Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • MIPCOM: BVITV Brings Sonic X, Tutenstein to RTÉ

    Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has signed a deal with terrestrial broadcaster RTÉ in Ireland for the action series Sonic X and Tutenstein. Both shows are from the BVITV-distributed Jetix portfolio, which saw the launch of the upcoming series W.I.T.C.H. and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! this year at MIPCOM.

    Based on the popular Sega video game franchise, Sonic X finds our hero battling against the mad Dr. Eggman, who is creating evil robots for his plan to build his own empire. When Sonic, his buddies and the Eggman gang are all sucked into a warp, Sonic finds a new friend in a young boy named Christopher.

    The Emmy-winning Tutenstein follows the adventures of a precocious Egyptian boy-king who is resurrected into a world he believes should still worship him. With help from his new friends, Cleo and talking cat Luxor, Tut has to cope with life in the 21st century while defeating his ancient enemies. BVITV also announced at MIPCOM that the series has been licensed to public broadcaster ARD in Germany.

  • Drew’s Green Screen Hits Small Screen

    Improv meets animation tonight with the premiere of Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show on The WB. Kicking off at 8:30/7:30 central, the show is hosted by Carey and features a cast of familiar faces from The Drew Carey Show and the ABC improv series, Whose Line is it, Anyway.

    Described by Carey as "the shotgun marriage of improv and animation," Green Screen has the performers act out audience-suggested scenarios in front of a green screen so various animation shops around the world can fill in the backgrounds, props and additional characters employing various animation styles.

    Cast members Brad Sherwood, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Jeff Davis, Chip Esten, Jonathan Mangum, Julie Larson, Sean Masterson and Kathy Kinney use their quick wits and imaginations to portray outrageous fairy tales, life inside a computer, a game show titled Catch That Knife and a program called How to Have a Baby, among other scenarios.

    Drew Carey’s Green Screen is a Garden Suite production. Exec producers are Drew Carey, Robert Morton and Ron Diamond. Animation entities onboard include Burbank-based stop-motion studio Screen Novelties and famed independent filmmaker Bill Plympton.

  • Smokey Robinson Enters ToddWorld

    Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Award-winner Smokey Robinson will sing "Colorful World," the theme song to ToddWorld, a quirky new animated series set to debut on TLC on Monday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 a.m., and on Discovery Kids on Monday, Nov. 15, at 8:00 a.m.

    The 26-episode ToddWorld is created by award-winning kid’s author/artist Todd Parr and exec produced by Gerry Renert of L&G Licensing+. Developed by Parr, Renert and the show’s supervising producer/head writer, Carin Greenberg-Baker, the series is produced by leading independent animation studio Mike Young Productions (MYP) for Discovery Kids and distributed by Taffy Ent., MYP’s newly formed business unit.

    ToddWorld revolves around Todd, an artistic and unusual six-year-old who navigates common kid challenges with help from friends Pickle, Stella, Sophie, his dog Benny, Mitzi the cat, other animal pals and an occasional alien visitor or two. Each half-hour episode uses offbeat humor and whimsical storylines to convey uplifting and reassuring messages of acceptance, tolerance and the importance of self-confidence.

    "It’s so important that kids growing up today truly understand and believe in the show’s message that the world is made up of many different colors–that it’s okay to be different, to quote Todd Parr!," says Robinson. “As both an artist and a grandfather of young children, I’m really happy to do my part to help get that message across."

    Robinson is best known for the classic Motown hits "Tracks of My Tears," "I Second That Emotion," "Tears of a Clown," "You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me" and "The Way You Do the Thing You Do."

  • THQ Drives Cars, Nick Toons to Nintendo DS

    Independent game publisher THQ Inc. today announced that it plans to supply owners of the new Nintendo DS portable game system with titles based on the Disney/Pixar holiday 2005 theatrical release, Cars, as well as several Nickelodeon properties including SpongeBob SquarePants and Tak.

    THQ will also put out Ping Pals, a game that takes advantage of the two-way messaging feature in the DS system by allowing players to chat and play games with up to 16 of their friends. Each player will be able to create and customize their own avatar identity by choosing from thousands of items. Additional items can be traded among friends or bought by winning "Ping Points" during gameplay.

    "Nintendo DS features like the dual screen, stylus and two-way messaging will enable our developers to create deeper, more compelling gameplay experiences for handheld gamers," says THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell. "We look forward to the launch of Ping Pals this fall, as well as bringing many of our most popular brands to the system in 2005."

    Other THQ brands scheduled for release on Nintendo DS include Disney/ Pixar’s The Incredibles and Zoo Tycoon.

  • MIPCOM: Trio Forges New Anime Alliance

    ADV Films COO Kevin Corcoran announced yesterday that his company will be joining forces with Funimation Productions and Geneon Entertainment to develop and market anime fare in the U.S.

    The new joint-venture aims to develop high-quality entertainment series primarily targeting children and young adults, merging the team’s respective resources. Together the three partners reach 70% of the anime homevid market in the US.

    ADV Films is a producer-distributor of Japanese animation in North America and the UK. It recently launched Anime Network, the first North American cable channel dedicated to anime with access to thousand of hours of content. A subsidiary of Tokyo-based Dentsu, Geneon Entertainment produces and distributes entertainment content such Pokemon and Akira. Funimation is a brand-management outfit and one of the biggest indie home video companies in the U.S. whose biggest hit is the Dragonball Z franchise.

  • MIPCOM: Breakthrough and Ellipsanime Announce Post-Betty Plans

    After bringing its hit Atomic Cartoons co-production, Atomic Betty, to the market, Breakthrough Animation is partnering with Ellipsanime to launch a new Franco-Canadian 3D-animated series titled MISS BG. Adapted from the acclaimed 12-volume Gudule & les Bebes book series penned by Fanny Joly and illustrated by Roser Capdevilla, the 52×12 series follows MISS BG (short for Big Girl), a precocious eight-year-old who teaches her younger brother the ways of the world in her own bossy way.

    The series is a co-production between Breakthrough Animation, Ellipsanime, TVO, TFO (Canada) and France 5 and Def2Shoot, with assistance from the Shaw Fund, CTF, Telefilm and CNC. Breakthrough Animation’s managing director Kevin Gillis and Ellipsanime’s managing director Robert Rea, Ira Levy, Marie-Pierre Moulinjeune and Peter Williamson will act as exec producers and Philippe Vidal is the director of the new project.

  • Porchlight, Jetix Europe Push Bladder Lad into Development

    Producer/distributor PorchLight Ent. and Jetix Europe (formerly Fox Kids Europe) have entered into a development deal for the comic adventures of Bladder Lad and Plunger Pete. Described as a youth-oriented Get Smart, the show centers on two boys who work for the secret government agency F.L.U.S.H. in an effort to protect the world from the evil deeds of D.R.A.I.N.

    PorchLight VP of Animation Fred Schaefer comments, "Bladder Lad‘s edgy, prankster comedy and fast action will appeal to a core boy audience, but all kids will respond to the off-the-wall humor and kid-like heroics."

    PorchLight Ent., formed in 1995 by veteran entertainment execs Bruce D. Johnson and William T. Baumann, has produced the Emmy award-winning animated series Tutenstein for Discovery Kids and Jetix, Jay Jay the Jet Plane for PBS, Adventures from The Book of Virtues for PBS KIDS and the animated long form movies The Night Before Christmas: A Mouse Tale, The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow and Christmas Dinosaur. The company is now producing Four Eyes for France 3 and Disney Channel U.K. and a series of direct-to-video releases for Leapfrog.

  • Shrek 2 Hits Home in November

    Having raked in more than $439 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Shrek 2 is set to break home video records as well when it arrives on DVD and VHS on Friday, Nov. 5. DreamWorks Home Entertainment is loading the release with hours of exclusive extras including an all-new surprise ending.

