Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Curtain Rises on Freak Show

    Following tonight’s Season premiere of South Park, Comedy Central will debut its first new animated series since the 2004 launch of Drawn Together. Created by actors David Cross (Arrested Development, Mr. Show) and H. Jon Benjamin (Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, Home Movies), Freak Show promises to offer up more of the kind of edgy humor Comedy Central fans have come to expect.

    Freak Show is a half-hour toon that follows a band of sideshow performers who also happen to be second-rate superheroes secretly employed by the United States government. When the Freak Squad is not busy undertaking low-priority missions for the Pentagon, they retreat to their alternate lives as performers in America’s last independently-owned traveling freak show, Bob and Helen Hartsdale’s Funtyme Freak Show.

    Comedy Central has initially ordered seven episodes of the series, which Cross and Benjamin exec produce and provide voices for. Lou Wallach and Dan Powell serve as execs in charge of production for the network. Animation production is being handled by Radical Axis, which produces [adult swim] favorites Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies.

    Freak Show premieres tonight, Oct. 4, at 10:30 p.m./ 9:30 p.m. central. Comedy Central will then kick off the third season of the animated reality show spoof Drawn Together on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 10:30 p.m./ 9:30 p.m. central.

  • Open Season Bears Fruit in IMAX 3D

    In addition to claiming to the top spot at the North American box office last weekend, Sony Pictures Animation packed IMAX theaters with special 3D presentations of the family comedy Open Season. The IMAX 3D version grossed an estimated $1.45 million in just 66 venues, averaging $22,000 per screen over the three-day period starting Friday, Sept. 29.

    “The increase in box office performance between Friday and Saturday represents the largest jump in IMAX DMR history, suggesting very strong word of mouth,” says Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

    IMAX co-chairmen and co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler add, ‘The strong opening weekend performance of Open Season is a testament to a great film that is ideally suited for IMAX’s format, and the outstanding job Sony Pictures Animation has done in promoting it. We’re thrilled to be a part of Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature title.’

    Fairly late in the production process, Sony decided to have Open Season digitally converted to IMAX 3D and re-mastered using IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Roger Allers, who directed the film with Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi, tells us that while the film was not originally designed for 3D, many of the scenes look as though they were, particularly the scene where the characters go over the falls in Shaw’s truck. But in addition the action, Allers says there were unexpected benefits of the 3D conversion. “There were some surprises because of the designs of the characters-their noses are long,” he notes. “Boog has kind of this big, giant honker and Elliot has this long, shoehorn-like nose and so the 3D added another level of comedy.”

  • Bejuba Brings Likeaballs to MIPCOM Jr.

    Having made a splash on BBC in the U.K. this summer, the sports-themed cartoon series The Likeaballs will be introduced to buyers around the world at this weekend’s MIPCOM Jr. market in Cannes, France. The property is being handled by Bejuba! Ent. and is supported by an exclusive long-term partnership deal with The FA Premier League, the biggest football (soccer) brand in the world. This is the first time the FAPL has agreed to any association with a children’s TV property.

    Aimed at kids 6-11, the 26×10 series follows the adventures of Team Likeaball, a group of ball-shaped Aliens who bravely take on challenges because of their love of the game. Together, they face off against such threats as an aggressive virus, a band of plundering pirates, a bounty-hunting robot and a man with a magic hat. They even have to stop playing football and take-up tiddlywinks in order to end a war. The show is designed to entertain while delivering positive messages about the value of teamwork and fair play.

    The Likeaballs is created by Jim Quick and produced for U.K. toon maker Animated Adventures and Pictures (AAP) by animation studio Cosgrove House Films. Based on its ratings success over the summer, BBC is now running the show on both CBBC and BBC2 and has scheduled it to head up the brand new Saturday morning block, TMi. More information on the series is available at www.likeaballs.co.uk.

