In a story that will never die, Morgan Creek has announced that it will release both the Paul Schrader and Renny Harlin versions of its EXORCIST prequel on DVD, reported VARIETY. Schrader was the original director on the project, but his version was not the fright fest Morgan Creek was looking for. The production house then hired Renny Harlin to punch up the film, which led to an almost entire re-shoot of the film with a revamped screenplay.

KILL BILL VOL. 1 slew the competition on April 13, 2004 by selling 2 million combined units on DVD and video in North America.

Rick Sands, Miramax coo, said, "We are thrilled by the response from consumers to KILL BILL VOL. 1. It is an extraordinary achievement and reaffirms that Quentin's films are true movie events. The strong sales confirm that the DVD is sought after not only by Quentin's loyal following, but also by a wide range of movie fans across the country."

wondertouch, the leading software developer of particle effects, was the tool of choice for Eden FX in its work on HELLBOY.

Warner Bros. has announced that HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE will be released in theaters Nov. 18, 2005, reported Zap2It.com. However, VFXWorld has learn from WB that the production team was not set a firm date for the film's release. Directed by Mike Newell (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL), the fourth film in the popular series will go into production later this year. Unlike the other POTTER films that begin with Harry at his aunt and uncle Dursley's house, this film will kick off with Harry and friends attending the International Quidditch Cup.

The recently released PANIC ROOM three-disc special edition (Columbia TriStar Home Ent. $39.95) sets a whole new standard in virtual film school education on DVD. Director David Fincher reveals his obsession with details, which is a prevalent theme throughout the individual commentary tracks that accompany the slick-looking thriller on disc one. The second disc focuses on pre-production, particularly the groundbreaking previs animated storyboards utilized by previs supervisor Ron Frankel.

New Wave Ent., one of Hollywood's largest entertainment marketing companies, has purchased and installed 30 Avid Media Composer Adrenaline systems running on HP xw8000 workstations, replacing its entire suite of competitive editing solutions.

New York University is hosting the first Camp/Game: Intensive Video Game Creation this summer, from July 6 to August 6, 2004. The summer camp is geared toward high school seniors and undergraduate students (17-25) interested in learning the finer points of the videogame industry. Camp/Game is created and run by the Division of Entertainment, Technology, Digital Arts and Design (ETDAD), part of NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS).

Los Angeles ACM SIGGRAPH Presents: The Visual Effects of 'The Last Samurai'
Los Angeles, California, USA
April 14, 2004

Buy KILL BILL, VOL. 1 on DVD April 13 (Miramax Home Ent., $29.99) and watch it again or for the first time before checking out VOL 2 in theaters this weekend. That was always the shrewd marketing plan and, if Quentin Tarantino has his way there will be an anime prequel in the future. For now, enjoy the orgasmic blood and gore of this Hong Kong samurai/spaghetti western homage with left for dead assassin Uma Thurman getting her revenge. Splashy color, anime (from Production I.G.) a climactic swordfight in black and white (to appease the MPAA), flashbacks, flashforwards - it's a '70s dream.

In its seventh week in release, Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST jumped back to number one with $15.2M, thanks to the Easter holiday weekend ended April 11, 2004. So far, the biblical epic (with vfx by Keith Vanderlaan's Captive Audience) has racked up a phenomenal $353M to place eighth on the all-time list.

Imagineer Systems will be debuting monet, its new product for broadcast, film and video post-production, for the first time at NAB in Las Vegas April 19-22. monet is a start-to-finish solution for inserting images (moving and still) into moving footage, with a combination of tools that allow artists to handle everything for complex logo replacements, product packaging alterations and product placement into moving footage, whether it be DV, SD, HD or film.

Robert Rodriguez's recently resignation from the DGA has thrown a wrench into Paramount's development of sci-fi epic, A PRINCESS OF MARS, which was to be Rodriguez follow-up to his current project SIN CITY, reports VARIETY. Because Paramount is a DGA signatory thus required to employ only guild directors. Rodriguez resigned from the guild so he could sidestep co-directing rules on SIN CITY, which will be co-directed by the graphic novel's creator Frank Miller and guest directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Hot off its recent work on SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED, San Francisco-based Giant Killer Robots (GKR) is now concentrating on two upcoming New Line features for release in 2004: BLADE: TRINITY and SON OF THE MASK.

AWN and VFXWorld are giving our readers a chance to enter the NAB 2004 Festival Sweepstakes.AWN and VFXWorld are giving our readers a chance to enter the NAB 2004 Festival Sweepstakes. Here's your chance to win one of two free Broadcast & Media Conferences Package Passes at this year's NAB in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 17-22, 2004! This package, which normally costs $925, includes access six conference sessions, Super Sessions, All-Industry Keynote, Exhibits, one luncheon ticket, RTNDA@NAB Sessions and the FCC and GR Breakfasts.

VFXWorld focuses on gaming this month, with GDC behind us and E3 right around the corner. But before diving into our GDC coverage and other hot vfx topics related to gaming, Karen Raugust answers the burning question, "What's Up With Wireless?" There is a lot of potential for 3D gaming and other animated content, and Raugust examines how the foreign markets are evolving and why the U.S. continues to lag behind.

BARBERSHOP director Tim Story has signed on to direct 20th Century Fox and Marvel's FANTASTIC FOUR, reports LATINO REVIEW. It has been rumored that THE SHIELD star Michael Chiklis is being eye for the Benjamin Grimm/The Thing role and Tim Robbins may play Dr. Doom. George Clooney has long been rumored to be the top choice to play Four leader Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic.

Discreet has begun shipping its smoke 6 system on the Intel-based IBM workstation running Linux. The smoke 6 editing and finishing system is already available on the Silicon Graphics Octane2 and Silicon Graphics Tezro visual workstations. The addition of Linux workstation support and new pricing ensures that the smoke 6 system is accessible to broadcasters and the growing segment of mid-range post-production facilities.

Coinciding with the network broadcast premiere of HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, ABC will be airing a 10-minute sneak peak of HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. The broadcast will take place May 9, 2004 at 7:00 pm.

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced the debut of "Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula," an all-new attraction inspired by Universal Pictures' VAN HELSING opening simultaneously with the film's nationwide debut on May 7, 2004. The attraction will transport guests to a world inhabited by Dracula, The Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man. The attraction will feature special effects as well as hundreds of artifacts, original props and set pieces, created for the movie.

MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, the concluding chapter in the blockbuster MATRIX film trilogy, bows on DVD April 6, 2004 (Warner Home Video, $29.95). One of the great aspects of the two-disc set is the way it shows off ESC Ent.'s neglected vfx in the various docs and featurettes. Follow the white rabbit to go further into the elaborate features and effects.

Extras include: