Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Motley Crue in Stop-Motion Disaster!

    The bad boy rockers of Motley Crue are taking their legendary antics to the world of animation with a cameo role in Disaster! The Movie, an upcoming stop-motion comedy feature film from Los Angeles-based production company Dream Ent. A specially created animated short and footage from the film will also be incorporated into the band’s eagerly awaited “Red White & Crue Tour 2005–Better Live than Dead,” presented by VH1 and VH1 Classics.

    An animated spoof of such films as Armageddon, Twister and Apollo 13, Disaster! The Movie has a rag-tag team of space cowboys on a mission to stop a giant planetoit from colliding with Earth. The film takes cues from the Airplane! movies, firing jokes in rapid succession and relying heavily on visual gags. The irreverent and raunchy humor aims mostly below the belt with plenty of jokes about sex and other bodily functions. We’ve seen much of the movie and can tell you it’s really funny.

    Disaster! is directed by Roy Wood, who worked on MTV’s Celebrity Death Match. Wood brought other Death Match alumni on to animate the feature, which has a similar look and feel as the series. The animation puppets are constructed with a combination of clay, silicone and foam over wire armatures.

    The screenplay by Paul Benson and Matt Sullivan has been circulating around Hollywood for a number of years and has generated a lot of interest but was widely considered too expensive for live-action. After seeing Wood’s reel, Dream Ent. founders Ehud Bleiberg and Yitzhak Ginsberg saw a way to do it fairly inexpensively with animation. Bleiberg and Ginsberg produced the film and the Crue tour short, along with John Glen, Travis Wright and Even Astrowski.

    Members of Motley Crue lent their voices to the feature and short film, which will open each show on their tour. The group’s involvement with the picture came about when band member Nikki Sixx saw clips of the movie and asked Dream Ent. to create animation for their stage shows.

    “These guys are f***ing brilliant,” Sixx comments. “With their help, the Crue is out to save the world from imminent disaster. Disaster! The Movie just adds to the circus atmosphere surrounding this tour.”

    Motley Crue is currently working with MTV Films/Paramount on a film based on their best-selling biography, Dirt. Several major directors are said to be interested.

    Disaster! is scheduled for worldwide release later this year, with several distributors in the U.S. and Europe currently bidding on the finished production. We recently visited the set and will have more behind-the-scenes information for you soon. Until then, you can check out clips from the film at www.disasterthemovie.com. To stream the Motley Crue footage, go to www.motley.com.

    March 7, 2005

  • Scribe Swamped with Shrek 4

    Daily Variety reports that writer Tim Sullivan has been tapped by DreamWorks to pen a script for Shrek 4. Sullivan, best known for his hit 1995 British romantic comedy, Jack and Sarah, contributed to several other animated features for DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg before submitting his pitch for the fourth installment in the hugely successful Shrek franchise.

    DreamWorks has begun pre-production on Shrek 3, which is at present slated to hit theaters in May of 2007. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? scribes Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price have been brought on to craft a script that will reportedly pit the big, green ogre against the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

    The studio is also planning a Puss In Boots spin-off feature, which may end up going straight to video. David H. Steinberg (Slackers, American Pie 2) is crafting a script and Antonio Banderas is on board to reprise his feline role. Banderas will also return for Shrek 3, along with Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy.

    DreamWorks Animation aims to produce two major computer-animated features a year. In addition to the third and fourth Shrek outings, the slate includes Madagascar (May 27, 2005), Wallace & Gromit (Oct. 7, 2005), Over the Hedge (May, 2006) and Flushed Away (fall 2006).

  • BioWare Recruiting at GDC

    If you want to be part of the team that developed Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, you might want to head down to this years Game Developers’ Conference (GDC) in San Francisco next week (March 7-11). Edmonton, Canada-based BioWare Corp. says it is expanding its development team and will be at the annual event looking for qualified applicants for a variety of positions across numerous disciplines.

    BioWare, named one of Canada’s top 100 employers for 2004 and 2005, is currently recruiting 3D graphics programmers, technical artists, senior writers and many others. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the company at the GDC Career Pavilion, Booth #365.

    On April 14, BioWare will release the highly anticipated Jade Empire, a martial-arts role-playing Xbox game for publisher Microsoft. The company is also gearing up to produce a PC RPG titled Dragon Age, as its Technology Architecture Group (TAG) develops its next- generation game-engine technology for PC and console, the BioWare Eclipse Engine.