    Led by president Tatiana Kober, Bejuba! Ent. has broadcasting rights for The Likeaballs in all territories outside of the U.K. The show joins the company’s growing catalogue, which includes The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers from Pesky Animation and Studio B, the award-winning shorts of Tandem Films and Bonny Banana and Mo from Cut-Out Animation.

    Worldwide merchandising and licensing rights for The Likeaballs are handled by 4Kids Entertainment International, which recently debuted the property at the New York Licensing Show.

  • Saban Launches Virtual Studio

    Saban Entertainment Group (SEG), a division of Saban Capital Group Inc., is building a virtual studio dedicated to incubating, developing, and marketing family entertainment. Led by Haim Saban and Saban Capital Group chief creative officer Joel Andryc, the venture will assemble freelance teams to identify and create both animated and live-action properties with multi-platform appeal. The first product of the new venture is a live-action/CG show titled Hollywood Star Dogs, which will be presented at MIPCOM next week in Cannes, France.

    As part of its virtual studio initiative, SEG has also entered into a development deal with Singapore-based Tiny Island Animation, led by Singapore animation industry veteran David Kwok. SEG will provide development resources as the two entities develop an unnamed comedic CG-animated series that is scheduled to make its debut in 2007.

    “I am thrilled to return to my roots and focus on developing media properties for children and families,’ says Saban. ‘The SEG team’s extensive background in children’s entertainment gives us unique expertise in recognizing breakthrough creative content. We will bring together specialized freelance talent to help develop, brand and promote each project. This strategy will enable us to create a best-in-class studio that is custom tailored for the needs of each individual project.”

    For Hollywood Star Dogs, SEG has partnered with writer-producer-director Holly Goldberg Sloan, who has written screenplays for such family-friendly flicks as Angels in the Outfield, Made in America and The Big Green. Consisting of 26 half-hour episodes, the show features a troupe of live-action talking dogs portraying classic fairy tales. ‘With its unique use of live animals and advanced CG animation to tell timeless tales and other stories, it is a high-quality, distinctive property that lends itself to number of distribution outlets,’ comments Andryc.

    Other properties being acquired and developed by SEG’s virtual studio and will be announced soon, according to the company.

  • DVD Monkey Business Good for Curious

    Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s release of the animated Curious George feature outperformed industry projections for its first week at retail, selling approximately 1.75 million units since its debut on Sept. 26. Tacked onto the $69 million the film made at the worldwide box office, home video revenues should drive the pic’s earnings well past the $100 million mark, which is not too shabby for a 2D toon made for a relatively modest $50 million.

    Based on the works of authors H.A. Rey and Margret Rey, Curious George has the inquisitive chimp meet up with yellow hatted museum guide Ted (Will Ferrell) during an African jungle expedition. George (Frank Welker) then stows away on Ted’s boat and returns with him to the city, where his curiosity leads to all kinds of trouble. Eventually, Ted and George work together to save the museum and win the heart of an elementary school teacher (Drew Barrymore). Produced by Ron Howard and Imagine Ent., the pic also features the voice talents of Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke, Joan Plowright and David Cross.

    The strong DVD debut bodes well for the various media and merchandising initiatives surrounding the re-launch of the Curious George property. Imagine Ent.’s new animated Curious George television series premiered to critical success last month on PBS, and NAMCO recently released a Curious George video game for Playstation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and Game Cube. In addition, more than 100 licensees and promotional partners across the globe have signed on to back a full line of children’s merchandise including apparel, accessories, toys, interactive games and publishing.

    The success of the Curious George movie has also carried over to the music scene. The film’s soundtrack, featuring songs by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and has sold two million units to date worldwide.

    Bonus features on the DVD will include a featurette on the film’s animation, deleted scenes, a music video with sing-a-long for Jack Johnson’s “Upside Down,” a tutorial on how to draw George and more than 10 minutes of interactive games and activities including a word game and downloadable coloring sheets. More info on the movie can be found at www.curiousgeorgemovie.com.

