Subject: Animated News Weekly

11/09/03 - 11/15/03

Hello, and 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. Making headlines this week... 


----FEATURE FILMS---- 

This weekend sees the release of the LOONEY TUNES return to the screen, BACK IN ACTION. As with many big budget, special effects and animation films, reviews are mixed, but these three gave it glowing reports: 
Roger Ebert/Chicago Sun - http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-looney14f.html 
Hollywood Reporter - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2024430 
LA Times (free registration required) -http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-dargis14nov14,2,2346813.story?coll=cl-home-more-channels 

And, if you haven't seen it yet, or live outside the US, French site CineMovies posted no less than ten BACK IN ACTION clips in QuickTime format: http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_extrait.php?IDfilm=1579 

Despite the hype, LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION doesn't look like it's found much of a first day audience, taking only $2,140,000 in a distant seventh place, from 2903 screens. BROTHER BEAR meanwhile, continues to draw in the crowds, with $2,514,000 from 3030 screens, finishing fourth place. 

Animation World Network confirms in an article that Glen Keane's RAPUNZEL UNBRAIDED has officially begun production, and that Lilo And Stitch's Chris Sanders is writing a new feature for the Studio, AN AMERICAN DOG:http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=top&newsitem_no=9565 

MY PEOPLES seems to have finally beaten the Disney execs, who supposedly shut down production this week. The 2D/3D film has been through a number of troubles over its production history, including various title changes. We have the full story here:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000269.html 

SHARKTALE, DreamWorks' follow-up to next May's Shrek 2, may have its teaser trailer debut in front of copies of DW's The Cat In The Hat, or New Line's LOTR: Return Of The King. SharkTale recently had its release date brought back to October 1st, so as not to clash with Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles on November 5th. 

More DreamWorks, and director Tim Johnson has been talking to the UK's Empire Online about the Studio's upcoming films OVER THE HEDGE and TUSKER: http://www.empireonline.co.uk/news/news.asp?story=5161 

The Big Cartoon Forum reports on FINDING NEMO's nomination in the European Film Academy's Prix Screen International award, as best non-European film. Other US-films in competition are Kill Bill, Lost In Translation, and Mystic River. Full details:http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=14428 

The BCF also notes that THE SEARCH FOR MICKEY MOUSE is now estimated to arrive as Disney's 50th feature in 2012, while the third FANTASIA film, rumored for either late 2005 or 2006 is now going under the new name of THE MUSIC PROJECT:http://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/detailed.cgi?film=25093&p=n 

Miramax gets animated - following the success of the BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT home video release, the collaboration between Disney-owned Miramax and the Lego company is set to continue with another DTV project to be followed by a third, theatrically released film. The Hollywood Reporter has the details:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2026995 

Live-action toons: sequels to THE CAT IN THE HAT and SCOOBY DOO are already in production. SCOOBY 2 comes out next March, while The Cat In The Hat Comes Back is set to shoot next summer, with all principals returning. Warners just made a Hi-Res Scooby teaser available: http://media.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/scoobydoo2/teaser/trailer_hi/teaser_a.mov 

According to the Done Deals sales page, Disney has picked up the magical novel WHICH WITCH? for their Feature Animation department: http://www.scriptsales.com/DDScriptSales.htm. Meanwhile, we have some more news on the film, plus a possible chance that we'll see Berkeley Breathed's OPUS movie distributed by Disney's Buena Vista:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000273.html 



----DVD RELEASES---- 

Various sites online have picked up on the moving of this year's wave of WALT DISNEY TREASURES to next May 2004. This bad news has been confirmed, so that Disney can meet the demand in pre-sales these sets have created. Amazon.com is listing a May 6th shipping date. 

SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS has a fairly rough ride over at DVD Toons. Although the film itself doesn't score many points, DreamWorks look to have put together a decent disc for their last 2D animated film: http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/246 

INVADER ZIM is headed for DVD! The popular anime series is scheduled for Spring 2004, and we have more details here:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000221.html 

JAPANIMATION at AICN - they take a look at new and upcoming disc and feature film releases:http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16504 



----INTERVIEWS---- 

Antonio Banderas talks to USA Today about his feline role in next year's SHREK 2, in which he voices the legendary swordscat, Puss In Boots. The story also elaborates on some other new characters and plot:http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-11-09-banderas-shrek_x.htm 



----CHARACTERS AND HISTORY---- 

The classic stop motion of TV-special producers Rankin/Bass is tributed in the live-action comedy Elf, currently packing theaters. Animation legend Ray Harryhausen also provides a voice for one of the characters, adding to the tipping of the hats to animation's past. Animation magazine has the full article: http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1762 

The Los Angeles Times looks back at Disney TV Animation's 20 year history, as well as a look into the future at some of their 50-or-so projects in various stages of development:http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-fi-diztv10nov10,2,2839576.story?coll=cl-tvent 

Following the LA Times story, Animation Magazine (subscription required) reports on one of those new Disney TV projects, DAVE THE BARBARIAN, a comic show about a brawny non-barbarian's demeanor. Dave prefers the finer things in life, like origami, bird watching and gourmet cooking. Unfortunately, he and his offbeat family have to protect themselves and their kingdom from a world of odd foes! Coming to the Disney Channel, here's a first look:http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1768 

Animation Blast lets us know that Pixar animator Bobby Podesta has launched a new online comic strip, published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Six Foot Six Year Old can be found here: http://www.sixfootsixyearold.com/index.php 

Another strip online: Derrick Fish's Dandy And Company follows "trials and tribulations of a dog and his boy":http://www.dandyandcompany.com/ 

Michel Gagné, known for his animation and design work on The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones and Star Wars: Clone Wars, is to re-issue his first four, hard to find storybooks in one volume. We have the official press release:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000265.html 

Penny Singleton, who brought vocals to Jane Jetson in Hanna-Barbera's THE JETSONS, died in California on Wednesday, two weeks after suffering a stroke. She was 95. 



----TELEVISION / MUSIC / STAGE---- 

Phil Collins' music video for "Look Through My Eyes", from BROTHER BEAR, is available for download on the official soundtrack site, also featuring snippets of the other songs on the CD: http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/soundtracks/brotherbear/ 

DUCK DODGERS, the upgraded Cartoon Network update of the classic Chuck Jones cartoon, is now recording vocals for a second season! Toon Zone has the full details, plus links to production members' websites:http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=93944 

Begun, the CLONE WARS hype has! The cartoon take on Lucas' space opera is running now across the globe. International viewers in the UK and Asia didn't have as long a wait as expected. Showing on Cartoon Network in the US, the show is also a hit on Toonami in the UK, and Cartoon Network Asia. A further 10 episodes are due next spring, while a DVD should be available soon after, bridging the gap between Episodes II and III. 

The path of kids book CURIOUS GEORGE to the screen gets "curiouser and curiouser". Now The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Universal Home Video is teaming with Imagine Entertainment and PBS' WGBH Boston for an animated preschool show for TV:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2024137 
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN, a 26-part animated adventure described as "Buffy The Vampire Slayer Meets The X-Files", is headed to the Cartoon Network for the current 2003-2004 season. ICv2 News has the full details on the Sunrise Animation show:http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/3870.html 



----BUSINESS---- 

A new Disney park being built currently in Hong Kong may soon have a younger "sibling" - Reuters reports that a further park is in the planning for Shanghai:http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=TIXK2MKFG2CJMCRBAEKSFFA?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=3812879 

Michael Eisner, the CEO-chairman of Disney, is to be honoured on December 5th by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. Yahoo News has more on the event, at which Phil Collins is expected to perform:http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031112/law025a_1.html 
It's official! Steve Martin will step into Peter Sellers, Alan Arkin and, yes, Roger Moore's shoes to play the bumbling French detective Inspector Clouseau in the upcoming BIRTH OF THE PINK PANTHER, to be directed by Ivan Reitman. MGM recently made the announcement, reported by the Hollywood Reporter:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2029268 



----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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