Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Activision Acquires Vicarious Visions

    Video game developer and publisher Activision Inc. today announced that it has acquired developer Vicarious Visions. The move is intended to strengthen Activision’s next-generation development capabilities by absorbing the team and proprietary technology that produced the top-selling Spider-Man 2 for the Nintendo DS handheld.

    In addition to getting its hands on Vicarious Visions’ Alchemy middleware technology, Activision has made a wholly owned subsidiary of the company’s 100-person studio, headquartered in Troy, New York, with offices in Mountain View, Calif. Vicarious Visions’ management team and key employees have signed long-term employment contracts with Activision.

    With five million-unit-selling titles under its belt, Vicarious Visions is developing DOOM 3 for the Xbox with id Software and will help Sony launch the PSP (PlayStation Portable) with a version Spider-Man 2 created for the platform. Other popular releases in the studio’s portfolio include the Game Boy Advance titles Shrek 2, Shrek 2: Beg for Mercy, Shark Tale and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, as well as Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro for PlayStation.

  • Beastie Boys Jam in NBA STREET V3.

    Hip-hop trio The Beastie Boys are getting animated for Electronic Arts’ latest edition of its popular NBA STREET franchise. In addition to lending their song, “An Open Letter To NYC,” to the in-game soundtrack, the Grammy-nominated artists will show up as playable characters that gamers can unlock.

    Sporting New York Knicks gear, Mike D, MCA and Adrock will each possess special hoops skills. Players can enter the game’s Street Challenge mode and go toe to tow with the beasties in NYC’s Dyckman Park. Beating them will unlock them for all modes of the game, including regular 3-on-3 action and the all-new Slam Dunk Contest.

    The game features 13 music tracks, including new tunes from such hip-hop and rap acts as Elephant Man, Guerilla Black, Ak’Sent, Ali Vegas, Dirtbag and Nitty. There are also old-school favorites from De La Soul, House of Pain and MC Lyte.

    NBA STREET V3 was developed in Vancouver, BC at EA Canada, the studio behind the hit NBA LIVE and NCAA March Madness franchises. It will be available for the PlayStation 2 Xbox and GameCube on February 8.

  • Marvel Owes Stan Lee

    The Associated Press reports that comic-book publisher Marvel Enterprises Inc. was ordered to fork over 10% of profits earned since 1998 to Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man and other famous Marvel superheroes. Marvel will reportedly appeal the decision handed down Wednesday by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

    Lee sued Marvel for a share of profits garnered from licensing Marvel characters for movies, television productions and toys based on those projects. Marvel, which says it’s paying Lee an annual salary of $1 million, dismissed his claim to profits based on an employment agreement signed in November of 1998.

    While he will get a piece of the action on toys sold by Marvel, he was shot down in his bid to get paychecks from third-party toy makers. A jury verdict will be sought to settle Lee’s claim to some of the profits earned from Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk merchandise generated in partnerships between Marvel, Sony Pictures Ent. and Universal Studios.

    It is speculated to Marvel’s revenues for 2004 will weigh in at a hefty $499 million. While Marvel holds that the decision will not affect its financial guidance, the company saw its shares fall 2.9% this morning on the New York Stock Exchange.

  • Revealing Weekend for VES

    In preparation for the third annual VES Awards in Hollywood, Calif., The Visual Effects Society this weekend will hold a special event to spotlight this year’s nominees. Dubbed "The Big Reveal," the day-long program is the VES’ answer to the Academy’s Visual Effects Bake-Off. Top visual effects artists will be on hand Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles to demonstrate the secrets behind the magic that earned them their nominations.

    The Big Reveal allows nominated artists to help voters and guests better understand the intricacies of each entry. All categories will be represented, including motion picture, commercial, video game and television visual effects. Winners will be announced at the awards gala on Feb. 16 at the Hollywood Palladium. Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis will receive the VES Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to him by Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks.

    The Big Reveal will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue until 4 p.m. on Saturday. The public is invited to attend at $20 per ticket. Tickets are available by calling the VES office in advance at (310) 822-9181. Admission is free for VES members. The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

    More information on The Big Reveal and the 3rd Annual VES Awards is available online at www.vesawards.com.

