Ain’t It Cool News has posted an early look at DreamWorks’ upcoming CGI feature Madagascar, set to open May 27th. The reviewer has mostly positive things to say about the unfinished screening, stating “The film was a great surprise. It was genuinely funny and had plenty of characters that an audience can actually care about. […]

Forbes’ “Eye On Stock” feature gives their estimates of Pixar’s fourth-quarter earnings, which will be announced after the market closes today. “First Boston maintained a ‘neutral’ rating and $88 target price. ‘Our view on Pixar fundamentals hasn’t changed. We believe its long-term business model will dramatically improve upon signing a new distribution deal,’ it said.”

Former Lucasfilm Digital President Jim Morris has moved to Pixar where he will be producing one of the post-Disney films coming after Cars’ release in 2006, according to a {{link http://pixaranimation.blogspot.com/ Luxo}} report of a \\Variety\\ story. While at Lucasfilm Digital, Morris “oversaw effects and sound divisions of Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. […]

The New York Times [free subscription required] has an excellent review up today of the new book Disney War, set to be released February 22nd. “The book describes Disney’s Darwinian corporate culture. (‘What Michael likes to do is put six pit bulls together and see which five die.’) It presents this on a Monopoly board […]

A nice preview for the Pocahontas: 10th Anniversary Edition DVD is available at Disney’s website, as noted by Ultimate Disney.

IGN FilmForce writes on Blue Man Group’s contribution to the musical score of Robots. Teaming with composer John Powell, the group exercises its eclectic percussive skills on the film’s soundtrack. The Robots soundtrack will be released March 1st, while the original motion picture score will be released on March 15th. Blue Man Group will perform […]

Over at Jim Hill Media, Veteran Disney animator Floyd Norman recounts working on his Brer Rabbit Christmas Story and offers his opinion on the oft-rumored Song of the South DVD.

Ultimate Disney points to Amazon.com, where the “midquel” Tarzan II is listed as having June 14, 2005 for a release date. Meanwhile, May 31st will bring about the next wave of Classic Cartoon Favorites, including Volume 5 – Extreme Sports Fun, Volume 6 – Extreme Music Fun, and Volume 7 – Extreme Adventure Fun.

Annasophia Robb talks on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Dark Horizons, confirming that there will be singing in the film and commenting on working with Johnny Depp.

A new poster for Son of the Mask has popped up at eBay. Son of the Mask opens in theaters on February 18, 2005. In related news, Coming Soon reports New Line Cinema and Milton Bradley are teaming up to have a Twister Contest for the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM). The contest is inspired […]

Dark Horizons forwards an article from Now Playing Magazine, reporting legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen’s thoughts on Peter Jackson’s upcoming remake of King Kong, scheduled to open December 14th. “‘There will always only be one King Kong, it was such a unique production. Dino De Laurentiis’s [1976] interpretation, he left all the fantasy out. He […]

The Kyodo News (via Yahoo Asia) reports that “Director Hayao Miyazaki will receive the Honorary Golden Lion award for professional achievements at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival in August. Miyazaki, 64, will be the first Japanese, and the first director of animated films, to receive the prestigious prize, according to Toho.” Kyodo also notes […]

Sigourney Weaver recently talked to SCI FI Wire about her upcoming role in the new comedy/fantasy feature film Happily N’Ever After, based on the classic tales of the Brothers Grimm. “‘Frieda is Cinderella’s stepmother. She gets power, and she undoes all the laws of physics that govern happy endings. All hell breaks loose, and she […]

UK Yahoo! site Launch reports that Beyoncé Knowles will perform at the Academy Awards this year. “According to Billboard.com, the Destiny’s Child singer will duet with Josh Groban on the Oscar-nominated song ‘Believe’ from the animated film The Polar Express.” The Oscars are scheduled to air Sunday, February 27th at 8 Eastern, on the ABC […]

The Welwyn & Hatfield Times has news on a new film of an animated British TV classic. “It first appeared on British television screens in the 1960s, and many generations have grown up watching the animated children’s classic, The Magic Roundabout. Now [it] is returning with an outing on the big screen, with an all-star […]

