AWN Headline News

DreamWorks Animations first quarter of 2005 was not as stellar as many had hoped. Despite being on track to become one of the biggest selling home video releases of all time, SHREK 2 did not meet the company's retail sales expectations. This sales shortfall resulted in a higher level of returns than expected. As a result, DWA recorded no revenue from SHREK 2 in the quarter other than from licensing and merchandising.

ADV Films has announced three new titles set to hit the streets on May 10, 2005 the second volume of CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL, volume five of CHRONO CRUSADE and the second season box set of MUTANT X.

PorchLight Ent. has announced that Discovery Kids and Jetix Europe have ordered 13 new episodes of the Emmy award-winning animated series, TUTENSTEIN. The new episodes are scheduled for delivery in 2006. Discovery Kids Channel and Jetix Europe are the series partners in the U.S. and Europe respectively. In the U.S., Tutenstein airs on the Discovery Kids channel and the Discovery Kids Saturday morning block on NBC.

Off your Box CompetitionWest Midlands, U.K. May 20, 2005Deadline: May 20, 2005

Screen Media Lab is holding the first annual Off your Box competition and it needs talented, creative people to get involved and win great prizes. Prizes include Sony PSP, Apple Mac mini and Apple iPod shuffle. Short films, animation and interactive media are all eligible. This years theme is Future Living or City Culture. For more information, visit www.offyourbox.co.uk.

Anima Estudios has announced with the support of Fidecine Mexico the release of its second feature animated film, IMAGINUM. The film will be released in theaters nationwide in August 2005, distributed by Videocine, the movie production and distribution company of Televisa.

The main characters are voiced by Eugenio Derbez (Mexico´s most popular comedian), Giovanni Florido, Ilse Olivo and Ruben Trujillo.

DC Comics unveiled a new DC Comics company logo that will appear on comicbooks, graphic novels and, for the first time ever, on films and television series based on DC properties. The new DC logo will make its first appearance on a DC Comics cover May 25, 2005, when the company publishes DC SPECIAL: THE RETURN OF DONNA TROY #1 and will then appear on the entire DC line the following week.

IDT Ent. announced that its subsidiary Anchor Bay Ent. has closed a credit agreement with a bank group led by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. The credit agreement provides for a $50 million, five-year, secured revolving credit facility which may be increased to up to $75 million.

ABC and exec producer Robert Halmi Sr. have announced the international cast for its miniseries THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, reports the trades. Dougray Scott, Omar Sharif, Naveen Andrews, Mia Maestro and Linus Roache will headline the big-budget, four-hour telling of classic biblical tale of Moses. Ron Hutchinson (THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY) wrote the screenplay and Robert Dornhelm (TVs SPARTACUS) is directing.

20th Century Fox Television has signed a two-year overall deal with Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, exec producers and showrunners for Fox's new animated comedy, AMERICAN DAD. As part of the seven-figure deal, the duo will continue on AMERICAN DAD if it is renewed in addition to developing other half-hour projects for the network. Barker and Weitzmans credits also include NBCs FATHER OF THE PRIDE and the WBs OFF CENTRE.