Yahoo! Movies delivers a backstage featurette for Ratatouille. Hosted by director Brad Bird, the sneak peek showcases the animated way that Bird helmed the picture. Interestingly, the Yahoo! page likewise links to an actual recipe for the French dish Ratatouille. Thanks to “american dog 4 life” at the Animated News & Views Forum for the […]

AWN indicates that Dream Balloon and Atchity Entertainment have signed a literary management and co-production agreement to develop and produce Snowyville. Based on Michael Attardi’s award-winning animated short, Once Upon a Christmas Village, the movie is scheduled to enter production no later than September 2007 for a November-December 2008 release.

TV Shows on DVD displays the rear artwork for Animaniacs – Volume 3. The bonus features for the 5-disc set include: “They Can’t Help it if They’re Cute, They’re Just Drawn That Way – Meet the Character Designers, Storyboard Artists and Art Directors who give life and lunacy to Wakko, Yakko, and Dot” and “They’re […]

Coming in at #8 on Premiere Magazine‘s list of “The 20 Coolest Cameos” is David Hasselhoff’s appearance in The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. During the film, “The Hoff” stops by long enough to give a unique and very humorous ride to the title character and his pink pal Patrick.

Coming Soon links to the official online domain of Rhythm + Hues, where it is revealed that the visual effects company is currently working on The Incredible Hulk. Other projects in the company’s pipeline include Alvin and the Chipmunks, Evan Almighty and The Golden Compass.

The Newport Beach Film Festival has just posted their full 2007 schedule including their animation lineup, which features stop-motion, computer-generated, and hand-drawn animation. A featured animated film this year will be director Satoshi Kon’s groundbreaking anime Paprika. Also, Heather Henson, daughter of Muppets creator Jim Henson, will be appearing again at the festival as in […]

Originally scheduled for March 2007, it appears the AristoCats Special Edition DVD has been postponed until spring 2008, explains Ultimate Disney. A Buena Vista Home Entertainment representative tells the site that the delay allows Disney to add “new, never-before-seen” content to the title.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walden Media, Fox 2000 and the Jim Henson Co. are teaming up for a film adaptation of Edward Gorey’s 1957 illustrated book The Doubtful Guest. “The whimsical story revolves around a quirky family whose life is turned upside down when a mysterious, mischievous creature arrives unannounced and unwelcome, bringing trouble […]

IGN FilmForce points to the official website of Framestore, where the special effects house refers to their work for next year’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. “The next Narnia film is now well under way,” comments the blurb, “and Framestore CFC has got a lion’s share (pardon the pun) of the VFX work. As […]

SCI FI Wire speaks to producer Dorothy Kim and stereoscopic supervisor Phil McNally about the Disney Digital 3-D presentation for Meet the Robinsons. Likewise, in a video featurette, the overall film is discussed with McKim, director Steve Anderson, 3-D effects expert Kyle Odermatt, musical group The Jonas Brothers, composer Danny Elfman, actors Nicole Sullivan and […]

Bazelevs Production is helping bring some visual effects magic to Universal Pictures’ Wanted, reports Superhero Hype! The company elaborates on its work for the project: “For right now the revisualization for the future feature is being made. CG specialists develop ‘art’ and camera moves, objects, characters interaction, shots composing, animation – in a word, it […]

Hosted at Ultimate Disney, a Buena Vista Home Entertainment press release reveals that the Disney Movie Rewards program is now accepting theater ticket stubs. Beginning with Meet the Robinsons, a stub from a screening of a Disney flick can earn one an additional Movie Rewards 50 points. Scheduled to last until the end of this […]

The Hollywood Reporter reports that after collecting approximately $197.3 million in theaters, Happy Feet danced its way to the top of the DVD sales chart last week. Selling over 4 million units in its debut, the title is already the second best-selling DVD of the year. Also on the DVD First Alert chart, the Peter […]

Reuters via Yahoo! Movies writes that the flmmakers of Meet the Robinsons collaborated with Disney Interactive and Avalanche Studios to help make the Robinsons video game a creative success. The result is a unique experience in which the game expands upon characters and locations from the film, without reliving the movie’s storyline.

