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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Weinsteins Take 70% of Genius Products

At a special meeting on July 21, 2006, Genius Products Inc. stockholders approved a deal that will see The Weinstein Co. Llc. control 70% of the company.

Under the terms of the transaction, Genius Products will retain 30% of the firm. The board of directors also increased from four to six members with the addition of two TWC execs, Larry Madden, evp/cfo of TWC, and Irwin Reiter, evp of accounting and financial reporting of TWC.

Series Headline News

Vin Diesel & BET Set to Conqueror with Hannibal Toon

BET Networks' newly-minted animation unit will join with Vin Diesel's One Race Prods. to produce HANNIBAL THE CONQUEROR, an animated series based on the life of Hannibal of Carthage, universally recognized as the greatest military leader in the history of the world. The project was jointly announced by Diesel and Reginald Hudlin, BET president of entertainment. One Race vp Samantha Vincent and Diesel will exec produce. Last January, BET announced the formation of BET Animation under the management of Denys Cowan, former producer of the hit animated series THE BOONDOCKS.

Film Headline News

Comic-Con Sees Stars, 2D Officially Back at Disney

In an animation panel, Kevin Koch, head of the Animation Guild, said that a new 2D film, titled, THE FROG PRINCESS, is in development at Disney. Moreover, Eric Goldberg, who has returned to Disney to work on animated shorts, said that LITTLE MERMAID directors Ron Clements and John Musker will be helming the film. Additionally, Chuck Williams will be heading up a shorts programing at the Mouse House.

Headline News

DC Comic Superheroes Take Flight on U.S. Postal Stamps

The U.S. Postal Service chose the perfect site to launch the DC Super Heroes commemorative postage stamps with a first day of issue ceremony on July 20, 2006 at the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con International 2006, the worlds largest comicbook and pop culture show.

The DC Comics Super Heroes commemorative stamps and stamped postal cards are now available from the U.S. Postal Service (www.usps.com).

Marvel Headline News

Incredible Hulk Leaps with Transporter 2 Helmer

Continuing its strategy to independently develop and produce a new slate of feature films, Marvel Studios has signed director Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER 2, UNLEASHED) to helm a new big screen adaptation of THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

Film Headline News

Slater, Buscemi & Cleese Join Igor

Exodus Film Group announced that Christian Slater, Steve Buscemi and John Cleese will lend their voices to Exodus' CG-animated feature comedy, IGOR. The Weinstein Co. (TWC) has an all encompassing distribution deal for the film including North America as well as representing international rights. TWC recently returned from the Cannes Film Festival having sold the film into most foreign territories.

Comics Headline News

Del Toro Brings Life to DC’s Deadman

Guillermo del Toro is in talks to partner with Don Murphy's Angry Films to bring cult DC Comics DEADMAN to the big screen for Warner Bros. Pictures, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Del Toro will develop comics-to-film adaptation with Murphy and Susan Montford.

Headline News

Warner Bros. Launches Doom Patrol

With the 2006 Comic-Con upon us, new announcements of comics-to-film adaptations are flooding out. VARIETY reports that Warner Bros. Pictures is set to bring DC Comics cult favorite DOOM PATROL to the big screen. Akiva Goldsman will produce through his Warners-based Weed Road Pictures. Adam Turner will pen the screenplay.

Headline News

Kelsey Grammer Wins Fifth Emmy in Animation

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the Emmy Award winners in Outstanding Voice-Over Performance as well as Individual Achievement in Animation for the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Having won four-times previously for Outstanding Actor on FRAISER, Kelsey Grammer won his fifth Emmy for his voice work on THE SIMPSONS as Sideshow Bob.

These are juried award categories, which have no nominations and will be presented at the 2006 Creative Arts Awards on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Animated Headline News

Animated Hellboy Unveiled at Comic-Con

At Comic-Con on Friday, July 21, 2006, at 10:30 am in Room 6B, IDT Ent. will present a special panel with the creative force behind the animated adventure, HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS. The panel will feature: Mike Mignola HELLBOY creator/creative producer; Tad Stones supervising producer/director; and Guillermo del Toro creative producer/director of 2004 live-action feature film, HELLBOY.

