An {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16359 Ain’t It Cool News}} contributor got a sneak look at Dreamworks’ \\Shrek 2\\. “This is going to be HUGE. We were treated to the voice acting, and later a few actual shots, of Shrek and Donkey running into Puss in Boots played by the one and only Antonio Banderas. and I can […]

{{link http://www.nausicaa.net Nausicaa.net}} will be interviewing Cindy and Don Hewitt, “the duo behind the English adaptations of \\Spirited Away\\, \\Porco Rosso\\, and \\Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind\\ (among others)”. They are {{email nausicaa_interview@airpost.net accepting interview questions}} from their readers through October 25. They have also announced they are moving to a new server, so […]

With no signs of a buyer in sight analysts say Disney will have to wait until next year to find someone interested in purchasing its chain of Disney Stores. {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031022/media_disney_stores_3.html Reuters}} reports that one of the major problems is that Disney has already “sold hundreds of licenses for their famed characters, flooding the market […]

Walt Disney Internet Group {{link http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/?epi_menuItemID=989a6827590d7dda9cdf6023a0908a0c&epi_menuID=c791260db682611740b28e347a808a0c&epi_baseMenuID=384979e8cc48c441ef0130f5c6908a0c&newsId=20031022005227&ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&div=1865077808 announced}} today that they will soon bring some of their popular Disney and Pixar characters to mobile phones in the form of voice ring tones. “Initially, the character voices will include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Stitch, Pooh and Tigger. There will be several […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim Hill}} gets the scoop once again in a great article on \\George of the Jungle 2.\\ Brendan Fraser, the actor portraying the title character in the original movie, reportedly turned down $12.5 million to appear in the sequel but came up with a hilarious idea for a cameo. Unfortunately, when the directors […]

Disney Legend, animator, director, musician, railroad enthusiast, two-time Academy Award winner, and possibly the man responsible for getting America ready to head into space, Ward Kimball is the subject of new articles at both {{link http://www.digitalmediafx.com/Features/wardkimball.html Digital Media FX}} and {{link http://www.animagic.hpg.ig.com.br/wardkimball.htm Animagic}}.

Carl Urbano, winner of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Golden Award in 1981, has died at 94. He began his career in the 1930’s, and in 1940 was an animator for the Oscar-nominated \\Puss Gets The Boot\\, the first appearance of Tom and Jerry and the first “full teaming of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, […]

\\Fresh Spins\\, a direct-to-video animated series that takes traditional stories and gives them a, what else, fresh spin, is set for a Spring 2004 release according to \\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1672 Animation Magazine}}\\. Developed by {{link http://www.Noodlesoup.net Noodlesoup Prods.}} and the {{link http://www.thejgroup.com Johnson Group}} and created by Jeffrey Nodelman, the stories will feature scripts by David […]

{{link http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=31575&CT=38 Broadway.com}} reports that Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams will replace Toni Braxton in the musical \\Aida\\ next month. \\Aida\\, with a score by Elton John and Tim Rice in their first collaboration since \\The Lion King\\, is Disney Theatricals third Broadway show.

An insider who has seen the storyboards in progress has let us know that a \\Fox and the Hound\\ midquel is currently in development at Disney. We’re told the story features some sort of circus that looks similar to the backgrounds from the apparently dead in the water \\Dumbo 2\\. There is also a new […]

A federal court has denied Caterpillar’s request to halt Disney’s release of \\George of the Jungle 2\\, calling their arguments “unpersuasive”. Caterpillar charged trademark infringement because of scenes in the movie where the villains drive their equipment. They also claimed their reputation would be tarnished because of the association.

Scott Adams, creator of the daily comic strip \\Dilbert\\, has invited five top cartoonists to draw and write the strip all this week. A further twist – the artists are not named so you can try to guess who did them! Check out {{link http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/mystery_artist.html the strips}} all this week to play along.