  • Director Conjured for Harry Potter 5

    With Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire now in production, Warner Bros. has already lined up a director for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth film to be based on J.K. Rowling’s wildly successful book series. Award-winning British television director David Yates is next in line to continue the digital animation-heavy film saga.

    Having earned a BAFTA nomination for his short film, Rank, Yates went on to direct the BAFTA-wining television series The Young Visiters, State of Play, The Way We Live Now and The Sins. He is set to begin production on Order of the Phoenix in January 2006.

    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be produced by David Heyman, who is now producing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco). Goblet was adapted by screenwriter Michael Goldenberg (Where the Wild Things Are, Peter Pan) and is slated for release on Nov. 18, 2005.

  • Stars Snared in Charlotte’s Web

    Superstar Julia Roberts has signed on to voice the title arachnid in Paramount Picture’s live-action/animated hybrid adaptation of E.B. White’s beloved children’s book, Charlotte’s Web. Also joining the voice cast are gab-show queen Oprah Winfrey, Monty Python alum John Cleese, popular character actor Steve Buscemi (Ghost World, Fargo), comedian Cedric The Entertainer, Country singer and TV star Reba McEntire, Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, Sideways co-star Thomas Haden Church and Outkast’s Andre Benjamin (a.k.a. Andre 3000).

    This latest cinematic take on the classic tale is being produced Jordan Kerner under his Kerner Ent. Banner, and co-produced by Paramount Pictures, Walden Media and Nickelodeon Movies. Gary Winick (13 Going on 30) is directing from a screenplay by Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick, with production scheduled to begin Jan. 31 in Melbourne, Australia.

    Charlotte’s Web is the story of a kind-hearted spider who befriends a pig named Wilbur and saves him from the slaughterhouse by spinning messages in webs above his pen. Ubiquitous child actor Dakota Fanning will star as Wilbur’s human pal, Fern.

    Winfrey will lend her voice to Gussy, the barn’s maternal but irreverent goose, with Cedric as fellow goose Golly. Cleese shows up as Samuel the sheep and Buscemi takes on Templeton the pack rat, a role made famous by Paul Lynde in the original animated version. McEntire and Kathy Bates will voice ironic cows Betsy and Bitsy, while Church and Benjamin play dimwitted crows Brooks and Elwyn.

    Edgar Bronfman is exec producing the film alongside Kerner Ent.’s production topper, Paul Neesan, and Nick Movies’ Julia Pistor. Also exec producing is Bernie Williams. Overseeing for their respective companies are Walden Media’s exec VP of production, Alex Schwartz, and Paramount production president Karen Rosenfelt.

    Illustrated by Garth Williams and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, Charlotte’s Web is the best-selling children’s paperback of all time. Since its initial printing in 1952, the book has sold 45 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 23 languages.

  • BVITV, ProSieben Sign New Licensing Pact

    More Disney toons will make their way to young German viewers as part of a new multi-genre, multi-year free-to-air agreement between Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) and the ProSiebenSat.1 Group. In addition to licensing U.S. features and TV series, the German broadcaster picks up the Disney branded programming blocks Disney Time and Disney Filmparade. A separate agreement has the ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s Kabel 1 channel licensing kids programming from Jetix Europe’s library for its new Jetix block.

    Extending a long-standing relationship between BVITV and ProSieben, the new agreement saw Disney Time move from ProSieben to the Group’s Kabel 1 channel in late December, 2004. The block also expands from two to three hours each Sunday morning, showcasing the addition of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and new episodes of Disney’s Kim Possible. The lineup also boasts the hit animated series Disney’s Fillmore, Disney’s Recess and Disney’s Timon & Pumbaa.

    Also included in the deal are upcoming titles from BVITV’s feature slate, such as the highly anticipated sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Treasures of the Lost Abyss; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    The new half-hour Jetix block on Kabel 1 was launched at the end of October and airs weekly on Saturday mornings. Titles in the lineup include Sonic X and mystical coming-of-age series, Shaman King.

  • Catwoman, Tom and Jerry Out of the Bag

    Feline power characterizes this week’s slate of home video releases as Warner Bros. releases Catwoman and Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars a new direct-to-video feature starring everybody’s favorite cat and mouse duo.

    Directed by French helmer Pitof (vfx director of Alien: Resurrection, The City of Lost Children) Catwoman stars Oscar winner Berry (Monster’s Ball, X-Men, X2: X-Men United) as Patience Phillips, a timid graphic artist who discovers a dark secret about the major cosmetics company she works for. Entangled in a corporate conspiracy, Patience is transformed into an avenging angel with the speed, agility and keen senses of a cat. Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality) co-stars as the cop assigned to investigate a rash of crimes believed to be linked to the feline femme fatal, while Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct) plays her adversary.

    The Batman spin-off features 850 visual effects shots including scenes involving 100% virtual environments with a completely digital Catwoman and CG cats. ESC handled the lion’s share of the work, with Tippett Studio, Matte World, Circle F, Meteor, Frantic, Pac Title and The Farm West all contributing to the project.

    Catwoman arrives on disc with a host of special features, including an alternate ending, five additional scenes, a featurette profiling the evolution of Catwoman through the years and a behind-the-scenes tour with cast and creators. The DVD caries a suggested retail price of $27.95.

    Tom and Jerry continue their perpetual chase into outer space in their new toon feature, Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars. The two mistakenly stow away on the first manned mission to the red planet and discover that Martians do exist. Putting their differences aside for a while, they join forces with a young Martian girl to battle asteroid fields, the Martian invasion of Earth and a gigantic alien robot bent on destroying anything in its path. Emmy Award-winning actor Brad Garrett from TV’s Everybody Loves Raymond lends his voice to the movie.

    DVD extras include a making-of documentary, a step-by-step look at the animation process and an original National Geographic featurette on space travel. The disc lists for $19.98.

  • Nicktoons Film Festival Names Grand-Prize Winner

    The Nicktoons Film Festival, produced by Frederator Studios and Animation Magazine, concluded over the weekend with the final selections of winners and runners-up. The animation fest aired on Nickelodeon’s digital channel, Nicktoons, over the course of 12 weeks and showcased the diversity of independent cartoon filmmaking by animators from around the globe.

    Filmmakers Mark Simon and Travis Blaise of Orlando, Fla., were awarded the $10,000 Grand Prize for their short film, Timmy’s Lessons in Nature, a 2D-animated, comedic look at what not to do when venturing into the outdoors.

    "Timmy’s Lessons in Nature is an excellent example of getting the most out of very little," comments Nicktoons Film Festival judge Eric Goldberg, Animation Director for Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes: Back in Action. "The character designs were intrinsically funny–half the battle in making an audience laugh–and the timing of the gags is superb."

    Presented with the Producers’ Choice Award and a prize of animation software was Elizabeth Ito for Welcome to My Life. The CalArts student film uses black and white, hand-drawn images and a Creature Comforts approach to explore the daily lives of misunderstood monsters.

    Eight finalists were also chosen from the hundreds of entries received for the network’s first-ever film festival. They are:

    Charlie and Chunk by Eric Fogel, Rockville Centre, NY

    April by Jiwook Kim, Valencia, Calif.

    Bert by Moonsung Lee, White Plains, NY

    Skippy by Amanda Spalinski, Valencia, Calif.

    Robot Family: The Slick Salesman by Chris Harding, Prairie Village, Kan.

    Medusa: The First Date by Pierce Davison, Leederville, Australia

    Kenya by Jonti Picking, London, England

    Polygon Family 2 by Hiroshi Chida, Tokyo, Japan

    The Nicktoons Film Festival filmmakers were asked to submit animated shorts no longer than seven minutes that combined a unique look, great character designs and a funny plot. Goldberg was joined on the panel of Grand Jurors by John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren & Stimpy, and Gabor Csupo, founder and co-chairperson of Klasky Csupo.

    "We’re excited to recognize and reward up-and-coming filmmakers for such creative and outstanding work," says Nicktoons VP and general manager Keith Dawkins. "We had an overwhelming response from the call for entries and we look forward to continuing this project and finding the next generation of talent in the years to come."

    "The filmmakers in the Nicktoons Film Festival represent the most original cartoons in the world, and we’re proud to offer them a national showcase," commented Fred Seibert, president of Frederator Studios and exec producer of the festival. "We congratulate the winners and look forward to seeing their future work."