    Created by the Shrek 2 filmmakers and animators, a new animated spoof of the American Idol television show features a talent competition that puts Shrek, Fiona and an animated Simon Cowell in the judges’ seats to evaluate singing performances by favorite Far, Far Away characters. DVD viewers are then able to join in the judging. This interactive feature will be supported by an online component at the DreamWorks website where millions of viewers will determine the ultimate winner.

    Puss In Boots hosts the special features section, treating viewers to such bonus goodies as technical goofs, cast and filmmaker bios, production notes and commentaries with directors Conrad Vernon and Kelly Asbury, producer Aron Warner and editor Mike Andrews. There are also featurettes titled Meet Puss In Boots, Meet the Cast of Shrek 2, The Music of Shrek 2 and The Tech of Shrek 2, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the talent and HP technology behind the film.

    For the little ones, the disc will offer games and creative activities including Shrek’s Music Room, Fiona’s Jukebox Scene Index and Fairy Godmother Sing-Along. Young fans will also find an assortment of Shrek-themed set top games such as Find Puss In Boots and Save Fiona! More activities can be accessed with the DVD-ROM component.

    Just in time for the Holidays, DreamWorks will also release Shrek: The Story So Far, a four-disc collection featuring all of the Shrek adventures in one boxed set. Available Friday, Nov. 5 and priced under $40.00, this collection includes the single disc Shrek DVD, a home video version of the Shrek 3-D theme park attraction (complete with four pairs of 3D glasses) the fully-loaded Shrek 2 DVD and an exclusive bonus disc featuring never-before-seen programs such as a Puss In Boots music video and tutorials on how to draw Shrek, Donkey and Puss In Boots and how to burp with Shrek and Fiona.

    The Shrek 2 VHS will list for $15.95 and the DVD will carry a suggested retail price of $19.95.

  • New JibJab Toon on Tonight Show

    As the presidential debates heat up, JibJab (www.jibjab.com) and AtomFilms (www.atomfilms.com) are once again taking aim at both candidates with a sequel to their animated short spoof, This Land, which had people on both sides of the political spectrum in stitches. In an unprecedented move, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is premiering the new animation tonight, Oct. 7. Immediately following the East Coast premiere at 11:40 p.m., it will be available online at both www.JibJab.com and www.atomfilms.com.

    Titled Good to Be in DC!, the follow-up is set to the classic American folk song, Dixie, and promises to take no prisoners in Washington. Among the many to appear in animated form are George Bush, John Kerry, Al Gore, Dan Rather and John Ashcroft.

    "The Internet allowed us to reach a worldwide audience without a middleman and that’s an incredibly powerful thing for creators," says Gregg Spiridellis, who founded JibJab with brother Evan Spiridellis. "Before This Land we couldn’t have dreamed of a Tonight Show debut."

    This Land has been viewed more than 50 million times by the online audiences at JibJab.com and AtomFilms.com, outpacing the average television viewership of the Democratic National Convention (20.6 million) and The Republican National Convention (22.6 million), according to Nielsen ratings. The toon also attracted more than three times the number of visitors to both candidates’ campaign websites in July.

    The Spiridellis brothers launched www.JibJab.com from a garage in Brooklyn in 1999. To pay the bills, they produce advertising campaigns, publish children books and manufacture an original line of holiday toys distributed nationwide at Spencer Gifts and Urban Outfitters.

  • Toon Boom Releases Opus II

    Montreal-based Toon Boom Animation has released Opus II, the latest version of its complete animation solution encompassing integrated workflow, sceneplanning, effects, compositing tools and 2D and 3D integration. This new version debuts in conjunction with the release of Concerto Service Pack 1, an add-on for its popular solution for paperless animation.

    New features offered with Opus II include the ability to render a QuickTime movie in Linux and Windows, the ability to control line thickness when zooming in the Read Module, access to a basic timeline and scripting functions, the ability to customize the user toolbars for every view and the use of a new and improved Template window with element types.

    According to Toon Boom, Opus is now in use at such production houses as King Camera, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Cromosoma, DPSI, Mercury Filmworks, Jamination, Film Graphics, Hahn Film and Fat Cat.

