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Category: Visual Effects

Film Headline News

Paramount Dumps Watchmen

Paramount has stopped development on the highly-anticipated film adaptation of the classic comicbook series, THE WATCHMEN, according to VARIETY. The studio has now put the project into turnaround, allowing producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin to shop the Paul Greengrass (THE BOURNE SUPREMACY) directed project to other studios.

Film Headline News

Piranha Gets Chiller Remake

Joe Dante's PIRANHA will get an update care of new production firm Chiller Films, reports VARIETY. Chuck Russell (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3) is set to rewrite the script, using elements from spec script KILLER FISH by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger plus the original's script by John Sayles, which was based on a story by Richard Robertson. Chiller will co-produce the film with Intellectual Properties Worldwide.

Time Headline News

Sony Pushes Panther to 2006

Sony Pictures Releasing has pushed the release of THE PINK PANTHER from Aug. 5 to Feb. 10, 2006, according to trades. Sony acquired the Shawn Levy-directed/ Steve Martin-starrer through its purchase on MGM.

"With the recent acquisition of MGM, we wanted to give our marketing department the time and opportunity to launch this very important franchise," said Sony Pictures Releasing president Rory Bruer. "We've seen the movie, and we really love this film. It's a franchise we believe in and are really excited about, and Steve Martin is great as Clouseau."

Autodesk Headline News

Rendercore Supports Three New 3ds Max Plug-Ins

Rendercore announced that RenMan client 2.64 is supporting three new Autodesk products: Autodesk VIZ 2006, 3ds Max 6&7 Service Pack 1 and 3ds Max V-Ray 1.47.03.

Autodesk VIZ 2006 features include:* mental ray 3.3 The latest improvements to the most powerful rendering system are included.* Global illumination It automatically captures subtle lighting effects that add depth and realism to images.* Real-world lighting Viz 2006 supports physically based lighting in your scenes.

Universal Headline News

MTV Awards Destruction of Los Angeles

With vfx and animation flicks KILL BILL VOL. 2, SPIDER-MAN 2 and THE INCREDIBLES being beat out my indie nerd fest NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, the big vfx winner of the night was THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW for its destruction of Los Angeles sequence as the Best Action Sequence. Other animation related news includes CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ESCAPE FROM BUTCHER BAY from Vivendi Universal Games winning the award for Best Videogame Based on a Movie.

Headline News

Rush Hour Director Confirmed for X3

With LAYER CAKE director Matthew Vaughn leaving the project, Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Ent. have hired RUSH HOUR director Brett Ratner to direct X-MEN 3, reports VARIETY. The film is still set to begin filming in August and hit theaters Memorial Day weekend 2006.

In addition, the studios have also confirmed that Kelsey Grammer (TV's FRAISER) will be playing Beast, Vinnie Jones (SNATCH) will be playing Juggernaut and Maggie Grace (TV's LOST) will be playing Kitty Pryde.

Headline News

Poseidon Remake Sinks Its Leads

Warner Bros. Pictures has announced the lead actors for Wolfgang Petersen's tentpole remake of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Signed cast members include Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) and Mike Vogel (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake). Andre Braugher (TV's HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET) is in negotiations to join the cast.

Digital Headline News

Digital Dimension Creates Seamless 3D for Monster-in-Law

Leading visual effects studio Digital Dimension completed several dozen visual effects shots for the recent New Line feature MONSTER-IN-LAW. Seamless composites and digital effects created by Digital Dimension in collaboration with director of photography Russell Carpenter are a perfect fit for the film's gorgeous Southern California look and sets.

Headline News

Vizrt Purchases Curious Software

Vizrt Ltd. has acquired Curious Software, effective June 1, 2005. In consideration for the purchase of the shares or assets, Vizrt will pay $5,000,000 in cash to the Curious shareholders. Up to an additional $4,000,000 is to be paid in Ordinary Shares of Vizrt as an earn-out in four quarterly installments upon reaching certain milestones.

Headline News

Access Grid to Debut at SIGGRAPH 2005

The Access Grid, new cutting edge technology for users and participants of collaborations, makes its debut at SIGGRAPH 2005, the 32nd International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, July 31-Aug. 4, 2005, in Los Angeles. At SIGGRAPH 2005, the Access Grid supports a global collaborative performance piece, international art panels and multi-site community interaction. This emerging, scalable teleconferencing technology enables interaction between individual desktops, 3,000-person theaters and everything in between.

Awards Headline News

Scientific & Technical Awards Apps Due Aug. 1

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mailed entry forms on June 1, 2005 for the 2004 Scientific and Technical Awards to more than 850 companies and individuals, including past winners, within the sci-tech community both in the United States and abroad. All entry applications must be submitted to the Academy no later than Aug. 1, 2005.

Studios Headline News

Rhythm & Hues Bolsters Commercial Group with Beck Signing

In response to the changing commercial environment, Rhythm& Hues Studios is evolving its commercial group in the attempt of creating a new production model.

With the hiring of Paul Babb as its new live action exec producer, the studio has refocused its energies to create what it calls The Complete Digital Studio a full service shop for both advertising agencies and production companies.

The result: Rhythm & Hues Commercial Studios.