    "We screened hundreds of films from more than a dozen countries and our winners reflect the diversity of styles, influences and stories of today’s global culture," notes Rita Street, managing director of Radar Cartoons, who produced The Nicktoons Film Festival with Eric Homan, VP of creative affairs for Frederator Studios. Christina Vann of Nicktoons is the exec in charge of production.

  • Family Guy Gets Return Date

    After floundering for three seasons on FOX between 1999 and 2002, Seth McFarlane’s animated sitcom, Family Guy, is coming back by popular demand on Sunday, May 1. Fox made the announcement on Monday at the TV Critics Association winter press tour, where it also revealed that McFarlane’s new toon series, American Dad, will debut on the same night.

    Encouraged by phenomenal home video sales of the original season, Fox has ordered 22 new episodes of the Emmy-winning Family Guy, which centers on the dysfunctional family consisting of Peter Griffin, his wife Lois, daughter Meg, slacker son Chris, homicidal baby Stewie and sophisticated family dog Brian. MacFarlane voices several of the show’s characters, including Peter. Seth Green, Alex Bornstein and Mila Kunis make up the rest of the main cast.

    American Dad takes a more unconventional look at family dynamics as zealous CIA agent Stan Smith tries to balance life at home with his cloak-and-dagger work. The series pilot will air after the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6, along with a special sports-themed installment of The Simpsons.

    The original episodes of Family Guy air in syndication during Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block and in primetime on TBS.

  • TELETOON Calls Up Four for March

    Canadian broadcaster TELETOON is beefing up its lineup this March with two new shows that celebrate the power of imagination and another pair that poke fun at dysfunction. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is set to make its debut in the Great White North on March 11, followed by the world premiere of Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs on March 28. Adult viewers can then take The Detour with the world premiere of Bromwell High on March 7 and Canadian debut of The Venture Brothers on March 13.

    Created by Craig McCracken (The Power Puff Girls) and produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif., Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends centers on 8-year-old Mac and his imaginary friend, Blooregard. When Mac’s mother decides he’s too old for an imaginary friend, Blooregard is sent to a rather unique orphanage where others of his kind wait to be adopted by new kids. Unwilling to let go of his pal, Mac convinces Madame Foster to let him visit often and keep Blooregard from being adopted by anyone else. These visits prove quite adventurous as Mac and Blooregard spend time with a particularly odd group of colorful residents. Following its 8 a.m. launch, the show will air regularly on Fridays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays a 9 a.m.

    Based on the successful children’s book of the same name, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs offers a charming look into the vivid imagination of a child whose greatest companions are his lovable and entertaining dinosaurs, that spring to life whenever no one is watching. The show will air Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m.

    TELETOON is also adding a pair of new shows to its adult animation block, The Detour. Bromwell High will make its world premiere on Monday, March 7, at 10:30 p.m. and The Venture Brothers will make its Canadian debut on Sunday, March 13, at

    Decode Ent.’s Bromwell High is an animated comedy that follows the adventures of three exceptionally naughty schoolgirls, one maverick headmaster and a bunch of desperate, underpaid teachers. The action takes place on the grounds of a sub-standard, under-funded, overcrowded, graffiti-scarred secondary school in South London. It will air Mondays and Fridays 10:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.

    The Venture Brothers centers on idiot fraternal twins Hank and Dean, who travel around the world with their scientist father and family bodyguard Brock Sampson, a former secret agent who responds to any and all crises with relentless, remorseless brutality. Following its 10:30 p.m. on the 13th, the series will settle into a regular spot at 1 a.m. on Fridays.

    Also in March, TELETOON viewers can catch new episodes of The Batman and Megas XLR on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 12. Then its March Break Madness from Monday, March 14 through Friday, March 25. Special programming during this period will include compilation of viewers’ favorite series, including new additions Foster’s Home and Bucketful of Dinosaurs.

  • Destiny Images, TVS Make Distribution News

    The Television Syndication Company (TVS) has signed on to handle international distribution of Destiny Images’ animated series, News You Can Use. The deal covers all forms of television, inflight entertainment, home video and non-theatrical (educational) outlets.

    News You Can Use, available in both English and Spanish, entertains and educates kids 5-8 on math and science concepts. The 52 x 1-minute episodes are being produced by Destiny Images Inc. (www.destinyimages.com), in cooperation with NASA Langley’s Center for Distance Learning as part of NASA’s Kids Science News Network.

