Subject: Animated News Weekly

03/01/04 – 03/06/04:

Hello, and what a week it’s been! As always, the Animated News Weekly brings you the biggest headlines. Please copy and paste any split links into your browser for more info on a given subject.



----DISNEY AND DISNEY: PHILADELPHIA 2004----

The newspapers were buzzing with reports of Roy Disney’s Save Disney “rally” in Philadelphia this week, along with the official Disney shareholders meeting in the same city.

At the beginning of the week, Newsweek took a look at the escalating pressure on Michael Eisner to deliver at the shareholders’ meeting, while The New York Times had the Disney board behind Eisner’s decisions. Business Wire re-printed the letter Disney sent out to its shareholders before the meeting, along with a “glowing” report on Eisner:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001001.html

Roy’s SaveDisney site naturally follows the breaking news, with a new video plea from Roy and photos from the “alternate” shareholders press conference, while Philly.com looks to the official Disney company meeting:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001009.html

As Wednesday morning broke, Google’s news search on “Disney/Philadelphia” steadily climbed from a filed 300 or so stories to well over 600! Check out those links here, as well as interviews with Michael Eisner, the Comcast point of view, and an online video report from BBC News. Also, Mouse Planet.com and Jim Hill clock in with reports on Roy’s SaveDisney fan campaign:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001010.html

“Disney dweebs” – the kind of people who want to “Save Disney”:
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0037_BC_WSJ--Disney-Fans&&news&newsflash-financial

When it came to the ACTUAL MEETING, Michael Eisner allowed time for Roy Disney and Stanley Gold to have their say. Gold spoke for precisely the given 15 minutes, while Disney spoke for another ten, with Eisner calling their claims “fundamentally wrong”. The floor was opened to comments from the shareholders, which yielded “emotional” remarks from the crowd:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001023.html

Reuters News Agency were first out of the gate with the first story after the meet ended:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=4490585§ion=news

US pension fund Calpers immediately called for Michael Eisner’s resignation, after the meeting showed over 40% of votes were withheld from his favor:
http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2004/03/03/rtr1285218.html

The Disney Board responded by stripping Eisner from his Chairman role, leaving in the post of CEO:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=&e=2&u=/ap/20040304/ap_on_bi_ge/disney_shareholders

Various sources began to print their takes on the events in progress, while The Walt Disney Company itself released an official statement:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001033.html

Disney president Robert Iger will follow up Wednesday’s official meeting with another presentation at the Bear Stearns 17th Annual Media, Entertainment and Information Conference this coming Tuesday, 9th March. The talk will be available via live webcast:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001021.html

Don’t forget: you can hear the official (very eventful and “emotional”) Disney shareholders’ meeting at their site’s webcast re-play, until March 10 at 5pm PST:
http://disney.go.com/corporate/investors/events/presentations.html

Our own James Whitson was in Philly for the two-day showdown. Here’s his full report:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001056.html



----FEATURE FILMS----

The Academy Awards began the week with a clean sweep for The Lord Of The Rings, while Nemo took home the predicted win for Best Animated Feature and Harvie Krumpet surprised by nabbing the Animated Short award. Here’s our re-cap of the evening, with quotes and pictures:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000996.html

Didn’t catch Barbara Walters’ SHREK interview before the big show? Have no fear, watch it here, as well as news of a new SHREK 3-D disc release:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000997.html

Disney, missing out on The Lord Of The Rings and the Harry Potter franchises, is teaming up with Walden Media to bring C S Lewis THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA books to the screen. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (actually the second of the series) is up first:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3719

In fact, there were a host of new Disney announcements this week, from various sources, including an UNTITLED VIKING ADVENTURE PROJECT:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=filmNews&storyID=4484884§ion=news

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN II and III will be filmed back to back for release in 2006, while TOY STORY 3 was officially confirmed, as well as a new Tim Allen remake of THE SHAGGY DOG and another DTV sequel, the previously thought cancelled BAMBI II:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001025.html

Could we see a CARS teaser attached to THE INCREDIBLES in November?:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001017.html

Check out the news CARS logo, CHICKEN LITTLE, INCREDIBLES and MARY POPPINS stage show art and posters from this year’s Disney investor presentations:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001045.html

