PEDRO AND FRANKENSHEEP, a new series by The Brothers McLeod (Greg and Myles) and Phil Cooper, will be released on Children's BBC this week on CBBC.
The show's creators announced today their 10-episode series will begin airing Feb. 25.
A popular pre-release on the CBBC website garnered several hundred thousand views on YouTube after a "rogue guinea pig" posted the episode "Sleep Guinea Pig Sleep."
Animation network Aniboom unveiled the winners of its Second Annual Aniboom Awards Thursday; grand prize winner JUNGLE JAIL was awarded a $25,000 development and distribution deal.
Choosing from about 1,600 entries from more than 60 countries, millions of online viewers and a panel of judges chose JUNGLE JAIL, a humorous short by French animator Aymeric Palermo.
JUNGLE JAIL also won in the Funny Category.
Nintendo of America Inc. wants the U.S. Trade Representative to encourage governments around the world to take a "more aggressive stance to combat piracy of Nintendo video games and systems."
China remains the primary manufacturer of pirated Nintendo DS and Wii games, Korea has emerged as the leader in distributing illegal game files over the Internet.
Brazil and Mexico remain saturated with counterfeit Nintendo software, and Paraguay and Hong Kong continue to serve as major transshipment points for global distribution of illegal goods.
Hank Azaria will portray all-powerful Egyptian pharaoh Kah Mun Rah in Fox's NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: ESCAPE FROM THE SMITHSONIAN, joining Ben Stiller in the follow-up to the 2006 hit NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Amy Adams and Dick Van Dyke are also set to appear in the sequel, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Shawn Levy will direct, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Scott Frank wrote the script and Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment and 1492 Pictures' Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe will produce.
A new animation studio out of Costa Rica launched their website Monday, offering free digital shorts.
PodComics is not only the name of the studio, it describes the content available: original animated shorts posted five days a week.
PodComics are intended to be watched through the internet or on portable media players. We also provide a Hi-Definition version of most episodes for our members, said founder Patrick Davidson.
Anima Mundi 2008Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo, BrazilJuly 11-27, 2008Deadline: March 26, 2008
Anima Mundi is the International Animation Festival of Brazil, which brings to the Brazilian audience the best selection of films and videos from around the world. Categories in competition: Short Films, Feature Films, Shorts for Children, Brazilian Animation, Portfolio, First Work and Animation in Progress. The event runs in Rio de Janeiro July 11-20, then moves to Sao Paulo July 23-27. For more information, visit www.animamundi.com.br.
BRB Internacional will present the first season of the animated series ANGUS & CHERYL at NATPE in Las Vegas this week. Currently being shown in several countries around the world -- including on Nickelodeon in Latin America and France, and 5th Channel in Russia -- the innovative 104x2 series in hi-def 3D and pop-up style will premier on RTL2 in Germany beginning in February and on UCV TV, Chile's oldest channel, soon.
The cartoon series will be one of the outstanding properties the Spanish company BRB Internacional will present at the upcoming edition of NATPE, to be held at the end of this month in Las Vegas. On the strength of great audience success in both Latin America (where it is aired through Jetix Latin America) and the U.S. (where it's known as EON KID on Kids WB!), the series will premiere in open broadcasting in Portugal on TVI, which will air it every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am, starting Feb. 2nd.
Autodesk and Electronic Arts have introduced a new project design workshop for Canada's first Masters for Digital Media (MDM) program at Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, British Columbia.
As part of the 20-month MDM program, the workshop will equip students with techniques to plan and manage digital media projects in their academic and professional careers.
Canadian-based production and animation studio 9 Story Ent. heads into 2008 with the addition of two new senior executives. Jill Fraser has been named VP, Business Affairs and Krista Barron, Manager Production Finance. The two will report directly to Steve Jarosz, VP and COO, 9 Story Ent.
As VP, Business Affairs, Fraser will be responsible for legal and business affairs matters for all areas of 9 Story's operations. Barron will be responsible for administration and certifications relating to tax credits, film agency and other domestic funding on all 9 Story productions.
Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 80th Academy Awards. But not PERSEPOLIS, the acclaimed animated feature from France about growing up in Iran during the '70s and '80s, directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. However, PERSEPOLIS is still for Best Animated Feature.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
* Austria, THE COUNTERFEITERS, Stefan Ruzowitzky, director* Brazil, THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION, Cao Hamburger, director
Olivia Wilde, who has had roles in ALPHA DOG and TURISTAS, will play Jack Black's love interest in Harold Ramis' biblical comedy YEAR ONE, reports VARIETY. The cast of the Columbia production also includes Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Vinnie Jones, Juno Temple and June Raphael.
Judd Apatow and Ramis are producing with Owen Wilson exec producing. Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg adapted Ramis' story into a script.
