FOX TV has four new animated shows planned for the 2004-2005 season, and \\{{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117894386&cs=1 Variety}}\\ reports that one is based on radio host Phil Hendrie, the “critically-hailed KFI-AM gabber known for his ‘theater of the mind’-style show”. (\\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1677 Animation Magazine}}\\ has the info for those without a \\Variety\\ subscription.) Steve Levitan, Phil Lord, […]

According to the Internet Movie Database: “In a report likely to raise eyebrows among those following the current contract-renewal talks between Pixar and Disney, an online entertainment trade publication in India is reporting today (Thursday) that Sony Pictures Entertainment is planning to release Pixar-produced \\Finding Nemo\\ in English and Hindi on Friday. The publication, Indiantelevision.com, […]

In 1986, Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilms for $10 million. The new company, called Pixar, has gone on to become one of the greatest success stories in the animation business. {{link http://www.redherring.com/article.aspx?f=Articles/2003%2F10%2F0c7fc820-5666-48fc-addf-496ba6276531%2F0c7fc820-5666-48fc-addf-496ba6276531.xml&hed=George%20Lucas%20gets%20animated Red Herring}} reports that George Lucas’ company is preparing to strike back. “Earlier this year, San […]

Jerry Beck, one of the people responsible for the content on the new, eagerly awaited DVD box set of Looney Tunes cartoons, has posted early, first-look {{link http://www.cartoonresearch.com/kaz.html images}} of the art on his website, {{link http://www.cartoonresearch.com/news.html Cartoon Research}}. Remember, the discs come out next Tuesday and the only way the WB will issue any […]

The creator of the Simpsons Matt Groening will be the guest of today’s NPR Fresh Air show. Earlier this year The Simpsons celebrated its 300th episode, making it the longest running animated series on TV.

An {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16359 Ain’t It Cool News}} contributor got a sneak look at Dreamworks’ \\Shrek 2\\. “This is going to be HUGE. We were treated to the voice acting, and later a few actual shots, of Shrek and Donkey running into Puss in Boots played by the one and only Antonio Banderas. and I can […]

{{link http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031023/235192_1.html Yahoo Finance}} today posted news that new cards using AT&T Pre-Paid Web Cents technology are now available at retail level from Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The cards provide “a new secure payment alternative for consumer purchases of online digital content and enable consumers to easily purchase a subscription to Disney’s Toontown Online, and Disney’s […]

Joel Surnow, the creator of 24, and Fox Home Entertainment are in talks to create a direct-to-DVD spin-off of the real-time series, which has become one of the studio’s top DVD sellers. Surnow said they are tossing around ideas about a spin-off that would be done with an all-new cast and take place in real […]

Sony Pictures Entertainment has confirmed that its six-minute, Oscar-winning short The ChubbChubbs is being readied as one of the first feature film offerings from their CG animation department, with the appointment of Dan Wilson and Dave Gilbreth as screenwriters for the project. {{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117894445&cs=1 Variety}} first broke the story, {{link http://comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2011 Coming Soon}} has the […]

Get ready for all the Finding Nemo pre-order excitement. It is likely that different outlets will have different exclusive offers, and Animated News has just learned that Wal-Mart is offering a free Nemo CD-ROM packed with games and puzzles if you pre-order through them.

German artist Harald Siepermann posted some development art from the upcoming Disney feature. Here are the pictures: Image 1 Image 2 Image 3

Studioghibli.net has an image from the acclaimed director’s next project. The picture appears in the official Studio Ghibli’s 2004 calendar. The film is based on a story by Diana Wynne Jones, which takes place in the town of Market Chipping, in the land of Ingary, where anything can happen. The lead heroine is Sophie, a […]

Wow is it hard to type when you are drooling on your keyboard. The Digital Bits just put up a review of Looney Tunes Golden DVD Collection. Oh ya, The Rabbit of Seville, gurrgggle (currently drooling like Homer Simpson over a box of donuts).

