Month: November 2009 – page 4

Details on Coraline Gift Set emerge

Universal’s acclaimed stop-motion animated movie Coraline is set to be re-released this holiday season as a special edition gift set. The Coraline Gift Set will be available on both Blu-ray and DVD and include the same 2-disc editions that were released earlier this year, along with new collector’s packaging, postcards and a limited edition book. DVD Active has […]

Cars: Ultimate Gift Pack

Pixar’s gleaming fender took an albeit minor dent with Cars, here driven around the block one more time with both original DVD and Blu-ray releases accompanied by McQueen and Mater model cars and gift set packaging.

Kung Fu Panda virtual dojo coming soon

DreamWorks is readying an online virtual world based on the Kung Fu Panda franchise, according to USA Today. Launching next year, the browser based Kung Fu Panda World is aimed at 8-12 year olds and will feature games and activities. Rick Rekedal, head of production of DreamWorks Animation Online, said, “Just like Po the Panda […]

Wallace and Gromit on the iPhone

BrandRepublic reports that Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit will be coming to the iPhone in a new comic series. Digital comic editor Ned Hartley said, “It’s really exciting to see Wallace and Gromit at the forefront of such a cracking new technology. Although I secretly suspect that Wallace would be more comfortable with the type of […]

Disney taking the “long view” with Scrooge?

Jim Hill, who is always good for a different perspective on the news, says lower than expected box office numbers for A Christmas Carol aren’t going to bother Disney executives today. Hill says that Disney is taking the long view with the film, looking at what they can make not only in theatres and disc […]

Despicable Hollywood

Hollywood’s desperate searching for ideas has started to see tinsel town cannibalizing its own sub-genres, as not one but two upcoming animated superhero spoofs follow the success of The Incredibles.

Ishinomori Work to Become Hollywood Film in 2012

The Anime News Network reports that a work by the late manga and anime creator Shotaro Ishinomori will be made into a live-action and CGI (computer graphics imagery) motion picture in 2012.

Low box-office for high-tech Christmas Carol

Although Disney and Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol won the US box-office this weekend, the tally was less than expected, coming in at just $31 million. Opening to mixed reviews, Disney is hoping another seven weeks until Christmas will give the motion-capture movie a festive boost in takings.

New release dates for Rapunzel and Alvin

Boxofficemojo.com has updated their release schedule with new release dates for two upcoming movies. Disney’s Rapunzel, the studio’s first computer-animated fairy tale, is set to come out on November 24, 2010, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Meanwhile, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Sqeakuel has been bumped up slightly with a December 23, 2009 release […]

New Despicable Me Trailer Now Online

A second teaser trailer for Universal Pictures’ upcoming animated comedy Despicable Me can now be found online over at Apple.com. Me tells the story of Gru, a supervillain voiced by Steve Carell who plots to steal the moon. Also starring Jason Segal, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews, Despicable Me is set to strike theaters on […]

Walt’s Museum, a drab Muppet Christmas, plus more Up!

Didier Ghez talks about the opening of the Walt Disney Family Museum, Muppets’ Letters To Santa reviewed, plus the final four Up poster giveaways!

A Muppet Christmas: Letters To Santa

There’s little genuine Christmas cheer enclosed with these Letters, I’m very sorry to write, in this labored and unauthentic special, which is probably not destined to become a Christmas classic and where the old Muppets magic fails to sparkle.

The Princess And The Frog: A Look at the Music with Princess Tiana’s Anika Noni Rose

The Princess And The Frog Soundtrack CD is available to order now from Amazon.com [AMZ]B002O4J4F2[/AMZ]

A Christmas Carol opens today

Disney and ImageMovers Digital’s A Christmas Carol opens today, in 3,683 theatres according to Box Office Mojo. The film is getting mixed reviews, garnering a 57% Tomatometer rating from Rotten Tomatoes — though only a 40% Top Critics score. BoxOffice.com projects it should easily win the weekend with $42 million.

