Drawing from a largely European talent base, the Framestore Animation team was led by Exec Producer David Lipman (SHREK 2), with DESPEREAUX boasting a color palette and lighting scheme inspired from the Flemish school of painting epitomized by Vermeer and Bruegel.

"Building a feature animation arm is a ton of work," Lipman admits." It's very different from a visual effects division in the number of shots and how you track assets and deal with managing a show. First time pipes are really tough but we got there in the end. And visually the show is like nothing you've ever seen. It was challenging to do a kid's storybook come to life: it's very painterly and unbelievably detailed and the directors [Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen] allowed us to go really dark. There are a lot of blacks and things falling off into nothing. It's stunningly beautiful."

Special Features Include:

-- The Tale OF THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX: A (Mostly) Non-Fictional Making-Of: In this behind-the-scenes featurette we see how a modern animated film is made from beginning to end - starting with the story's initial conception and taking us through all the various animation steps. The piece will showcase all of the amazing talent behind the creation of this film.
-- Top Ten Uses For Oversized Ears: Our hero and role model for the child with similar physical anomalies demonstrates with enthusiasm and creativity the exemplary benefits of having oversized ears, in a top ten countdown.
-- Sneak Peek Of CURIOUS GEORGE 2: FOLLOW THAT MONKEY

Special Features Exclusive to the DVD Include:

-- Interactive Map Of The Kingdom Of Dor: From this interactive map, viewers can explore the world of Despereaux, learning more about The Kingdom of Dor with each click.
-- Despereaux's Quest Game: From fleeing past a crowd of rats to hurtling through a gauntlet of mousetraps, this multi-level game stands as the true test for Despereaux's courage, bravery and honor as he has to deliver the gold necklace to the King.
-- Build-A-Boldo Game: After falling into Chef Andre's delicious soup, Boldo must be put back together. Viewers can collect the missing parts and bring him back to life.
-- DVD-ROM: Card Creator, Fairy Tale Fantasy, Coloring pages, Wallpapers, Screensavers, Printable Activities are available to the viewer.

Special Features Exclusive to Blu-ray Include:

-- Two New Songs
-- U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie.
-- Picture-In-Picture Live Action: Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film while watching the feature.
-- Picture-In-Picture Animatic: Watch the entire feature-length animatic on screen as it plays simultaneously with the film.
-- Scene Progressions With Filmmaker Commentaries: See how animated scenes come together - from script to final animation.
-- Make Your Own Soup Game: Mix two of four different ingredients, stir them up into the soup, and watch as The King samples and gives different reactions to the final concoction.
-- Card Creator: Upload your own photos and combine the images to create unique and personal greeting cards with a Despereaux theme.
-- BD-Live Features: Beginning on March 31, Universal brings you even more great content on BD-Live! Access exclusive interactive applications through your internet-connected player and communicate with friends and family while watching the film and access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more.
-- My Scenes Sharing: Bookmark your favorite scenes then share with your friends.
-- Card Creator Sharing: Upload your own photos and combine the images to create unique and personal greeting cards with a Despereaux theme can send to their family and friends.

TOKYO ZOMBIE on DVD

In the outrageous tradition of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, DUMB AND DUMBER and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS comes the horror comedy sensation TOKYO ZOMBIE. Having taken its native Japan by storm, TOKYO ZOMBIE is now poised to rock America, when Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment unleash it on DVD on April 7, 2009.