Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • James "Scotty" Doohan Beamed Up

    Our readers who are avid fans of science-fiction are no doubt saddened by the passing of James Doohan, who portrayed Star Trek ship’s engineer Scotty for television, feature films and video games. The 85-year-old Canadian actor had been suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and also struggled with diabetes, lung fibrosis and pneumonia.

    In addition to lending his voice to various interactive Enterprise voyages, Doohan was known to do the occasional cartoon guest spot. Duckman devotees may recall him playing himself in the episode "Where No Duckman Has Gone Before.” However, he was the only living crew member from the original 1966 series to refuse to participate in the Futurama episode “Where No Fan Has Gone Before.”

    Throughout his life, Doohan has proven himself to be every bit as tough as his Scottish on-screen persona. In addition to surviving D-Day as a member of the Royal Canadian Artillery during WWII, he managed to recover from a massive heart attack in 1989.

    As Scotty, Doohan inspired countless students to go into engineering, prompting the Milwaukee School of Engineering to give him an honorary degree in the subject. Among other honors is a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame, which he received in 2004.

    Doohan is survived by his wife of 30 years, Wende, and their three children. He also had four children from a previous marriage.

  • EA to Release Valve Games

    Electronic Arts and Half-Life developer Valve have entered a multi-year, worldwide distribution agreement. The first two games released under the deal will be Half-Life 2: Game of the Year and Counter-Strike: Source. Both will launch this fall for PC, along with EA’s October release of Half-Life 2 for Xbox.

    “At EA Partners, our mandate is to seek out the world’s top studios and game franchises, build partnerships, empower the development teams and help get these great games to more people in more countries than ever before," comments Tom Frisina, VP and general manager of EA Partners.”

    “EA is the worldwide leader in bringing best of breed games, for all platforms, to market,” adds Valve founder and president Gabe Newell. “Valve games have sold over 18 million units at retail since Half-Life shipped in November, 1998. By combining EA’s unparalleled operation structure and distribution channel with Valve’s award-winning development teams and games community, we’ve established an awesome combination for delivering great products to console and PC gamers around the world.”

    Half-Life 2: Game of the Year is a special edition release of the best-selling, award-winning shooter that will include Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Half-Life: Source and Counter-Strike: Source.

    Employing the Source engine, Counter-Strike: Source promises to take the extremely popular online action game to new heights with better graphics, enhanced versions of the classic CS maps, all-new CS maps, offline skirmish play with AI bots and more. The release will also include Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Day of Defeat: Source. For information about Valve and its products, go to www.valvesoftware.com. EA is online at www.ea.com.

  • RTL Buys out U.K.’s Five

    Leading German broadcaster/content provider RTL Group has agreed to acquire the remaining 35.4% of shares in U.K. television station Five, which airs animated content for kids during its Milkshake! block. The GBP 247.6 million transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be finalized in the fall.

    RTL Group became one of the founding shareholders of Five in 1997 when it purchased 29% of shares in the fledgling broadcaster. The German company then upped its stake by 35.4% in 2000 as part of the merger between Pearson Television and CLT-UFA. RTL now owns 100% of Five’s shares.

    Five has steadily grown audience and advertising market share since launching in the late ’90s. In 2003, the outlet posted its first operating profit, reporting revenue of GBP 290 million and a net of GBP 19 million.

    RTL Group CEO Gerhard Zeiler comments, “This transaction demonstrates our commitment to our activities in the U.K. and is in line with our stated strategic objectives. Five is a key shareholding for us and we look forward to continuing to work with the management team to develop the business”.

    Five’s Milkshake! block airs every morning beginning at 6 a.m. and features such animated kids’ series as Peppa Pig, Noddy, Miss Spider, Mechanick, Funky Valley, Franklin, Fifi and the Flowertots and The Save-Ums.

  • Women In Animation Meet at SIGGRAPH

    As this year’s SIGGRAPH gets set to kick off on July 31 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Women In Animation (WIA) is inviting attendees to take part in its 3rd annual Birds of a Feather Meet-n-Greet. The event provides an opportunity for industry professionals and aspiring toon tycoons from all over the world to network, compare notes and learn more about Women In Animation. And, as with all WIA events, there is a special surprise in store.

