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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Nanyang Polytechnic Students Provide Toons for Trains

Starting on February 12, 2004, a total of 27 animated shorts from Nanyang Polytechnic students will air on MRT trains in Singapore, reports CHANNEL NEWS ASIA. Nanyang Polytechnic partner TV Mobile put the deal together.

Kim Wong-Nathan, programming director of TV Mobile at MediaCorp, said, "Our average commuting time is about 26 minutes and these animations comes in fun short bites, and it's actually refreshing and entertaining for our TV commuters, and for people on the move."

Sound Headline News

Disney Leads Golden Reel Noms

The Walt Disney Co. has garnered many of the top sound editing nominations in the 2003 GOLDEN REEL awards doled out by t he Motion Picture Sound Editors. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN is the only feature film to receive three noms while its animated features, BROTHER BEAR, FINDING NEMO and JUNGLE BOOK 2 each received two.

Headline News

Disney Says Gnomeo and Juliet Still Alive and Singing

Despite a recent online account that Disney quietly pulled the plug in November on GNOMEO AND JULIET, the studio maintains that any rumors of its demise are premature. Indeed, producer Don Hahn told SCIFIWIRE that the computer-animated riff on Shakespeare's classic tale about two star-crossed ceramic gnomes set in England is still in development. Elton John (a co-producer through his Rocket Pictures) and Tim Rice have written songs, and Ewan McGregor is still on track to voice Gnomeo, though no mention was made about Kate Winslet still voicing Juliet.

Dreamworks Headline News

Is DreamWorks Primed for a Pixar-like Move?

There's a report in Tuesday's NEW YORK POST that DreamWorks is "ramping up efforts to spin off its animation unit" as part of a potential sale to Hollywood studios. DreamWorks is reportedly in considerable debt (last year its ranking with rival studios dropped) and loans are coming up payable in a little more than a year. According to analysts, an animation spin-off would allow it to raise the necessary cash to float the losses, "while maintaining an lucrative production agreement," since animation is the only profitable center.

Headline News

Oscar Bump Should Help American Splendor DVD

It only took a week for AMERICAN SPLENDOR to arrive on DVD (HBO Video, $27.95) after snagging a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination, but now you can own one of the indie faves of 2003. AMERICAN SPLENDOR intersperses fact and fiction in telling the story of Cleveland comic book artist Harvey Pekar (portrayed by Paul Giamatti) as the ultimate everyman. Directed by Shari Stringer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the movie is acclaimed for its Flash-animated forays by Gary Leib and John Kuramoto of New York's Twinkle studio.

Headline News

MPC Cooks Up a Storm with Schwartz

Trevor Robinson of Quiet Storm has directed and produced the new commercial for Schwartz "real paste" sauces. Post-production and the development of a 3D computer-animated character took place at Moving Picture Co. (MPC).

The :30 ad shows a live-action housewife looking for inspiration for dinner. During the course of the evening meal's preparation, the housewife is visited by an ebullient computer-animated chef offering Schwartz real paste as a tastier alternative to her dish.

Comics Headline News

Shazam Flick Gets Dozen Writers

New Line Cinema have tapped writers Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow (CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN) to pen the screen adaptation of DC Comics' SHAZAM!. William Goldman (PRINCESS BRIDE) had been working on the script previously. The film would chronicle the easygoing Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego Captain Marvel. Batson changed by saying the word "shazam," giving the attributes to six Greek gods. The character appeared in DC Comics in the 1970s and originally appeared in the 1940s as a Fawcett Comics title.

Cartoon Headline News

Kids Programming Vet Cahn Joins Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network lost a kids programming vp when Linda Simensky migrated to PBS late in 2003, and has since gained a former PBS kids programming alum. Alice Cahn has been named vp of development for Cartoon Network's kids businesses, focusing on original entertainment programming for children ages 4-7, and will work with the company's online, marketing, ad sales and licensing teams to expand Cartoon Network's youth-targeted business off-air.

Licensing Headline News

Tiger Aspects Licenses Mr Bean To Strip On Nicktoons TV

Tiger Aspect Productions has signed a three-year deal with Nickelodeon U.K. for its hit series, animated MR BEAN, bringing the outlandish animated adventures of one of the worlds most recognizable comic figures to strip throughout the week on Nicktoons TV in February 2004.

International Headline News

Nohr Heads Granada/Carlton Merger

Merger vet Nadine Nohr now heads the integrated Granada International and Carlton International companies as md of Granada International, it was announced by John Cresswell, coo of Granada, a division of ITV plc in the U.K. Granada International will create the largest commercial distribution company in Europe, delivering co-production, acquisition, format licensing and international video and DVD sales.

Sega Headline News

SEGA Bringing Astro Boy to PS2 and GBA

SEGA of America, Inc. will partner with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to bring Tezuka Productions' legendary Japanese comic ASTRO BOY to life on PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. ASTRO BOY, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1951, is one of the most recognized characters in Japanese animation and premiered in the U.S. recently as a brand-new animated series on Kids' WB!

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Movie Extends Registration Deadline

Cartoon Movie has extended its registration deadline to February 6, 2004. If one is interested in attending, they must fax a completed registration form by that date. The registration form, as well as information about hotel and travel, can be found at http://www.cartoon-media.be/Movie/Movie_4.htm.

The list of the Cartoon Movie 2004 projects is available on the Web at http://www.cartoon-media.be/Movie/Movie_5.htm.

Headline News

'Served' Takes Box Office Slowed by Super Bowl Antics

Screen Gems' street dancing movie, YOU GOT SERVED, topped the box office chart for the weekend ended Feb. 1, 2004, scoring $16.1M, despite being slowed by the exciting Super Bowl game and Janet Jackson's breast-baring half-time controversy. New Line's sci-fi thriller, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (with VFX by Schminken Studio and Toybox), came in a distant second in its sophomore outing with $9.5M and a cume of $31.7M. Universal's ALONG CAME POLLY settled for third place with $9.3M and a total of $66M.

Atomic Headline News

Atomic Betty Breaks Into U.S. Market

Breakthrough Animation Inc. has sold ATOMIC BETTY to Cartoon Network in the U.S. The series, co-produced with fellow Canadian Atomic Cartoons and Tele-Images Kids in France, has cleared in a number of markets around the world, but creators were especially keen on bringing the cartoon to American TV viewers.

Digital Headline News

Stargate to Re-do Highlander 2 VFX for Upcoming DVD

Stargate Digital, which recently opened a new facility in London, is currently revamping of all the visual effects for Highlander 2, to be released on DVD this spring through Artisan Home Ent.

Cartoon Headline News

Las Vegas Comic-Con Launches New Toon Festival

Las Vegas Comic-Con, in association with cartoonmogul.com, will be hosting The Big Cartoon Exhibition 2004, October 29-31, 2004, during the three-day multimedia event. Comic-Con's mission is to provide a venue to showcase independent animators from around the world.

The event is seeking animated film submissions, no time restrictions, in all genre categories (traditional, computer graphic, Flash, stop-motion, experimental). The Big Cartoon Exhibition will be a non-competitive showcase and the deadline for entries is July 9, 2004.

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