Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • IDT, 20th Century Fox Pact for Toons

    IDT Ent., which has been snatching up animation and vfx studios left and right since its establishment in November of 2003, now has a major studio to distribute its animated features. Twentieth Century Fox has signed a two-year, multi-picture deal to distribute computer-generated theatrical releases produced by the subsidiary of IDT Corp.

    “IDT Ent. has taken an important step towards its goal of producing and arranging distribution for its quality feature films,” says IDT CEO Jim Courter. “Just as IDT’s unique blend of excellence and efficiency caused a revolution in the telecommunications industry, IDT Entertainment’s combination of high-quality animation and streamlined production is bringing innovation to the creation of computer generated films.”

    Jim Gianopulos, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, adds, “We are impressed with IDT Ent.’s commitment to building a strong production team. Fox Home Entertainment had already established a relationship with IDT Ent.’s Anchor Bay Ent., and we are pleased to build on that via this new theatrical distribution deal with IDT Ent.”

    One toon feature IDT Ent. has in the works is Yankee Irving, the film Christopher Reeve was directing at the time of his death. Set in a 1930s America populated with a mix of human and non-human characters, Yankee Irving is described as a father-and-son love story in which a little boy must overcome life’s difficulties. At last reporting, IDT was hoping to have the film distributed sometime in 2006.

    Reeve was one of several celebrities tapped by IDT to help facilitate its emergence as a computer animation powerhouse. IDT’s DPS Film Roman is working with crooner Harry Connick Jr. on a one-hour, 3D-animated holiday special titled The Happy Elf, while its Canadian CG animation house, Mainframe, is working on the direct-to-video animated feature Boom Boom Goes the Circus with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

    IDT Ent.’s subsidiaries include animation studios Film Roman, Mainframe Ent., and DKP Studios, as well as distributors Anchor Bay Ent., Manga Ent. and IDT Ent. Sales (IDTeS). The company also owns a minority stake ion Stan Lee’s POW! Ent., and is developing animated fare with the noted comic-book creator.

  • Disney, Pixar In “Really Good Discussions”

    Disney president, chief operating officer and CEO-Elect Bob Iger spoke at the Deutsche Bank’s 13th Annual Media/Telecom Conference on Tuesday, mentioning that striking a new deal with Pixar is still a possibility, and that both sides are striving to come to a compromise.

    “We’ve had really good discussions,” Iger noted. “The goal is, to use Steve [Jobs]’s terms, see where we can reach common ground, which is basically trying to determine what are the critical issues for both companies and is there a deal that makes sense for both sides? Obviously, we’ve not gotten to that point, but we haven’t gotten to the point where we’ve decided there’s a deal that doesn’t make sense, either. The fact that we’re having a dialog is a really good thing and it’s been really healthy. We’ve gotten to understand the issues that are important to both sides, whether they’re financial, creative or both.”

    Iger praised Pixar’s creative abilities, stating, “In my opinion, Cars is a great movie." However, his words on Disney’s own Chicken Little seemed a bit more tempered. "We think it is a really strong movie," he said. "The more we’ve seen it and the more work that’s done on it, the better we feel about it. I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people and excite a lot of people–hopefully shareholders."

    As Disney works to keep its investment modest when dealing with live-action features, Iger indicates that the majority of the studio’s resources will be channeled into animation. He commented, "I liken our theatrical-release animations as giant wave machines that have the ability to create a ripple effect across so many of our businesses–online, theme parks, our games business, publishing and all the other consumer products businesses and TV. So it’s really important for us that we get that right."

    Reiterating key strategic priorities for Disney, Iger named creativity and content creation as main c\focal points. "We think that’s the heart and soul of the company, where we need to allocate most of our money, our time and our people resources as well," he remarked. One new franchise set to launch is Fairies, which draws it inspiration from the classic Tinkerbell character from Peter Pan. Fairies will initially roll out as a publishing vehicle but Iger said the studio is already developing movies and TV shows based on the property.

