The official website for Sony Pictures’ Open Season has been renovated. The site now offers brief biographies for the characters Psycho Ducks, a “shell-shocked” group who have been shot at one too many times; Skunks, who present an attitude as nasty as their smell; Porcupine, who is looking for someone to get close to; and […]

PEZ dispensers for some of this summer’s hottest movies are on display at Candy Warehouse. Films in the lineup include: Over the Hedge (RJ the Raccoon, Verne the Tortoise, Ozzie the Possum, and Stella the Skunk), Cars (Lightning McQueen, Sally, Doc Hudson, and Mater), and Open Season (Boog, Elliot, Mr. Weenie, and McSquizzy).

The page dedicated to Leroy & Stitch at Disney.com now contains an updated synopsis for the film. “As a reward for rounding up all 625 experiments, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley have been placed around the galaxy in a spot where each of them thinks they truly belong. Their lives are all shook up when […]

Today (May 19) marks the release of DreamWorks Animation’s computer animated feature film Over the Hedge. With a respectable 64% on the Rotten Tomatoes meter and word that it has tested higher with test audiences than either Shrek film Over the Hedge appears to be in for a good showing at this weekend’s box office. […]

Director Michael Bay, along with private investment firm Wyndcrest Holdings, in which Bay is a principal, is acquiring the 13-year-old visual effects studio Digital Domain. Past work for the studio includes Titanic and Armageddon. With Digital Doman, Bay is already entertaining the thought of “computer-animated family films,” though he specifies that he would rather serve […]

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that The Triplets Of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet {{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002538527 has departed}} Universal’s animated adaptation of {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00001942.html The Tale of Despereaux}} to work on a more personal project based on an unproduced screenplay by the French master comic Jacques Tati (Mr Hulot’s Holiday). Chomet’s replacement on Universal’s Despereaux is […]

Coming Soon has the first trailer for Flushed Away, from DreamWorks Animation and Aardman, as noticed by “Wendy’s Jane” at the Animated-News Forum. Humorously, the teaser contains nods toward Wallace & Gromit and Finding Nemo. Meanwhile, the sixth Cars Podcast, “Cars Alter Egos,” has been revealed, with its home likewise being Coming Soon. On a […]

The official press release for Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey Saves Santa And Other Mouseketales is now at Ultimate Disney. Aside from the title tale, the release will feature two other stories, Mickey Go Seek and Goofy’s Bird. Mickey Saves Santa And Other Mouseketales will hit stores on November 14th.

The latest animated offering from the Wayans, Thugaboo, will make its DVD premiere this August 29, with Sneaker Madness. DVDtoons has the details and cover artwork for the children’s comedy.

Reuters reports The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian has been postponed until summer 2008. The follow-up to last December’s $740 million smash hit was scheduled for December 14, 2007, until the similar fantasy The Water Horse, from Columbia Pictures and Walden Media, entered the December 8th slot.

IDT Entertainment, the studio behind the upcoming Everyone’s Hero and Space Chimps, has been bought by Liberty Media Corp, whose assets include the OVC home shopping network and Expedia.com. According to the Associated Press, “Under the deal, Englewood, Colo.-based Liberty Media will pay $186 million in cash and all of its equity interest in IDT […]

Get a sneak peek at the animated, ambigrammatic opening titles designed for The Da Vinci Code, which opens in theaters on Friday, May 19, but not actually used in the final product.

A new poster for DreamWorks/Aardman’s Flushed Away has been made available at JoBlo.com. Thanks to Kristin for the heads up.

Writing from the Cannes Film Festival, The {{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/awards/cannes/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002465069 Hollywood Reporter}} states that DreamWorks’ latest CGI comedy Over The Hedge “is a backyard ecological comedy outfitted with some fine, silly slapstick and clever animal characters. One gets the sense though that the animation team isn’t pushing the edges of their computers the way the Pixar […]

BBC News reports that Aardman characters Walace and Gromit will soon be riding into the hearts of kids on the Isle of Man as the duo makes a special appearance with Yamaha TT racer Guy Martin to support a children’s charity. “I am delighted to welcome Wallace and Gromit and Guy to the island and […]

Focus Features has struck a deal to take over world rights from Laika Entertainment for the stop-motion animated feature Coraline reports comingsoon.net. The film about a girl who discovers an alternate version of her life has already attached big names to its cast and crew including Dakota Fanning, Henry Selick, and They Might Be Giants.

