AWN Headline News

Warner Bros. Pictures has entered into an agreement with NeoPets Inc. to develop and produce animated feature films based on new stories and characters from the virtual world of Neopets.com, the world's leading online youth community.

Dylan Sellers will produce the projects with Doug Dohring, chairman/ceo of, NeoPets. Warner Bros. Pictures' Aditya Sood will oversee production for the studio. NeoPets will co-finance development.

Animated heroes from the collection of Pixar films presented by Disney are bringing action and adventure to McDonald's restaurants nationwide in support of the recent release of THE INCREDIBLES DVD. Running until April 14, 2005, with the purchase of a Happy Meal or a Mighty Kids Meal, guests will receive one of eight retail-size action figures from various films. The Disney Presents Pixar Pals McDonald's Happy Meal lineup includes Mr. Incredible and Dash from the Academy Award-winning THE INCREDIBLES; Nemo and Dory from the Academy Award-winning FINDING NEMO; Mike Wazowski and James P.

With VFXWORLD editor Bill Desowitz off in London visiting the CORPSE BRIDE set, Im taking over to give readers a look at whats new and coming on the site. We have coverage of the #1 film in the U.S. THE RING TWO as well as the Game Developers Conference. Additionally, Chris Panzner ponders the future of 3D will it move into holograms?

CG training facility Escape Studios has joined forces with some of the U.K.'s biggest post-production facilities to develop a course that will provide the houses with new talent. Cinesite, Double Negative, Framestore CFC, Glassworks, the Mill and The Moving Picture Company (MPC) have been working closely with Escape to develop an intensive seven-month program called the VFX | Production Grade. The course comprises five months of full-time training along with a two-month work placement.

Principal photography is underway in Sydney, Australia on Warner Bros. Pictures highly anticipated SUPERMAN RETURNS. The film is scheduled to shoot in and around Sydney, Australia through mid-August 2005 and will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 30, 2006.

Budding animators will stand a chance to see their story come alive on Animax! announced today, the Q & T Storyboard Competition organized by Animax Asia the first-ever 24-hour Japanese Animation Channel and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will give animation talents a regional platform to showcase their work.

Thomas Haden Church, who was most recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in SIDEWAYS, has been cast as Spider-Man's new adversary in SPIDER-MAN 3. The announcement was made by Sam Raimi and producers Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad, however the identity of the villain Church will play is being kept secret. Production is set to begin early next year with the film to be released on May 4, 2007.

Paramount has signed ALIEN VS. PREDATOR director Paul W.S. Anderson to write and helm a remake of Roger Cormans cult adventure, DEATHRACE 2000, reports VARIETY. In addition, Anderson will produce along with Corman, C/W partners Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, and Impact Pictures partner Jeremy Bolt.

The original featured a race where drivers accumulated points for running over pedestrians. The new version will be "set in 2020, ours is an ultraviolent, no-holds-barred race with heavily armed Escalades, Ferraris and Aston Martins," Anderson said.

20th Century Fox has confirmed rumors that British helmer Matthew Vaughn has been hired to direct X-MEN 3, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter will produce. Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg have written the script. Hugh Jackman has already signed on to reprise his role as Wolverine and the studio is in talks with Ian McKellen, Halle Berry and Patrick Stewart. The film is expected to start lensing in mid-July and will hit theaters May 26, 2006.