Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • BKN Launches Home Vid Unit

    Animation company/distributor BKN has entered the home entertainment and new media distribution market with the formation of BKN Home Entertainment Ltd in the U.K. and BKN Home Entertainment Inc in the U.S. The branch was established to give th company greater control over the distribution of its content in all emerging forms and venues.

    Matthew Graham-Clare has been appointed managing director of the new unit, and Mark Saxe serves as production director, both working in London. Graham-Clare joins BKN from Universal Pictures, where he was Sector Manager of the DVD division. Prior to that, he was a sales director at Maximum Entertainment, which distributes the Disney owned Jetix TV channel’s brands for home entertainment. Saxe spent 25 years at the BBC where he rose to the rank of production director of BBC Video at BBC Worldwide.

    BKN has already unveiled a list of animated feature films to be produced for distribution. These include Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Kong II – Return to the Jungle, A Christmas Carol, Robin Hood, Jungle Book, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Prince and the Pauper, The Three Musketeers, Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland and The Nutcracker. The company will also handle DVD releases for the full BKN catalogue, including such new TV series as Legend of the Dragon, Kong’The Animated Series and Dork Hunters from Outer Space.

    BKN Group CEO Allen Bohbot comments, ‘We will be producing these projects, creating the packaging, dubbing in major languages such as English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, and controlling the quality and quantity of the replication worldwide.’ He adds that BKN will distribute under its own label in the U.K. and Ireland, while securing distribution deals in all other markets that essentially ‘rent’ the distribution with BKN collecting the gross receipts.

  • CBS, DIC Mint Saturday Morning Block

    The CBS network and brand management company DIC Ent. announced plans to partner on the launch of an all-new, Saturday morning kids programming block dubbed CBS’s Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party. Slated to debut this fall, the block will feature three hours of FCC-compliant children’s programming and serve as a platform to introduce new kids programs created by DIC.

    CBS’s Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party is part of a multi-year deal between CBS and DIC. The lineup will include such DIC properties as the Emmy Award-winning series Madeline and Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego, as well as Sabrina: The Animated Series, Strawberry Shortcake, Liberty’s Kids, Trollz, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, Archie’s Weird Mysteries, The Littles, Inspector Gadget’s Field Trip and Sonic Underground.

    DIC and CBS executives will collaborate with the DIC Educational Advisory Board, a group comprised of leading media experts, educators and pediatricians which was created to provide information, guidance, advice and general expertise in the development of multimedia programs and projects for children.

  • Baby Genius Sold Back to Creators

    Genius Products Inc., the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor for The Weinstein Co., has sold its Baby Genius brand back to creators Klaus Moeller and Larry Balaban and their newly formed Pacific Entertainment Corp. The deal enables Genius to focus distribution efforts on feature film titles, while retaining exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Baby Genius and other preschool brands.

    The deal includes all worldwide rights and existing licensing agreements for the Baby Genius and Wee Worship preschool brands, along with a production deal for Little Tikes music and DVD series. Genius Products will continue to distribute DVDs, music CDs and all other products under the Baby Genius, Little Tikes and Wee Worship brands.

    Moeller comments, ‘As Genius focuses in on its new wealth of top independent and mainstream titles, we intend to develop these preschool brands across all product categories in order to capitalize on Genius Products’ increasing distribution capabilities and market share.’

    Pacific Entertainment plans to release two new Baby Genius DVDs and two new Little Tikes DVDs this year. Meanwhile, Genius Products will handle home video distribution for The Weinstein Co.’s first animated feature, Hoodwinked, which was a surprise hit with moviegoers over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. Other potential releases for the company include sequels to Sin City, Scary Movie, Kill Bill and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

  • Mainframe Boots Up Zixx Licensing Program

    With its new animated/live-action series, Zixx, set to debut on Cartoon Network this weekend, Canadian CG animation house Mainframe Ent. is launching a licensing campaign for the show. The futuristic action-adventure program comes to U.S. viewers after building a solid Canadian fanbase on YTV .

    Zixx chronicles the adventures of an unlikely team of heroes led by the fearless alien operative named Zixx Phunkee Zee. Using their strategy game smarts, the crew battles to protect the world from evil in the Keep, a third-dimension labyrinth which operates like a video game.

