Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Nickelodeon Animates E-Mail

    If those little punctuation winky faces or emoticons aren’t expressive enough for your online transmissions, you might want to look into Nickelodeon Online’s new NickMail Maker. Launched this week at Nick.com, the animated messaging product for kids is a hybrid of e-mail, instant messenger and do-it-yourself animation applications.

    “We wanted to provide kids with a safe messaging system that allows them to communicate and express themselves in a creative way,” says Mike Skagerlind, senior VP and general manager of Nickelodeon Online. “NickMail Maker offers kids a sense of community by connecting with each other in the Nick.com community, and a chance to explore their creativity by becoming ‘animators’ in their own right.”

    NickMail Maker lets kids choose from a range of animated and still images from The Fairly OddParents and other popular Nick shows. These can then be combined with sounds and backgrounds to create unique messages with help from a kid-friendly dictionary of more than 7,500 words. Available images and effects will be updated each week.

    A demonstration of NickMail Maker is available at Nick.com, but only registered users can create and receive these special messages. The site will also feature a help section to help kids navigate the animation process.

  • Maya 7 Shipping

    Following its unveiling at SIGGRAPH a couple of weeks ago, Alias’ Maya 7 3D modeling and animation software is now shipping worldwide. This latest edition of the award-winning package is available for new and upgrading customers from an authorized reseller or online at www.alias.com.

    "Maya 7’s features were extremely well received at our SIGGRAPH launch earlier this month in Los Angeles," says Shai Hinitz, senior product manager for Alias MotionBuilder, mental ray and Maya. "The new features in Maya 7 that sit atop a solid foundation delivered in Maya 6.5 provide the creative power and reliability Maya represents to so many customers."

    Maya 7 features Alias MotionBuilder full-body IK technology to allow users to animate characters faster, easier and more accurately. The software also delivers new polygonal modeling and UV tools, and gives artists illustration and specialized visual effects tools. These include a new toon shader, advanced render layering technology and faster, more seamless connections between Maya and other production software applications.

    Maya Complete 7 retails for $1999, while Maya Unlimited 7 lists for $6999. Upgrade pricing from Maya 6.5 is $899 for Maya Complete and $1249 for Maya Unlimited. Both Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited are available for the Windows, Linux and Mac OS X platforms.

  • Toon Boom’s Opus Snags Emmy

    The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has honored Toon Boom Animation with a 2005 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for its traditional animation software solution, USAnimation Opus. The package is used around the world by such companies as Walt Disney Television, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Nelvana, China Central TV, Alphanim, Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Warner Bros.

    Opus allows studios to create higher-quality animation at significantly lower cost. The package features digital ink-and-paint, sceneplanning, effects and compositing tools and seamless 2D/3D integration, all in a configurable user interface.

    “We are extremely proud to receive this award and are grateful to the Academy for recognizing the great contribution USAnimation Opus has made to the animation industry targeted for television, comments Toon Boom president and CEO Joan Vogelesang. "Since our vector technology extensively developed in Opus has been deployed to our entire family of products, this Emmy award applies to all of them.”

    Vogelesang’s efforts in promoting the Indian animation sector earned her a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry in 2004. Since 1999, Toon Boom has advocated the potential of India as an animation destination and has established working relationships with a number of successful studios.

    Toon Boom will receive the Emmy statuette at the award ceremony on September 11, 2005, in Los Angeles. The company’s other animation products include Toon Boom Harmony and Toon Boom Studio. Some of the high-profile productions completed with these tools include The Triplettes of Belleville, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Rugrats and SpongeBob SquarePants The Movie. For more information, find Toon Boom online at www.toonboom.com.

  • Fisher-Price is Mission Control for Lunar Jim

    Fisher-Price has been granted the worldwide master toy license for Alliance Atlantis’ new stop-motion animated children’s property, Lunar Jim. The toymaker will develop a line of products including action figures, vehicles and roleplay items scheduled to first roll out in Canada in the fall of 2006.

    Co-produced by The Halifax Film Company and Alliance Atlantis, Lunar Jim promotes problem-solving skills through the adventures of Jim and friends Rover the Robot Dog, Ripple the Super Space Mechanic, Eco the Farmer and T.E.D., the Technical Equipment Device. The pals all live in Moona Luna, a village on the moon, where they cooperate to tackle such tasks finding a missing moon melon and exploring the magical crystal caves.

