Jim Hill Media writes the latest word on Meet the Robinsons, including the lowdown on its villain, the Bowler Hat Guy. The articles views the recent “fine-tuning” the film received, especially regarding its eccentric characters. Moreover, it is described how Robinsons director Steve Anderson, who voices the Bowler Hat Guy, was given suggestions on how […]

The Umbackagain blog contains the press release and poster for Uli Meyer Animation’s MonsterMania!, a computer-animated comedy starring an abundance of classic movie monsters. With an idea from Uli Meyer, Stephen Jones and Michael Marshall Smith, award-winning British horror writers Michael Marshall Smith and Stephen Jones crafted the film’s script. Using a budget of around […]

The Hollywood Reporter via Coming Soon reports that Jerry Lewis will lend his voice to at least two characters in The Weinstein Company’s animated adaptation of The Nutty Professor. This will mark the fourth time Lewis has been involved in a Nutty movie. In addition to acting the title role in the 1963 film, he […]

In a follow-up to last Thursday’s report of Mattel’s upcoming line of die-cast Cars cars, another EzBoard post reveals that cars inspired by Woody and Buzz Lightyear will be included in the mix. Meanwhile, DVD Active displays high-res cover artwork for the Cars DVD, racing into stores this November.

With SCI FI Wire, writer/director Kevin Munroe and producer Thomas Gray refer to next year’s Ninja Turtles film, TMNT. Inside the interview, it is discussed how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze might have hindered early progress on the new picture. Furthermore, the film’s scenery, including the Turtles’ lair, is explained.

A possible release date for Madagascar 2 has been learned by Dark Horizons. The sequel to the 2005 summer hit is expected to enter theaters on November 7, 2008.

USA Today posts a preview for the November 7th DVD release of Disney/Pixar’s Cars. Among the DVD’s features will be a sneak peek at next July’s Ratatouille; the short films Mater and the Ghostlight and One Man Band; and Inspiration for Cars, which explains the story behind the film.

Coming Soon indicates that Harvey Fierstein will play Heatmiser in NBC’s live-action remake of Rankin/Bass’ 1974 classic The Year Without a Santa Claus. The role was originally assigned to Chris Elliot, who had to leave the project for scheduling reasons. Santa Claus‘ cast also includes John Goodman, Delta Burke, Chris Kattan, Ethan Suplee, Michael McKean, […]

Star Trek: The Animated Series‘ DVD premiere will present two featurettes, three text commentaries, and three audio commentaries, says DVD Active, regarding the latest word on the set’s offering. In addition, the site is hosting high-res cover artwork for the title, displaying its packaging with and without a cardboard slip. Meanwhile, TV Shows on DVD […]

San Francisco-based Mova LLC is working to improve the motion-capture technology used in such movies as Monster House and The Polar Express, writes Yahoo! News/Associated Press. Employing a system of light flashes too quick for the human eye to detect, the Contour Reality Capture System is able to arrest movements that former motion-capture processes could […]

Coming Soon has collected four scenes (‘Cow Tipping/Boy Tipping,’ ‘Everett the Dog,’ ‘Have You Seen Otis,’ ‘You Have a Lot to Learn’) from Barnyard: The Original Party Animals. The site likewise has five video interviews with the movie’s stars: Sam Elliot, Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Andie MacDowell, and Director/Writer Steve Oedekerk.

Director Kevin Munroe and Producer Thomas Gray talk about next year’s TMNT, the CGI film debut of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The interviews especially regard the tone and target-audience for the movie.

Jim Hill Media points to an EzBoard post, where listed are past, present, and future die-cast Cars cars. A glimpse at the next line of toys on the way reveals “Radiator Springs” Lightning McQueen, the all-blue “young” Mater, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet racer, the Michael Schumacher Ferrari, a yellow Ramone and the Hamm Truck.

As posted at Coming Soon, Weta Digital has issued a press release announcing that the company, including Oscar-winning Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri, has agreed to develop “visual effects, creatures and digital environments” for James Cameron’s Avatar. “Avatar tells a new kind of story in a world we’ve never seen before,” says Letteri. “It […]

TV Shows on DVD tells 1,000 people that Gargoyles is on DVD – and then suggests that everyone else tell 1,000 people the news as well. This action is the result of Greg Weisman’s words at Comic-Con 2006, asking fans of the show to spread the word that Gargoyles – Season 1 and Season 2, […]

SYS-CON Media reports Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. is accepting the resignations of Stephen Brown, Morris Berger, Marcelo Fischer and John Hyde, as Directors of Mainframe. This move comes as the result of RNK Capital Limited Partnership’s buying the 62% interest once owned by IDT Entertainment. Nominees to fill the now-vacant positions have yet to be announced.