    Mainframe has appointed Al Ovadia of Al Ovadia and Associates the official worldwide licensing agent for Zixx. Ovadia, who plans to roll out the licensing and merchandising campaign in conjunction with Cartoon Network’s launch of the show, has managed the licensing campaigns of some of the most successful entertainment properties in history, including The Simpsons. Other credits include Columbia Pictures’ Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 feature films, and European phenom Crazy Frog.

    Cartoon Network U.S. will air 26 episodes Zixx starting Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. Developed by Savi Media/The Nightingale Co., the series is produced by Thunderbird Films in association with YTV Canada and Mainframe. IDT Ent. Sales, which distributes the series on behalf of Thunderbird and Mainframe, has begun rolling out the series worldwide.

  • Boondocks MLK Special a Ratings Dream

    Cartoon Network’s special holiday episode of The Boondocks, titled ‘The Return of the King’ ranked No. 1 in its time period on basic cable with adults 18-34, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The show, which aired Sunday, Jan. 8, at 11 p.m., presented a scenario in which Dr. King awakens from a 32-year coma to find modern America has a mixed reaction to him.

    Created by comic artist Aaron McGruder, The Boondocks blends irreverent humor and biting social satire to explore racial and political issues as seen through the eyes of two street-wise African-American kids transplanted in a wealthy suburb. Among other things, the show has drawn fire for its liberal use of the ‘N’ word, which as ever-present in the MLK day special. ‘The Return of the King’ outperformed the series’ average ratings and helped Cartoon Network’s [adult swim] block hit No. 1 for the week among ad-supported cable for delivery of adults 18-24 and men 18-34. [adult swim will present an encore airing of the episode on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

  • Hoodwinked Sequel in the Works

    Though it just barely lost the box office battle to Disney’s Glory Road, the CG-animated indie Hoodwinked is set to become a franchise. Daily Variety reports that The Weinstein Co. and Kanbar Ent. announced plans to produce a sequel titled Hood vs. Evil. Made for less than $20 million, Hoodwinked earned just shy of $17 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday period.

    Harvey Weinstein told the trade that the modest budget will be doubled for the sequel in order to get the animation closer to the quality of Pixar product. He also noted that he and brother Bob Weinstein wouldn’t have been able to release such a successful independent toon if they were still with Disney. While the Mouse House marketing machine may be a force to be reckoned with, The Weinstein Co. team is to be commended since Hoodwinked managed to reel in audiences with only an eleventh hour promotional blitz.

    Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted), who voices the role of Little Red Riding Hood in the first film, is in talks to reprise the role for Hood vs. Evil. The sequel will have Red teaming up with The Wolf (Patrick Warburton) to investigate the disappearance of Hansel and Gretel. Writers/directors Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards and Tony Leech are bringing most of the other characters back as well, with the original voice cast expected to come aboard. Hoodwinked also features the voices of Glenn Close, Jim Belushi, Anthony Anderson, Andy Dick and recording artist Xzibit.

    Co-produced and co-financed by the Weinsten Co., the sequel will be animated at Kanbar Animation, which SKYY Vodka entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar and former Disney Animation exec Sue Bea Mongomery established in Manila. Kanbar, who bankrolled the first film, will produce alongside David K. Lovegren, while Eric Robinson oversees production for the Weinstein Co. If successful, the franchise may go on for at least two more installments.

  • Wallace & Gromit Grabs Golden Tomato

    Since Wallace and Gromit managed to save the annual giant vegetable-growing competition in their feature film debut, it’s only fitting that their movie should win Rotten Tomatoes’ Golden Tomato award for the Best Reviewed Film of 2005. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit got the most thumbs up from then nation’s critics, whose reviews are compiled on www.rottentomatoes.com.

    Directed by Oscar winner Nick Park and Steve Box for Aardman Animations and distributed by DreamWorks Animation, Were-Rabbit garnered a 95% ‘fresh’ rating on the Tomatometer. That impressive score put it solidly ahead of all other 2005 releases, including the Warner Bros.’ faves Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (89%) and Batman Begins (83%), as well as Universal’s King Kong (83%).

    The year’s other big stop-motion release, Warner Bros.’ Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, also made the top-ten list, coming in at No. 9 with an 85% fresh rating. The film comes in at No. 2 in the Golden Tomato Animation category, followed by Disney’s release of Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, Disney’s Pooh’s Heffalump Movie and Fox Animation’s Robots. Disney’s presentation of Vanguard Animation’s Valiant scored lowest with just 24% on the T-meter.