  • New Line Eyes We3 Comic Book

    Mini-majorDaily Variety reports that New Line Cinema is working out a deal to acquire rights to the comic book series We3, published by DC Comics under its Vertigo label. If the buy goes through, New Line will likely develop it as a live-action feature starring a trio of CG-animated stars.

    Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, We3 centers on a dog, a cat and a rabbit who escape from a secret military program that has transformed them into armor-suited assassins. With the military on their tails, the furry fellows must then find their way back home to their former lives as domestic pets.

    AngryFilms’ Don Murphy (Natural Born Killers) is attached to produce the film with Susan Montford (Disney’s upcoming remake of Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service) and Rick Benattar (TV’s Twisted Tales). Murphy has previous experience adapting comics for the big screen, having produced 20th Century Fox’s moderately successful takes on the Alan Moor graphic novels The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell. Benattar is listed as a producer on DreamWorks’ upcoming Real Steel, a futuristic robot boxing drama to be directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines). That pic is slated for 2006.

  • Disney Suit Allowed to Proceed

    It looks as though Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold will get their day in court as the Delaware Chancery Court ruled in favor of their lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co. and certain members of the Board of Directors. The case will move forward with an expedited trial date set for August.

    Dissatisfied with the process by which The Walt Disney Co. selected a new CEO, Roy Disney and business partner Gold filed suit on May 9, 2005, alleging that the Board misled shareholders in order to get incumbent Board members re-elected at the 2005 meeting, and to keep Disney and Gold from running an alternate slate of directors.

    In addition to The Walt Disney Co., the suit names incoming CEO Bob Iger, outgoing Mouse House topper Michael D. Eisner and Board members Judith L. Estrin, John S. Chen, Aylwin B. Lewis, Monica C. Lozano, George J. Mitchell and Leo J. O’Donovan. Gold and Disney accuse the defendants of fraud and breach of the duty of disclosure.

    Disney and Gold allege that only one external candidate was interviewed to replace Eisner, and that she was told that she was not a serious candidate. Furthermore, they contend that Eisner’s presence at interviews was intended to chill full consideration of qualified external candidates.

    In his ruling, Chancellor Chandler states, “Should these allegations be proven, plaintiffs could be entitled to the relief they seek because the board’s statements materially misled plaintiffs with respect to the board’s intent to conduct a bona fide executive search process.”

    Disney and Gold are asking the court to void the 2005 directors election and hope to compel the company to hold another election for directors after full and fair disclosure of all material facts about the CEO selection process.

  • Jay Jay on Course for 100th Episode

    Porchlight Ent. has begun production on ten new episodes of its hit PBS KIDS series, Jay Jay The Jet Plane. The new installments will introduce an interactive mystery element and a new Latina character as the CG-animated preschool show reaches the 100-episode milestone.

    The new Jay Jay episodes will introduce Spanish language words and Hispanic cultural elements, all within a new mystery-solving interactive format. The returning animated characters will be joined by Lina, a 4 year-old bilingual bi-plane, and Montana, an adventurous story-spinning pontoon plane.

    "We’re excited to offer our viewers more Jay Jay through new interactive episodes," says Linda Simensky, senior director of PBS KIDS programming. "Kids have enjoyed watching Jay Jay and his friends over the years and now they’ll get to meet new characters in a new format."

    The renewed television distribution commitment from PBS will make the first ten new episodes available on PBS Plus in October 2005, with another ten episodes planned for 2006.

    Each new half-hour Jay Jay episode on PBS KIDS will feature a 12-minute Jay Jay’s Mysteries interactive episode, followed by a classically formatted 12-minute installment. Clues to puzzle-mysteries such as "What is gravity?" and "What makes a rainbow?" will be woven into each story and the answer will be revealed at the end of the show. Kids can also play Jay Jay games online at www.pbskids.org/jayjay.

  • Halo Delivered to Studios

    Microsoft on Monday deployed a small squadron of costumed Master Chief look-alikes to deliver its approved Halo screenplay to prospective studios. Having generated upwards of $600 million in the past four years, the video game property will surely be the subject of an intense bidding war as studios vie to bring it to the big screen.