    Opus II is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. In addition to Opus and Concerto, Toon Boom Animation Inc.’s product line includes offers such leading animation tools as Symphony and Toon Boom Studio. The company also offers consulting and training services dedicated to increasing animation production efficiency and quality. See www.toonboom.com for more information on products and services.

  • MGA Ent.’s Alien Racers Speeds to Fox

    MGA Ent., the consumer entertainment products company behind the BRATZ doll sensation, has joined forces with 4Kids Ent. to bring its new boys’ action property to the Fox television network. Alien Racers will join the FOX BOX Saturday morning block in spring of 2005. The CG series is produced by SD Ent., in concert with MGA’s Alien Racers creative team, led by MGA VP of entertainment Jay Fukuto.

    To prevent an all-out intergalactic war over the most powerful energy source in existence, Xeno-Energy, Alien civilizations from across the cosmos put forth their most skilled champions to compete in an epic race at the center of the universe. In their wild and fantastic vehicles, these speed demons pull out all the stops to best each other in an ongoing competition for power, control and supremacy.

    With Alien Racers, MGA Ent. will also infiltrate the boys’ action toy market with radio controlled vehicles and a new action figure line. Packaging will include comic books and an interactive website, www.alienracers.com, will help introduce kids to the Alien Racers–Ultrox, G’rog, Skrash and Gnarl.

  • Disney Channel’s Healy Upped to Senior VP, Original Movies

    Disney Channel exec Michael Healy has been promoted to senior VP of original movies. Reporting to Gary Marsh, exec VP of original programming and production, Healy will continue oversee development of the cable network’s critically acclaimed Disney Channel Original Movie franchise. Added responsibilities include development of original movies on the basic cable channel ABC Family.

    Among the 50 plus titles Healy developed under the Disney Channel Original Movie banner are such top-rated telepics as Cadet Kelly, The Cheetah Girls and Zenon: Z3.

    Healy joined Disney Channel in October of 1997 as VP of Original Movies. Previously, he served as director of motion pictures-for-television at CBS, president of movies for television and mini-series for Reeves Ent. and director of development for movies for television and mini-series for Warner Brothers Television. He began his career as a writer at The Courier Express in Buffalo, and was a movie critic for The Denver Post and The Daily News of Los Angeles.

    Disney Channel is part of the Disney ABC Cable Networks Group.

  • Midway Fights Back with Mortal Kombat: Deception

    Ed Boone discusses the latest chapter in the game phenomenon

    Midway Games Inc. yesterday shipped Mortal Kombat: Deception, the latest entry in the company’s best-selling fighting franchise. Available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the game is one of the most anticipated titles for the holiday season and is backed by the most extensive marketing campaign in Midway’s history.

    The 2002 Midway release, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is on pace to surpass 3 million units sold by year’s end. Mortal Kombat: Deception takes the franchise to the next level with four independent gameplay modes and multiple new fatalities for each character.

    Ed Boone, who created the Mortal Kombat franchise in 1992, worked closely with the developers at Midway during the creation of Deception. He tells Animation Magazine Online, "Fighting games are essentially two guys battling it out in a karate champ format. What we tried to do with this game is expand it into four different play mechanics. We’ve added a board game that combines elements of games like Chess and Stragego, and mixed it up with the Mortal Kombat fighting engine. We also added a puzzle game that is kind of like Tetris with Mortal Kombat characters and our own special rules. Then the final option is a single-player adventure game where you’re running around this town, interacting with the inhabitants, being challenged to fights and trying to unfold this whole 10-hour story that is the quest your character has undertaken. All these are separate modes of play in one game."

    Animation-wise, Boone comments, "We’re always getting more sophisticated with motion-capture, but this is a fantasy game where people jump in the air, do two or three flips and get punched in the chin, flip around and land on their necks–things we obviously can’t have somebody do in a studio. So we motion-capture as much as we can and then somebody keyframes the remaining fantasy part of the animation and we combine the two together to create realistic but outrageous-looking animation sequences." The team predominantly used Alias’ Maya and Kaydara’s Motionbuilder for both in-game animation and cut scenes, and performed all motion-capture in-house at Midway.