    Though beating out all widely released live-action films for the top award is a major coop for Aardman and Dreamworks, it’s nothing new for them. Their first collabortation, the clay-animated Chicken Run, received the Golden Tomato for best reviewed movie of 2000.

    Director George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck, a historical account of newsman Edward R. Murrow’s battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy, nabbed 2005’s top award for films in limited release. Golden Globe winner and Oscar frontrunner Brokeback Mountain comes in at No. 13 on the list.

    Animation was tops last year as well, with Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles taking the wide-release award with a 96% fresh rating to edge out Sony’s Spider-Man 2. A complete list of this year’s winners can be found at www.rottentomatoes.com/features/rtawards/index_2005.php.

  • Ghouly Boys Comic Optioned for Screen

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the comic-book series The Ghouly Boys may be brought to the big screen by Benderspink, which adapted John Wagner and Vince Locke’s graphic novel, A History of Violence. Manndate Pictures has optioned the film rights and Benderspink is on deck to produce.

    The Ghouly Boys centers on a wolf boy, a child zombie, a young sea monster and the son of the Boogie Man, who team up for adventure when normal kids reject them. Created, written and illustrated by an artist who goes by the name Christopher, the comics were first published in 2004 by Slave Labor Graphics Publishing.

    The film is being handled by Mandate production VP Scott Coleman, while Vanessa Scott oversees production for Benderspink, which has a first-look deal with New Line Cinema. Mandate recently completed production on the upcoming Sam Raimi-produced Rise, starring Lucy Liu and directed by Gothika scribe Sebastian Gutierrez (She Creature).

  • Furry Freak Bros. Gets Stop-mo Treatment

    Dave Borthwick, director of the cult favorite feature The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and the Weinstein Co.’s upcoming toon release, Doogal: The Magic Roundabout, is directing an animated adaptation of Gilbert Shelton’s comic-book creation, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

    The stop-motion-animated feature, titled Grass Roots: The Movie, is being produced by Celluloid Dreams (www.celluloid-dreams.com) in Bristol, U.K., where most feature stop-mo is being made these days. In fact, the production is being shot by Dave Alex Riddett, who served as cinematographer for Aardman Animations on Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and the Nick Park shorts A Close Shave and Creature Comforts.

    In the upcoming film, the Brothers get hold of some experimental weed that the government hopes to use to control the marijuana market. The boys discover some interesting side effects of the dope and find themselves on the run from the feds. The chase leads them to a remote hiding place where they plan to retire and grow pot, only to find that the secret government marijuana farm is just over the wall. No release date or other details have been unveiled at this time.

    Shelton’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers series has been a favorite on the underground comic scene for more than 35 years. The comics are available from Rip Off Press at www.ripoffpress.com.

  • Disney’s Funny Factory Cranks Out Classic Toons

    Buena Vista Home Entertainment today released two new compilations from its library of cartoon favorites. A pair of Mouse House stalwarts get into all kinds of misadventures in Walt Disney’s Funny Factory, Vol. 1: Mickey and Walt Disney’s Funny Factory, Vol. 2: Donald.

    Walt Disney’s Funny Factory, Vol. 1: Mickey features some of Mickey Mouse’s best-loved animated shorts. Included are Mickey and the Seal (1948), Magician Mickey (1937), Tugboat Mickey (1940), Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip (1940), Moose Hunters (1937), Mickey’s Parrot (1938), The Pointer (1939) and R’Coon Dawg (1951).

    The duck takes center stage in Walt Disney’s Funny Factory, Vol. 2: Donald. While most of these films are available in other Disney DVD releases, this one does feature the disc debut of Canvas Back Duck (1953) and Daddy Duck (1948). Also included are Donald’s Cousin Gus (1939), Window Cleaners (1940), Self Control (1938), Contrary Condor (1944) and Donald’s Golf Game (1938).

    Unlike Disney’s popular tin editions, these single discs don’t appear to offer any bonus features, but the low price should make them popular with collectors and casual fans nonetheless. Each release lists for $14.99.

  • Robot Chicken Hatches on DVD in March

    Warner Home Video announced today that Robot Chicken Vol. 1 will be available on home video on March 28. The two-disc set will contain 20 15-minute episodes of the irreverent stop-motion parody series created by Seth Green and Matt Senreich. Now in its second season, the show debuted last winter and proved an instant hit on Cartoon Network’s late-night block, [adult swim].

    Robot Chicken features action figures and other toys brought to life a frame at a time to poke fun at pop culture staples. Celebrity guests who lent their voices to season one installments include Scarlett Johansson, Burt Reynolds, Ryan Seacrest, Mark Hamill, Seth McFarlane and Macauley Culkin. Co-creator Seth Green, who provides the voice of Chris Griffin on FOX’s Family Guy, also voices characters in these short comedy vignettes.

    Robot Chicken‘s stop-motion animation is directed by Seamus Walsh, Mark Caballero and Chris Finnegan of Screen Novelties in Los Angeles. The show, which draws an average of nearly a million viewers each week, airs regularly on Sundays and Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network.

    In addition to the season one episodes, the DVD release will feature never-before-seen bonus materials including deleted scenes, animation meetings, FX/wire-to-episode comparisons, alternate audio takes, deleted animatics, a photo gallery and a pee gag reel. The Warner Home Video release will list for $29.98.

  • McGahey Joins Klasky Csupo’s Feature Unit

    Michael McGahey, former VP of Deep River Prods., has joined Hollywood-based toon studio Klasky Csupo as senior VP of feature film development. Meanwhile, Brandon Scott has been upped to VP of creative affairs after six years with the company.

    McGahey will work alongside senior VP of development Daniel Paul, senior VP of children’s development Alexandra Book and the rest of Klasky Csupo’s feature development team on projects currently in development with Viacom. He brings to unit a track record of success with commercial projects, having worked on the development and production of such films as 20th Century Fox’s Dr. Dolittle, Fox 2000’s Here on Earth, New Line Cinema’s Laws of Attraction, Paramount’s The Honeymooners and Fox/New Regency’s Big Momma’s House and the upcoming Big Momma’s House 2.

    Prior to taking the VP reins at Deep River Prods., McGahey was director of development for David T. Friendly’s Friendly Production. He began his career at the William Morris Agency.

    Headed by founders Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo, Klasky Csupo has won

    numerous Emmys, Cable Ace Awards and commercial, art and production

    honors for its work on such high-profile projects as Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, The Simpsons, As Told By Ginger, Rocket Power and Duckman.

  • Walden Acquires Allende Trilogy

    Fresh off the global success of its Disney collaboration, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Walden Media has snatched up rights to another young adult fantasy lit series. The company has hired scribe David Rothenberg (Modoc) to write a screen adaptation of the first book in the City of the Beasts trilogy by revered Chilean author Isabel Allende.

    Set in the lush and treacherous Amazon rain forests, City of the Beasts follows the adventures of 15-year-old Alexander Cold, who joins his eccentric archaeologist grandmother on an expedition to find the mythical “Yeti of the Amazon.’ Alex and 12-year-old Nadia Santos are then kidnapped by the “People of the Mist” and enter a mountain to discover the storied city of El Dorado and the enigmatic “Beasts.”

    This first book in the series is being brought to the screen by producer Barrie Osborne, who helped Peter Jackson bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy to moviegoers. Alex Schwartz and Jared Mass will oversee the project on behalf of Walden Media.

    City of the Beasts became an international bestseller when it was published in 2002 by HarperCollins (English-language edition), which partnered with Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures on the launch of the Chronicles of Narnia film franchise. Allende followed up with the equally successful sequels Kingdom of the Golden Dragon and Forest of the Pygmies, published in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The author is best known for her Spanish mysticism-infused novels The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows, both of which have been adapted for the screen.

  • 4Kids, Microsoft to Create Kids’ Property

    4Kids Ent. Inc., the children’s entertainment company behind the Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pok’mon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brands, has joined forces with Microsoft Corp. to develop a unique children’s entertainment property. Under the agreement, 4Kids will serve as the global licensing agent for Microsoft Game Studios, managing all broadcast, home video, music and merchandise licensing rights for the yet-to-be-revealed franchise.

    Alfred R. Kahn, chairman and CEO of 4Kids Ent., comments, “We are thrilled to serve as the partner of choice and act as the vehicle for Microsoft to broaden its appeal among a more mainstream market focusing on children and family entertainment. We are confident our strong track record in developing integrated marketing and merchandising programs designed specifically for kids will enhance the future success of Microsoft Game Studios.”