    In an unusual quality control move, Microsoft hired screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days Later) to pen its own Halo script, rather than selling the film rights to the highest bidder and risking poor treatment of its prized franchise. Despite their popularity, so many video games have failed to make a splash in theaters due to lackluster Hollywood efforts. Flops that immediately come to mind include adaptations of Atari’s Alone in the Dark and Sega’s House of the Dead, both directed by Uwe Boll. The German filmmaker is now finishing his cinematic take on Majesco’s BloodRayne with star Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).

    According to Daily Variety, Garland was paid $1 million to craft his Halo script, which was given thumbs-up by both Microsoft execs and principals at Bungie Studios, the developer of the best-selling games. The trade also reports that Microsoft is looking for a $10 million sale and 15% of grosses.

    Given its competition with Microsoft in the game sphere, Sony has been all but ruled out as a potential buyer, and genre heavyweight New Line Cinema has reportedly passed on the project. Microsoft hopes to secure a deal soon in order to get the film into production by early 2006.

    Developed exclusively for Xbox, the original Halo has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and spawned a legion of devotees who participate in competitions, tournaments and game nights. Halo 2 was released in November of 2004, grossing roughly $125 million on its first day at retail before going on to sell more than six million units.

  • Pink Panther Pushed to ’06

    The panther will take on the monkey as Sony Pictures moves The Pink Panther from its intended Aug. 5 debut to Feb. 10, 2006, the same day Universal plans to release its 2D-animated Curious George feature. A prequel to the classic Peter Sellers film franchise, the new Pink Panther stars Steve Martin as the bumbling, but effective, Inspector Clouseau, and will feature a new 3D version of Friz Freleng’s and David DePatie’s animated Pink Panther character.

    The push back is reportedly due to Sony’s recent acquisition of MGM, the studio originally behind the pic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony says it wants to give its marketing department more time to properly launch what it hopes will be a franchise tentpole.

    This is the third time the film’s been moved around in the release schedule. It was originally slated to debut July 22, but was pushed to late September before shifting back to August. MGM execs said at the time that they felt the movie would play better as a Summer release.

    Directed by Shawn Levy, The Pink Panther also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno and Beyoncé Knowles. Though the movie is mostly live-action, the animated feline will show up in title sequences as he did in the original films.

  • New Line Eyes We3 Comic Book

    Mini-majorDaily Variety reports that New Line Cinema is working out a deal to acquire rights to the comic book series We3, published by DC Comics under its Vertigo label. If the buy goes through, New Line will likely develop it as a live-action feature starring a trio of CG-animated stars.

    Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, We3 centers on a dog, a cat and a rabbit who escape from a secret military program that has transformed them into armor-suited assassins. With the military on their tails, the furry fellows must then find their way back home to their former lives as domestic pets.

    AngryFilms’ Don Murphy (Natural Born Killers) is attached to produce the film with Susan Montford (Disney’s upcoming remake of Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service) and Rick Benattar (TV’s Twisted Tales). Murphy has previous experience adapting comics for the big screen, having produced 20th Century Fox’s moderately successful takes on the Alan Moor graphic novels The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell. Benattar is listed as a producer on DreamWorks’ upcoming Real Steel, a futuristic robot boxing drama to be directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines). That pic is slated for 2006.

  • Father of the Pride is Mane Event on Disc

    Following a brief run on NBC, DreamWorks’ computer-generated primetime comedy series, Father of the Pride, makes its way to home video today, June 7. The release features all fourteen episodes of the short-lived show, including the original, unaired pilot and three never-before-seen installments.

    Father of the Pride delves into the secret lives of animals working in Siegfried and Roy’s Las Vegas act. The show boasts a celebrity voice cast that includes John Goodman, Cheryl Hines, Carl Reiner and Orlando Jones, and features gust spots by Danny DeVito, Lisa Kudrow and Andy Richter, among others.

    The series was created by Jeffrey Katzenberg, developed by Jonathan Groff and produced by Ron Weiner, Mary Sandell and Ken Tsumura. Katzenberg’s fellow exec producers are Jon Pollack, Jonathan Groff, Jon Pollack and Peter Mehlman. Siegfried and Roy served as co-exec producers, along with Joe M. Aguilar, Cheryl Holliday, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Bernie Yuman. Directing duties went to Mark Risley with The Simpsons alum Klay Hall serving as supervising director.

