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Geographical Region: Europe

Imax Headline News

The Polar Express in IMAX 3D Steams Past $40 Million

Warner Bros. Pictures' THE POLAR EXPRESS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE has achieved a box office milestone, surpassing $40 million in total gross receipts in just 11 weeks of release. Already the highest grossing IMAX DMR (Digitally Re-mastered) release to date, having shattered the previous record of $14 million in just 22 weeks, the film continues to fill IMAX theaters well after the end of the holiday season.

Spot Headline News

Are We There Yet? Shoots Over Coach Carter

The Sony comedy ARE WE THERE YET? debuted in the number one spot with $18.5M for the weekend ended Jan. 23, 2005. Paramounts COACH CARTER came in second in its sophomore week with $10.5M and $42.7M. Universals MEET THE FOCKERS dropped to third with $9.6M and $247.2M. Universals IN GOOD COMPANY took the fourth spot with $7.9M and $27.4M.

Sound Headline News

The Aviator and Kill Bill, Vol. 2 Lead Golden Reel Noms

THE AVIATOR and KILL BILL, VOL. 2 both took nominations in all three major feature film categories Dialogue/ADR, Music and Sound Effects/Foley in the top sound editing nominations in the 2004 GOLDEN REEL awards doled out by the Motion Picture Sound Editors. The awards will be presented at the 52nd Annual "Golden Reel" Awards to be held Feb. 26, 2005, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Effects Headline News

Visual Effects Artist Aron Baxter Joins Guava

Visual effects supervisor, inferno artist and designer Aron Baxter has left his post with Nice Shoes to join sister facility Guava. The move is the first step in a new expansion effort at Guava. The studio expects to make significant additions to its creative staff and technical resources early in 2005. With Baxter moving to Guava, Nice Shoes has promoted inferno artist John Shea from a nighttime position to days.

Series Headline News

3D Pet Aliens Let Loose on Cartoon Network Jan. 23

Cartoon Network, which until now has been a bit alien to 3D-animated series, started airing PET ALIEN on Jan. 23, 2005, at 10:00 am. The new series follows the adventures of aliens who leave outer space and land in the seaside town of DeSpray Bay to experience Earth life firsthand.

Award Headline News

Send Your Shorts to Rome for Cortoons

Cortoons 2005Rome, ItalyMay 3-6, 2005Deadline: March 15, 2005

Cortoons is an international animated short films festival, which will take place at Cinema Nuovo Olimpia. The event has four categories: from 1 to 4 minutes, from 4 to 20, Italian and International, Flash award and VFX award. The festival will also show the retrospective of Clermont - Ferrand and Filmakademie Baden Wurttemberg festivals. For more information, visit www.cortoons.it.

Television Headline News

Mel Brooks and BFC Berliner Film to Animate Spaceballs Series

BFC Berliner Film Companie has partnered with Brooksfilms and MGM Domestic Television Distribution, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. to create an hour-long pilot and 13x30 animated television series based on the classic Mel Brooks 1987 feature, SPACEBALLS.

Brooks and Thomas Meehan, authors of the original screenplay, will write the pilot and supervise writing on the rest of the series. Brooks will provide the voice of two main characters, President Scroob and Yogurt.

Alien Headline News

Taffy Ent. Gets Licensees On Board Before Pet Alien Launch

Taffy Entertainments licensing division has closed five additional deals in the U.S. for PET ALIEN, the groundbreaking new CGI character-comedy premiering on Cartoon Network Jan. 23, 2005, at 10:00 am. The deals include Baby Boom Consumer Products for cuddle pillows, Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company for gift and specialty market plush, Childrens Apparel Network for apparel, Fast Forward for bags and backpacks, and Mello Smello for stickers.

Headline News

Yates Confirmed as Harry Potter 5 Director

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Warner Bros. Pictures has officially announced that British television helmer David Yates (STATE OF PLAY, THE WAY WE LIVE NOW) has been signed to direct HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. The film will be produced by David Heyman from a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg (WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, PETER PAN). Production on the film is expected to begin in England in January 2006.

Film Headline News

SCAD Announces 3 New Faculty

Animation historian/journalist Harvey Deneroff has joined The Savannah College of Art and Design School of Film and Digital Media as one of three new professors beginning winter quarter 2005.

Deneroff, recently moved from London to Atlanta, joins the college as a part-time professor of animation. The former ANIMATION MAGAZINE and ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE editor has a Ph.D. in communication-cinema and a M.A. degree in cinema from USC.

Mobile Headline News

POW! & Vidiator Team on Mobile Media

Stan Lees POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment and Vidiator Technology (U.S.) Inc., a leading mobile multimedia solutions provider of mobile streaming and delivery of 3D rich-media applications, have team to develop and license exclusive live-action animated content for mobile devices using Vidiator's realtime streaming solution. The alliance will help shape the emerging business of content distribution and M-commerce on wireless platforms. Vidiator will have an exclusive relationship with POW!

Festival Headline News

Grand-Prize Winners Selected in First-Ever Nicktoons Film Festival

Filmmakers Mark Simon and Travis Blaise from Orlando were the grand-prize winners in the Nicktoons Film Festival for their short film, TIMMY'S LESSONS IN NATURE. The 2D animated, comedic look at what not to do in the wild outdoors garnered them the $10,000 prize money, selected by festival sponsors Nicktoons, Frederator Studios and ANIMATION MAGAZINE.

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for Jan. 17, 2005

Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. Check out the latest installment from quizmaster Karl Staven, an accomplished independent animator and head of the Animation Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Surely you consider yourself somewhat knowledgeable about the field of animation or you wouldn't be here. So surely you must be aware of the most important East European stop-motion animators. So surely you should be able to pick out the correct animator from the choices.

Headline News

Stars Lend Voice for U.S. Steamboy Release

Anna Paquin (X-MEN), Alfred Molina (SPIDER-MAN 2), and Patrick Stewart (X-MEN, STAR TREK: NEXT GENERATION) will provide the voices for the North American dubbed version of director Katsuhiro Ôtomo's STEAMBOY, reports ComingSoon.net. Sony's Screen Gems will conduct a limited release of the film in theaters starting March 18, 2005.

Film Headline News

Quinta Makes First Foray into Animation

New French distribution company Quinta Distribution has made its first foray into animation with acquisition of all rights in France for Spanish feature, MIDSUMMER DREAM, reports VARIETY. Quinta plans to release the film in France with 200 prints on June 28, 2005.

THE LIVING FOREST producer Dygra produced the CGI MIDSUMMER, based on Shakespeares play. Portugal's Appia Films co-produced the film and Buena Vista Intl. will distribute the film in Spain this year. The 6 million ($7.9 million) budgeted film was directed by Dygra's Manolo Gomez and Angel de la Cruz.

Series Headline News

Disney Channel Orders 3 New Series, 2 Movies

The Disney Channel has has ordered three new original animated series and two animated movies based on hit series, KIM POSSIBLE and THE PROUD FAMILY. The three new series include THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE, KATBOT and EMPERORS NEW SKOOL. The series are scheduled to premiere during 2005-06 and are produced by Walt Disney Television Animation Studio.

Television Headline News

Disney Int’l TV President Hulbert Quits in ABC TV Group Shuffle

David Hulbert, former president, Walt Disney Television International, will be leaving the company in the wake of the Disney-ABC Television Group reorganization its television businesses in the European, Middle Eastern and African territories, promoting of two key executives to oversee this new organizational structure.

John Hardie, former svp/md, branded television, EMEA moves up to evp/md, Branded Television, EMEA while Tom Toumazis, former svp/md, Buena Vista International Television, EMEA advance to evp/md, Buena Vista International Television, EMEA.

Headline News

EA Moves on Sims-like TV Show, Changes DICE Deal

Electronic Arts has announced the development an interactive TV show, allowing viewers to control the characters like in THE SIMS, and a change in the deal to acquire 50% of Digital Illusions (DICE), reports REUTERS. The company is in early talks with production companies and might use a voting system to allow viewers to determine the actions of the characters.

Interactive Headline News

Atari Announces TimeShift for the PC & Xbox

Atari Inc. announced that TIMESHIFT, a first-person shooter that allows players to control time to solve puzzles and defeat foes, is in development by Saber Interactive for the personal computer and the Xbox. The new title will leverage first-of-its-kind gameplay abilities and functionality, the latest graphics technology and high production values. The game is expected to be available in fall 2005.

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