    In addition to its presence at the Game Developers Conference, BioWare will take its recruitment efforts to college and university campuses across North America. Those unable to attend these events are encouraged to visit the BioWare jobs website at http://jobs.bioware.com to see a listing of available positions.

  • Atari, Spark Ignite Partnership

    Video game giant Atari has inked an exclusive deal for worldwide publishing rights across all media to all future titles developed by Spark Unlimited, the award-winning creative team behind the recent hit Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Through the deal, Atari plans to have long-term access to Spark’s creative capabilities.

    Atari president and CEO Jim Caparro comments, “We are focused on working with innovative teams like Spark to launch and cultivate franchises which fully embrace the all-encompassing entertainment experience. With a track record for creating compelling, unique stories and characters, Spark is an ideal collaborative partner.”

    Spark is currently developing the first title to emerge from the partnership. Atari plans to exploit the yet unnamed next generation console game across film, television and consumer products. Atari says the project will be unveiled in the spring, in advance of its 2006 Holiday season release.

    Since its release in November 2004, Spark’s best-selling Call of Duty: Finest Hour received a BAFTA award for Best Audio in a Game, and was nominated for Best PlayStation 2 Game of the Year. In addition, it was named Best Military Game at Spike TV’s second annual Video Game Awards.

    Spark Unlimited was founded by 27 members of the team that developed titles in the Medal of Honor console and PC series, which includes Medal of Honor Frontline, Medal of Honor Allied Assault, Medal of Honor Underground and the original Medal of Honor.

  • Davey and Goliath in Hallmark’s Easter Basket

    Hallmark Channel will air Davey and Goliath Happy Easter on March 27 at 12:30 p.m. ET/PT and 11:30 a.m. Central. The 30-minute, stop-motion-animated show from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) first aired in 1967 as part of the regular TV series that followed the faith-based adventures of young Davey Hansen and his talking dog.

    In Davey and Goliath Happy Easter, Davey visits his grandmother with plans of attending the Easter pageant at church with her. When grandma dies before the holiday, Davey is overwhelmed with sadness until he learns about Jesus’ resurrection. A viewer’s guide for the Easter special is available at the property’s official web site, www.daveyandgoliath.org. The site also offers downloadable coloring and activity pages based on the special.

    Kristi S. Bangert, director of marketing and interpretation for the ELCA Department for Communication, says the organization is in the process of restoring frame by frame all 65 episodes and six specials of the original Davey and Goliath television series. Once the process is completed, the installments will be made available on DVD.

  • Robots Special Tonight

    Here’s a reminder for those of you eagerly awaiting the March 11 release of 20th Century Fox’s CG-animated feature, Robots. Fox Television will air a half-hour, behind-the-scenes special on the film tonight, March 4, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

    Titled Assembling Robots: The Magic, the Music and the Comedy, the special will feature a look at the computer animation process, as well as commentary from the filmmakers, interviews with the voice cast and an exclusive first look at an extended scene from the movie. Viewers will also be treated to the world-premiere of the Robots music video.

    From director Chris Wedge and other creators of Ice Age, Robots stars Ewan McGregor as the voice of Rodney Copperbottom, an android inventor in a world populated entirely by automatons. With hopes of meeting master inventor Bigweld (Mel Brooks), Rodney journeys into Robot City, where he finds adventure and meets a variety of interesting characters. The voice cast also includes Robin Williams, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear and Amanda Bynes. The feature was designed and exec produced by writer/illustrator William Joyce (Rolie Polie Olie).

  • TELETOON Premieres Bromwell High

    Canada’s TELETOON is taking adult viewers back to high school with the premiere of Bromwell High on Monday, March 7, at 10:30 p.m. The new comedy about three exceptionally naughty schoolgirls, one maverick headmaster and a bunch of desperate, underpaid teachers will air regularly on Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. during the broadcaster’s adult animation block, The Detour.

    Bromwell High takes place on the grounds of a sub-standard, under-funded, overcrowded, graffiti-scarred secondary school in South London. The three main characters are Keisha Marie, the dim-witted but tough girl; Latrina, a teenage Lolita; and Natella, a pint-sized Einstein.

    A TELETOON original production, Bromwell High is co-produced by the U.K.’s Hat Trick Prods. and Canada’s Decode Ent. The Hat Trick team includes Anil Gupta, producer of the award-winning BBC hit comedy, The Office, which is being reworked for U.S. audiences by NBC for air this fall.