    Father of the Pride: The Complete Series will retail for the suggested price of $29.99. Bonus features include commentary tracks and complete scripts of unproduced episodes. There’s also a behind-the-scenes featurette titled The Lost Tale.

    Also arriving on shelves today is Spider-Man: The Venom Saga, featuring select episodes from Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which originally aired in the mid-’90s. The compilation focuses on the epic battle that begins when an alien element falls into the wrong hands, turning Eddie Brock into Spider-Man’s evil doppelganger. Extras include five exclusive episode introductions by Spider-Man creator Stan Lee, Stan Lee’s Soapbox featuring more words of wisdom from the comics legend, and The Venomous Web, a featurette that reveals Venom’s origins as a comic-book villain. The Buena Vista Home Entertainment release lists for $19.99.

    Young anime fans will enjoy The Best of Tokyo Pig, a home video release featuring eight episodes of the cartoon series that aired on ABC Family during the 2002/2003 season. Produced by Miramax Television, the show was created by Seiji Horibuchi and exec produced by former Miramax topper Harvey Weinstein. Tokyo Pig immerses kids in the magical world of Spencer, a super-intelligent third-grader who has the power to make anything he imagines come to life. One thing that sprouts from is imagination is Sunny, a very extraordinary pig who shares in Spencer’s whimsical adventures. Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the DVD carries a suggested retail price of $19.99.

  • Anchor Bay Nabs Manga Anime for Canada

    IDT Ent.’s Anchor Bay will replace Sony Music Video as the Canadian distributor of the entire Manga Ent. catalog starting July 18. Manga, which was purchased by IDT last year, produces and distributes Japanese animation, boasting a catalog that includes Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Blood: The Last Vampire, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Street Fighter Alpha, Perfect Blue, X, Macross Plus, Dead Leaves and Read or Die.

    Anchor Bay, which already distributes Manga titles in the U.S., will offer its first new Canadian release, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 7, on July 26. The DVD set will contain four half-hour episodes that conclude the first season of the critically acclaimed anime TV series based on the manga by Shirow Masamune. The second season will be available in the fall of 2005.

    Manga Ent. was established in London by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in 1991, and saw a U.S. arm formed in July of 1994. Manga has offices in London and Tokyo, and is headquartered in Chicago. More information on the company can be found at www.manga.com.

    Anchor Bay Ent., IDT Ent. and IDT Corp. can be accessed online at www.anchorbayentertainment.com, www.idtentertainment.com and www.IDT.net.  

  • Ultimate Spider-Man Collection Hits eBay

    Wealthy fans of Marvel Comics’ friendly neighborhood webslinger will be logging onto ebay to bid on what is being called the largest private Spider-Man memorabilia collection in the world. Being auctioned through Giving Works, eBay’s dedicated program for charity listings, the lot includes more than 1000 Spider-Man items collected over a 30-year period by Ilia Carson-Letelier, co-owner of Meltdown, one of the largest comics and collectibles stores on the West Coast.

    “This was a huge part of me, but it was time to let it go,” says Carson-Letelier. “I wanted to help children with the proceeds of this auction–my own son as well as the wonderful kids of Starlight Starbright (SLSB), who deserve to see their dreams come true.”

    Among other things, the highest bidder will receive original art used in one of the earlier issues of the comic book, vintage Spider-Man personal appearance costumes from three different decades and Spider-Man cuff links given only to Marvel execs.

    Bidding starts as $80,000 and 10% of the final sale price will go to Starlight Starbright, whose mission is to transform the lives of seriously ill children through imaginative programs that educate, uplift and foster a sense of community.

    Gazin Auctions, the auction management company behind the sale, expects a major collector, entrepreneur or museum to jump at the opportunity to acquire the unusual collection while benefiting a worth cause.

