The 8th volume of BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: TOKYO 2040 hits stores in October. The new release features the 12th and 13th episodes in the continuing series. This time around the remaining members of the ADPolice must fight a losing battle against an army of killer bombers. The tape will be available in an English dubbed version for US$19.98 and a subtitled version for $29.95 on October 10, 2000. The previous volumes are also available for the same retail price.

From the director of anime flick, OUTLAW STAR, Mitsuru Hongo’s SHAMANIC PRINCESS will descend onto video on October 10, 2000. In the third installment in the SHAMANIC series, "Guardian World" picks up Tiara’s journey to recover her stolen talisman. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.99 and the subtitled version for $24.99. Early this year, U.S. Manga Corps released the first two titles in the series, "Tiara’s Quest" and "The Talisman Unleased."

From the screenwriter of PHOTON and RECORD OF LODOSS WAR Katsumi Hasegawa, the newest episode of MAZE is about to debut in video stores. "Whirlwind Showdown" picks up on the bizarre adventures of Maze, who wakes up one day with amnesia and new superpowers. However, Maze transforms into a flirtatious man every evening. The MAZE tapes will retail at US$19.99 each. "Whirlwind Showdown" will hit stores October 10, 2000, with "Evil Labyrinth" to follow on November 14, 2000, "Time Traveling Playboy" on December 12, 2000 and four more titles coming in 2001.

Like in the U.S., WHAT LIES BENEATH is showing its legs at the international box office, while HOLLOW MAN is fading fast. In its German debut last week, WHAT LIES captured US$3.46 million. FINAL DESTINATION crashed to second, with a gross of $2.6 million, lifting its German cume to $5.01 million. LITTLE VAMPIRE in its German premiere week brought home $969,183. In fifth, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS gobbled up another $878,918, lifting its German cume to $1.8 million. X-MEN materialized in seventh, grossing $683,497 thus raising its German cume to $11.56 million.

With Denzel Washington’s football flick, REMEMBER THE TITANS, firmly taking the top spot, the reissue of THE EXORCIST repossessed second place. The classic horror flick, with digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, scared up another US$7.21 million, levitating its cume to $17.67 million. Taking third for the second straight week was ALMOST FAMOUS, with a gross of $5.57 million. The rock ‘n roll romp, with primary visual effects by Manex and Pacific Title Digital, raised its cume to $17.83 million.

Disney vice chairman Roy Disney has shut down production on the CGI feature WILD LIFE. According to the online magazine INSIDE, Disney decided to bail on the film because it had "an inappropriate adult sensibility" for a Disney animated feature, "sexual innuendo" and a "gay-friendly" tone. Reportedly the film had already eaten through US$20 million, spurring Disney chairman Michael Eisner to request reviews of every project in development.

MORTAL KOMBAT director Paul Anderson will direct, produce and scribe the live-action feature adaptation of the popular RESIDENT EVIL video game franchise. Constantin Films AG will produce the film and handle international distribution. Anderson and his production partner Jeremy Bolt’s Impact Pictures will handle the North American distribution. Along with Anderson, Bolt and Constantin Films AG’s CEO Bernd Eichinger will produce the picture. Filming has a start date of January in London.

Walt Disney is adding BLACK CAULDRON and THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD & MR. TOAD to their Gold Classic Collection. Arriving in stores on October 3, 2000, the CAULDRON DVD will feature the BLACK CAULDRON Mystery Game, the Donald Duck short TRICK OR TREAT, still frame gallery and the original trailer. The ICHABOD & MR. TOAD DVD will include Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Game; "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" DVD Storybook – featuring music, graphics and animated page turns; a "Merrily On Our Way" sing-along; and the Mickey Mouse short LONESOME GHOSTS.

The newest installment of the SCOOBY-DOO direct-to-video franchise will be coming to DVD. SCOOBY-DOO AND THE ALIEN INVADERS will be released by Warner Home Video on October 3, 2000. ALIEN INVADERS has the Mystery Inc. gang stranded in a desert town crawling with alien invaders. The retail price will be US$19.96 (VHS) and $24.98 (DVD).

Buena Vista Video is releasing special editions of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH on DVD and video. Hitting stores October 3, 2000, the NIGHTMARE DVD’s special features will be Tim Burton’s directorial debut, VINCENT, and an uncut version of his live-action premiere, FRANKENWEENIE, commentary by director Henry Selick and director of photography Pete Zozachik, plus a still image gallery comprised of over 450 pictures.

Paramount Home Video and Nickelodeon are releasing the first feature length adventure based on the hit series BLUE’S CLUES entitled, BLUE’S BIG MUSICAL MOVIE. The direct-to-video release will be available on VHS and DVD October 3, 2000. The film is geared toward teaching young children the fundamentals of music including notes, rhythm and tempo. The DVD will include special features such as "Backstage at BLUE’S CLUES – A Sneak Peak for Parents," two musical videos by Ray Charles and a "Who am I?" menu guessing game.

