Month: June 2007 – page 3

Cars a 'hot property' for consumers

Blue Sky Disney points to Variety, which speculates on the popularity of merchandise for the Disney/Pixar vehicle Cars. Products inspired by the film, particularly a series of die-cast miniatures, continue to be a favorite among consumers. “In a year without content in the marketplace, we’ll do $2 billion in (Cars) sales,” predicts Andy Mooney, chairman […]

Enchanted film franchise?

According to Yahoo! Movies/Reuters, Disney could be considering a sequel or two to its upcoming live-action/animated fractured fairy tale Enchanted. When asked about the chances of the film starting a franchise, director Kevin Lima admitted, “We all hope,” before adding that he is already thinking about ideas for a sequel starring the same key characters.

Patton Oswalt on Ratatouille

Speaking with USA Today, Patton Oswalt talks about his career turn voicing the lead character in Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille. The article especially elaborates on how the comedian landed the coveted role, with Brad Bird providing a few thoughts on the matter as well.

Simpsons competition heats up for Springfields

Yahoo! Movies/Associated Press writes of the lengths 13 of the nation’s Springfields are going to win the honor of hosting the premiere of The Simpsons Movie. The deadline for the contest is June 28. Voting for it will end July 9, with the winner being announced the next day.

Meet the Robinsons DVD, Blu-ray press release

In an update to a report filed Saturday, June 16, Ultimate Disney has the press release for the DVD and Blu-ray Disc unveiling of Meet the Robinsons. The official announcement expands on the bonus features previously noted for the titles, while high-res cover artwork for the DVD is now available.

Doctor Strange DVD details

Davis DVD has the lowdown for Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s latest entry in the Marvel Animated Features Series, Doctor Strange. Extras for the DVD include: the featurettes Who Is Doctor Strange? and The Best of Marvel Video Game Cinematics, a concept art gallery, a first look at Avengers Reborn, and trailers. Doctor Strange will enter stores […]

Little Mermaid tickets now on sale

The Little Mermaid Broadway blog reminds readers that tickets for the musical’s showings at Denver and Broadway are now on sale. Helpfully, the blurb lists the ticket prices and dates. The Little Mermaid musical will begin its Denver run on July 26.

Brad Bird talks Incredibles 2; Pixar sequel poll

In a conversation with Associated Press, Brad Bird responds to the possibility of a sequel to The Incredibles. “I have pieces of things that I would love to see in a sequel, but I haven’t got them all together yet, and I certainly wouldn’t want to come out there with something that is less than […]

U.S. box office actuals: June 15–17, 2007

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo: 5) Surf’s Up with $9,254,793, averaging $2,621 over 3,531 theaters ($34,625,490 total; 2nd week) 6) Shrek the Third with $9,003,044, averaging $2,568 over 3,505 theaters ($297,245,100 total; 5th week) 33) Paprika with $83,189, averaging $2,772 over 30 theaters ($340,531 total; 4th week) 36) Meet the Robinsons with $63,182, averaging $526 […]

o-meon enjoys a dish of Ratatouille

o-meon goes to drama class and dissects a rat, Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille, that is. According to o-meon’s head writer, Chuck Oberleitner, “Technically and artistically, the film is prepared as brilliantly and served up as beautifully as anything we’ve come to expect from the kitchens of the Emeryville animation studio. Unfortunately, most of the film’s main characters […]

Ratatouille concept art, fun facts, clips, and featurettes

CamMag currently hosts several concept art pieces for the upcoming Ratatouille, as well has some interesting fun facts about the characters, story, and film production. IESB also has five clips and featurettes for the motion picture, which take a look at the making of the film as well as showing some scenes from the movie.

Danger Mouse on DVD

TV Shows On DVD reports that the complete Danger Mouse series will be released on a set of 9 DVDs on the 28th of August. The pack will include the entire season run, as well as several bonus features.