    The Meet-n-Greet will be held in room 506 of the Convention Center from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 2. For more information, contact info@womeninanimation.org.

  • Vinton Changes Name, Sneaks Moongirl

    Vinton Studios, which was acquired by Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight in 2003, is finally being re-branded after its namesake, Will Vinton, was laid off from the company he created 30 years ago. The animation studio is now operating under the banner LAIKA Ent., and has a number of feature film projects in the pipeline. A sneak peek at its first CG short, the Henry Selick-directed Moongirl, can be seen online at www.laika.com.

    "For the past year, we’ve been creating the infrastructure of a new, independent feature film animation studio,” Knight comments. “Now, with director Henry Selick bringing his unique vision to our creative efforts, our first CG-animated short film is about to make its mark on the film festival circuit, and with a feature film pipeline established, it seemed an appropriate time to tell the world about LAIKA.”

    LAIKA intends to produce animated films in the $50 million to $70 million range, and has greenlit Selick’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Hugo Award-winning children’s book, Coraline, as its first full-length production. Selick will direct the CG feature, which LAIKA will produce in association with former Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman and CEO Bill Mechanic and his Pandemonium films. Mechanic is the producer of the horror flick Dark Water, currently in theaters, and exec producer of Terrence Malick’s upcoming release, The New World.

    It appears that LAIKA will mine kid lit for many of its projects. The company has hired Fiona Kenshole, former publishing director of Oxford University Press Children’s Books, to head its worldwide literary scouting operations. She will be responsible for identifying hot literary properties to adapt for the screen.

    Remarking on the company’s progress, Selick says, “It reminds me of the early days at Skellington Studios where, with the same blend of super strong artists, storytellers and brilliant technicians, The Nightmare Before Christmas was made. Nightmare broke the rules for what family animation was supposed to be and succeeded. And that’s what we’re going to do here at LAIKA, with a great roster of projects including a buddy comedy, a ghost story, a mystical fairytale, and an alternate universe crime story." Selick joined the company as supervising director in May of 2004.

    The advertising division of Vinton Studios, which has produced many animated commercials worldwide, is in the process of expanding its roster of directors and will move under the LAIKA umbrella this fall.

  • Bros. Warner, Weinstein Team for Turtles

    Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo are a step closer to making their big-screen debut as computer-animated characters. The Weinstein Co. and Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Monday that they will join forces to distribute the first all-CG movie based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.

    The yet-untitled Turtles outing is set for release early in 2007 and will be directed by animator/comic-book artist Kevin Munroe from a screenplay he wrote with help from Laird, who will serve as exec producer along with Francis Kao, Gary Richardson and Frederick U. Fierst. Thomas K. Gray and Galen Walker are handling producing duties. The computer animation will be completed by Imagi Animation Studios in Hong Kong, which sold worldwide movie distribution rights to Warner and Weinstein.

    Munroe has been involved with the writing and design of projects for Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, WWE, Fox Kids, The Jim Henson Co., Kids’ WB! Dark Horse Ent., IDW Publishing and Nickelodeon. He also created, wrote, produced, designed and directed the CG Christmas special Donner for ABC, and co-wrote the Imagi feature Cat Tale.

    Laird and Eastman launched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a 40-page, black-and-white comic book published in 1984. Three feature films and an animated series soon followed. The toxically transformed terrapins made their triumphant television return in February of 2003 on Fox’s 4Kids TV in the U.S. The series also airs weekdays on Cartoon Network’s Miguzi afternoon action/adventure block. 4Kids Ent. Inc will handle worldwide merchandising rights for the new movie.

    This latest feature will be rated PG and promises to derive its tone from the original comic-book series, offering a slightly grittier look and feel than the live-efforts of the ’90s.

  • Monster House to Pack 3-D Thrills

    Like The Polar Express before it, Robert Zemeckis’ latest CG project, Monster House, will be presented in stereoscopic 3-D at select venues. This second film to employ Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Performance Capture technology will be released by Columbia Pictures on July 21, 2006, with more than 100 theaters showcasing REAL D’s digital 3-D format.

