over 1,400 theaters.

    Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and Ellen Burstyn, The Founatin is described as an odyssey chronicling one man’s eternal struggle to save the woman he loves. The film begins in 16th Century Spain and traverses a thousand years and three storylines as characters played by Jackman seek the key to immortality. Lending visual effects to the ambitious project are Mokko Studio, Intelligent Creatures Inc., Buzz Image Group, LOOK Effects, New Deal Studios Inc., Digital Dimension, Giant Killer Robots, TCS Toronto and Klon Films.

    Rather than living forever, D’j’ Vu explores the idea of living one moment more than once. Directed by Tony Scott and featuring visual effects by Asylum, the movie stars Denzel Washington as an ATF agent who travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered. The pic has been well marketed and may have the best chance of dethroning the Emperor penguins over the holiday period. Tenacious D Fans will be out in force for Pick but the appeal is somewhat limited and Deck the Halls just treads on far too familiar ground despite the draw of stars Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick. Expect to see this one packaged on DVD with the Arnold Schwarzenegger holiday comedy Jingle All the Way.

  • Happy Feet Sets IMAX Record

    In addition to debuting as the No. 1 movie in America, Warner Bros.’ animated feature Happy Feet did impressive business on the really big screen over the weekend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the musical penguin pic took in $2.4 million at IMAX theaters, a record opening for a film that has been digitally-re-mastered for large-format projection. IMAX ticket sales contributed to the film’s stellar $41.5 million domestic bow.

    The growing number of IMAX venues enabled Happy Feet to outperform other Hollywood hits that previously received the IMAX treatment. The toon feature debuted on 79 screens and managed a per-screen average of around $30,000 over the three-day period. Sony Pictures Animation’s Open Season recently opened on 66 IMAX screens and grossed $1.45 million during its first weekend, luring audiences with a stereoscopic 3D version of the film. Happy Feet was originally slated to debut in IMAX 3D, but the studio said there was a problem with striking the 3D prints in time for the roll-out.

    The previous IMAX record holder in the Hollywood film category was Warner Bros.’ Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D experience, which debuted over the Fourth of July weekend and took in $6.83 million in its first.

    Like Mumble, the main character in Happy Feet, Toronto-based IMAX Corp. must be dancing for joy over the film’s success, considering it recently reported a third-quarter plunge in profits due in part to weak performers such as Warner Bros. last animated release, The Ant Bully. IMAX venues will next play host to 20th Century Fox’s vfx-heavy comedy-adventure Night at the Museum before the 2007 premieres of Sony’s Spider-Man 3 and Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

  • LucasArts Ships Star Wars: The Best of PC

    LucasArts has combined five of the most popular Star Wars games developed for personal computers in one package and is now shipping it in North America. Boasting hundreds of hours of action, strategy and role-playing gameplay, Star Wars: The Best of PC is available for a limited time and includes a free, 14-day trial of the popular massively multiplayer online game Star Wars: Galaxies.

    Now Star Wars fans can get immersed in George Lucas’ universe like never before. Included in Star Wars: The Best of PC are Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcas, and Star Wars Republic Commando(TM). The set can be had for the suggested retail price of $39.99. For mor information on this and other LucasArts titles, go to www.lucasarts.com.

  • Nick, MTV Travel to Pakistan

    Viacom-owed MTV Networks International today announced the launch of a Nickelodeon and MTV channels in Pakistan through licensing agreements with ARY Digital Network and Indus Media Group (IMG), respectively. The 24-hour, advertiser-supported outlets will offer locally tailored programming and presenters as they introduce audiences to established brands such as SpongeBob SquarePants and The MTV Video Music Awards.

    Nickelodeon, the world’s most widely distributed network for kids, is now available in 2.5 million households in Pakistan via ARY Digital Network’s cable and satellite operations. Nick Pakistan offers a mix of international and regionally produced series, including animation, live action, comedy, game shows and pre-school programming. In addition to SpongeBob, hit toon offerings include Avatar, J Bole Toh Jadoo, Chalkzone, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron and Nick Jr. programs Dora the Explorer, Fetch the Vet, Kiri the Clown, Engie Benjy and Lazytown.

    “The launches of MTV and Nickelodeon in Pakistan reflect our continued commitment to pioneering the localization strategy in music and kids’ entertainment,’ says Bill Roedy, president of MTV Networks International. ‘These new channels enable us to showcase Pakistan’s unique and vibrant culture, while celebrating the diversity of music and common experiences among kids and young people.”

