Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Warner Bros. Walks NeoPets to Movies

    Beloved by kids around the globe, the NeoPets are set to go from the Internet to the big screen with help from Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio plans to develop and produce animated theatrical feature films based on new and existing stories and characters featured at www.neopets.com, NeoPets Inc.’s virtual world for youngsters.

    Dylan Sellers (A Cinderella Story, Agent Cody Banks, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London) will produce the feature toon productions with NeoPets Inc. chairman and CEO Doug Dohring. Overseeing production for Warner Bros. Pictures is Aditya Sood. NeoPets, Inc. will co-finance development.

    On the Neopets website, kids create and care for virtual pets. To date, more than 25 million members have signed up worldwide, making it one of the fastest growing web destinations.

    Privately owned NeoPets Inc. is headquartered in Glendale, California. For more information, go to www.neopets.com.

  • Vinton Studios CEO Farnath Out

    Jeff Farnath, CEO of Portland, Oregon-based animation house Vinton Studios, will be stepping down immediately following a breakdown in contract renewal negotiations. The amicable split was announced today by Vinton Studios owner and board chairman Phil Knight.

    Farnath joined Vinton Studios as CFO in 2000, and became CEO in the Fall of 2001. He will remain under contract with the studio as a consultant. Bob Harold, a Vinton Studios board member and 18-year Nike finance exec, will serve as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.

    “Jeff has made a significant contribution to the continued success of this company,” Knight comments. “His stewardship and vision have allowed the Studio to secure its future in the animated feature film business, fortify its position as a leading producer of animated commercials, and attract the very best talent in the industry. We will continue to rely on his input as a valued consultant.”

    Farnath comments, “It’s been an honor to guide the Studio through this exciting and challenging period in its history. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past four years and I know that the extraordinarily talented people at this company will continue to create great work.”

    Most famous for commercial work such as the California Raisins spots and animated TV shows such as the short-lived The PJs and Gary and Mike, Vinton Studios recently made its first foray into features. The studio also hired on Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, who is in production on a CG short titled Moongirl. He will also direct feature-length, animated adaptations of the children’s books Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, and The Wall and the Wing, by Laura Ruby.

    Other recent Vinton hires include storyboard artist, animator, and conceptual artist Mike Cachuela (The Incredibles, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Toy Story, Antz, James and the Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas) and writer/artist Jorgen Klubien (Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2, and A Bug’s Life). Klubien most recently wrote and illustrated the original concept for Pixar’s upcoming feature, Cars.

    As it aggressively pursues prominence in the feature film arena, Vinton Studios is focused on adapting kid lit properties. To this end, the company has hired former Oxford University Press Children’s Books publishing director Fiona Kenhsole to head up its worldwide literary scouting operations.

  • CSI: Miami Clues in on Mo-Cap

    Video game production schedules are typically murder on development teams, but when a motion-capture performer ends up dead on the set, it’s a job for the crime scene investigators of CSI: Miami. Guest-starring professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, a recent episode of the hit CBS series features VICON motion capture cameras as a key to solving the case.

    The episode, which aired Monday, March 21, has Hawk and other athletes being recorded with an array of VICON’s high-speed, high-resolution optical motion capture cameras. The data collected on the set is then loaded into the VICON iQ software and used by the CSI team to find the cause of the mysterious death.

    VICON mo-cap systems are used by such major game makers as Microsoft Games Studios and Sony Computer Entertainment of America. In addition, creative tools and services provided by VICON and its sister companies, 2d3 and House of Moves, are heavily utilized in the production of visual effects for motion pictures such as Titanic and The Polar Express.

    According to VICON, its next-generation VICON MX real-time optical motion-capture systems usher in ultra-high-resolution, virtually artifact-free capture with VICON MX40, the world’s first four-million-pixel motion capture camera.

  • VU Games Sews Up Radical Buy

    Vivendi Universal’s VU Games unit has completed its acquisition of Radical Ent., the independent console game developer behind such hit titles as The Simpsons: Hit & Run, The Simpsons: Road Rage and The Hulk. Radical officially joins VU Games’ stable of development studios and publishing labels, which includes Blizzard Ent., Sierra Ent. and Massive Ent.