    “As a leader in visual effects and character animation, we are constantly developing new technologies to enable filmmakers to tell their stories,” says Tim Sarnoff, president of Sony Pictures Imageworks. “REAL D Cinema truly enables a moviegoer to experience a film versus just watching it and we look forward to working with them on such an exciting project.”

    Monster House will offer thrills, chills and comedy as three kids do battle with a mysterious home that is determined to eat every trick-or-treater in sight on Halloween. The film’s voice cast will include Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Jason Lee, Catherine O’Hara, Kathleen Turner and Fred Willard.

    Gil Kenan, whose live-action/animated short, The Lark, won the UCLA Spotlight Award, is directing Monster House from a script by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab and Pamela Pettler. Producers are Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Jack Rapke and Steven Spielberg, and exec producer is Jason Clark.

    Photo: Mitchel Musso and Steve Buscemi on the set of “Monster House”

  • Buscemi, Cleese, Leno Join Exodus to Igor

    Steve Buscemi, John Cleese and Jay Leno have joined Christian Slater in the cast of Exodus Film Group’s CG-animated short film, Igor: Unholy Frijoles. The flick is currently in production and will serve as a forerunner to a feature-length version titled Igor, scheduled to hit theaters in 2007.

    Described by Exodus as an irreverent animated comedy with a new twist on the classic mad scientist/monster genre, Igor tells the story of a mad scientist’s hunchbacked lab assistant who has big dreams of winning the coveted first place award at the annual Evil Science Fair and becoming a mad scientist in his own right.

    Buscemi will voice the role of Scamper, a super-intelligent, yet sarcastic lab rabbit who is brought back to life by Igor after an unfortunate run-in with a fast-moving carriage. Meanwhile, Cleese will lend his voice to Dr. Glickenstein, Igor’s evil and condescending master. Though he’s known for his prominent chin, Leno will be all gray matter as Brian the Brain.

    Written by Chris McKenna, the Igor short and feature are being directed by Emmy winner Fil Barlow and exec produced by seasoned animation exec Max Howard, who has collaborated on such animated blockbusters as Disney’s Lion King and Aladdin, and Warner Bros.’ Space Jam and The Iron Giant. The film’s budgets will come from Exodus’ $50 million film fund, which will also serve production on the CG movies The Hero of Color City and Amarillo Armadillo. Animation for Igor is being handled by ElectroAge.

  • Constantine, Crow Give ’em Hell on Disc

    Timed perfectly to catch Comic-Con attendees as they return home from San Diego, a pair of comic-book adaptations arrive on DVD and VHS this week. Topping the list is the Keanu Reeves supernatural thriller, Constantine, based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer graphic novels by Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello. Also hitting shelves is the direct-to-video entry, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, the fourth movie inspired by the Dark Horse comic-book franchise created by James O’Barr.

    Directed by popular music video helmer Francis Lawrence, Constantine has Reeves playing John Constantine, a mystic detective who has literally been to Hell and back. He teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, and together they investigate a world of demons and angels that exists beneath the city of Los Angeles. Adding to the showdown between good and evil are many effects shots provided by Tippet Studio, CIS Hollywood, Hatch, ESC Ent., Furious FX, Hydraulx, The Farm, Pacific Title and Fantasy II Film Effects.

    The single-disc release of Constantine includes 18 minutes of deleted scenes, including an alternate ending. Those who want a bit more can pick up the deluxe set, which includes an exclusive collectible reprint of Hellblazer Issue #41 “Dangerous Habits” and a Hellblazer short story. Other extras include commentary by comic creators Lawrence, Cappello and Brodbin, as well as Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. There are also a behind-the-scenes documentaries titled The Production From Hell, Imaging the Underworld, Conjuring Constantine–From the Comic Book to Film, Constantine Cosmology–The Mythology Behind the Movie and Foresight: The Power of Pre-Visualization. The Warner Home Video release lists for $28.98 for the single-disc version and $30.99 for the deluxe edition.

