Upcoming Pixar has a brand new image of concept art from Pixar’s upcoming film Up, which is due in theaters June 12, 2009 from the director of Monsters Inc., Peter Docter.
The image is a picture of concept art taken at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
VIZ Media announced today that three of its animated series — Naruto Uncut, Death Note and Bleach — are now available for download from Amazon Unbox at $1.99 each.
Naruto Uncut features episodes 1-25 dubbed, Death Note features the full series dubbed, and Bleach features episodes 1-25 dubbed. One free episode from each is being offered through Jan. 31, 2008.
Via AWN
The fine folks over at RottenTomatoes have interviewed Mr. Bird again. This time they talk about his recent Golden Tomato award and Ratatouille’s 5 Oscar nomations.
RT: You spent several years on this film, when did it feel like it started to come together for you?
Brad: I think somewhat towards the end. But when you’re going through it, particularly with sort of a sped-up schedule that we had, you turn your attention from one fire to another. As soon as one fire is solved, you don’t go, “Wow, I really put out that fire.” You swivel your head around and go after the next one. You keep going until there are no more fires. Suddenly, you look back and there’s a movie behind you and you go, “Wow, when did that happen?”
Check out the interview at RottenTomatoes.
Imagi Studios announced today that Flushed Away director, David Bowers, will direct the CG-animated ASTROBOY, replacing previously announced director Colin Brady.
Bowers said, “I’ve had a lifelong affection for the original ASTROBOY, so I am looking forward to giving him the full action-adventure Hollywood treatment. His story is both emotional and spectacular, so it absolutely lends itself to the big screen. With the amazing crew that Imagi has assembled, I feel there’s an opportunity to create something very special — a film to surprise audiences, have them on the edge of their seats, and hopefully make them laugh, too.”
Based on the Japanese manga, ASTROBOY follows a young robot created by a scientist in the image of the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the man’s expectations, AstroBoy embarks on a journey in search of acceptance before he returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the father who had rejected him.
ASTROBOY is scheduled for a worldwide release in 2009.
Via AWN
Aardman Animations has announced that its TV shows are now available for 1.89 GBP per episode from the iTunes U.K. store.
Shows include the Wallace and Gromit specials: A Close Shave, The Wrong Trousers and A Grand Day Out, along with the series of nine Wallace and Gromit short films. If Wallace and Gromit aren’t you’re cup of tea, you can choose from episodes of Angry Kid, Rex the Runt, and The Pearce Sisters.
Via AWN
The Walt Disney Studios is taking the latest advances in digital 3-D technology “to infinity and beyond” with plans to debut new Disney Digital 3-D versions of Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story” on October 2nd, 2009, and “Toy Story 2” on February 12th, 2010, it was announced by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.
Both of these beloved animated features are being newly converted to 3-D in advance of the June 18th, 2010 release of Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 3,” which is being produced as a 3-D motion picture. Veteran Pixar filmmaker Lee Unkrich (co-director “Toy Story 2”) is directing.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Lasseter (director of the first two “Toy Story” films and chief creative officer for Disney and Pixar Animation Studios) will personally oversee the creative side of the 3-D conversions for “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” with his acclaimed team of technical wizards handling all the necessary steps in the conversion process.
Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “We are committed to bringing moviegoers the best and most exciting 3-D movie experience, and we think they’re going to love seeing Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and all the wonderful ‘Toy Story’ cast of characters in an eye popping and dazzling way. John Lasseter and the animation team are putting all their passion and hard work into making this the greatest 3-D experience yet, and we’re excited to share their efforts with audiences everywhere.”
Lasseter added, “The ‘Toy Story’ films and characters will always hold a very special place in our hearts and we’re so excited to be bringing this landmark film back for audiences to enjoy in a whole new way thanks to the latest in 3-D technology. I am sure that this is going to be nothing short of fantastic and people are going to be blown away by the experience. With ‘Toy Story 3’ shaping up to be another great adventure for Buzz, Woody and the gang from Andy’s room, we thought it would be great to let audiences experience the first two films all over again and in a brand new way. 3-D offers lots of great new possibilities for the art of animation and we will continue to use this new technology to tell our stories in the best possible way.”
Racketeer Rabbit is a 1946 animated short film in the Looney Tunes series produced by Warner Bros. It stars Bugs Bunny, who duels with a pair of racketeers or gangsters, Rocky and Mugsy forerunners who resemble Edward G. Robinson and Peter Lorre. Directed by Friz Freleng, it features a classic gag involving a gas oven.
