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Tagged With: Disney

Animation Headline News

Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes

For the first time, the complete series of animation lectures by Walt Stanchfield have been compiled and published in an 800-page, two-volume set entitled DRAWN TO LIFE: 20 GOLDEN YEARS OF DISNEY MASTER CLASSES (Focal Press, $29.95 each, April 2009).

Disney Headline News

Production Begins on Disney XD's Skyrunners, Weta Handles Creatures

Production has begun on SKYRUNNERS, the first original movie for the newly-branded television platform Disney XD. The science fiction adventure features Kelly Blatz, who can also be seen playing the title role of the new network's flagship series AARON STONE.

Weta Workshop, the multiple Academy Award-winning world leader in special makeup, creature and visual effects (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, KING KONG and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA films), will design and provide the practical alien creature effects in the movie.

Disney Headline News

Disney Family to Open Museum in San Francisco

Walt Disney's only surviving daughter, Diana Disney Miller, and other family members, are working to open a museum focused on the film legend's home life and artistic achievements, reports THE NEW YORK TIMES.

The $112 million museum, called The Walt Disney Family Museum, is set to open in the fall and will be run by the former deputy director of the Harvard University Art Museums, Richard Benefield.

The exhibition will show personal items, like never-before-seen home movies and Disney artifacts, like STEAMBOAT WILLIE animation cels.

Parks Headline News

Disney Cuts 11 Percent of Theme Park Staff, Mostly Managers

The Walt Disney Company announced Friday it will cut 1,900 jobs at its Anaheim, Calif. and Orlando, Fla.-based theme parks, per VARIETY.

Some were direct layoffs and some were positions that will not be filled, affecting mostly managers and salaried employees, not workers in the parks. Among the cuts were 50 executives who accepted a voluntary buyout offered to about 600 people.

Disney Headline News

Disney Animator Jack Dunham Dies

Jack Dunham, an animator at Disney starting with SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, died a few weeks ago at the age of 98, reports CARTOON BREW.

Dunham worked at Universal on Oswald shorts before heading over to Disney in the mid-1930s, working as an inbetweener on SNOW WHITE. He moved into management and was a unit manager until 1947.

Dunham moved to Canada to work for the Associated Screen News in Montreal, later working in live action and animated commercials in Montreal and Toronto Canada.

Disney Headline News

Disney Online Acquires Assets from Kaboose Inc.

Disney Online, part of the Disney Interactive Media Group, has signed an agreement to acquire Internet assets from Canadian-based Kaboose Inc. including Kaboose.com, Babyzone.com, AmazingMoms.com, Funschool.com and Zeeks.com. The Kaboose assets will be integrated into Disney Online's line-up of web sites. The purchase price is approximately $18.4 million (based on approximate price of CAD 23.3 million), subject to certain adjustments.

Digital Headline News

Sony Pens Digital Cinema Deal with Disney

Sony Electronics' Digital Cinema Solutions and Services group has entered into a non-exclusive digital cinema deployment agreement with Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International. The companies will work together to provide operational and financial resources to exhibitors that encourage them to feature Sony's 4K SXRD projection technology in both 2-D and 3-D digital cinema-enabled screens across North America and Europe.

Disney Headline News

Disney to Open Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast

Disney has purchased the rights to yet-unpublished book GRANDMA'S INTERGALACTIC BED & BREAKFAST by Clete Smith, reports VARIETY. Mandeville Films will adapt the property into a family-friendly feature, with studio-based David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman to produce.

Special Headline News

Special Agent Oso Premieres April 4

Beginning this week, Playhouse Disney will implement a unique, new phone application in conjunction with the premiere of SPECIAL AGENT OSO, a new animated television series starring Academy Award-nominee Sean Astin as the voice of Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear who is a special agent-in-training.

Game Headline News

Disney Interactive Reveals Top Secret Details for G-Force Videogame

The government will look to a new type of secret agent to help protect the planet this summer -- an elite force of guinea pigs. Disney Interactive Studios will publish the G-FORCE videogame, inspired by the upcoming feature film G-FORCE from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. G-FORCE is scheduled to deploy to North American retail outlets in July 2009.

G-FORCE will carry out missions on Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS and Windows-based PC.

Disney Headline News

Disneynature to Plant Tree for Every Person Who Sees Earth in the First Week

Disneynature, the first new film label to be introduced by Disney in 60 years, will celebrate its premiere film, EARTH, being released nationally on April 22, Earth Day, by planting a tree in honor of every moviegoer who sees the film in its opening week.