    The show revolves around singing newscaster skunk Ted Tunes, Barkley the dog and a talking computer. When Ted reports Barkley’s confused notions, such as running west at sunset will make his birthday last longer, the computer acts as the voice of reason so Ted, Barkley and the viewers get the facts behind each math and science concept.

    Destiny Images is seeking publishing and licensing partners for News You Can Use. Clips can be viewed on NASA’s Kids Science News Network web site, http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov.

  • BAFTA Nominees Named

    Nominations for the 2005 Orange British Academy Film Awards were announced on Monday. After Sunday’s Golden Globes win, Warner Bros.’ The Aviator is up for a number of BAFTAs, including Best Film. The contenders for top motion picture are Focus Features’ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Miramax’s Finding Neverland, Focus Features’ The Motorcycle Diaries and Fine Line Features’ Vera Drake.

    The Warner Bros. VFX pic Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also got some BAFTA love with a nod for The Alexander Korda Award for the outstanding British film of the year. Director Alfonso Cuarón’s entry in the film series is’s up against Edgar Wright’s zombie spoof, Shaun Of The Dead, as well as Shane Meadows’ Dead Man’s Shoes, Pawel Pawlikowski’s My Summer Of Love and Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake.

    Getting recognition in the Short Animation category are Sejong Park’s Birthday Boy, Gaëlle Denis’ City Paradise, Sarah Cox’s Heavy Pockets, Monika Forsberg’s His Passionate Bride and Daniel Greaves’ Little Things.

    Achievement in Special Visual Effects will be a race between The Aviator, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, 20th Century Fox’s The Day After Tomorrow, Focus Features’ House Of Flying Daggers and Sony’s Spider-Man 2. The second installment in director Sam Raimi’s Marvel superhero saga is also up for a Sound award.

    The shortlist for the Orange Film of the Year, made up of the top 10 U.K. box office hits of 2004, includes The Incredibles, Shrek 2, Shark Tale, Spider-Man 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Scooby Doo 2, The Day After Tomorrow, Troy, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and I, Robot.

    The Awards will be hosted for the fifth time by Stephen Fry and will take place on Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Odeon, Leicester Square. BBC ONE will broadcast the event, produced by Initial (part of Endemol U.K.).

    For a complete list of nominees, go to www.bafta.org/film/announce.htm.

  • Aviator Storms Globes

    While animated films were shut out at last night’s 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, the visual effects teams that worked on Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator can draw satisfaction from the notion that their contributions helped the Howard Hughes biopic win Best Motion Picture (Drama). Star Leonardo DiCaprio also took home a Best Actor trophy for his work in the film.

    The Aviator soared above Sony Pictures’ Closer, Miramax Films’ Finding Neverland, Lions Gate Films/MGM’s Hotel Rwanda, Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Kinsey and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Million Dollar Baby. Contributing to the extensive effects work in The Aviator are Sony Pictures Imageworks, CaféFX, Digital Backlot, Pixel Playground, Digital Neural Access, Buzz Image Group, and New Deal Studios, all working under visual effects supervisor Robert Legato.

    While his movie took the top prize, Scorsese saw Best Director handed to Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby. Also watching Clint’s acceptance speech were Mike Nichols (Closer), Marc Forster for Finding Neverland and Alexander Payne for Sideways.

    In the category Best Motion Picture (musical or comedy), the Disney/Pixar blockbuster, The Incredibles, was up against a field of live-action contenders. The CG action/comedy lost out to Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Sideways, a relationship comedy set in the California wine country. The other nominees were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind from Focus Features, Ray from Universal Pictures and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera from Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Alexander Payne, Sideways lead the overall competition with seven total nominations, followed by The Aviator with six.

    Shrek 2 and The Polar Express were also invited to the big show on merit of their soundtracks. Both were up for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture—Shrek 2 for “Accidentally In Love” (music and lyrics by Adam Duritz, Dan Vickery, David Immergluck, Matthew Malley and David Bryson) and The Polar Express for Believe (music and lyrics by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri). The Mick Jagger tune, “Old Habits Die Hard,” from Alfie ended up taking the award, trumping Webber’s “Learn To Be Lonely” from The Phantom Of The Opera and Wyclef Jean’s “Million Voices” from Hotel Rwanda.

