Subject: Animated News Weekly

11/01/03 - 11/08/03: 

Hi! We're back with the Animated News Weekly. Please copy and paste any split links into your browser for more info on a given subject. This week's big new was... 



----FEATURE FILMS---- 

BROTHER BEAR is a hit! Opening to a strong $19.4 million in only two days take, the Disney animated feature looks set to have long legs, with a total estimated $40.5 million taken by this weekend. This weekend sees some big hitters arriving on the scene, including Elf and Matrix Revolutions. It's a good week for Disney, though. Their "Scary Movie 3" comedy is also riding high, accounting for another $10.5 million in grosses this week for a $90 million plus total. 

Walt Disney Pictures' official webpage added HOME ON THE RANGE and TEACHER'S PET teaser sites to their slate this week. The teaser sites offer new trailers for these upcoming films, with RANGE looking especially fun -- note that this is a different trailer than the teaser on the Finding Nemo DVD: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/main.html 

GHOST IN THE SHELL II: INNOCENCE, Mamoru Oshii's sequel to the cult favorite, had its trailer debut online this week. Ain't It Cool News has the links: http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16431 

With only a couple of weeks to go, The New York Times ran a story on the brilliant upcoming feature THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE. Toon Zone picked up the story: http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=93401 - while Sony Pictures has more on the official site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/triplets/ - and Rotten Tomatoes has 14 hi-res images:http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/TheTripletsofBelleville-1127609/gallery.php?page=1&size=hires 

It's set to be a Warner-iffic battle of the trailers! Rumored to be sent out with prints of LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION next week are teasers and trailers for three big WB family releases. Since most movie houses will only show two trailers from the same studio in front of a film, it'll be pot-luck as to which of these you'll catch: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED or Robert Zemeckis' THE POLAR EXPRESS, starring Tom Hanks and set for release next Christmas. More from Cinescape:http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338&obj_id=40063 

More LOONEY TUNES: new pics from BACK IN ACTION here:http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Comedy/Looney_Tunes_Back_in_Action 

BROTHER BEAR in the UK: UCI Cinema-goers are invited to FREE ADVANCED screenings on Saturday 22nd November for Disney's latest hit feature. We have the full details: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000186.html 

SHREK 2 is now online! The new DreamWorks teaser site currently points to the film's very funny teaser trailer:http://www.shrek2.com/ 

Scary Movie 3 screenwriter Craig Mazin is writing the Opus screenplay, based on Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County comic strip, according to Coming Soon: http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2224 

MIDSUMMER DREAM: a 3D animated feature from Spain, has been picked up for international distribution. Production began in June 2002, with a European release set for July 2005. We have more here:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000211.html 



----DVD RELEASES---- 

FINDING NEMO swam onto a packed 2-disc DVD this week. Early sales indicate the biggest release on the format ever, shifting 8 million units on its first day of release! 

Chud.com takes an unabashed look at the two lesser Warner toon releases from last week. The webtoon "Reality Check" and "Stranger Than Fiction" discs get the once over -- but beware of frank and off the cuff remarks!http://www.chud.com/chudvd/reviews/looney1.php3 

The not-so-cool Ralph Bakshi feature COOL WORLD debuts on disc this week. DVD File and DVD Toons both take the same view: what went wrong? 
File: http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_7/coolworld.html 
Toons: http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/244 

Ultimate Disney DVD reports the rumor that this year's Walt Disney Treasures could be being pushed back until May of next year! Many were waiting to add more Mickey, a Donald collection, plus Wartime cartoons and Ward Kimball's "Space" films for the DisneyLand TV show to their libraries this December. No news yet, but let's hope it stays a rumor:http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ 



----INTERVIEWS---- 

Michael Barrier talked with Chuck Jones layout artist John McGrew in September 1995 and recently posted the interview on his site: http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/McGrew/interview_john_mcgrew.htm 



----TELEVISION / THEMED / STAGE---- 

CHARLIE BROWN is heading for TV again: this Christmas he'll star with the Peanuts gang in a new show, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!, airing on ABC on December 9, while the original classic A Charlie Brown Christmas airs a week earlier on December 2. Toon Zone has the full details: http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=93553 

Variety reports that SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS is headed to the stage as a musical -- but only as a 28-minute adaptation for DisneyLand. Playbill has more: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82562.html 



----BUSINESS---- 

BIG IDEA PRODUCTIONS, creators of the popular Veggie Tales video line, has been approved for sale to Classic Media, owners of such copyrights as Rocky and Bullwinkle, Richie Rich and Casper. AWN has the full story:http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=top&newsitem_no=9527 

Animation Magazine announced that ROLAND POINDEXTER has been made Senior VP, Action-Adventure Properties, a newly created position that calls for him to oversee all aspects of Warner Bros. Animation's creative development of action-adventure properties, and supervise creative direction of selected current series as well as develop animated specials for kids and adults. More here: http://www.animationmagazine.net/ 

Following Disney's lead last week, Animation World Network reports that Sennari Inc. and Bullwinkle Studios are partnering to offer "games, screen savers and ringtones" to cell phone customers:http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=cat&category1=Internet+And+Interactive&newsitem_no=9532 

PIXAR announced their financial results for its fiscal third quarter: http://corporate.pixar.com/news/20031106-121926.cfmThe Reuters news service has more, including Wall Street analysis:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9127-2003Nov6.html 



----WRAP UP---- 

That's all for this week, folks! Don't forget to visit us online at www.animated-news.com and contribute through our forums:http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/ 

Have a great week, 
The Animated-News Team. 


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