Subject: Animated News Weekly

11/16/03 - 11/22/03 

Hello, and here's the Animated News Weekly for this week. Please copy and paste any split links into your browser for more info on a given subject. This week's big stories... 



----FEATURE FILMS---- 

On it's way to Oscar gold? AnimWatch has an exclusive with art director Evgeni Tomova, on the promotional tour for the amazing THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE: http://www.animwatch.com/Feature04-Triplets.shtml 

More TRIPLETS: director Sylvain Chomet talks technical over at Animation World Network:http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=1923 

Official word on MY PEOPLES: Yes, it's shut down production, as we revealed last week. The LA Times has the full details, which doesn't bode well for the folks in Florida: http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-fi-disney15nov15,2,6422473.story 
Animated News has more: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000280.html 
Jim Hill Media elaborates more on what the shuttering could really mean:http://www.jimhillmedia.com/legacy/index.htm?../articles/11202003.1.htm~contentFrame 

Disney's planned THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS feature took a slight stumble this week when director Guillermo Del Toro (currently finishing off the upcoming Hellboy adaptation), left the project. Dark Horizons has the low-down from the man himself: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031117a.php 

KAENA: THE PROPHECY has been given a June 2004 release date, according to Yahoo's Greg's Previews page:http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808403007&intl=us 

Enki Bilal, the French comic book artist, is bringing his NIKOPOL trilogy to the screen in a series of CG features he is directing himself. The sci-fi adaptations arrive in theaters next March, while we have the full details and a teaser link here:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000294.html 

AMPAS, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this week announced the eleven films eligible to be nominated in this year's BEST ANIMATED FEATURE category: http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2003/03.11.19.a.html 
DreamWorks is keeping out of the competition, withholding Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas due to its box-office (under)performance: http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1806 
My Toon Cents, over at DVD Toons, has an analysis on who to expect as the "big three" for the eventual nomination list, as well as a critical look at THE POLAR EXPRESS teaser that went online last week: http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/58 

ANDY SERKIS, who brought the role of Gollum to life through voice and a physical performance that was motion captured by computer, is rumored to next team with director Peter Jackson again, for 2005's KING KONG. If this is the case, Serkis better stop shaving now! VFX World goes ape over this news:http://vfxworld.com/?sa=adv&code=3631a5a1&atype=news&id=9645 

FOX ANIMATION, BLUE SKY and CHRIS WEDGE are set to continue their collaborations after the upcoming ROBOTS and ICE AGE 2 (possibly subbed THE MELTDOWN) with THE WAINSCOTT WEASEL, a new book acquisition. Animated News has the full Hollywood reported link, plus a look at the original book: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000314.html 



----DVD RELEASES---- 

The MagicalEars website has a list of TENTATIVE RELEASE SCHEDULE from Buena Vista (Disney/Touchstone/Miramax) Home Video over the next few months. Titles are releases are subject to change, but good to see what's coming:http://magicalears.com/films/animation/ComingUp/FutureReleases.php 

The Digital Bits Rumor Mill suggests that director Ralph Bakshi is due to record a audio commentary for his 1977 fantasy WIZARDS, due out on disc next year from Fox: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html 

FINDING NEMO swims into the history books: Video Business Online reported 20 million home video units, including 15 million DVDs had been sold in the film's first 12 days on home release:http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=6533&catType=NEWS 

The great 1995 documentary film on the legendary animators FRANK THOMAS and OLLIE JOHNSTON was released to a wide disc release this past Tuesday. Early word is that it's still rather hard to find, with stores such as Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart not even having it show up on their systems, so the best bet is to order online. We have the right link, plus the specs for the disc, right here: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000289.html 

The Animation Nation Forum landed two new Mickey Mouse images, one each from upcoming features THE THREE MUSKETEERS and TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS. We have these first looks here:http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000293.html 

