Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz will take over the role of Zoser in Disney Theatricals’ \\Aida\\ on January 6, according to {{link http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=32162&CT=38 Broadway.com}}

\\{{link http://www.latimes.com/la-et-horn16nov16,1,3968503.story The L.A. Times}}\\ takes a look at how cost-cutting at Hollywood studios doesn’t apply to their efforts to win awards. “Disney has pink-slipped scores of animators in Paris, Tokyo and Orlando, Fla. It’s penny-pinching time across Hollywood – except when it comes to awards-season campaigning, where there’s still plenty of room for $5,000-a-day […]

\\Finding Nemo\\ has been nominated for a European Film Award for best non-European film of 2003, according to {{link http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=14428 The Big Cartoon Database}}. The winners will be announced by the European Film Academy December 6 at their awards ceremony in Berlin.

{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1768 Animation Magazine}} has a report on the upcoming Disney Channel animated series \\Dave the Barbarian\\, set to debut in January 2004. “Disney’s \\Dave the Barbarian\\ follows the title character’s comedic adventures with his offbeat family as they protect themselves and their kingdom from a world of odd foes. Complicating matters is brawny Dave’s […]

{{link http://www.animationblast.com/ Animation Blast}} notes that Pixar animator Bobby Podesta has created a new comic strip called \\Six Foot Six Year Old\\ published online every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Podesta, who worked previously on \\A Bug’s Life\\, \\Toy Story 2\\, \\Monster’s Inc\\., and \\Finding Nemo\\, is currently working on the upcoming film \\Cars\\. His new […]

{{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2024137 The Hollywood Reporter}} notes that \\Curious George\\ may soon be headed to televison with a new series. “Universal Home Entertainment Prods. said Thursday that the division, in conjunction with Imagine and PBS affiliate WBGH Boston, is developing an animated preschool television series based on the \\Curious George\\ character”. A motion picture version, with […]

‘Thomas’ posted on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81 Animated News Forum}} that the video of Phil Collins’ single \\Look Through My Eyes\\ is online at the {{link http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/soundtracks/brotherbear/ \\Brother Bear\\ Original Soundtrack page}}. The video is available is Quicktime, Windows Media, and RealPlayer versions.

DreamWorks SKG Fansite – Animation alerts us to two bits of news about upcoming projects from Katzenberg and Co. First up is a {{link http://animation.dreamworksfansite.com/sharktale rumor about \\Shark Tale\\}}. They report that “according to a source close to the project, DreamWorks \\Shark Tale\\ teaser trailer is expected to premiere in theatres late November or early […]

DreamWorks SKG Fansite – Animation also has {{link http://animation.dreamworksfansite.com/shrek2/ news on \\Shrek 2\\}}. Antonio Banderas, voice of Puss-in-Boots, talked to {{link http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-11-09-banderas-shrek_x.htm USA Today}} about his role in the upcoming film. “He tries to break up the relationship between the two guys,” says the actor, who drew upon his own three cats for inspiration. “Shrek […]

Animation historian Jerry Beck has posted reviews of two upcoming animated features at his wonderful site, {{link http://www.cartoonresearch.com/ Cartoon Research}}. \\Looney Tunes: Back In Action\\ is “way better than \\The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle\\” and “100 times better than \\Space Jam\\”. Beck says \\The Triplets Of Belleville\\ is “so close to being pure genius, […]

\\Elf\\, which opened a strong #2 behind \\The Matrix: Revolutions\\, pays tribute to the popular holiday specials of Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass (\\Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer\\, \\Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town\\) by using stop-motion animation instead of computer generated effects, according to {{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1762 Animation Magazine}}. When Will Ferrell converses with a stop-motion […]

A beauty contest dubbed “Miss Digital World” will begin in Italy next week according to {{link http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/11/07/digital.diva.reut/index.html CNN}}. “Digital artists, advertising agencies and video game programmers from around the world have been asked to send a computer design of their perfect woman to {{link http://www.missdigitalworld.com www.missdigitalworld.com}}, complete with date of birth and body measurements”. The […]

{{link http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808518975 Greg’s Previews}} reports that Sony Pictures Classics has moved the LA/NY premiere of \\The Triplets of Belleville\\ from November 21 to November 26, the day before Thanksgiving. The film will expand to other cities at later dates.

