Dan Ritchie, responsible for the Project Dogwaffle Pro Digital Painter, has unleashed a free update patch for users of Project Dogwaffle Pro 3.x. Version 3.1a comes equipped with new tools for traditional animators, improvements on existing tools, and a few minor bug fixes. One can read the press release for the Project Dogwaffle Pro Digital […]

As {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000891.html we reported over a year ago}}, MGM is to complement the release of the upcoming Steve Martin-led remake of The Pink Panther in theaters with the re-issue of the original Peter Sellers films on DVD. The {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001AG01M/qid=1117450715/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7799063-0412607?v=glance&s=dvd five-film box set}} from last April leads the pack, with new individual releases of […]

Fans of Goscinny and Uderzo’s French comic book novels featuring Astérix, the power-juice guzzling Gaul, and his humongously strong sidekick Obelix, will be pleased to see the pair bounce back on the big screen in Asterix And The Vikings. Kinoo, in the {{link http://animatedviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5030#5030 Animted News Forum}} says that “the studio which did this movie […]

The first poster for Nickelodeon Movies’ Barnyard, coming to theaters on January 13, 2006, is up at The Internet Movie Poster Awards.

Box Office Guru provides a Saturday update of the box office for Madagascar. On Friday, the CGI flick gathered an estimated $14.4 million. Considering that on holiday weekends, family films often gross less on Friday than they do on Saturday and Sunday, Madagascar should have no problem collecting $62-68 million over the four-day weekend, easily […]

The trailer for Vanguard Animation’s fun comedy adventure Valiant has {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/valiant/ just gone up}} in a number of high-quality sizes at Apple’s QuickTime Trailers site. The film will debut in the US through Walt Disney Pictures on August 19 2005. Don’t forget that the producers and creators of Valiant talk about the financing and […]

DreamWorks Animation’s \\{{link http://www.madagascar-themovie.com/ Madagascar}}\\ opens today. The film will debut in a staggering 4,131 theatres – making it the third widest released film of all time according to {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ Box Office Mojo}}. While no one expects that the film will dethrone \\Star Wars Episode III\\, it should pull in a very impressive second […]

Following in the footsteps of the famous dance-off between Napolean Dynamite and Fender from Robots, the characters from Madagascar are the latest entries into the dance-off game. Be sure to vote for the best at the Ultimate Madagascar Dance-Off official site. Thanks to an e-mail from Buzz Lightyear (no, not that one) for the heads […]

Ultimate Disney points to Nausicaa.net, where Cindy Hewitt, Don Hewitt, and Rick Dempsey, supervisors for the English translations and releases of Studio Ghibli films, reveal the aspects of the dubbing process and plans for Region 1 DVD releases. Also included in the interview is the reason for the delay of My Neighbor Totoro’s Disney DVD […]

Seems Tom McGrath and Eric Darnell are really doing the online rounds, promoting their new DreamWorks comedy. The JoBlo.com website just posted a {{link http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=7564 new interview}} with the duo about their careers and the film, as well as a {{link http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=7540 discussion with the stars}} of the film, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett […]

Chris Romano has written in to let us know that his short TIMEBOMB will be playing in some Los Angeles area theaters this summer (Cartoon Brew has more info on exactly where). By the way, last time I was at his Toonlets site I got addicted watching all the cool little videos, especially the Frankenberry […]

Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away)’s latest film Howl’s Moving Castle will premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on Thursday, June 9, at 7pm. Already the film has collected over $200 million internationally. Click “More” to read the official press release for the event.

Variety [paid registration required], via Coming Soon, indicates that Kevin Lima (Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians) will helm the romantic fable Enchanted, a mixed live-action and computer animated feature from Walt Disney Pictures. The film’s plot outline is this: “A wannabe-princess [is] banished from the animated world of Andalasia to a place where there is no true […]

While not much has been said or written regarding the film, which may have led some to wonder if the production has been cancelled, The DreamWorks SKG Fansite reports that Kung Fu Panda is still in pre-production at DreamWorks Animation. The studio is hoping for a 2008 release for the movie.

