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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Spike TV Brings Blade to TV In June 2006

Spike TV is set to bring BLADE to television with a two-hour original drama that marks the network's first foray into scripted entertainment. Produced by New Line Television, BLADE premieres on Spike TV in June 2006.

"BLADE is perfectly suited for Spike TV and its male viewers," says Pancho Mansfield, evp, original programming at Spike TV. "The new "Blade" promises to capture what men want to see: thrilling action and effects combined with an intelligent and highly creative story."

Headline News

David Fincher Finds Torso Untouchable

Paramount Pictures has tapped SEVEN-helmer David Fincher to direct an adaptation of the graphic novel TORSO, which was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, reports the trades. THE RING scribe Ehren Kruger will write the adaptation, which will be produced by Pandemonium's Bill Mechanic, Angry Films' Don Murphy and comic artist Todd McFarlane.

Headline News

Piranha Remake Gains Dimension

The Weinstein Co.'s Dimension Films has hooked the domestic distribution rights to PIRANHA, a remake of the 1978 cult classic, VARIETY reports. Chuck Russell will direct in spring. Dimension will handle all English-speaking territories.

Set at Arizona's Lake Havasu, a vacation spot becomes a blood bath when a savage school of piranha swims through a crack in a crater formed by a prehistoric eruption at the bottom of the lake.

Headline News

DIC Licenses McDonald's McKids Brand to Asia

DIC Ent. (DIC) announced that McDonald's Corp. has entered into an agreement naming Cornerstone Group's China Retail Management (CRM) subsidiary the master licensee for McDonald's McKids line across Asia, excluding Japan and India. The multi-million dollar deal is the first major international initiative of DIC's new role as global consumer products and entertainment agent for McDonald's Corp.

Friends Headline News

Five Commissions New Rupert Bear Animation Series From ER

U.K. broadcaster, Five, has commissioned Entertainment Rights Plc. (ER) to produce a new animated RUPERT AND FRIENDS (52x10) to broadcast in fall 2006.

This agreement follows ERs acquisition of the controlling rights to Rupert Bear from Express Newspapers (Express) in October 2005. ER acquired worldwide in perpetuity all audio visual, licensing and merchandising, publishing, live events and new media rights to Rupert Bear and the world of Nutwood.

Headline News

AtomShockwave Becomes Atom Ent.

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 12:00am

AtomShockwave Corp. announced it has officially changed its corporate name to Atom Ent. Inc. The change was spurred by recent acquisitions, a newly created video directory and an advertising network that greatly expand the company's brand lineup and advertising opportunities. Atom Ent. now operates as the corporate umbrella for game sites Shockwave.com and AddictingGames and video sites AtomFilms and AddictingClips.

Nick Headline News

Nick Jr. Commences Production on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 12:00am

Nick Jr. announced that it has commenced production on the new original animated series, WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! The 26-episode preschool series, produced by Bolder Media for Boys and Girls and created by Bob Boyle (producer on Nickelodeon's THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS and DANNY PHANTOM), celebrates the spirit of teamwork and cooperation. WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! (formerly called WUBBY, WIDGET AND WALDEN) is slated to premiere in Fall 2006 on Nick Jr.

Film Headline News

Chinese & U.K. Partners Team on Monster Club The Movie

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 12:00am

Image in Media Inc. (Image) announced that it has signed a $20 million co-production agreement for a 3D animation feature film entitled MONSTER CLUB THE MOVIE with China Film Animation Ltd. and UK-based producer Treehouse Film and Television Ltd. Production is planned to start in Q1 2006 and be completed within 12 months.

Headline News

ASIFA-Hollywood’s Tribute to UPA Rescheduled

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 12:00am

ASIFA-Hollywoods tribute to the work of UPA has been moved from February to March 26, 2006 at 6:00 pm. The event will examine the legacy of UPA (United Productions of America) the "anti-Disney" studio of the 1950s that is still influencing animation design today. The screening will feature rarely shown Columbia theatrical cartoons (in 35mm) starring Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing Boing, as well as groundbreaking TV shorts, commercials and industrial films.

Digital Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

Congratulations to Autodesk for completing its purchase of Alias. We look forward to covering future developments in 3D software development and the ramifications for the entire industry. And congratulations to Pixars Ed Catmull and all the other recipients that will be honored at the Academys annual Scientific and Technical Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 18. Catmull, Tony DeRose and Jos Stam were singled out for their scientific and practical implementation of subdivision surfaces as a modeling technique in movies.

Square Headline News

Square Enix Installs Vicon MoCap System

Vicon has installed a 44-camera Vicon MX40 system for facial, hand and full-body capture to leading game company Square Enix Co. Ltd.

Square Enix acquired the system to take advantage of the immediate performance gains of Vicon MX when recording actors for cinematic sequences and in-game play, and to support higher camera counts and complexity for motion capture on next-gen titles.