    Radical will remain in Vancouver, Canada, with company founder Ian Wilkinson serving as president. The company, which employs more than 200 people, is now in development on Scarface, Crash Tag Team Racing, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and other multi-platform titles to be released by VU Games this year.

    VU Games’ library of more than 700 titles features owned intellectual properties includes Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Empire Earth, Leisure Suit Larry, Ground Control and Tribes.

  • Peak Ent. Hops On Muffin the Mule

    Now that The Magic Roundabout has been dusted off and re-launched, Peak Ent. Holdings plans to do the same with another vintage British kids series. The company has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to Maverick Ent.’s Muffin the Mule, a 60-year-old BBC show that will be introduced to a new generation as an animated preschool series.

    “Within the last few years, the consolidation of the entertainment industry has created a ‘hunger’ for classic children’s programming," says Phil Ogden, managing director and co-founder of Peak. "Muffin the Mule epitomizes this category.”

    Muffin the Mule has been commissioned by the BBC and is expected to launch on CBBC (Children’s BBC) in the fall of 2005.

    Peak’s other properties include Monster Quest, The Wumblers, Little Big Feet, Countin’ Sheep, and Snailsbury’s Tails. For more information, go to www.peakentertainment.net

  • Lions Gate inCG Foodfight!

    Lions Gate hopes to get its family film business back on track by co-producing and distributing an upcoming computer-animated feature titled Foodfight!. This flagship project for the newly minted Lions Gate Family Entertainment will feature the voices of pop star siblings Hilary and Haylie Duff, and will be animated at Larry Kasanoff’s Threshold Animation Studios.

    Foodfight!, a film about what goes on in a supermarket after closing time, is directed by Kasanoff from a script by Brent Friedman, Rebecca Swanson and Sean Derek. Kasanoff and George Johnsen are handling producer duties and Lions Gate Family Ent. exec VP Ken Katsumoto is overseeing for the studio.

    To cut down on render time, Threshold has teamed with IBM to use its IBM On Demand Center, a high-powered render farm. The producers also plan to help the budget out by forming promotional partnerships with companies whose products and characters are commonly found in supermarkets. Mr. Clean and Charlie Tuna are reportedly among the well-known cartoon pitchmen who will show up in the film.

    Now in production, Foodfight! is slated for theatrical release in the fall of 2006.

  • Pixar Gives Investors Two-for-One Split

    The board of directors at Pixar Animation Studios has approved a two-for-one split of the company’s common stock and authorized a proportional increase in the number of common shares from 100 million to 200 million.

    Shareholders of record at the close of trading on April 4, 2005 will receive one additional Pixar share for every outstanding share held on the record date. Trading will begin on a split-adjusted basis on April 19, 2005.

    Pixar, whose six films have grossed more than $3.2 billion at the worldwide box office, is riding high on the phenomenal theatrical and home video success of The Incredibles, its latest CG feature produced in association with the Walt Disney Co. The last film under the Disney partnership, Cars, is set to arrive in theaters in on June 9, 2006.

  • Pooh’s Heffalump Movie on Disc in May

    Following a moderately successful theatrical run, DisneyToon Studios’ latest trip to the Hundred Acre Woods is making its way to home video on May 24. The new adventure starring A.A. Milne’s classic characters will be accompanied by a number of special features, including interactive games and activities.

    Directed by Frank Nissen (Man the Polluter), Pooh’s Heffalump Movie has young marsupial Roo strike up a friendship with Lumpy, an imaginary creature known as a Heffalump. The friendship is tested when Pooh, Tigger and the rest of the gang venture into Heffalump territory hoping to capture what they think is a fearsome nuisance. The entertaining film also aims to teach a lesson about accepting differences.

    The film was written by Brian Hohlfed (Piglet’s Big Movie, A Very Merry Pooh Year) and Evan Spiliotopoulos (Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers). Hohlfed is developing a Winnie the Pooh series for the Disney Channel.

    Bonus materials featured on the DVD will include a Roo and Lumpy set-top hide ‘n’ seek game, a featurette titled Welcome to the Family, Lumpy, a Disney song selection and DVD-ROM printable coloring pages and Rubledoodles recipe. The Buena Vista Home Entertainment release will list for $29.99.

