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Games Headline News

Sierra Ent. Sets Star-Studded Voice Talent for TimeShift Videogame

Vivendi Games' Sierra Ent. has secured top Hollywood talent to provide voices for the characters featured in the videogame, TIMESHIFT, scheduled to release for the Xbox 360 and PC this September. Dennis Quaid, Nick Chinlund and Michael Ironside will add their voices to the original first-person shooter videogame offering unprecedented time-control technology that allows players to slow, stop or reverse time in order to overcome difficult scenarios and defeat challenging enemies.

Series Headline News

Curious Pictures' Codename: Kids Next Door Movie to Debut

The first feature-length CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR movie, titled OPERATION Z.E.R.O., set to debut on Cartoon Network on Aug. 11, 2006 at 7:30 pm on Cartoon Network. The series and feature are produced by New York-based animation production company, Curious Pictures.

Short Headline News

Cars Races to DVD

Disney/Pixars CARS, the summers second biggest hit thus far at $237.5M, debuts Nov. 7 on DVD (Buena Vista Home Ent., $29.99). Unlike the fully loaded two-disc extravaganzas for past Pixar animated features, though, CARS will be a single-disc release available in both anamorphic widescreen and fullscreen versions.

Disney Headline News

Robert Zemeckis Bound for Disney

Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis is in negotiations, according to TMZ, to move his ImageMovers production company from DreamWorks Pictures to The Walt Disney Co., where his preferred performance capture format (created by Sony Pictures Imageworks) will expand the 3D slate for Pixar/Disney Animation studios under John Lasseters leadership. Disney would not confirm.

Zemeckis followed THE POLAR EXPRESS with MONSTER HOUSE (which he exec produced) and is currently directing BEOWULF for release on Nov. 16, 2007.

Media Headline News

Fox and Walden Media Announce Joint Venture

Fox Filmed Ent. and Walden Media have joined forces with the mandate of marketing and releasing family films.

Walden Media, whose recent success includes the worldwide blockbuster THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, is bringing its future feature development slate to the joint venture. Fox will also contribute a number of current and newly developed projects. Walden Media's previously announced films at other studios would remain in place.

Awards Headline News

Crystal Reel Awards Celebrates the Best in Florida Filmmaking

17th Annual Crystal Reel AwardsOrlando, Florida, USANov. 11, 2006Deadline: Sept. 15, 2006

The Florida Motion Picture and Television Association (FMPTA) is hosting the Crystal Reel Awards (CRA). The Crystal Reel Awards have been compared to Floridas version of the Oscars and the Emmys with many different categories (behind and in front of the camera) from students to professionals. Entries are limited to work produced in the State of Florida between Jan. 1, and Dec. 31, 2005.

Animation Headline News

Uli Meyer Animation’s MonsterMania! Goes Into Production

Uli Meyer Animation has started production on MONSTERMANIA!, a fully computer-animated feature film comedy featuring the classic movie monsters.

Scripted by award-winning British horror writers Michael Marshall Smith and Stephen Jones, based on an idea by Uli Meyer, Stephen Jones and Michael Marshall Smith, MONSTERMANIA! has been in active development for the past three years at the companys London-based animation studios.

Headline News

ADV Releases Papuwa, Farscape Starburst, Chance Pop Session

ADV Films will release the first volume in the new series PAPUWA, a new FARSCAPE STARBURST Edition and a thin-pack collection of CHANCE POP SESSION on Aug. 8, 2006. Additionally, ADV released the complete collections of CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL and EXCEL SAGA.

Headline News

Apple Unveils New Mac Pro Featuring Quad 64-bit Xeon Processors

Apple launched the new Mac Pro, a quad Xeon, 64-bit desktop workstation featuring two new Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of the Power Mac G5 Quad. The introduction of the Mac Pro marks the completion of a rapid and seamless transition for Apple, with the entire Mac family now using Intel's latest processors.

Ratings Headline News

Metalocalypse Strikes Cord on Adult Swim Premiere

Adult Swims newest original series, METALOCALYPSE, which premiered Aug. 6, 2006 at 11:45 pm, earned the networks best premiere delivery and ratings to date in 2006, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The animated satire on extreme rock bands ranked #1 in its time period among adults and men 18-24 and men 18-34. The premiere also charted strong double-digit delivery and ratings gains among all targeted young adult demos.

