On its opening day, take a look behind the scenes of Disney’s first CG animated feature, \\Chicken Little\\. QUICKTIME: little | big WINDOWS MEDIA: little | big

In addition to being Disney’s first entirely computer generated animated film, \\Chicken Little\\ will also be the first film screened in Disney Digital 3-D, a new technology created in collaboration with Dolby Laboratories and Industrial Light & Magic. More information about Disney Digital 3-D, a commercial promoting the film in this format, and a full […]

On a day when Aardman Animaton planned on celebrating this weekend’s box office success, things went sour when a warehouse used to store props and sets from past projects caught fire this morning in Bristol, England, according to {{link http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/10/aardman.fire/index.html CNN}}. No one was in the building at the time and no one was hurt. […]

One of the projects of interest to animation fans being shown and launched at this year’s MIPCOM, the audiovisual content show hosted in Cannes later this month, is \\Ginja Ninja\\ (pronounced like “Ginger”, to rhyme with “Ninja”). The live-action show mixes the traditions of classic silent comedies with highly visual storytelling, slapstick situations, and big […]

Advertising for \\The Curse of the Were-Rabbit\\ has been banned from the Isle of Portland, Dorset in the United Kingdom, according to \\{{link http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1815040,00.html The Times}}\\. For over a century local superstition has considered the word “rabbit” to be bad luck. The word is not used by the locals who use terms like “underground mutton” […]

{{link http://movies.aol.com/behind_the_scenes_wallace_gromit_movie Moviefone}} goes behind the scenes of \\The Curse of the Were-Rabbit\\ to learn about the work necessary to bring Wallace and Gromit to life with these two videos.

In a surprising announcement, Disney said yesterday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that Michael Eisner “resigned his board seat last Friday and will not serve as a company consultant, as he had been entitled to do under his employment agreement”, according to the {{link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051007/ap_on_bi_ge/disney_eisner AP}}. After resigning as CEO in September Eisner […]

DreamWorks/Aardman’s \\The Curse of the Were-Rabbit\\ opens today in 3,645 theatres, according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2005&wk=40&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}, who {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/forecast/ predict}} a first place finish for the weekend with $14.8 million. {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=248729 Rotten Tomatoes}} says “this \\Curse\\ is a blessing. Or, more to the point, it’s the best-reviewed wide release of the year […]

Take a sneak peek at \\The Curse of the Were-Rabbit\\ with these seven clips from the movie, available in four different sizes in Quicktime, Windows Media, and Real Player formats.

After 21 years at the helm, Michael Eisner will step down as chief executive of The Walt Disney Company today. Reports from around the web look at his legacy: “Just days before exiting his post as CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Michael Eisner… called his 21 years at Disney “the most gratifying experience in […]

\\Corpse Bride\\ made $20.1 million in its (wide) opening weekend, according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2005&wknd=38&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. That puts the fim right at {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/forecast/ Mojo’s}} prediction, $4 million short of {{link http://www.boxofficereport.com/wbon/forecast.shtml Box Office Report’s}} prediction, and $4 million above {{link http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=9189 Box Office Prophet’s}} prediction.

Not sure whether you should see \\Corpse Bride\\? Or just got any other question you need an answer to? Why not {{link http://www.askthedead.com/ Ask the Dead}}? This \\Corpse Bride\\ themed ouija board can get you the answer you seek from beyond the grave! OK, maybe not, but it’s still fun!

Warner Brothers’ \\Corpse Bride\\ opens today in 3,204 theatres, according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2005&wk=38&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}, who {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/forecast/ predict}} a second place finish for the weekend with $20 million. {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=243728 Rotten Tomatoes}} calls it “one of the best reviewed wide releases of the year”. The film has an 81% fresh rating on the […]

Send an email to your friends reminding them of tomorrow’s opening of \\Corpse Bride\\ with Warner Brothers’ {{link http://www.bonymail.com/ Bony Mail}} . Using a skeletal finger on a foggy mirror you can write a message to a friend, who will get to see your message written by the bony hand!

Someone has captured this {{link http://www.sept23.com/ freaky home video}} of what appears to be a real \\Corpse Bride\\ at an unnamed graveyard. The cameraman says he is not sure if what he heard and saw was “just my imagination, but see for yourself”. If you can’t see what he’s talking about, at 20 seconds into […]

Kids’ WB! will be unleashing three new series tomorrow, Saturday, September 17th, as part of The WB’s fall season, all produced by Warner Brothers Animation: Loonitics Unleashed, Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island, and Johnny Test. For a preview of each read on!

