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AWN Headline News

Friends Headline News

Trollz Feature Premieres on Disney Channel

Disney Channel will broadcast the worldwide television premiere of the animated feature, TROLLZ: BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE, from DIC Entertainment (DIC), on Aug. 27, 2005, at 2:00 pm with subsequent airdates scheduled September 3 and 29 on Toon Disney.

The Trollz world revolves on the adventures of five teenage best friends Amethyst, Onyx, Sapphire, Topaz and Ruby each of whom is very different from the other. Each friend offers her unique style in personality, color, fashion symbol and gemstone, but together they form the Magic of The Five.

Television Headline News

Susanne Daniels New President, Entertainment, Lifetime Entertainment Services

Former The WB programming chief Susanne Daniels joins Lifetime Entertainment Services as president, entertainment, on Sept. 12, 2005, and will be based in Los Angeles. Daniels will be responsible for all programming on Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network, the two highest-rated women's networks, as well as Lifetime Real Women.

She joins and reports to Betty Cohen, president/ceo, Lifetime Entertainment Services, who previously was founder/president of Cartoon Network Worldwide, part of Time Warner along with The WB.

Company Headline News

Pixar Shares Drop After SEC Probe Reported

Pixar shares dropped after the WALL STREET JOURNAL reported the company is being investigated by regulators over its home entertainment release of THE INCREDIBLES. The informal Securities and Exchange Commission probe is looking to the facts behind Pixar cutting its second-quarter profit forecast in June, stating slower than expected sales of the DVDs.

Headline News

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride Soundtrack Features Danny Elfman Score

Warner Sunset Records/Warner Bros. Records will release the soundtrack of three-time Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfmans evocative and atmospheric original score for TIM BURTONS CORPSE BRIDE on Sept. 20, 2005. The stop-motion animation film stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson.

THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK TO TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE highlights the original score by Elfman, who previously collaborated with Burton on BEETLEJUICE, BATMAN, BIG FISH and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

Headline News

Sid Ganis Elected Motion Picture Academy President

Sid Ganis was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Aug. 23, 2005, by the organization's board of governors. He succeeds Frank Pierson, who had served the maximum four consecutive one-year terms in the office.

Ganis, beginning his 19th year as a governor representing the public relations branch, has served as first vp of the Academy for the past two years.

Digital Headline News

Digital Pictures Uses Autodesk Pipeline for Chinese Epic

SEVEN SWORDS, a new epic Chinese feature film by director Tsui Hark, was realized with six of Autodesk's media and entertainment solutions. Based on Liang Yu-Shen's classic novel SEVEN SWORDSMEN FROM MOUNT TIAN, the film will be released worldwide in fall 2005.

Films Headline News

MPC Gets a Little Sunshine

London-based Moving Picture Co. (MPC) will handle VFX work on director Danny Boyles latest sci-fi feature, THE UNTITLED SUNSHINE PROJECT, announced this week by DNA Films and Fox Searchlight Pictures. MPCs vfx supervisor is Tom Wood (KINGDOM OF HEAVEN). Principal photography began Aug. 22 in London. Boyle is once again teamed up with scribe Alex Garland, who last worked together on 28 DAYS LATER, which MPC also worked on.

Headline News

REALVIZ Team Hits Road for 2005 SFX Tour

REALVIZ has confirmed that the first leg of its 2005 SFX tour will kick off in the U.K. at the beginning of next month. The tour will run from September through to November 2005, and will visit a selection of towns and cities internationally in the U.K., France, Sweden, Greece and Australia, with additional countries being added over the course of the next few weeks.

Headline News

Extended Gladiator Now on DVD

Director Ridley Scott has added 17 minutes of footage to his Oscar-winning GLADIATOR, which was released in an extended edition DVD set on Aug. 23, 2005 (DreamWorks Home Ent. $39.99). Most of the new footage was previously available on DVD as deleted footage, but can now be enjoyed in the context of the narrative, fleshing out character motivation as well as the political conspiracy. Both versions are available on this three-disc set.

Headline News

Capcom Releases Darkwatch

Capcom announced the release of DARKWATCH for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Developed by High Moon Studios Inc., DARKWATCH is an immersive FPS (first person shooter) that blends the lawless action of the Wild West with the thrilling horror of vampire movies. The game is now available at retailers across North America and carries an M rating for mature audiences by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board).

