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Geographical Region: Asia

Headline News

MIPCOM News: Astro Boy Part of SPTI Diverse Slate

Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) will bring a diverse slate of programming to MIPCOM, including the animated series ASTRO BOY and CYBORG 009, as well as STEPHEN KING'S KINGDOM HOSPITAL, JOAN OF ARCADIA, MISSING and RESIDENTS, the hit Chilean telenovela, MACHOS, according to SPTI distribution evp Peter Iacono. The SPTI booth will be at top of the Palais at M5.01.

Animation Headline News

New Sony Animation Facility to Open in Japan

Just as Disney announced the closure of its Tokyo-based animation facility, word leaked out in Japan that Sony Pictures Entertainment would unveil its own animation division in Tokyo specializing in original local-language productions. And just like that, 103 animators and staffers that will be cut loose from Disney after wrapping the WINNIE THE POOH spinoff, THE HEFFALUMP MOVIE, may soon find a new home at Sony.

Series Headline News

MIPCOM News: FKE Offers Three Fresh Ones

Fox Kids Europe (FKE) is taking 144 half-hour episodes of fresh programming to MIPCOM, including three new kids properties, SONIC X, TUTENSTEIN and SHAMAN KING.

FKE has acquired all TV and home video rights for the world, excluding North America and Asia, for 52 half-hour episodes of SONIC X from TMS Entertainment Ltd. This marks the first animated adaptation of the videogame and TV series hedgehog hero to be created in Japan, (DIC Ent. did the first animated TV series in the U.S.).

Series Headline News

TLC Ent.’s Kids 10 Commandments Gets Prime-Time Deal

TLC Ent. will premiere its latest five-part animated mini-series, THE KIDS' TEN COMMANDMENTS (K10C), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Episode #1, THE NOT SO GOLDEN CALF, will debut in primetime on October 31, 2003 with the remaining episodes, THE REST IS YET TO COME, A LIFE AND SETH SITUATION, STOLEN JEWELS, STOLEN HEARTS and TOYING WITH THE TRUTH, airing the week of November 10.

Headline News

MIPCOM News: Rainbow Puts Designs on WINX CLUB, Monster Allergy

Rainbow Animation and RAI Fiction have employed fashion designers to catch the eye of buyers and viewers in the new animated offering, WINX CLUB, a 26 half-hour series featuring stylish fairies and cool boys training to be juristic knights.

Premise is about three schools for fairies, witches and boys. Bloom, a fairy in training from Earth and her four schoolmates form the WINX Club to combat their enemies, the witches. The boys lend their aid to the WINX Club in the crusade to eradicate evil.

Kids Headline News

MIPCOM News: Cromosoma Brings Big EBU Series Tom

Cromosomas big offering for MIPCOM Jr. and MIPCOM is TOM, an animated series produced with the EBU. The 26x26 series features a big, friendly dinosaur who goes on big adventures with a little girl named Wanda and a boy named Tip, while he searches for his long, lost homeland. Their journeys around the world offer insights into how to appreciate the world we live in.

Series Headline News

MIPCOM News: Indigo Group Unveils 4 New Series

The Indigo Group will venture to Cannes with four new projects in tow for MIPCOM. The new projects include TOBY THE PRINCE OF WHALES, TINGUARO, BRADYS BEASTS and FREDDIE THE FROG.

Headline News

New Pages & Peeks In The Theatrical Release Database!

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 12:00am

Trailer hounds rejoice! This week in AWNs Theatrical Release Database weve added trailer links for the U.S. look at TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE as well as for MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, HAUNTED MANSION, THUNDERBIRDS and RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE. Moreover, we have new pages for YU-GI-OH!, MORT THE DEAD TEENAGER, HOT WHEELS, STARSHIP TROOPERS 2, BUDDHA and UNDERWORLD 2. Director and cast members have been added to the JURASSIC PARK IV page, as well as, the female lead for Peter Jacksons KING KONG.

Disney Headline News

Disney to Close Japan Animation Division

In further belt-tightening, the Walt Disney Co. plans to shut down Walt Disney Animation (Japan) in Tokyo. Part of DisneyToon Studios that specializes in DVD-premieres (101 DALMATIANS II: PATCH'S LONDON ADVENTURE) and smaller-budgeted theatrical releases (PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE, THE TIGGER MOVIE), the Japanese facility employs about 100 animators and will cease operations after completing the WINNIE THE POOH spin-off, THE HEFFALUMP MOVIE. Work for 2004 and beyond will quickly segue over to Walt Disney Animation (Australia), which recently made JUNGLE BOOK II.

Headline News

AMD Announces Winner in Athlon 64 High-Tech Treasure Hunt

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 12:00am

AMD has announced the grand prize winner in the AMD Athlon 64 processor High-Tech Treasure Hunt. Marty Rice of Cleveland, Ohio, won the grand prize of an AMD Athlon 64 processor-based desktop system and $6,400 cash. The virtual geocaching contest asked participants to find 64 global locations that have significance to 64-bit computing, AMD or technology. More than 10,000 people entered the contest between August 25 and September 15.

Headline News

KromA Clones Ricky Martin

Los Angeles-based KromA (www.kroma.biz) created 100 dancing clones of Ricky Martin in providing computer animation and vfx services for JERAMENTO, the pop superstar's new music video. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the video is the latest from Martin's new album ALMAS DEL SILENCIO.