\\Variety\\ reports (via \\{{link http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82562.html Playbill}}\\) that a 28 minute musical adaptation of \\Snow White\\ will premiere Feb. 22 at Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theater on February 22, 2004. The show, called \\Disney’s Snow White – An Enchanting Musical\\. The executive vice-president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment says that “In creating this production, we […]

{{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#ultdis The Digital Bits}} has good news for those of you wanting to complete your Walt Disney Treasures Collection. “Costco is apparently selling The Ultimate Disney Treasure Chest for $125, containing all seven of the previous titles, including \\Mickey Mouse in Living Color\\, \\Silly Symphonies\\, \\Davy Crockett\\, \\Disneyland USA\\, \\Mickey Mouse in Black & […]

\\Billboard\\ November 15, 2003 chart: 5 – \\The Lion King\\ (Platinum Edition) 10 – \\George of the Jungle 2\\

\\Billboard\\ November 15, 2003 chart: 1 – \\George of the Jungle 2\\ 3 – \\The Lion King\\ (Platinum Edition) 4 – \\Barbie of Swan Lake\\ 8 – \\Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico\\ 9 – \\Stitch! The Movie\\ 10 – \\Strawberry Shortcake – Berry, Merry Christmas\\

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2224 ComingSoon.net}} has the \\{{link http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117895270&categoryID=13&cs=1 Variety}}\\ report that \\Scary Movie 3\\ screenwriter Craig Mazin has been tapped to write the screenplay for \\Opus\\ based on {{link http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/ Berkeley Breathed’s}} Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip \\Bloom County\\.

{{link http://www.cgnetworks.com CGNetworks’}} theme this month is “Women in CG”. All this month they will feature artwork, articles, and interviews with women in the digial artwork field. “Kicking off our November focus on Women in CG, Leigh van der Byl has written an article on females working in the CG industry. Leigh interviews prominent female […]

Pixar {{link http://corporate.pixar.com/news/20031106-121926.cfm announced}} financial results for its fiscal third quarter. They “earned $13.2 million or $0.23 per diluted share on revenues of $30.2 million. These results were largely driven by the continuing box office results of \\Finding Nemo\\, which achieved a worldwide box office gross of $424 million by the end of the third […]

A recent internet poll of “the most admired Americans” placed Homer Simpson at the top, outdistancing such figures as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. What does that say about the United States of America? Find out as Steven Keslowitz explores the world of \\The Simpsons\\ in \\The Simpsons and Society: An Analysis of […]

Jawad Mir, our {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net Forum}} administrator and webmaster of {{link http://www.dreamworksfansite.com DreamWorks SKG Fansite}}, has added \\{{link http://animation.dreamworksfansite.com/sharktale Shark Tale}}\\ and \\{{link http://animation.dreamworksfansite.com/antz Antz}}\\ pages to his DreamWorks Animation-specific section of the site. More still to follow!

Thanks to \\Matt\\ for the following report on Disney’s \\Haunted Mansion\\ 3D Ghost Tour at NYC’s Grand Central Station. Pictures from the event follow. On Friday, October 31, Disney went all out and turned New York City’s Grand Central Station into a haunted mansion. Actually it was a 3D “ghost tour”. Guests were given special […]

The official \\{{link http://www.shrek2.com Shrek 2}}\\ teaser site has been launched. The only content available so far is the movie’s trailer – available in four sizes (small, medium, large, hi res) and in three different formats (Quicktime, Windows Media, and RealOne). There is also a link to the DreamWorks Kids Group website and a form […]

\\Finding Nemo\\ has broken “the record for opening-day sales of home video with 8 million units sold in North America” according to \\{{link http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&article_ID=5510 Video Store Magazine Online}}\\. The previous record was set by \\ Monsters, Inc.\\ last year with first-day sales of 5 million units. “Based on its first-day success, Finding Nemo is on […]

The trailer for DreamWorks’ \\Shrek 2\\ is {{link http://www.msnbc.com/m/c/ctv_msnv3.asp?id=msn/8983&subid=NBCAccessHollywood&name= now online}}. It will also appear on the TV program \\Access Hollywood\\ Wednesday night and before the movie \\Elf\\ opening this weekend.

{{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=794&ncid=790&e=8&u=/eo/20031030/en_movies_eo/12815 E! Online}} reports that the Disney sold 3 million copies of \\The Lion King\\ in its first two days of release. Most surprising was the fact that DVDs accounted for 92% of initial sales, rare stats for a “children’s” title but a growing trend. The original VHS release remains the best selling video […]

Fox has registered the web domains “{{link http://www.easywhois.com/index.php?domain=iceage2themeltdown.com&next.x=0&next.y=0 iceage2themeltdown.com}}” and “{{link http://www.easywhois.com/index.php?domain=iceage2themeltdownmovie.com&next.x=0&next.y=0 iceage2themeltdownmovie.com}}”. Could \\Ice Age 2: The Meltdown\\ be the title of the sequel? Thanks to MusicFan in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44 Animated News Forum}} for the scoop.

Amid Amidi of {{link http://www.animationblast.com/ Animation Blast}} has an unconfirmed rumor that Cartoon Network’s Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of \\Samurai Jack\\ and \\Dexter’s Lab\\, may be leaving to join the new Lucasfilm Animation divison we {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000075.html reported}} about last week. “Genndy, of course, is also the director/producer of Cartoon Network’s highly touted forthcoming \\Star Wars: […]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has {{link http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2003/03.10.28.b.html announced}} that Monday, November 3, is the deadline for makers of eligible animated feature films to submit their entry forms and supporting materials to the Academy for Oscar consideration. Nominations will be announced on January 27, 2004. At least three but no more than […]