Animated

Weta & Chapman Ent. Team Up for Animated Adventures

New Zealand-based Weta Prods. and U.K.-based Chapman Ent. are forming a partnership to develop a range of children's television properties. The first venture will be an animated comedy targeted at boys 6-9.

The development project will be jointly led by Martin Baynton and Richard Taylor of Weta and Chapmans Creative Director Keith Chapman. They are working on a selection of 2D and CG animated properties, which will be presented to broadcasters and the licensing community in the near future, with preproduction expected to commence in 2008.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animated Events

Animation Film Festival ANIMATED DREAMS

Begins: November 21, 2007

Animated Dreams is a tiny, but a strongly viable part of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Animated shorts were first screened in 1999 as preludes to the main features. It gave birth to the first and only animation festival in Estonia, the country of "a little big nation of animation."

In Event Types: Conferences, Competitive Festivals, Discussion, Exhibits, Seminars / Workshops, Screenings, Animation, Features, Short Films

Animated Headline News

Gotham Group in Big Deal with Fox

Management firm The Gotham Group has signed a deal with Fox Broadcasting Co. to produce multiple pilots for prime-time animated television projects. Exploiting Gotham's prestigious client roster, the companies hope to produce the next generation of Fox animated hits to match the network's success with THE SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY. The announcement closely follows Gotham's mega-deal with The Weinstein Co. to produce and distribute animated feature films.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animated Headline News

12 Animated Features Submitted for 2007 Oscar Consideration

Twelve features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 80th Academy Awards, including such early favorites as RATATOUILLE, THE SIMPSONS MOVIE and PERSEPOLIS (which is also the French entry for Best Foreign Film). Under the rules, a maximum of three films can be nominated from this group.

The other nine submissions are: ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS, BEE MOVIE, BEOWULF, MEET THE ROBINSONS, SHREK THE THIRD, SURF'S UP, TEKKONKINKREET and TMNT.

In Awards, Awards | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Festival Headline News

Deadline Nears for Animated Exeter Festival

Animated Exeter Festival 2008Exeter, U.K. Feb. 11-23, 2008Deadline: Nov. 5, 2007

Now in it's ninth year, Animated Exeter Festival is the longest dedicated animation festival in the U.K. With international shorts and features, regional competitions, exhibitions, masterclasses, interactive events and workshops. Includes Exeter Comic Expo. Competitive submissions from South West of England only, all formats, free to enter.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Animated Events

2007 8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Animation Showcase

Begins: October 11, 2007

CALL FOR ENTRIES ANIMATED SHORTS for 2007 8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Animation Showcase

In Event Types: Contests, Competitive Festivals, Seminars / Workshops, Screenings, Animation, Short Films

Series Headline News

Fox Eying Three New Animated Series

20th Century Fox TV is in development on three new animated series, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The first is a retooled version of the 2003 live-action comedy THE PITTS, created by SIMPSONS vet Mike Scully. The second, RELATIVE INSANITY, will be exec produced by Jack Black. The third, MOTHBALLS, is from DRAWN TOGETHER creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser.

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Series Headline News

Assorted Nuts & Subsequence Ent. To Develop Two Family Shows

Swedish-based development house Assorted Nuts Animation Studios and Canadian Subsequence Ent. has signed a co-development deal for two animated TV series titled MY PINK WORLD and SUPERZEROES.

MY PINK WORLD (52x11) is a relationship comedy aimed towards a 7-11 audience with a girl pull. The series features little blonde ten-year-old Tiffany, who on the weekend goes to stay with her dad Mike, a single car mechanic living a bachelor lifestyle in a dingy two-bedroom apartment.

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Animated Headline News

Lil' Bush Elected to Second Term

Comedy Central has ordered a second season of the popular animated hit show LIL' BUSH, with the new season set to premiere in spring 2008 with ten new episodes.

"I'm thrilled the show has been picked up," said LIL' BUSH creator and exec producer Donick Cary. "I'm sorry it had to happen in the Minneapolis airport bathroom, but if that's the way Doug Herzog wants to run his company, it's cool with me."

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Show Headline News

LATV Fall Lineup to Feature Animated Homies Show

LATV Networks has announced an expanded fall programming lineup featuring an additional 10 hours of original first-run content each week, including the first animated HOMIES show based on the worldwide figurine phenomenon created by Dave Gonzales.

LATV will air the exclusive premiere of THE HOMIES HIP-HOP SHOW, a comedic, stop-motion one-hour animated series, on Thursday, September 13. The show will then air on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 pm PT. Each show will consist of eight to 10 sketches interlaced with music videos.

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Series Headline News

Portfolio Making Deals Left and Right

Portfolio Ent. Has closed several sales on animated, children's and lifestyle programming, expanding the international reach of its catalog. Among the new deals, Jetix (Netherlands) has renewed CARL2 for the third season, while Ares Media.Net TV (Turkey) and KTV (South Africa) have both acquired the first three seasons (52x30) of the animated comedy series. In addition, RTM (Malaysia) has picked up the free TV broadcast rights for all 26 half-hour episodes of the animated children's adventure series TOAD PATROL.

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Animated ANIMATIONWorld

Dr. Toon: Loose Ends

In this month's column, Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman ties up some summer loose ends concerning Transformers, Ratatouille, Nahoul the bee and the live-action Jonny Quest project.