  • Warner Brings Holiday Toons to Malls

    Warner Home Video has pacted with The Mall Television Network (MTN) to offer highlights from animated and live-action movies and specials at shopping malls across the U.S. this holiday season. As kids and parents wait to have photos taken with Santa between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they will be entertained by footage from such Yule Tide favorites as The Polar Express, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Bah Humduck: A Looney Tunes Christmas, Toot & Puddle: I’ll be Home for Christmas, Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront and A Christmas Story.

    Dubbed the “Warner Bros. Holiday Showcase,” the ad-supported program is comprised of three specials, each culminating with a segment featuring talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage about the making of Robert Zemeckis’ Polar Express, which has just been re-issued on DVD for a limited time. The specials will be displayed on large format plasma screens, which MTN is sending out to participating “Santa Claus” photo franchise sites affiliated with the North Pole Network and Worldwide Photography.

    Based in Norwalk, CT, The Mall Television Network Inc. provides information, advertising and entertainment on broadband digital networks to malls across the nation. The company currently has exclusive digital and interactive advertising rights in 41 regional malls.

  • Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron Trailer Flies

    Namco Bandai Games America Inc. has released a new trailer for its upcoming Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. Snoopy, Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang are featured in this high-flying aerial adventure title arriving at the end of this month for PlayStation 2, PSP and PC.

    Sitting atop his doghouse, Snoopy imagines himself as a virtuoso flying ace on a gallant quest to defend the skies and save Charlie Brown from the evil Red Baron. Based on the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, the game has players guide Snoopy as he battles alongside Woodstock and powers up on as much root beer as he can lay his paws on. Making their way through more than 20 missions, gamers must collect clues in an attempt to put an end to The Red Baron’s evil plans.

    The game is recommended for everyone ages 10 and up. Mmore information is available at http://www.namcobandaigames.com/ and the trailer can be viewed at tp://clientftp.highwatergroup.com, using the login name Namco and the password intensegames55.

  • Monster Warriors to Fight Again

    Canada’s Coneybeare Stories has begun work on a second season of its hit kids’ action series, Monster Warriors. From its studio in Barrie, Ontario, the company is producing 26 new episodes of the show, which blends live action and CG animation. The new season will begin airing in March of 2007.

    In addition to getting a season two order from YTV, Coneybeare Stories has formed a distribution alliance with Los Angeles, Calif.-based PorchLight Ent. Under the agreement, PorchLight will distribute the second season Monster Warriors and will look to distribute a series of family movies produced by Coneybeare for the world market.

    Created by Coneybeare Stories president Wilson Coneybeare, Monster Warriors stars Jared Keeso (The 4400, Smallville), Mandy Butcher (Ice Princess, Radio Free Roscoe), Yani Gellman (The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Guinevere Jones) and Lara Amersey (Radio Free Roscoe, Land of the Dead). Together, they make up the Monster Warriors, a group of brave and enterprising teens who take matters into their own hands when Capital City is terrorized by mad scientist Klaus Von Steinhauer (Se’n Cullen) and his army of B-movie monsters.

    Monster Warriors is a YTV Original Production, produced in association with Jetix Europe. Other shows originated by Coneybear Stories include Kratt’s Creatures and Time Blazers, which have sold to broadcasters around the world, including the U.S., Canada, France and Asia. More information on the company can be found at www.coneybearestories.com.

  • Cartoon Network Wraps Re-Animated

    Cartoon Network has completed principal photography on Re-Animated, its first original telepic involving live-action. The movie will combine live actors and animation to tell the tale of a 12-year-old boy who receives an emergency brain transplant and acquires the ability to see a whole world of cartoon characters. The production was announced in March at Cartoon Network’s upfront presentation and is currently in post-production for an undetermined premiere date.

    ‘When we decided to venture into the territory of live-action we knew it was going to have to be an event like nothing we’ve ever done before,’ says Michael Ouweleen, senior VP of programming and development for Cartoon Network. ‘And even though we are featuring live-action characters, it still had to be done the Cartoon Network way. Re-Animated has proven to be that kind of project.’