Series Headline News

BBC & Nicktoons Onboard for Collingwood O’Hare’s The Secret Show

BBC Worldwide has acquired global program distribution, merchandising and DVD rights to U.K. independent Collingwood OHare Ents new series, THE SECRET SHOW. BBC Worldwide Americas sales team has already licensed 26 episodes to Nicktoons Network, the 24-hour animation network owned by Nickelodeon, in the U.S. The series airs on Nicktoons Network in January 2007 following its broadcast on CBBC.

Commissioned by the BBC, THE SECRET SHOW will be aired on the BBCs pre-teen digital channel CBBC.

Media Headline News

Andrew Perlman New Classic Media Digital Media VP

New York-based family entertainment company Classic Media has named industry veteran Andrew Perlman to serve as its new vp of Digital Media, responsible for managing the mobile and online content distribution strategy for the companys diverse library and characters, consisting of more than 3,000 titles, which also includes its subsidiary, Big Ideas VeggieTales brand.

Headline News

Michael Gersh New ReelTime VP Corp. Communications

ReelTime Rentals Inc., the first broadband network offering a true full screen, DVD quality, "point, click and watch" online television experience, announced Michael Gersh is onboard as vp of corporate communications. Gersh is responsible for ReelTimes website, the writing and production of sales and promotional pieces, media and investor relations, as well as serving as in-house press spokesman.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for August 7, 2006

This week in AWN's Forums, theres a new thread dedicated to good podcasts about animation. A member is getting advice on how to turn his big Flash bummer into an animation success. Others discuss why drawing is important. Theres a thread discussing racist imagery in classic cartoons. A member has a question about copyrighting scripts. Others are posting their work or equipment for sale. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Film Headline News

Romero Travels to Solitary Isle

Co-financing partners, Hyde Park Ent. and Kadokawa Pictures, have hired George A. Romero to write and direct the thriller SOLITARY ISLE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Based on a short story by Koji Suzuki (THE RING, DARK WATER), the $20 million-budgeted film will follow an expedition to a deserted island, which turns deadly as the explorers face an unknown force.

The film most likely will be distributed by 20th Century Fox, where Hyde Park has a five-year, first-look deal. Hyde Park Intl holds the foreign rights.

Headline News

Weinsteins Bring Jerry Lewis Back as Nutty Professor

The Weinstein Co. has snatched up the rights to produce an animated version of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, in which Jerry Lewis will provide the voice of at least two characters. Mainframe Ent. will produce and animate the project, which will be released direct-to-video by Genius Products Inc.

Headline News

SIGGRAPH 2006 Attracts Nearly 20,000 in Boston

SIGGRAPH 2006, the 33rd conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, registered 19,764 artists, research scientists, developers, filmmakers and academics from 80 countries for its conference in Boston last week (July 31-Aug. 3). More than 230 companies exhibited, including 76 first-time exhibitors.

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk to Launch ‘The Area’ Community Portal

Autodesks Media & Ent. division will launch a new community portal on Aug. 22 called The Area (www.the-area.com), which will enable artists to network with peers and enjoy a repository of Autodesk 3D content. Content will be posted by community members and Autodesk.

Initially, the site will focus on content created using Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Motion Builder or VIZ used in games, film, post-production or design visualization. Membership is free.

Comedy Headline News

Talladega Nights Races First

The Will Ferrell NASCAR comedy, TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY, raced to the top of the box office chart in its first outing. For the weekend ended Aug. 6, 2006, the Sony release scored a whopping $47Mthe best comedy opener of the year and a personal best for Ferrell. Debuting in second place with $15.8M was the 3D-animated BARNYARD from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and director Steve Oedekerks O Ent.

Headline News

iThentic Looking For Shorts For Mobile Distribution

iThentic.com is looking for original animated short to distribute over cellphones. The company is looking for film under three minutes and 15 MB file size. Visit www.ithentic.com for details or contact rachael@ithentic.com for more information. Entries that arrive before Aug. 15, 2006, will be considered for iThentics September release.

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