Ubisoft and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group announced plans to release an interactive game based on Universal Pictures upcoming KING KONG, directed by Peter Jackson. The game will be available worldwide on all platforms at the beginning of the holiday season in conjunction with the Dec. 14, 2005 theatrical release of the movie.
Principal photography is set to begin in September on Peter Jacksons KING KONG. Jackson will shoot the epic action flick on location in his native New Zealand. Set to star in the Universal Pictures release is Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts (21 GRAMS), Golden Globe nominee Jack Black (SCHOOL OF ROCK) and Academy Award winner Adrien Brody (THE PIANIST).
Universal Worldwide Home Entertainment president Louis Feola is exiting after 26 years with the studio, reports DAILY VARIETY.
Feola has headed UWHE since it was established in 1998 as the umbrella division for the studio's specialty production units that develop and produce content for home video and animated TV series, including Universal Home Entertainment Prods. (UHEP), Universal Pictures Visual Programming (UPVP) and Universal Cartoon Studios.
Universal Pictures has made it official; it has purchased the feature film rights to vicar G.P. Taylor bestseller SHADOWMANCER for a seven-digit sum, reports VARIETY. Fortitude Films originally bought the rights to the book in March for $1 million against $6.2 million for the book and will produce the film. Universal will cover Fortitude's original deal, which included 15% of merchandising. Fortitude's Steve Delaportas and Lisa Marie Butkiewicz will produce.
Sylvain Chomet, the director the acclaimed THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, is set to direct the animated feature film DESPEREAUX for Universal, reports VARIETY. Larger Than Life Prods' Gary Ross and Allison Thomas, who produced SEABISCUIT, will produce the film.
Pauline Bohm joins NBC Universal Television Distribution in the newly created post of vp, international marketing. Bohm will work closely with Dan Weiss, evp, marketing, to whom she report, developing marketing strategies for international markets serviced by NBC Universal International TV Dist., which includes a client-base in more than 200 countries.
Universal Studios announced the creation of Universal Studios Partnerships (USP), an agency-inspired entity designed to oversee multi-divisional corporate alliances as well as theatrical and home entertainment promotions. USP expands upon and renames Universal Partnership Development, a group currently overseeing long-term corporate alliances. Stephanie Sperber, svp, Universal Partnership Development, has been promoted to evp, USP, reporting to Universal Pictures vice chairman Marc Shmuger.
Universal Pictures has secured the screen rights for the DC graphic novel THE PSYCHO, reports VARIETY. The studio has hired Jeffrey Nachmanoff (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW) to pen the script. Based on a three-issue series by James Hudnall and Dan Brereton, the story is an action-thriller about a government agent who reveals a technology used to genetically transforms people into superhumans.
NBC Universal, recently formed through the combination of NBC and Vivendi Universal Ent. puts Bob Wright at the top of the organizational structure as chairman/ceo, while retaining his position of vice chairman/exec officer of General Electric, NBC Universal's parent company.
Wild Brain has teamed up with Casey Silver Prods., to develop its feature version of the LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD take titled BIG, BAD WOLF, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The film is being financed through Casey Silver's discretionary fund with Universal. Mike Glock has been hired to pen the script, which will come from the wolf's point of view that he was framed. As part of the deal, Wild Brain may co-finance the film with Universal.
Universal Studios and Visionary Cinema are conducting the Universal Monsters Amateur Art Contest. Open to citizens of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the contest will pick the best renderings of one of either Count Dracula, Frankenstein
Universal Studios Hollywood has announced the debut of "Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula," an all-new attraction inspired by Universal Pictures' VAN HELSING opening simultaneously with the film's nationwide debut on May 7, 2004. The attraction will transport guests to a world inhabited by Dracula, The Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man. The attraction will feature special effects as well as hundreds of artifacts, original props and set pieces, created for the movie.
PGA's DVD and Beyond Panel Discussion Universal City, California, USAMarch 18, 2004
First CURIOUS GEORGE and now the upcoming DVD premiere movies for VAN HELSING and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. Just proves that 2D animation is alive and well at Universal.
