AWN Headline News

When Aardman Animations received copies of Lewi Firth Boltons stop-motion film, they were so impressed they offered him a job, however, what the Oscar-winning studio didnt know was that Bolton is only 14 years old. BBC NEWS recently reported the story of the talent young filmmaker from Bridlington, U.K., who took up stop-motion animation three years ago after seeing Aardmans WALLACE AND GROMIT shorts.

Right on the heels of acquiring worldwide film rights to the hit manga series, LAMENT OF THE LAMB, TOKYOPOP has chosen the property to launch the company's first foray into independent film production.

Created by Kei Toume and originally published in Japan by Gentosha, LAMENT OF THE LAMB follows the physical and mental torment of a man who discovers that he is cursed with a hereditary disease that makes him crave blood.

Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP ceo/cco, is producing the film.

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of CHARLIE AND LOLA, the preschool series about a pair of supportive siblings, for its learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block.

"The series does a wonderful job of showcasing preschool-age life lessons through the special bond siblings have," said Nancy Kanter, svp, original programming, Disney Channel. "We are delighted that Charlie and Lola's tender and humorous relationship will continue to warm the hearts of our young viewers and their parents and caregivers."

FOX has given the go-ahead on a pilot for a new primetime animated series titled TWO DREADFUL CHILDREN, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The comedy was created by KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL creator/exec producer Dave Hemingson.

The 20th Century Fox TV production centers on a redneck family that learn that their two unruly fraternal twins are geniuses. Hemingson will write and exec produce.

FOX hopes to add the series to its Sunday night animation block that includes THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD.

Dargaud Distribution has signed a major deal with Japanese broadcaster TV Tokyo to acquire television, video and merchandising rights to Naruto for French and Dutch-speaking speaking territories in Europe.

The 104x26 series is a co-production between TV Tokyo, leading Japanese animation studio Pierrot and Shueisha, publisher of the original manga. Dargaud Distributions parent company Group Dargaud already publishes the NARUTO comic books through its subsidiary Kana in France and it holds the #1 spot of all comic books sold.

Due the their popularity on NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, comedian Jim Gaffigans PALE FORCE will be turned into a Web series, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The first episode airs on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, and went live online the next day on NBC.com.

Gaffigan superhero satire was originally launched in Sept. 2005. The toons chronicle the misadventures of muscular Pale Man and his skinny sidekick, Conan O'Brien, as they use their paleness to fight crime.

New Spanish childrens broadcaster KITZ TV, part of Teuves bouquet of thematic channels, has snapped up more than 100 hours of programming from Icon Animations catalogue of animation to spearhead its November launch. The deal includes POSTMAN PAT (52x15 or 4x30), HILLTOP HOSPITAL (52x11) and BOOHBAH (104x20), which are represented by Icon Animation for Spain.

In addition, Icon Animation recently acquired worldwide rights to OLYMPIG (52x2) from Maga Animation, which is also part of the package of sales to KITZ TV.