Well I guess my Magic 8 Ball was right when I asked it if the last Rings movie would break the golden billion dollar mark. Which it did, in style I should say, doing it in 1 less week than the golden boy itself, Titanic. But unless every young lady in the world wants to […]

{{link http://www.animwatch.com AnimWatch}}, a monthly magazine featuring the best in independent animation, has updated its site with 8 new film profiles (bringing the total to 47), an interview with Joey Jones and Wira Winata regarding their development studio Shadedbox and their multi-award-winning short \\Little Red Plane\\\, and information about Volume I of the AnimWatch Collection […]

For fans of the Justice League who reside in Region 2 (since our world is now divided into regions based on what type of DVD format you are likely to be able to view), Toon Zone reports the good news that all three Justice League DVDs that have been released so far in Region 1 […]

Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Research points out a Roy Disney/Stanley Gold interview with USA Today business columnist Jon Swartz at Yahoo! News. Read on for straight talk from two men with a mission.

{{link http://snagson1.com/AnimationClosingParty/index.htm Some pictures}} from the farewell party for the animators at the now closed Disney Feature Animation Florida facility have been posted online.

{{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040223/film_nm/france_nemo_dc_3 Yahoo News}} reports that author Franck Le Calvez is continuing with his crusade against Disney and Pixar, whom he says stole the core idea for Finding Nemo from a French children’s book he published in November 2002. Thanks to ‘Wolf Tooth’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=1347#post1347 Animated News Forums}} for posting the current goings […]

John Lasseter’s next (and final for Disney), Cars has been confirmed not to have any human characters in its line up. {{link http://comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3608 Coming Soon}} reports that voice cast member Owen Wilson has been speaking to About.com. The actor says: “It’s a world of cars. That’s the hook”. Wilson’s automobile character is “a race car […]

With the wider release of the acclaimed documentary Walt: The Man Behind The Myth making its way to DVD on March 2nd, DVD Toons have updated Ben Simon’s {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/275 original review}} of the disc, from November 2002, which comes highly recommended for those unlucky enough to not catch it first time around. Also on […]

DVD Toons spins the new DVD release of Joe Dante’s {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/276 Looney Tunes: Back In Action}}, and it seems as if the film is worthy of another chance on disc. “On speaking about the Spielberg/Zemeckis movie 1941, critic Pauline Kael wrote that it was ‘like spending two hours with your head stuck in a […]

{{link http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=3359&n=1&burl= DVD Answers}} has a first look at the cover artwork for a new Tom And Jerry: Classic Collection, due on region 2 disc in the UK from April 5th. No details on whether the cartoons will be restored, or which titles will be included, but it is stated there will be no extras. […]

At one point included among Disney’s line up of animated stars (well, he was an inanimate object come to life!), it seems the next Herbie movie has picked up pace on its was to theaters. Chris Gardner of {{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2096346 The Hollywood Reporter}} writes: “Fresh from the Sundance Film Festival premiere of D.E.B.S., her feature […]

The Screen Actors Guild awards took place tonight, when the cream of Hollywood acting talent got to celebrate their own. These awards are particularly important for the stars, as they are voted by their fellow thespians. In one of the ceremony’s biggest – and most welcome – surprises, Johnny Depp (who did not attend the […]

Chris Wedge’s next computer generated film, Robots is gearing up nicely to win over audiences next Spring 2005. This week at the {{link http://www.action-figure.com/Article11063.html US ToyFair}}, while the manufacturers were busy getting retail orders and the media were getting pictures, the movie studios were announcing some new licenses, with Robots being among them. Thanks to […]

Animation Blast has updated with information that the new Disney animated film Lorenzo, directed by Mike Gabriel from a Joe Grant concept, will be showing as a short feature with Joel and Ethan Coen’s film The Ladykillers, which stars Tom Hanks and Marlon Wayans and is set to open in wide release March 26th, 2004.