    In Re-Animated, Dominic Janes (Alex Taggert on ER) has an accident involving an amusement park trolley and ends up getting the frozen brain of a famous cartoonist named Milt Appleday, played by Fred Willard. Matt Knudsen plays Appleday’s evil son, who tries to steal the brain back from Jimmy. The live-action cast also includes Bil Dwyer, Micah Karns, Eunice Cho, Rachel Quaintance and Rhea Lando, while Paul Reubens, Tom Kenny, Ellen Greene and Brian Posehn lend their voices to the various cartoon characters.

    The movie is created and written by Adam Pava and Tim McKeon, who were writers on Cartoon Network’s hit series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and The Life & Times of Juniper Lee. New York-based filmmaker Bruce Hurwit directed the production of Renegade Animation, Appleday Pictures and Cartoon Network.

  • Splitsville for DreamWorks and Aardman?

    Citing anonymous sources, the New York Times reports that DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations are splitting up. With Aardman principals reportedly upset over creative control issues and DreamWorks under-whelmed with the box-office performance of Oscar winner Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, the entities are likely to part ways after the Nov. 3 release of Flushed Away.

    DreamWorks and Aardman first teamed for the 2000 clay-animated feature Chicken Run, which earned more than $100 million domestically and $224 million worldwide. The two companies then entered into a three-picture deal, kicking things off with the Wallace & Gromit feature, which was a hit overseas but made just $56 million in North America. For their latest collaboration, Flushed Away, the studios agreed to put aside stop-motion in favor of CG animation, but apparently clashed over creative differences and constant changes to the script.

    In May of 2005, DreamWorks and Aardman announced at the Cannes Film Festival that they were collaborating on a fourth film, a Stone Age comedy-adventure titled Crood Awakening, which comic legend John Cleese was co-writing with Quest for Camelot scribe Kirk DeMicco. Now DreamWorks tells the Times that it has no immediate plans to work with Aardman beyond Flushed Away. Aardman will likewise seek out a new U.S. distribution partner, according to sources.

  • Little Mermaid, X-Men Surface on Disc

    Out of the Disney Vault today comes the 1989 animated favorite The Little Mermaid, looking and sounding better than ever thanks to a digital restoration and enhanced home theater mix. The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition is a two-disc set packed with extra features. It arrives on shelves today along with the animated feature The Little Polar Bear: The Dream of Flying, The Stuart Little Movie Collection and the vfx-laden superhero epic X-Men: The Last Stand.

    Along with a digital shine job, fans who pick up The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition can enjoy commentary by co-writer/directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and composer Alan Menken. The disc set also includes a making-of featurette, a ‘Kiss the Girl” music video by Ashley Tisdale, a Disney song selection, a sneak peek at The Little Mermaid III, a virtual ride inspired by Walt Disney Imagineering, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, art galleries, an early presentation reel and a look at the film’s special effects. If all that weren’t enough, Disney has also tacked on Roger Allers’ new animated short film The Little Match Girl, along with a Story Behind the Story featurette on Hans Christian Andersen. The Buena Vista Home Entertainment release lists for $29.99.

    In the all-new toon feature The Little Polar Bear: The Dream of Flying, Lars rescues himself and other animals from the cages of trappers and makes the long journey home with his new brown bear friend, Lea. Upon his return, Lars finds his parents have taken ill and must venture into the forest for the first time in order to fetch the honey medicine. He and his woodland pals also help Yuri the Puffin when he loses his ability to fly. Released by Warner Home Video, the DVD retails for $14.98.

    Sony has packaged all three Stuart Little features together in a three-disc set titled The Stuart Little Movie Collection. Included are the original 1999 pic and its 2002 follow-up, which both blended live-action and CG animation, as well this year’s fully animated Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild. Michael J. Fox lends his voice to the title character in all three installments, which feature CG animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The family adventure-comedies are available together for the first time for $19.94.