    The toon series is slated to debut in early 2006 on such broadcast networks as BBC and CBeebies in the U.K., ZDF and Kika in Germany, ABC in Australia, Discovery Communications in Pan Latin America and CBC, SRC and BBC Kids in Canada.

  • Belief Takes Stars to the Edge

    In branding and promoting its latest premium cable outlet, Starz/Encore turned to Santa Monica-based broadcast design and production studio Belief to create a spot featuring dynamic graphics evocative of the name Starz Edge. Working on Apple G5 workstations, the company’s artists employed Adobe’s Photoshop, AfterEffects and Illustrator, as well as Maxon Cinema 4D and Apple Final Cut Pro to craft some stellar whiz-bang to accompany music by Hoobastank.

    “Big, bold and green is the signature look of this new channel, so we strived to create a high-energy spot that would stay on brand, yet also be exciting and impactful,” says Belief exec creative director Mike Goedecke.

    “Through clever use of transitional-type devices, we managed to give the spot a sense of place at the same time as delivering the information we needed to,” adds creative director and designer Richard Gledhill. “By projecting movie clips onto the typography, we could travel in and out of the edit with aggressive camera moves and never lose pace.”

    With the tagline “Flicks and Picks for the New Generation,” Starz Edge offers movies, music videos and fashion-oriented programming. The new spot will be airing the week of Aug 15th across on Starz/Encore channels and other outlets.

    Other Stars/Encore channels include Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand and Starz Ticket. Starz Entertainment Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, can be found on the web at www.starz.com.

    To view this piece, please go to:

    www.belief.com

  • DreamWorks Animation Posts Loss

    DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. reported a net loss of $3.7 million for its second quarter ended June 30. Revenue totaled just $35.4 million, compared to $300.3 million and a net income of $146.1 million for the same period last year. As expected, quarterly results were negatively affected by the dip in home video sales that also plagued competitor Pixar during the frame.

    In a statement, company CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg downplays the problem, commenting, “While we continue to analyze changing trends in the home video market, the performance of our 2004 releases is strong. Shrek 2 remains one of the best selling home video releases of all time, and Shark Tale is the second highest selling DVD of 2005."

    DreamWorks is still facing a class action lawsuit filed by shareholders who feel the company misled them with inflated earnings expectations. The action was brought to court after DreamWorks revealed that it had shipped more copies of Shrek 2 than retailers could sell, resulting in a higher-than-expected return rate. It should be interesting to see how Katzenberg and crew revise their marketing strategy when Madagascar is released on home video on Nov. 15.

    Though it didn’t do Shrek box office, DreamWorks’ comedy about pampered zoo animals left to survive in the African wilderness turned out to be the toon unit’s saving grace. “Results for the quarter are slightly ahead of where we said they would be on our July 11 conference call, driven by the strength of Madagascar consumer products as well as our library,” Katzenberg adds. “To date, Madagascar has performed very well, achieving more than $432 million in worldwide box office, reaching over $242 million internationally.”

    In addition to Madagascar video sales, DreamWorks will be looking to Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit to help boost year-end revenue. Katzenberg is particularly optimistic about the international potential for the stop-motion feature, which hits theaters on Oct. 7. “These characters have a strong fan base overseas and the film allows us to deliver a unique and inventive form of animation to audiences this fall," he says. "While it is certainly different from a CG-animated film, we think it is sure to be a special movie-going experience for the entire family.”

    Beyond Wallace & Gromit, DreamWorks is focusing on completing two new talking-critter movies for 2006. First up is Flushed Away, about a penthouse-dwelling rat who learns how the other half lives in the sewers, followed by Over the Hedge, an adaptation of Michael Fry’s and T Lewis’ popular comic strip about woodland creatures learning to take advantage of the humans encroaching on their habitat.

  • Murray Paws at Garfield 2

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bill Murray (Lost in Translation, Osmosis Jones) is negotiating a second round of voice sessions for 20th Century Fox’s Garfield 2. The actor lent his voice to the fat, orange tabby in the first film, which combined a CG Garfield with live-action footage. Breckin Meyer has already committed to reprise the role of the cat’s owner, Jon, and Jennifer Love Hewitt will make another appearance as his love interest.

