While news has been slow near the end of the year we can all use our hindsight now and take a look back at what was. For a rundown of the key business and animation events for The Walt Disney Company in the year 2004 check out That Was the (Disney) Year That Was at […]

This may be the most belated bit of news we’ll ever post here, but over at Cartoon Brew, Jerry Beck has posted a link to a piece at an Iranian News site about the recent discovery of the world’s oldest animation. The animated bit was found on some 5,000-year old pottery and shows a goat […]

After what seems like only a few weeks since we last compiled a similar pick of our favorite animated goodies, we come to the end of yet another year – Animated News’ first complete one – and another selection of all fine things animated.

Stage, screen, and TV actor Jerry Orbach has died of prostate cancer at 69. Orbach gave voice to Lumiere in \\Beauty and the Beast\\ where he gave an unforgettable performance in the Academy Award nominated song \\Be Our Guest\\. He also voiced Sa’luk in \\Aladdin and the King of Thieves\\, where he again turned in […]

{{link http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_product.asp?master_movie_id=24545 }}Max and Dave Fleischer’s 1936 classic \\Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor\\ and a rarely seen short by (hand drawn and stop motion) animator Charley Bowers titled \\There It Is\\ have been added to the {{link http://www.loc.gov/film/nfr2004.html National Film Registry}} according to the head of Library of Congress, James Billington. Each year […]

The Superhero Times has a catalog shot of some of the merchandise for Batman Begins, fighting into theaters on June 17, 2005.

Before you pitch that next big movie idea to a studio or star, you may want to check out Animation World Magazine‘s helpful guide, “The Pitch Bible”.

Ashanti speaks to Blackfilm about her starring role in The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, airing on ABC in May.

Comcast has a new, rather large image of the Batman from Batman Begins. Though the photo is dark, it does better reveal the highly-stylized look of the suit’s belt.

At Ultimate Disney‘s forum, ‘2099net’ has posted the latest bonus features passed by the British Board of Film Classification for the Incredibles Collector’s Edition DVD. Included in the bonus features are the new short “Jack Jack Attack” (4½ minutes), a trailer for Cars, a 15-minute alternate opening, and around 20 minutes of additional deleted scenes. […]

Box Office Report estimates indicate that the live action version of \\Fat Albert\\ debuted in the #2 spot gathering about $12.7 million for its two-day weekend (as the film opened on Christmas Day), well behind the $44.7 million made by the first place \\Meet the Fockers\\. The holiday season has been good to \\The Polar […]

Roy Disney has posted an open letter on the {{link http://www.savedisney.com/letters/shareholder_proposal122204.asp Save Disney}} website coming out against a recent proposal by Disney shareholder Frank Wierenga that would reserve a seat on the Board of Directors for a member of the Disney family. Disney said while he appreciated the sentiment behind the proposal he warned that […]

The official website for the Aladdin II & III Collection, featuring Aladdin: The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, is now online, containing DVD info, trailers, games, activities, and wallpaper. Thanks to Justin Williams at the AN Forum for the heads up! The Aladdin II & III Collection will be available […]

At Ain’t It Cool News, ‘Tron’ writes his thoughts concerning the Son of the Mask, which he saw at a test screening. Not surprisingly, his advice is, “Please do yourself a favor and believe your instincts when you watch the trailer for this flick. I wouldn’t be surprised that this flick ends up being released […]

Ain’t It Cool News has pics from The Muppet Wizard of Oz, featuring Kermit as the Scarecrow, Fozzie as the Cowardly Lion, Gonzo as the Tin Man, and singer Ashanti as Dorothy.

IGN FilmForce speaks to Kenan Thompson, who stars as the lovable main character in Fat Albert, opening domestically on Christmas Day.

Jerry Bruckheimer tells MTV that Geoffrey Rush has yet to sign on for a third Pirates of the Caribbean film- if the studio signs on for a third film, that is. “We’re hoping to start shooting [the second and third movies] in March, but we’re waiting for a very big check from Disney,” says Bruckheimer. […]

The Internet Movie Database’s Daily Poll for today poses the question, “What’s your fave Rankin-Bass Christmas special?“

In video interviews, IESB talks to Kenan Thompson, Dania Ramirez, and Kyla Pratt about their roles in the film Fat Albert, opening domestically on Christmas Day.

IGN FilmForce has named The Incredibles as the #1 movie of 2004. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Garden State were named as #2 and #3, respectively, while Spider-Man 2 came in at #4.

IGN FilmForce has a new pic from Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, along with a screen capture from another Burton project, The Corpse Bride.

In the midst of some news regarding the casting for extras in Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Dark Horizons reveal that Mackenzie Crook has stated he will return as the wooden-eyed Ragetti in at least one of the Pirates sequels.

Remember the animated short Spider-Man: The Peril of Doc Ock, which was animated using Legos? If not, then one can still see the short at Yahoo! Movies. Meanwhile, a new alternate ending for the short has appeared online and can be seen at Coming Soon.

Yahoo! Finance reports that thanks to the folks at Vision Animation Studios and Run Level 5, children both young and old will be able to witness Santa’s CGI departure from the North Pole on Christmas Eve, no matter what time zone the children may in. Be sure to check out SantaSpeaking.com for the big event!

The Hollywood Reporter speaks of the past, present, and future of Walt Disney Television Animation, noting the studio’s current trend of more creator-driven projects.

Following our recent revealing of the theatrical poster and release date, the Animation Insider has more information on the new Appleseed feature film, which opened in Japan in early 2004 and will premiere in the US in mid-January 2005. See the link for a list of the theaters that will show this movie.

Ultimate Disney has created an excellent preview page for the upcoming Platinum Edition DVD of Bambi, arriving March 1st. Included are a detailed list of extras, screenshots of the DVD’s painterly menus, and preview shots of the 2-disc set’s bonus features. The menus alone are worth a peek at this page, so check it out!

Over at Animation World Magazine there’s an interview with stop-motion director Henry Selick, where he discusses a wide range of topics. Selick’s current film The Life Aquatic, in which he did the stop-motion animation for the film’s underwater creatures, is now in limited release, and opens everywhere on Christmas day.