    One of the highest grossing films of the summer, X-Men: The Last Stand makes its home-video debut today complete with three alternate endings, ten deleted/extended scenes and commentary from director Brett Ratner. Fox Home Entertainment has also released a special collector’s edition that is packaged with an exclusive X-Men comic book written by franchise creator Stan Lee, his first original Marvel Comic in five years. Completists can also pick up The X-Men Trilogy Pack featuring all three films.

    X-Men: The Last Stand Collector’s Edition includes a 100-page commemorative book featuring Lee’s original comic, The Unlikely Saga of Magneto, Xavier and Stan. The issue boasts art by such legendary Marvel artists as John Romita Jr. (Spider-Man), Pasqual Ferry (Ultimate Fantastic 4), Leinil Francis Yu (The Avengers), Howard Chaykin (Hulk Girl), Ben Oliver (Ultimate X-Men), Ron Frenz (Spider-Man), Sean Chen (X-Men: The End) and Ron Lim (Silver Surfer). Also included are Lee’s personal favorite selections for three classic X-Men comic reprints. The edition lists for $39.98, while the X-Men Trilogy Pack sells for $44.98.

  • South Park, Tom & Jerry, Apes on Disc

    A quartet of foul-mouthed young boys, a famous cat-and-mouse duo and a simian ruling class make their way to DVD today with the releases of South Park: The Hits Vol. 1, Tom & Jerry Tales Volume 1: Ho Ho Horrors and Return to the Planet of the Apes, the complete animated series from the mid-1970s.

    South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have hand-picked ten of their favorite episodes to be included in the first volume of South Park: The Hits. Episodes featured in the Paramount Home Video release are ‘Awesom-O,’ “Best Friends Forever,” “Casa Bonita,” “Good Times with Weapons,” “Red Hot Catholic Love,” “Scott Tenorman Must Die,” “Towelie,” “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers,” “Spoiled Whore Video Playset” and the infamous Tom Cruise/Scientology installment, ‘Trapped in the Closet.’

    The installments are accompanied by new audio commentary and the fan-favorite bonus episodes “Fatt Butt & Pancake Head” (a.k.a. J. Lo and Ben Affleck), “It Hits the Fan,” “Timmy 2000” and “The Death Camp of Intolerance.” In addition, the compilation features The Spirit of Christmas, the original short film that started it all, available for the first time. Now in its 10th season, the show returns to comedy Central with seven all-new episodes starting on Oct. 4. The DVD is available now for the list price of $26.99.

    Making a welcomed return to form, Tom and Jerry are up to their old tricks in the new Kids’ WB! series Tom & Jerry Tales, which premiered on Sept. 23. Now fans can pick up Tom & Jerry Tales Volume 1: Ho Ho Horrors, which features 12 of the first Tom & Jerry shorts produces in 30 years. Like the classic cartoons, these new episodes have the title characters wreaking slapstick havoc, but with a spooky twist for Halloween viewing. Titles include ‘Bats What I Like About the South,’ ‘Tomb It May Concern,’ ‘Firebreathing Tom Cat’ and Medieval Menace.’ The disc is available for around $14.98 from Warner Home Video. Tom and Jerry Tales is produced by Tom Minton and Frank Molieri and exec produced by Sander Schwartz and Joe Barbera.

    Return to the Planet of the Apes offers all 13 half-hour episodes of the short-lived cartoon series based on the live-action features and TV show. The animated icarnation was first included in the recently released Ultimate Planet of the Apes collector’s set but has been restored and re-mastered for its solo release.

    Animated by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, the 1975-76 series is more in line with Pierre Boulle’s original novel, La Plan’te des Singes, which had the apes living in a technologically advanced society. However, there are familiar characters including Nova, Cornelius, Zira, Doctor Zaius and General Urko, as well as other elements and references to the films and live-action series. Fox Home Entertainment has given the set a list price of $19.98.