    According to Boone, the interactive environments also bring another level of strategy by including traps such as pits, collapsing floors and a giant meat grinder that you can push your opponent into. However, he says the thing fans are going to respond to the most is the introduction of online play for the first time in a Mortal Kombat title. Midway boasts that Mortal Kombat: Deception is as responsive online as it is offline. Connected players can enjoy the fighting action via both PlayStation 2 broadband and Xbox Live.

    "This game, by far, has more content and more entertainment value than any fighting game in history, so we’re very pleased," Boone concludes. "The response from fans and reviews we’ve received have been very positive and I can’t wait for people to play it."

    Midway is also releasing five unique Mortal Kombat: Deception Limited Edition sets featuring distinctive packaging, 40 minutes of bonus DVD video content, serialized Kollector’s Kards and a playable arcade version of the original Mortal Kombat.

  • John Woo Powers He-Man to Big Screen

    Daily Variety reports that Hong Kong action auteur John Woo is set to direct and produce a live-action feature based on Mattel’s Masters of the Universe toyline. The property is best known from the He-Man animated series introduced in the early ’80s by Filmation and recently resurrected by Mike Young Prods. Adam Rifkin, (Small Soldiers, Night at the Golden Eagle) will craft the screenplay.

    He-Man is the story of Prince Adam, the son of an Earthling and an Eternian, who, at the age of 18, is granted special powers by the mysterious Castle Grayskull. Aided by his alter-ego, He-Man, and his loyal Tiger named Battle Cat, Adam fights to protect the universe from the evil Skeletor and his minions.

    There is no word on who will be cast in the title role for the latest live-action effort. Dolph Lundgren played the muscle-bound hero in the 1987 Cannon Films pic, Masters of the Universe, starring opposite Frank Langella’s Skeletor.

    Woo, who is also signed to direct an adaptation of the Spy Hunter video game for Universal Pictures, will produce He-Man with Terence Chang through their Lion Rock Prods. Overseeing for Fox 2000 are president Elizabeth Gabler and director of production Rodney Farrell.

    Rifkin has also been tapped to co-write an adaptation of Jason Lethcoe’s comic book, Zoom’s Academy, for Revolution Studios and Garfield director Peter Hewitt. In addition, he will direct a pilot for Platinum Studios’ and First Family’s half-hour sci-fi comedy series, Spaced, about a teenager who has to share his body with a mischievous alien being.

  • Team America Sneaking into Theaters

    Paramount Pictures’ Team America: World Police, the latest satirical romp from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, will covertly infiltrate 800 theaters across North America this Saturday, Oct. 9. The studio is counting on the sneak peak to help build word-of-mouth for the film’s official Oct. 15 opening.

    In the spirit of Gerry Anderson’s 1960s "supermarionation" shows such as Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, Team America stars an all-marionette cast as an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. When they learn that power-hungry dictator Kim Jong Il is brokering weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, the heroes crisscross the globe on a harrowing mission to save the world.

    Parker directed the politically-charged comedy from a script he co-wrote with Stone and Pam Brady. Parker and Stone also produced the pic with Scott Rudin (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). Scott Aversano (The School of Rock, The Manchurian Candidate) and Anne Garefino (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, TV’s That’s My Bush) serve as exec producers, and Michael Polaire (Solaris, A Simple Plan) and Frank Agnone (animation producer on South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut) are co-producers.

    Read about the making of Team America: World Police in the November issue of Animation Magazine, available now.

  • MIPCOM: Silverwing to Fly as Trilogy

    Bardel Ent.’s Silverwing, an animated action/adventure series about bats, is being repackaged as a trio of movies for both broadcast and home video distribution worldwide. Under the creative direction of veteran producer Chris Henderson (Scholastic Ent.’s Clifford’s Really Big Movie) the 13×22 series has been edited into three 72-minute features.

    According to Henderson, two new endings were created to give the first two features dramatic conclusions like the series climax, which provides a natural ending for the third film. As with the Lord of the Rings and Matrix trilogies, the end of one movie is the beginning of another.