Read the first online review of HOME ON THE RANGE, from Cartoon Research’s Jerry Beck:
http://www.cartoonresearch.com/reviews.html

Belleville’s SYLVAIN CHOMET’s next: BARBOCOA, a Paris set tale to be produced in Scotland:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001006.html

Oscar-winning short HARVIE KRUMPET at Miramax/Disney as a full feature? That’s what Dark Horizons says:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001008.html

More big-screen MARVEL COMICS: SPIDER-MAN 3, HULK 2 and more X-MEN on the way:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001020.html

Japan’s high-tech computer anime APPLESEED is set for US and European distribution:
http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=104354

More Japanese animation, this time from Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. Upcoming release dates and re-issue details here:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001054.html

Guess the voice of the lead character in the first independently made CGI movie, DELGO, and win tickets to the premiere:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001042.html



----DVD RELEASES----

BAMBI has been announced as next March’s Platinum Edition disc from Disney. Expect a lavish 2-disc set for one of Walt’s personal favorites:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/

Give LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION another chance on DVD, say writers for DVD Toons and Toon Zone. The disc was released this past Tuesday:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001003.html

Also out Tuesday was the wide DVD release of WALT: THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH. Links to reviews, an interview with Diane Disney-Miller and where to buy online, here:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001004.html

Menus for the upcoming DTV feature KIM POSSIBLE: A STITCH IN TIME, courtesy of DVD Toons – look for a review soon:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/news/527

Cover art for the anticipated DTV release MICKEY, DONALD AND GOOFY: THE THREE MUSKETEERS, up at Ultimate Disney:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/coverart.html#august

More on the animated short TROPIC ISLAND HUM, which will feature on the PAUL McCARTNEY: THE MUSIC AND ANIMATION COLLECTION disc, to be released by Miramax and also containing the wonderful film RUPERT AND THE FROG SONG:
http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=20608

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE comes to region 1 DVD on May 4, but lacks an actual French version of the film, as well as many of the region 2 extras. There is, however, a rumored Canadian release in the works, which would set this straight and might be well worth waiting for:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001018.html

“We wanna see your shorts”! Raider Productions are looking for submissions for their “Best of 2004” video and DVD compilations:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001043.html

Win Winnie The Pooh: SPRINGTIME WITH ROO discs. Hop on over to DVD Toons for one of five chances:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/news/530



----INTERVIEWS----

Just who is Triplets Of Belleville director SYLVAIN CHOMET anyway? The Chicago Sun Times finds out:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/movies/sho-sunday-triplets29.html

Michael Eisner made a surprising and last minute appearance on Nightline Wednesday evening. The transcript of his interview with Ted Koppel is here in full:
http://mickeyfan.netfirms.com/KoppelEisenr.html



----CHARACTERS AND HISTORY----

Michael Barrier on THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE and the channelling of The Ghost Of Dave Fleischer:
http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentary/Belleville/Belleville.htm

FUNNYPAGES PRODUCTIONS, set up by former Disney animators Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley, is open for business:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001007.html



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

Two new animated comedies were announced this week – THIS JUST IN for SpikeTV and BLUE ALOHA for Fox:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001000.html

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE TELEVISION SHOW – it’s happening in addition to the theatrical sequels, according to Bob Iger at the official Disney shareholders’ meeting:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00001024.html

Leslie Nielsen, an originally serious dramatic actor now known primarily for his comedy roles in Airplane, The Naked Gun and the Mr Magoo live-action film, is voicing animated character ZEROMAN for a new syndicated show:
http://u.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,211~23521~1994101,00.html

HOME ON THE RANGE rides into The Disney Store:
http://disney.store.go.com/DSSearch.process?restartflow=t&CLK=DS_11776_SEARCH_FRM&Searchstr=Home+on+the+Range&Go.x=12&Go.y=4



----BUSINESS----

The Disney/Slesinger Winnie The Pooh case continues, with the bear of very little thought (but worth many millions of dollars) heading for a ruling:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4484172§ion=news



----WRAP UP----

That’s all for this week, folks! Don’t forget to visit us online at http://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 ©2004 Animated-News.com.