Aardman Animations has halted work on TORTOISE VS HARE. The Bristol-based studio plans to start production up again in six months after script problems are worked out. Due to the hiatus 90 out of its 172 crew were laid off, but Aardman hopes to rehire them once production begins again. "The characters have got to be fleshed out," Aardman spokesman Arthur Sheriff said.

Santa Monica-based digital.art.media has announced their work helping DR. DOLITTLE 2 lead VFX studio, Rhythm & Hues, on 53 shots. digital.art.media helped created the lip synch needed to make many of the animal characters talk. "New systems could not circumvent the need for thousands of man-hours to be expended on very tedious artistic work," said Marc Kolbe, president of digital.art.media. "But the effort is worth it when you see the movie.

Warner Bros. & DreamWorks SKG’s A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, Steven Spielberg’s futuristic tale about a boy robot (Haley Joel Osment), who dreams of being something more, finished at the top of the pack in this weekend’s box office. In its first weekend of release, the film took in an estimated $30.1 million. 20th Century Fox’s DR. DOLITTLE 2 dropped one spot to #3. Starring Eddie Murphy, the sequel to the 1998 remake of the 1967 film about a doctor who can "talk with the animals," took in an estimated $15.4 million, for a two week cumulative of $51 million.

20th Century Fox’s DR. DOLITTLE 2 debuted in the number two spot in this weekend’s box office. Starring Eddie Murphy, the sequel to the 1998 remake of the 1967 film about a doctor who can "talk with the animals," took in an estimated $26.7 million. Paramount Pictures’ TOMB RAIDER dropped to #3 after its smash debut last week. The Angelina Jolie action-adventure flick took in an estimated $20.2 million, bringing its two week cumulative to $84.2.

Manga Entertainment is set to release Japan's first fully-digitally-animated feature BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE. Produced by Japan's Production IG Studios (GHOST IN THE SHELL), BLOOD will be released in select theatres this summer and on DVD/VHS on August 28, 2001. The film takes place in the fall of 1966 and sends a young assassin Saya (SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS' Youki Kodoh) into an American school within the Yokota military compound to uncover and eliminate the blood-sucking menace. The film was directed by Hiroyuki Kitakub. As part of this year's RESFEST, the film will be screened digitally.

Paramount Pictures’ TOMB RAIDER leaped into #1 in this weekend’s box office, taking in an estimated $48.2 million. Disney’s ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE debuted at #2, with a respectable, if not spectacular $20.4 million. DreamWorks' CG film, SHREK, continued to post solid numbers, moving down only one notch to #3 with $12.9 million, bringing its five week cumulative to $197.2 million. Warner Bros.' SWORDFISH dropped to the #4 spot with $12.15 million, bringing its two week cumulative to $39.21.

Howard Schwartz Recording (HSR), a leading audio facility, is recording the voice tracks for the Columbia Pictures' STUART LITTLE 2. Produced by Sony-based Red Wagon Productions, and directed by Rob Minkoff, the film is scheduled for release on July 19th, 2002. HSR engineer Bill Higley has been recording the actors directly from microphone to DAT for the sequel. The voice cast includes Michael J. Fox as Stuart, Nathan Lane as Snowbell the cat, Melanie Griffith as Margalo the bird and Steve Zahn as Monty.

Warner Bros.' SWORDFISH hooked the top spot this week, debuting with $18.15 million. DreamWorks' CG film, SHREK, held its ground at #2 with $16.52 million, taking in a cumulative $176.07 million total in its four week run. Buena Vista's PEARL HARBOR lost its #1 spot, dropping to third place with $14.72 million, bringing its three week total to $143.99 million. DreamWorks' special effects comedy, EVOLUTION, made its debut in forth place with $13.41 million. THE ANIMAL made $9.61 million, down to #5 from #3 with a cumulative total of $35.65 million.

Buena Vista’s PEARL HARBOR held off SHREK to remain box office champ this week, grossing $29.5 million, for a two week cumulative total of $118.8 million. DreamWorks' CG-animated film SHREK stayed hot at the box office, bringing in another $28.1 million in its third week of release, for a cumulative total of $148.4 million. Universal's THE MUMMY RETURNS slipped to #6 for its fifth weekend with $7.7 million, boasting a cumulative total of $181.1 million. Sony's A KNIGHT'S TALE jousted the seventh slot at $3.4 million, with a $49.4 cumulative total.

IMAX Corporation has announced that Steve Oedekerk's original animated film, SANTA VS. THE SNOWMAN, will be reformatted into IMAX 3D and anchor a special IMAX holiday film program launching in November 2002. Produced by Oedekerk's O Entertainment, animated by DNA productions with additional footage being animated by Omation, a division of O Entertainment, the film features the voices of Oedekerk, Emmy Award-winning comic Jonathan Winters, Ben Stein and Victoria Jackson. SANTA VS.