Headline News

Seven News Titles Make PlayStation 2 Greatest Hit Status

Demonstrating the massive appeal of the PlayStation 2 and its software library, Sony Computer Ent. America announced seven additions to its PlayStation 2 "Greatest Hits" software portfolio ATV OFFROAD FURY 3, HOT SHOTS GOLF: FORE!, JAK 3, KILLZONE, RACHET & CLANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL, SLY 2: BAND OF THIEVES and SYPHON FILTER: THE OMEGA STRAIN. These seven titles have accounted for sales in excess of 4.5 million units and join an expansive library of 123 "Greatest Hits" titles.

Headline News

Beavis & Butt-Head Return To MTV & DVD

MTV and Paramount Home Video Ent. will be releasing BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD: THE MIKE JUDGE COLLECTION, VOLUME 1. The DVD box set is scheduled for release on Nov. 8, 2005. To help promote the set, Beavis & Butt-Head will return to MTV to present the Viewer's Choice Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28.

Film Headline News

Delray Beach Film Fest Kicks Off First Year

Delray Beach Film Festival Delray Beach, Florida, USAMarch 8 12, 2006 Deadline: December 1, 2005

The inaugural season of Delray is set to support both emerging film talent and veterinary medicine. Delray Beach, also an exquisite and unique surfing destination spot, will offer filmmakers a fun, warm, beautiful place to meet, mingle and party. The relaxed and welcoming atmosphere will be a breath of fresh air to any filmmaker who has been busy producing or promoting their film. For more information, visit www.delraybeachfilmfestival.com.

Business Headline News

HP Named Preferred Technology Provider for Lucasfilm

HP and Lucasfilm Ltd. announced a three-year, multi-million dollar technology and marketing agreement.

Lucasfilm will use HP Adaptive Enterprise solutions to generate new videogames, visual effects and animation as well as store and manage its business applications. The HP technology will be deployed at Lucasfilm's new Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio of San Francisco and at the company's Singapore operations.

Headline News

KromA Helps Put Julia Roberts in Dream World

KromA provided Julia Roberts the role of her dreams in creating vfx services for the new Dave Matthews music video, DREAM WORLD. The studio worked with director Dave Meyers in concocting the videos surreal world in which a faceless stranger pursues Roberts. The video marks the first screen appearance for Roberts, a long-time Dave Matthews fan, since giving birth to twins last year.

Headline News

Upcoming Polar Express DVD to Highlight Performance Capture

When THE POLAR EXPRESS hits retail shelves on Nov. 22, the two-disc special edition (Warner Home Video, $29.95) will contain lots of bonus features devoted to the performance capture (Imagemotion from Sony Pictures Imageworks) that was the driving force behind the Robert Zemeckis/Tom Hanks movie adaptation of the popular Christmas tale by Chris Van Allsburg.

Disc two bonus features include:* You Look Familiar: Hear about Hanks' five unique roles, how each character was different and what it took for him to bring each one to life.

Headline News

Disney and Baby Einstein Launch Little Einsteins DVD

Little Ensteins, the newest preschool franchise from The Baby Einstein Co. and The Walt Disney Co., was launched Aug. 23 with the DVD release of DISNEYS LITTLE ENSTEINS OUR [BIG] HUGE ADVENTURE (Buena Vista Home Ent., $19.99).

This "next generation" of animation and learning, the lead-in for a new TV series slated to launch on Disney Channels Playhouse Disney block in October, is intended to spark the curiosity of children with fun new ways to enjoy classical music, art and the wonders of nature.

Motion Headline News

EA Bases MoCap Pipeline on Vicon

Gaming powerhouse Electronic Arts (EA) has purchased an 86-camera Vicon MX 40 motion capture system. EA is one of the most prolific users of motion capture content, and has been employing MoCap techniques as part of its game development pipeline for more than 10 years.

Film Headline News

Yankee Irving Signs All-Star Voice Roster

IDT Ent. announced that Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Dennehy, William H. Macy, Mandy Patinkin, Dana Reeve, Robert Wagner, Richard Kind, Raven-Symone and New York Yankees manager Joe Torre will head an all-star voice cast in its first CG-animated feature film, YANKEE IRVING. In addition, Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning composer John Debney will create the films original score.

Final Headline News

Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection for Windows Arrives

Square Enix Inc. announced that FINAL FANTASY XI: THE VANA'DIEL COLLECTION is now on sale. The special gold foil All-In-One packaging includes the RISE OF THE ZILART and CHAINS OF PROMATHIA expansion packs as well as TETRA MASTER, the wildly popular and addictive mini-game, on one DVD. FINAL FANTASY XI: THE VANA'DIEL COLLECTION will provide the easiest installation ever of the first cross-platform, cross-continent massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

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