  • PSP to Evoke Midnight Madness

    It used to be that ravenous music fans would line up in front of record stores at midnight to get their hands on the latest CD from the likes of U2 and Guns ‘n’ Roses. Recently, however, we’ve seen that kind of fevered anticipation over video games like Halo 2, and new gaming technologies such as Sony’s eagerly awaited PSP (PlayStation Portable). The new rockstar of the hand-held gaming market will kick off its North American retail launch at the stroke of midnight on March 24.

    The PSP rollout will see Sony Computer Entertainment America host special events at Sony Style Retail in Manhattan and the PlayStation Store at the Metreon in San Francisco. Attendees will be treated to sneak peeks at new games, giveaways, surprise appearances and more. Carson Daly, host of NBC’s Later with Carson Daly, will be the master of ceremonies at the New York event, where one lucky consumer will purchase the first PSP in North America.

    Having already taken Japan by storm, The PSP will arrive in North America with a Value Pack priced at $249.99. The handheld will allow users to play games, watch movies, play music, view photos and surf the web via Wi-Fi wireless LAN. The first one million Value Packs shipped will even include a special UMD video release of the Sony feature film Spider-Man 2. A line-up of 24 titles will be available around launch time, with an additional 100 titles currently in development worldwide.

  • McDonalds Makes Pixar Pals

    As if kids needed another reason to nag parents for a trip to the golden arches, McDonalds restaurants are sweetening specialty meals with toys from a number of hit Disney/Pixar films.

    In support of last week’s DVD release of The Incredibles, customers who order a Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal through April 14 will receive one of eight retail-size action figures. The self-standing toys with articulated features include Mr. Incredible and Dash from The Incredibles; Nemo and Dory from Finding Nemo; Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan from Monsters, Inc.; and Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

  • Cameras Roll on Superman

    Warner Bros. today announced the start of principal photography on Superman Returns, the latest big-screen incarnation of the DC Comics franchise. Under the direction of Bryan Singer (X2: X-Men United, X-Men, The Usual Suspects), cameras began rolling in Sydney, Australia, where filming is scheduled to continue through mid-August.

    Filling in the big shoes left by Christopher Reeve, newcomer Brandon Routh is taking on the dual role of Clark Kent and his super-powered alter-ego. A 25-year-old Iowa native, Routh previously appeared in episodes of the TV series Cold Case and Gilmore Girls. Kate Bosworth (Beyond the Sea, Blue Crush) plays love interest Lois Lane and Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey (Beyond the Sea, American Beauty) takes a turn as the villainous Lex Luthor. Also on board are James Marsden (X-Men) as Richard White, Eva Marie Saint (North By Northwest) as Martha Kent, Parker Posey (Blade: Trinity) as Kitty Kowalski, Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) as Stanford and Sam Huntington (Detroit Rock City) as Jimmy Olsen.

    Singer comments, “Rather than being a remake of the original movie, this film explores Superman’s influence on our global culture and the impact of his return to Earth after an absence of several years. It’s my great pleasure to bring this new chapter of the Superman legacy to the screen with this incredible cast.”

    Superman Returns is slated for release on June 30, 2006. Jon Peters is producing through his Peters Ent., in association with Singer’s Bad Hat Harry Prods. Singer and Gilbert Adler are also listed as producers, and Chris Lee is exec producer. The screenplay was written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris.

  • Spidey Villain Goes to Church

    Following his Oscar-nominated co-starring turn in the breakout indie hit, Sideways, Thomas Haden Church is entering the Rogues’ Gallery as the new baddie in Spider-Man’s life. The actor has been tapped to join the cast of Spider-Man 3, though studio is keeping a tight lid on which classic comic-book villain he will portray for the big screen.

    Church will play opposite returning stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in the third installment of the franchise, which has grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide. As Spidey’s latest archenemy, Church joins the ranks of accomplished actors Willem Dafoe, who played the Green Goblin in the first film, and Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2’s tentacled Doc Ock.