    Bardel and Silverwing distributor B Wooding Media Ltd. hope broadcasters worldwide will embrace the programming flexibility the re-packaging offers. Outlets can choose to introduce the property as either a set of movies or a regular half-hour series.

    The Silverwing trilogy is set to air on TELETOON Canada in December. MIPCOM attendees can find it at the Bardel stand in the Canadian Pavilion (stand 00.01). To view the promo, go to www.bwoodingmedia.com.

  • Disney Grants Wish with Aladdin DVD

    If Disney’s Aladdin was ever a diamond in the rough, it’s certainly a polished gem now. The animated favorite arrives on DVD today for the first time in the form of a 2-disc special edition featuring a newly restored and remastered widescreen (1.66:1) presentation, plus tons of extras.

    Like a genie confined to a lamp, Aladdin has been in the Disney vault for the past 10 years, but it hasn’t exactly been collecting dust. To accommodate the sharper DVD image quality, some characters have been redrawn with more facial detail in certain scenes and background colors have been enhanced under the supervision of members of the original creative team at Disney Feature Animation. The sound also gets a boost from a new 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix.

    In addition to the beautiful restoration job, the DVD release offers a bounty of bonus treasures including the deleted song "Proud of Your Boy," written by Academy Award-winning songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and performed by American Idol finalist Clay Akin. Also included are rare deleted scenes, two audio commentaries by the filmmakers, The Making of Aladdin, insights into the animation process by key artists, new music videos and a host of interactive features.

    Viewers can take a virtual magic carpet ride that transports players to Agrabah with Aladdin on a quest to save Jasmine. There’s also a comical 3D tour of the Genie’s lamp, a game that follows Genie’s adventures after being released from the lamp, a fun facts pop-up track and a selection of songs from the film.

    The release is also available as a collector’s gift set that includes all-new sketches by the original animators, an actual film frame from the movie and a companion book.

    Aladdin is produced and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the team behind The Little Mermaid. The special edition lists for $29.99 on DVD and $24.99 on VHS.

  • Galaxy Rangers Rockets to Disc

    Koch Vision today released the DVD debut of the innovative 1986 animated action series, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, featuring animation by famed anime house TMS and the voices of Jerry Orbach, Bob Bottone, Laura Dean and Earl Hammond. The show has been completely restored and re-mastered and includes 5.1 Surround Sound and a host of special features.

    Produced and created by Robert Mandell, director of the 1986 action flick, F/X, and the 1993 pilot episode of The X-Files, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers takes place in the year 2086 as two peaceful aliens journey to Earth seeking help. In appreciation for Earth’s assistance, the aliens share the plans for the planet’s first hyperdrive, allowing mankind to open the doors to the stars. With the fantastic device in hand, a team of unique individuals is assembled to protect Earth and preserve law and order across the new frontier.

    The animation was completed in Japan by the famed Tokyo Movie Shinsa, but The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers was one of the first anime-style shows to be created, storyboarded, voiced and produced in the U.S. The show originally aired as a series of sixty-five 30-minute episodes that combined elements of the Hollywood Western, the space opera and the epic sword-and-sorcery fantasy.

    In addition to the DVD debut, Koch Vision is planning an extensive 2005 brand rollout which will include publishing, apparel and an official website launch this month.

    Two volumes, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers: Tortuna and The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers: Supertroopers are now available for the suggested retail price of $14.98.

    Also arriving on DVD today is the 1992 animated feature, Bebe’s Kids, based on the comedy of Robin Harris and featuring the voices of Tone Loc and the late Nell Carter. The Paramount Home Video release includes the bonus cartoon Itsy Bitsy Spider and lists for $14.99.

    A compilation of nine episodes from popular Cartoon Network series comes to disc and tape with Warner Home Video’s Cartoon Network Christmas: Yuletide Follies, featuring The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken and I AM Weasel. Fans can pick it up for $14.97.