    Joining the cast of the sequel are Lucy Davis from the U.K. version of The Office, and Billy Connolly (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events). Davis will play Abby Westminster, high-class animal lover who attempts to unveil the evil plans of Lord Dargis (Connelly). Madcap comedy is sure to ensue when Garfield and Odie get involved in the caper.

    Fox has tapped Tim Hill, writer of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and director of Muppets From Space, to helm the Garfield sequel, which will be overseen by Fox president of production Hutch Parker and vp of production Vanessa Morrison.

    Effects house Rhythm & Hues, which created the CG Scooby-Doo for Warner Bros.’ recent big-screen series, gave Garfield his 3D debut and will most likely get the gig again Garfield 2 is scheduled to arrive in theaters next summer.

  • El Capitan Organist Honored

    This might not be big news to animation fans everywhere, but Angelinos may be interested to know that Rob Richards, house organist at Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre, was named 2005 Organist of the Year by the American Theatre Organ Society. Richards has played the “Mighty Wurlitzer” at Disney’s landmark movie palace since 1999, and has been the opening act for many Mouse House animated features.

    Richards has logged more than 3500 performances to date, touring the U.S., Japan, Australia and the U.K. He has also recorded numerous solo CDs, including the 2003 release Now Playing, performed at the El Capitan.

    Though his musical performances and showmanship, Richards takes audiences back to a time when the moviegoing experience was something special and pre-show entertainment meant more than commercials for Coke and Old Navy. We at the magazine have enjoyed his work for years and just wanted to congratulate him on this award.

  • DreamWorks Gunning for Splinter Cell

    Daily Variety reports that DreamWorks is in negotiations to snatch Paramount’s film rights to Ubisoft’s hugely successful video game, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Clancy’s manager, controversial former Disney president Michael Ovitz, will remain producer.

    The Splinter Cell game franchise centers on Sam Fisher, a member of an elite Black-Ops unit that infiltrates an international terrorist syndicate. To date, gamers worldwide have scooped up more than 12 million units of Splinter Cell titles, including the latest release, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

    While this is the first game-to-film deal for Clancy, Hollywood has adapted a number of the best-selling author’s tech-heavy military intrigue novels, including The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. Clancy has two other games series, Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon.

    Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Very Bad Things) was originally assigned to direct Splinter Cell for Paramount, and even co-wrote a script with J.T. Petty, a writer for the game, and John J. McLaughlin (Man of the House). Should rights go to DreamWorks, the studio would put Daniel Pyne (The Manchurian Candidate) on scripting detail. Clancy will serve as exec producer, along with Ubisoft chief Yves Guillemot.

  • MoMA Preps Tribute to Cal Arts

    It’s an early notice, but this should give you enough time to plan your trip to New York City next spring. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is planning a tribute to CalArts with a film and video exhibition in May of 2006. Celebrating 35 years of inventive and sophisticated student work, this much-anticipated survey will feature films and videos produced by the following departments: Film and Video, Experimental Animation, Character Animation, and Film Directing. Also included are films and videos produced in the MFA program.

    Current students and alum are all invited to submit their films and videos for consideration in this retrospective. You can send your projects, along with resume and any descriptive materials, to:

    Josh Siegel

    Film and Media Curator

    The Museum of Modern Art

    11 West 53 Street

    New York, NY 10019

    Film prints will be returned, but videos (unless they are unique) will not. MoMA curator of the exhibition Josh Siegel also welcomes any suggestions about CalArts graduates and where they might be contacted. You can email him at josh_siegel@moma.org

  • Da Boom Crew Hip-Hops to Cartoon Net U.K.

    Cartoon Network U.K. has acquired the first season of the animated series, Da Boom Crew, from the Berliner Film Companie (BFC). The hip-hop-infused sci-fi comedy-adventure will make its U.K. debut on Monday, Sept. 5, at 5 p.m.

    Da Boom Crew follows the intergalactic adventures of four orphans who are transported into the parallel universe that strangely resembles the video game world they’ve created. The series is created by Bruce Smith, John Patrick White and Stiles White from a concept by Serge Michaels.

    Produced by BFC in association with Jambalaya Studio, Los Angeles, Da Boom Crew airs in the U.S. on Kids’ WB!, where it has been a hit with boys ages 6-14. The series has also been sold to a number of international territories. A second season is now in production.

  • Atomic Betty Explodes on Disc in October

    Cartoon Network’s hit animated series about a pint-sized galactic defender will make its DVD debut on October 18 with the launch of Atomic Betty Volume 1: Betty, Set, Go! and Atomic Betty Volume 2: Betty to the Rescue!