    “In addition to the on-going relationship between Peter Parker and M.J., these films are driven by the great actors who have brought our villains to life,” says director Sam Raimi. “Thomas Haden Church will be a fantastic and challenging new nemesis and we all look forward to working with him.”

    Before Sideways, Church was best known for playing Lowell Mather on the TV sitcom Wings from 1990 to 1995. He starred in, co-wrote and directed the 2003 comedy Rolling Kansas and recently played a small but pivotal role in the James L. Brooks feature, Spanglish. As he prepares to take on the web slinger, the in-demand thespian will provide one of the voices in upcoming live-action/animated feature adaptation of E.B. White’s classic children’s book, Charlotte’s Web.

    Produced by Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios’ Avi Arad, Spider-Man 3 will go into production early next year and is slated to arrive in theaters on May 4, 2007.

  • X-Men 3 Gets Director

    The superhero movie news keeps rolling in as Daily Variety reports that British director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) has been hired to helm X-Men 3 for 20th Century Fox and Marvel Ent. Vaughn inherits the franchise from Bryan Singer, who has moved on to direct Warner Bros.’ Superman Returns, now filming in Australia.

    Vaughn produced the Guy Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch before going on to direct the hit Brit gangster pic, Layer Cake. Starring Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), the film will get a U.S. release by Sony Classics this spring.

    The trade reports that Vaughn is also being considered to direct upcoming Harry Potter and James Bond films.

    Though negotiations with several of the franchise’s stars are still in the works, production on X-Men 3 is scheduled to start this summer with hopes of a Memorial Day 2006 release.

  • Clone Wars Waged on DVD

    Star Wars: Clone Wars, Cartoon Network’s Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed animated extension of George Lucas’ beloved space opera, touches down on home video today. Designed to bridge the gap between the second and third episodes of the film saga, the well-received toon microseries has also done its part to get fans psyched for the May 19 release of Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.

    Directed by Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky with art direction by Paul Rudish, Clone Wars chronicles some of the epic battles that are eluded to in the opening scroll of Episode III. The final chapter even introduces General Grievous, an awesome new villain who will figure prominently in the next movie.

    All 19 three-minute chapters and the five-minute-long Chapter 20 are assembled together in this release, which offers a host of special features. An exclusive featurette titled Bridging the Saga: From Clone Wars to Revenge of the Sith features new interviews with Lucas, Tartakovsky, and the Clone Wars production crew, and also offers a glimpse of Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2. There’s also commentary by Tartakovsky; a behind the scenes featurette; two galleries of concept art, storyboards and sketches; trailers for Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the Episode III video game; and a playable game level from Star Wars Republic Commando for Xbox.

    The DVD arrives just out one day after Cartoon Network kicked off the all-new Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2. The new chapters, each extended to 12 minutes in length, will air through Friday at 7 p.m. (ET/PT).

  • Flintstones, Scoob, Ghost, Dora on Disc

    A mix of classic and modern TV favorites arrive on DVD with today’s crop of home video releases. The complete third season of The Flintstones shares retail shelves with a set of Scooby-Doo capers, episodes of the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and a handful of Dora the Explorer installments.

    The Flintstones: The Complete Third Season is a four-disc set that includes 28 episodes of the evergreen Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 1960s. Bonus materials include a featurette on Flintstones collectibles and First Familes of the Stone Age: Spotlight on the Bedrock Wives. The Warner Home Video release lists for $44.98.

    Moving into the 1970s, another Hanna-Barbera classic gets the four-disc treatment as The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies comes to DVD. The release includes 15 episodes, as well as extra features such as the featurettes The Hanna-Barbera Kennel Club Roasts Scooby-Doo, Uptown with Scooby-Doo and the Harlem Globetrotters and Girls Rock: Spotlight on Daphne and Velma. The set is available from Warner Home Video for the suggested retail price of $64.92.

    Anime fans can pick up Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex–Volume Five, featuring episodes 17-20 of the acclaimed series based on the groundbreaking animated film, Ghost in the Shell. The set includes an interviews with mechanical designers Kenzi Teraoka and Shinobu Tsuneki, director of photography Koji Tanaka and 3D director Makoto Endo. Released by Anchor Bay Ent., the title lists for $17.49. Also available is a deluxe edition, which comes packaged with a collectible ID card and DTS disc, and retails for $29.98.

