\\{{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 […]

Sylvain Chomet’s Les Triplettes De Belleville was awared the prize for Best French Film of 2003 at the Lumières Awards in Paris on Tuesday night. “The film is also in competition in two categories at this year’s Oscar awards, Best Animated Film and Best Original Song”, reports today’s {{link http://www.imdb.com/StudioBrief/#1 IMDB Studio Brief}}. “The Lumières […]

Decide for yourself, after reading the article at Jim Hill Media.

Ain’t It Cool News takes a sneak peek at a few upcoming Disney animated releases, including The Incredibles, Chicken Little (including a description of its upcoming teaser trailer), and The Wild.

Many reviews of The Lion King 1½ have made mention of the similarity between The Lion King‘s Timon and Pumbaa and Hamlet‘s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Now, thanks to an alert from Kristin, we have proof that this analogy was made all the way back in 1994. Check out the transcript of an interview with voice […]

Coming Soon! reports on an upcoming computer-animated feature from Walt Disney Feature Animation entitled The Wild about a boy who spends a late night at the New York Zoo and accidentally gets trapped in a crate and shipped to Africa along with some of the animals. The movie is set to appear summer 2005. Looks […]

At the {{link http://www.wordplayer.com/forums/movies/index.cgi?read=62799 WordPlayer forums}}, \\Aladdin\\ writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio confirm that they were interviewed for the upcoming Platinum Edition of the film. Rossio adds that: Even though \\Aladdin\\ is the 3rd highest selling video of all time (behind \\Titanic\\ and \\Lion King\\) and even though the writers receive zero dimes from […]

The {{link http://empirefanfest.com/empirefanfest/schedule.htm Empire Fan Fest}} has a picture of a newly redesigned \\SharkTale\\ logo. The convention will also air some footage from \\Ghost in the Shell 2\\ at the DreamWorks booth.

Amid Amidi’s Animation Blast reports on censorship run amok in the form of “the US Department of Education is declaring nearly 200 TV programs inappropriate for close-caption funding and denying federal grant requests to make them accessible to the hearing-impaired.” If you think it’s adult cartoons such as Stripperella getting cut, think again. It’s mainstream, […]

DVD Answers has the cover artwork for the region two release of the Fraggle Rock DVD, set to arrive in stores on May 4. Thanks to ‘CaptainJasHook’ in the Animated News Forum for the heads up!

Always on the pulse with new goings on in the world of film, {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/ Ain’t It Cool News}} weighs in with several new updates of interest to animation fans. Firstly, an “insider” plays up the upcoming DTV release of {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=17019 Mickey’s Three Musketeers}}, really going to great lengths to promote this as “the […]

Coming Soon! reports that The Walt Disney Company and The Jim Henson Company revealed today that under a new agreement, Disney will receive the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House properties from Henson. This new deal includes all Muppet assets, including the Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and Animal characters, the Muppet […]

Warner Bros and Ambient Entertainment are releasing the first CG movie ever produced in Germany. Back to Gaya is the story of two gnomes, Boo and Sinu, who live in “Gaya”, a virtual paradise in a TV series. When an evil scientist steals a charm stone terribly important to them, they have to live their […]

{{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/17/news/companies/comcast_disney/index.htm CNN}} reports that a source at Comcast says the company is not interested in buying Disney at current prices. Disney’s stock rose to a three year high after Comcast’s offer was announced. However, “the source also said that the Comcast’s offer is not being withdrawn, nor is it dropping its interest in a […]

Although both films have yet to see theatrical release, rumors are rife that this summer’s two big animated comedies, Home On The Range (opening April 2) and Shrek 2 (May 21) look like they’ll be heading to disc by the end of the year. As yet unconfirmed by the Studios, of course, sources say that […]

According to {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040216/media_disney_2.html Reuters}}, The “Walt Disney Co. on Monday said it rejected an unsolicited takeover offer from cable television company Comcast Corp. Disney’s board said it had full confidence in the business, financial and creative direction of the company under the leadership of Michael Eisner”. The following statement was issued by The Walt […]

Check out Jerry Beck’s online version of a recent Variety article on the upcoming Curious George film. The most significant part of this article for the animation industry is the fact that they mention that they did try computer-animated tests of the inquisitive simian and none of them looked quite right (they tried puppetry as […]

The new, full trailer for Shrek 2 is now available at the movie’s official website!

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts have just completed the presentation of this year’s British Academy Awards. Animation did not feature strongly this year, with Belleville Rendezvous (The Triplets Of Belleville) losing out to In This World for Best Foreign Film, and Finding Nemo losing Best Original Screenplay to The Station Agent. Jojo […]

DVD Toons has a new, positive review of VeggieTales: An Easter Carol, written by Ed McCry, also known as “Special_Ed” on the Animated-News forum. Concerning the film, McCry states, “An Easter Carol wows me. It is much stronger in story and the moral lesson than Star of Christmas and is sure to become a holiday […]

Coming Soon!, via Variety, has a rather large update on Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment’s traditionally animation Curious George, set to arrive in theaters November 2005. Apparently, Universal sees the well-known monkey as “the company’s Mickey Mouse,” as it will appear on everything from water bottles to the studio’s letterhead. The budget for Curious George […]

In the Animated-News forum, “ChayaA” has posted pictures of some new Home on the Range merchandise, including plush toys, a book, and the Sing-Along Songs DVD.

Garth Franklin’s always up-to-the-minute movie news site {{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/040212c.php Dark Horizons}} posts some new details on Steve Martin’s attempts to revitalize the Pink Panther movie franchise, with a new film set to be released in 2005. It’s changed it’s name from Birth Of… (which would have seen the series start from scratch again) to the […]

The Looney Tunes are set to repeat the Stateside success of their Golden DVD Collection, when a similar four disc boxed set is issued in the UK tomorrow, Monday 16 February. Two seperate “All-Stars” discs have already been released, but the new box (advertised as seemingly only available exclusively at HMV stores) collects these cartoons […]

In their continuing attempts to strike a deal with Disney, the {{link http://www.nypost.com/business/16234.htm New York Post}} reports that Comcast have been “wooing” Pixar Animation, or more precisely Steve Jobs, believing that “they will have an easier time convincing Disney shareholders to accept their buyout proposal if it is likely to come with a renewed movie […]

Check out the Big Cartoon Database to read about some Spongebob Squarepants Valentine cards that have raised quite a few eyebrows. Also, the website reports that, according to adweek.com, Nickelodeon and Paramount are set to spend as much as $150 million in marketing and media support to advertise SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie, coming to theaters […]

Video Premiere Awards has a new Looney Tunes: Back in Action DVD review, saying that “All told, this is a terrific supplemental package, one the kids will enjoy as much as the movie itself.” Looney Tunes: Back in Action will hit stores on March 2.

Bandia Entertainment’s website indicates that Manga Entertainment and Bandai Entertainment announced Wednesday they will jointly distribute Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a 26-episode anime TV series based on the manga/comic series. The new series will head to DVD on June 27 and then air on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block later this year. […]

As noted on their website, Explore At-Bristol will offer visitors, this February half term, the chance to see a new exhibition, Aardman At-Bristol, providing a glimpse of studio’s history and Oscar-winning fimmaking. Featuring everything from storyboards to set design, this exhibition is free with a ticket to Explore.