\\{{link http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pixar27aug27,1,786367.story The L.A. Times}}\\ reports that Pixar Animation Studios is confirming they are the focus of a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry. Though neither the SEC nor Pixar are commenting on the subject of the inquiry, “analysts speculated that it might concern the sharp drop in revenue reported by the company in its second […]

{{link http://www.bluetights.net/bulletin_list.php Blue Tights Adventure Network}} has a video journal with \\Superman Returns\\ director Bryan Singer on his way and at San Diego Comic-Con. Singer answers fan questions, shows footage of the film, and gets his hair cut.

Disney/Vanguard’s \\Valiant\\ opened in a disappointingly low 7th place this weekend according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2005&wknd=33&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. In its debut weekend the film brought in about $6.1 million.

According to {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/umdguide/index.html#umdreleaselist The Digital Bits}}, on September 6th DVD won’t be the only disc format to get \\Toy Story – 10th Anniversary Edition\\. The film will also be Buena Vista’s first animated UMD video release. UMD (Universal Media Disc) is a Sony created disc format for use on their PlayStation Portable entertainment system. […]

Disney/Vanguard’s \\Valiant\\ opens today in 2,014 theatres, a surprisingly low number. {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2005&wk=33&p=.htm Ten other films}}, including the documentary \\March of the Penguins\\ (which has been out for 9 weeks already), are in more theatres. {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/forecast/ Box Office Mojo}} predicts a 4th place finish this weekend, with the film taking in $8.2 million. \\Valiant\\ […]

Confirming rumors we’ve been hearing all day, {{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/people/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001017139 The Hollywood Reporter}} and {{link http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=14650 AWN}} report that Joe Ranft was killed Tuesday afternoon in a car accident. Ranft worked on many of the most beloved modern classics out of Disney and Pixar, including: writing for \\The Brave Little Toaster\\, \\Oliver & Company\\, \\The Rescuers […]

According to {{link http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200508/200508080004.html Digital Chosunilbo}}, the traditionally animated film \\Empress Chung\\ will be released in South Korea today, and in North Korea on August 15. Eight years in the making, the film marks the very first time North and South Korea have collaborated to create a movie. The film follows one of Korea’s favorite […]

{{link http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ducktales-chipndale-dvdsets-factsheet.html Ultimate Disney}} reports that \\Duck Tales\\ and \\Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers\\ will be coming to DVD on November 8th. Both popular animated series of the late ’80s and early ’90s will get 3 disc sets priced at $34.99 each. No details on features have been revealed as of yet. Thanks to several […]

Animated News is looking for new contributors! With the continuing development of the site, the current staff is looking for new, enthusiastic and articulate animation fans with plenty of spare time to come and write up animated news stories from around the web. If you’re interested in joining our team, read on for details!

The August 2005 issue of \\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/ Animation Magazine}}\\ has a few details on Sony Pictures Animation’s 2007 feature \\Surf’s Up\\ that they picked up at the Licensing 2005 International: “\\Surf’s Up\\ is a CG toon mockumentary which reveals the little-known fact that penguins were the actual inventors of surfing. Ash Brannon (\\Toy Story 2\\) […]

The {{link http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2005/05.06.24.html Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences}} has extended membership invitations to 112 people who have distinguished themselves in the film industry. The group will be the only new voting members invited to join the organization in 2005. Among them are Pixar and Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and several others in the […]

In more sad news for \\Winnie the Pooh\\ fans, John Fiedler, the voice of Piglet, passed away on June 25 according to {{link http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/27/obit.fiedler.ap CNN}}. The stage and screen actor became the voice of Pooh’s “ever-worrying” friend when his naturally high-pitched voice was noticed. “Walt Disney heard it on a program and said, ‘That’s Piglet’ […]

Paul Winchell, best known as the voice of Tigger in Disney’s \\Winnie the Pooh\\ cartoons and Gargamel in \\The Smurfs\\, has died at the age of 82, according to the {{link http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050626/D8AVA1TO0.html Associated Press}}. Winchell began his career as a ventriloquist in the 1930s, and went on to star in his own TV shows in […]

\\{{link http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fi-animate19jun19,1,83088.story The L.A. Times}}\\ takes an in-depth look at a major shift in animation away from big budget/big studio produced films. “Increasingly, major studios are relying on independent producers such as Vanguard in Los Angeles, Wild Brain Inc. in San Francisco and Threshold Animation Studios in Santa Monica to help feed their expanding pipelines […]