    A co-production of Breakthrough Animation, Atomic Cartoons and Teleimages Kids, Atomic Betty employs Flash animation and some CG to chronicle the exploits of an extraordinary little girl from the Canadian town of Moosejaw Heights. To her friends and family, Betty is the sweet and brainy girl next door. But when the galaxy beckons, she sheds her humdrum persona and becomes Atomic Betty, Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos. The property was conceived by Atomic Cartoons principals Trevor Bentley, Mauro Casalese, Rob Davies and Olaf Miller.

    Atomic Betty debuted on Cartoon Network in the fall of 2004 and now airs in more than 100 countries. The show consistently ranks number one in its time period, prompting Cartoon Network to commit to 52 episodes.

    Both DVD volumes will feature eight 11-minute episodes and bonus features including a music video by Tajja Isen (the voice of Atomic Betty) and an animated interview with villains Maximus and Minimus. Each release will retail for the suggested price of $19.97. For more information on this and other Warner Home Video titles, go to www.whvdirect.com.

  • Corpse Bride to Rise at Toronto

    On the heels of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride will make its North American debut at the Toronto Int’l Film Festival on Saturday, September 10. The film is one of three upcoming releases Warner Bros. will be unveiling at the 30th annual fest next month.

    Corpse Bride is based on a 19th century Eastern European folk tale. Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sleepy Hollow), provides the voice of Victor, a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious woman, voiced by Helena Bonham-Carter (The Wings of the Dove). Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love, played by Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love, Equilibrium).

    The film’s star-studded voice cast also includes Albert Finney (Big Fish, Traffic), Joanna Lumley (James and the Giant Peach, TV’s Absolutely Fabulous) and Christopher Lee (Sleepy Hollow, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars: Episodes II and III).

    Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is produced by Burton and Allison Abbate from a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pettler. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters Friday, September 23. For an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the production, pick up the September issue of Animation Magazine, available now by subscription and at Barnes & Noble locations.

    Warner Bros.’ slate of Toronto debuts also includes the blue-collar drama North Country, from Whale Rider director Niki Caro and starring Charlize Theron (Aeon Flux, Monster), Frances McDormand (Aeon Flux, Fargo) and Sissy Spacek (In the Bedroom, Carrie); and Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black’s directorial debut, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, an action-comedy-thriller starring Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin), Val Kilmer (Spartan) and Michelle Monaghan (Mr. and Mrs. Smith).

  • Vanguard President Braun Joins IDT

    Continuing its recruiting spree, IDT Ent. has tapped Vanguard Animation president and chief operating officer Neil S. Braun to serve as president of feature films and television. Also announced today was the appointment of veteran animation producer and creative affairs executive Jerry Davis as chief creative officer, animated features.

    Before joining U.K.-based Vanguard Animation, Braun served as president of the NBC Television Network, chairman and CEO of Viacom Ent. and president and COO of Imagine Films Ent. At IDT, he will be the lead financial architect for all business deals regarding feature film and television properties. Braun will continue to serve as president and COO of Vanguard, which he co-founded with Shrek producer John H. Williams. IDT Ent. is the principal investor in Vanguard, whose first animated feature, Valiant, will be released in the U.S. by Walt Disney Pictures on Aug. 19.

    As an executive at Blue Sky Studios, the animation arm of 20th Century Fox, Davis was a producer on Robots and a production supervisor on Ice Age. He was also director of creative affairs for Warner Bros. Feature Animation, where he spearheaded the adaptation of Ted Hughes’ classic children’s book, The Iron Giant, and led the pioneering effort to integrate CG and traditional animation in the film version. While at Walt Disney Studios, he worked closely with Pixar as a production executive to bring Toy Story to the screen. In his new role, he will head up the search for, and development of, creative content and talent for all of IDT’s animated feature films.

    "Our company is willing and able to invest in executives and filmmakers who create magical, emotionally resonant family entertainment," says IDT Ent. CEO Morris Berger. "Neil’s and Jerry’s expertise is evidenced by the hundreds of millions of dollars the films they’ve been involved with have earned at the box office."

    IDT Ent., a New Jersey-based division of IDT Corp., has a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce two CG features each year starting in 2007. One animated movie the company has in the works is Yankee Irving, a 1930s father-and-son love story Christopher Reeve was directing at the time of his death.

