{{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa97.html#spo The Digital Bits}} has picked up a rumor that Paramount may be releasing \\Star Trek: The Complete Animated Series\\ on DVD on March 15. Originally aired in 1973 on NBC, \\Star Trek: The Animated Series\\ was at the time the most expensive animated series ever made, coming in at $75,000 per half-hour episode. […]

Ricky Gervais, the creator and star of the British hit show \\The Office\\, will be writing and lending his voice to an episode of \\The Simpsons\\ at the personal invitation of Matt Groening, according to {{link http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Television&newsitem_no=12735 AWN}}. “I’ve got the rough idea, but this is the most intimidating project of my career,” Gervais said. […]

According to his {{link http://www.kellyfreas.com website}}, Frank Kelly Freas, one of the most prolific and popular science fiction artists in the world, died yesterday. In his long varied career as an artist Freas: illustrated stories for Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt, and many others; did covers for \\Mad Magazine\\; […]

\\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=3360 Animation Magazine}}\\ reports that \\Spider-Man 2\\ will be the first major motion picture to be screened using Sony’s new 4K Digital Projection System. The screening will take place on January 13 at the Entertainment Technology Center’s Digital Cinema Lab at the Hollywood Pacific Theatre, to be followed by a panel discussion on the […]

Stage, screen, and TV actor Jerry Orbach has died of prostate cancer at 69. Orbach gave voice to Lumiere in \\Beauty and the Beast\\ where he gave an unforgettable performance in the Academy Award nominated song \\Be Our Guest\\. He also voiced Sa’luk in \\Aladdin and the King of Thieves\\, where he again turned in […]

{{link http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_product.asp?master_movie_id=24545 }}Max and Dave Fleischer’s 1936 classic \\Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor\\ and a rarely seen short by (hand drawn and stop motion) animator Charley Bowers titled \\There It Is\\ have been added to the {{link http://www.loc.gov/film/nfr2004.html National Film Registry}} according to the head of Library of Congress, James Billington. Each year […]

Roy Disney has posted an open letter on the {{link http://www.savedisney.com/letters/shareholder_proposal122204.asp Save Disney}} website coming out against a recent proposal by Disney shareholder Frank Wierenga that would reserve a seat on the Board of Directors for a member of the Disney family. Disney said while he appreciated the sentiment behind the proposal he warned that […]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencens has {{link http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2004/04.12.17a.html announced}} the list of seven films that are being considered for nomination for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the upcoming Academy Awards. They are: \\The Aviator\\, \\The Day After Tomorrow\\, \\Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban\\, \\I Robot\\, \\Lemony Snicket’s A […]

\\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=3302 Animation Magazine}}\\ reports that DreamWorks is moving the release of \\Shrek 3\\ from November 2006 to May 2007. Yesterday DreamWorks Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg said, “The sheer magnitude of the Shrek franchise has led us to conclude that a May release date, with a DVD release around the holiday season, will enable us […]

{{link http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2004/12/08/ap1700088.html Forbes}} reports that Pixar’s stock fell almost 5% on the news that they were delaying the release of \\Cars\\ by more than half a year. “Without \\Cars\\, Pixar next year must rely solely on home-video sales of the recent blockbuster \\The Incredibles\\ when the DVD is released during the spring”. However, some observers […]

The ABC television network will once again air the holiday classic \\A Charlie Brown Christmas\\ tonight at 8pm ET. Created by the popular Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in 1965, the hour long special will also include a series of Christmas-themed animated stories entitled \\Charlie Brown Christmas\\ Tales, based on Schulz’s work, in which several […]

The nominees for the {{link http://www.grammy.com/ 47th Grammy Awards}} were announced today. Among them \\Shrek 2\\ was nominated for “Best Compilation Soundtrack Album”, and \\Belleville Rendez-Vous\\ from \\The Triplets Of Belleville\\ and \\Accidentally In Love\\ from \\Shrek 2\\ were nominated for “Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television”. The Grammy Awards will be handed […]

Walt Disney and Pixar have announced that they are moving the release date of Pixar’s upcoming animated feature film, \\Cars\\, from November 2005 to June 9, 2006. Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios said, “The move from November 2005 to June 2006 makes perfect sense. \\Cars\\ is the quintessential summer film for audiences […]

The {{link http://www.asifa-hollywood.org ASIFA}} has announced the nominees for this year’s {{link http://www.annieawards.com/ Annie Awards}}, honoring the best in the world of animation. \\The Incredibles\\ led all films with 16 nominations, followed by \\Shrek 2\\ and \\Shark Tale\\ with 7 each. \\Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends\\ led all TV shows with 4 nominations. The winners […]

After passing \\The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie\\ on last weekends box office chart, \\The Polar Express\\ sped past \\The Incredibles\\ and became the top animated film this week according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2004&wknd=49&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. \\The Polar Express\\ moved up to third on the weekends box office with $11 million ($96.4 total), barely missing the number […]

