‘MusicFan’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=765#post765 Animated News Forums}} points to a site that announces William Joyce as the writer of Disney’s latest pick-up, A Day With Wilbur Robinson, which Joyce originally wrote as a book in 1990. Steve Anderson is slated to direct.

The British Academy Of Film And Television Arts, known more succinctly as {{link http://www.bafta.org/press/releases/pr_071103_1.htm BAFTA}}, just announced the nominees for this year’s awards, which will take place in Leicester Square, the heart of cinema in London, on February 15th. The British equivalent to the Oscars, the awards often point towards who might pick up the […]

Michael Barrier updates his {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Feedback/feedback_funnyworld.htm Funny World}} site to include feedback from Robert Clampett, son of legendary animation director Bob, who writes to him following the re-print of an {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Funnyworld/Clampett/interview_bob_clampett.htm interview}} between Barrier and his father. It’s a great piece that plays up his Dad’s role in the WB cartoons, as well as […]

{{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&ncid=493&e=4&u=/ap/20040117/ap_en_mo/disney_speech Yahoo news}} reports on last night’s appearence of Roy Disney and his talk to around 200 collectors of Disney memorabilia at the semi-annual NFFC: The Club for Disneyana Enthusiasts meeting. The ex-Disney chairman spoke out again about the current management of the Walt Disney Company, and mentioned “a sense of frustration” about the […]

{{link http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/01/15/robot.actor.ap/index.html CNN Online}} reports that Astro Boy got the help of a real life little boy robot recently, when Sony’s humanoid Qrio entered a voice booth to record lines for an episode of the new incarnation of the show. Qrio, which stands for “quest for curiosity”, isn’t a regular Sony product, but works instead […]

“More control and more profit from videogames based on its properties” was the reason given by {{link http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=6819&catType=NEWS Video Business Online}} as to why Warner Bros has decided to create a division to co-publish and develop gaming titles. WB Interactive Entertainment has set up Warner Bros. Games to develop, produce and distribute videogames, which will […]

Not a day after we reported The Digital Bits’ rumor of new Hanna-Barbera season sets from Warners, the Studio has released cover art, specs and dates for The Flintstones: The Complete First Season and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?: The Complete First And Second Seasons (that last one being a single box set that comprises both […]

A final word from an animator leaving the recently closed Walt Disney Feature Animation-Florida ramps down the {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/01142004.1.htm Jim Hill Media}} coverage of the events happening down Orlando way. Be sure to check out “Brother Bri”‘s touching last note.

Flushed with the success of their Looney Tunes: Golden DVD Collection late last year, it seems Warners are already looking towards a second boxed set for Bugs and co. The Studio also sounds like it’s pleased with the ongoing popularity of the single-disc super-hero and Hanna-Barbera animated releases, and will finally take fans’ comments on […]

Despite the release of Tim Burton’s latest, Big Fish, which with $13.8 million didn’t quite manage to dislodge Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King from the top slot, the Peter Jackson motion picture behemoth continued to trail blaze through the charts, flying past the $300 million mark this weekend with a $14.2 million […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99501 Toon Zone}} posted a fun little article on music professor Daniel Goldmark, who uses cartoons in the classroom to introduce students to the musical classics! Check it out at {{link http://www.cw.ua.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/01/12/400248b022276 The Crimson White}}.

{{link http://www.savedisney.com Save Disney.com}} this morning has a slightly new look (a full upgraded site is on the way), with Legacy Animation Studios’ Eddie Pittman offering up a visual take on the closing of WDFA-Florida. The page also re-prints Disney’s official statement regarding the Studio, which has president David Stainton announcing that “this difficult decision […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99470 Toon Zone}} points to another Wilbur in the news today – Wilbur Post, the long-suffering human friend to the world’s most famous talking horse, Mr Ed. As MGM Home Entertainment gets set to release a new DVD collection, The Best Of Mister Ed: Volume One, next week, actor Alan Young, who went on […]

{{link http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/critics.choice.awards.reut/index.html CNN Online}} just posted a story on Saturday’s Annual Critics’ Choice Awards, where Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King was named best picture, also snagging awards for best director, ensemble cast and composer. The story confirms that Jackson spoke via satellite from his native New Zealand, where […]

Walt Disney Feature Animation-Florida will today officially close its doors, putting over 250 talented artists, technicians and animators out of work, as well as depriving the public of a chance to see how the magic was made. The animators’ desks themselves were a featured part of an attraction at Walt Disney World in Orlando, which […]

{{link http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4104323 Reuters News}} reports that Time Warner and MetroGoldwynMayer have ended initial talks that would see the two companies merge. The overall price for MGM and the “structure of the deal” (read that Warners wanted to suck MGM into its fold, like New Line and Castle Rock, whereas MGM would have wanted “An MGM […]

The {{link http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4105748 Reuters News Agency}} is saying that the Orlando Sentinel has reported that Disney is expected to close its Florida Animation department and make an official announcement on Monday 12 January. More as soon as we have it.

