Hey, hey, hey, FAT ALBERT fans, the hefty hero is coming to the big screen. Bill Cosby has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to turn his beloved animated series into a live-action film, featuring some animated moments. Cosby will executive produce the film with his wife, Camille, and write the screenplay with Charles Kipps (EXILED: A LAW & ORDER MOVIE). Producer John Davis brought the project to Fox and will produce the film through his Davis Entertainment Co. No start date has been set but the first draft of the script should be finished within two to three weeks.

While HANNIBAL took a strong hold around the international box office, Disney's THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE danced its way to number one in Sweden. In Italy, HANNIBAL reclaimed the top spot with a gross of $3.47 million, elevating its cume to $9.12 million. At #5 in Italy, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON floated another $820,649, pushing its total to $1.97 million. In Australia, HANNIBAL retained the #1 slot, grossing $3.29 million, thus escalating its cume to $3.54 million. At #2, CAST AWAY foraged $755,639, lifting its Australian cume to $10.39 million.

With new competition very weak, HANNIBAL took a third helping at the U.S. box office, grossing another US$15.77 million. The hog-wild thriller, with primary visual effects by Mill Film, has gobbled up $128.5 million to date. 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND made its opening nod in third. The high-octane crime caper, with primary visual effects by Rainmaker Digital Pictures, snatched $7.16 million. After early reports had it placing third, Disney's RECESS: SCHOOL'S OUT actually finished forth, rescuing an additional $6.93 million. The saving summer vacation adventure has accumulated $22.7 million.

Inkwell Images has purchased the only existing picture and sound negatives to a series of early Max Fleischer Bouncing Ball SONG CARTUNES. Inkwell purchased the prints from New York-based Movietronics film library. One title, MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME is one of the earliest attempts at animating dialog, as a black dog character mouths, "Follow the ball and join in, everybody!" Produced in 1924, they feature synchronized sound and are part of the Library of Congress' archives, however their prints are without soundtracks.

Gobbling up tickets over the President's Day weekend, HANNIBAL remained the toast of the U.S. box office, grossing US$30 million. In merely ten-days at theaters, the cannibalistic caper, with primary visual effects by Mill Film, has scoffed down an amazing $103.9 million. Disney's TV series turned feature, RECESS: SCHOOL'S OUT placed third in its debut, freezing up $10.8 million. In turn, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON slipped to fifth, with a gross of $8.77 million.

With it already grossing out audiences in the States, HANNIBAL has begun to take a slice out of the international box office. In Italy, the blood-thirsty thriller claimed the top spot with a gross of $5.65 million. In fifth, CAST AWAY floated an additional $679,996, raising its Italian cume to $12.78 million. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON descended into sixth with a ticket-take of $529,624, lifting its Italian total to $1.14 million. In eighth, 102 DALMATIANS barked up another $284,555, bringing its Italian cume to $4.48 million.

CAST AWAY is still holding strong at the international box office. In Germany, the desert island adventure rounded up another $3.73 million, escalating its cume to $21.46 million. VERTICAL LIMIT climbed into second with a gross of $1.84 million, raising its German cume to $4.34 million. In third, BEDAZZLED seduced $1.4 million, bringing its German cume to $4.49 million. THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE made its German nod in fourth with a gross of $663,408. At #8, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON collected $477,415, pushing its German cume to $2.35 million.

HANNIBAL, the sequel to the Oscar-winning best picture SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, has slashed U.S. box office records on its way to claiming first place in its debut weekend. The cannibalistic cavalcade, with primary visual effects by Mill Film, ate up US$58 million, making it the all-time highest grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film. The blood-thirsty thriller also claimed the highest opening for a film release in January through April, beating out the re-release of STAR WARS. Still improving after 10 weeks in U.S.

Around the globe, CAST AWAY remains at the top of the international box office. In Germany, CAST AWAY claimed the top spot with a gross of $4.99 million, lifting its three-week total to $17.74 million. In second, VERTICAL LIMIT made its German debut with a gross of $2.51 million. BEDAZZLED bewitched third place, grossing $1.88 million, raising its German cume to $3.09 million. In fifth, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON amazed audiences to the tune of $624,096, elevating its German cume to $1.88 million. At #6, UNBREAKABLE secured another $570,085, bringing its German cume to $12.52 million.

With live-action comedy THE WEDDING PLANNER and the debut of teen-horror flick, VALENTINE, taking the top two spots respectively, CAST AWAY floated into third for the second straight week, grossing another $7.47 million. The volleyball friendly film, with primary visual effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks, has accumulated $203 million to date. Jumping up yet another slot to finish fifth, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON rescued an additional $6.82 million.