Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) new family entertainment division (AF 03/09/99) has announced their first two development deals. The group has acquired worldwide rights to Kevin Eastman's UNDERWHERE, and has signed Eastman to develop an animated children's series based on his popular book. The series follows the adventures of 10-year-old Jacob who travels to UNDERWHERE, a land that exists in the same space as ours but can only be visited by those who possess the gift of imagination. Kevin Eastman is the creator of the '80s phenomenon TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and is finishing up production on the animated feature HEAVY METAL: F.A.K.K. 2., to be released by Columbia TriStar. The other deal calls for comedian Wendy Liebman to develop a primetime or late night animated series. "An animated series seemed to be the next natural step in bringing my comedy to an even wider audience," said Liebman. She was crowned "Best Female Stand-up Comic" at the 1997 American Comedy Awards and has appeared on the TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, ROSIE O'DONNELL, POLITICALLY INCORRECT, DR. KATZ: PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST and COMIC RELIEF VII, among others. Her uniquely timed comedic style involves one-liners with a subliminal afterthought, such as:
"I'm old fashioned, I love it when a man pays. For sex.""My last boyfriend had no trouble committing. Adultery.""Like most women, I love to shop. Lift.""My love life is like a fairy tale. Grimm."