  • EA Acquires Battlefield Developer

    Electronic Arts today announced the acquisition of Digital Illusions CE (DICE), the Stockholm, Sweden-based creator and developer of the Battlefield video-game franchise. As a fully integrated EA studio, DICE will be dedicated to growing the Battlefield series and developing new products for PC, next generation consoles and other new platforms.

    DICE CEO Patrick Soderlund will become an EA Studio general manager, maintaining responsibility for the DICE facility and taking on additional creative responsibilities. The DICE leadership team will continue to operate as usual in Stockholm.

    Effective immediately, the acquisition gives EA control of all assets and liabilities of DICE. DICE shareholders, representing approximately 2.6 million shares, will receive SEK 67.50 per share in cash, to be paid out on Oct. 16, 2006.

  • South Park Meets World of Warcraft

    Comedy Central and video-game developer Blizzard Ent. have joined forces to launch the milestone 10th season of the adult animated series South Park. Airing Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 10 p.m., the season opener has Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny come to the rescue when the actions of a renegade player threaten to destroy Blizzard’s award-winning, massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.

    “We were excited to hear that the creators of South Park were interested in featuring World of Warcraft in the opening of their new season and we really enjoyed collaborating with them to make this happen,” says Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Ent. “We’re looking forward to sharing the experience with our employees and our players as well when the season debuts this week.”

    With millions of players worldwide, World of Warcraft is one of the world’s most popular MMOGs. The title has players assume the roles of legendary heroes as they develop friendships, forge alliances and compete with enemies for power and glory. Blizzard, a division of Vivendi Games,will release an expansion pack titled World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade by the end of this year. More information about the game can be found at www.worldofwarcraft.com.

    South Park has remained comedy Central’s hightest rated program since its launch in 1997. The show repeats Wednesdays at 12 a.m., Thursdays at 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., Fridays at 12 a.m. and Sundays at 11 p.m..

  • Jetix Europe Orders More Pucca

    Jetix Europe has set Canada’s Studio B Prods. to work on 39 all-new seven-minute episodes of the Flash-animated series Pucca. Bringing the number of installments to 117, the second season is scheduled begin airing on Jetix platforms worldwide in 2008.

    Pucca is an unstoppable noodle delivery girl who has a series of wild adventures as she pursues her one true love, a long-suffering ninja named Garu. The series is set in Sooga Village, a strange town inhabited by an array of wacky characters, but the new season will have Pucca traveling to various locales including London, Rio and Planet Funnylove.

    The series is developed by Jetix Europe and based on characters created by Korean company Vooz Co. Ltd., which serves as a co-producer. The first slate of episodes is now rolling out on various outlets including the Jetix block on Toon Disney in the U.S. and Japan, as well as three Jetix channels in Latin America. Pucca has also been getting VOD trial runs through the websites of Jetix U.K. and Jetix Netherlands, and has been licensed by free-to-air broadcasters in fourteen territories, including Antena 3 in Spain, RAI in Italy and Ch7 in Australia. Buena Vista International services the distribution of Pucca and all other series in Jetix Europe’s programming portfolio. Licensing and merchandising efforts for Europe and the Middle East are handled by JCP (Jetix Consumer Products).

    The episode ‘A Force of Won’ from first season of Pucca was nominated for two awards at the 2006 Annecy Festival, including the Prix Jeunesse in the Animation category. The show went on to win 2006 British Columbia Leo Awards for Best Screenwriting and Best Overall in an Animation Program.

  • Season Opens on Top

    Sony Animation’s Open Season clawed up an estimated $23 million over the weekend, easily claiming the top spot at the North American box office. The CG-animated comedy, which is also screening in IMAX 3D, put a hurtin’ on last week’s champ, Paramount’s Jackass: Number Two, as well as fellow newcomers The Guardian from Disney and School for Scoundrels from MGM and The Weinstein Co.

