The {{link http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ Ultimate Disney}} DVD fansite posted their “Most Popular DVDs on the Site” for December, which places Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl at number one, and the upcoming Brother Bear as the most requested pre-roder. Also today is a look at early specs for Disney’s catalogue release slate […]

After debuting at Yahoo earlier this week, the teaser for Spider-Man 2 is now available in much better {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_2/ QuickTime}} from Apple’s site. Also new today is a teaser for the not-so-anticipated sequel to the animation-referencing Jim Carrey comedy The Mask, available through {{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031218c.php Dark Horizons}}. Son Of The Mask (AKA The Mask […]

Visit any effects or movie-related website today and you’re sure of one thing – a mention of the latest and last film in Peter Jackosn’s epic Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Return Of The King, which opens worldwide today and has already been voted as possibly the best film of the year. {{link http://www.imdb.com/StudioBrief/#1 […]

When is an animated character not a cartoon? Perhaps, as Randall Cyrenne points out in his article over at DVD Toons, when it is a “Pixoon”. On the eve of the release of Peter Jackson’s The Return Of The King, which features the animated Gollum, Rand’s new My Toon Cents feature, {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/60 Cartoon Or […]

Michael Barrier’s {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/index.html Funnyworld}} site updates this week with a number of {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/links.htm new added links}} to some great animation-related websites (including us – thanks Michael)! There’s also a wonderful {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Funnyworld/Clampett/interview_bob_clampett.htm archive interview}} with Bob Clampett from a 1970 print edition of Funnyworld, which, as is pointed out on the site, “is […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/12162003.1.htm Jim Hill}} returns with his almost daily take on the next step in the Roy/Michael situation at Disney. Today, he wonders what Roy Disney and Stanley Gold might be up to next…

‘Nicolas’ on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=610#post610 Animated News Forum}} lets us know that Les Triplettes De Belleville “will be released in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the 19th of December. The film’s release is a limited one, only playing in its original version at ‘Le Parisien’. The english version will probably soon follow for us non-French Canadians. […]

It’s December 16th, and for animation and effects fans, there’s a number of great releases out today, including {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CABL2/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=dvd South Park: The Complete Third Season}}, the franchise colliding {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CABKY/002-1902555-2863210 Rugrats Go Wild}}, the old-style effects-packed and actually very good fun {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005JM5B/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=dvd The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen}}, and Disney’s remake of their own […]

Though it is not a “special anniversary”, today is the date that Walt Disney passed away at St. Jospeh’s Hospital, in Burbank (right across the street from the Studio he founded). He died 37 years ago, in 1966, from “acute circulatory failure”, which was a result of complications arising from lung cancer, ten days after […]

{{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031215e.php Dark Horizons}} posts the updated weekend box office results from {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2003&wknd=42&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. The current top ten doesn’t feature any wholly animated films, but plenty of CG effects pop up in: 5. The Haunted Mansion, with $6.3m for a $53.9m total after 3 weeks 7. Elf, adding another $6.2m to bring […]

As we reported last week, Yahoo Webevents has landed the rights to bring you the first look at the teaser for next summer’s {{link http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/sony/spiderman2/ Spider-Man 2}}. Though the clip is only available in Java mode, it’s well worth checking out (the effects look as “passable” as before, though Danny Elfman’s score shines), and a […]

The ever popular (and ever probing!) {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim Hill Media}} is back this morning with another insightful story. To put it in his words, “as more stories leak out about Michael Eisner’s bizarre behavior over the past two weeks, {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/12152003.1.htm Jim Hill asks}}: when is Disney’s Big Cheese actually going to admit that […]

Online joke paper {{link http://www.watleyreview.com/EditorsDesk.html The Watley Review}}, “dedicated to the production of articles completely without journalistic merit or factual basis”, has posted a fun story on {{link http://www.watleyreview.com/2003/120903-3.html Mickey Mouse’s resignation}} from the Disney Studio. Although primarily for amusement, the piece does have serious undertones and makes for fascinating “between the lines” reading – […]

Amid Amidi’s {{link http://www.animationblast.com/ Animation Blast}} points us toward the “second edition of Doing Their Bit: Wartme American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945 [which] is being published soon and it sounds like a solid read for anybody interested in understanding the now-controversial animated shorts produced by the major Hollywood cartoon studios during World War II”. Michael […]

{{link http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=News&action=page&obj_id=40401&type_id=270284&cat_id=272956&sub_id=0 Cinescape}} is back with another bunch of premiere pics – this time for the recent El Capitan theater showing of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy.