BadBadRubberPiggy.com (aka BBRP) has again been a valuable source of Zimmy DVD goodness. The main page’s recent posts include an enormous DVD ad and a sneak peek at a new line of ZIM figures coming from Palisades Toys. A release date of May 11th has been set for the first DVD volume, “Doom Doom Doom“. […]

A.O. Scott of the New York Times gives a quick and lenient review of Clifford’s Really Big Movie, stating that “Clifford will provide preschoolers with comfort and amusement, though not rapture or enchantment. They will probably not mind the clumsy, gaudy animation, which lamely tries to bring more color and dimension to the simple, soothing […]

The LA Times comments on the problems that the shiny new Walt Disney Concert Hall is causing. Opened only as of October 23rd last year, the stainless steel design of the hall is causing a fairly problematic glare on the condominiums across the street. “To a handful of condo owners whose units face the Disney […]

In a short article from the Los Angeles Times today, “[Roy and Stan] opposed Comcast Corp.’s $50-billion bid for the Burbank entertainment giant as too low. In a letter to company shareholders Friday, Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold said the Philadelphia-based cable operator’s bid substantially undervalued the company. But the two used the […]

The Internet Movie Database has Larry the Cable Guy listed as part of the cast of Cars, with Randy Newman providing the film’s music.

According to DVD Answers, The Triplets of Belleville should be available on DVD, May 4, with bonus features including commentary on selected scenes, two featurettes and a music video. However, this news has yet to be confirmed officially. Thanks to “CaptainJasHook” for the heads up! Also on the animated DVD front: Toon Zone reports that […]

CNN.com has both a summary and a transcript of Michael Eisner’s interview last night on Larry King Live. Thanks to Toon Zone for the notice. Also, Michael at Mickeyfan’s website has posted an edited version of the transcript, in which he has corrected double talk, unintelligible language, hesitations, and comments that have nothing to do […]

First it was the battle of the bugs, then we got not one but two asteroids-heading-to-Earth flicks, two Latin-American set comedies, and a couple of mythical monsters in the running for the same Oscar prize. Now, following the fact that October’s SharkTale will try to swim into Nemo‘s waters, and that Disney is working on […]

Toon Zone reports that the re-branded Jetix action-toon blocks on ABC Family and Toon Disney (which we {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000602.html originally revealed here}}) have brought “ratings improvements for both channels, versus previous weeks and year-ago numbers”. Links to Disney’s official numbers, which programs performed the best, and other details can be found at {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=103046 Toon […]

Yessir folks, “Uncle Mikey” himself will appear on Larry King Live tonight on CNN – in an exclusive first interview since the Comcast Corp.’s hostile takeover bid. How will Eisner defend the company’s current regime? Tune in tonight at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT to find out!

Animation World Network has the scoop on a new Disney short entitled Lorenzo, which is set to premier at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando, March 6, 2004. The short is a 2D/3D hybrid inspired by Joe Grant’s idea of “a fat and sassy cat terrorized by its own tail into a fit of ballroom […]

Following the IMDb News Brief posted below, the Los Angeles Times‘ full speculative article about the politics behind the Roy Disney-produced short Destino is quite an interesting read. “Many veteran animators who have long seen Roy Disney as a champion of their art form have a wish: they want Walt’s nephew to win the statuette […]

CBS Marketwatch reports that Pixar’s shares jumped this morning on rumor of a Sony buyout. Apparently, the consumer electronic giant wants to offer $75 a share for the house of Nemo. Pixar is currently trading at about $70. Analysts aren’t giving the idea much credence. Pixar Chairman and Chief Executive Steve Jobs controls 60 percent […]

The {{link http://www.imdb.com/StudioBrief/#1 Internet Movie Database}} today reports that “The Walt Disney Company has hired corporate lawyer Martin Lipton, famed for developing strategies used by companies to avoid hostile takeovers. Lipton is credited with developing the ‘poison pill’ defense, a corporate strategy aimed at inflating the cost of a takeover, usually by issuing new shares […]

\\{{link http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117900376?categoryid=13&cs=1 Variety}}\\ reports that Sony Pictures Animation has greenlit \\Open Season\\ as its first film. “\\Open Season\\ tells the story of a 900-pound domesticated grizzly bear named Boog and a scrawny, one-horned mule deer named Elliot who are stranded together in the woods during hunting season. It’s up to the duo to rally all […]

{{link http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=10291 Animated World Network}} reports that MGM Vice Chairman and COO Chris McGurk has been in talks with Pixar Animation Studios about a distribution partnership. McGurk is quoted saying that MGM would be “the best fit” for Pixar because of its worldwide distribution apparatus and because MGM doesn’t possess any competitive animated films or […]