Russia’s first theatrically released animated feature in forty years will be screened at the Chicago International Animation Festival (November 6-8) according to {{link http://www.bcdb.com/ The Big Cartoon Database}}. {{link http://melnitsa.com/melnitsa.htm Melnitsa Animation’s}} first full-length animated feature \\{{link http://karliknos.spb.ru/eng/mult Little Longnose}}\\ (\\Karlik Nos\\ in Russian) premiered in Russia in March 2003. BCDB contacted Melnitsa Animation about […]

{{link http://news.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=top&newsitem_no=9411 AWN}} reports that Disney has named it’s 2003 Disney Legends honorees, a recognition that began in 1987 to honor individuals for their “creativity and imagination”. This year’s honorees are: Tutti Camarata – Music; Edna Disney – Founder; Lillian Disney – Founder; Orlando Ferrante – Imagineering; Richard Fleischer – Film; Floyd Gottfredson – Publishing; […]

\\Business 2.0\\, a monthly magazine owned by Time Inc., reports in their {{link http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,,52723,00.html current issue}} that “on November 5, \\The Matrix: Revolutions\\ will become the first Hollywood film to open simultaneously on both traditional and Imax screens”. Hold on there! Apparently Disney’s \\Treasure Planet\\ still gets no respect! According to {{link http://www.licensingmedia.com/news/html/012502-3.html this story}} […]

Three DVD news items for you today! First, the much sought-after, but impossible to find \\{{link http://www.frankandollie.com Frank & Ollie}}\\ DVD has been spotted for sale in the music store on Main Street in Disneyland! {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000TAYSO/qid=1066674006/sr=8-8/ref=sr_8_8/103-1770025-2203035?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846 Amazon}} has relisted the disk as being not available until November 18, 2003. Second, {{link http://www.animatedbliss.com/news.asp?TID=1122 AnimatedBliss.com}} has […]

{{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117894180&cs=1 Variety}} reports that plans for the stage musical \\Mary Poppins\\ are firming up, and the show is on track for its premiere 14 months from now. Veteran broadway producer Cameron Mackintosh (\\Miss Saigon\\, \\Les Misérables\\, \\The Phantom of the Opera\\) and Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatricals, plan to have the show in […]

Animated News moderator ‘Ben’ describes the April 2004 film’s trailer, included on the upcoming \\Finding Nemo\\ DVD: “\\Home On The Range\\ looks like it absolutely re-captures the magic of the 1990s features, complete with Alan Menken’s music, irreverent comedy and stunning, 1950s styled animation similar to \\The Emperor’s New Groove\\.” \\**Stay tuned later today for […]

According to first reviews, 24 minutes into \\Brother Bear\\ not only does the the main character go through a transformation, the film itself transforms. In Kenai’s human world, colors are earthen and muted. But as he transforms and becomes part of the animal world the palette shifts to rich, saturated colors. But what might be […]

{{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2006016 The Hollywood Reporter}} reviews \\Brother Bear\\, calling it “a playful movie that celebrates nature and the spirit world with striking imagery and a smooth blend of drama and comedy”. The film features “solid laughs”, “terrific” voice actors, and “startling” beauty. They conclude that \\Brother Bear\\ will “attract solid family business at the boxoffice”.

{{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_review&reviewID=VE1117922169&cs=1 Variety}} calls \\Brother Bear\\ an “underwhelming” and “mild animated entry from Disney with a distinctly recycled feel”. While the dialogue is “generally uninspired”, the mysticism “arbitrary”, and the native characters “rote and unvaried”, there are some bright spots. The film is “notable for its colorful animation, particularly of the scenic backgrounds, reasonably catchy […]

Check out these pics from the upcoming live action movie \\The Cat in the Hat\\ posted at {{link http://www.cinecon.com/gallery/album73 Cinema Confidential}}.

{{link http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=868 Slant Magazine}} takes an almost Freudian viewpoint in its review of \\Brother Bear\\. Besides suggesting that the “film’s sexism goes largely unaddressed” in this “terrible Disney toon”, they believe the main character’s transformation into a bear is a “transsexual transformation” and that the natives resemble “fallen Catholics living out patriarchal sex fantasies”!

Welcome to Animated News!