    Special items from the collection are available for viewing prior to and during the eBay auction at Meltdown in Los Angeles at 7522 West Sunset Blvd. To see the auction on eBay, go to www.ebay.com/spider.

  • Massive Grows with Version 2.0

    Massive Software has announced the shipping of Massive 2.0, an updated version of its Academy Award-winning 3D animation system for AI-driven characters and digital stunts. The new release adds such features as Smart Stunts, fully anti-aliased viewing of agents and scenes, facial blend shape support, new motion tree workflow and a host of updates designed to streamline and speed the software’s overall operation and UI.

    First used by director Peter Jackson to achieve the epic battle sequences in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Massive has since been adopted by many top film, television and commercial studios to produce realistic CG crowd and stunt animation featuring digital characters that can be multiplied fill the screen with hundreds of thousands of virtual extras.

    The Smart Stunts functionality allows for dynamic digital stunts based on motion capture data, while facial blend shape animation helps vfx crews produce hero-quality animation for characters placed close to the camera. Users can also create more realistic behavior with Massive agents that now remember things and base their actions on what they’ve seen and experienced. Those agents can also create foot prints, ant trails and other traces of movement with the new agent painting tool.

    Other new features includes audible agent sound, more efficient rendering, the ability to load animated background images into a camera and enhanced tutorials.

    Massive 2.0 is available now with permanent interactive licenses priced at $18,000, plus $4,000 per year for updates and support. Additional licenses can be leased as needed for $2,000 per license, per month, including support. For more information, call (310) 837-7878 or go to www.massivesoftware.com.

  • Plonsters Invade the U.S. Via Earthworks

    Dutch-based Telescreen has signed Earthworks Ent. to represent the U.S. television, home video and merchandise licensing rights for the popular animated series The Plonsters. Earthworks will handle the property through its newly minted brand management division, headed by veteran industry exec Cathy Malatesta.

    For more than 20 years, The Plonsters has been entertaining young viewers in Europe and beyond with its clay-animated adventures of Plif, Plops and Plummy, three funny and friendly little monsters who can morph themselves into any shape they choose.

    “We are tremendously pleased to be working with Telescreen on The Plonsters,” comments Earthworks president Peter Keefe. “It will be an absolute pleasure to share this most remarkable property with the U.S market and we strongly believe that millions of children here will fall as madly in love with these happy little monsters as kids have throughout the rest of the world.”

    Produced by Egmont and Anima Studios, the latest Plonsters series is proving to be a hit for such major international broadcasters as Nickelodeon U.K., Canal+ in France, the ARD & NDR Networks in Germany, ABC in Australia, NRK in Norway, TV12 in Singapore and TVNZ in New Zealand. More information on the series can be found at www.EarthworksEntertainment.com.

  • Loonatics Cast Unleashed

    Warner Bros. Animation announced today that it has cast a number of award-winning toon voicers for the latest evolution of the classic Looney Tunes characters. Slated to premiere on Kids’ WB! this fall, Loonatics Unleashed will feature the vocal talents of Emmy winner Rob Paulsen (Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky & The Brain, Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs), Emmy nominee Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman, The Matrix Revolutions), Annie nominee Candi Milo (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends ¡Mucha Lucha!) Charlie Schlatter (Pet Alien, Butt-Ugly Martians), Jason Marsden (Spirited Away, Static Shock) and newcomer Jessica DiCicco (The Buzz on Maggie).

    Loonatics Unleashed is an action-comedy-adventure series that leaps seven hundred years into the future and introduces the superheroic descendants of the Looney Tunes gang. Living in the year 2772, in the perpetual twilight of Acmetropolis, are Ace Bunny (Schlatter), Lexi Bunny (DiCicco), Danger Duck (Marsdsen), Spaz B. Wilde (Richardson) Rev Runner (Paulsen) and Tech E. Coyote (Richardson). Milo voices the mysterious Zadavia, who dispatches the Loonatic team on their top secret missions.

    Guest stars lined up to join the Loonatics include Academy Award-nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (Sin City, The Green Mile), Emmy winner Tim Curry (Valiant, The Wild Thornberrys), Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Missing), Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants, The Batman) and Phil LaMarr (Pulp Fiction, Mad TV).