SLINKY DOG follows Barbie into the lucrative home video market with his first full-length CGI animated adventure, coming 2004. Animation Magazine jumps on the story here: http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1807 

ROBOTECH, the 80s animated action show, is headed for a DVD box set, featuring newly remastered and transferred picture and sound. Animation Magazine (paid subscription needed) has more:http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1818 



----INTERVIEWS---- 

Sam Jackson reveals that he is NOT the bad guy in Pixar's upcoming Brad Bird-directed THE INCREDIBLES, but is in fact Mr Incredible's best friend. Tiscali Entertainment has the full chat online:http://www.tiscali.co.za/tiscali/entertainment/entertainment_story.jsp?content=109769 



----CHARACTERS AND HISTORY---- 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY! November 18th marked the 75th Birthday of the world's most famous mouse, with articles popping up on TV and the web throughout the day. The Sun Sentinel took a look back at Mickey's career:http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-1117mickeymouse,0,3592155.story?coll=sfla-business-front 

Animation Magazine opened its webpage with a wonderful montage effect (Flash 5 needed) and audio with Walt Disney as Mickey, on the occasion of the mouse's 20th Birthday in 1948: http://www.animationmagazine.net/ 

The American Film Institute is to name the 100 GREATEST MOVIE SONGS in a three-hour marathon next June, says The Hollywood Reporter. Since animation films regularly feature either narrative song spots or ballads over their closing credits, look for a good turn out from this contingent. Visit our Forum Thread and vote yourself:http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98 

USA Today skips Mickey's birthday celebration and heads for FELIX THE CAT, with a fun story that looks at this rather forgotten, but no less interesting, character:http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/popcandy/2003-11-18-pop-candy_x.htm 

MICHAEL KAMEN, the brilliant composer of scores for films in series such as Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, as well as one-offs like the first X-Men, Terry Gilliam's Brazil and Brad Bird's The Iron Giant, has died in his London home, as the result from a heart attack. He was only 55. 



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

Steve Ogden's ANIMWATCH website, which covers all forms of independent animation, had an upgrade this week to include features on the new Creature Comforts series: http://www.animwatch.com/ 

Broadway.com reports that Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz is to join the cast of Disney Theatricals' AIDA:http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=32162&CT=38 

Jim Hill Media adds to the Disney stage show news this week, with a look at what is in development and what we can expect from DreamWorks' entry onto "the boards":http://www.jimhillmedia.com/legacy/index.htm?../articles/guest/hackney.11212003.1.htm~contentFrame 

Baby Stewie to return? Apparently, DVD sales of Fox's FAMILY GUY are so strong that the company is looking to revive the series, with a possible 35 new shows for the 2005 season. USA Today delves deeper:http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-11-18-family-guy_x.htm 

KING OF THE HILL is set to continue. Coming Soon (reporting an original Variety story) says that Etan Cohen has made a pact that keeps him with the show for two seasons, while creator Mike Judge is to direct the live-action 3001, a Futurama-styled comedy that sees a man from today waking up a thousand years from now:http://comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2385 



----BUSINESS---- 

Though there are animation lay-offs aplenty these days at the Mouse House, it seems that it's no expense spared when trying to snag awards. The LA Times has the full story: http://www.latimes.com/la-et-horn16nov16,1,3968503.story 

The LA Times also writes on a story concerning safety laws at the theme parks: namely, should the rides be seen as transportation and be governed by those rules? An interesting thought, though isn't the purpose of transport to get you from A to B, while rides literally take you full circle, from A to A? Here's the story:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-disney18nov18235631,1,4057455.story 



----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. 


---------------------------------------------------------- 

Disclaimer: The news shared in this email contains material and links to other non-associated websites. Animated-News.com is not responsible for any consequences arising from the participating and use of these sites, and cannot be held liable for any content that may prove to be untrue, or stories that may later have elements within them changed by the creators of the reported projects. Original content ©2003 Animated-News.com.