The reviews are in for \\The Polar Express\\ and according to {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/polar_express/ Rotten Tomatoes}} they are more good then bad! The tomatometer weighs in at a respectable 67%, with 32 Fresh reviews and 16 Rotten. The reviewers that liked the film say the story was what made this film work: “The film is not sheer […]

{{link http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=502193 Broadway.com}} reports that Disney Theatricals has named well known European director (and Broadway newcomer) Francesca Zambello as the director for the Broadway musical version of \\The Little Mermaid\\. Zambello worked previously for Disney on the theme park stage show \\Aladdin\\. She is best known for her work in opera and theatre, where her […]

{{link http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=2285 AWN}} notes that the hour long \\Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy\\ DVD released today will air on FOX on December 17, in a slimmed down 30 minute version.

{{link http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=312 Animation Insider}} reports that children’s publisher Scholastic has signed an exclusive deal with Cartoon Network to publish books based on current series’ \\Codename: Kids Next Door\\, and \\Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends\\, and upcoming shows \\Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi\\ and \\The Life and Times of Juniper Lee\\.

{{link http://www.digitalentertainmentawards.com/ The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards}}, recognizing “the cutting-edge developments and forward thinkers shaping the future of entertainment”, recently announced the winners in its first annual event. Pixar and Apple CEO Steve Jobs won one of the top awards of the night as “Visionary of the Year”. In the category “Best Use of Technology […]

Walt Disney Television Animation has named Meredith Metz Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs and has promoted Lisa Salamone Smith to Senior Vice President, Production, according to {{link http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=12388 Animation World Network}}. Metz, formally Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs at Klasky Csupo, will oversee new and existing projects on Disney Channel and the JETIX block on […]

We reported yesterday that the first teaser trailer for Pixar’s 2005 feature \\Cars\\ was finally available online. Now {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/cars/ Apple has made the trailer available}} in high quality Quicktime format at four different sizes: Compact, Midsize, Fullsize, and SUV!

The Animated News Forum has moved to a new home! The new address is {{link http://animatedviews.com/forum animatedviews.com/forum}}. We’d like to thank Jawad Mir for taking care of our old messageboard for the past year! He has done a great job with it. (You can see the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/ archives here}} until it is eventually taken […]

\\{{link http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2004-10-17-box-office-analysis_x.htm USA Today}}\\ reports that \\Shark Tale\\ held on to the top of the box office for the third week in a row, easily beating a weaker than expected \\Team America: World Police\\. The puppets, despite good reviews, earned only $12.3 million to open in third place, behind \\Shark Tale’s\\ $22 million and \\Friday […]

A previously released \\Shark Tale\\ trailer is now available in high definiton from {{link http://www.divx.com/movies/trailer_sharktale.php DivX.com}}. The DivX codec is able to produce stunning 720p HD video with a bitrate of only 3.5mpbs – less than the bitrate of standard definition DVDs. The system requirements for playing the video are pretty hefty, but if you […]

DreamWorks’ \\Father of the Pride\\ premieres tonight on NBC at 9pm ET to mixed reviews. \\{{link http://www.cincypost.com/2004/08/31/nbc083104.html The Cincinnati Post}}\\ calls it “a mostly tired version of the family sitcom”, while \\{{link http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/31/DDGBB8FUKD1.DTL The San Francisco Chronicle}}\\ says “Let’s hope \\Father of the Pride\\ is on the road to extinction”. \\{{link http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/tv/mmx-0408310037aug31,0,7615358.story?coll=mmx-television_heds The Chicago Tribune}}\\ […]

\\Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie\\ opens today on 2,411 screens according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com Box Office Mojo}}. The {{link http://yugioh.warnerbros.com/ Warner Brothers film}}, “based on the trading card and television series”, “is the story of Yugi, a boy captivated by the card game sweeping the nation: Duel Monsters! But there’s more to the game than meets the […]

A new trailer for DreamWorks’ \\Shark Tale\\ is now online at {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/shark_tale/trailer/ Apple’s Quicktime movie trailer page}}.