    Terminator 2 star Edward Furlong is the latest to become O’Barr’s goth avenging angel for the screen in The Crow: Wicked Prayer. He plays Jimmy Curevo, an ex-con trying to straighten out his life when he and his girlfriend are killed by a biker gang in a satanic ritual. Infused with the spirit of a crow, he rises from the grave to administer his dark justice. The film also stars Tara Reid, David Boreanaz, Dennis Hopper and Emmanuelle Chriqui. Bonus materials include commentaries, deleted scenes, storyboards, galleries and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the R-rated pic retails for $29.99.

    Also coming home today is Earth 2: The Complete Series, a three-disc set featuring all 21 episodes of the short-lived, Emmy-winning sci-fi series. The Universal release lists for $49.98 and includes deleted scenes, extended scenes and outtakes. For kids, there’s Dora The Explorer: Super Babies, which includes four installments of the popular animated series. Paramount has given it a suggested retail price of $16.99.

  • BRATZ Dolled Up for Fall TV Debut

    Those four gals who dared challenge Barbie in the fashion doll biz are taking their love for shopping, hairstyles and hip clothing to the tube with a CG-animated TV series to air this fall on 4Kids TV, 4Kids Ent.’s Saturday morning children’s programming block on FOX. The show will join such popular girls shows as Winx Club, Mew Mew Power and Magical Doremi when the fourth season of 4Kids TV launches on Saturday, Sept. 10.

    Since they hit store shelves in 2001, more than 100 million BRATZ dolls have been sold worldwide. The animated series will expand the world of fashion-conscious Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha and Jade, who will get into adventures as they scoop stories for their hip teen magazine.

    “The BRATZ fans have been asking for a TV show for the past few years,” says MGA Ent. CEO Isaac Larian. “Their wish will finally come true! The people at 4Kids are passionate and entrepreneurial, and we are delighted to be working with them.”

    The fall lineup on 4Kids TV will also feature the debut of the all-new G.I. JOE SIGMA 6 toon series. Returning favorites will include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, One Piece and Sonic X. The block airs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon (ET) on FOX.

  • [adult swim] Visits The Boondocks in October

    Cartoon Network announced that Aaron McGruder’s award-winning, politically charged comic strip, The Boondocks, will premiere on Oct. 2 at 11 p.m. (ET, PT) on its [adult swim] late-night block. McGruder serves as creator and exec producer on the show, which is produced by Rebel Base and Hudlin Ent. in association with Sony Pictures Television. Fifteen episodes are in production.

    Regina King (Miss Congeniality 2, Ray) has signed on to voice streetwise brothers Huey Freeman and Riley Freeman, who are sent to live in a rural town with their cantankerous grandfather, voiced by John Witherspoon (Friday, Next Friday, Friday After Next). Other regular voices will be provided by Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911), Gary Anthony Williams (Malcolm in the Middle), Gabby Soleil (Johnson Family Vacation) and Jill Talley (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie). Guest spots will include Mos Def (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Ed Asner (Elf) and Charlie Murphy (Chappelle’s Show).

    [adult swim] airs Saturday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), and features such toon favorites as Family Guy, Futurama, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

  • Harryhausen Animates Comic-Con

    Legendary stop-motion animator and visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen made an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con Int’l on Saturday. Fans of all ages turned out for his panel discussion, which also featured world-famous sci-fi author Ray Bradbury and beloved Famous Monsters of Filmland editor Forrest J. Ackerman. The three long-time friends discussed their classic works and the state of sci-fi, fantasy and horror in general. Moderating the panel was Sam Weller, author of the Ray Bradbury biography, The Bradbury Chronicles.

    Harryhausen is known for bringing to life mythological creatures and visitors from outer space in such films as The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. Often dubbed the "Father of Modern Visual Effects,” he continues to inspire artists and, at the age of 84, remains active in the creative community. His friend and manager, Arnold Kunert, assured the crowd that the master animator is still working on new projects during his so-called retirement. His recently published autobiography, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life, is set to get a companion release titled The Art of Ray Harryhausen, which will feature concept drawings he made for many of his films. The book is slated for release by the end of the year.