Raise your hand if you know who Keith Lango is. Ok, a few of you. Have you ever watched a Big Idea cartoon like Veggie Tales, 3-2-1 Pengiuns, or the Electronic Theater at Siggraph 2001? Then you probably saw some of his work and didn’t even know it. Well I stopped over at his page […]

{{link http://www.nausicaa.net Nausicaa.net}} will be interviewing Cindy and Don Hewitt, “the duo behind the English adaptations of \\Spirited Away\\, \\Porco Rosso\\, and \\Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind\\ (among others)”. They are {{email nausicaa_interview@airpost.net accepting interview questions}} from their readers through October 25. They have also announced they are moving to a new server, so […]

With no signs of a buyer in sight analysts say Disney will have to wait until next year to find someone interested in purchasing its chain of Disney Stores. {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031022/media_disney_stores_3.html Reuters}} reports that one of the major problems is that Disney has already “sold hundreds of licenses for their famed characters, flooding the market […]

Walt Disney Internet Group {{link http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/?epi_menuItemID=989a6827590d7dda9cdf6023a0908a0c&epi_menuID=c791260db682611740b28e347a808a0c&epi_baseMenuID=384979e8cc48c441ef0130f5c6908a0c&newsId=20031022005227&ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&div=1865077808 announced}} today that they will soon bring some of their popular Disney and Pixar characters to mobile phones in the form of voice ring tones. “Initially, the character voices will include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Stitch, Pooh and Tigger. There will be several […]

Legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen looks back on his extensive career in a new book, An Animated Life, due out November 22. With a couple of his classic films also just out on disc, {{link http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/ten_questions/harryhausen_ray/index.html DVD File}} today has Ten Questions with the creator of many of the most memorable special effects films in […]

{{link http://www.dvdreview.com DVD Review}} today highlights several hidden ‘Easter Egg’ features to be found on the MGM released edition of A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie DVD. A deleted scene and additional clips await you {{link http://www.dvdreview.com/eastereggs/collect/516.html here}}!

Among other contests, {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/ The Digital Bits}} is running a chance to win copies of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection on DVD for free! Check this {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/contest.html link}} for entry details – US and non-US participants are all welcome.

Zap2It reports that two roles in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film will be auctioned off on November 28. If you’ve got any treasure stored away in your Gringott’s account, it might be a good time to withdraw some of it and take it to the auction block. Even if you […]

Zap2It reports that on October 21 Pirates of the Caribbean was voted the favorite film of 2003 for the 7th Annual Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Awards.

A new Disney Editions book released to commemorate Brother Bear‘s imminent release is reviewed over at {{link http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID210210.asp The Laughing Place}}. Rhett Wickham’s take on the book by H. Clark Wakabayashi also looks at the stories behind the movie and how the book reveals more than the usual watered-down Disney approach. Brother Bear: A Transformation […]

The LA Times reports the new animated series in which self-mythologizing movie producer Robert Evans lends his voice to an animated version of himself, will premiere tonight at 10:30. Evans, who is 73, is nowadays more famous for having been famous. He was good-looking enough to have been discovered twice by Hollywood; he married movie […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim Hill}} gets the scoop once again in a great article on \\George of the Jungle 2.\\ Brendan Fraser, the actor portraying the title character in the original movie, reportedly turned down $12.5 million to appear in the sequel but came up with a hilarious idea for a cameo. Unfortunately, when the directors […]

Disney Legend, animator, director, musician, railroad enthusiast, two-time Academy Award winner, and possibly the man responsible for getting America ready to head into space, Ward Kimball is the subject of new articles at both {{link http://www.digitalmediafx.com/Features/wardkimball.html Digital Media FX}} and {{link http://www.animagic.hpg.ig.com.br/wardkimball.htm Animagic}}.

Carl Urbano, winner of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Golden Award in 1981, has died at 94. He began his career in the 1930’s, and in 1940 was an animator for the Oscar-nominated \\Puss Gets The Boot\\, the first appearance of Tom and Jerry and the first “full teaming of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, […]

\\Fresh Spins\\, a direct-to-video animated series that takes traditional stories and gives them a, what else, fresh spin, is set for a Spring 2004 release according to \\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1672 Animation Magazine}}\\. Developed by {{link http://www.Noodlesoup.net Noodlesoup Prods.}} and the {{link http://www.thejgroup.com Johnson Group}} and created by Jeffrey Nodelman, the stories will feature scripts by David […]

{{link http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=top&newsitem_no=9423 Animation World Network}} has reported that Shrek producer John H Williams, who has a four picture CG deal set up with Disney in the US under his Vanguard Animation banner, is teaming up with various German-based companies to produce the animation for Happily N’Ever After, a comedy that continues the trend to turn […]

{{link http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=31575&CT=38 Broadway.com}} reports that Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams will replace Toni Braxton in the musical \\Aida\\ next month. \\Aida\\, with a score by Elton John and Tim Rice in their first collaboration since \\The Lion King\\, is Disney Theatricals third Broadway show.