In ANIMATIONWorld | Columns: Dr. Toon

Animated Cops to Patrol Web in China

The Chinese government announced today that it would use animated beat cops to patrol 13 of China's top Web portals in an effort to steer users away from illegal content, reports THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Starting Sept. 1, 2007, the cartoon cops will walk, bike and drive across Web surfers' screens every half hour, warning them to stay clear of material "the Communist Party finds politically or morally threatening." By the end of the year, the animated warning will appear on all websites registered with Beijing servers.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia

Studios Headline News

Augenblick Studios Animates Short for The Ten Theatrical Release

THE TEN, a feature film directed by David Wain featuring Paul Rudd, Wionan Ryder, and Jessica Alba features a seven-minute animated segment called, THE LYING RHINO, animated by Augenblick Studios. Produced by Wain, Jonathan Stern and Paul Rudd, THE TEN is a THINKFilm release opening Aug. 3, 2007.

In Films, Films | Headline News | Special Events: Annecy | Geographic Region: All

Animated Headline News

Justice League: The New Frontier Comics Bound for DVD & Comic-Con

THE NEW FRONTIER, which began as a six-issue series in 2004 that follows Superman and other heroes of the DC Universe from the end of World War II through the Cold War, will be made into a direct-to-DVD animated film from Warner Home Video, reports THE NEW YORK TIMES. The saga has been published in one hardcover and two softcover collections and has inspired a line of action figures.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia

Animated Headline News

NVIDIA to Premiere Plush Life Animated Short at SIGGRAPH 2007

The annual NVIDIA Gelato User Group meeting returns to SIGGRAPH 2007, Aug. 8, in San Diego, where artists and animators from around the globe will convene to see next-generation rendering technology from NVIDIA, and premiere the new animated short film THE PLUSH LIFE, rendered entirely with Gelato rendering software.

The Gelato User Group meeting will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, Santa Rosa Room. For more details or to RSVP, please email gelatoinfo@nvidia.com.

In Films, Films | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All

Show Headline News

PBS Revs Up Its First-Ever Animated Primetime Series

PBS is bringing an animated version of Tom and Ray Magliozzi's CAR TALK radio show to TV. Based on the hit NPR radio show, the as-yet-untitled animated 10x30 sitcom is targeted for summer 2008. Fans will be invited to submit title suggestions for the television show.

The show will focus on the âoff-airâ escapades of Tom and Ray Magliozzi (known to their listeners as Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers) as they try to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and seek out ways to do less and less work.

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Animated Headline News

New Animated Evidence in U.K. Terror Probe

A hard disk belonging to suspected U.K. terror plotter Kafeel Ahmed contains an animated video showing how a syringe can be used in a bomb, reports NDTV.COM. Police found the disk at his home in Bangalore.

The technology was to be used to trigger the bombs found in London, but they failed because the syringes malfunctioned, British investigators said.

In People, People | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Series Headline News

Monster Sets Off to Sell Lifeboat Luke

Monster Distributes has just picked up the distribution rights to the new animated series, LIFEBOAT LUKE (52x5). The search and rescue adventure for kids 4-7 features Lifeboat Luke and his friends in the mad, magical seaside town of Donaghadoo. The stories use narration, effects and music and are easily re-versioned for different languages.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe, South America

Animated Headline News

Animated Dreams Wants Your Toons

Animated Dreams at Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn, EstoniaNov. 21-25, 2007Deadline: Aug. 15, 2007

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Film Headline News

Patrick Henry Animated Feature Premieres in Prosser, Washington

American Animation Studios is set to debut their first film, PATRICK HENRY: QUEST FOR FREEDOM, at a private screening on June 28, 2007, at the Princess Theatre in Prosser, Washington, reports the YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC. A public screening, which includes a making of featurette and barbershop quartet performance, will take place on July 4, at 3:30 pm.

In Films, Films | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Film Headline News

Animated 'Kirikou and the Sorceress' Transitions to Stage Musical

The award-winning French animated film, KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS, is making the transition to a stage musical this fall in a new production, KIRIKOU AND KARABA.

Michel Ocelot, creator/writer/director of the film, has written the musical's libretto and additional lyrics. The project is taking the majority of his time he told a press gathering at the Annecy Festival, during a Q&A session after a screening of his latest film, AZUR ET ASMAR.

In Places, Places | Headline News | Special Events: Annecy | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Animated Headline News

2nd Hellboy Animated Feature Arrives on DVD

Starz Home Ent. has released the latest HELLBOY animated feature, HELLBOY ANIMATED: BLOOD & IRON. This DVD sells for $19.98.

In this new adventure, Hellboy must choose between the destiny he accepted - the protection of mankind - and the destiny for which he was created - the destruction of mankind. In 1939, the young Professor Broom destroyed the vampire Erzsebet Ondrusko. Now, decades later, it seems that someone is trying to bring her back and Professor Broom (Hurt) wants to investigate this worrisome development himself.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animated Events

Brainwashed!: Animated Soviet & U.S. Propaganda From The Cold War

Begins: June 15, 2007

ASIAF-San Francisco is hosting the screening, "Brainwashed," filled with animated Soviet and U.S. propaganda films. Program will be introduced by Karl Cohen. This selection will include a few of the highlights of the DVD set, ANIMATED SOVIET PROPAGANDA: FROM THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION TO PERESTROIKA, and American propaganda produced by John Sutherland Prods. in Hollywood.

Beginning at 7:30 pm, the screening will take place at The Exploratorium's McBean Theater. It is free and the public invited. For more details, e-mail president@asifa-sf.org.

In Event Types: Discussion, Screenings, Animation, Short Films

Series Headline News

HBO Acquires First 3D Series on African Culture

Home Box Office (HBO) acquired MAGIC CELLAR, the first animated series to be based on African culture, for broadcast in the United States. This acquisition of an African animated television program is a first, thereby making HBO's move a historic sale. The multi-award winning 3D animated series is based on 20 folk tales, including interviews with elders from villages in Africa.

MAGIC CELLAR will be shown on HBO Family in the U.S. and Bermuda. The first episode premieres Saturday, June 23. Each episode will first air Saturday and repeat on Thursday.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, North America