    Also joining the Detour lineup this month is The Venture Brothers, which will make its Canadian debut on Sunday, March 13 at 10:30 p.m. Following its premiere, the series will settle into a regular spot at 1 a.m. on Fridays. The show about idiot fraternal twins who travel around the world with their scientist father and family bodyguard currently airs during Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block in the U.S. Jackson Publick, who wrote for The Tick animated and live-action series, created the half-hour comedy, which is produced by New York-based animation studio Noodlesoup Prods.

  • Christian Slater Has Hunch for Igor

    In the recent video game-inspired feature film, Alone in the Dark, Christian Slater battled computer-generated monsters. Now, he’s going to become one for Exodus Film Group’s CG-animated short film, Igor: Unholy Frijoles. The stage and screen actor will voice the title role in the short, which will serve as a precursor to a feature-length version slated for release in 2007.

    Igor is described as an irreverent comedy that puts a new twist on the mad scientist genre made popular by Universal’s 1933 classic, Frankenstein. In this animated update, the hunchbacked lab assistant has big dreams of becoming a mad scientist in his own right and winning the coveted first place award at the annual Evil Science Fair.

    Both the short and the feature were written by Chris McKenna (American Dad) and are being exec produced by seasoned animation exec Max Howard, who collaborated on such animated hits as Disney’s The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Warner Bros.’ Space Jam and The Iron Giant. The short will be directed by Fil Barlow, an Emmy-winning production designer on Porchlight’s animated TV series, Tutenstein. He also designed characters for such projects as Heavy Gear: The Animated Series and the direct-to-video release The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury.

    Animation on the Igor films is being handled by Emmy-winning toon studio ElectroAge. The company’s credits include Hanna-Barbera’s The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest for, Sony Television’s Roughnecks Starship Troopers Chronicles, Paramount’s Star Trek Voyager, Saban’s Mystic Knights 20th Century Fox/Centropolis Television’s The Visitor and Hollywood Pictures’ Deep Rising.

    Slater previously lent his voice to 1992’s FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and recently narrated the Discover Channel’s Prehistoric Planet series. Fresh from his award-winning run in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest on London’s West End, he will be appearing opposite Jessica Lange in the upcoming Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie.

    Other films in development at Venice, Calif.-based Exodus include Bunyan and Babe, 55 Holly Star and My Life With 3 Women.

  • Scrat Short, Episode III Trailer Debut with Robots

    Director Chris Wedge may have left the Ice Age behind to focus on the futuristic Robots, but his primitive squirrel pal has come along for the ride. An all-new animated short film starring the Scrat will screen in theaters before 20th Century Fox’s animated android pic, as will a new trailer for the studio’s Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith.

    A minor character in the 2000 hit, Ice Age, Scrat emerged as a fan favorite, prompting the production of an original animated short for him to star in. Scrat’s Missing Adventure was incorporated as a bonus feature in the home video release of Ice Age. Scrat will next be seen in Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, slated for a March 2006 release.

    Star Wars: Episode III will see the rise of Darth Vader as disillusioned young Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side. In addition to seeing star Hayden Christensen don the dark helmet, fans are looking forward to the triumphant return of actor Peter Mayhew as hairy Wookie Chewbacca, a character that hasn’t been seen since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Also returning for the final installment are Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Natalie Portman as Padmé, Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Kenny Baker as R2-D2 and Frank Oz as the voice of the computer-generated Yoda. The film opens worldwide on May 19.

  • Henson Names Kershaw VP, Business and Legal

    The Jim Henson Co. has appointed Jamie Kershaw VP of business and legal affairs. Reporting to company president and COO Peter Schube, Kershaw is responsible for the business and legal affairs of all U.S. film, television and ancillary businesses.

    Prior to joining the company, Kershaw worked as a business affairs and production attorney at DreamWorks SKG, where he worked on NBC primetime animated comedy series, Father of the Pride, and such films as The Terminal, and House of Sand and Fog. Earlier in his career, he served as VP of business and legal affairs at Fine Line Features.

    Kershaw is a former board member and co-president of the board for Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and studied at the University of Jordan under a Fulbright Scholarship before going on to attend Stanford Law School.

    The Jim Henson Co., which last year sold the rights to its signature Muppets franchise to Disney, is dedicated to expanding its 3D animation capabilities as it continues to provide puppetry and state-of-the-art animatronics for film and television productions such as its brilliant-but-canceled, Emmy-nominated SCI-FI Channel series, Farscape. The Los Angeles-based company has received nearly 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammys. Recent projects include the family film Good Boy! and the features Five Children and It and MirrorMask. In post-production are the preschool series Frances and the television feature Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. More information on the company can be found at www.henson.com.