Production has begun in New Mexico and Louisiana.
The Savannah College of Art and Design School of Film and Digital Media has appointed Stuart Robertson the new chair of its visual effects program for the college's Savannah and Atlanta locations. As chair, Robertson will provide academic leadership and be instrumental in creating new curriculum, as well as serve as a resource for faculty and students.
The latest James Bond adventure in the longest running film franchise, BOND 22 (a working title), has commenced principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London. Daniel Craig (CASINO ROYALE) reprises his role as agent 007. Marc Forster (THE KITE RUNNER) has signed on to direct the franchise's first direct sequel. Kevin Tod Haug, who has collaborated previously with Forster on THE KITE RUNNER, STRANGER THAN FICTION and FINDING NEVERLAND, is visual effects designer.
Commercial and music video director Ruben Fleischer is in talks to helm Columbia Pictures' horror comedy ZOMBIELAND, reports VARIETY.
Penned by Rhett Reese-Paul Wernick, the story follows the world's most scared man as he finds the courage to lead a group of survivors when zombies take over the world.
Pariah Films' Gavin Polone is producing.
The studio hopes to start production in April.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, now famous for his role as McLovin in SUPERBAD, has joined the cast of Columbia's YEAR ONE, which is being produced by SUPERBAD's Judd Apatow, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Fellow thespians in talks to join the cast include Oliver Platt, David Cross, Vinnie Jones and Juno Temple.
Starring Jack Black and Michael Cera (JUNO, SUPERBAD), the biblical era comedy's plot is being kept secret. Written by Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, the film will be directed by Ramis as well.
Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival Short Film Program comprises 83 short films representing 17 countries from 5,107 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by more than 15% over last year. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs Jan. 17-27, 2008, with screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
The animated shorts include:
THE ADVENTURES OF BAXTER & MCGUIRE: "The Boss" by Mike Blum
Jacquelyn Martino, a renowned researcher and graduate from MIT, was recently selected to chair SIGGRAPH 2008, the 35th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. With the theme Evolve, SIGGRAPH returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The conference will take place Aug. 11-15, with the exhibition occurring Aug. 12-14.
CBS Films has optioned the supernatural high school novel BEASTLY, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Set in the modern day, the book tells the tale of a teacher who is cursed by a student, which turns him into a hairy beast. Alex Flinn wrote the book, which HarperTeen published this past fall.
With the writers strike still in full swing, the project has no screenwriter, but the studio hopes to have the film ready for winter 2009.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR UNRATED EXTENDED EDITION, arrives in stores today (Dec. 4) from Universal Studios Home Ent. ($26.98).
THE BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR UNRATED EXTENDED EDITION DVD contains an extended version of the two-hour broadcast event on SCI FI that includes all-new characters and more action and vfx than any previous episode in the popular series, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews with the series' creators.
Koji Yamamura's FRANZ KAFKA'S A COUNTRY DOCTOR has won the Grand Prize at this year's I Castelli Animati festival in Rome. The other winners were:
* Special Jury Prize: MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbovski, Canada* Best First Work: FOG-NIEBLA, Emilio Ramos, Mexico* Best European Film: MARATHON, Kaspar Jancis, Estonia* Best Non-Narrative Film: BRUISED (BLAUWBLAUW), Sandy Claes, Daan Wampers, Belgium; WITH MY QUANTUM STROKE (MEET MIJN KVANTORSLAG), Pieter Vanluffelen, Belgium
Studio B Prods. has completed deals with Knowledge Network and SCN, two Canadian educational TV networks, for the animated short CLANCY WITH THE PUCK. Both broadcasters will air the short in high rotation, beginning Dec. 1, 2007. In addition, leading independent Canadian publisher Raincoast Books has shipped the hardcover picture book of the same name, which is packaged with a DVD of the film, into Canada and the U.S.
SplutterFish has launched Brazil r/s version 2.0. Brazil r/s v2 provides fast speed and performance and offers a natural, accessible workflow. In addition, SplutterFish also announced the immediate availability of its first Professional-Edition beta version (2.1 Pro-Beta), which introduces even more new features, and is available exclusively to Brazil r/s v2 Professional Edition clients.
Viacom's MTV Networks Argentina has appointed Juan Frontini Creative Director of MTV Latin America. The appointment is part of MTV Networks Latin America's strategy to regionalize and expand its programming and production operations locally. Based in Buenos Aires, Frontini will report to Sean Saylor, Vice President of Creative for MTV and VH1 Latin America, based in Miami Florida.
Steven Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (with landmark vfx supervised by Doug Trumbull) arrives Nov. 13 on Blu-ray Disc as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY ULTIMATE EDITION (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $49.95). There is also a standard DVD set that retails for $39.95.