Opening in a wider, but still very limited, release on January 16th, Tokyo Godfathers, from director Satoshi Kon (Millennium Actress), has had its {{link http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/tokyogodfathers/ American website}} updated by Sony Pictures. As well as crew bios and story details, the site also features the film’s {{link http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/tokyogodfathers/trailer.html US trailer}}, which goes about sellling the film […]

The Guardian newspaper in the UK reports on the “marketing alliance” of the Fox Kids and Toon Disney channels to create a new kids TV brand, to be named Jetix. Fox Kids Europe, which was sold to Disney two years ago, will be totally re-designed as Jetix, while Jetix branded program blocks will also play […]

From {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/01092004.1.htm Jim Hill Media}}: “As the deadline for the official announcement draws ever nearer, JH tries to pin down the exact moment that Mouse House managers lost their enthusiasm for Feature Animation-Florida; he seems to think that it had something to do with Lion King II“. Plus Hill’s thoughts on the new Legacy […]

LucasFilm’s next batch of Star Wars: Clone Wars is on the way, reports the {{link http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/15282.htm New York Post}}. Following the first series, which debuted last November, the ten new episodes, each again between three and five minutes long, are slated to begin on March 26 on the Cartoon Network.

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99221 Toon Zone}} points towards the first English-language review of El Cid: The Legend, a $9 million animated feature produced in Spain by Filmax Animation, that has appeared at {{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1941&ncid=2020&e=3&u=/variety/20040105/va_fi_re/el_cid__the_legend__el_cid__la_leyenda Variety}} (via Yahoo). Jonathan Holland calls the film “engaging, if unadventurous, [it] succeeds as lighthearted kids’ entertainment, but refuses to break through into […]

The adventurous junior investigative reporter Tintin is celebrating his 75th year, with a series of strips to be printed in newspapers across his native Belgium and France, according to {{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&ncid=493&e=1&u=/ap/20040108/ap_en_mo/belgium_tintin Yahoo News}}. He’s also the face on {{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040108/481/bru10401081829 two new Euro coins}}, reports the Associated Press.

The {{link http://www.caltradereport.com/eWebPages/page-two-1073607565.html CalTrade Report}} mentions that DreamWorks will outsource “computer-generated animation services, including modelling, character animation, lighting effects, compositing, and rendering” for their upcoming CG television comedy show Father Of The Pride, to Hong Kong-based company Imagi. Thanks to {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99146 Toon Zone}} for the link.

Amid Amidi, who runs the great animation news and commentary site {{link http://www.animationblast.com/ Animation Blast}}, is taking pre-orders for the upcoming April print issue of the magazine. Hop on over to the {{link http://www.animationblast.com/inprint/ preview page}} for a look at what to expect in the 100-page, ad-free, packed edition. The run is limited to just […]

‘Dalboz’ on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=722#post722 Animated News Forum}} links to three new ads that push Finding Nemo in two categories for this year’s Academy Awards: {{link http://www.100megs24.com/~editor1/FYC/Buena_Vista/Finding_Nemo/nemo3.html Original Score}}, and {{link http://www.100megs24.com/~editor1/FYC/Buena_Vista/Finding_Nemo/nemo4.html Best Picture}}, as well as a “{{link http://www.100megs24.com/~editor1/FYC/Buena_Vista/Finding_Nemo/nemo5.html general}}” ad that pushes many other aspects of the film’s artistic merits. Thanks for the […]

While it may not be packed with the kind of features to get more “mature” animation fans excited (where are directors Joe Dante and Eric Goldberg on a commentary track?), the WB have announced the specs for the March 2nd DVD release of Back In Action. Not too much to get in a fluff about, […]

The {{link http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=17522 Big Cartoon DataBase}} announces that Finding Nemo has become the second biggest hit of 2003 in the UK, following the huge opening of the third Lord Of The Rings film, The Return Of The King. Nemo swam to £37.2 million pounds ($67.2 million U.S.) since a November release, while King returned £40 […]

No, not the Academy Awards (they’re announced on January 27th), but the nominees for this year’s animation industry Annie Awards have been posted on their {{link http://www.annieawards.org/ official site}}. Up for prizes in the ceremony, to be held February 7th at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, are this year’s animated big hitters Finding Nemo, Brother […]

Walt Disney’s 1961 live-action feature The Parent Trap (which featured a classic stop-motion animated opening sequence) is being lined up to appear on the Mouse’s ABC Network as a new TV show, produced by the company’s Touchstone Television in association with Smallville production company Tollin/Robbins Productions. The update, which shifts the story’s emphasis away from […]