  • Paramount Plucks King of the Hill Penners

    In a bid to beef up its series development efforts, Viacom’s Paramount is reportedly turning to the world of animation. Daily Variety reports that the studio has signed King of the Hill writers Aron Abrams and Greg Thompson to a two-year, seven-figure deal to write and produce new shows.

    Paramount isn’t necessarily looking to Abrams and Thompson to develop animated series, since the duo has a history with live-action shows such as the Carsey-Werner-produced series Grounded for Life and 3rd Rock From the Sun.

    In addition to exec producing the current season of Fox’s animated primetime hit, King of the Hill, the scribes are reportedly working with CBS to develop a comedy vehicle for former Talk Soup host Aisha Tyler.

    New Paramount TV president David Stapf told the trade that Abrams and Thompson have long been on the list of talent wanted for the studio’s stable.

  • Game Makers, Disney Alumni Launch Interactive Film

    As most video game companies strive to produce interactive movies, Lexington, Mass-based Cecropia today introduced what it calls the world’s first filmgame. The Act, a comedy about relationships, deception and the pursuit of romance, lets players control the characters’ emotions as they see the story play out.

    With a team of artists plucked from Disney Feature Film Animation, Pixar, DreamWorks and Blue Sky, Cecropia incorporated personality-centric animation that gives players more to do with the characters than just running and shooting at things. The story revolves around Edgar, a shy window-washer who employs a number of tactics to win the love of Sylvia. Players have to correctly read and control the visual personality cues in the characters in order to move to the next level of the game. The title is scheduled for release later this year.

    “The Act will expand the demographic for videogames to include soccer moms, teenage girls, and everyone else who enjoys a good romantic comedy,” comments Cecropia president and CEO Ann-Marie Bland. “We’ve designed The Act to combine everything that is great about getting absorbed into a story and playing an addictive game–all with a very simple user interface.”

    Cecropia was established in 2001 by gaming entrepreneur Omar Khudari, co- founder of game developer Papyrus Design Group. With studios in Orlando, Florida, the company hopes to change the face of interactive entertainment with its internally developed intellectual properties and the incorporation of traditional, hand-drawn animation techniques, unique game design and easy-to-use controls. The company can be found online at www.cecropia.com.

  • Dargaud Delivers Deals Across Europe

    Paris-based Dargaud Distribution will see its classic properties and new shows get wider exposure throughout Europe via a number of new TV and home video deals in the U.K., Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.

    Nickelodeon U.K. has acquired three feature films in Dargaud’s Asterix series. Meanwhile, Optimum has picked up home video rights to the property in the U.K. Also in the U.K,. Anchor Bay has picked up the video rights to Excalibur, a 40×26 2D/3D series aimed at kids 8-12.

    Italian children’s channel Rai Tre Bambini has picked up Dargaud’s new 2D-animated preschool series, The Adventures of Little Brown Bear. Based on the popular book by Marianne Aubinais and Daniele Bour, the show was recently bought by Walt Disney Television Int’l Asia Pacific for broadcast on six Playhouse Disney Channels in Asia.

    Arrait Multimedia of Spain has snatched up television, home video and licensing rights to Kid Paddle. The comic-book-based show airs on Jetix Spain. Also in Spain, The Adventures of Little Brown Bear, Babar and Beccassine have sold to Divisa Home Video, and DVD Video Spain has acquired both seasons of The Adventures of Lucky Luke, which has also been bought by VRT in Dutch-speaking Belgium and Danish public broadcaster DRTV.

    All 52 13-minute episodes of Little King Macius have been sold to Germany’s KI.KA for TV and Morefilms has bought 52 13-minute episodes of Kitou for home video distribution in Spain.

    In Scandinavia, Dargaud’s half-hour, clay-animated family special, Ponpon, was picked up by SVT Sweden, DRTV Denmark, YLE Finland and NRK Norway. Meanwhile, TV2 Norway and IBC Iceland have joined SVT Sweden, DRTV Denmark and YLE Finland in acquiring rights to the hour-long Christmas Special Jojo.

    Darguad will be at MIP-TV in Cannes, France in April to launch the new series Billy & Buddy (104×6:30), Trotro (78×3:30) and Pirate Family (40×26), as well as fresh episodes of Kid Paddle.