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios said, "The film gives moviegoers an entertaining and unprecedented view of our planet, with some of the most astonishing imagery and exciting natural drama ever presented on the big screen."

Live-action Headline News

Live-Action Sorcerer's Apprentice Coming in 2010

Disney has set a date for uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's live-action version of THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, reports VARIETY. The family adventure will hit screens July 16, 2010.

Based on the classic Mickey Mouse segment from FANTASIA, the modern day live-action film will star Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel. Jon Turteltaub is the director of the film, which begins filming this month.

For 2010, Disney has two other big tentpole films -- PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME on May 28 and TOY STORY 3 on July 18.

Disney Headline News

Witch Mountain Helmer To Direct Monsters Next

Disney has attached Andy Fickman (RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN) to another family adventure film, MONSTER ATTACK NETWORK, per VARIETY.

Scott Elder and Josh Harmon will write the film, an adaptation of a graphic novel from AIT/Planet Lar that the studio bought last year. The story is about a team of first-responders who guard the citizens of Lapuatu, a Pacific island whose idyllic conditions are marred by frequent sea monster attacks.

Marc Bernadin and Adam Freeman wrote the graphic novel with illustrations by Nima Sorat.

Disney Headline News

Disney Channel EMEA Gets New Exec VP; Hardie Out

Giorgio Stock has been promoted to exec VP and managing director, Disney Channels, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and will lead The Walt Disney Company's portfolio of kid-focused, family inclusive television channels including Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Disney XD and Cinemagic, in the territory. He will also serve as a Disney representative on the board of SRTL, Disney's joint venture with RTL Group.

Disney Headline News

T. Rowe Price Invests in WDW INNOVENTIONS, Cat Cora to Open New Restaurant

T. Rowe Price, the global investment management organization, has signed a sponsorship agreement to create an innovative financial education and entertainment experience at Epcot. Designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering, The Great Piggy Bank Adventure is scheduled to open this spring at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. This interactive exhibit will bring basic saving and investing concepts to life in a fun and captivating way.

Disney Headline News

Disney Announces D23 Official Fan Community

Disney today announced the launch of D23 (www.Disney.com/D23), the first official community for Disney fans in the company's 85-year history. Through D23, fans will go backstage and behind closed doors to get the inside scoop from every part of Disney, while experiencing the nostalgia, adventure and fantasy of Disney as never before.

The name "D23" pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood.

Disney Headline News

Disney Moves Princess & Frog Up Two Weeks

Disney has announced that their 2D animated musical THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG will have a New York/Los Angeles premiere on November 25 and open nationwide on Dec. 11 -- up two weeks from its original Christmas Day release.

Christmas Day is also the release of Fox's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL, so it will have more breathing room on Dec. 11, where the only competition so far is the DreamWorks/Paramount thriller THE LOVELY BONES from Peter Jackson.

Disney Headline News

Playhouse Disney U.K. Celebrates Manny March

Playhouse Disney in the U.K. will celebrate Manny March, a month of programming dedicated to the hit animated series, HANDY MANNY. Playhouse Disney is currently the U.K.'s fastest growing kid's TV channel and HANDY MANNY is following suit having increased its reach amongst kids by a huge 223% since the show launched in October 2006.

Disney Headline News

Zoradi, Eick Added as NAB Keynote Speakers

The 2009 NAB Show added two keynote address to their upcoming April conference: BATTLESTAR GALACTIC Co-Creator and Executive Producer David Eick will present an afternoon keynote and Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, will present a keynote address during the show's Digital Cinema Summit on April 19.

Disney Headline News

Disney U.K. SVP Leaves Company

Robert Mitchell, SVP and managing director of The Walt Disney Company's U.K. operations, has left the company, effective immediately, according to VARIETY.

Daniel Frigo will replace Mitchell and will continue his former job as exec VP and GM of Disney's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. Mitchell had been with Disney since 1991, and representatives declined comment on his departure.

Disney Headline News

Sean Astin Stars in New Playhouse Disney Animated Series

SPECIAL AGENT OSO, a new animated television series starring Academy Award-nominee Sean Astin as the voice of Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear who is a special agent-in-training, premieres with two consecutive episodes Saturday, April 4 (8-9 a.m., ET/PT) during Disney Channel's learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block.

The interactive series, which emphasizes discovery, humor and organizational skills, calls upon viewers to help accomplish special missions by breaking down everyday tasks using three simple steps, just as Oso does.

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