Fox 2000 has tapped Zachary Gordon to play the title role in DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Chloe Moretz is in negotiations for the female lead in the adaptation of Jeff Kinney's illustrated novels.

Thor Freudenthal is set to direct. Nina Jacobson is producing under her Color Force banner with Brad Simpson. The story follows a smart-aleck middle-school kid during the course of an academic year. Moretz would play an intense student with a wry sense of humor. Rachel Harris will play Gordon's mother.

Press Release from Comedy Central

NEW YORK, July 22, 2009 -- From the warped minds of creators, writers and executive producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, comes the most reprehensible and most guilty-pleasure movie of all time: "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!," it was announced today by Lauren Corrao, president, original programming and development, COMEDY CENTRAL. Currently in production, the first animated film based on the "Drawn Together" series will be released by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment in March 2010.

Press Release from Cartoon Network

This weekend, DC Comics most heroic characters will help you lose the summertime blues with a full-day marathon of the Cartoon Network original series JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED. Presented on the commercial-free Boomerang network, this marathon features all 39 episodes of the series, aired in order, with an encore presentation of selected episodes. The action begins Saturday, July 25 at 6 a.m.

Press Release from TV-Loonland

TV-Loonland has inked various deals with high profile TV broadcasters in Asia. LEON (52 x 3 Minutes), multi-formatted property PAT & STAN (39 x 7 Minutes, A 30-minute Special and 350 Shorts) and RAYMOND (78 x 7 Minutes) have all found new TV homes and are set for launch across the Asian continent this coming Autumn.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, Disney Japan has secured TV rights for the much sought after and truly unique LEON and Cartoon Network Japan has added quirky comedy series RAYMOND to its programming line-up.

Voice actor Dallas McKennon died Monday at the age of 89, just days shy of his 90th birthday.

His friend and mentee, Eugene Hamm, wrote an obituary for McKennon:

Press Release from Women in Children's Media

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim announces a number of panels, fan events and signings at 2009 Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif., Thursday, July 23 - Sunday, July 26, 2009. All times, dates and locations subject to change.

THURSDAY, JULY 23

ADULT SWIM: Robot Chicken w/ Titan Maximum
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: 6A
Moderator: Keith Crofford, vice president of production Adult Swim

Press Release from 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.

NEW YORK (July 7, 2009) -- 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE), the diversified children's entertainment and media organization, has reached agreements to license the television broadcast rights to the popular animated series "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" in a number of key territories, it was announced today by Brian Lacey, Executive Vice President, International, 4Kids Entertainment.

Comedian and actor Brad Garrett is developing a half-hour animated comedy for Sony Pictures TV called DUMB BUNNY AND JACKASS, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

The project is adults-only and is targeted for cable, based on the characters created by Bill Kopp (EEK! THE CAT and TOONSYLVANIA). The story follows the most popular cartoon duo in history after their fall from stardom.

Garrett is attached to voice one of the two leads and exec produce via his banner, Mope Productions. Glenn Robbins and Doug Wald are also set to exec produce with Kopp as a co-exec producer.

Press Release from Breakthrough Entertainment

TORONTO (July 7, 2009) -- Breakthrough Entertainment has licensed television broadcast rights for JIMMY TWO-SHOES to Walt Disney Television International Japan. Twenty-six half-hour episodes are scheduled to premiere Fall 2009.

"The international response to JIMMY TWO-SHOES has been very gratifying," said Nat Abraham, Head of Distribution. "The fun and humor in the series continue to spread across all regions. We are delighted to have Disney Channel in Japan as part of the Jimmy family."

Press Release from Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network, the number one kids' channel in Asia Pacific, has partnered with HP to launch the inaugural Toon Creator Awards, an online animation contest for children, in July 2009. Open to kids aged 6-14, the contest provides a regional platform for young talent from Australia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to showcase their creativity through technology.

Press Release from Scholastic Media

NEW YORK -- June 30, 2009 -- Scholastic Media, a division of Scholastic Inc., announced today that award-winning writer, producer and director Jack D. Ferraiolo has returned to the company's animation studio division, Soup2Nuts, in a new position as Development Executive.

Press Release from ZDF Enterprises

ZDF Enterprises and Jonathan M. Shiff Productions (JMSP) have prolonged the agreement they signed in 2002 for further 6 years. The creative collaboration between the companies has already proven its winning partnership in various internationally successful live action series such as "The Elephant Princess", "Wicked Science" and "H2O - Just Add Water". Under the terms of this agreement ZDF Enterprises will co-produce JMSP productions and taking charge of worldwide sales of all associated rights outside Australia and New Zealand.

Starz Digital Media, a division of Starz Media, has launched ABE Toons, a new online video site for indie animators and a consumer destination for animated shorts.

INKHEART, PINK PANTHER 2 and WALTZ WITH BASHIR make their DVD and Blu-ray debuts on June 23, 2009. Also out: TOM AND JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION on DVD.

INKHEART on DVD and Blu-ray

Press Release from Nice Shoes

NEW YORK (June 15 2009): Nice Shoes' new Creative Director Aron Baxter has come full circle. The London-born Baxter joined Nice Shoes as a senior VFX artist in January 2003 then moved over to Guava, the company's sister VFX Company. Now, with the merger of Nice Shoes and Guava, he has returned to the parent company to assume the new role of Creative Director.

Additionally, Jack Fahey has been appointed Head of Sales for the Nice Shoes family of companies which includes Nice Shoes, Nice Spots and Freestyle Collective.

Press Release from CAKE Entertainment

CAKE Entertainment is marking its strategic move into producing live-action with today's announcement of a live-action/CG hybrid tween comedy pilot for a series called CARTOON GENE (26 x 30"), co-produced with Galakids and TELETOON Canada. The move sees CAKE build on their existing experiences in this area, and reinforce their established position as a meeting place for a growing family of producers of high-end children's content.

Home video releases for June 16 include the DVD/Blu-ray debut of FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009), as well as five previous installments on DVD and Blu-ray. LOST seasons one and two make their Blu-ray bow, as does SPACEBALLS and GHOSTBUSTERS to Blu-ray. Throw in some FAMILY GUY, THE TRANSFORMERS, TOM AND JERRY, THOMAS & FRIENDS and GARFIELD DVDs, and you have a party!

FAMILY GUY Volume 7 on DVD

Press Release from Cartoon Network

Officially kicking the summer television season into high gear, Cartoon Network's newest animated series TOTAL DRAMA ACTION premiered Thursday night (June 11, 9 p.m.) as the most-watched program of the day on all television-broadcast and cable-among kids 6-11, kids 9-14 and boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.

On Monday, a Russian court dropped the lawsuit against adult cartoon channel 2X2 for their airing of SOUTH PARK, per VARIETY. A religious group had alleged the show stirs up national hatred.

Last year, the case was brought by the Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, who said one episode in particular, "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics," "insulted the feelings of religious believers and incited religious and national hatred."