    Based on the classic French Boule & Bill comics, Billy & Buddy is a 2D-animated preschool series for kids 4-7 that follows the adventures of a boy and his canine friend. Targeted to preschoolers, Trotro centers on a high-spirited little donkey whose escapades and mishaps help kids learn about life. Finally, Pirate Family targets kids 8 and up with a look inside the wacky world of Captain MacLimpet and his merry crew. The series is co-produced by Ellipsanime, Motion International, TFC GMBH, France 3 and WDR.

  • Bambi Special Ed Rakes in the Doe

    Whoever said audiences aren’t interested in 2D these days can hunker down over a big plate of crow. The Walt Disney Co. says its re-release of Bambi sold nearly 1 million copies on DVD and VHS during hits first day of release on Tuesday. The timeless classic has enjoyed successful theatrical re-releases since its debut in 1942 and the restored, Disney Platinum Series DVD has been on many a fan’s wish list for some time.

    For the benefit of the five people who haven’t seen the film, Bambi is the story of a young deer growing to adulthood while experiencing the adventure and danger of life in the forest. Along for the ride are his woodland pals Thumper the rabbit, Flower the skunk and the wise Owl. Legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston contributed greatly to film’s artistry and timeless appeal.

    Around 9,600 hours were spent restoring more than 110,000 frames of Bambi for this release. In addition, Disney has included such bonus features as never-before-seen deleted sequences, a making-of featurette, the interactive Forest Adventure Game, a sneak peek at the upcoming movie Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest, a Disney Time Capsule for the year Bambi was released and Thumper Goes Exploring, an all-new story told with audio and text. There’s also a feature titled Inside Walt’s Story Meetings, which offers insight into the process of creating the film through actual discussions reenacted by voice actors and set to footage, sketches and other production items.

    Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Bambi Special Edition lists for $29.99 on DVD and $24.99 on VHS.

  • Peter Jackson Takes New Line to Court

    The Fellowship of the Ring isn’t looking so chummy these days as director Peter Jackson files suit against distributor New Line Cinema over home entertainment profits for the first film in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy.

    The breach of contract and profit participation suit was filed Monday with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Jackson and writing/producing partner Fran Walsh. They are accusing New Line and subsidiary Katja Motion Pictures of improper bookkeeping in regards to the half a billion dollars The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has generated in home video, merchandising and video games.

    One of the 19 allegations made by Jackson and Walsh through their Wingnut Films shingle holds that New Line unfairly offered its affiliates special licensing deals rather than holding out for most lucrative agreements. They are also seeking compensation for the use of their script and song lyrics in the video game.

    The dollar amount being sought has not been made public. If successful, Jackson and wife Walsh could see damages paid in the millions. However, the couple is not exactly hurting for money. Jackson’s latest project, a remake of the 1933 classic, King Kong, has made him the highest-paid director in history. His CG-heavy version of the giant ape story is scheduled to arrive in theaters in December of 2005.

  • InnerMation Stumps At Arts Institute

    While animation has emerged as the most popular medium for political satire, one company is bringing it to the interactive realm. Game studio InnerMation has created a twisted casual online racing game franchise titled Roadkill to the White House, which it will present during The Art Institute of California’s Animation 2005 Lecture series, taking place before the IDGA LA Chapter meeting on Thursday, March 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

    InnerMation, a recently christened Virtools Certified Game Developer, is utilizing the Roadkill games to showcase new talent, as well as Virtools’ development tool set. A member of Virtools’ exclusive stable of 10 developers, InnerMation produces both 3D online and CD-Rom games using the software package.

    Far from being a roadmap to peace in American politics, the first mini-mission game, Roadkill to the White House: Mision Extreme Move-On Over, gives the green light to anyone who has ever felt the need for speed and the urge to purge the political landscape of hucksters, pundits, and an assortment of the usual suspects.

    InnerMation’s creative team is headed by co-founder and president Phil Snyder, is a veteran standup comic-impressionist. "Our goal is to lay tread-marks on every political animal in the world by the year 2010," he quips. "We expect it to become a badge of honor that says, “I have arrived.”

    This event is open to the public and will be held in the Big Room of the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, located at 2900 31st Street in Santa Monica. For more information, contact Bijan Tehrani, Industry Liaison of the school at (818) 613-4227 or btehrani@aol.com.

  • Cartoon Network Looks for Next "Goldmaster"

    If you think only the big game companies get to make titles based on popular cartoon franchises, think again. Cartoon Network has announced the launch of its second annual Project Goldmaster, a competition that will give one up-and-coming game developer the opportunity to create a downloabable game featuring characters from such hit series as Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.