    Microsoft Game Studios develops and publishes games for the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, as well as PC and online platforms. The company’s top franchises include Age of Empires, Flight Simulator, Zoo Tycoon, Fable and Project Gotham Racing. More information is available at www.microsoft.com/games. Learn more about 4Kids Ent. at www.4KidsEntertainment.com.

  • Kong, Galactica Honored by AFI

    Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong has been named one of the movies of the year by the American Film Institute (AFI). On Friday, the organization also gave props to the vfx-laden SCI-FI channel series, Battlestar Galactica, naming it one of ten programs of the year.

    As its worldwide gross crossed the $500 million mark, Universal’s King Kong became the only effects-driven film to make this year’s Movie of the Year list. The other honorees are Focus Features’ Brokeback Mountain, Sony Pictures Classics’ Capote, Lions Gate Films’ Crash, Universal’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Warner Independent Pictures’ Good Night, and Good Luck, New Line Cinema’s A History of Violence, Universal’s Munich, Samuel Goldwyn Films’ The Squid and the Whale and Warner Bros.’ Syriana.

    On the TV side, SCI FI’s redo of Battlestar Galactica carries the vfx torch. Also honored in the category this year are FOX’s 24, HBO’s Deadwood, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, FOX’s House, ABC’s Lost, FX’s Rescue Me, Showtime’s Sleeper Cell, HBO Films’ Sometimes In April and UPN’s Veronica Mars.

    The honorees were toasted by special guest Steven Spielberg during a luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The event also reflected on the six AFI Moments of Significance’issues that most affected the art of film and television during 2005. These included the continuing consolidation in the film community marked this year by the acquisitions of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and DreamWorks; post 9/11 movies and television productions with themes of terrorism, heroism and the struggle to find common ground; the theatrical experience in crisis; television breaking out of the box to migrate to new platforms such as the iPod and mobile phones; the role of television in the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Internet as an important broadcast tool demonstrated through AOL’s on-line coverage of the Live 8 concert. More information about the American Film institute can be found at www.AFI.com.

  • Shatner, Bird, Park to Present at Annies

    Stepping out from the audio booth to host the 33rd Annual Annie Awards, voice actor Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) will be joined by some high-caliber Hollywood talent. ASIFA’Hollywood today announced the roster of presenters to participate in this year’s ceremony, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, Calif.

    The animation industry’s biggest awards event will feature appearances by actor William Shatner (Boston Legal, Over the Hedge), writer/director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) director Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Chicken Run), actor Craig T. Nelson (The Incredibles, The Family Stone), actor Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and TV toon creator Seth McFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad). A number of other Tinsel Town luminaries will hand out trophies for the year’s best animation before a crowd of nearly 1,000 industry insiders.

    Leading in nominations this year is DreamWorks Animation’s and Aardman Animations’ Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The clay-animated feature nabbed a total 16 nods, including one for Best Animated Feature. The supernatural comedy is up against fellow DreamWorks release Madagascar, Warner Bros.’ Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Disney’s presentation of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Disney’s Chicken Little. Read more about the nominees at www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=4784 or www.annieawards.com.

    The Annie Awards recognize overall excellence and individual achievements in animation across film, television, short subjects and gaming in 22 categories, The 33rd annual event will get underway with a black-tie pre-reception and red carpet arrivals starting at 3 p.m. The awards ceremony will commence at 5 pm and a post event celebration will follow immediately at Milano’s Cucina Italiana, located at 525 N. Brand Blvd.

    Tickets are available to the public as space permits. Contact the Alex Theatre box office at (818) 243-2539. Admission is $75 per person and tickets include both pre and post receptions.

  • Nelvana, British Telecom Bond for Broadband

    Nelvana, an international producer and distributor of children’s programming, has extended its video-on-demand operations to Europe via a broadband initiative with British Telecommunications Inc. (BT). Following on the heels of Nelvana’s North American partnerships with Comcast and Rogers (along with preschool broadcaster Treehouse), the deal will first see such series as Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Little Bear, Babar, Max & Ruby and The Fairly OddParents made available to BT customers by late summer/fall of 2006.

    Using their TV sets and set top box by Philips, BT clientele will be able to choose from a wide range of broadband-powered on-demand film, music and television programming with no mandatory monthly subscription fee. The next-generation platform will also offer an interactive and communications service, as well as access to digital terrestrial channels through the aerial.

