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AWN Headline News

Headline News

CW Reels In New Aquaman Series Lead

The CW network's untitled Aquaman project has its new leading man in Justin Hartley (daytimes PASSIONS), according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Hartley replaces Will Toale, who originally was cast in the role when the pilot was ordered by WB Network.

"Will is a talented actor with a promising career, and we hope to work with him in the future," a CW spokesman said. "We have made the decision to go in a different direction with the Aquaman role and wish him the best of luck in all of his endeavors."

Headline News

Controversial South Park Episode Nets Big Ratings in NZ

A SOUTH PARK episode, featuring a menstruating statue of the Virgin Mary that has drawn protests and outrage from Catholic and Muslim groups in New Zealand, scored six times the normal ratings on Feb. 22, 2006, reports THE ADVERTISER.

The "Bloody Mary" episode, which aired on C4 youth channel, was slotted to run in May, but was moved to up four months to avoid a lengthy amount of time for additional protests. C4 is run by TV Works, a subsidiary of Canadian-owned Canwest International.

Effects Headline News

Mr. X Provides Invisible VFX For 16 Blocks

Toronto-based visual effects firm Mr. X Inc., has completed the visual effects work on 16 BLOCKS, the new Warner Bros. Pictures release (March 3) from director Richard Donner. The action thriller, which stars Bruce Willis and Mos Def, required the sorts of invisible enhancements that have become increasingly common in the past few years.

"Dick (Donner) was not looking to add splashy 'in your face' visual effects," recalled visual effects supervisor Evan Jacobs. "In fact, I think the audience will be hard-pressed to pick out our work on this film."

Online Headline News

Comicbook Icon Jim Lee to Work On DC Universe MMO Game

DC Comics, Sony Online Ent. Inc. (SOE) and Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. (WBIE) announced plans to collaborate with legendary comicbook illustrator Jim Lee to work on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO) based on the DC Comics universe.

SOE will be developing and publishing a game based on the DC Comics universe for next generation gaming platforms and the PC. It is expected that Lee will serve as exec creative director on the game, bringing his artistic flair and talents to the world of online gaming for the first time.

Spot Headline News

Slither Flick Offers TV Spot Contest

Slug it Out!: Slither TV Spot ContestWorld Wide WebMarch 27, 2006Deadline: March 9, 2006

Universal Pictures issued a call for entries for its "Slug it Out!": SLITHER TV Spot Contest. Coinciding with the promotional launch of the new genre-bending horror film SLITHER, the contest offers one lucky winner a grand prize of $25,000 and the chance to have his or her advertising concept become part of the theatrical campaign for the film.

Headline News

RE:Vision Effects Releases RE:Flex for Fusion 5

RE:Flex from RE:Vision Effects brings intuitive morphing and warping directly to eyeon Software's Fusion 5. RE:Flex is especially easy to learn because it uses the Fusion's own drawing and masking tools to direct the warping and morphing; as such, there is no need to learn a whole new user interface.

Design Headline News

MirrorMask Dazzles on DVD

The Jim Henson Co.s underrated fantasy, MIRRORMASK, featuring the directorial debut of illustrator Dave McKean, makes its way to DVD (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $26.96). Full of evocative imagery set against the backdrop of the kingdom of the Dark Lands, MIRRORMASK utilized a crew of 15 CG artists hired straight out of Bournemouth University and supervised by CG producer Max McMullin, who has worked on all of McKeans shorts. MoCap was done at Artem Digital.

Bonus features include:

Animated Headline News

Stuart Little 3 Continues on DVD

For the recently released STUART LITTLE 3: CALL OF THE WILD direct-to-DVD (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $24.94) Mainframe Ent. was called upon to provide a whole new animated look: CG with a cartoony feel aimed at young viewers. While camping during summer vacation, Stuart must save Snowbell the cat from The Beast that lives in the woods with the help of a new friend, a skunk named Reeko. STUART LITTLE 3 is directed by Audu Paden (SPIDER-MAN animated series and ROUGHNECKS: THE STARSHIP TROOPERS CHRONICLES), with Michael J.

Blu-ray Headline News

Sony Targets May 23 for Launch of First Blu-Ray Disc Titles

Sony Pictures Home Ent. (SPHE) will deliver the first wave of Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles on May 23, three months after the rival HD-DVD format begins its launch. Delivery will coincide with the launch that day of the first commercially available BD player from Samsung Electronics, which will be followed shortly by BD players from Pioneer and Sony along with a BD compatible VAIO PC from Sony.

SPHE and MGM Home Ent. will first release eight BD titles, with another eight following shortly June 13.

Headline News

Family Reunion Leads Box Office

TYLER PERRYS MADEAS FAMILY REUNION from Lions Gate led the box office with an opening bow of $30M for the weekend ending Feb. 26, 2006. Slipping to second place with $15.8M was Buena Vistas sled dog race movie, EIGHT BELOW (with vfx by Stan Winston Studio, Stan Winston Digital, Illusion Arts, CIS Hollywood & ILM) In two weeks, EIGHT BELOW has earned $45.2M. Holding at third place with $11M was Sonys remake of THE PINK PANTHER (2D-animated titles by Kurtz & Friends and vfx by Pixel Magic), which has a cume of $60.8M.

Headline News

NASA Enlists Houston Students for Mars Project

Media arts and animation students from The Art Institute of Houston have been enlisted by NASA to create new designs for an all-terrain vehicle for exploration on Mars, reports the HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. The 11-week quarter class will have students developing the vehicle, a power module to help recharge the vehicle when out in the field and a stationary land base.

