AWN Headline News

HITCH, the Will Smith romantic comedy, seduced another $36.7M for Sony over the Presidents Day Weekend box office period ended Feb. 21, 2005. That gives it a two-week cume of $95M. Debuting in second with $33.6M was Warner Bros. CONSTANTINE, the supernatural thriller with Keanu Reeves, based on the HELLBLAZER graphic novel (with vfx by ESC Ent., Tippett Studio, Hydraulx and Spectrum Effects). Foxs warm-hearted BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE bowed in third with $13.2M.

CUPBOARDS, a commercial honoring 75 years of PG Tips tea in the U.K., was created by Aardman Animations through DDB London and included a series of vignettes through the last three quarters of a century. Animators included Richard Webber, Kim Keukeliere and Martin Davies. Post-production was done at Rushes under the production of Joe West. Rushes had to make sure that in each vignette the room was comped and graded to give it the unique feel of sepia tone, heavy grain and scratches or black-and-white.

Luc Bessons dazzling THE FIFTH ELEMENT, already a reference quality Superbit DVD, has been upgraded to the Ultimate Edition (Columbia TriStar Home Ent., $24.96). Its hard to believe that this is the first edition to contain supplemental features, but they provide plenty of context and perspective to all that wonderful eye candy and sci-fi hokum from Besson and French comic book artists Jean-Claude Mézières and Mobius.

Italian digital studio Videa VFX has signed on to do visual effects work on LAUGHING WATER, an Italian, British and Czech co-production based on the German novel, MINE HA HA, about the mysterious disappearance of girls at a school surrounded by a fairy tale atmosphere with dark forests and gloomy lakes.

VFXWORLD contributor Gianluca Dentici will serve as vfx supervisor, with John Irvin directing and Dante Ferretti doing the production design. Jacqueline Bisset co-stars as the headmistress.

Alias released full details of their updated Maya Platinum and Silver Membership Services Programs. Originally launched at SIGGRAPH 2004, the Membership Services Programs replace the previous Full Annual Maintenance Program. The new features are available immediately and launch in conjunction with the availability of Maya 6.5.