    To see the full list of Golden Globes 2005 winners, visit www.hfpa.org.

  • Hulbert Leaves Disney Europe

    Daily Variety reports that David Hulbert, head of Disney’s European operations, has stepped down amidst a management reorganization. Hulbert, who ran the London offices, will pursue entrepreneurial opportunities as former ITV exec John Hardie takes the reins as Disney’s exec VP/managing director of branded television, European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) territories.

    The shakeup also sees Tom Toumazis, former senior VP/ managing director of Buena Vista Int’l Television, EMEA, upped to exec VP/ managing director of the Mouse House branch.

    Hardie, who recently headed up the creation and launch of the U.K.’s ABC1, will report to Disney Channel Worldwide president Rich Ross in his new role.

    The trade interprets the reorganization as part of an initiative to shift more power to Disney’s Burbank offices.

  • wondertouch Debuts Particle FX Tool for Mac

    Particle effects software developer wondertouch has released particleIllusion 2.0 SE for Mac OS X. Available worldwide, the package is touted as an artist-friendly and affordable software solution for customizing and modifying quality, complex particle animations. Wondertouch already supports Mac OS 8/9. And, registered owners of particleIllusion 2.0 for Mac OS 8/9 can upgrade to particleIllusion 2.0 SE for OS X for free.

    particleIllusion SE is a standalone, introductory version of the company’s award-winning, cornerstone visual effects creation application. The release allows more digital content creation professionals working in film, video, broadcast, gaming, Web and multimedia to use particleIllusion’s library of more than 750 preset effects, including smoke, fire, explosions, water, sparkles and more with speed and efficiency.

    Used in hundreds of feature films, TV episodes and broadcast commercials worldwide, particleIllusion features OpenGL hardware acceleration to provide real-time (or near real-time) previews of most effects and fast rendering of final output. The most current version of the software, particleIllusion 3.0, is scheduled for release on Mac OS X this quarter.

    particleIllusion 2.0 SE for Mac OS X is available in a download version only and is normally priced at $99, but is available until Jan. 31 for only $79. Registered owners of particleIllusion 2.0 for Mac OS 8/9 can upgrade for free. particleIllusion 2.0 SE can be purchased directly from the company at www.wondertouch.com.

  • Elektra, Stripes Lead B.O. Derby

    Comic-book fans and parents with young kids should be shelling out the lion’s share of moviegoer moulah this weekend as the Daredevil spin-off Elektra and the talking animal comedy Racing Stripes burst out of the gates and onto screens. While mostly live-action, both films feature a generous helping of digital animation and other visual effects.

    Elektra has Alias star Jennifer Garner reprising her role from 2003’s Daredevil. Having recovered from her near-death experience, the vengeful lady warrior detaches herself from society and focuses on becoming a fierce assassin. However, things don’t go so smoothly with her latest assignment and she ends up taking on deadly ninjas in an attempt to protect the very man she was sent to kill. Directed by X-Files alum Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire), the 20th Century Fox release features visual effects by Rhythm & Hues, Rainmaker, Pixel Magic, Pacific Title and Modern videoFilm.

    On the lighter side, Warner Bros.’ Racing Stripes stars Malcolm in the Middle’s Franky Muniz as the voice of an abandoned zebra who has grown up thinking he is a racehorse. With the help of his barnyard pals, Stripes overcomes his physical differences and gets a shot at his dream of competing in a big race. A number of celebrities lend their voices to the animal characters. David Spade and Steve Harvey show turn up as a pair of CG-animated horseflies that shoulder good deal of the comic relief. The film was directed by animator-turned-helmer Frederik Du Chau (Quest for Camelot) and features visual effects by Hybride, Digital Dimension and Digiscope.

    Fox is hoping an exclusive trailer for its upcoming comic-book adaptation, Fantastic Four, will help lure audiences to Elektra, while Warner Bros. is banking on fans of the Babe series to turn out for their chatty barnyard creature feature. Both films should do decent business and one of them might even end the phenomenal, four-week stay at the top of the charts enjoyed by Universal’s Meet the Fockers. The only other film opening wide today is Paramount’s inspirational non-fiction yarn, Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson.

    Opening in limited release in North America today is Geneon Ent.’s anime feature, Appleseed. See our feature article on this site for more information.