Headline News

ASIFA-Hollywood Hosts Top Animators at Comic-Con

ASIFA-Hollywood is hosting a lineup of events at Comic-Con, including panels and animators animating live at the ASIFA-Hollywood booth 5434.

DreamWorks has lent ASIFA a paperless 2D animation system, where animation all-stars like Eric Goldberg and David Burgess will be animating live at the convention.

ASIFA-Hollywood is also hosting panels and screenings, which include:

Margaret Kerry Voice Acting TrialsThursday, July 2011:00 am-12:30 pmRoom 4

Animation On A Shoestring BudgetThursday, July 20

Studios Headline News

Hatchling Studios Premieres The Toll At Comic-Con Film Festival

Portsmouth, New Hampshire's Hatchling Studio's short film THE TOLL is set to premiere July 20, 2006, at the Comic-Con Intl Independent Film Festival in San Diego, California.

Written and directed by Zack Pike, THE TOLL is a computer animated mockumentary featuring a troll that lives under a bridge. As the camera rolls, the troll's comments on work, life and love range from somewhat inappropriate to outrageously delusional, slowly revealing the hilariously tragic figure of a monster in denial.

Media Headline News

VIZ Media Brings Renowned Manga Creators To Comic-Con

VIZ Media Llc. (VIZ Media) has a variety of special events, theatrical premieres and speaker panels planned in and around the 2006 Comic-Con International from July 20-23, 2006, at the convention center in San Diego. VIZs booth is #4013.

Atomic Headline News

Fox Atomic Announces Hills Have Eyes 2 & 28 Weeks Later Dates

Fox Atomic, the new youth-focused division of Fox Filmed Ent., announced its 2006-2007 lineup and theatrical release dates for three of their upcoming films. TURISTAS, a recent acquisition, will jump start the studios slate on Dec. 1, 2006, followed by THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2 and 28 WEEKS LATER, both going into production this summer, and being released in theaters in 2007. Also on the production slate for Fox Atomic is a re-imagining of the 1984 classic REVENGE OF THE NERDS and THE COMEBACKS, a sports comedy.

Disney Headline News

Nina Jacobson Replaced as Part of Disney Restructuring

Nina Jacobson is out and marketing head Oren Aviv is in as president of production, Walt Disney Pictures, as chairman Dick Cook announced the anticipated restructuring and downsizing of The Walt Disney Studios. Aviv will oversee the live-action development and film production slate.

Thus, there will be a strategic shift toward more Disney branded movies aimed at global synergy across all entertainment platforms. The studio will produce and distribute approximately 10 Disney live-action and animated films a year and two to three Touchstone films a year.

Awards Headline News

AHDI Secures Distribution Rights For Spike TV Scream Awards 2006

Alfred Haber, founder of Alfred Haber Distribution Inc. (AHDI), announced that the company has entered into an agreement for the first time with MTV Networks' Spike TV to serve as the international distributor of SPIKE TV SCREAM AWARDS 2006, the first annual televised event devoted to celebrating the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres. Haber has secured the rights to worldwide distribution of SPIKE TV SCREAM AWARDS 2006 with the exception of the U.K. and Canada.

Series Headline News

Brown Bag Delivers 52 Episodes of I'm an Animal

Academy Award-nominated Brown Bag Films has just delivered the 52x2 animation series I'M AN ANIMAL for kids 3-6. The series was commissioned by state broadcaster RTE and the Irish Film Board and distributed by Monster Distributes.

Books Headline News

Computer Publisher Provides All Books Free

All computer how-to books in the In Pictures series are being provided free to the public, as downloadable files.

Anyone who visits In Pictures' website at www.inpics.net/ can download any and all of its 22 different books for free, in Adobe PDF format. In the month since the site was launched, more than 20,000 people have visited it to download free books.

Headline News

Frank Miller Shows Spirit For Odd Lot And Batfilm

Odd Lot Ent. announced that Frank Miller (SIN CITY) will adapt and direct THE SPIRIT, based on Will Eisners influential comic strip, and will talk about the project for the first time at a panel at this years Comic-Con Intl on Saturday, July 22, 2006.

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