The folks over at IGN have a great new review up – this time of the recently-released second volume of Batman: The Animated Series. “Though it was positioned as a cartoon for kids, it was easily something that adult fans of the Caped Crusader could enjoy too. The cinematic staging and gothic designs gave it […]

The New York Daily News reports more protest about Italian stereotypes have risen upon its release to DVD. “[Tony] Avella, who heads the 12-member Italian-American caucus of the City Council, was joined at a press conference outside City Hall by several other Council members and representatives of Italian-American organizations. ‘All too often, the media, especially […]

The Associated Press (via Yahoo! Business) has an article covering Roy Disney and Stanley Gold’s repeated vote of “no confidence” for the Disney Company, as well as their current criticism of the board’s handling of the search for a CEO successor. “The two dissidents have acknowledged progress made by the Disney board, but said the […]

The Internet Movie Database indicates that Roy E. Disney applauds Dream On Silly Dreamer, veteran Disney animator Dan Lund’s documentary on Disney’s move from traditional to computer animation. Partially animated itself, the 40-minute Dream On Silly Dreamer includes interviews from former Disney animators. Roy Disney stated on Tuesday, “I have to say how very human […]

Ultimate Disney has a couple new reviews that look at two new DVDs featuring a compilation of episodes from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Each volume has been dubbed “Growing Up with Winnie the Pooh,” and feature four episodes each. The episodes are linked loosely by theme, including the adventurous Great Day of […]

In an interview with Moviehole concerning her new film Constantine, Tilda Swinton mentions her work in the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. “I’m really convinced that it will be exactly what it should be, which is a classical, very cinematic adaptation of that book. It’s got a really […]

Dark Horizons notices that an update has been subtly made to the FAQ section of the official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles website. In answer to the question of a fourth movie, the site responds, “We’re currently working with a studio on a new film. If we can come to an agreement on the script and […]

Ain’t It Cool News has an early look at Son of the Mask, referring to it as a “live action Tom and Jerry cartoon with less imagination and purpose for that matter,” in addition to comparing it to Mike Myers’ Cat in the Hat. Son of the Mask opens in theaters February 18th.

The Associated Press, via Twin Cities local news station WCCO, has written an article on Dan Lund’s 40-minute documentary, Dream On Silly Dreamer, which covers the closing of Disney’s 75-year-old hand-drawn animation department. The film will be screened this Thursday in Minneapolis, a day before the annual Disney shareholder meeting. “Lund said he hopes Disney […]

In a clever retaliation to recent accusations by conservatist groups that the characters of SpongeBob SquarePants display homosexual behavior, Newsweek‘s Andy Borowitz has written up a satirical article using the Flintstones characters. “Harland Devane, leader of the group Focus on the Flintstones, said at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today that his organization was […]

Kyodo News (via Yahoo! Asia) reports on Belgium’s “Anima 2005” film festival, where Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle opened, and a special retrospective on South Korean animé, like Oseam, will also be featured. “‘For a long time Korea was seen as a place where Europeans could make their cartoons in a cheap way,’ the festival director, […]

“After some fits and starts, [Bryan Fuller] is moving ahead with his upcoming animated alternative series Amazing Screw-On Head,” Sci-Fi Wire reports. Based on a comic by Hellboy‘s Mike Mignola, the series is set to air on the SCI FI Channel next year. “‘The Mignola comic book is brilliant absurdism,’ Fuller said in an interview. […]

The Boston Globe has an excellent article up about Song of the South‘s controversial history, and its push for a release on DVD. “This isn’t kowtowing to political correctness, as some may maintain, but an opportunity to deal with issues that most of us would rather not think about. Important discussions about still-relevant issues can […]

Industry observer Chuck Oberleitner at his o-meon site makes some predictions about what this year’s Disney shareholders meeting might be like. The meeting is scheduled for February 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has less potential for controversy than last year’s meeting held in Philadelphia. Even still, brazen corporate gadfly Evelyn Y. Davis may be there […]

Coming Soon has the Super Bowl television spot for Robots, in addition to the television spots for Batman Begins and War of the Worlds.