The music of The Princess and the Frog

Disney has posted a feature on the music of The Princess and the Frog, hosted by the voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose. Check out the full video here:

Yogi Bear casting

Variety reports that on several actors that are in negotiations to join the cast of the live-action/CG animated Yogi Bear. Dan Aykroyd is reportedly up for the voice of Yogi with Justin Timberlake voicing Boo-Boo. Anna Faris would play a documentary filmmaker.

Jobs named CEO of the Decade

Fortune Magazine has named Steve Jobs the CEO of the Decade. The Apple (and former Pixar) CEO is lauded for his part in redefining four distinct industries — personal computers, films, music, and phones — three of which occurred in just the last ten years. “Remaking any one business is a career-defining achievement; four is […]

Gong, but not forgotten

Loose Moose Productions’ Caroline Attia has directed an animated homage to the Gong Man, the iconic trademark of the UK’s Rank Films used as the intro to all their films, to promote Odeon Cinemas’ new initiative of specially scheduled Mother and Baby screenings in England.

Disney historian Didier Ghez on the Walt Disney Family Museum: a flame more alive than ever

Walt’s People historian Didier Ghez speaks to Jeremie Noyer about the recent opening of The Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio in San Fransisco.

Up For Grabs: Free Retro Printable Pixar Posters!

In anticipation of the release of Disney/Pixar’s Up on Blu-ray and DVD, the Studio has made available eight high resolution images of some of the terrific retro poster art created for the film — why not download the whole collection to print up your very own set? To download, simply choose an image, click on […]

UPDATED: Animated Film Disqualified from Oscar Consideration

According to the Anime News Network, Funimation Productions has confirmed that Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, a reboot of animator Hideaki Anno’s giant robot anime, has been disqualified from competition for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

More new holiday animation on TV

In addition to the previously mentioned Merry Madagascar, airing November 17th on NBC, at least two more new animated holiday specials will premiere this season. Disney will bring Prep & Landing to ABC this December 1st. “The half-hour holiday special reveals the never-before-told tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. […]

Halo video game becomes animated disc debut

DVD and Blu-ray cover art is included in a press release, for Halo Legends, an all-new anthology of seven stories that expands the universe of one of the world’s most popular video games, which can be read here:

Roger Rabbit sequel to use mo-cap

Robert Zemeckis told MTV that the Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel will feature motion-capture performances, an animation process he has used extensively over the past several years (and in tomorrow’s A Christmas Carol). “I wouldn’t use it for the cartoon characters, because I think they should stay two-dimensional because that’s what — I wouldn’t dimensonalize […]

Berenstain Bears coming to the big screen

USA Today reports that the popular children book series, “The Berenstain Bears”, are being made into a full-length movie. The movie will contain a mixture of both live-action and computer animation. It is prompted for a 2011 release date.

A London Rendezvous! Plus printable posters Up for grabs!

The French Connection: when Ben met Jeremie, plus Pixar’s Up comes in for a landing on disc with some cool poster giveaways and bonus clips!

Pixar profiled

In the first of three featured articles, the UK-based film blog Flickering Myth profiles Pixar Animation Studios. The second part will follow on November 11, and part three on November 18, 2009.

China approves new Disney park

The LA Times reports that after more than a decade of discussions, Disney has finally been granted permission to build a theme park in Shanghai. Disney CEO Robert Iger said, “China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for the Walt […]

Epic game designer Spector talks Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is re-branded as an action hero in the Nintendo Wii console’s hotly anticipated Epic Mickey game set for release next year. The Guardian online speaks to designer Warren Spector about the game’s Cartoon Wasteland storyline, which will see the return of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit in his first major new role since Disney’s […]

A Merry Madagascar Walmart exclusive

Premiering on NBC November 17, DreamWorks’ animated special Merry Madagascar will debut on DVD the very next day – as a Walmart exclusive title. The half-hour special, in which Santa gets amnesia after his sleigh crashes on the island and Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and the penguins must save Christmas by delivering presents, will be […]