Wicked RGB has extended its impressive stable of artists with the addition of Ira Shain, Micah Henrie, Pascal Blanché and Raphael Lacoste.

"We are here to push projects to the maximum level of graphical quality -- and we are here to stay," said founder/president Michael Christensen.

Jan De Bont has signed on to direct the big screen adaptation of Steve Alten’s shark thriller MEG, reports VARIETY. HELLBOY producers Guillermo del Toro, Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin will produce along with CHUD.com creator Nick Nunziata and Ken Atchity. The story follows explorer Jonas Taylor who has a terrifying encounter with a 20-pound Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark.

NewTek Inc. announced the release of VT[4] LIVE!, an integrated production suite that provides a comprehensive toolset for all professional SD video production needs. VT[4] LIVE! offers computer-based live production capabilities, able to handle anything from switching and titling for network broadcast to serverless Web streaming. VT[4] LIVE!

Timothy Albee’s long Alaskan journey resulted in the fascinating short, KAZE, GHOST WARRIOR, which he made totally on his own, largely using LightWave, for $5,000. Alain Bielik chats with Albee about the making of KAZE and plans to turn it into a feature.

Toon Boom Animation announced the release of Symphony. With features such as morphing, basic inverse kinematics and "glue" (automatic joint connecting) that enhance the paperless animation production process, Symphony enables studios to produce high quality digital animation. Advanced drawing and asset management tools combined with a seamless, integrated workflow saves significant overhead costs while adding value to their animations. Symphony also building on the advanced features provided by Opus and Concerto.

20th Century Fox has tapped TROY screenwriter David Benioff to write the X-MEN spinoff, WOLVERINE, reports VARIETY. Fox hopes to have Hugh Jackman reprise his role as the superhero. The assignment will net Benioff seven figures. The writer pitch the idea to 20th Century Fox president Hutch Parker and svp Alex Young, who'll oversee the project.

Australian production, post-production and TV broadcasting company, Omnilab Group is in the final negotiations on the acquisition of boutique local drama and feature post-production facility, Island Films. Over the last 10 years, Island has provided facilities for some of Australia's most successful feature films including RABBIT PROOF FENCE and LOOKING FOR ALI BRANDI, as well as the TEN TV drama series WHITE COLLAR BLUE and miniseries JESSICA.

Eden FX (STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE) is integrating modo, the new subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform, into its production pipeline. Eden FX chose modo for its speed, advanced toolset and intuitive workflow.

Dimension Films has acquired the remake rights to the Korean horror film RYEONG (THE GHOST) from Showbox, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Vertigo Ent.'s Roy Lee, Doug Davison and Sonny Mallhi will produce. The original Tae-Kyeong Kim-directed film followed the mystery of amnesic teenage girl who discovers that she is somehow connected to a murderous ghost who is killing people one by one. Dimension co-presidents Andrew Rona and Brad Weston, and Dan Levine, svp production and development, will oversee the project. Vertigo Ent.

Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto and Dakota Fanning are all in talks to co-star along with Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg’s big budget rendition of H.G. Wells’ WAR OF THE WORLD, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Robbins would play astronomer Ogilvy while Otto and Fanning would plays Cruise’s wife and daughter respectively. The film will be a super fast production due to Paramount’s desire to have this film be its tentpole for next summer after MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3 was pushed back a year.

Version2 and Liquid Light have merged their respective editorial and visual effects & design departments for a more streamlined creative process. Version2, as the new company is known, will provide services to clients in the film, commercial and broadcast arenas. The company kicks off with a high-profile spot for Samsung, as well as campaigns for Top Flite, TD Waterhouse, Wild Aid PSA, Verizon, Puma and a redesign for Time Warner.

ArchVision Inc. announced the availability of the RPC Plug-In for Maxon's Cinema 4D 9 (PC only) for $99. Cinema 4D 9 offers customers enormous performance increase and simplifies the 3D learning curve. The RPC Plug-in for Cinema 4D 9 provides an easy to use interface for placing and editing RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) within Cinema 4D.

Los Angeles visual effects and animation studio KromA has hired producer Bob Yukich to head vfx production. He is a former freelancer with broad experience in commercials, music videos, feature films and episodic television and will oversee production, day-to-day operations and sales. He will also seek to expand the company beyond its base in commercial and music videos into effects work for film and television.

20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios have hired Simon Kinberg to write the script for X3, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The deal will earn the writer a high-six-against-seven-figure sum. Kinberg isn’t new to comic book inspired features having done rewrites on ELEKTRA and FANTASTIC FOUR. Details of the plot have not been announced.

Production on the live-action rendition of AEON FLUX will restart on Oct. 4, 2004, reports VARIETY. Due to a back injury suffered by star Charlize Theron, Paramount and MTV had to put the film on hiatus Aug. 31. Karyn Kusama- directed film has Theron performing the action intensive role of an assassin 1,000 years in the future. Valhalla Prods. and Lakeshore Ent. are also producing. Producers are Valhalla head Gale Anne Hurd, MTV Films president David Gale and Greg Goodman. VP Pamela Abdy is sheparding for Paramount.

As the sole visual effects facility on Working Title Films’ WIMBLEDON, Moving Picture Co. (MPC) completed 230 vfx shots with a high level of involvement throughout the entire production. The feature was digitally graded in the MPC Digital Lab under the guidance of Martin Kenzie. Australian Wimbledon champion Pat Cash served as tennis advisor on the film, which was granted unprecedented access to 2004’s Championships by The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTCC).

VFXWORLD finishes its focus this month on TV with Karen Raugust’s fascinating look at three hot paranormal cable series, THE DEAD ZONE, DEAD LIKE ME and CARNIVALE, each with a distinct vfx strategy and look, as well as Tara DiLullo’s sneak peek at some of the vfx wonders behind next month’s eagerly awaited Sci Fi miniseries, FARSCAPE: THE PEACEKEEPER WARS.

The inaugural UK CGI Festival announced its first speakers participating at the two shows scheduled for Nov. 9-10 in Leeds (at the Royal Amouries Museum) and Dec. 7-8 in London (at the Business Design Centre).

The focus will be on educational and practical approaches to both CGI techniques and technologies. Workshops and masterclasses will be lead by top talent. In addition, award-winning animated films developed in Europe will be showcased, and there will be an expo featuring the latest tools and techniques.

Highlights of the Leeds show will include:

Brickyard VFX has been tapped by CBS Prods. to create all visual effects for the new Wednesday night forensics drama, CSI: NY.

Paul Kavanagh from BBC Post Production’s 3D animation and digital team has designed CGI animated characters for the new CBBC Scotland family drama series SHOEBOX ZOO.