The Muppet Newsflash has learned from HIT Entertainment that Fraggle Rock – The Complete Third Season will hit store shelves this fall. The article adds that bonus features for the set should be announced this summer, likely around June or July.

Last month, numerous sites were invited to the the offices of PDI/Dreamworks Animation for a special sneak peek at Shrek the Third. Representatives from Coming Soon, IGN, Moviehole and MovieWeb were among those treated to the preview, which also provided a bit more info on Shrek 4, Shrek the Halls and Puss in Boots. Meanwhile, […]

With SCI FI Wire, Molly Shanon explains her role as Eva in the computer animated Igor. Apparently, Eva “is a monster, and she’s supposed to be evil, but things got mixed up when they were making her, and so she’s actually so sweet,” says Shannon. “She’s a monster who really wants to be an actress.”

TV Shows on DVD has the official artwork and details for Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938 Volume One. Containing “uncut, unedited” cartoons, in addition to over five hours of bonus features, the four-disc package is scheduled for a July 31st release, with a retail value set at $64.92.

As a promotion for The Simpsons Movie, eleven 7-Eleven convenience stores nationwide will be made to resemble Springfield’s own Kwik-E-Mart, indicates The Chicago Sun-Times. Like the animated version, these real-life Kwik-E-Marts will sell KrustyO’s cereal, Buzz Cola and iced Squishees.

Tim Burton’s stop-motion short Vincent (1982) will be shown in front of The Nightmare Before Christmas theatrical re-release this October, with both features presented in 3-D. Narrated by Vincent Price, the black-and-white short “tells the story of Vincent Malloy, a youth who imagines that he is like Vincent Price,” explains The Hollywood Reporter via Coming […]

Coming Soon reports that, “DreamWorks Animation has acquired Alan Schoolcraft & Brent Simons’ superhero sendup spec Master Mind . . . a satirical take on the superhero genre centering on a supervillain who loses his joie de vivre after accidentally killing his archrival, Uberman, in the opening scene of the movie.” The film will be […]

Yahoo! Movies/Reuters reveals that Aardman Features is in “final negotiations” with Sony Pictures for a three-year, first-look deal. “There is an expectation that they will make a movie every year to 18 months,” explains Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Lynton. “We are paying them a certain sum of money every year to […]

Noticing last week’s release of Meet the Robinsons, The Boston Globe take a look into the future of 3-D films. As of right now, it appears that most major studios have big plans for the experience. However, should the beginning of this 3-D revival bring positive results, Animation Guild representative Steve Hulett warns that the […]

For anyone wondering how some of the most dazzling visual effects for the blockbuster 300 were brought to life, Avid Technology, Inc. announces that Softimage|XSI was a vital component in the process. A BusinessWire press release posted at Broadcast Newsroom elaborates more on the making of the visual magic.

As seen via a regulatory filing last Friday, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. paid its chief executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg, $1 in total compensation in 2006. The action arrived due to Katzenberg’s wavering of a stock grant that was to have been valued at $5 million. Examiner.com has more on this story.

TV Shows on DVD has the press releases for the complete series of Mission: Magic! and Hero High, the latter of which was part of the Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam! Likewise, the site also debuts the cover artwork for the New Adventures of Superman and Batman.

From approximately 3,413 theaters this weekend, Disney’s Meet the Robinsons collected an estimated $25.1 million, averaging $7,341 per theater. Interestingly, the Associated Press indicates that the 3D version of the film grossed nearly double of what the 2D screenings gathered. As for last weekend’s top film, TMNT fell 62% to an estimated $9.2 million. In […]

Yesterday’s Orange County Register showcased SongoftheSouth.net’s Christian Willis, calling attention to his online petition urging the release of Disney’s Song of the South to DVD (we’ll settle for Blu-Ray though) and the recent statement by Disney CEO Bob Iger that such a release will be given consideration.