The WB television network holiday slate this year features several perennial favorites, the biggest being the exclusive network broadcast airing of the \\The Wizard of Oz\\. The film will air on Sunday, December 19 at 7:30pm ET. \\The Wizard of Oz\\, based on the book by L. Frank Baum and starring Judy Garland, will be […]

A holiday tradition continues this week when the CBS television network begins airing its holiday animated specials. First up is the 40th anniversary broadcast of \\Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer\\ on tonight at 8pm ET. \\Rudolph\\ features a popular musical score from Johnny Marks and the voice talent of the legendary Burl Ives. It was produced […]

{{link http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article049.html MushroomVillage.com}} reports that DIC Entertainment has acquired the broadcast rights to 26 half-hour episodes of the classic cartoon series \\The Smurfs\\. “\\The Smurfs\\ will begin airing in January 2005 on the top-rated DIC Kid’s Network, a unique three-hour programming block designed to provide stations with children’s programming that meets ‘core’ FCC requirements. DIC […]

{{link http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=7361 ComingSoon.net}} notes that Cheech Marin has said in an interview that he is part of the cast for Pixar’s \\Cars\\. His character, named Ramon, is “the auto–body shop, paintjob and interior type guy. He’s a ’58 Chevy and every time you see him he’s got a new look, a new paintjob, new interior; […]

The three animated films released this month all remain in the top 5 at the box office this week according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2004&wknd=48&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. \\The Incredibles\\ held steady at #2 with $24 million ($214.7 million total). With the unofficial start of the Christmas season this past weekend \\The Polar Express\\ charged past \\The […]

Tonight is a great night for animation fans as two broadcast networks are airing two popular computer animated films. NBC will air DreamWorks’ \\Shrek\\, while FOX will air Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky’s \\Ice Age\\. Both begin at 7pm ET (barring sporting events running late). And for those able to receive it, both will air in […]

According to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2004-11-26&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}} estimates \\The Incredibles\\ topped the $200 million mark on Friday. The take is just below \\Finding Nemo\\, which had earned $213 million by its 22nd day of release, and well behind \\Shrek 2\\, which had earned $325 million by its 22nd day of release. \\The Incredibles\\’ box office […]

{{link http://voom.com/vhdo/mnst/index.jsp Monster HD}}, one of the Voom satellite television service original channels, will air a special Ray Harryhausen Triple Feature on Tuesday, November 30. The three films running back to back to back are \\It Came from Beneath the Sea\\, \\The Three Worlds of Gulliver\\, and \\One Million Years B.C\\. All the films will […]

Retailer {{link http://www.childrensplace.com/ The Children’s Place}} has announced that it has successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of the Disney Store retail chain in North America. Ezra Dabah, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Place said, “We believe that the Disney brand together with our retail expertise will be a powerful and profitable […]

\\{{link http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hkdisney23nov23,1,7240083.story The L.A. Times}}\\ reports that Disney has consulted a feng shui master to determine the opening date for Hong Kong Disneyland – September 12, 2005. The park’s group managing director Don Robinson said, “A lot of our work has gone through feng shui masters”. He added that they “assured us that Sept. 12 […]

Two relative newcomers will direct and write the fifth installment of the popular \\Harry Potter\\ film franchise according to a \\Variety\\ report at {{link http://www.cinecon.com/news.php?id=0411194 Cinema Confidential}}. \\Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix\\ will be directed by David Yates with a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg. Yates, who is more known for his televison […]

{{link http://www.cartoonbrew.com/ Cartoon Brew}}’s Jerry Beck reports that the long-suffering aways-in-limbo \\Lil’ Pimp\\ will finally see the light of release. On January 11th, 2005, the R-rated Flash made film, originally planned as a theatrical feature, will be released on DVD. Beck succinctly sums up the production’s troubled backstory: “It has a disasterous production history, stories […]

According to \\{{link http://www.thehollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000725285 The Hollywood Reporter}}\\, FOX will be airing an episode of \\Family Guy\\ that they once banned because of anti-Semitic concerns. Titled \\When You Wish Upon a Weinstein\\ and set for broadcast at 9:30pm ET December 10, “sources said the network was emboldened to air the episode because it has already run […]

{{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2004&wknd=47&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}} reports that \\The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie\\ opened with $32 million this weekend, coming in second to \\National Treasure\\’s $35.1 million. {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041121/nysu023_1.html Nick Movies}} notes that the take shatters “the previous record held by \\The Rugrats Movie\\ in 1998 at $27.3 million… to make it the strongest opening ever for […]

\\{{link http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,,1348509,00.html The Guardian}}\\ has a feature article titled \\How Pixar Conquered the Planet\\ that looks behind the scenes of “the most successful studio in the history of cinema”.