MTV and Yahoo! Movies and IGN have posted new clips from The Incredible Hulk, opening in theaters on June 13.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, the action-thriller stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell and William Hurt.
Hulk Smash American Gladiators!
The Hollywood Reporter says NBC will air a special "Incredible Hulk"-themed episode of "American Gladiators" with guest star Lou Ferrigno sharing the arena with host Hulk Hogan.
The "Gladiators" episode will include a hulked-out Gladiator Arena and an exclusive 60-second preview from the June 13 release The Incredible Hulk.
The "Hulk"-themed "Gladiators" episode airs June 9.
About 1,000 pairs of Hulk Hands will be given to audience members to wear throughout the episode, and some also will wear Hulk masks. Gladiators will likewise use Hulk Hands while competing in the Gauntlet.
And just about everything will be green!
Voice of Lisa Simpson files for divorce in L.A.
Character actress Yeardley Smith Erickson, the voice of cartoon character Lisa Simpson since 1989, filed Wednesday for divorce from her second husband.
In a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court, she cited irreconcilable differences for seeking a divorce from Daniel Erickson, her husband since 2002. The couple has no children.
Their date of separation is "under determination."
She is also seeking to have her legal name revert to Yeardley Smith, which is how she is credited in episodes of The Simpsons. Her birth name was Martha Maria Yeardley Smith.
In addition, Smith, 43, asked that she not be ordered to pay spousal support.
Born in France to American parents, Smith was married to English-Canadian actor Christopher Grove from 1990 until their divorce in 1992.
T4 Details Revealed
Warner Brothers announced that Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, the fourth installment in the SF franchise, began production on May 5 in Albuquerque, N.M., and offered new details about the movie's storyline and cast.McG is directing the movie, which stars Sam Worthington and Christian Bale as an adult John Connor, based on a script by Michael Ferris and John Brancato (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).
Warner also offered new details about the film, which is set in post-apocalyptic 2018. Bale's Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators.
But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
The film also stars Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, Charlotte Gainsbourg as Kate Connor, Moon Bloodgood as Blair Williams, Common as Barnes and Jadagrace as Star.
Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is envisioned as the first film in a new Terminator trilogy and is slated for release on May 22, 2009.
Fewer Breaks Affect Dollhouse
Writer-producer Joss Whedon told SCIFI Wire that he hadn't yet considered how his upcoming Fox SF series Dollhouse will be affected by the network's decision to air episodes with far fewer commercials and in-house promos than most shows.Dollhouse and J.J. Abram's in-the-works Fringe are both part of Fox's Remote-Free TV experiment, which is designed to deter viewers from reaching for the remote control.
One unforeseen consequence: Producers will need to deliver extra minutes in each episode for its initial broadcast, then cut those minutes for the episode's reruns, which would presumably carry more commercial interruptions.
"That's a good point," Whedon said when asked about it in New York last week at Fox's upfront presentation to advertisers. "They didn't bring up the repeats. But we have always had to cut out a couple of minutes for repeats. That's always been the way. I don't really deal with that that much. But they've also said, 'We want longer versions for the DVD.' So, ultimately, I tend to shoot long. Our shows tend to go long. Some come in short. It will happen. But generally they go long. So this just means a little less heartache in the editing room."
Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Echo, a member of an underground, illegal group of people who've had their personalities wiped clean, enabling them to be imprinted with any number of new personalities to carry out engagements at the behest of their handlers. Problems arise when Echo retains her memories and starts to question who she really is.
"When we cut a show down to 40 minutes, we've got to get the best 40 minutes," Whedon said of the editing. "We're not going to be like The Office and shoot way too much, but, yeah, we're going to have a production issue about shooting just a little bit more, because even if I love it at 46 minutes, there's a chance it could be tighter. And I never want to vamp. They're not going to get a bloated first cut. They're going to get a 46-minute story."
Dushku is more than just the show's leading lady; she's also one of its producers. And, according to Whedon, that's no vanity title.
"That was part of her deal," Whedon said. "When we sat down to lunch--and I had no intention of creating a show for her--she said, 'I have this deal. I'm a producer.' And that's because Eliza wants to protect herself. She wants to start shaping her career. Like Echo trying to find out who she is, Eliza has been [too]. I have seen her doing this. We've had a lot of these lunches over the years, [in which she talked about] trying to take control, and gradually, over the years, [she's done it]. It's very hard for an ingénue to do that."
Whedon added: "I said, 'Oh, wow, I've come up with a show, and I’ll do it with you, but you have to know, though, this thing about you having a producer credit; I'm going to make you earn it. I'm going to want your input. I'm going to want ideas. I'm going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.' She and I came at it from a very similar aesthetic view, a very similar political view and a great mutual trust. So, to me, it's an essential part of what the show says about people and about her, that she should be a producer." Dollhouse will premiere in August.
Spider-Man 4 two years away?
Spidey could be back shooting white stuff from his palms within the next couple of years, reports IESB.Marvel Vice Chairman Peter Cuneo said in a symposium that a “Spider-Man 4” could notionally be ready for 2010 or 2011.
"As far as Spider-Man 4, it's really up to Sony and it up to them, most likely scenario is 2010 or 2011 but we can't speak for them and I think that we don't know. They have given us their re-up payment for that film so you know they're going to make it within a reasonable timeframe. Sony may be looking at some issues with the cast and so on, I think they have to make some decisions."
Sounds like there might be some re-casting going on, hey? (and with long-time Maguire-replacement fave Jake Gyllenhaal now attached to play ‘Prince of Persia’, it’s doubtful he’ll get his shot at playing Spider-Man).