Channel Headline News

SCI FI Channel Rings the Start of The Triangle Miniseries Production

SCI FI Channel will start production on the six-hour miniseries THE TRIANGLE this week, in Cape Town, South Africa. Starring Eric Stoltz (PULP FICTION, MASK), Catherine Bell (JAG, BRUCE ALMIGHTY), Michael Rodgers (AUTO FOCUS), Bruce Davison (X-MEN) and Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK), THE TRIANGLE is helmed by Craig Baxley (KINGDOM HOSPITAL). Hollywood's sci-fi standouts Dean Devlin (INDEPENDENCE DAY) and Bryan Singer (X-MEN) will exec produce with Devlin's Electric Ent. producing.

Headline News

X3 Loses Director

With principal photography set to begin Aug. 2, X-MEN 3 has now lost its director for the second time, reports the trades. Replacing Bryan Singer, director of the first two X-MEN films who left to helm SUPERMAN RETURNS, LAYER CAKE director Matthew Vaughn is now stepping down, citing personal reasons. The director had hoped to commute from his home in London to the shoot in Vancouver, but when that seemed impossible he decided that leaving the film was a better choice than uprooting his family.

Headline News

Writers Tinkering on Transformers Live-Action Theatrical

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the team that co-wrote THE ISLAND for Michael Bay, are tinkering on a script to put the Transformer toys on the big screen for what might be Bay's next project, according to SCI FI Wire.

"We're calling it CAMPBELL SOUP: THE MOVIE, because it's the ultimate product placement," Kurtzman told SCI FI Wire. "The big challenge is how do you do it without making it look like it's just about product placement."

Headline News

Ring 3 in the Works

The producing duo of Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are developing a third, scaled-down RING movie, according to SCI FI Wire. The husband-and-wife producing team is planning a different approach and may not need the same mother and son cast of Naomi Watts and David Dorfman, who were in the first two horror movies.

Parkes added, "It's easy to scale down RING 3 as a small picture that's not incredibly expensive. By its very nature it can be a small movie and doesn't need the same cast."

Lucas Headline News

Lucas Greenlights Indy 4

George Lucas has given the greenlight to Jeff Nathanson's recent draft for INDIANA JONES 4, reports VARIETY. Director Steven Spielberg has also given the script a thumbs up and only star Harrison Ford needs to give approval for the film to move into pre-production.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION director Frank Darabont had previously written a draft of the script, which passed by Spielberg and Ford, but was rejected by Lucas. Spielberg then enlisted Nathanson to pen the screenplay after having worked with the scribe on CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and THE TERMINAL.

Game Headline News

ER: The Video Game Released to Relieve Medical Drama Re-run Blues

Perhaps the just released ER: THE VIDEO GAME (May 31, 2005) is the prescription for TV vieiwers of the medical drama going through summer re-run withdrawal.

The ER game for PC combines the best of the popular strategy/role-playing genre with the top-rated television franchise, ER. Players of the game will get to interact with their favorite stars in dramatic and engaging storylines reminiscent of the TV show. The ER videogame features voices and likenesses of trademark cast members, including Noah Wyle, Mekhi Phifer and Sherry Stringfield.

Headline News

BOXX Unveils New GoBOXX 2300 Mobile Workstation

BOXX Technologies introduces the GoBOXX 2300 mobile workstation, which offers creative pros a new 17 WUXGA widescreen panel at 1920x1200 resolutions. Supporting true HD resolution and driven by industry-leading NVIDIA the Quadro FX Go 1400 PCI-Express Open GL graphics or NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra graphics, the new 17 1920x1200 WUXGA GlassView Active Matrix display takes creative applications to new levels of visual quality and performance.

Headline News

Presenters Announced for Second Annual Maya API Developers Conference

Alias will host the second annual Maya API Developers Conference in Santa Barbara, California, on June 6 8, 2005. Sponsored by HP, the three days of in-depth seminars and hands-on classes provide a rare chance to hear from Alias software developers and customers working in film and games industries, to network with industry peers and gain insight into the Maya API (Application Programming Interface).

Lucas Headline News

Lucas to Receive 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award June 9

The Force is definitely with George Lucas: On the heels of the record breaking box office results from the first week of his last STAR WARS saga, EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, Lucas will receive the American Film Institute's (AFI) 33rd Life Achievement Award on June 9, at a gala event. Filmmaker, friend and past recipient Steven Spielberg will present Lucas with the award at the tribute, which will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. THE 33rd AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE LUCAS will air on USA Network on June 20, at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Star Headline News

Sith Ties Spidey 2 for Fastest to $200M

STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH has tied SPIDER-MAN 2 for the fastest feature to reach $200M in only eight days. The final STAR WARS saga has tallied $200.4M domestically and $356.9M overseas for Fox, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Digital Headline News

Discovery Channel Presents CG Accurate Battle of the Bulge March 29

The Discovery Channel will broadcast one of the major battles of the 20th Century, THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, as a one-hour cable show on May 29, 2005, at 8:00 pm with a rebroadcast at 10:00 pm. This is one of a series of historical shows produced by Morning Star Ent., with 3D-animated effects by Double Edge Digital, the Glendale, California studio that did the vfx on the first show of the series, ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA.

Effects Headline News

VES-VFX Festival Adds ‘Paradiso’ History Panel

Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Mike Fink (CONSTANTINE, the X-MEN movies) will lead a panel on the history of vfx as part of the 2005 VES-VFX Festival of Visual Effects, June 25 at 9:00 am. Fink, who is also a VES chair, is calling his panel: Visual Effects Paradiso 700 Years of Visual Effects. The annual festival by the Visual Effects Society will take place June 24-26 at the recently renovated Aero Theater in Santa Monica.

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