    Bradbury is the author of such enduring works of literature as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. He also penned the Saturday Evening Post short story that inspired the Harryhausen favorite, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. He told the audience that he has delivered to Universal five scripts for a planned film adaptation of Martian Chronicles, which he says has been in development for approximately 8 years, and worked on 15 scripts for Mel Gibson’s proposed adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. He urged, "I want you all to write letters to Universal and Mel Gibson saying, ‘Get off your ass.’"

    Ackerman is a film historian and archivist who has also appeared in many genre films. He recently made his 209th cameo in a made-for-TV thriller titled "Scorned," and revealed that director Peter Jackson is flying him to New Zealand for a 2-day shoot on his remake of King Kong, set to arrive in theaters Dec. 14. Ackerman also mentioned that he is working on an autobiography titled My Life in a Time Machine.

    Harryhausen noted how nice it is to see science fiction and fantasy so embraced today, considering how he and his fellow panelists were once looked upon as being odd for discussing such things as platforms to the moon and life on other planets. To this, Bradbury added, "The reason we’re here today is because it reminds us of when we were 19. We’re all crazy."

    Asked to comment on Peter Jackson’s remake of a certain 1933 classic, Harryhausen stated, "There will always be only one King Kong," referring to the black-and-white original that spurred his interest in becoming involved in the film business. He did, however, offer a vote of confidence for Jackson, saying his version is sure to be better than the 1975 remake produced by Dino DeLaurentis. "If that one had come out when I was 13, I probably would have become a plumber," he joked.

    Harryhausen will be in Santa Monica, Calif. for a gallery showing of his fine art work at Every Picture Tells a Story, located at 1311-C Montana Ave. (across from the Aero Theatre). More information on the event and print sales can be found at www.everypicture.com/artists/250/1/ray-harryhausen.html.

  • Groening Draws Crowd at Comic-Con

    The Simpsons creator Matt Groening was joined by producers, writers and other members of his merry toon crew to dish some new information about the long-running animated FOX series at the San Diego Comic-Con Int’l on Saturday. In adition to spilling some beans about the upcoming season, Groening also discussed the upcoming feature film outing for Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

    Commenting on the Simpsons feature, Groening remarked, "It will have all the things we need to pad it out to 90 minutes. It’ll have songs, dancing and really long end credits." The joking served to stave off fans requesting serious information on the film, which is still very much under wraps. "We’re working on a movie script," he said, again jesting, "There’s about 14 minutes we’ve written."

    The audience was, however, satisfied with Groening’s confirmation that he is working on a direct-to-video feature based on his cancelled FOX animated series, Futurama. He drew applause by declaring, "Futurama lives!" and noted that they are currently in talks with FOX to resurrect the property for the home video market.

    Groening and team were a bit more forthcoming about the future of The Simpsons as a series. He revealed that they are working on a series of Christmas specials in the spirit of the ever-popular "Treehouse of Horror" installments that air around Halloween. One of the Yule Tide episodes will have Homer giving a church surmon on the nativity story, while another will find Mr. Burns and Grandpa stranded on a desert island during WWII. The third special will use the music of The Nutcracker to tell the story of what happens in Springfield during the winter holidays.

    Though The Simpsons is debuting in September this year, episodes will be pre-empted by major league baseball in October. The show’s producers take a shot at the sport in the opening for the new Halloween episode, which they previewed for the audience. The installment opens with aliens Kang & Kodos viewing a baseball game and commenting on how slow it is. They then send down an accellerator beam that speeds up the game considerably, but realize that they still find the sport to be boring.

    Among other revelations about the upcoming series is news that Kelsey Grammer will return as Sideshow Bob in September, and that Patty and Selma will finally get to meet MacGuyver when Richard Dean Anderson guest stars. Actor/filmmaker Rob Reiner has also joined the guest list for an episode. As The Simpsons is known for spoofing movies and other elements of pop cutlture, fans can also look forward to jabs at Mutiny on the Bounty and The Poseidon Adventure, among others.