    Other recent, high-profile IDT hires include former Pixar exec Bob Taylor as exec VP of animation finance, Academy Award-winning former DreamWorks Animation exec Nick Foster as chief technology officer, and former DreamWorks head of artistic recruitment and development Frank Gladstone as VP of artistic development.

  • Dream Ent. CEO Ankles, Forms Shingle

    Dream Ent., the producer of the upcoming feature-length, stop-motion animated action spoof, Disaster! The Movie, announced that chairman and CEO Ehud Bleiberg is leaving the Los Angeles-based company to launch Bleiberg Ent. The new shingle will serve as a vehicle to produce, acquire and handle sales of film and television programming.

    Under terms of the departure, Dream co-founder Bleiberg is taking ownership of 40% of the company’s film titles, as well as the feature film projects Adam Resurrected, a drama based on Yoram Kaniuk’s acclaimed Holocaust novel, and the action-comedy spoof Kill Will. Bleiberg and Dream will share rights and jointly sell a number of projects including Disaster! and the popular Monster Man series.

    Bleiberg comments, "I would like to turn my focus to different types of film and television projects and this new entity affords me the opportunity to pursue these. I know Dream Ent. will continue to thrive under the leadership of its president, Yitzhak Ginsberg."

    "Ehud is one of the savviest entrepreneurs in the industry. We wish him the best of luck with his new venture," says Ginsberg.

    Directed by Roy Wood, Disaster! The Movie features the voices and animated likeness of rock group Mötley Crüe in a zany story that pokes fun at such big-budget Hollywood movies as Armageddon, Twister and Deep Impact. As a giant planetoid hurdles toward Earth, vulcanoligist Harry Bottoms is enlisted by the government to assemble a team to go into space and eliminate the threat. Joined by his estranged daughter, Sandy Mellons, Bottoms must save the day with the help of specialists V.D. Johnson, Hanukah Jonze and Donkey Dixon. More information and animated clips from the film can be found at www.disasterthemovie.com.

  • Dream Ent. CEO Ankles, Forms Shingle

    Dream Ent., the producer of the upcoming feature-length, stop-motion animated action spoof, Disaster! The Movie, announced that chairman and CEO Ehud Bleiberg is leaving the Los Angeles-based company to launch Bleiberg Ent. The new shingle will serve as a vehicle to produce, acquire and handle sales of film and television programming.

    Under terms of the departure, Dream co-founder Bleiberg is taking ownership of 40% of the company’s film titles, as well as the feature film projects Adam Resurrected, a drama based on Yoram Kaniuk’s acclaimed Holocaust novel, and the action-comedy spoof Kill Will. Bleiberg and Dream will share rights and jointly sell a number of projects including Disaster! and the popular Monster Man series.

    Bleiberg comments, "I would like to turn my focus to different types of film and television projects and this new entity affords me the opportunity to pursue these. I know Dream Ent. will continue to thrive under the leadership of its president, Yitzhak Ginsberg."

    "Ehud is one of the savviest entrepreneurs in the industry. We wish him the best of luck with his new venture," says Ginsberg.

    Directed by Roy Wood, Disaster! The Movie features the voices and animated likeness of rock group Mötley Crüe in a zany story that pokes fun at such big-budget Hollywood movies as Armageddon, Twister and Deep Impact. As a giant planetoid hurdles toward Earth, vulcanoligist Harry Bottoms is enlisted by the government to assemble a team to go into space and eliminate the threat. Joined by his estranged daughter, Sandy Mellons, Bottoms must save the day with the help of specialists V.D. Johnson, Hanukah Jonze and Donkey Dixon. More information and animated clips from the film can be found at www.disasterthemovie.com.

  • Magical DoReMi in Bandai ‘s Toybox

    Toymaker Bandai America Inc. has inked a multi-year licensing agreement to serve as master toy licensee for 4Kids Ent.’s anime series, Magical DoReMi. The company has exclusive rights to produce a range of dolls, playsets and role-play items based on the Japanese hit, which makes its U.S. television debut on September 10 as part of the 4Kids TV Saturday morning lineup.

    Magical DoReMi follows the adventures of Dorie, Reanne and Mirabelle, three inquisitive girls who stumble into an old witch’s shop and end up becoming apprentices. With help from their magical fairies, wands and musical melodies, the three seek to become full-fledged witches by learning to cast spells and unlocking the secrets to friendship, love and courage.