Headline News

BVITV Promotes 3 European Sales

Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has promoted three members of its London, Munich and Rome-based programming sales teams.

Carsten Fink, based in Munich, has been promoted from director of sales to exec director, sales, German-speaking markets. Carsten Fink joined BVITV in 2000 from United Distributors, where he was an international sales manager. Fink leads German-speaking sales for such territories as Germany, Austria and Switzerland and reports to BVITVs vp of sales, Alison Homewood.

Film Headline News

Millennium Actress Opens In Limited Run

MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, the first film to be released under Go Fish Pictures, DreamWorks new distribution arm, opened Sept. 12, 2003 in a limited run. The Japanese production by MAD HOUSE (PERFECT BLUE, VAMPIRE HUNTER D and METROPOLIS) reunites director Satoshi Kon and screenwriter Sadayuki Murai, who first collaborated together on Kons award-winning debut feature PERFECT BLUE. Taro Maki (TENCHI FOREVER) served as the exec producer. Susumu Hirasawa composed the score, and Takeshi Honda was the editor and director of animation.

Film Headline News

Hulk DVD to Feature Xbox Game

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, September 11, 2003 at 12:00am

Universal Home Video has announced that the October 28, 2003 DVD release of THE HULK will feature the Xbox demo version of THE HULK game. The DVD will contain one playable level.

The film follows the origin of The Hulk when gammarays transform scientist Bruce Banner into the raging green beast. With visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic and directed by Ang Lee (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON), the film stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas and Nick Nolte.

Headline News

Ubisoft Announces New Logo; Sale Of 100 Millionth Game

Ubisoft, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, has announced it has sold its 100 millionth game in September 2003. In addition, the company unveiled its new logo and visual identity. The corporate re-branding takes effect immediately throughout Ubisoft's worldwide offices.

Entertainment Headline News

AXN Expands, Tom Davidson Named General Manager

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) continues to expand its global cable and satellite networks portfolio with the launch next month of AXN in six European countries -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. As part of that expansion, Tom Davidson has been named new network's gm, based in Budapest, according to Darren Childs, svp of international networks, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI).

Headline News

Xfrog Organic Software Leaps Beyond Plants

Greenworks Xfrog organic modeling system has been rewritten from scratch for the release of Xfrog 4. With the new version, all parameters in Xfrog 4 can be animated and combined with the objects in MAXON's CINEMA 4D, allowing artists to create trees or other plants, which grow and follow the sun as well as leaves and branches, which move in the wind. Additionally CINEMA 4D XPresso diagrams can be combined with Xfrog to create photoreal parameter-driven organic effects.

Halloween Headline News

Disney Int’l Gets Mainframe Spooktakular

Walt Disney Television Int'l (WDTV-I) has acquired broadcast rights to Mainframe Entertainment Inc.'s animated Halloween special SCARY GODMOTHER HALLOWEEN SPOOKTAKULAR for its channels in Asia, Latin America, Italy and Germany.

Final Headline News

Square Enix U.S.A. Announces Final Fantasy X-2

Square Enix U.S.A. Inc. has announced that FINAL FANTASY X-2 will ship in early December 2003. The company also announced that FINAL FANTASY X has been added to Sony Computer Entertainment America's "Greatest Hits" series.

"We are very pleased with success that FINAL FANTASY X has achieved, both in sales and industry recognition, and excited to continue the journey in FINAL FANTASY X-2," said Jun Iwasaki, ceo and president of Square Enix USA. "While FINAL FANTASY X-2 is a sequel, it is in many ways a new game and the first in the series led by an all-female cast."

Animation Headline News

Knights of the Zodiac Dawns On Cartoon Network

Anime fans, thank your celestial stars, and Cartoon Network for debuting in the U.S. KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC, August 30, at 7:00 pm as part of the network's Saturday evening action programming block. The Japanese futuristic action-adventure series follows the adventures of the mystical Knights of Athena, which was produced originally in Japan in 1986 by Toei Animation, and re-purposed for the U.S. Kaleidoscope Ent. and DIC Ent.

Animation Headline News

Cyper Ent Consolidates Name, Splits Stock, Adds Ani Vet & Partner

Dae Joong Kim, a veteran animation director for 36 years, has joined Cyper Entertainment Inc., subsidiary of JRE Inc., based in Seoul, Korea. Considered one of the top OEM animation directors in Korea, he has worked on many different animated TV shows such as SUPER MARIO, FUTURE BOY CONAN, CAPTAIN HARLOCK, GALAXY EXPRESS 999 AND NADIA, among others.

"Mr. Kim is a valued addition to our team as we prepare for several large film and television productions. We are excited to have him in our service," said Duk Jim Jang, president of JRE.

Film Headline News

Wonderful Days Tanks at Korean Box Office

The most expensive animated feature produced in Korea, WONDERFUL DAYS, has tanked at the box office in its native country. The film cost $11 million to produce, but has disappeared from theaters after only two weeks in release, garnering a paltry $1.9 million. The film even debuted behind DreamWorks SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, which was a disappointment in the U.S.

Anime Headline News

Anime Network Teams with Waldenbooks

The Anime Network has announced a nationwide in-store signage promotion with Waldenbooks, America's largest mall based book retailer. Starting August 1, 2003, Waldenbooks will promote the Anime Network with signs placed in the manga section of its stores. The deal is an extension of the partnership between Waldenbooks and the networks parent company A. D. Vision, Inc., which brings home-entertainment anime products in Waldenbooks locations.

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