    When asked if he thought the show was running out of steam, Groening replied, "We jumped the shark so many times, it doesn’t matter anymore." He then referred to the big crowd assembeled for the panel as evidence that the series is still very popular and relevent despite the emergence of new primetime animated series including FOX’s American Dad and the resurrected Family Guy.

    Downplaying rumors of a rivalry between his Simpsons and Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy, Groening noted, "There have always been rivalries. Look at Mad and Cracked magazines, Superman and Bizarro Superman, Charlie Chaplin and Adolph Hitler, Darth Vader and Dr. Doom, Heathcliff and Scooby-Doo, the Teletubbies and the Republican Party. But we’re all friends, and that’s all that matters.

    Groening also addressed request for a DVD release of the original Simpsons shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show in the mid-’80s. "We might release them on cell phones," he said. "That might be a better format because there’s a certain crudeness to them. They look like Bart drew them."

    FOX will begin airing the new season of The Sipmsons on Sept. 11, along with fellow "Animation Domination" staples Family Guy and American Dad. King of the Hill will resume a week later.

  • Golden Ticket Sales for Charlie?

    Raold Dahl’s time-honored children’s book gets another cinematic treatment with today’s release of director Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Warner Bros. release is sure to offer some tough competition for reigning box office champ Fantastic Four from 20th Century Fox, as well as newcomer Wedding Crashers from New Line Cinema.

    Taking on the roll of candymaker Willy Wonka is Oscar nominee Johnny Depp, who also voices the lead role in Burton’s animated Corpse Bride, coming out in September. Twelve-year-old British actor Freddie Highmore, who costarred with Depp in Finding Neverland, takes on the title role of Charlie. Joining the Charlie ensemble are Burton favorites and Corpse Bride contributors Helena Bonham Carter and Christopher Lee, as well as David Kelly, Noah Taylor, James Fox and Missi Pyle. (Depp is said to have upped the freakish factor in his portrayal: His Wonka comes across as a strange mixture of Carol Channing and Michael Jackson.)

    Helping Burton bring his unique visual style to the literary classic are vfx houses Cinesite (Europe), Digital Domain, Framestore CFC, Neal Scanlan Studio and The Moving Picture Company.

    The film is produced by Brad Grey and Richard D. Zanuck from a screenplay by John August (Big Fish). Felicity Dahl, Patrick McCormick, Michael Siegel and Bruce Berman serve as exec producers.

    Director Mel Stuart and star Gene Wilder first brought Dahl’s highly imaginative book to the big screen in 1971 with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which has delighted generations of viewers. Time will tell if Burton’s adaptation can hold up as well. The weekend box office results will prove whether or not moviegoers are even interested in another trip to the chocolate factory.

    Go behind the scenes with Burton and his Charlie crew in this month’s issue of Animation Magazine.

  • Godfather Game Delayed

    Electronic Arts is still set make gamers an offer they can’t refuse, just a bit later than expected. The company announced that it will release its highly anticipated The Godfather: The Game during its fourth fiscal quarter, which ends March 31, 2006. Inspired by the Mario Puzo book by and subsequent Francis Ford Coppola blockbuster, the title will be made available worldwide for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, with a next-generation console version to follow at a later date.

    Developed by EA through a licensing relationship with Viacom Consumer Products The Godfather: The Game will have gamers create their own mob character and relive classic moments from the film in open-world, non-linear action-adventure gameplay. EA says players will have countless choices for solving the family’s problems with violence, skillful diplomacy or a cunning mixture of both. An innovative control mechanic will allow gamers to earn respect through interactions with characters in the world, and decisions made in the game will have lasting consequences.

    “The Godfather is one of the most cherished franchises in entertainment,” says David DeMartini, the game’s exec producer. “Releasing the game in early 2006 allows us more time to perfect the open-world experience of being a member of the Corleone family.”