Pest control has its hands full as the creatures come out of the woods for interviews leading up to Friday’s release of Over the Hedge. The Daily Collegian takes on Wanda Sykes about her role as a crabby skunk named Stella and the experience of providing a voice for animation. Teen Hollywood also offers a […]

Over the Hedge director Tim Johnson learned a few tricks from a big, green ogre. The Toronto Sun reports that the Shrek movies have set the standard for DreamWorks animation and left ogre-size shoes for its latest endeavor to fill. “There are a lot of fun things in Over the Hedge that kids will relate […]

As the countdown continues to the grand opening of the showroom floor and Cars comes rolling out of the shop, Disney Insider has look in the shop. Bonnie Hunt, the voice behind the wheel of a Porsche named Sally, talks about her relationship with Pixar and the pit crew that fine tuned this vehicle. Meanwhile, […]

A new alternative to motion capture technology has been put into production by LookAhead Decisions Incorporated reports Business Wire. ActiveMotion generates realistic motion in any environment and for any multi-articulate character by combining a physics simulator with artificial intelligence producing billions of possible movement combinations. The process uses 10% of the production costs and time […]

The official soundtrack for Disney/Pixar’s Cars is now available for preorder on Apple’s iTunes.. “Pre-order Cars from iTunes and get a Rascal Flatts track immediately plus a bonus digital booklet and music video when the album is released June 6th.” Available now are five video podcasts on Cars. “Take a ride behind the scenes and […]

Walt Disney’s live action/animation hybrid spectacular Mary Poppins will be screened at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Monday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. The film is being recognized by the Academy for its multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture. View the Academy’s official page for this event for […]

Today marks the release of It’s a Small World of Fun, two volumes of animated shorts from Disney focusing on different regions around the world. While many of the shorts are available on other DVDs volume 1 contains a brand new short set in Japan entitled Grievance of a Starmaker. An in-depth review of volume […]

Through CNN Money, Fortune presents two noteworthy articles, focusing on Disney’s acquisition of Pixar. In the first piece, “How Disney knew it needed Pixar,” Disney CEO Bob Iger explains why he felt the $7.4 billion purchase was necessary. Meanwhile, in “Pixar’s magic man,” John Lasseter refers to his career history while also examining what he […]

CGCHAR reports that CORE Digital Pictures, the studio behind Walt Disney Pictures’ The Wild, is on a quest for box office success as it develops four in-house computer animated projects. While the movies’ plots are unknown at this time, the first of the films will likely hit theaters by 2010. Responding to worries that the […]

The Journal Gazette, via FortWayne.com, gives the lowdown on where recent and upcoming superhero-themed animated undertakings currently stand. Titles include The Fantastic Four, Teen Titans, Ultimate Avengers, Iron Man, The Batman, The Legion of Superheroes, and Justice League.

A Reuters press release for Brother Bear 2 has been set up at Yahoo! News. The announcement notices the film’s cast, including Melissa Etheridge, who penned three original songs for the sequel. Toward the end of the composition, it is revealed that the new Playhouse Disney series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is getting its first DTV […]

Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams has enlisted in the cast of Disney/Spyglass’ Underdog, taking on the leading female role. The news comes courtesy of Variety, via Coming Soon. Underdog will fly into theaters on August 3, 2007, shortly before Disney’s November 3rd release of Enchanted, also starring Adams.

Set to enter theaters nationwide this Friday, Over the Hedge continues its promotional push, finding itself as the subject of numerous articles. Sci Fi Wire, for instance, presents three different pieces on the film, speaking with co-directors Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, Garry Shandling, and Bruce Willis. Likewise, Willis also speaks to The Winnipeg Sun […]

Calling the movie an “instant classic,” Richard Corliss of Time Magazine looks at Disney/Pixar’s Cars, in addition to interviewing John Lasseter. Interestingly, traditional animation is one subject the director/Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Feature Animation touches on, stating, “Of all studios that should be doing 2-D animation, it should be Disney.” Lasseter […]