    For the young ones, Paramount Home Entertainment offers up Dora the Explorer: Big Sister Dora. In addition to four episodes of the Nick Jr. series, the release includes a search game, Nicktrition tips for parents, a Baby Nick Jr. music video and learning/problem-solving aids. The disc lists for $16.99.

    Also available today is Fat Albert, the 2004 live-action, big-screen adaptation of the cartoon favorite. Directed by Joel Zwick, the film stars Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson as title tub of coolness, who finds himself and the rest of the Cosby Kids pulled out of their TV existence and into the real world. Included are extended scenes, commentary by Zwick and producer John Davis and a featurette titled Fat Albert: Behind the Band. The Fox Home Entertainment release carries a suggested retail price of $29.98.

  • BVITV Makes Powell Sales Director for U.K., Ireland

    Catherine Powell has been appointed sales director, UK and Ireland, for Buena Vista International Television (BVITV). Effective April 1, the move puts Powell in charge of U.K. free and pay TV distribution of BVITV’s portfolio, which includes the ABC series Desperate Housewives and Lost, as well as Jetix Saturday morning toon programming, ABC News and the upcoming vfx-laden feature, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    Powell joined BVITV in June 2004 as creative director of the Portfolio Development Group, where she was responsible for the organization’s formats and local production activity. Before that, she worked for BBC Worldwide, covering TV sales for Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East from 2003 to 2004. From 2000-2003, she managed TV sales across Germany from the company’s Berlin office. Powell joined BBC Worldwide in 1997, focusing on TV sales for Spain and Portugal.

    Powell will report to Alison Homewood, VP of sales for BVITV EMEA, which is headquartered in London, with local sales teams in Munich, Rome, Madrid and Paris.

  • Tartakovsky Going to 3D Side

    At Saturday’s conclusion to the American Cinematheque’s two-night tribute to Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky in Hollywood, the Star Wars: Clone Wars helmer revealed that he is leaving behind his signature 2D style as he makes the leap to feature films. In addition to some news about Tartakovsky’s upcoming projects, attendees were treated to the world premiere of Star Wars: Clone Wars–Volume 2, an engrossing finale to the well-received toon extension of George Lucas’ fantasy saga.

    "I tried to pitch some 2D features, but it was a nightmare," Tartakovsky noted. "I was just trying to get $10 million pictures made, but no one wanted to do it." He pointed to director Brad Bird’s successful transition from the 2D world of Family Dog, The Simpsons and The Iron Giant to the Pixar blockbuster, The Incredibles. "That’s a 2D guy doing 3D," he said with much admiration.

    Tartakovsky assured fans that he is not finished with traditional animation. "I will return to it eventually," he said. "If I do a few good 3D movies, hopefully I’ll get to do something in 2D because there’s nothing like watching drawings."

    The screening of Star Wars: Clone Wars–Volume 2 was met with uproarious applause. Tartakovsky noted that they were up most of the night working to complete it for the premiere event, and thrilled fans when he mentioned that George Lucas hadn’t even seen it yet.

    According to Tartakovsky, Lucas has been very hands-off with the animated series, giving him and his Cartoon Network crew a lot of creative freedom in relating the events that happen between Star Wars: Episodes II–Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith. He said one of the things that lured him back to do another season was the opportunity to explore new elements of the saga and show things that have never been brought to the screen, such as a Jedi knighting.

    "I said, ‘What is a Jedi knighting? How does that go?’" Tartakovsky recalled. He then shrugged his shoulders and imitated Lucas saying, "I don’t know."

    The Clone Wars team was also given the daunting responsibility of depicting the epic invasion of Coruscant, a task that Tartakovsky said had him a little scared because it was a major event in the overall storyline and he didn’t want to let the fans down. Judging by the reaction of the audience, he didn’t disappoint.

    Another instance where Lucas gave Tartakovsky and his artists a great deal of liberty is the introduction of General Grievous, one of Episode III’s major villains. Tartakovsky said all they had to go on was a piece of concept art, and notes that the character has since gone through some significant changes for the big screen. "Our Grievous and the movie’s Grievous are very different," he revealed.