Square Enix has created such popular game franchises as FINAL FANTASY and DRAGON QUEST, and has been an experienced motion capture user for many years.

Headline News

Apple Unveils New iMac with Intel Core Duo Processor

Apple introduced the new iMac featuring Mac OS X running on the new Intel Core Duo processor, delivering performance that is up to twice that of its predecessor. The widely praised iMac design now features dual-core processors, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box, and the breakthrough media experience of Front Row with the Apple Remote for a simple, intuitive and powerful way for consumers to enjoy their content from across the room.

Headline News

Yoram Gross Sells Studio Holdings to EM.Ent.

Yoram Gross and his family have sold their 50% holdings in Yoram Gross-EM.TV to the other 50% shareholder, EM.Ent., an affiliated company to the German media company EM.TV AG.

Originally founded by Yoram and Sandra Gross 37 years ago in Sdyney, they sold 50% of their studio to EM.TV in 1999 to form Yoram Gross-EM.TV.

The Gross family will continue to hold a majority shareholding in a related company, Yoram Gross Prods., until its current slate of productions is completed to ensure continuity of production and creative control.

Headline News

Stephen Moore New Aardman Head of Features/COO

Stephen Moore has relocated from Los Angeles to the U.K. to join Aardman as head of features/COO.

Moore was president of International for Twen-tieth Century Fox for eight years, overseeing both the theatrical and home entertainment divisions.

Aardman is very pleased to have been able to appoint Stephen at this point in the studios history," said David Sproxton, exec chairman of Aardman. "Stephens vast expe-rience will enable the studio to build considerably on its recent successes and increase its opportunities in many arenas.

Effects Headline News

Zoic Contributes to Bolder Battlestar Galactica VFX

For the climactic Jan. 13 episode of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA titled "Resurrection Ship, Part 2," Zoic Studios worked on a scale greater than anything previously imagined for the small screen. Choreographing and executing all the effects for the episode, Zoic relied on a combination of live-action greenscreen and CG animation. The episode airs at 10:00 pm on SCI FI Channel.

Comics Headline News

DC Comics Adds More Artists & Writers to the New York Comic-Con Lineup

DC Comics announced that 10 renowned creators will join the growing roster of celebrities and comicbook creators slated to appear at the upcoming New York Comic-Con. The artists and writers added to the show are:

* Brian Azzarello The writer of Vertigo's award-winning series 100 BULLETS and the new spaghetti western-noir series LOVELESS.* Keith Giffen The layout artist of DC Comics' highly anticipated forthcoming weekly mini-series 52.

Cartoons Headline News

Wubbcast Podcasts for Preschoolers

The Wubbcast is the world's first video podcast for pre-schoolers. It packages together some of the world's nicest cartoons for pre-schoolers and makes them available for the iPod or PSP each week.

The Wubbcast is free and will launch in March with a 10-minute episode featuring the characters and music from the upcoming Nick Jr. show WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! and two other great cartoons.

Filmmakers submitting shorts to the Wubbcast will keep all the rights and retain complete ownership of their work.

Awards Headline News

Boondocks Nabs Best Comedy Nod at the NAACP Image Awards

The 37th NAACP Image Awards Nominations were announced during a press conference at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Randy Jackson, Aisha Tyler, Kimberly Elise, James Pickens Jr., and Kevin Frazier joined NAACP president/ceo Bruce Gordon, chairperson, NAACP Image Awards Committee Clayola Brown, and Vicangelo Bulluck, exec producer, NAACP Image Awards to announce 38 categories, which included a new award for Directing.

Headline News

King Kong Wins Acting Awards

The Broadcast Film Critics' 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards honored KING KONG with a special Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts Award to recognize the blend of visual effects with Andy Serkis' motion capture performance. This honor coincides with the VES nominating Kong for Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture, citing Andy Serkis, Atsushi Sato, Guy Williams and Eric Saindon.

Animation Headline News

BET Hires Three Execs, Launches Toon Unit

BET has hired three new execs, which includes a head for its new animated programming division, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Denys Cowan has been hired for the new position of svp animation. Previously, Cowan worked with Hudlin on the Adult Swim series THE BOONDOCKS as producer and supervising director for Sony Pictures Television Animation. Hudlin is one of the exec producers of BOONDOCKS.

Cartoon Headline News

Joe Barbera Directs New Tom and Jerry Theatrical Short

Legendary animator Joe Barbera just directed a brand new TOM AND JERRY theatrical short that will make its world television premiere on Cartoon Network Jan. 27, 2006, at 9:00 pm. The seven-minute cartoon, THE KARATEGUARD, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, has already been submitted for a 2006 Academy Award nomination in the animated short film category, and is the 162nd theatrical short in the 66-year career of the Academy Award-winning cat and mouse duo.

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