Variety writes that Lucasfilm is looking to unload the physical production unit of special effects dynamo Industrial Light & Magic. This move marks the end of the company’s origins as a models-and-miniatures special effects house. The article notes, “With the shift to digital effects, Lucasfilm has found it difficult to keep that portion of the […]

Although it debuted with weekend ticket sales weaker than those of its recent Pixar brethern, Cars outperformed The Incredibles, regarding first Monday and Tuesday numbers. The Internet Movie Database indicates that Cars gathered $6,445,000 on Monday, compared to the $3,802,000 that The Incredibles brought in on its first Monday. On Tuesday, Cars collected 5,820,000 versus […]

After veiwing a “chunk” of the movie, The Animation Guild Blog sends praise toward Bah Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas. The site has this to say about the latest version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: “It’s quite nicely done. The animation and design are good, and production values are first rate.” Bah Humduck! A Looney […]

Prominently posing Raphael, the cover artwork for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Volume 5 is now up at TV Shows on DVD. The Lionsgate package will arrive on store shelves this August 29th.

The Oregonian reports that British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will play “two eccentric neighbors” in Laika Entertainment’s Coraline. To be distributed by Focus Features, the movie likewise stars the voices of Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning. An early poster for Coraline has also made its way online, featuring traditional concept artwork. The […]

TV Shows on DVD has the lowdown on the delay of both Quick Draw McGraw and Wally Gator to DVD. In a recent Home Theater Forum online chat, Warner Bros. explained, “They were pulled because significant remastering work needed to be researched. We are exploring adding them back to the schedule next year.” That same […]

The Los Angeles Times focuses on the inspiration and philosophies of Dr. Ed Catmull, president of the combined Pixar and Disney animation studios. Respectfully referring to the ideas as “Ed-isms,” the four-page piece notices Catmull’s theories that are continuing to shape Pixar – and now Walt Disney Feature Animation – in the right direction. Meanwhile, […]

Through Yahoo! Movies, Reuters covers France’s Annecy International Animation Festival. The winning feature film this year was director Christian Volckman’s Renaissance, a black-and-white futuristic thriller. The festival marked an especially special occasion this time around, as eight French animated films were completed in 2005 – a number double the amount of any previous year. In […]

Davis DVD indicates the blockbuster sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown will hit stores on November 21st. Specifics for the DVD have yet to be announced.

For some time, Jan Pinkava was credited as the sole director of next year’s Disney/Pixar flick, Ratatouille. However, it was announced last spring that Brad Bird had taken over the project. Soon afterward, word arrived that Bob Peterson would serve co-directing duties for Ratatouille. That latter piece of information was found through The Internet Movie […]

Latino Review displays several new photos from the live-action aspect of Arthur and the Invisibles, formerly known as Arthur and the Minimoys. The tale will enter theaters on January 12, 2007.

Lionsgate has purchased domestic and Canadian rights to Happily N’Ever After, a CGI family film that poses a satirical Hoodwinked-type spin on the story of Cinderella. The news comes courtesy of Variety/Coming Soon. Directed by Paul J. Bolger and written by Robert Moreland, Happily N’Ever After will be released during the first quarter of next […]

Variety, via Coming Soon, reports that writing duo Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick have sold a pitch to Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies, concerning a children’s computer animated movie. Produced by Nickelodeon Movies executive Julia Pistor, Mayfly centers on: “The insects have a very short lifespan, with some living only for one day. The story […]

In an interview with iFMagazine.com, Avi Arad, an independent producer for Marvel Enterprises, reveals that a new Spider-Man animated series is in the works. Likewise, he says that an Iron Man animated series will likely be produced after the live-action film’s release.

Another video clip from the computer animated adventure The Ant Bully is showcased at Cartoon Network’s official website. Titled “Turn It Down a Notch,” the scene involves a “pair of sleep-deprived ants [getting] even with their noisy neighbor.”

When the deletion of the film’s entry at The Internet Movie Database was noticed, a search was conducted to find the latest lowdown on The Little Mermaid III. As it turns out, according to Wikipedia, The Little Mermaid III: Melody’s Story has been “scrapped.” Until the news has been confirmed, one should take this report […]

You Tube hosts the trailer for Cinderella III, as seen in last October’s Platinum Edition DVD of the first film. In other news regarding the sequel, Wikipedia currently lists the subtitle for Cinderella III as “The Reverse of Time.” Time will tell if the title is true. Update! An Animated-News reader has written in that […]

At the official website of Big Idea, Inc., a press release announcing the Universal Pictures distribution of The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything – A VeggieTales Movie provides a synopsis for the movie. The plot description is especially detailed regarding the beginning of the film. Pirates will sail into theaters early 2008.

According to weekend estimates, Disney/Pixar’s Cars took first place at the weekend box office, bringing in approximately $62,800,000 from 3,985 theaters. On average, the film gathered around $15,759 per theater. Meanwhile, Over the Hedge entered the chart’s fifth position, with about $10,301,000. From 3,527 theaters, the movie averaged $2,920 per site. Thus far, the DreamWorks […]

The Movie Box points to four television spots for Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, posted at You Tube. The feline film will claw into theaters this Friday.

A low-resolution version of the latest poster for Paramount/Nickelodeon’s Barnyard has been discovered at eBay. The movie will open in cinemas on August 4th.

Once again, Wikipedia is home to casting news, with the truth of such tidbits still unknown. This time, the word revolves around Walt Disney Feature Animation’s American Dog. The site indicates that John Travolta and Thomas Haden Church have joined the project, while Mario Cantone is also on board as the voice of “Cat.” It […]

The official teaser website for Ratatouille is online now, as noticed by Upcoming Pixar. Not much currently resides at the site, except the film’s trailer, logo, release date, and a periodical reminder of the title’s pronunciation.

The Internet Movie Poster Awards showcases the newest poster for Monster House, along with an international Cars one sheet. Concurrently, the database houses an international poster for Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, simply referred to as Garfield 2 in the image, while Latino Review presents several new pics for and from the film.

New full trailers for Open Season and The Ant Bully have been placed at Moviefone. On a special note, Season’s ad may be found under the heading, “Trailer No. 2.”

Ultimate Disney provides the preliminary artwork for the Disney/CORE venture, The Wild, confirmed for a September 12th DVD release. The site likewise notes that Leroy & Stitch will not go directly to DVD, but will instead makes its debut on the Disney Channel. Airing Friday, June 23th, at 8:00 Eastern/Pacific, the showing will be preceded […]

Pixar’s on a roll. Having released CARS to theaters and One Man Band to iTunes yesterday they’ve also just released the teaser trailer for their Summer 2007 Brad Bird-directed release Ratatouille for online and iPod viewing. Hang on to your cheese!

Pixar’s latest short One Man Band, written and directed by Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews, makes two debuts today: See it in the theater with Disney/Pixar’s CARS, then download it from iTunes. The new animated short tells the story of, “two rival street performers, Bass and Treble, who vie for the attentions (and coin) of […]

Following are numerous multimedia clips from CARS including extended clips directly from the film, song samples, and podcasts. Suitable for viewing before or after seeing the movie.

Pixar’s \\Cars\\ opens today at 3,985 theatres according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/counts/chart/?yr=2006&wk=23&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. The film’s reviews, while not as universally positive as director John Lasseter’s previous films, still merit a fresh rating of 77% on {{link http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004076-cars/ Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer}}. The critical consensus is that “while the story may not reach the high standards […]