Buena Vista Home Entertainment has recently released ten more images from The Lion King 1½ . Some appear to be promo art and some appear to be screen grabs from special features on the upcoming DVD. Featured today are a picture of Timon and Pumbaa lamenting the loss of their bachelor buddy Simba, Timon’s Ma […]

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3029 ComingSoon.net}} points us to {{link http://www.latinoreview.com/films_2004/dreamworks/shrek2/shrek2.html Latino Review}}, who have posted 6 new images of theatre banners from DreamWorks’ upcoming \\Shrek 2\\. The six banners are of Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Far Far Away, Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming, and Puss In Boots.

{{link http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=1971 AWN}} and Jerry Beck take a look back at “the surprises and failures of the 2003 animated features in the US”. He also takes a look at what the coming year holds in a year when “classic theatrical hand drawn character animation – for the first time since… well frankly, for the first […]

{{link http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808468770 Greg’s Prevews}} confirms that \\Garfield\\ has been moved back a week and will be released on June 25th. This “puts it closer to the 4th of July, as the only family movie within two weeks before the holiday”.

{{link http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/01/15/robot.actor.ap/index.html CNN Online}} reports that Astro Boy got the help of a real life little boy robot recently, when Sony’s humanoid Qrio entered a voice booth to record lines for an episode of the new incarnation of the show. Qrio, which stands for “quest for curiosity”, isn’t a regular Sony product, but works instead […]

“More control and more profit from videogames based on its properties” was the reason given by {{link http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=6819&catType=NEWS Video Business Online}} as to why Warner Bros has decided to create a division to co-publish and develop gaming titles. WB Interactive Entertainment has set up Warner Bros. Games to develop, produce and distribute videogames, which will […]

Not a day after we reported The Digital Bits’ rumor of new Hanna-Barbera season sets from Warners, the Studio has released cover art, specs and dates for The Flintstones: The Complete First Season and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?: The Complete First And Second Seasons (that last one being a single box set that comprises both […]

Jim Hill Media has three new articles today ranging from the supremely sad and exquisitely sublime to the almost religious and nearly ridiculous. First is a wonderful article where Jim relates some of his {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/01152004.1.htm memories}} and personal experiences with Disney’s Florida animation studio. Second is a {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/bookreviews/breview.01152004.1.htm book review}} of Dan Brown’s […]

Both Amid Amidi’s Animation Blast and Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Research alert us to what looks like a great animated short coming our way soon called Boy’s Night Out. The short was produced by husband/wife team Bert Klein (who has worked on Looney Tunes: Back In Action, Fantasia 2000, and The Lord of the Rings: Return […]

{{link http://www.southernillinoisan.com/rednews/2004/01/14/build/top/TOP004.html The Southern Illinoisan}} reports that to honor the 75th birthday of world famous cartoon character Popeye, the famous tower lights of the Empire State Buidling will turn green this weekend. “We’re kicking off a yearlong celebration in honor of our favorite sailor man, ” said Claudia Smith, director of advertising and public relations […]

Take a peek at who is up for a 2k4 VES Award right here. It seems Pixar’s Finding Nemo is up for both the Outstanding Character Animation slots. Wonder if the animators’ have offices close to each other? Also it seems the VFX grandfather himself, George Lucas, is up for a Lifetime Achievement Award. I […]

Two-time Academy Award winner John Lasseter will receive the Art Directors Guild’s honorary Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award, according to \\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1974 Animation Magazine}}\\. “Not given on an annual basis, the award recognizes individuals whose body of work in the film business has ‘richly enhanced the visual aspects of the movie-going experience’”. In addition to […]

In its review of the Alice in Wonderland “Masterpiece Edition” DVD, FilmForce gives the DVD an overall score of 8 out of 10, with the movie receiving a score of 8, the video receiving a score of 10, the audio receiving a score of 8, and the extras receiving a score of 7. Concluding his […]

In an interview with CNN, Tim Burton reveals why there likely will not be a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas– or at least one that he is involved in. As Burton says, “What would it be … ‘Thanksgiving World’? Or they go kidnap Uncle Sam on the Fourth of July? That wouldn’t go over […]

French magazine Capital reports that Steven Spielberg will not only produce, but may possibly direct three adaptations of the famous comic Tintin. The “deal is nearly signed,” with shooting to begin next winter for a 2006 release. Dark Horizons adds, “The three movies to be made apparently will be based on two of the two-part […]