    Curry will play a nefarious carnival barker bent on mutating all of Acmetropolis. Other episodes will Duncan playing a gravity-defying social menace who does his best to bring the Loonatics down, while Fox voices a nocturnal villainess bent on blinding all around her with smooth-as-velvet traps. Henderson will show up as an embittered academic rival of Tech E. Coyote and Kenny trades his pineapple under the sea for a throne as a futuristic robotic Viking. Finally, LaMarr plays an envious athlete who covets the Loonatics’ amazing super powers.

    "We’re thrilled to have such an incredibly talented voice cast and innovative creative team bringing this all new show to life," comments Warner Bros. Animation president Sander Schwartz. "As it joins the Warner Bros. family, this Looney Tunes-inspired series for new generations of cartoon fans is sure to be an exciting addition to the lineup of hit shows on Kids’ WB!." 

    "As we broaden our audience with more dual-gender programming, Loonatics Unleashed is a perfect fit for Kids’ WB!, with larger than life action, irreverent comedy and relatable characters, offering something for everyone," adds Betsy McGowen, senior VP and general manager of Kids’ WB!

    Loonatics Unleashed is produced by Warner Bros. Animation under the guidance of exec producer Sander Schwartz, Emmy Award-nominated producer Ron Myrick, story editor Rick Copp and creative execs Christopher Keenan and Megan Casey.

  • DIC, Nickelodeon Int’l Pact For Trollz

    Nickelodeon International has acquired the exclusive cable, satellite and pay TV rights for Trollz, the all-new animated series from DIC Ent. The deal grants Nick outlets in 69 territories worldwide access to 27 half-hour episodes of the comic adventure series based on the classic spiky-haired doll property. The show will reach young viewers in such markets as Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Latin America, Asia (including Japan), India, Australia and New Zealand.

    In addition to Nickelodeon International, Trollz has been picked up by such leading terrestrial broadcasters as TF1 in France, CBBC in the U.K., Mediaset in Italy, RTVE in Spain, Club RTL in Belgium, Alter TV in Greece, Televisa in Mexico, Saran in Turkey, RTE in Ireland), TVI in Poland and TV New Zealand.

    The 2D-animated Trollz follows the adventures of five best friends who live by the credo "B.F.F.L.," (Best Friends for Life). Taking a page from those highly successful BRATZ gals, these pixie characters are interested in fashion, hair, shopping malls and parties, but also weave a little magic into their typical tween adventures.

    In April 2004, DIC acquired the worldwide entertainment and licensing rights to the 50-year-old Troll characters from the Troll Co. and is re-launching the brand with the help of such high-profile partners as master toy licensee Hasbro, master publishing licensee Scholastic, Warner Home Video, master apparel licensee Mamiye Broz and worldwide wireless content provider One World Interactive.

  • Madagascar Delivers B.O. TKO

    Having seen Sith, moviegoers got caught up on their big-screen toon viewing over the weekend, bumping DreamWorks’ Madagascar up a notch to the No. 1 spot. The latest CG feature outing for Jeffrey Katzenberg and crew raked in an estimated $28.7 million in its second week, delivering a knock-out punch to director Ron Howard’s aggressively promoted period boxing pic, Cinderella Man.

    Directed by Eric Darnell (Antz) and first-timer Tom McGrath, Madagascar shot past the $100 million mark domestically. Ticket sales for the animated pic fell only 39% from its opening week, despite the arrival of Universal’s Russell Crowe-led biopic and fellow newcomers Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants from Warner Bros. and Lords of Dogtown, Sony’ Pictures’ non-fictional account of the birth of modern skateboarding.

    Cinderella Man, based on the life of depression-era pugilist Jim Braddock, was no Cinderella Story for Universal. The $88 million baby punched up just $18.6 million in box office receipts, debuting at a disappointing No. 4 behind 20th Century Fox’s Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith.

