Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre kicks off its 80th anniversary with a special two-week engagement of Disney's Oscar-winning animated classic, DUMBO, from May 25 - June 7. DUMBO is celebrating its 65th birthday this year, and a new deluxe BIG TOP EDITION DVD release of the film is scheduled for June 6th.
Paramounts MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (with vfx by ILM) debuted with a less than stellar $47.7M, but still managed to lead the box office for the period ended May 7, 2006. Sonys RV, last weeks leader, slipped to second place with $11M and a two-week cume of $30.9M. Freestyles AN AMERICAN HAUNTING bowed in third with $5.7M. Buena Vistas STICK IT followed in fourth with $5.4M and a two-week cume of $17.9M. Universals UNITED 93 (with vfx from Double Negative) fell 53% in its second week to fifth place with $5.3M and a $20.1M tally.
Troika Design Group and its live-action production division recently collaborated with longtime client HGTV to conceive, design, direct, animate and finish an effects-intensive spot for HGTVs Big Backyard Splash sweepstakes. The sweepstakes gives one lucky HGTV viewer the chance to win $100,000 to transform their backyard into a splashy setting built for outdoor entertaining, as well as the opportunity to win a tropical vacation for two. The :30 promo broke May 1, 2006.
Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of Augenblick Studios' GOLDEN AGE, the first adult animated series to be produced by a major television network for broadband. The series premiered May 8, 2006 and will show weekly on its broadband channel, Motherload (www.comedycentral.com/motherload).
This animated dark comedy reveals the shocking true stories of the worlds strangest cartoon characters. Each episode uses a blend of mixed media to satirize classic cartoons from the past.
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group has formed a moble entertainment division to be run from a day-to-day perspective by Universal veteran Jeremy Laws, who has been promoted to svp. Laws will oversee all aspects of licensing and promotions in the wireless arena, as well as actively pursue and manage licenses from creation to consumption. He will lead a team of sales executives based around the world, including major media markets as Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.
MGM Interactive and EON Productions Ltd. have awarded Activision Inc. the rights to develop and publish interactive entertainment games based on the James Bond license through 2014.
Since the initial release of DR. NO in 1962, JAMES BOND films have grossed more than $3.6 billion theatrically worldwide and approximately 30 million units of videogames based on the world of James Bond have been sold to date.
Learn more about Scotland's thriving gaming industry by visiting the Scottish Development International Pavilion, West 2400, at E3, May 10-12, 2006. Demo the latest games from top developers, such as Genuine Games and OuterLight and meet with key industry players from this part of the world, including execs from Real Time Worlds, F4G Software, and TPLD.
After dropping out as director of the adaptation of Philip Pullman's sci-fi novel THE GOLDEN COMPASS, AMERICAN PIE director Chris Weitz is again taking the helm of the film as Anand Tucker (SHOPGIRL) steps down, reports VARIETY. Weitz stepped down from the first installment in the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy due to his concern with never having dealt with daunting technical effects challenges. New Line states that Tucker has left the project due to "differences in creative direction."
The film is still set to lens this fall in the U.K. and hit theaters in November 2007.
Stephen Rea (THE CRYING GAME), Ron Perlman (HELLBOY) and German actor Benno Furmann (JOYEUX NOEL) are joining Thomas Jane and John Malkovich in the sci-fi action thriller THE MUTANT CHRONICLES, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Director Simon Hunter plans to begin shooting this summer.
Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film wound up its 2006 event on May 2, with the awarding of its coveted prizes. OVERTIME from Oury Atlan, Damien Ferrié and Thibault Berland took home the International Promotion Award and the Best Student Film prize. Other big winners included Aardmans ANGRY KID and OLIS CHANCE by Johannes Weiland and Saschka Unseld.
Twentieth Century Fox has signed Japanese producer Taka Ichise (THE GRUDGE) to a new three-year, first-look deal. The pact, which covers English-language projects, is Taka's first American overall studio deal. The pact will enable Fox to tap his formidable talents as one of the leading figures in the Japanese horror genre.
The deal will also allow for Fox to finance specific Japanese-language projects through Taka's Tokyo-based production company, OZ Co., Ltd. Taka also operates L.A.-based OZLA Pictures Inc.