    Warner gets Nickelodeon into the act with The Fairly Oddparents: Channel Chasers, which spoofs such classic cartoons as Peanuts, Fat Albert, Strawberry Shortcake, The Jetsons, Rugrats, Invader ZIM, SpeedRacer, Blues Clues, DragonBall Z and Pokemon. Fans also get deleted scenes and a "How to Draw Timmy" tutorial, all for a list price of $16.99.

    Finally, there’s more holiday fun with Warner Home Entertainment’s release of the family special, Nine Dog Christmas. Produced by Peter Keefe E-Content/JRS Properties LLC., the toon is narrated by James Earl Jones (The Lion King) and tells the story of nine extraordinary stray dogs who come to Santa’s rescue when the reindeer flu threatens to cancel Christmas. It retails for $19.97.

  • Shark Tale Makes Out Swimmingly

    It was another big weekend for animation at the box office as DreamWorks’ Shark Tale chewed up the competition and reeled in a whopping $49 million, according to estimates. Buoyed by A-list star power, the 3D toon managed the kind of boffo opening that hasn’t been seen over the past few lackluster weeks.

    Directed by Shrek helmer Vicky Jensen, animator Bibo Bergeron (The Adventures of Pinocchio, A Goofy Movie) and writer Rob Letterman, Shark Tale evokes classic mob movies to tell the story of a fish named Oscar (Will Smith), who finds himself in deep water when he takes credit for killing the son of shark mafia boss Don Lino (Robert De Niro). The cast also includes Oscar winners Renée Zellweger and Angelina Joile, hot property Jack Black, director Martin Scorsese, TV icon Peter Falk and Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore.

    Shark Tale opened slightly better than the first Shrek, but swam in the shallow end compared to Shrek 2, which surpassed $100 million in its first week. The latest DreamWorks release also missed the high water mark set by the $70 million debut of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo.

    Buena Vista’s Ladder 49 was also a hot ticket over the weekend, opening to $22.7 million, a respectable take for a post-summer action/drama with ample effects work. Vfx studios Illusion Arts, Pacific Title Digital and Pixel Magic helped bring the heat to the firefighter story starring John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix, Jacinda Barrett, Morris Chestnut, Jay Hernandez and Robert Patrick.

    Sony/Revolution Studios’ supernatural thriller, The Forgotten, earned another $12 million and dropped to No. 3 in week two. The modestly budgeted head trip has nearly recouped production costs with a cume of $38 million. The same can’t be said for Paramount’s $70 million CG/live-action hybrid, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which continues to lose altitude at a rapid pace. The film slipped another 50% in week three, earning just $3.3 million to raise its total to $30.6 million.

    Buena Vista’s Bernie Mac baseball comedy, Mr. 3,000, rounds out the top five with $2.6 million in its third weekend at bat, but it was the No. 6 film that got the best base hit. Director Michael Schultz’s prison drama, Woman Thou Art Loosed, opened in just over 400 theaters but managed to pull in $2.5 million. The film is an adaptation of Bishop T.D. Jakes’ novel chronicling a woman’s struggle to come to terms with a legacy of abuse, addiction and poverty. Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine and Debbi Morgan star.

  • Cramp Twins Travel to Super RTL, Fox Kids Germany

    TV-Loonland has sold its hit animated series, The Cramp Twins, to top broadcasters in Germany. Super RTL has picked up the second season (26×11), while pay-TV provider Fox Kids Germany has committed to both the first and second seasons (52×11).

    Super RTL, which recently began airing the TV-Loonland production, Ned’s Newt, plans to launch the second season of Cramp Twins in spring 2005. The show will fist debut on Fox Kids starting in January 2005, when it joins the new Jetix programming block.

    The Cramp Twins is based on the comic book series by Brian Wood, published by the Bloomsbury Press in the U.K. Produced in cooperation with the BBC and Cartoon Network U.K., the series follows the adventures of Wayne and Lucien, 10-year-old twins who are complete opposites. The show debuted in September 2001 and became one of the U.K.’s top-rated cartoons. In addition to the sales in Germany, the series has this year sold to broadcasters in Austria, Switzerland, the U.K., France and Spain, as well as Asia and the Americas.