Subject: Animated News Weekly

03/06/05 – 03/12/05:

Hello, and welcome again to the Animated News Weekly. Please copy and paste any split links into your browser for more info on a given subject. This week’s movers and shakers…



----THE IGER SANCTION----

And, in the predictable department this week, it was finally confirmed that Robert Iger, current president of The Walt Disney Company, would be replacing Michael Eisner as CEO, effective from September 2005. Eisner is rumored to be circling the board for some kind of “honorary” role, which would mean that this latest round of musical chairs in the Disney executive suite would amount to little more than a few title changes. Best bet is for Iger to break free and run wit his gut, rather than as the ghost of a ghost of a CEO. Full links here:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003190.html



----FEATURE FILMS----

TOY STORY 3 – and the director is… Bradley Raymond, who has the distinction of directing both the best (Lion King 1½) and worst (Hunchback II) of Disney’s direct-to-video sequels. He steps into the huge shoes of original director John Lasseter in creating the Pixar-less picture:
http://cganimation.blogspot.com/2005/03/toy-story-3-director-signs.html

TOY STORY 3 – as the film gains a director, it loses a star: John “Hamm” Ratzenberger has turned down the chance to reprise his character and stay a “Pixar Guy”:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003186.html

SHREK 4 – Tim Sullivan has been hired to write part four:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003163.html

ROBOTS – Fender and Napoleon Dynamite battle it out for best dance act:
http://www.napoleonvsfender.com/

ROBOTS – photos from the premiere:
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1808512304&cf=premgal

ROCKFISH – Blur’s CGI short looks to be expanding to feature length under Vin Diesel’s One Race Films banner:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003178.html

HORTON HEARS A WHO – an early rumor that we broke last year turns out to have been true: this looks like the next feature up for Blue Sky:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003182.html

VALIANT – the US release, through Disney, has been pushed back four months to August 19 2005, but Valiant is still on track to come out in the UK next week, with a recent website update:
http://www.valiantmovie.co.uk/indexflash.html



----DVD RELEASES----

THE INCREDIBLES – DVD Toons does their customary in-depth job, with this exhaustive review. Incredible DVD? Only just:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/387

NAUSICAA Of The Valley Of The Wind also gets the DVD Toons once over:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/386

PCAHONTAS – what’s in store later this year with the new 10th Anniversary Edition? Check out this early look at the REGION 2 version that’s out in Europe now:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7772

THE MASK, SON OF THE MASK and RACING STRIPES – disc details for these new releases:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003169.html

HE-MAN coming to disc in July:
http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=2223

THE INCREDIBLES – website updated to reflect the DVD arrival:
http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/incredibles/

POOH’S HEFFALUMP HALLOWEEN MOVIE – milking it for all its worth, the Heffalump returns this September in another direct-to-video sequel:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007Z9R6G/thehomeimprovemz/104-1905832-8848705



----INTERVIEWS----

CHRIS WEDGE and STEVEN LISBERGER talk old times and new tricks as the Tron pioneer chats to Robots’ director:
http://www.animationtrip.com/item.php?id=558



----CHARACTERS AND HISTORY----

TOMORROW-LAND – a look at the history and mystery surrounding Ward Kimball’s ground-braking sci-fi films for the Disney TV show in the 1950s:
http://www.o-meon.com/pages/news%26features/n%26f_03-08-05.html

VANCE GERRY – the multiply talented Disney artist, who died recently, is remembered:
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=1335

WARD KIMBALL’S HOME MOVIES – April 21 is the date to remember in Hollywood to see rare footage shot by the Disney animator/director:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003181.html

ANATOMY OF CARTOON CHARACTERS – we all know what they look like, but how do their skeletal structures work out?:
http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons



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

ON THE RECORD – the Disney musical review has new tour dates and a soundtrack CD on the way:
http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00003173.html

THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ – a teaser for the new TV special of the “classic tale as it was never meant to be told”:
http://www.muppetcentral.com/news/2005/index.shtml



----BUSINESS----

Closing this week back in the also-predictable dept: Roy Disney and Stanley Gold respond to the Bob Iger announcement:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050313/nysu022_2.html



----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.


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