After announcing that it is claiming a $74 million loss on its latest animated feature TREASURE PLANET, Disney is now refocusing its overseas marketing of the film, in the hopes that this will allow the company to recoup some of its domestic losses. According to VARIETY, Buena Vista International (BVI), Disney's international distribution arm, is positioning the film as more of a fun family film, playing up the humor by centering the campaign on the secondary characters.

With Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY emerging as a front runner for Oscar nomination, Japanese distributor Toho Films has announced the director's next project. According to ANIME NEWS NETWORK, Miyazaki will begin production on HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE in February 2003, a film based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. HOWL is a love story between a male witch and an 18-year-old girl who has been transformed into an old woman. The Ghibli Studios production will be written by Reiko Yoshida, with Katsuya Kondou (KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE) acting as supervising animator.

Australian visual effects company Photon VFX, best known for its work on SCOOBY DOO and FINAL FANTASY, was the effects company behind the main character in the Warner Bros. horror flick GHOST SHIP -- the ship itself. The effects laden film is the largest feature film project to be shot and had all visual effects produced entirely in Australia.

Jennifer Lopez kicked James Bond right off the top spot this weekend, as the J-Lo starrer MAID IN MANHATTAN debuted at number one with $19M. The romantic comedy barely topped STAR TREK: NEMESIS, which earned $18.8M its first weekend out. The latest installation in the Star Trek series features visual effects by Digital Domain and Eden FX. After fluctuating in and out of the number one spot, DIE ANOTHER DAY, with visual effects by Cinesite, dropped all the way to fifth, earning $7.5M for a four week total of $131.5M.

Critics have begun to single out one of Disney's four short-listed animated features as a possible front runner for Oscar nomination. Hayao Miyazaki's lyrical film SPIRITED AWAY was named Best Animated Feature this week by both The New York Film Critics Circle and The Los Angeles Film Critics after receiving the same honor from the National Board of Review on December 4, 2002.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has announced that seventeen films will compete for the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar in the 2002 Academy Awards competition. Because of the large number of eligible features, under the rules for the category, a maximum of five films could be nominated.The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted on December 10, 2002 to activate the category for the 75th Academy Award Presentations.

The Sundance Film Festival, which honors American and international independent film, has announced its 2003 short film line-up. 90 short films were chosen from 3,345 entries. Notable entries include live-action shorts from SHREK helmer Vicky Jenson and Richard Linklater (director of 2001's animated feature WAKING LIFE), as well as Student Academy Award animation honoree THE VELVET TIGRESS, directed by Jen Sachs.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS' hold on the top spot was again short lived, as the sequel dropped to third and Bond was back on top in this weekend's box office. Despite losing over 50% of its audience since last weekend, DIE ANOTHER DAY, with visual effects by Cinesite, regained its number one place, earning $12.8M for a three week total of $120.2M. In second place was the lackluster comedy ANALYZE THAT, with an $11M debut. Third place honors went to last week's number one film HARRY POTTER, with primary visual effects by ILM, which took in $10M this weekend.

THE SAVE-UMS, DECODE's new preschool series is one of a trio of pick-ups by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for its ABC Kids block. Created by Dan Clark of the Dan Clark Company, THE SAVE-UMS (52 x 11-minutes) lets preschoolers learn the principles of cause and effect and the impact of cooperative play. In addition to THE SAVE-UMS, the broadcaster has acquired the new adventure series KING for 8-12 year-olds and GIRLSTUFF BOYSTUFF, described as an animated FRIENDS for tweens.

The success of SPIDER-MAN, among other blockbuster hits, has propelled Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) to an all-time industry box office record, announced SPE chairman John Calley. With $2.75 billion in worldwide box office receipts for 2002, Sony has surpassed the existing record of $2.68 billion in worldwide ticket sales set by 20th Century Fox in 1998, the year that studio distributed TITANIC internationally. "This is truly a memorable moment in Sony Pictures Entertainment's history," said Calley.