    Part of the Independent Games Festival (IGF), the contest will see ten finalists selected to compete to win the top prize. The winner will be announced during IGF at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, taking place in San Francisco March 7-11.

    Last year’s winner was Flashbang Studios, whose first game, Beesly’s Buzzwords, was a finalist in the 2004 IGF. As winner of the Project Goldmaster competition, the studio developed Sealab 2021: Sweet Mayhem, a Cartoon Network Power Play game that launched on AdultSwim.com in November 2004. Flashbang will release a new title called Glorm in mid-March and has two other games in development for release by Summer 2005.

    This year’s winning studio will be charged with building an interactive title that fans can download at CartoonNetwork.com.

    Paul Condolora, VP/General Manager for Cartoon Network New Media, comments, “Cartoon Network has always been focused on attracting new talent, first for our animated series and now to develop interactive games based on our successful series. We know our audience loves games as much as we do–last year CartoonNetwork.com had 1.6 billion game plays–so we’re looking for a company that is as passionate about gaming as our audience is."

    In its seventh year, the Independent Games Festival received more than 78 original entries from 11 countries in two different categories. A panel of 36 judges narrowed down the field to 20 of the most innovative independent game developers worldwide. Finalist games can be viewed at www.igf.com.

  • Jetix out to Get Ed

    A new animated series titled Get Ed from Walt Disney Television Animation is set to join the 2005 lineup on Jetix, the action/adventure programming block airing on Toon Disney and ABC Family. The show will debut in the Fall, along with additional seasons of Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, W.I.T.C.H. and Power Rangers.

    On order are 26 half-hours of Get Ed, which follows the adventures of a cybersleuth genetically created from an ancient artifact. Ed works at a futuristic messenger service in Progress City, where he foils identity thefts and solves other information-based crimes.

    Fall will see the return of Walt Disney Television Animation’s Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! A second-season pick-up of 13 new episodes will treat fans to more anime-style action as a 13-year-old boy named Chiro leads a scrappy band of high-tech monkey warriors into battle against the forces of Ultimate Evil.

    W.I.T.C.H. will also be back for a second season with 26 new episodes. A production of SIP Animation, the half-hour action series is based on Disney Publishing’s comic magazines of the same name. The show combines adventure, magic and comedy as five young heroines try to maintain the natural order of the universe while coping with the daily trials and tribulations of being teenagers.

    Meanwhile, the 14th TV incarnation of the popular Power Rangers property is in production under he working title Power Rangers: Mystic Force. The series, set to debut in early 2006 with 32 half-hour episodes, will take place on present-day Earth as five teens descended from an ancient race battle forces of evil with their spell-casting skills.

    Premiere dates and the complete 2005-06 season schedule for Jetix on Toon Disney and ABC Family will be announced at a later date.

  • Noodlesoup Mints Film/TV Division

    New York-based animation house Noodlesoup Prods. has FormedNoodlesoup Ent., a new division that will focus on the development and production of original animated feature films and television programming. Noodlesoup founder Jeffrey Nodelman has been named Chief Creative Officer of the new entity, which is already is development on several new programs with major U.S. distributors.

    The move is part of a larger expansion plan for the studio, which currently provides service work for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim hit, The Venture Brothers, and commercials for clients such as MSN and Earthlink.

    Noodlesoup Prods. COO Nathan Graf will become the company’s new CEO, overseeing all business operations and service work.

    "This is a very exciting time for Noodlesoup, Nathan and me," Nodelman comments. "This move will let me spend more time on the projects we have in development, while allowing me to begin pursuing opportunities for additional co-productions and new properties."

    Founded in January of 2001, privately held Noodlesoup Prods. has built up an impressive roster of clients that includes Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Cartoon Network, Miramax, Fox, The History Channel and MTV. The full-service animation studio offers both 2D and 3D expertise.

  • Fox Puts New Toon on Order

    In a bid to expand its roster of primetime animated series, Fox has ordered a pilot for a new show from Emmy-winning Rugrats producer/animator Chuck Swenson and writer Brian Lynch, according to Daily Variety. The yet untitled family comedy will be set in a desert community on the outskirts of Los Angeles as a 31-year-old divorcee moves back into his parent’s home with his three children.

    “It’s a weird juxtaposition of generations and climate that plays into this idea of trying to go back home and pick up the pieces,” Swenson tells the trade. The former Klasky Csupo VP is developing storylines with Lynch, who has sold projects to Warner Bros., Fox and Artisan.