  • IDT Entertainment Preps New Sci-Fi Anthology for Showtime

    Yes, it’s yet another big news day for the folks at IDT Entertainment as the company announces it film anthology series in conjunction with Industry Entertainment Productions. Under the Masters of Sci-Fi banner, the new one-hour anthology series will feature the works of such masters of the genre as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein and Stanislav Lem. IDT Entertainment and Industry’s first anthology series, Masters of Horror, is currently in production in Vancouver and is set to premiere on Showtime this fall.

    "Our Masters franchise brings works of some of our greatest creative talents to worldwide audiences for the first time through first-class film productions," says John Hyde, COO of IDT Entertainment. "Science fiction is one of the most enduring and popular literary genres so we’re very excited to bring these great works to a huge fan base."   

    "We are excited to have legendary writers such as Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison adapting their own short stories for this project, " notes Brad Mendelsohn, Industry Entertainment’s partner.  "We are concurrently completing deals for other distinguished writers to adapt these fascinating stories."  Final conversations are underway for writer Michael Tolkin (The Rapture, The Player) to adapt and direct Heinlein’s Jerry Was a Man.

    IDT Entertainment will fully finance the anthology, as it did for Masters of Horror. The first 13 episodes are expected to start production in Vancouver this coming March. Worldwide sales and home entertainment distribution will be handled through IDT Entertainment subsidiaries.

    Among the series’ offerings are Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed by Ray Bradbury, "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison, The Hunt by Stanislav Lem and The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells. Also on tap are The Last Question by Isaac Asimov and Jerry Was A Man by Robert Heinlein.  

    Industry Entertainment’s Keith Addis and Brad Mendelsohn are executive producers, while Industry’s Andrew Deane will serve as co-executive producer.

    IDT Entertainment’s subsidiaries include animation studios Film Roman, Mainframe Entertainment, and DKP Studios; home entertainment companies Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment; distribution company IDT Entertainment Sales (IDTeS), and live action production company New Arc Entertainment.

  • Garner Climbs the Mouse Ladder

    Scott Garner has been promoted to senior VP of programming at the Disney Channel, where he’ll continue to oversee the planning and scheduling of all children’s TV content on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, ABC Family and the ABC’s Saturday morning block, ABC Kids. He is also responsible for emerging non-linear platforms such as the pay video on demand service, Disney Channel on Demand.

    Garner’s revamp of the Toon Disney schedule last November, including the expansion of the Jetix block, resulted in a 20% ratings increase with Kids 6-11 and a 33% boost with tweens in the afternoon. Two weeks ago, Toon Disney’s total programming day delivered its best week ever with Kids 6-11.

    Garner will report to Rich Ross, president of Disney Channel Worldwide. He joined Disney Channel in 1999 where he held several jobs including exec director of planning and scheduling and director of research. Prior to the Mouse House, he held positions at Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and the Children’s Television Workshop.

  • AFI Launches Digital Content Fest

    The American Film Institute (AFI) is set to begin its Digital Content Festival on July 20 at its Hollywood campus. The day-long event is intended to showcase the year’s best interactive and digital media from around the world, including content created for television, mobile devices, games and broadband. The program will also feature presentations from AOL, FOX Television, MTV, Showtime, BBC, EchoStar, Comcast, Sprint, (M)FORMA and others.

    The AFI Digital Content Festival is presented by the newly re-launched AFI Digital Content Lab, formerly known as the Enhanced Television Workshop. For more than seven years, this collaborative production workshop has paired television and content companies with technology and design innovators to prototype next-generation interactive applications, many of which are now being brought to market. AFI announces that six companies have been accepted for production or development projects during the lab’s current cycle: A&E Television Networks, Reuters, Simmons Lathan Media Group, Telemundo, WWE and Zodiac Gaming LLC. Past participants include Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, WGBH, ABC, Discovery Networks, HBO, Showtime, MTV and CNN.

    “With the Digital Content Festival, as well as in our year-round Digital Content Lab, AFI raises the bar for content and technology companies alike,” boasts AFI’s director and CEO, Jean Picker Firstenberg. “Our intention is to inspire great work in these exciting new media forms and to provide a common ground for everyone who wants to create great entertainment in our shared digital future,”

    Speakers lined up for the festival include AOL chairman and CEO Jonathan Miller, Sesame Workshop Interactive Media Group VP Paul Marcum, Fox Mobile Entertainment president Lucy Hood, MTV Networks senior VP of digital music and media Jason Hirschhorn, Showtime Networks Inc. president/exec producer of digital Media Chris Lucas and The Interactive Channel (Hong Kong) founder Robert Chua.