{{link http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/06/ireland.atlantis.reut/index.html CNN}} reports on a new theory by a Swedish scientist who beleives that the legendary city of Atlantis may actually be Ireland. Ulf Erlingsson says he is “amazed no one has come up with this before, it’s incredible. Just like Atlantis, Ireland is 300 miles long, 200 miles wide, and widest across the […]

{{link http://corporate.pixar.com/news/20040805-141090.cfm Pixar}} announced they earned $37.4 million or $0.63 per diluted share for its fiscal second quarter, beating analyst predictions of 37 cents a share. In a statement CEO Steve Jobs, who is currently recuperating from successful cancer surgery, said “Our performance this quarter highlights the ongoing success of Finding Nemo and the longevity […]

{{link http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004080519560002585206&dt=20040805195600&w=RTR&coview= Reuters}} reports that Walt Disney’s President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Iger has said he said he would “welcome a shot to succeed Michael Eisner as chief executive, but has not actively campaigned for the job”. Iger, who is often considered a likely candidate for the post said, “Obviously if I was offered […]

{{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=738&e=1&u=/nm/20040801/tc_nm/tech_apple_jobs_dc Reuters}} reports that Pixar Animation Studios and Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his pancreas. In a company-wide email sent to employees Sunday, Jobs said “I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about 1 percent of […]

Jackson Beck, “a master of voice-over”, has died at the age of 92, the {{link http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny–obit-beck0729jul28,0,5765067.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire AP}} reports. Beck introduced each episode of the \\Superman\\ radio show with the now famous phrase “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” and voiced Bluto in more than 300 \\Popeye\\ cartoons. He went on to work in […]

In a move that has been {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000804.html expected for some time}}, DreamWorks has taken the first step in spinning off its animation studio by filing for an initial public offering, {{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/21/news/midcaps/dreamworks_ipo/index.htm CNN reports}}. The company expects the IPO, being handled by Goldman Sachs, to raise $650 million.

Blue Sky Studios has let Animated News know that \\Chili Wanton Willie\\ is not a Blue Sky development project nor is it anything that they are considering at this point. Our {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00001899.html previous story}}, based on information from a newspaper interview with representatives of Waldo West Productions, was incorrect. We apologize to Blue Sky […]

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=5526 Coming Soon!}} reports that Blue Sky Studios, the studio behind \\Ice Age\\ and the upcoming \\Robots\\, may be looking at a new project from Waldo West Productions. “\\The Delicious Adventures of Chili Wanton Willie\\, written by Doug Delaney, would be a computer-animated film about a soup bowl. The story ranges from ancient China […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/07132004.1.htm Jim Hill}} takes a look at some jokes that were left out of the final draft of Disney’s upcoming DVD release of \\The Three Musketeers\\, including Mickey telling the angel Walt Disney about Disney’s California Adventure theme park problems, and a planned live-action cameo from Michael Eisner in full musketeer regalia waving a […]

\\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=2711 Animation Magazine}}\\ reports that \\Kaena: The Prophecy\\, a French CG-animated feature (Europe’s first) directed by Chris Delaporte and Pascal Pinon, will be avaialble on DVD September 7, 2004. DVD extras will include “a making-of featurette, a virtual interview with Kaena (voice of original French star), bonus movie trailers and a trailer for Sony […]

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland has been closed indefinitely after an accident sent a 10 year old and his parents to the hospital with minor back and neck injuries, {{link http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/07/09/state1841EDT0129.DTL SFGate.com}} reports. California Division of Occupational Health and Safety inspectors are investigating, and said “the ride will remain closed until we identify the […]

{{link http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1151120.htm AFP}} reports that Disney has issued a statement concerning the South African family {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00001846.html demanding royalties}} from the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, used in the film and stage musical \\The Lion King\\. The statement said “as a company built on the strength of its creative content, The Walt Disney Company takes […]

In what the {{link http://www.nypost.com/business/26932.htm NY Post}} described as a “gripe session”, Disney CEO Michael Eisner told executives in attendance at a closed-door meeting that he “thinks it’s a bad idea to split the roles of chairman and CEO”. He also “indicated Disney Chairman George Mitchell is not eager to keep the position for the […]

IMAX Corporation and Columbia Pictures today announced that \\Spider-Man 2\\ will be distributed to IMAX theatres worldwide this month. The film will be released to the IMAX network beginning on July 23, 2004. The film is being digitally re-mastered through proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The full press release follows:

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{{link http://videoeta.com/movie.html?via=form&id=53520 VideoETA}} reports that American muggles will be able to buy the \\Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban\\ DVD before Thanksgiving. The latest film in the \\Harry Potter\\ series, currently at #5 on the {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2004-06-29&p=.htm box office charts}}, will be available Tuesday, November 23, 2004.

\\Spider-Man 2\\, set to debut Wednesday on 4,000 screens according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2004&wk=27&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}, has won over the critics. The film has a spectacular 95% freshness rating at {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/SpiderMan2-1133520/ Rotten Tomatoes}} – 130 positive reviews and only 7 negative reviews.