    The brainchild of Toei Animation (Dragonball, Digimon, One Piece), Magical DoReMi was one of Japan’s most popular and longest running girls series, with over 200 episodes airing over a four-year span. The show’s merchandising program has also been a big hit in its homeland, grossing more than $100 million at retail.

    Bandai is expected to launch its first round of Magical DoReMi toys at retail in the spring of 2006. The series will air at 8 a.m. (ET) on FOX’s 4Kids TV four-hour children’s programming block each Saturday morning following its Sept. 10 premiere.

  • Naruto Coming to Cartoon Network

    The internationally successful anime series, Naruto, is slated to make its U.S. debut on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. during Cartoon Network’s Saturday Toonami action block. The network picked up 52 episodes of the show, which is adapted from the popular manga series created by Masahi Kishimoto.

    Naruto centers on Uzumaki Naruto, a rebellious ninja in training. Twelve years ago, when he was a baby, the evil Nine Tailed Fox demon was sealed inside his body to stop it from terrorizing The Hidden Leaf Village. For fear that Naruto would abuse the powers inside him and release the demon within, a rule was made forbidding anyone to tell him about the events of the past. Now a teenager, our hero attempts to earn the respect of the villagers by training to become the top ninja.  

    The series first aired in Japan in 2002 and has already built a loyal cult following in the U.S. through DVD sales and bootleg tapes. However, the Cartoon Network premiere will mark the property’s first English-language broadcast.

    “Naruto has reached a level of underground fandom comparable to the Dragonball phenomenon in both the U.S. and abroad," says Bob Higgins, senior VP of programming for Cartoon Network. "We are excited and honored to present Toonami fans with the compelling characters, story arcs and incredible action that have made Naruto an international sensation.”

  • Disney Earnings Up

    As Pixar and DreamWorks take hits due to lower-than-expected DVD sales, Disney reported a 41% gain in earnings per share for its third quarter ended July 2. The company earned $0.41 a share, compared to $0.29 a year ago. Revenues are up 3% to $7.2 billion, with net earnings posted at $851 million.

    President, chief operating officer and CEO-elect Robert Iger says Disney’s strong third-quarter results are due largely to the stellar performance of its largest segment, Media Networks. Attendance at the company’s parks and resorts was also up in conjunction with the global celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.

    Iger is also optimistic about the near future, stating, "Although the studio is facing a challenging environment, we are excited by such upcoming projects as Flightplan, Chicken Little and The Chronicles of Narnia. Also just ahead is the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, which will serve as a platform for growth in the world’s most populous nation.”

    Also affected by the global decline in DVD sales, Disney saw its home video business taper by 15% from last year, when Finding Nemo was flying off shelves in record numbers. Since the studio splits profits with Pixar, it too was negatively affected by the disappointing retail performance of The Incredibles. Meanwhile, Disney-owned ABC TV received a much-needed boost from recent hits such as Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    There’s good news all around for Disney, which yesterday saw a drawn-out court case end in victory. A judge ruled that the company’s board of directors was not guilty of breach of fiscal responsibilities by hiring Michael Ovitz to serve as president and granting him a $140 million severance package a little more than a year later.

  • VU Games on Ludlum’s Case

    Look out, Tom Clancy, there’s another intrigue writer sneeking over the border and into the lucrative interactive entertainment field. Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that it has acquired exclusive global rights to publish games based on the spy novels of Robert Ludlum, the acclaimed author of such bestsellers as The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy.

    “Properties like Bourne and Covert One naturally lend themselves to video games, and we are excited to bring Robert Ludlum’s stories to life in a way that has never been done before,” says Jeffrey M. Weiner, CEO of Ludlum Ent. “Our long-term partnership with VU Games underscores our belief in the creativity and vision that the development team will bring to these exciting new projects.”

    Ludlum, who died in 2001, remains a hot commodity in Hollywood. The phenomenal big-screen success of The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy has led to film adaptations of The Chancellor Manuscript, coming in 2006 from Paramount Pictures, and The Bourne Ultimatum, slated for release in 2007 by Universal Pictures. Other Ludlum yarns to make it to the screen over the years include The Osterman Weekend (1983) and The Holcroft Covenant (1985). His books have sold more than 290 million copies worldwide.