\\South Park\\ is celebrating its 10th anniversary by airing “episodes that changed the world”, according to {{link http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=17990 AWN}}. “Remember the episode when televised cussing almost brought about the apocalypse? How about the time Chef was brainwashed by an adventure-seeking cult? Nobody can forget the episode, “Trapped In The Closet,” where Tom Cruise and John […]

\\{{link http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1535436_4_0_,00.html Entertainment Weekly}}\\ talks to \\American Idol\\ runner-up Katharine McPhee who addresses the rumors that she is at the top of the short list for the title role in Joss Whedon’s big-screen adaptation of \\Wonder Woman\\: “I’m not gonna deny it, or admit to it. But it’s funny because no one has even received […]

Now in its 30th year, the {{link http://ottawa.awn.com/ Ottawa International Animation Festival}} opens today and runs through Sunday. The festival is the largest event of its kind in North America and one of the most respected animation events in the world. The competitive film festival caters to industry executives, trend setting artists, students, and animation […]

\\{{link http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-09-18-pirates-DVD_x.htm USA Today}}\\ reports that producer Jerry Bruckheimer says that the third film in the \\Pirates of the Caribbean\\ trilogy, \\At World’s End\\, is “progressing nicely” eight months away from its scheduled release date. “We shot a lot of Chow Yun-Fat’s stuff already, and we should finish the principal actors by the beginning of […]

Today, everyone’s a pirate as the world celebrates International “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” and to kick off the rabble rousing, Disney Home Entertainment announces the highly anticipated DVD release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The action-packed worldwide film sensation will make its Disney DVD debut on December 5th. Starring Johnny Depp […]

Butch Hartman, creator of \\The Fairly OddParents\\ and \\Danny Phantom\\, will be the featured guest speaker at {{link http://www.brookscollege.edu/events.asp Brooks College}} in Long Beach, California on September 20th. The event will run from at 6-8 PM.

Petaluma CA police arrested a Pixar finance manager last week after he sent sexually explicit images and messages from his office computer to an undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old girl, {{link http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=68395 The Big Cartoon Database}} reports. The employee, who was given screen credit in several of the company’s films, was arrested at his […]

{{link http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=38088 Sci Fi Wire}} reports that NBC’s highly anticipated new superhero series \\Heroes\\, which debuts September 25th, will be accompanied by a web comic that will “play a huge part internally inside the show”, according to creator and executive producer Tim Kring. “People can log on and view and sort of interact with the […]

Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television will award John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, their 2006 lifetime achievement award on October 9th at the Outside the Frame Festival according to the \\{{link http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-quick15.5sep15,1,7401087.story L.A. Times}}\\.

\\Everyone’s Hero\\ opened in third place at the weekend box office, but beat expectations according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2006&wknd=37&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. The 20th Century Fox film’s three day opening take was $6.2 million, about 25% higher than BOM projected.

“Droosan” in our Animated News Forums has posted his account of the Little Mermaid panel discussion held Thursday, September 7, at Disney’s El Capitan Theatre. Amid at Cartoon Brew has created a playlist of the five YouTube videos of the event including the live performance by Alan Menken and Jodi Benson of the song “Part […]

Following is the full press release from Starz Entertainment on their Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe sweepstakes running from now to October 23. The grand prize is a trip for four to the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, FL.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 34th Annual Annie Awards: Honoring excellence in the field of animation, the deadline for ASIFA-Hollywood to receive entry forms is October 6, 2006. ASIFA-Hollywood must receive materials for nomination judging October 27, 2006.

The call for entries to the Newport Beach Film Festival has recently opened. The organizers have said they intend to have a heavy focus on animation in 2007. The eighth annual Newport Beach Film Festival will run from April 19th through April 29th, 2007.

The TV Squad blog reports on three animated pilots that were up for consideration at the recent New York Television Festival, including End of the Line, Squid Dragon Legend and Strange Transmissions (via Netscape).