{{link http://www.toonzone.net/ Toonzone}} {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99598 reports}} Cartoon Network today released year-to-year ratings from its Adult Swim programming block, showing the late night block of animation gaining viewers. In the latest week, Adult Swim bested its year-ago ratings performance among adults 18-24 by 33% and among men 18-24 by 18%. Delivery in those demographics were up […]

{{link http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-film.html?2004-01/13/11.00.film SciFi Wire}} reports that Robert Luketic (\\Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!\\, \\Legally Blonde\\) will be directing and John Leguizamo (\\Ice Age\\, \\Titan A.E.\\) will be starring in the Fox/Blue Sky animated film \\The Iguana Brothers\\. “John Leguizamo’s doing the voice [of one brother],” Luketic said in an interview. “It’s about two Puerto […]

A final word from an animator leaving the recently closed Walt Disney Feature Animation-Florida ramps down the {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/01142004.1.htm Jim Hill Media}} coverage of the events happening down Orlando way. Be sure to check out “Brother Bri”‘s touching last note.

Flushed with the success of their Looney Tunes: Golden DVD Collection late last year, it seems Warners are already looking towards a second boxed set for Bugs and co. The Studio also sounds like it’s pleased with the ongoing popularity of the single-disc super-hero and Hanna-Barbera animated releases, and will finally take fans’ comments on […]

Be sure to go and vote today at the Internet Movie Database’s Daily Poll – their question today is, “How do you feel about Disney shutting down its Orlando animation facility, known for its traditional, hand-drawn animated films?” I believe I know which way this poll will go… ;-)

Dark Horizons reports that a Chronicles of Riddick animated prequel series may be in the works, with actor Nick Chinlund voicing the main roles.

The Internet Movie Poster Awards brings us the German movie poster for Garfield. According to the website, “A very rough translation of the tag line (I’m paraphrasing from Google translator) appears to be ‘It’s his world…we only live in it. Coming to theaters summer 2004…whenever he feels like it.’” Also, Movie Products has the cover […]

{{link http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=17866 The Big Cartoon Database}} has a report that suggests that “the closure of Disney’s Orlando feature animation unit signals that an extension of the entertainment giant’s deal with Pixar Animation Studios is nigh”. According to a quoted analyist, if the Disney/Pixar deal were going to fall through, Disney would probably be ramping up […]

AWN has posted an {{link http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=1965 Annie Award Voting Reference Guide}}. The “reference and resource list for all the nominated properties” has links to official websites, trailers, clips, pictures, and feature articles from Animation World Magazine and VFXWorld.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has {{link http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2003/04.01.12.html announced}} the winners of this years’ Scientific and Technical Achievement Academy Awards. Several awards relate to the art of special effects animation, including one to Stephen Regelous “for the design and development of Massive, the autonomous agent animation system used for the battle sequences […]

{{link http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=33352&CT=38 Broadway.com}} reports that “as it is every year, the first week of January was a tough one on Broadway. Every single show was down from the previous week”. \\Beauty and the Beast\\ took one of the biggest hits “down a whopping $517,296 from the week ending January 4”.

Despite the release of Tim Burton’s latest, Big Fish, which with $13.8 million didn’t quite manage to dislodge Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King from the top slot, the Peter Jackson motion picture behemoth continued to trail blaze through the charts, flying past the $300 million mark this weekend with a $14.2 million […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=99501 Toon Zone}} posted a fun little article on music professor Daniel Goldmark, who uses cartoons in the classroom to introduce students to the musical classics! Check it out at {{link http://www.cw.ua.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/01/12/400248b022276 The Crimson White}}.

{{link http://www.savedisney.com Save Disney.com}} this morning has a slightly new look (a full upgraded site is on the way), with Legacy Animation Studios’ Eddie Pittman offering up a visual take on the closing of WDFA-Florida. The page also re-prints Disney’s official statement regarding the Studio, which has president David Stainton announcing that “this difficult decision […]

Variety reveals that Paramount is developing a live-action/CGI animated version of The Trumpet of the Swan, the last children’s book from author E.B. White, who also wrote Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web. Miss Congeniality co-writer Katie Ford is set to write the film. The Trumpet of the Swan has previously been adapted for the screen […]