As part of its continuing theatrical expansion in Europe, IMAX. will open a new IMAX 3D theater at Disneyland Resort Paris in June 2004, joining 46 similar theaters currently scheduled to launch throughout Europe at that time. The expansion is via a partnership with Disney as well as EuroPalaces, one of the largest commercial exhibitors in Europe.

British animator Faraz Hamed hopes to demonstrate good use of CGI and cartoony timing in his recently completed short film, PUMPING TYRE (PUMPING TIRE). The sole animator and director, Hamed squeezed in time during lunches and after work for a period of six months to animate and composited two-minute 40-second film in 3ds max.

THE HULK came out slugging last weekend with the highest June opener ever at $62.1M, despite mixed reviews about the content of Ang Lee's heady adaptation of the Marvel comic and ILM's execution of the CG monster. Universal's latest entry in the comic book genre overtook AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME for the best June debut, and tied MONSTERS, INC. as the 17th best opener of all time. It also marks the seventh consecutive straight number one opening for Marvel. THE HULK comes in third right behind SPIDER-MAN'S $114.8M opening and X2: X-MEN UNITED's $85.6M last month.

Flash specialty studio ANIMAX is producing a 35mm-animated short film for Jellyman Prods., CATCHING KRINGLE, in a mix of 2D techniques. ANIMAX is using Flash, USAnimation and traditional hand animation for the holiday themed short, featuring the voices of Danny De Vito and John Rhy-Davies, with a cameo by Larry King. The film will be ready to exhibit at film and animation festivals in time for the holiday season.

It only took Disney/Pixar's FINDING NEMO 20 days to hit the $200 million mark at the box office, which it did Wednesday, June 18, 2003, placing it number 10 on the all-time list. So far, the latest computer-animated blockbuster from the Emeryville, California studio has amassed $203,263,253 in North American theaters. That's good enough for fourth on the list of computer-animated box office champs. DreamWorks/PDI's SHREK is first with $267, 665,011; Disney/Pixar's MONSTERS, INC. is second with $255,873,250 and Disney/Pixar's TOY STORY 2 is third with $245,852,179.

Universal Pictures' HULK opens June 20, 2003, offering a more heady take on the comic book genre, given director Ang Lee's interest in martial arts and existentialism (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON).

Freely adapted from the '60s Marvel comic book by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, which was also a hit TV series starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, HULK features not one but two Oedipal plot lines. Eric Bana (BLACK HAWK DOWN) co-stars with last year's Best Actress Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly (A BEAUTIFUL MIND). Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte play the troublesome dads.

Korean and Los Angeles-based 3D-animation house FX Digital/DiFarm and French-American production firm Media Concepts have partnered up to create the 3D-animated musical feature BREMEN. The two companies will share financing and ownership equally and hope to start production in late June of this year.

Former Disney and Warner Bros. animator Jason Lethcoe is very hot. DAILY VARIETY reports that Revolution Studios has optioned his HARRY POTTER-like graphic novel, ZOOM'S ACADEMY FOR THE SUPER GIFTED, which concerns an unpopular high school girl who enrolls in a superhero academy, with the help of her mysterious father. Screenwriters are now being wooed for the live-action feature.

The animation unit responsible for Disney's DVD-premiere movies such as THE LION KING 2: SIMBA'S PRIDE has been renamed DisneyToon Studios. The new name and logo were officially unveiled on June 5, 2003, at an internal event held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The new division, which split from Walt Disney Television Animation in January, is overseen by evp Sharon Morrill, in charge of all aspects of production and development for the Disney Video Premieres and MovieToons produced by DisneyToon Studios. She reports to David Stainton, president, Walt Disney Feature Animation.

FINDING NEMO, the Disney/Pixar computer-animated smash, was back atop the box office chart, reeling in $28.3M in its third week. That puts it near the $200M plateau with $191.4M. The other animated opener, Paramount/Nickelodeon/Klasky Csupo's RUGRATS GO WILD, made an impressive debut in the fourth spot with $11.5M.