    Directed by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi, Open Season is the first release for Sony Animation, which also debuted the trailer for its next toon feature, Surf’s Up! Featuring the voices of Shia LeBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deschanel and James Woods, the penguin surfing mocumentary is slated to open next summer. You can watche the trailer online at www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/surfsup.

    Commenting on the box office win for Open Season, Culton tells us, ‘It feels fantastic. After all your hard work you hope to reach a family audience, but to see that a lot of people wanted to go to your movie is fantastic!’

    Though Open Season marks her directorial debut, Cutlon has been working in the animation industry for around 16 years. She spent nearly eight years as an animator at Pixar before working with Industrial Light & Magic as they considered launching a feature animation division. She was then snagged by Sony and teamed with Allers and Stacchi. Allers directed the Disney classic The Lion King with Rob Minkoff, but had never done a CG feature. ‘That was kind of a good balance between us because my whole career had been in computer animation,’ says Culton. ‘The art of making these films is kind of like the art of stained-glass window making’it’s really meticulous and the craft is passed down from person to person. It’s really difficult to direct one of these if you haven’t seen the whole process, been part of the process or been an animator or story person because it’s difficult to direct others to do things you yourself haven’t done.’

    Culton is set to direct another animated feature for Sony but isn’t offering up any details on that project just yet. Watch the Animated People feature on this site for more comments from her on Open Season and her experiences in the industry in general.

    It was a good weekend for Ashton Kutcher, who has starring roles in the top two box office performers. In addition to lending his voice to one of the main characters in Open Season, he shares the screen with Kevin Costner in The Guardian, a Coast Guard drama featuring vfx by Furious FX, Flash Film Works, Digital Dream and Pixel Magic. The film earned and estimated $17.6 million, pusing Jackass: Number Two to third place with around $14 million.

    Opening at No. 4, the Jon Heder/Billy Bob Thornton comedy School for Scoundrels earned a disappointing $9 million, according to estimates. Meanwhile, the martial arts actioner Jet Li’s Fearless took an even steeper dive than Jackass, slipping from No. 2 to No. 5 with just $4.7 million in its sophomore week.

    Director Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep, which features a good deal of stop-motion animation effects work, is climbing up the chart since Warner Independent gave it a wider reach over the weekend. After pulling impressive numbers in a handful of theaters last weekend, the film picked up around 200 more screen and earned an estimated $1.2, bringing its total to around $1.71 million.

    Miramax’s animated sci-fi noir thriller, Renaissance, also got into a few more theaters, increasing its performance by around 57%. Still, the $18 million CG feature has only earned approximately $33,800 in eight venues. Animated by Attitude Studio, the film is a co-production of Onyx Films, Millimages, Luxanimation, Timefirm Ltd. and France 2 Cinema.

  • Disney Opens Portal for Demo Reels

    Disney Animation has announced the launch of www.DisneyMouseLink.com, where artists can can submit their resumes, demo reels and portfolios through a secure web-based upload system. The company hopes this industry first will help it keep better connected to the artistic community and facilitate the process of matching talent to animation opportunities.

    ‘Creating DisneyMouseLink.com is a great service for everyone,’ says Dawn Rivera-Ernster, director of Animation Resources for Disney Animation. ‘It eliminates the need for special packaging or a trip to a mail service. For DA it allows us immediate access to the incredible global talent pool. It eliminates the handling of physical portfolios, thereby protecting and preserving the artist’s work. It does not negate the need for a high-res portfolio and/or reel, however. As candidates are called in for an interview, the original reels and portfolios may be needed for further review.’

    Applicants can go to DisneyMouseLink.com and create an account using a valid email address. There, they can download a required submission form and return it to Disney Animation. Upon receipt, a username and password is provided via email. After providing information about work history, skill sets and software applications, artists will be able to upload work samples in .jpg, .pdf, and .mov file formats.

  • Spike Drives Stake into Blade

    A Spike TV representative told SCI FI Channel’s SCI FI Wire that the network is canceling its television series based on the Blade series of Marvel comics and feature films. Despite getting off to a strong start as Spike’s highest-rated premiere ever, the show has pulled disappointing numbers for the network and will not be renewed for a second season.

