AWN Headline News

FIREFLY, the critically-acclaimed space western from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER creator Joss Whedon and Twentieth Television, is re-ignited on SCI FI. The channel will present the action adventure series 14 episodes, including three previously unaired in order, beginning July 22 at 7:00 pm. The show will lead into SCI FI's successful SCI FI Friday lineup.

Though short-lived, FIREFLY earned a devoted following which has resulted in the upcoming feature film SERENITY from Universal Pictures, slated for theatrical release on Sept. 30, 2005.

From co-publishers Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Ent., the BATMAN BEGINS videogame has hit retail shelves nationwide for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance. The game, based on the Warner Bros. Pictures film BATMAN BEGINS and DC Comics' legendary character, is rated "T for Teen."

Columbia Pictures is hammering out deals with Ray Winstone (KING ARTHUR), Anthony Hopkins (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), Brendan Gleeson (TROY) and Robin Wright Penn (FORREST GUMP) to star in director Robert Zemeckis' BEOWULF, reports VARIETY. Steve Bing's Shangri-La Ent. is producing the performance capture feature.

Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman have adapted the Old English epic poem about a knight who slays the monster Grendel and becomes king. Zemeckis and his ImageMovers partners Steve Starkey and Jack Rapke are producing. Martin Shafer will exec produce with the trio writers.

ART VPS has released a new 64-bit version of its RenderDrive network system that can accommodate up to 48 of the company's AR350 dedicated raytracing processors. This comes on the heels of last weeks release of the new Pure PCI-X raytracing card, offering twice the processing power of its predecessor.

McDonalds Corp. has named DIC Ent. (DIC) as its worldwide licensing agent for active play toys, entertainment and apparel as well as other concepts to come. DIC will develop comprehensive new programs and products for McDonalds McKids brand slated to rollout in 2005 and 2006.

With a December production start for James Cameron's BATTLE ANGEL, the Oscar-winning director is already readying another feature tentatively titled PROJECT 880, his Lightstorm Ent. told the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Cameron plans to shot the film in 3D with custom-designed high-definition cameras as well as a photo-real performance capture technology.

Lightstorm did not give details about PROJECT 880, but did say that Cameron may choose to film that project before BATTLE ANGEL, which has become a difficult film to adapt from Yukito Kishiro's 12 popular Japanese graphic novels.

FirstGlance Hollywood Film Fest 2005Hollywood, California, USADecember 2005Deadline: July 1, 2005