Navarre Corporation’s FUNimation Entertainment has acquired home video, broadcast, and theatrical rights to the film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles from Harmony Gold. “Robotech is the series that introduced an entire generation to anime,” commented Gen Fukunaga, priesident and CEO of FUNimation. “It captured fans with its tremendous storylines and great storytelling. The Robotech series also […]

Variety via Coming Soon indicates that battling Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille for the top spot at the box office next June 29th will be Live Free or Die Hard, the long-anticipated fourth outing in the Die Hard series. The two films will then go head-to-head with Transformers five days later, on July 4th.

Rankin/Bass Historian and Biographer Rick Goldschmidt has opened a blog dealing with one of his main interests in life: Rankin/Bass Studios. Noticed by Cartoon Brew, the site serves as a companion piece to Goldschmidt’s already popular Enchanted World Of Rankin Bass online database.

Jim Hill Media spotlights the Meet the Robinsons display Walt Disney Feature Animation is offering at SIGGRAPH 2006. Located at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, concept art for the film generously adorns Booth 1227. Furthermore, maquettes of characters Wilbur Robinson, Lewis, Bowler Hat Guy, and the robotic bowler hat Doris may be viewed as […]

The Hollywood Reporter states that the upcoming Spider-Man animated series will head directly to DVD next year. The package will include the show’s first 13 half-hour episodes. This move is the starting one made by Culver Entertainment, launched from Sony Pictures Television for the purpose of direct-to-DVD activities.

ITV News reports from the premiere of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies’ Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, where Courteney Cox Arquette and Kevin James were on hand to talk about the comedy. Pictures from the event, held July 30th at the Cinerama Dome theatre in Los Angeles, may be found through Yahoo! News and Getty […]

The comedy Hotel Transylvania has been given the greenlight at Sony Pictures Animation, says Variety via Coming Soon. The project will be directed by Anthony Stacchi and David Feiss, while Michelle Murdocca will produce. Screenwriter Don Rhymer is penning the screenplay. Hotel Transylvania looks at “a group of classic monsters including Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula […]

Ken Bautista from the blog Luxo serves an interesting tour of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Within the report, he lists the top ten highlights of his trip, from the Renderfarms to the animation department huts. Coinciding alongside the report is a Flickr album of the noteworthy visit.

The trailer for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D has arrived at Coming Soon, in a variety of QuickTime, Windows Media, and Real Player sizes. The movie will show in select theaters this October 20th, in Disney Digital 3-D.

Yahoo! News and the Australian Associated Press regard how far the makers of Happy Feet went to give their film a photo-real feel. According to Director George Miller, the film boasts more computer power than that which the Pentagon uses. The article also indicates that after a recent screening of the movie, an impressed Prince […]

The Internet Movie Poster Awards contains a Swedish one sheet for Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, titled simply Garfield 2 in Sweden. Meanwhile, the feline follow-up is coming to DVD this October 10th, an advertisement for the release reveals. DVD Active displays the ad containing an early look at the project’s cover artwork.

The Animation Guild Blog gives a brief update on the current happenings of such Walt Disney Feature Animation projects as Meet the Robinsons and American Dog. Likewise, the piece sheds some light on a rumor of the morale now at Disney Feature Animation, and mentions Disney Toons’ shift to original projects rather than sequels.

Tom Rice, Rob Sprackling, and rapper Lil’ John are attached to direct the Miramax/Rocket production of Gnomeo & Juliet, according to The Internet Movie Database. Due to the site’s user-submitted nature, an official confirmation should arrive before this news is seen as more than a rumor. Sprackling directed the 1998 short Green Monkey, while Rice […]

As The Ant Bully continues its second day in wide release, numerous headlines for the movie have appeared online. For instance, Jim Hill Media‘s Roger Colton interviews cinematographer Ken Mitchroney about Ant Bully‘s influences and behind-the-scenes experiences. Meanwhile, a look at the film’s premiere at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles is taken by […]