"When academia participates in real world problems, students move from theory to application which involves risking and failing," says Anthony C. Bruins, NASA's Mission Control Center system architect.

Headline News

Day After Tomorrow Scribe Penning Prince of Persia & More

The Walt Disney Co. has tapped THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff to pen three projects, including the feature adaptation of Ubisofts videogame PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, reports VARIETY. In addition to the Jerry Bruckheimer Films-produced PERSIA, he will also tackle Bruckheimer's UNNATURAL HISTORY and the LivePlanet-produced LIBERTY.

Headline News

Don Knotts Dies at 81

Don Knotts, who became a TV icon on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW playing bumbling deputy Barney Fife, passed away on Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, at the age of 81. Knotts died of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills.

In the world of animation, Knotts is most remembered as the title character in live-action 2D animation hybrid, THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, where he played a meek clerk who turns into a fish after the Navy rejects him.

Sound Headline News

Golden Reel Nominations Announced

The MPSE has announced its nominations for the MPSE Golden Reel Awards, given annually for the best work in the various areas of sound editing: dialogue & ADR, effects & foley, and music.

The MPSE Career Achievement Award will be presented to music editor Else Blangsted during the black-tie ceremony on March 4, 2006, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The nominations are:

Best Sound Editing in Feature Film: AnimatedCHICKEN LITTLETIM BURTONS CORPSE BRIDEHOWLS MOVING CASTLEMADAGASCAR

Series Headline News

Zenith Ent. & Neptuno Films Greenlight King Arthur’s Disasters Season 2

Zenith Ent. in London and Neptuno Films of Barcelona have renewed the animation co-production agreement to co-finance a second season of 13 half hours of KING ARTHURS DISASTERS for transmission on CiTV in September 2006. The first series starts its digital run in spring 2006 on Nickelodeon UK.

Zenith will deficit finance and retain distribution rights, excluding Spanish/Brazilian-speaking territories that are reserved for Neptuno. Both companies will finance the series and Cake Ent. Ltd. will distribute the series in key territories for Zenith.

Headline News

4Kids Ent. Ups Carlin West to SVP, New Concept Acquisition & Development

4Kids Ent. Inc. has promoted Carlin West from svp of marketing and licensing to svp of new concept acquisition and development, responsible for the strategic identification and development of new product concepts and non-television properties.

Animation Headline News

Features Spotlighted In Latest Animation World Magazine Acrobat!

The latest Acrobat version of Animation World Magazine is now online! From November 2005, the theme covers various aspects of the animated features industry. Joseph Gilland looks into how artists integrate various design styles into one cohesive animated feature. Rick DeMott dives into the rocky waters of Oscar buzz to see what information he can fish out. Taylor Jessen takes a look at the anime feature that got away named MY LIFE AS MCDULL. Christopher Panzner looks into the increasing amount of animated features being produced in Europe and why they are not coming to American theaters.

Cartoon Headline News

Paul Condolora Upped SVP/GM at Cartoon Network New Media

Paul Condolora has been promoted from vp/gm to svp/gm for Cartoon Network New Media with expanded duties that include further developing new Cartoon Network and Adult Swim-branded products and services for burgeoning distribution platforms such as broadband, VOD, wireless and interactive television. Based in Atlanta, Condolora will continue to report to Mark Norman, svp of business operations for Cartoon Network U.S. and Boomerang.

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for February 27, 2006

Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. Check out the latest installment from quizmaster Karl Staven, an accomplished independent animator and head of the Animation Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for February 27, 2006

This week in AWN's Forums, a junior member has concerns about leaving India to study classical animation in Canada because of the poor jobs prospects. Others are discussing THE CORPSE BRIDE and the work of John Hubley. Another member wants to know the least painfully way to animated tentacles. A senior member posts a link to an American Greeting e-card that might get Christians rioting. Other continue to post their work for members to critique.

Animation Headline News

ILM Relies on Vue 5 Infinite From e-on

Industrial Light & Magic is using Vue 5 Infinite, e-on softwares natural 3D environment solution, on some of its upcoming projects, filling a void in its existing tool set.

"e-on products are a great addition to our production tool set and we are planning to expand their use throughout our entire facility, said Cliff Plumer, Lucasfilm cto. You will probably be seeing a lot of Vue in future productions.

Film Headline News

ManiaTV! Announces Second Annual LIVE Internet Film Festival

ManiaTV! LIVE Internet Film FestivalWorld Wide Web June 5 11, 2006Deadline: May 26, 2006

ManiaTV! (www.ManiaTV.com), the worlds first live 24/7 Internet Television Network, is hosting its 2006 Internet Film Festival. With live viewer voting from across the world, the Internet film Festival is the online destination for aspiring filmmakers. Last years ManiaTV! Live Internet Film Festival featured some of the most inventive young directors from around the globe submitting animated shorts, commercial spoofs and feature films.

Animation Headline News

Animation Block Party Taking Entries for 2006 Event

Animation Block Party 2006Brooklyn, New York, USAJuly 22-24, 2006Deadline: June 16, 2006

Animation Block Party 2006 features more diverse award categories, a new jury of animation talents and fresh chances to exhibit films at more venues. Animation Block Party 2006 will officially transmit at Rooftop Films, Galapagos Art Space and BamCinematek.

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