    Blade: The Series stars rapper-turned-actor Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones as Marvel’s immortal human-vampire half blood who uses his superhuman powers and skills to battle the demonic creatures of the night and prevent their domination of mankind. The role was originated on the big screen by Wesley Snipes, who appeared in all three features. The third installment, Blade Trinity, was written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote Warner Bros.’ Batman Begins and served as exec producer on the Blade series with former Marvel Ent. CEO Ari Arad.

    Co-star Jill Wagner reportedly first told her friends about the demise of the Blade series on her Myspace page. Word quickly spread around the Internet, prompting Spike execs to speak out and confirm the news.

    Created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, the Blade character first appeared in a 1973 issue of Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula. As the TV show takes its bow, the franchise is being renewed in its original medium. CSI: Miami scribe Marc Guggenheim and illustrator Howard Chaykin have teamed for the first issue of a new Blade comic-book series. Now available in stores, the premiere issue features Spider-Man and Dracula.

  • Seth Macfarlane Visits CAI

    The Cartoon Animation Institute (CAI) has tapped Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Fox Television Animation supervision director Peter Shin to speak at its inaugural open-forum lecture. Focusing on how to start a career in the animation industry, the free event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m.

    Through its new series of lectures, CAI hopes to aid the animation industry by creating a forum where established professionals and up-and-comers can get together to share knowledge and encouragement. The not-for-profit events will be held on the first Saturday of every month, presenting new topics and guest speakers. Seating is limited. RSVP by phoning Chris at (213) 388-7277 or e-mailing chris@cartoonmation.com.

  • Sony Kicks Off Open Season

    Open Season, the flagship CG-animated feature film from Sony Animation, opens across North America today with the weekend’s highest theater count. Arriving in 3,833 venues, including IMAX 3-D locations, the family-oriented buddy comedy about a domesticated bear and a neurotic mule deer is out to dethrone a certain reality-based movie about a bunch of self-proclaimed jackasses.

    In Open Season, a couple of unlikely forest friends rally all the other animals to turn the tables on unsuspecting hunters. Martin Lawrence lends his voice to a 900 lb. grizzly bear named Boog, who was raised from a cub by a forest ranger voiced by Debra Messing. His cushy life is turned upside-down when he hooks up with scrawny mule deer Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) and they tangle with a seasoned hunter voiced by Gary Sinise.

    The film is directed by The Lion King helmer Roger Allers, along with Jill Culton, whose credits include Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc., and Anthony Stacchi, who counts ANTZ among his various credits. The filmmakers built the pic around the unique humor of In the Bleachers cartoonist Steve Moore, who serves as exec producer along with John Carls.

    Open Season is just one of two major releases for Ashton Kutcher this weekend. The That ’70s Show alum also stars alongside Kevin Costner in the Coast Guard drama The Guardian. CG water, wild weather and other visual effects for the film were provided by Furious FX, Flash Film Works, Digital Dream and Pixel Magic.

    Also opening in wide release is School for Scoundrels, a comedy starring Jon Heder and Billy Bob Thornton. Released in just over 3,000 theaters by MGM and The Weinstein Co., the movie features appearances by Ben Stiller, Michael Clark Duncan, Horatio Sanz, Sarah Silverman and David Cross. Cross’ animated series, Freak Show, debuts on Comedy Central on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

    In limited release, Warner Independent’s The Science of Sleep opens wider today, picking up an additional 207 theaters. The latest feature from acclaimed director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) offers up a good deal of stop-motion animation in its many imaginative dream sequences. Another gem to seek out is Miramax’s Renaissance, a fully-animated sci-fi noir thriller from Onyx Films, Millimages, Luxanimation, Timefirm Ltd. and France 2 Cinema. Animated by Attitude Studio, the film opened in two locations in New York and Los Angeles last weekend but can now be found in six additional theaters.