Walt Disney Studios and EMI Music are teaming up to release four different soundtracks for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Yahoo! Movies reports. One disc will contain mainstream Christian music artists, the second disc will feature both pop and rock, the third disc will contain Harry Gregson-Williams’ score and […]

Amazon.com has posted one of the first reviews for Tarzan II. Critic Lynn Gibson writes, “Despite the star-studded voice cast, there is a sense of re-tread ground here, and the story (loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ distinctive tale) shows signs of formulaic Disney. Nonetheless, Phil Collins’ trio of original songs livens the pace to […]

Coming Soon speaks to Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, the directors of DreamWorks’ CGI comedy Madagascar, opening in theaters this Friday.

Clay Kaytis has updated his Animation Podcast blog with the third part of his interview with Andreas Deja. “It’s Deja vu all over again. The last installment of my first (but hopefully not the last) meeting with Andreas Deja is here. Hear his thoughts on his own work, as well as his friendship with animation […]

Merlin Jones reports at Save Disney on last night’s gathering at the Alex Theatre in Glendale for a screening of Dream On, Silly Dreamer. Many from the world of animation, including Roy Disney, were in attendance. “Friendly faces connected again to remember the high times of Disney’s Feature Animation renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s […]

Available at Petition Online is an appeal to Univeral Pictures from Balto Source, which claims that none of the three Balto films, particularly the first one, have received the recognition they deserve from the studio. At the moment, the petition, calling for more promotions for the three films, has 449 signatures.

What began as a Shrek-like spoof on fairy tales, followed by a supposed turn into a tale about a squirrel and a bassett hound, the plot for Disney’s Rapunzel Unbraided has supposedly been revamped once more. With a story more along the lines of such traditional Disney classics as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs […]

Three animated DVD releases hit stores shelves today. First up is Pooh’s Heffalump Movie [press release here], the latest Pooh offering from Disney. Budgeted at around $20 million, the film received positive reviews and garnered close to $18 million, in theaters. As the review from Coming Soon suggests, “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie is fun for kids […]

We have just received word that Thurl Ravenscroft has passed away at the age of 91. He was most known for being the voice of Tony the Tiger but also provided voices for characters in Disneyland’s Country Bear Jamboree, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and The Haunted Mansion, as well as providing voices in How the […]

Still defending classic cartoon characters from various criminal accusations, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law returns to Adult Swim on Sunday, July 10, at 12:15 a.m. (ET, PT). Following the success of its first DVD release in April, Harvey Birdman (produced in Atlanta, GA) is more outrageous than ever in a new crop of episodes from […]

More sad news comes in following Henry Corden’s death, with {{link http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2005_05.html#001108 Cartoon Brew’s reports}} of the recent passing of Hanna-Barbera voice artist Howard Morris and Ollie Johnston’s wife Marie. Morris was perhaps best known as the voice of Atom Ant and Beetle Bailey, while Marie, who died aged 87, was married to legendary Disney […]

As {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00003500.html we reported}} a couple of days ago, the latest Chicken Little trailer (as well as the much-requested Hitchhiker’s Guide spoof teaser) is now online in a variety of formats and sizes over at the film’s {{link http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/chickenlittle/ official teaser site}}.

Animation historian Mike Barrier takes an {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentary/Madagascar/Madagascar.htm in-depth look at Madagascar}} and for once actually applauds a DreamWorks film! Meanwhile, the DreamWorks Animaton Fansite has {{link http://dreamworksfansite.com/features/reviews/madagascar.php another review up}}.

At the age of 85, Henry Corden died of emphysema on Thursday night, at AMI Encino Hospital. Though he voiced several characters during his lifetime, Corden will be especially remembered as providing the voice of Fred Flintstone, following the death of original voice actor Alan Reed in 1977. Television series in which the actor voiced […]

Animated News’ Christian Ziebarth recently attended a screening and press junket for PDI/DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar, which is due in theaters this Friday, May 27. Following is his report (minor spoilers involved):

Cinderella III may open in theaters, if only in Europe, according to The Disney Database. The site further notes that the film is aiming for a 2007 release date and will have Tami Tappan as the singing voice of Cinderella.