Comic and licensing company Marvel Enterprises is mulling over entering the world of film production on their own, confirms a company representative. Since the overwhelming success of its characters like Spider-Man and Daredevil on the big screen, the company is contemplating middle budget theatrical or direct-to-video productions based on some of their lower-profile characters. The films would have a budget range of between $8 and $50 million.

The Walt Disney Company announced the launch of its MovieBeam on-demand movie rental service, allowing consumers instant access to recent DVD and video releases, as well as a wide variety of popular films from almost all of the major studios. The service will first launch in Jacksonville, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Spokane, Washington. MovieBeam has agreements in place with DreamWorks SKG, MGM Studios, Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox Studios and Walt Disney Studios.

In further belt-tightening, the Walt Disney Co. plans to shut down Walt Disney Animation (Japan) in Tokyo. Part of DisneyToon Studios that specializes in DVD-premieres (101 DALMATIANS II: PATCH'S LONDON ADVENTURE) and smaller-budgeted theatrical releases (PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE, THE TIGGER MOVIE), the Japanese facility employs about 100 animators and will cease operations after completing the WINNIE THE POOH spin-off, THE HEFFALUMP MOVIE. Work for 2004 and beyond will quickly segue over to Walt Disney Animation (Australia), which recently made JUNGLE BOOK II.

Gearing up for its work on the 3D/CG animated feature VALIANT, Vanguard Animation has opened a full-scale, computer-animation studio at London's Ealing Studios. The production is taking over a newly renovated, 10,000 square foot site. The storyboarding, character design and production design to date has been created in L.A., with many of that crew coming to London for the commencement of the full animation production. Starting with a crew of 75, the production will finally employ more than 120. The film plans to be in production over the next 18 months.

As anticipated, the board of directors of AOL Time Warner Inc. has voted to rename the company Time Warner Inc. The name change also includes the adoption of a new stock symbol: TWX" -- Time Warner's symbol on the New York Stock Exchange from before the merger.

"We believe that our new name better reflects the portfolio of our valuable businesses and ends any confusion between our corporate name and the America Online brand name for our investors, partners and the public," chairman and ceo Dick Parsons said in a prepared statement.

Newark, New Jersey-based Digital Production Solutions (DPS), the animation unit of IDT Media, continues its buying spree, having signed a letter of intent to acquire a controlling interest in Mainframe Entertainment, Inc., a leading Canadian creator of computer animation for TV and direct-to-video products.

Following the demise of Egmont Imagination earlier this year, the company's former U.K. managing director, Tatiana Kober, has launched Bejuba! Entertainment, based in Toronto with an office in Los Angeles. The company will specialize in financing, exploitation and distribution of intellectual property rights across all key markets and platforms.

"It doesn't look good," remarked a Disney insider when asked about the prospects of renewing its partnership with Pixar Animation Studios. "It's not a slam dunk, but that doesn't mean it won't work out either," remarked another studio insider. Now THE LOS ANGLES TIMES reports that Disney and Pixar are far apart in their contract negotiations, which Disney co-chairman Michael Eisner would like to conclude by the studio's next board meeting on Sept. 23, 2003.

A federal judge dismissed a shareholder lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. on Sept. 9, 2003 that claimed the company had defrauded investors by hiding potential damages at stake in a separate legal dispute over WINNIE THE POOH merchandise, REUTERS reported.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) continues to expand its global cable and satellite networks portfolio with the launch next month of AXN in six European countries -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. As part of that expansion, Tom Davidson has been named new network's gm, based in Budapest, according to Darren Childs, svp of international networks, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI).