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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Walt Disney & Walden Media Begin Pre-Production on Prince Caspian

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, in collaboration with Academy Award-nominated director Andrew Adamson, have begun pre-production on THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, the follow-up to the international blockbuster, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

World Headline News

New Tron Comicbook Returns Users to the Digital World

SLG Publishing and Disney are teaming on TRON: THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE, a comic book written by Landry Walker and Eric Jones (LITTLE GLOOMY, X-RAY COMICS) and drawn by Louie De Martinis. The comic picks up where the critically-acclaimed videogame TRON 2.0 leaves off.

Headline News

BOXX APEXX 4 Sets Speed Record with XSI

BOXX Technologies Inc. announced that its new APEXX 4 personal workstation is setting new speed and performance records with SOFTIMAGE|XSI. APEXX 4 was released in January, and is a top-of-the-line four-processor, eight-core personal workstation specifically engineered to maximize productivity for todays visual effects professionals.

Festival Headline News

onedotzero Celebrates 10th Year

onedotzero_10 London, U.K.June 211, 2006February 24, 2006

2006 is onedotzero's 10th anniversary, and will be marked with very special events, projects and programming. The 10th annual festival will celebrate and consolidate the achievements of the last decade with a clear focus on the future. onedotzero_10 will explore new ideas and fresh innovation through curated compilation screenings, features, exhibitions, live av performances, club nights, presentations and panel discussions from internationally acclaimed artists and creatives.

Headline News

Script Analysis for All Entries to Writers On The Storm

Writers On The Storm ContestWorld Wide WebApril 30, 2006Deadline: April 15, 2006

Coverage Ink is hosting it Writers on the Storm script contest where each entry receives a mini-analysis. Top prize for the competition is $2,500. Winner will be read by 75+ companies and have their script developed with Coverage, Ink. Entry fee is $35 or free with any Coverage, Ink analysis. Visit www.writerstorm.com for more info.

Headline News

Captain Jack Sparrow to Join Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

First the theme park attraction inspired the movie now the movie is inspiring the attraction.

Pirates of the Caribbean, the classic Disney theme park adventure brought to the big screen in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, is adding new characters and features from the blockbuster entertainment franchise and debuting when the next adventure begins in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST.

Awards Headline News

Deadline Nears for VES Awards Online Voting

Members of the Visual Effects Society around the globe have until Feb. 10 to vote online for the 4th Annual VES Awards, to be held Feb. 15, 2006, at the Hollywood Paladium.

The online voting system was launched last year, and the new site went live at the end of January with the help of consultant and VFXWORLD contributor Marty Shindler. Some 1,350 members from 16 countries can screen nominated clips along with before-and-after sequences and written material.

Series Headline News

New Line Television to Produce Blade TV Series for Spike TV

Spike TV has greenlit a television series based on Marvel superhero BLADE for the network's first original scripted series to premiere in June 2006. The network has ordered 11 hour-long episodes, in addition to the previously announced two-hour kickoff episode, to be produced by New Line Television, set to commence production in Vancouver this spring.

Visual Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

Talk about surprises. With yesterdays dismissal of George Lucas final STARY WARS entry, REVENGE OF THE SITH, from the visual effects Oscar derby, it now looks to be a wide open race between KING KONG, WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Why the snubbing of SITH from the visual effects branch of the academy? One rationale being offered is that it didnt raise the bar technically, while WAR OF THE WORLDS took people by surprise with its less is more approach.

Headline News

Donner’s Superman II Cut Bound for DVD

As part of Warner Home Videos aggressive catalog title launch in 2006 more than 200 movies will be released for the first time or reissued in special editions in standard and hi-def formats look for a 14-disc SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE COLLECTORS EDITION box set late in the year. Along with all four of the original movies will be a SUPERMAN II: SPECIAL EDITION with the DONNER CUT. Editor Michael Thaw is reassembling director Richard Donners original cut (he shot both SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II simultaneously and was replaced by Richard Lester near the end of the shoot).

Awards Headline News

ILM Receives VFX Oscar Noms for War of the Worlds and Narnia

Despite the surprising omission of STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, Industrial Light & Magic received two of the three nominations in the Best Visual Effects category yesterday for the 78th Annual Academy Awards.

ILM was nominated for its contributions to WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. To date, ILM has received 35 Oscar nominations since its founding in 1975, an industry record for visual effects companies. For its work, ILM has received 13 Academy Awards.

Digital Headline News

Digital Dimension Selects XSI for Legend of Secret Pass Feature

Digital Dimension Canada, a division of Los Angeles-based Digital Dimension, has selected SOFTIMAGE|XSI software as the main 3D production for the upcoming 3D-animated feature, THE LEGEND OF SECRET PASS.

Lady Headline News

John Canemaker to Host 50th Lady and the Tramp at El Capitan Theatre

Distinguished animation historian John Canemaker, nominated yesterday for an Oscar with Peggy Stern for the animated short THE MOON AND THE SON: AN IMAGINED CONVERSATION, will host the opening night panel for LADY AND THE TRAMP in honor of its 50th anniversary at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday (Feb. 2, 2006).

Dreamworks Headline News

Paramount’s DreamWorks Purchase Completed

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:00am

Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc., has closed on its acquisition of DreamWorks SKG for $1.6 billion in cash and assumption of debt. The announcement was made today (Feb. 1, 2006) by Paramount chairman/ceo Brad Grey. The company noted that it is well along in its process to sell the DreamWorks live-action film library.

Under the agreement, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen of DreamWorks will remain in their respective roles as producer/director and chairman.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Networks Exhibit Opens at Raid Projects

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:00am

Cartoon Networks Exhibit Los Angeles, California, USAFebruary 4-25, 2006.

Raid Projects is hosting an exhibit called Cartoon Networks, featuring artists Thuy Le, Mark Mulroney and Andrew Schoultz, who derive great influence from the graphic novel style.

Star Headline News

Fanboys Found for Star Wars-Themed Comedy

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:00am

Kristen Bell (VERONICA MARS), Jay Baruchel (MILLION DOLLAR BABY), Chris Marquette (JUST FRIENDS) and Sam Huntington (SUPERMAN RETURNS) are in final talks to join the cast of FANBOYS, which follows a group of STAR WARS geeks, who attempt their dying friends wish of screening the yet-unreleased STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Dan Fogler (forthcoming SCHOOL OF SCOUNDRELS) has already been cast as a hot-headed pizza boy.

Film Headline News

D3PA Sinks Flushed Away Game Rights

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:00am

D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA) has sealed a worldwide publishing agreement with DreamWorks Animation SKG for videogames based on the forthcoming computer animated feature film, FLUSHED AWAY, produced by Aardman Animation. The first games are scheduled to be released for console systems and handheld systems in Q4 2006 to coincide with the release of the film on Nov. 3, 2006.

Headline News

Studio Exec Vet Rick Sands New MGM COO

Rick Sands, most recently the president/coo of DreamWorks SKG and the former coo of Miramax Films, has been named coo of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM). In this newly created position, Sands takes on the initial responsibilities of leveraging and managing the world's largest modern film and television library across all platforms, including the new media landscape of internet and mobile as well as the traditional channels of distribution television, video and international.

Sound Headline News

78th Academy Award Nominations Announced

KING KONG is up four Oscars in the list of nominees just released by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 78th Annual Academy Awards, starting with Best Visual Effects, up against THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE and WAR OF THE WORLDS. In an apparent snubbing of George Lucas, the visual effects branch of the academy rejected his final STAR WARS movie, EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, which received a sole nomination for makeup.

Show Headline News

Gallery Show Of Art Created By NYC Animators Opens In NYC

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 12:00am

Friday the 13th in January 2006 was far from unlucky for New York Citys animation community. On that date, Too Art for TV, the first gallery show of art created by New York animators opened at the Stay Gold Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Headline News

The Nominated Corpse Bride Resurrected on DVD

TIM BURTONS CORPSE BRIDE, the critically acclaimed stop-motion feature made at 3 Mills Studios in London, makes its DVD debut Jan. 31, 2006 (Warner Home Video, $28.98) the very day its nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. Co-directed by Burton and Mike Johnson, CORPSE BRIDE boasts groundbreaking puppetry from Mackinnon & Saunders and digital cinematography that enhances the look and feel of the characters and sets. Short featurettes explore the making of the film rather than a long doc.

Headline News

Chicken Little and Narnia DVD Dates Set

Buena Vista Home Ent. has set March 21, 2006, for the DVD launch of CHICKEN LITTLE ($29.99), Disneys first full 3D-animated feature, and April 4 for the release of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE in both single and double-disc editions with lots of extras ($29.99). NARNIA picked up three Oscar nominations: vfx (courtesy of Rhythm & Hues, Sony Pictures Imageworks and ILM), makeup and sound mixing.

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