With two major tent pole releases coming this summer, the studio is extending the marketing reach with two animated prequels produced exclusively for DVD with the participation of stars Hugh Jackman and Vin Diesel and directors Stephen Sommers and David Twohy: VAN HELSING: THE LONDON ASSIGNMENT (May 11) and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK FURY (June 15).
Universal Classic Monster Illustration Contest World Wide WebApril 27, 2004Deadline: April 10, 2004
Sci Fi Channel premieres its first animated series, TRIPPING THE RIFT, March 4, 2004 at 10:30 pm. The scandalously sexy, 3D animated, comedy for adults from DPS Film Roman and CinéGroupe, joins the channels new Thursday night lineup that includes the reality show MAD MAD HOUSE (9:00 pm) and practical joke show SCARE TACTICS (10:00 pm).
Universal Pictures Marketing Creative Operations has brought in Scott Abraham and Jeff Hutchinson as vps while upping Jonathan Q. Kern and Stan Scoggins to vp positions as well.
The on-again, off-again CURIOUS GEORGE feature is currently in production for Universal Pictures and Imagine Ent., having settled on a 2D look after abandoning CG plans with Industrial Light & Magic because of the great expense and "creepy" look, VARIETY reports.
Upon the success of the networks mini-series, SCI FI Channel has given the go ahead for the production of a new BATTLESTAR GALATICA TV series. Based on the top-rated December miniseries, which was based on the 1970s TV series, the one-hour drama is scheduled to begin production on 13 episodes in Vancouver next month.
While NBC awaits final approval of its bid to buy Universal, the studio has promoted Mary Parent and Scott Stuber from production president to vice chairman, worldwide production, for Universal Pictures. In their newly-created positions Parent and Stuber will continue to oversee the worldwide acquisition, creative development and production of all Universal Pictures feature films, and will also oversee Universal's original made-for-video productions as well as the creative development and production of its original animation properties.
Universal Home Entertainment Productions (UHEP) has announced that an animated preschool series based on H. A. and Margret Reys children's classic, CURIOUS GEORGE is in development with Imagine Entertainment and PBS-affiliate WGBH Boston. The series is scheduled to debut in early 2006 after the theatrical release of an animated CURIOUS GEORGE feature on November 4, 2005. The show will incorporate early childhood science and math educational content.
The long in-development film adaptation of Maurice Sendaks childrens book classic WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE has been assigned by Universal to director Spike Jonze (ADAPTATION), reported VARIETY. Tom Hanks Playtone production house has long been developing the film as a CGI project, but Universal agreed to go live-action upon hearing Jonzes vision. Originally animation vet Eric Goldberg (ALADDIN) was attached to direct, but he left to go work on LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION after WILD THINGS seemed to be stalling.
On Wednesday, October 8, 2003, NBC and Vivendi Universal made official the merger of their entertainment businesses. Newly named NBC Universal joins the ranks of Time Warner, Disney and Viacom. The new mega-conglom will control a broadcast network (NBC), various cable entities (USA, CNBC, Bravo, MSNBC, Telemundo, SCI-FI and Trio), a film and television studio (Universal Pictures and Television) and theme parks (Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando).
Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have announced that TIGGER MOVIE director Jun Falkenstein along with actor Will Ferrell (OLD SCHOOL, the upcoming ELF) have signed on to their animated feature CURIOUS GEORGE. Ferrell will lend his voice to the troublesome monkeys owner, The Man in the Yellow Hat. The 2D feature is being produced by Academy Award-winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. The film is scheduled for release on November 4, 2005.
Universal and NBC have struck a deal to create a dramatic TV pilot based on the 2004 summer thriller VAN HELSING. Entitled TRANSYLVANIA, the show will not be a spinoff or sequel, but will take place in the same universe as the feature. This deal is the first between NBC and Universal since negotiations by GE to purchase Universal from Vivendi began. The films director Stephen Sommers (THE MUMMY) first came up with the idea for the TV series over a year ago when he was hired to direct the feature.