    George Lucas’ latest space epic earned an estimated $26 million in its third week, bringing its domestic total to around $308 million. Still, the flick dropped from No. 1 to No. 3, finishing behind Paramount’s remake of The Longest Yard. The Adam Sandler/Chris Rock prison football comedy held onto second place with around $26 million, scoring an impressive $95 million in just two weeks.

    Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, based on the popular tween-targeted novel of the same name by Ann Brashares, fills out the top five with a $10.2 million debut. Meanwhile, Lords of Dogtown failed to catch air, opening at No. 6 with approximately $5.7 million.

  • Vizrt Acquires Curious Software

    Norwegian 2D/3D software company Vizrt Ltd. has acquired all assets of privately-held Curious Software Co. Ltd., maker of the World Maps solution for creating maps and geographical animations for TV and video. The deal was concluded for $5 million in cash, with up to an additional $4 million in ordinary shares of Vizrt to be paid to Curious shareholders upon reaching certain milestones over the next year.

    Curious Software, which boasts around 500 customers worldwide and earned approximately $2.8 million in revenues during the last fiscal year, is being fully being integrated into Vizrt. Curious products are replacing the inferior Vizrt map systems and 13 Curious staff members are joining the Vizrt team, which grows to 148 people.

    All Vizrt’s graphics products, all powered by the single-core Viz|Engine renderer, have been employed in conventional digital and high-definition content delivery by such leading broadcasters as CNN, CBS, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today and NHK. More information on the company can be found at www.vizrt.com.

  • Stargate SG-1 Cast Aboard Game

    The long-running science-fiction TV series, Stargate SG-1, is moving into the game sphere and lead members of the cast have signed on to lend their voices and likenesses to the production. Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping and Christopher Judge will reprise their popular roles for the console title Stargate SG-1: The Alliance.

    In the game, as with the show, Anderson’s character, Jack O’Neal, will use his extensive military training to lead the team to otherworldly adventures. The title is being developed by Sydney, Australia-based Perception for JoWooD Productions Software AG and MGM Interactive.

    Stargate SG-1 originated on premium cabler Showtime before finding a new home on SCI-FI channel. The hit series about interstellar military travelers is now into its 8th season with a 9th currently in production. A spin-off series, Stargate: Atlantis, premiered on SCI-FI last year and has also established a loyal following.

  • American Dad Gets Second Season

    The animated exploits of government agent Stan Smith and his atypical nuclear family will continue into the next fall TV season. Daily Variety reports that FOX has ordered another 13 episodes of the comedy series co-created by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy scribes Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman.

    Part of FOX’s "Animation Domination" Sunday night lineup, American Dad has done the network proud in the 9:30 slot, benefiting from a strong lead-in push by the newly resurrected Family Guy. American Dad premiered on May 1 and did well enough to prompt FOX to bump the 13-episode order up to 19 the following week. This latest requisition brings the installment number to a healthy 32, ensuring plenty of work for the production crew.

    The early success of American Dad has also given Weitzman and Barker a two-year, seven-figure development deal at FOX, where they will foster the creation of new shows, both animated and live-action. A handful of new American Dad episodes will debut over the summer leading up to its 2005-2006 season premiere.

  • MOMA Opens Studio Ghibli Exhibit

    The Museum of Modern Art in New York City today launches Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata: Masters of Animation, a 13-film tribute to the two founders of Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli. The screenings will be held in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, and are scheduled to continue through Thursday, June 30.

    Covering the works of Miyazaki and Takahata from 1974 to the present, the exhibit will be highlighted by the June 6 North American premiere of the eagerly awaited Howl’s Moving Castle, with director Miyazaki in attendance. Disney will give the film a limited theatrical run starting June 10.

    Other films to screen during the month include Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992), Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), as well as Takahata’s Heidi–A Girl of the Alps (1974), Grave of the Fireflies (1988) and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999).

    Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata: Masters of Animation is organized by Barbara London, associate curator of MOMA’s Department of Film and Media. Support has been provided by Walt Disney Studios, The Japan Foundation and the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art.

    For more information on the series and other MOMA events, go to www.moma.org.

    Read our cover story on Howl’s Moving Castle in the July issue of Animation Magazine, available now by subscription and at Barnes & Noble locations.