Category: Films

Massive Software's AI-driven animation system was utilized by Animal Logic for Happy Feet, which recently won the Academy Award for best animated feature. Using Massive, Animal Logic filled the screen with enough happy-footed "extras" to populate several Busby Berkeley showstoppers. The Warner Bros. Pictures feature represented the first 3D-animated project by both director George Miller and the Australia-based Animal Logic.

Despite slipping 55% leading up to the Academy Awards on Sunday, Sony's GHOST RIDER (with vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks) remained number one at the box office for the second consecutive week. For the week ended Feb. 25, 2007, the Marvel comic adaptation with Nicolas Cage scored $20M for a cume of $79M. Debuting in second place with $14.6M was THE NUMBER 23, the thriller from New Line starring Jim Carey (with vfx by Intelligent Creatures). Slipping to third in its second week was Buena Vista's BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (with vfx from Weta Digital), which took home $14.1M and now has $46.8M.

Warner Bros. Pictures has hired writing duo Kiernan and Michele Mulroney (MR. & MRS. SMITH) to script THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA as a live-action feature, according to VARIETY, which would combine some of DC Comics most iconic superheroes. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter are all members of the Justice League.

THE 2006 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED SHORT FILMS program, distributed by Magnolia Pictures, opened at #44 on the box office chart, with $128,569 on 38 screens for a per-screen average of $3,383. NOMINATED SHORT FILMS is currently playing at the Nuart in L.A. and opens Friday, Feb. 23, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

The program consists of:

Short Film (Animated)* THE DANISH POET (Norway & Canada, National Film Board of Canada) Torill Kove, director* LIFTED (U.S., Buena Vista), Gary Rydstrom, director

Sonys adaptation of the Marvel comic, GHOST RIDER, starring Nicolas Cage, with vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks, set a Presidents Day record with $52M over the four-day weekend ended Feb. 19, 2007, which is also the best opening so far this year. Opening in second place was Buena Vistas BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, with vfx from Weta Digital, which took home $28.5M. Dropping to third was last weeks box office champ, NORBIT, the Eddie Murphy comedy from Paramount/DreamWorks, which added $19.9M to its two-week cume of $62M.