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.
Comic-Con Intl returns to San Diego with a Friday lineup that featured the world premiere of footage from ERAGON, STARDUST and SNAKES ON A PLANE.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Davy Jones, the tentacle toting villain from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST, has already been hailed as the next great leap in CG character performance, thanks to ILMs new on-set motion capture system, some terrific facial animation and a fine performance from actor Bill Nighy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Canadas only animation-specific industry forum, the Television Animation Conference (TAC), which returns to Ottawa Sept. 20-21, 2006, at the Château Laurier hotel, has announced its 2006 lineup.
ReelTime Rentals Inc., the first broadband network offering a true full screen, DVD quality, "point, click and watch" online television experience, announced today (July 19, 2006) it is launching a specific service for kids of animated and live-action programming.
Christina Applegate (ANCHORMAN) has joined the voice cast of Bob Saget's FARCE OF THE PENGUINS as the female lead, reports VARIETY. Cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Lewis Black and Mo'Nique. ThinkFilm is financing. Its a co-production with Permut Presentations and Saget's Two Angels Prods. The film will use archival footage of penguins to bring the story to life.
Kiefer Sutherland will lend his voice to the character of Raistlin Majere in the animated feature, DRAGONLANCE. Sutherland joins a voice cast that includes Lucy Lawless (XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS) as Goldmoon, Michael Rosenbaum (SMALLVILLE) as Tanis Half-Elven and Michelle Trachtenberg (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) as Tika Waylan.
Mondo Media will present the world premiere of the G4 television series version of HAPPY TREE FRIENDS at Comic-Con. The screening will take place at 6:00 - 7:00 pm in Room 5AB of the San Diego Convention Center.
Immediately following the world premiere, there will be a discussion and Q & A panel with the shows creators. Panelists include Kenn Navarro, John Evershed, Ken Pontac, Jim Lively and Francis Carr.
Attendees will be able to get their photo taken with a 7-foot Cuddles mascot and receive an exclusive HAPPY TREE FRIENDS TV button.
The various units of Walt Disney Enterprises are uniting for a huge promotional push at this years Comic-Con. Disney (#3613), Jetix (#3821) and ABC Family (#3817) will all have booths at the event.
Disney will be conducting a raffle once a day at 2:00 pm on July 20-22, and 1:00 pm on July 23. Prizes will include videogames, product and DVDs for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, NARNIA, NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and Roger Corman. Giveaways will include:* PIRATES bags and tattoos