20th Century Fox’s \\{{link http://www.everyoneshero.com/ Everyone’s Hero}}\\ opens today in 2,896 theatres, according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2006&wk=37&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. The film has split the critics, garnering a rotten 50% on {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/everyones_hero/ Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer}}. The \\{{link http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-060915-movies-review-hero,0,3290779.story?coll=mmx-movies_top_heds Chicago Tribune}}\\ calls it “a likable, good-natured family show”, but the \\{{link http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0915hero0915.html Arizona Republic}}\\ says “I […]

A guest reviewer at Harry Knowles’ AICN gives an optimistic sneak preview of his sneak preview of Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet. Maybe mo-capping tap dancing will become all the rage now.

ComingSoon.net announces a CGI Mr. Peabody & Sherman, to be produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by The Lion King’s Rob Minkoff. “The bespectacled dog Mr. Peabody and his adopted pet boy Sherman were introduced in 1959 in a series of short segments as part of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Together, they had more […]

Following up on our story yesterday on the coming CGI adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! we call your attention to two full-size stills from the film presented by ComingSoon.net. The imagery looks very true to the classic Seuss style.

NYC’s popular film festival, Animation Block Party, offers a free evening of shorts on September 19, 2006, at Club Sugar at 311 Church Street. All films featured in the end of summer screening were submitted by friends of Animation Block Party on MySpace.com. Happy hour will run from 5-7pm and the screenings will begin around […]

USA Today reports on Blue Sky Studios’ Horton Hears a Who!, giving the release date as March 14, 2008. The all-CGI/no live-action Dr. Seuss adaptation will be voiced by comedy powerhouses Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell, among others.

The Hollywood Reporter fills us in on the details of Universal Pictures’ The Tale of Despereaux crew, announcing Corpse Bride’s Mike Johnson as director, replacing The Triplets Of Belleville’s Sylvain Chomet, plus Justin Long, Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Kline as some of the voice actors. “Despereaux is the tale of three misfits — a banished […]

The Hollywood Reporter via Reuters finds that brothers Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi will write and direct the animated movie Ruby Tuesday. Including twelve songs from the Rolling Stones, the project is being co-produced by Mick Jagger, Luc Besson and Pierre-Ange Le Pogam. Besson’s EuropaCorp is funding Tuesday, and will distribute the film as well. Involving […]

Luc Besson’s latest film, Arthur and the Invisibles, is also his last, says the director. Regarding the 10 films he has directed, Besson told RTL radio, “They are my 10 little babies. I love them all. I am pleased to have completed this cycle. That is finished.” Nonetheless, the newfound spare time Besson has will […]

DVD Active relays the word of Monster House‘s DVD arrival. Sporting the title’s cover art, the site lists its bonus features to include: seven featurettes (‘Imaginary Heroes,’ ‘Beginner’s Luck,’ ‘The Best of Friends,’ ‘Lots of Dots,’ ‘Black Box Theater,’ ‘Making It Real,’ and ‘Did You Hear That?’), a multi-angle featurette entitled ‘Eliza vs. Nebbercracker,’ a […]

TV Shows on DVD indicates the September issue of the magazine Newtype may include a free DVD containing the first episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Also, it appears the series’ Collection 1: Blue Lion DVD set is already for sale at such stores as Best Buy and Wal-Mart, while other venues will not […]

Two new international teaser trailers for Happy Feet are now available for one’s viewing pleasure at Coming Soon. Meanwhile, The Internet Movie Poster Awards displays four Russian character banners for the movie.

Luxo points to the Character Design blog, which offers an interview with Nate Wragg, character designer for Pixar. The conversation covers such topics as some specifics of Wragg’s work, other top character designers, and a typical day at Pixar. Recently, Wragg lent his talent to the company’s upcoming Ratatouille and the E-Ville Press comic anthology […]

MovieZine.se via The Internet Movie Poster Awards has captured the Swedish poster for Open Season. Interestingly, it appears that the film is known as Boog & Elliot: Wild Friends in Sweden.

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo: 10) Barnyard with $2,715,092, averaging $1,083 over 2,506 theaters ($67,014,342 total; 6th week) 20) Cars with $478,322, averaging $1,000 over 478 theaters ($242,618,740 total; 14th week) 24) Monster House with $451,667, averaging $1,012 over 446 theaters ($71,423,510 total; 8th week) 26) The Ant Bully with $290,781, averaging $1,072 over 271 […]