The answer to mankind’s age old question – namely, how does a superhero relaxe during the festive season – will be answered in an all-new holiday episode of Justice League, Cartoon Network’s popular animated series based on the the joining up of DC Comics’ biggest guns, reports {{link http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=top&newsitem_no=9822 AWN}}. The half-hour Comfort And Joy, […]

Following the news that Brother Bear will see a March 30th 2004 disc release comes {{link http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ Ultimate Disney DVD}} with the initial specs: “The film will apparently be presented in both 1.66:1 widescreen (which they’re calling “Full Frame”) and 2.35:1 widescreen (which matches the majority of the film’s theatrical exhibition ratio)”. You can read […]

The best online source for finding out about the workings of Walt himself and those he worked with and inspired at the Disney Studio is the one curated by those who knew him best: family and friends. {{link http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/waltdisney/home.html The Walt Disney Family Museum}} has been updated recently to provide new {{link http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/waltdisney/filmtheater.html QuickTime material}} […]

‘Coxy’ on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=575#post575 AN Forum}} stumbled across an amazing looking animated film, L’uovo (or in English, The Egg), which has already won a number of international awards and selected for various prestigious screenings. Seemingly one of the industry’s best kept secrets, the film has so far remained off our radar. Now, the {{link […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=96925 Toon Zone}} is back with more news, this time on the upcoming TV special to air on Disney’s {{link http://www.abc.com/ ABC Network}} which will celebrate the company mascot’s 75th anniversary. A Merry Mickey Celebration is showing on Saturday, December 20 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm ET, and will feature (to cut costs down, […]

It could be great, it could be bad…but {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/garfield/ Toon Zone}} points us toward the Apple site, who have another new teaser for us today: the upcoming live-action/CG take on {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/garfield/ Garfield: The Movie}}. The film opens next June 18th.

It’s been floating around the web for a couple of weeks, but today {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/ Apple Movie Trailers}} posted a hi-res QuickTime version of the teaser for {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/scooby_doo_2/ Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed}}. Also new today is the upcoming Remember The Titans-styled live-action Disney flick, {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/miracle/ Miracle}}. Over at Yahoo, their Webevents section […]

An inside spy at Fantasy II F/X in Burbank reveals what could be the working title for the next Pirates adventure, Treasures Of The Lost Abyss. The title, which must remain firmly in the section marked “rumor” for now, has been leaked to {{link http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338&obj_id=40379 Cinescape}} after a Disney representative showed some early concept art. […]

Reporting somewhat strangely on an event for a film which opened (and closed) weeks ago, the usually hot off the press {{link http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&obj_id=40389&type_id=270285&cat_id=270338&sub_id=0# Cinescape}} today posted new pictures of the World Premiere of Warner Brothers’ Joe Dante-helmed Looney Tunes starrer Back In Action. Daffy, Bugs and co were joined by the film’s co-stars, Jenna Elfman, […]

Bruno Bozzetto’s Allegro Non Troppo, his 1977 homage to Fantasia, has been announced for DVD release from Home Vision Entertainment, according to {{link http://www.davisdvd.com/news/daily_news.html Davis DVD}}. The Italian animated film features six comical sequences which feature the music of Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius, Vivaldi, and Stravinsky. Previously available on VHS, the new disc will feature […]

{{link http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=6653&catType=NEWS Video Business Online}} reports that Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl has sold over 11 million units during its first week in stores, making the Studio a favorite with retailers, especially after the success of Finding Nemo and “catalog” hits such as Sleeping Beauty and The Lion King. […]

‘Guardstone’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=563#post563 Animated News Forum}} lets us know about a story on Yahoo News, originally from Variety, which looks at next year’s animated short subject category and whom we might see in the running. {{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/variety/20031210/va_sp_ev/animated_shorts_discover_fest_route_is_1 The interesting article}} also touches more on Pixar’s mysterious short Boundin’, as well as Sony’s Early […]

{{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031210f.php Dark Horizons’ News Bites}} points out a story from today’s edition of {{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117896919&categoryID=13&cs=1 Variety}} (paid subscription required), which reports that Warner Brothers’ DC Comics has hired Joel Silver’s TV chief Gregory Noveck to a newly created post which will see him re-evaluate underused DC universe characters, such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and […]

Tonight in the UK, the BBC will air a 40-minute documentary, From Pencils To Pixels, which looks at the current state of animation and its history. We have more details on the show, which goes out at 10.35pm on BBC1, {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000418.html here}}.

The {{link http://www.imdb.com/StudioBrief/#1 Internet Movie Database}} today points out that the Disney Animation Tour at Orlando’s Walt Disney World re-opened on Monday, but that the attraction has one thing missing: “‘animators,’ the Orlando Sentinel observed, noting that if guests on the tour ask where the animators are, guides reply that they are ‘taking a break’. […]