    The Tartakovsky love fest continued as Brian Miller, senior VP and general manager of Cartoon Network Studios, presented the animator with a solid silver statuette of Samurai Jack that was custom sculpted by an artist in Argentina. Miller lamented the fact that Tartakovsky was moving on, but noted, "He will always be a part of the fabric of the network."

    Star Wars: Clone Wars–Volume 2 kicks off tonight, March 21 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Cartoon Network. The five new 12-minute episodes will air through Friday, March 25.

  • Earthworks Digs Corneil and Bernie

    Having won over toon fans in primetime on Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons outlet, Corneil & Bernie will soon be heading to retail outlets near you. Earthworks Ent. announced today that it has acquired rights to the animated property for all areas of merchandise licensing.

    Airing Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday nights on Nicktoons, Corneil & Bernie chronicles the misadventures of Corneil, a pampered dog genius whose secret life is turned upside down when he is placed in the care of Bernie, a bizarre dog-sitter. The series is created and producer by global animation powerhouse and marketing company Millimages.

    Earthworks, which also owns rights to the Z–Force and Nine Dog Christmas animated properties, operates in all areas of commercial licensing, including TV/home video, toys, video games, music, books, leisure and play items, gifts and novelties, theme parks, food and drink promotions and apparel. More information on the company and the Corneil & Bernie property, go to www.EarthworksEntertainment.com.

  • Ring Reigns Over Robots

    Chills prevailed over chuckles at the North-American box office over the weekend. After one week at the top of the charts, Fox Animation’s Robots slipped to No. 2 as DreamWorks’ horror sequel, The Ring Two, scared moviegoers to the tune of an estimated $36 million.

    Robots enjoyed another strong weekend, pulling in nearly $22 million to bring its two-week cume to around $67 million. Though the film is on track to make a nice return on its reported $75 million investment, especially when it hits home video, Fox execs must be disappointed that it isn’t performing as strongly as recent CG hits such as DreamWorks’ Shrek 2 and Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles. Fox’s own flagship 3D toon, Ice Age, also did better when it opened in March of 2002 to $46 million on its way to $382 million worldwide. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is in production for release in 2006.

    The Ring Two made a splash despite negative reviews. The film employs digital effects by Rhythm & Hues in continuing the story of a murdered child who uses electronic media to reach out from beyond the grave–or the well, in this case. The film was directed by Hideo Nakata, who helmed both the original Japanese version of The Ring and its sequel.

    Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures holds the No. 3 and No. 4 spots with The Pacifier and Ice Princess, respectively. In its third week, the Vin Diesel family comedy added $12.5 million to its cumulative take, now at around $72 million. Meanwhile, the tween-targeted Ice Princess debuted to a frigid $7 million. Six-week holdover Hitch from Sony Pictures rounds out the tip five with an estimated $6.6 million as it inches toward a $160 million total.

  • Sony Eyes Marvel’s Killraven

    With all of the major comic book superheroes picked over by Hollywood, some of the lesser-known caped crusaders are getting a shot a the big screen. The latest adaptation news comes from Sony Pictures, which is working to strike a deal with Marvel for screen rights to its Killraven propery, according to Daily Variety.

    Introduced in the 1970s, the Killraven comics follow the futuristic exploits of a gladiator who rises to lead a group of revolutionaries against alien invaders who have enslaved the human race.

    Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle) is reportedly being courted to script the feature film, which Marvel head Avi Arad and Angryfilms’ Don Murphy would produce. Murphy is now spearheading New Line Cinema’s feature adaptation of Marvel’s Iron Man, with Nick Cassavettes (The Notebook, She’s So Lovely) directing.

    After spinning box office gold with its Spider-Man and X-Men franchises, Marvel found moderate success with 2003’s Daredevil but misfired with last year’s spin-off, Elektra, and its 2004 stab at The Punisher. The company’s next comic-to-screen effort, Fantastic Four, is set to arrive in theaters during the 4th of July weekend. Also in the pipeline is Ghost Rider with Nicolas Cage in the starring role and Daredevil helmer Mark Steven Johnson in the director’s chair.