The Securities and Exchange Commission's L.A. office recommended on May 4, 2006, that a probe into DreamWorks Animation cease with no enforcement action, according to various business reports.
With the recommendation, the SEC will most likely rule not to sanction DWA for failing to warn investors, before first-quarter earnings were announced last year, that returns on the SHREK 2 DVD were running much higher than anticipated, causing the company to miss guidance.
However, there are still several shareholder lawsuits still pending over the matter.
Director Christopher Nolan (BATMAN BEGINS) is well into development on his next project, a supernatural period film called THE PRESTIGE, reports SCI FI WIRE.
"It's a film about two magicians in turn-of-the-century London," Nolan said. "And they enter into a deadly rivalry. And it's the story of how the two of them essentially try and sabotage each other's careers over the years."
The 49th San Francisco International Film Festival wrapped up its 2006 event on May 4, 2006, with presentation of its Golden Gate Awards. In the animated short category, Canadian Bruce Alcocks AT THE QUINTE HOTEL won the prize. The filmmaker will receive a $1,500 cash prize. For more information on other winners, visit www.sfiff.org/festival.
Finalists in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 33rd annual Student Academy Awards competition include 34 students from 19 colleges and universities.
Gold, silver and bronze medals, along with accompanying cash prizes of $5000, $3000 and $2000, may be awarded in each of the four categories. Winning filmmakers will participate in a week of industry-related and social activities, culminating in the presentation ceremony on June 10, 2006.
The animation finalists are (listed alphabetically by film title within category):
Animation
Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, and TT Games, the makers of LEGO STAR WARS, announced a new LEGO adventure, BIONICLE HEROES, will be released in fall 2006 on PlayStation 2, PC, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and NINTENDO GAMECUBE (NTSC only).
Fans of Sony Online Entertainment's highly acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games EVERQUEST, EVERQUEST II and PLANETSIDE, will now be able to share their online experiences with fellow guild members and friends by creating personalized digital comicbooks starring their online avatars using the SOE Comic Book Creator.
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE, the first Mickey Mouse series created specifically for preschoolers, premieres in the U.S. during a special primetime presentation May 5 at 7:30 pm on Disney Channel and, in its regular timeslot, May 6 9:00 am during the learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block. The half-hour series also premieres in a coordinated global launch, on 22 Disney Channels and five Playhouse Disney channels across North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Japan reaching some 100 countries.
Disney has completed its acquisition of Pixar animation Studios as Pixar shareholders approved the takeover of the company today (May 5, 2006) in an all-stock deal valued at more than $7.4 billion as 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share. The vote was taken at a special meeting of shareholders in San Francisco presided over by Pixar cfo Simon Bax.
Entertainment Rights Plc. announced an agreement with Kidtoon Films which will see global brand SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER appear in U.S. movie theatres, in the feature length animated movie SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER, THE SECRET OF THE SWORD.
Not that she gets out in the real sun much, but gaming legend Lara Croft has been chosen to be the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of Minden, Nevada. Lara's image will be used to educate and place skin cancer awareness information in the hands of teens across the country via the Sun Smart Teen Program, starting in November of 2006.
Jetix Europe has teamed with Park Ent. and the DOCTOR WHO creative team of Bob Baker and Paul Tams to develop K-9 ADVENTURES, a 26 x30 comedy/fantasy series featuring Doctor Whos famous robot dog. The show will employ state of the art CGI animation mixed with live-action, to give K-9 a sleek new look for the series that is set in space.
In response to overwhelming demand from STAR WARS fans, Lucasfilm Ltd. and 20th Century Fox Home Ent. will unveil individual two-disc DVD sets of STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE, EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI. Making these DVDs truly special is the inclusion, as special bonus material, of the original versions of the movies as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983, respectively.
Gaelle Denis' British short CITY PARADISE won Best Animation at the 37th Nashville Film Festival. Honorable mention in the toon category went to EMELIA THE FIVE YEAR OLD GOTH GIRL, by Derek Flood.
As for the Best College Student Animation, SHE SHE SHE SHE'S A BOMBSHELL, by Ben Levin took home the prize with Ramon Paris and Maria Castillos EL PAGUEY receiving an honorable mention.
Sony Computer Ent. America announced its lineup of new software titles due out this year for PSP and PlayStation 2.