    “Pakistan is a growing market in every aspect and the same goes for the kids television domain, spurring ARY Digital Network to enter this segment with full force through the launch of Nickelodeon,” adds Salman Iqbal, global CEO and president of ARY Digital Network. “I am very confident that Nick will bring international quality entertainment and infotainment to one of the most important and significant segments of television viewers in the country.”

  • MGA, Mattel Battle Over Bratz Brand

    MGA Ent., the company behind the hugely successful line of Bratz fashion dolls and animated productions, has issued a release blasting major toymaker Mattel for threatening to file a ‘meritless’ lawsuit. According to MGA, Mattel claims that it has owned rights to the Bratz dolls since they debuted five years ago. Furthermore, the release alleges that Mattel sought revenge against employees who have gone on to work for MGA, and paints Mattel as a company that ‘has lost touch with its consumers and is hopelessly caught in a downward spiral resulting from mismanagement.’

    “In the past 5 years, Mattel has failed miserably at fair competition through product innovation,” says Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA. “Apparently feeling they have no better option, its executive management is now resorting to filing a baseless and improper complaint against MGA and some of its employees. We feel confident that the District Court will see through Mattel’s desperation and vindicate MGA and its employees, just as the same individuals defamed in Mattel’s new pleading were vindicated when Mattel previously attempted to pursue criminal claims in Mexico and Canada.”

    Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, manufactures toys, games, consumer electronics, home d’cor, stationery, sporting goods and other consumer products based on Bratz and other properties including Yummi-land, Storytime Collection, Rescue Pets, Miuchiz and the newly acquired Little Tikes brand. It also oversees production on an animated Bratz series airing on 4Kids TV and a number of direct-to-video Bratz toon features, which are now being distributed by Lionsgate. Lionsgate has also picked up rights to a live-action Bratz feature film. More information on MGA is available at www.mgae.com.

  • Ice Age Melts Down on Disc

    The year’s most successful CG-animated feature chills on home video today with Fox Home Entertainment’s release of Ice Age: The Meltdown. The sequel from Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios opened in theaters to $68 million in March and went on to earn more than $647 million worldwide. Retail sales should also be brisk, especially with the holidays coming up.

    In Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, the Ice Age is coming to an end and the animals are delighting in their new world of water parks, geysers and tar pits. But when our heroes discover that the miles of melted ice will flood their valley, they must warn everyone and somehow figure out a way to escape the coming deluge. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Dennis Leary return to lend their voices to Manny, Sid and Diego, respectively. Joining the cast this time around are Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Will Arnett and Jay Leno.

    The film is animated by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha, who co-directed the original Ice Age and Robots with Chris Wedge. Wedge served as exec producer on the sequel, which is written by Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow.

    DVD bonus materials include the new animated Scrat short No Time for Nuts, and commentaries by Saldanha, producer Lori Forte and other members of the production team. There’s also a feature titled ‘The Animation Director’s Chair,’ which takes several scenes from storyboard through animation and final product, as well as introductions to new characters Ellie, Crash and Eddie, and ‘Lost Historical Films on the Ice Age Period,’ including The Sloth: Nature’s Lovable Lisper, The Wooly Mammoth: Nature’s Beast of Burden, The Saber-Tooth Squirrel: Nature’s Nutty Buddy, The Saber-Tooth Tiger: Nature’s Fearsome Feline, The Vulture: Nature’s Cleaners and The Possum: Nature’s Spunky Spectacles. If all that weren’t enough, fans also get a featurette titled Silly Sid & John Leguizamo, as well as a Sid sing-a-long song and six set-top games. The disc lists for $29.98.

    Other notable releases include Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist Season 2, a two-disc set featuring 13 episodes from the 1995-96 season of Comedy Centrals underrated animated series. Created by comedian Jonathan Katz and Tom Snyder, the series boasts guest spots by well-known comedians as they spend some time on the couch and try to work through their issues. Katz, Snyder and voice cast member Laura Silverman provide commentary for the Paramount offering, which caries a suggested retail price of $26.99.

    The folks at Paramount have also turned the clock back to 1973 with the DVD debut of Star Trek: Animated Adventures: The Complete Series. This four-disc set comes with 22 episodes, some featuring both audio and text commentary. Other bonus features include the featurettes Drawn to the Final Frontier: The Making of Star Trek: The Animated Series and What’s the Star Trek Connection, as well as a storyboard gallery and info on the show’s history. The set is available today for the list price of $62.99.