Bully for Bugs is a 1952 Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on August 1953. It was directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese.
The complete list of 80th annual Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday and Pixar’s Ratatouille did quite well with 5 nominations:
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, “Juno”; Nancy Oliver, “Lars and the Real Girl”; Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”; Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, “Ratatouille”; Tamara Jenkins, “The Savages.”
Animated Feature Film: “Persepolis”; “Ratatouille”; “Surf’s Up.”
Sound Mixing: “The Bourne Ultimatum,””No Country for Old Men,””Ratatouille,””3:10 to Yuma,””Transformers.”
Sound Editing: “The Bourne Ultimatum,””No Country for Old Men,””Ratatouille,””There Will Be Blood,””Transformers.”
Original Score: “Atonement,” Dario Marianelli; “The Kite Runner,” Alberto Iglesias; “Michael Clayton,” James Newton Howard; “Ratatouille,” Michael Giacchino; “3:10 to Yuma,” Marco Beltrami.
What award hasn’t Pixar’s Ratatouille won? It was announced today that the film about a rat who’s dream is to be a chef was honored with the Golden Tomato award, awarded to the best-reviewed films of the previous year as determined by the Web site RottenTomatoes.com, which compiles reviews from print, online and broadcast film critics.
The Moldy Tomato, awarded to the worst-reviewed film of the year, was ‘awarded’ to some movie I’ve never heard of called “Because I Said So.”
For the complete list of winners, head on over to RottenTomatoes.
DreamWorks Animation has signed a multibillion-dollar deal with real estate company Tatweer to develop in Dubai a range of projects, including a 5 million-square-foot theme park that will see incorporate characters from DreamWorks titles such as the Madagascar, Shrek and the upcoming Kung Fu Panda.
This isn’t the only huge Dubai deal that has been inked recently. Tatweer also announced in May, 2007 a $2 billion deal with Universal Parks and Resorts to build Universal City Dubailand.
In April, Al Ahli announced a deal with Marvel Entertainment to bring Marvel’s full library of superheroes to Dubai for a $1 billion theme park to open in 2011. Al Ahli also announce another longterm partnership with Nickelodeon that will see such Nick properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer join the Marvel characters in the park.
And in June, Paramount signed a $2.5 billion deal with Ruwaad Holdings to turn Paramount properties such as Mission: Impossible, Top Gun and The Godfather into a series of Dubai-based parks and rides.
Via Variety
Cartoon Network’s Codename: Kids Next Door is ready to go on one final mission this Monday, January 21, 2008. To honor this occasion, Cartoon Network will air a marathon of Codename: Kids Next Door that will begin at 6:00 am, all leading up to the one-hour series finale at 7:00 pm.
“Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.” (It’s Now The Extra Really Very Interesting End Wrap-up Story) features interviews with the Kids Next Door after they’re all grown up, during which they discuss what happened during their very last mission with Numbuh One — the one where he disappeared and was never heard from again! It all started with a routine mission to get the Delightful Children’s birthday cake, but when a mysterious boy steals it instead, he makes it available to whoever wants it — if they can solve his simple scavenger hunt first.
Via AWN
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominees for the 2008 Orange British Academy Film Awards. In the Animated Film category we have Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie and Shrek the Third. The nominees in the Short Animation category include The Pearce Sisters, The Crumblegiant and Head Over Heels.
A complete list of nominees is available at BAFTA
It’s a sad day today in the animation world as Brice Mack, background painter for Disney from 1930s~1950s, has passed away. Mr. Mack left us on January 2nd in Hollywood, California at the age of 90.
Mr. Mack painted backgrounds for some of most beloved animated films of all time including Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.
During World War II, Mr. Mack left Disney in 1942 and became a pioneering navigator for the Air Transport Command. He delivered aircraft, cargo and personnel throughout the world until the end of the war. After the war, in 1945, Mack returned to Disney.
May he rest in peace.
Via AWN
Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that Beowulf will arrive on DVD and HD DVD on February 26, 2008. Paramount will release both a theatrical and director’s cut of the film which features the voices of Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie.
The only extra feature on the theatrical cut will be A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf featurette. The Director’s Cut will include that, along with a Beasts of Burden featurette, a Origins of Beowulf featurette, a Creating the Ultimate Beowulf feaurette, an Art of Beowulf featurette, additional scenes, trailers, and easter eggs.
The HD-DVD release will feature a high definition transfer, along with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD tracks. All of the above extra material will be included, along with a Conversation with Robert Zemeckis, further featurettes on the stunts, art design, props and a couple of extra additional scenes.
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