With premieres in the U.K. and France, HOLLOW MAN emptied the pockets of moviegoers world wide in this week’s international box office. In the U.K., the updated Invisible Man tale scared up US$2.4 million at #1. SCARY MOVIE slipped from second to third, with a gross of $1.08 million, lifting its British cume to $12.5 million. In 5th place, SNATCH grabbed $735,482, raising its British cume to $16.12 million. SPACE COWBOYS floated in at #6, grossing $497,398 and bringing its British cume to $1.67 million.

HOLLOW MAN holds on as WHAT LIES BENEATH makes top notched debuts in France and Brazil. The Harrison Ford starrer scared up US$3.26 million in its French premiere. SPACE COWBOYS fell to second with a gross of $1.51 million, escalating its French cume to $3.56 million. Falling from second to finish in fourth, GONE IN 60 SECONDS raced in with $1.28 million, advancing its French cume to $13.31 million. Slipping one to sixth, U-571 surfaced another $706,419, lifting its French cume to $1.83 million.

URBAN LEGEND II: FINAL CUT just edged out the impressive release of the director’s cut of THE EXORCIST to claim the top spot at the U.S. box office. The teen terror sequel, with primary visual effects by Pacific Title Digital, scared up US$8.51 million. The horror classic, THE EXORCIST, with some creepy new stop-motion animation and digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, made an amazing $8.18 million on only 664 screens. Adding 1,062 screens to last weeks’ 131, ALMOST FAMOUS jumped up to third with a gross of $6.93 million.

A British spec script about two rival gangs of gnome neighbours has been put on the fast track in Hollywood. The trade paper SCREEN INTERNATIONAL reports A GNOME'S STORY, written by Rob Sprackling and John Smith, has been acquired by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Rocket Pictures, the production outfit owned by pop star Elton John and David Furnish. The big-budget project "may use TOY STORY-esque digital effects." Disney has a first-look pact with Rocket, and is funding development on GNOME'S STORY.

PI director Darren Aronofsky is set to helm the newest in Warner Bros.’ BATMAN franchise, BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Aronofsky will write and develop the screenplay with Frank Miller, writer of the graphic novel BATMAN: YO from which the film will be based. The noir-styled graphic novel was originally published by DC Comics in 1987 and chronicles the trials and tribulations of Bruce Wayne’s first year as Batman. Aronofsky as director is an interesting direction for Warner to take with the BATMAN movie franchise.

With newcomers like thriller THE WATCHER and black comedy NURSE BETTY finishing #1 and #2 respectively, THE CELL slipped to fourth at the U.S. box office. Finishing right after the former two-week champion BRING IT ON, THE CELL, with primary visual effects by Toybox, grossed another US$3.65 million, raising the film’s cume to $51.34 million. Finally fading at #5, SPACE COWBOYS made 51% less than last weekend with a gross of $3.34 million. The senior citizen space saga, with primary visual effects by ILM, has floated $78.83 million thus far.

This past weekend the international box office saw the Miramax record breaker, SCARY MOVIE, hold strong in the U.K. and Australia, while HOLLOW MAN and GONE IN 60 SECONDS premieres topped charts around the globe. In the U.K., SCARY scored another US$2.04 million, lifting its British cume to $7.6 million. Holding on in second, SNATCH by Guy Ritchie summoned $1.54 million, raising its homeland cume to $11.96 million. Another shoot 'em up flick took third - SHAFT's debut drew $1.22 million in the U.K. THE CELL made a less than flashy premiere in fifth, with a gross of $776,039.

With early reports having WHAT LIES BENEATH in fifth, once the dust cleared, SPACE COWBOYS showed its legs with a top F/X flick finish at the U.S. box office. With live-action films ruling the top four, COWBOYS, with primary visual effects by ILM, held its ground at #5 with a gross of US$2.52 million, lifting its cume to $82.2 million. The space spaghetti western has remained in the top ten while the #1 film – HOLLOW MAN -- of COWBOYS’ debut weekend has disappeared quickly. THE CELL finished in sixth despite earlier reports placing it a slot lower.

Los Angeles-based Look! Effects recently finished 30 visual effects shots for the upcoming Universal Pictures release THE PAVILION OF WOMEN. Based on the novel by Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck, the movie is about a frustrated woman in a traditional Chinese marriage and the American missionary who tries to help her achieve personal liberation. The drama stars Willem Dafoe and Chinese actress Luo Yan, who is also the writer, producer and director of the picture. Look! Effects had to create a sequence depicting Japan's invasion of China in the early days of World War II.