  • Appleseed Planted in Theaters

    The anime feature Appleseed, which debuted theatrically in Japan early last year, opens today in select cities in the U.S. Released by Geneon Ent., the sci-fi film is based on the manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost In The Shell) and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Bubblegum Crisis). It made its North American debut during the American Film Market in February.

    Appleseed is set in the year 2131, after most of the world has been devastated by war. The story chronicles the battle between mankind and bioroids, a race of cybernetic pseudo-clones designed to aid humans in domestic capacities. But when ideologies flare and aggression rises to the surface, the thin veneer of peaceful coexistence is shattered.

    The pic combines 2D character animation and 3D motion-capture technology. The film’s unique look was dictated by director Aramaki and producer Fumihiko Sori, whose credits include CG animation work on the Hollywood blockbuster, Titanic.

    Appleseed is the first film to fall under the new Geneon Films umbrella, a division dedicated to marketing and distributing live-action and animated feature films from Asia. Geneon Ent. also acquired North American and European distribution rights for the film Tetsujin 28th. The company previously released the anime masterpiece Akira, as well as the hits Patlabor WXIII and Onmyoji.

    The Appleseed property is apparently set to become a trilogy. The film’s Japanese creator, Micott & Basara, has reportedly teamed with Los Angeles-based Axis Ent. to co-produce a pair of sequels and a television series based on the film. A live-action feature film may also emerge from the partnership.

    For an in-depth look at the movie, see the February issue of Animation Magazine.

  • The Animation Show to Roll Again

    If you missed last year’s inaugural touring festival of animation presented by King of the Hill creator Mike Judge and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt (Billy’s Balloon, Rejected), you won’t want pass up The Animation Show in 2005. The new program and touring schedule is now online at www.theanimationshow.com.

    This year’s featured films will include Bill Plympton’s 2003 short, Guard Dog; Blur Studio’s 3D sci-fi actioner, Rockfish; director Tomek Baginski’s (The Cathedral) dark military fable Fallen Art; Amanda Forbis’ and Wendy Tilby’s rotoscoped When the Day Breaks, Jonathan Nix’s 2D story of analog love in a digital world, Hello; and Don Hertzfeldt’s own 12-minute Sundance Festival opus, The Meaning of Life, which makes its debut this year.

    The Meaning of Life took years to complete, but hopefully Hertzfeldt still had time to create some new interstitial pieces to run between the films. The ones he animated for last year’s show were a huge hit with audiences and a memorable highlight of the fest.

  • Fantastic Four Trailer Hitched to Elektra

    Comic-book fans eagerly awaiting the big screen debut of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm may want to check out another comic-book adaptation arriving in theaters this weekend. Before drooling over Elektra star Jennifer Garner in skimpy outfits, geeks can get their salivatory glands working with an exclusive trailer for 20th Century Fox’s upcoming Fantastic Four.

    In its efforts to make sure the core audience turns out for its Daredevil spin-off, Fox is offering this exclusive look at the Fantastic Four movie only to moviegoers who buy a ticket to see Elektra. The sneak peek won’t show up on television, online or attached to other theatrical releases for some time yet.

    Set to open during the 4th of July weekend, Fantastic Four follows the exploits of Marvel’s first family of comic superheroes. The astronauts gain super powers after cosmic radiation exposure and learn to use their newfound abilities to foil the evil plans of Doctor Victor Von Doom. Actor Ioan Gruffudd, best known as TV’s Horatio Hornblower, plays the elastic Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards. Jessica Alba (Sin City, TV’s Dark Angel) steps into the tights of Susan "Invisible Woman" Storm, Chris Evans (Cellular, The Perfect Score) is Johnny "Human Torch" Storm and The Shield star Michael Chiklis bricks up to play Ben "The Thing" Grimm.

    Opening Friday, Jan. 14, Elektra has Garner’s character from 2003’s Daredevil recover from her near-death experience to become a fierce assassin. However, things don’t go so smoothly with her latest assignment and she ends up taking on deadly ninjas in an attempt to protect the very man she was sent to kill. Directed by X-Files alum Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire), the film features visual effects by Rhythm & Hues, Rainmaker, Pixel Magic, Pacific Title and Modern videoFilm.