    “It’s an exciting time for content producers as the promise of on-demand services and next-generation TV platforms is realized through providers such as BT,” says Doug Murphy, Nelvana’s exec VP of business development. “This deal opens the European video-on-demand market to Nelvana’s deep library of animated family programming, and we are proud to have gained this foothold with an innovative partner like BT.”

    Nelvana, owned by Canadian-based media and entertainment company Corus Ent., also handles such popular animated properties as Rolie Polie Olie, Franklin and Beyblade. More information can be found at the Corus website at www.corusentertainment.com.

  • 4KIDS Kicks Ninja Turtles to ITV

    4Kids Ent. Inc. has sewn up a free TV broadcast agreement with ITV Network in the U.K. for the fourth season of the animated favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A slate of 26 episodes is scheduled to launch on ITV early this year, before production begins on a new season of the action-comedy in late 2006.

    The fourth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello taking on all-new adventures, gaining amazing new allies and facing treacherous new foes. In addition to its deal with ITV, 4Kids Ent. recently locked up season 4 commitments from Mediaset in Italy, TF1 in France, Telecinco in Spain, SIC in Portugal, Alter in Greece, TELETOON Canada and Ten Network in Australia. These networks join a global broadcast lineup of outlets for the new show.

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was created in 1984 with the publication of a 40-page, black-and-white, underground comic book by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. From the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the property dominated kids’ entertainment with feature films, an animated series and consumer products. The revitalized franchise is set to gather even more momentum in 2007 when Warner Bros. and The Weinstein Co. release a new CG-animated feature film, produced by Imagi Animation Studios in Hong Kong.

  • Heder Inks Dynamite Deal at Universal

    Napoleon Dynamite star and computer animator Jon Heder and his two brothers have signed a first-look development deal with Universal Pictures. The siblings have set up their own shingle, Greasy Ent., at the studio and will hatch animated and live-action productions.

    Heder and his identical twin, Dan, each received degrees in computer animation from Bringham Young University and had been dreaming of launching their own production company for some time. While Jon has been busy starring in a string of comedies, Dan has been working at Sony Pictures Imageworks as a character animator on Disney’s and Wadlen Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Sony’s upcoming animated Monster House. Doug, the eldest of the three, has been producing skateboarding videogames under Activision’s Tony Hawk franchise.

    In addition to making live-action knee slappers such as his upcoming Will Ferrell collaboration, Blades of Glory, Jon Heder will be a featured voice in Sony Animation’s Surf’s Up, a CG-animated comedy that goes behind the scenes of the competitive world of professional penguin surfing. His character, Chicken Joe, has mastered the 12-inch swells of Lake Michigan and feels he’s ready for some monster waves in the movie, which is slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2007.

  • Hoodwinked Riding High at B.O.

    The CG-animated Hoodwinked proved to be the little indie that could, claiming the top spot at the North American box office over the four-day holiday period, according to estimates. The flagship animated release from Kanbar Ent. and The Weinstein Co. ruled Saturday but slipped to No. 3 for the weekend. The school holiday then gave it a second wind, bringing its take to around $16.6 million, a nice start for a feature produced for less than $20 million.

    Written and directed by Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards and Tony Leech, Hoodwinked Offers a comical new take on the classic Brothers Grimm fable of Little Red Riding Hood. Red (Anne Hathaway), Granny (Glenn Close), The wolf (Patrick Warburton) and the axe-wielding Woodsman (Jim Belushi) all end up under investigation as authorities examine all angles of this famous case of domestic disturbance.

    Industry pundits were left hoodwinked on Saturday as the dark horse contender hit No. 1 with an estimated $5.5 million. The family pic was eventually edged out by Disney’s historical basketball account, Glory Road (est. $13.5 million), and Paramount’s Queen Latifah comedy vehicle, Last Holiday (est. $13 million). For the four-day, Glory Road currently stands at a very close second with an estimated $16.4 million, while Last Holiday weighs in at around $15.7.

    Disney’s and Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe continues to do well at No.4, bringing in an estimated $12.2 million in week 6. Completing the top five is the Lions Gate chiller Hostel, with around $11.6 million. The Eli Roth gore fest was No. 1 last weekend, but, like most horror entries, took a steep dive in week two. But with approximately $36.8 under its belt, the modestly budgeted flick has already made a nice return on its $4.8 million investment.

    You can read all about the making Hoodwinked in the January issue of Animation Magazine, now available in Barnes and Noble stores around the country.