    Sponsoring the Festival is microprocessor designer and manufacturer Intel Corp., which was the founding sponsor of the AFI Enhanced Television Workshop. The AFI Digital Content Lab is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Microsoft Corporation.

  • Cartoon Forum Names Finalists

    Cartoon Forum, the annual European animation festival and trade confab, released the list of five films competing for the coveted Cartoon d’Or at this year’s event, taking place Sept. 21-24 in Kolding, Denmark. The European shorts will be competing for 15,000€, to be put towards the production of a series or a feature.

    This year’s finalists are City Paradise by French filmmaker Gaëlle Denis, Falling from Peter Kaboth of Germany, Flatlife by Belgian director Jonas Geirnaert, Jo Jo in the Stars from British filmmaker Marc Craste, and Little Things by Daniel Greaves, also of Britain.

    City Paradise us described as the whimsical and poetic story of a young woman’s arrival in London and her discovery of the language, neighbors and environs. Meanwhile, Falling takes a snapshot of German society as seen through the eyes of a street-sweeper who is sweeping a courtyard between skyscrapers. Flatlife features a jaunty rhythm as it follows the adventures of a group of neighbors plagued by a moody washing machine and nails that won’t stay in the walls. Going further out on a limb, Jo Jo in the Stars finds its title character in love with a trapeze artist in an mysterious town where poetry and tenderness lurk just below the surface. Finally, Little Things humorously explores the minute details of everyday life that can make it so difficult, things like a light with a timer switch and a very long corridor.

    The finalists have been selected from a pool of European films which have taken prizes at Cartoon’s partner festivals: Annecy, Bratislava, Bristol, Brussels, Espinho, Genzano di Roma, Fredrikstad, Stuttgart and Utrecht. The winner will be voted by a jury that includes Aardman co-founder and Chicken Run director Peter Lord; French filmmaker Philippe Leclerc (Les Enfants de la Pluie, aka Rain Children); and Danish director/producer Karsten Kiilerich of A. Film, the studio behind Help! I’m a Fish, Trolls, Terkel in Trouble and the upcoming The Ugly Duckling and Me.

  • COMIC-CON: Microsoft, Marvel Sign MMOG Pact

    Microsoft Corp. and Marvel Enterprises Inc. today announced at the San Diego Comic-Con Int’l that they have entered into a licensing agreement that gives Microsoft exclusive rights to develop and publish massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) featuring iconic superheroes from Marvel’s vast catalog. The games will be developed for the Xbox 360, the company’s next-generation console, and published by Microsoft Game Studios.

    "With this next generation of gaming, Marvel fans will finally have the ability to create choices with their favorite superheroes, villains and creatures in unbelievable detail–all with the power of Marvel’s incredible vision and the Xbox platform,” says Peter Moore, corporate VP of worldwide marketing and publishing for Xbox at Microsoft.

    MMOGs enable thousands of players to interact online simultaneously, and represent one of the biggest areas of growth for the multibillion-dollar interactive entertainment industry.

    Tim Rothwell, worldwide president of the Consumer Media Group at Marvel Enterprises, comments, “The alliance with Microsoft catapults us into the games category in an unprecedented way. We are very excited to be working with Microsoft to bring our fans what we expect will be a world-class online gaming experience. We also believe online gaming will provide valuable, global exposure to our character brands.”

    Specific titles or superheroes to be featured in initial Microsoft releases have not been released. Further details regarding the licensing agreement are expected to be released in the coming months.

    In other Marvel game news, the company has granted Majesco rights to develop games based on its Ghost Rider property, which is in production as a feature film starring Nicholas Cage. Now in development at Climax Group, the first Ghost Rider game is scheduled to ship for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the summer of 2006, in conjunction with the release of the movie from Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.