First works of Lucasfilm Singapore to be out soon

Channel News Asia reports that the very first works of Lucasfilm’s Singapore studio will be seen in many upcoming American films soon. These films will have segments created by the studio team at Singapore. Launched in October 2005, Lucasfilm Singapore is headed by the managing director Christian Kubsch who has 20 odd years of experience […]

Aardman unveils film plans

Variety via Coming Soon breaks down the movies that Aardman Animations is crafting. Projects featured in the list include: The Cat Burglars, from director Steve Box and writers Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah; a film based on Gideon Defoe’s Pirates book series, from director Peter Lord and writers Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil; Operation Rudolph, […]

DreamWorks Animation considering Interworld

Dark Horizons points to the official website of Neil Gaiman, where the author writes that DreamWorks Animation has optioned his and Michael Reaves’ novel Interworld. The project is explained as “about a boy who finds himself in the middle of a war between two equally powerful forces, who joins a super-team consisting of versions of […]

Growing interest in Indian animation

Focusing on the international involvement with the Indian entertainment industry, MSN Money features an interesting article taking a look at the role India may soon play in the animation world. The general manager of Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Ian Diamond, commented, “The Indian animation industry is in a nascent phase and it’s now important we […]

Muppets to educate about technology?

Jim Hill Media speculates on an intriguing new online survey regarding the television return of the Muppets. The questionnaire suggests that the characters could star in a new series educating children on technology. Whether or not the show happens, the piece still confirms that Muppet “mini-movies” are in the works, which will have the characters […]

Chiklis talks Legend of Secret Pass

Michael Chiklis recently spoke with SCI FI Wire about his villainous role in the upcoming animated movie The Legend of Secret Pass. “The story follows a Native American boy named Manu, who must follow his destiny in the face of impending doom,” describes the article. In addition to Chiklis, the Secret Pass voice cast includes […]

Winners revealed for 31st Annecy Film Festival

The winners for the 31st Annecy Animated Film Festival were announced last Saturday, June 16. The top prize, the Cristal for best feature, went to Christopher Nielsen’s Free Jimmy, as the audience award for best feature went to Samuel and Frederic Guillaume’s Max & Co. Mamoru Hosoda’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was provided […]

HBO invests in Magic Cellar

World Screen indicates that HBO Family has acquired Magic Cellar, an award-winning computer animated series commissioned by South Africa’s SABC. This marks the first time that an African animated television show has been picked up by a major American network. Magic Cellar is scheduled to premiere on Saturday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. After its […]

Lee, MTV developing Paris Hilton animated series

Marvel mastermind Stan Lee is working on an animated series for MTV that would star Paris Hilton, reports New York Daily News. The project is said to be similar to the Stripperella cartoon Lee developed for Pamela Anderson.

Turtle stuck in 'development shell'

In a list of “20 Movies Not Coming Soon to a Theater Near You,” Premeire Magazine includes the Aardman Animations faux documentary The Turtle and the Hare. Interestingly, the article notes that the project could be resurrected, due to Aardman’s new production deal with Sony.

Giveaway crazy! Plus the old American Dog/Bolt switcheroo!

Animaniacs, Pooh and Casper up for grabs, plus the long road for American Dog, now called Bolt and sounding more and more familiar by the day…

Best Of Casper Volumes 1 & 2 – Winners Announced!

The Best Of Casper Volumes 1 and 2 – Winners Announced!

Pooh’s Many Adventures on DVD – Winners Announced!

The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh: Friendship Edition on DVD – Winners Announced!

[UPDATED] Dafoe, Atkinson, de Caunes meet Wall-E

Film ick via JV Pixar News indicates that Willem Dafoe, Rowan Atkinson and Emma de Caunes have joined Fred Willard in the cast of Disney/Pixar’s 2008 entry, Wall-E. An official announcement regarding what roles the actors will play has yet to arrive. Update! Film ick has updated their initial report, after noticing that the cast […]

Meet the Robinsons DVD, Blu-ray details

Ultimate Disney has the lowdown on the DVD and Blu-ray releases for Meet the Robinsons, coming to stores on October 23. Packaged with a slipcover, the single-disc DVD will include the following bonus features: an audio commentary by director Stephen Anderson, deleted scenes, music videos by Rob Thomas (Little Wonders) and the Jonas Brothers (Kids […]

Latest Ratatouille TV spot

In QuickTime, Windows Media and Flash formats, Coming Soon has the most recent television advertisement for Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille. The film will be given sneak previews in approximately 800 theaters nationwide tonight.

Pixar's Wall-E first teaser unveiled

The very first teaser of Pixar’s Wall-E has made its way across the net. Apple has the teaser in various formats. Directed by Andrew Stanton, writer-director of Finding Nemo, Wall-E’s release date is set as June 27, 2008.

Ratatouille animation progression reel

RottenTomatoes reports that IGN has an exclusive Ratatouille animation progression reel which shows a complete sequence from the film in various production stages, starting from the storyboard sketches to the final rendered frames. The reel can be watched or downloaded using any of the above mentioned links. Ratatouille opens in theatres June 29.