$200 grand to finish a Star Wars film? Sure!
A film once considered to be the competition of the controversial and long-delayed "Fanboys", being that they both revolve around the opening of "Star Wars" movies (this one the original, "Fanboys" the 'Phantom Menace'), Patrick Read Johnston's "77", might finally see the light of day - and it wouldn't at all surprise me if the sudden interest in the film has stemmed from the "Fanboys" brouhaha.The WMA/Hannaywood Ltd.'s Beverly Bridge Fund will complete financing - another $200 grand - on Johnson's autobiographical indie, which chronicles the director's journeys in Hollywood with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The film, originally named "5/25/77" after the release date of "Star Wars," is a nostalgic take on the director's encounters with Industrial Light and Magic execs. "Freaks and Geeks" lead John Francis Daley stars.
EXCL: The Making of The Incredible Hulk Game
SEGA has provided Superhero Hype! with an exclusive first look at the making of The Incredible Hulk video game. The feature covers both the origins of The Hulk and how the gaming team has studied and implemented the character. You'll see gameplay as well as interviews with Stan Lee and the executives at Marvel.
The video game hits stores on June 5th, go here to see the making of, and you can get more info at the game's official website!
Newsarama Interviews Voice Actor Grey Delisle; Hints at New "G.I. Joe" Series
Newsarama's Animated Shorts has posted a brief interview with voice actor Grey Delisle, who provides the voice of Mandy on The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Princess Azula on Avatar the Last Airbender, Frankie Foster on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Oyuki in Afro Samurai, and Betty Brandt and Sally Avril on The Spectacular Spider-Man. Delisle talks about some of her more popular roles (including Azula and Mandy), her singing career, and how she got into voice acting.
Delisle also stated that, "I’m doing this new G.I. Joe thing. It’s just a pilot right now. From what I understand they will launch it on the internet and see what happens." She provides the voice for Scarlett and one other character on the show.
"Adventures in Voice Acting" DVD on Sale at Anime Expo on July 3, 2008
The Adventures in Voice Acting Volume 1 DVD will be released at Anime Expo in Boston, MA, on July 3, 2008. A special expo discount will be available for expo attendees, as well as free voice acting workshops at the Bang Zoom booth (#811). The DVD will include interviews with Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Wendee Lee and Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop), and more.
Video montage of the Art of Kung Fu Panda book
The Character Design blog put together a video montage showcasing some of the designs created by the amazing Nicolas Marlet that can be found in the Art of Kung Fu Panda book by Tracey Miller, now in stores.
For you Indy fans
Paramount’s Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull reportedly opened with a bang on Thursday with a massive though not (yet) record-breaking $25 million in the U.S. alone, $4.5 million of which came from midnight U.S. screenings.
Real life Wall•E coming to Disney parks?
The little robot that audiences worldwide are already falling in love with might not have popped up in just any streets of L.A., says Newsweek. Real life replicas of Wall•E will apparently be coming soon to theme parks as part of Disney’s “Living Character Initiative.”
Preview some new Disney music
While the quality of the DisneyMania series from the Mouse House has been very inconsistent, Volume 6 sounds rather promising with songs performed by Colbie Chaillat, Elliott Yamin, Plain White T’s and Nikki Blonsky. Take an earful at Amazon MP3! DisneyMusic.com also offers a preview of the soundtrack of Disney’s new franchise, Camp Rock, starring Jonas Brothers and introducing Demi Lovato; the first Camp Rock TV movie will air on the Disney Channel on June 20th, with a sequel already in the works.
Space Chimps poster
The first theatrical poster for the intergalactic comedy Space Chimps can be viewed on Cinematical. A direct link to the full-size version can be found here. Space Chimps hits theaters on July 18th.
Wall•E on Movie Surfers
Disney’s official site features a new Movie Surfers video concerning Wall•E, Pixar’s upcoming sci-fi adventure. During the video, writer and director Andrew Stanton is interviewed, who sheds light on two of the film’s main characters. Several new clips from the movie are also shown. Wall•E opens in theaters on June 27th.
Animation Workshop Weekend Blitz
Animation Workshop Weekend Blitz
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
July 19-21, 2008
An animation workshop will be in Calgary this summer, sponsored by ChromaColour International. The instructor is Brian Lemay of Toronto, formerly coordinator of Sheridan College's Animation Degree Program in Oakville, Ontario. Lemay has worked in the animation industry for the past 26 years. He worked as an assistant animator on the feature film, ROCK & RULE, character designer on the original INSPECTOR GADGET series, and layout artist on STAR WARS: DROIDS, SMURFS, THE FLINTSTONE KIDS, LAZER TAG ACADEMY and PUNKY BREWSTER. He was the layout supervisor on THE CARE BEARS and THE ADVENTURES OF TEDDY RUXPIN, and an animator on Y'S THE MAGNIFICENT and other short films. Lemay has also worked as an illustrator for various advertising agencies whose clients included Kellogg's, Nestle, Mattel, McDonald's, and Burger King.
Three-day weekend blitz costs $525 and includes ChromaColour Portable Ink & Paint Disc, ChromaColour animation paper, pencils and an eraser. Any three-hour individual workshop costs $100 each.
There is limited availability, so register by June 27 by contacting ChromaColour at 250-5880 or 1-800-665-5829. More information: www.chromacolour.com.
Winsor McCay Day on June 17, 2008, at Spring Lake Heritage Festival in Michigan
Windsor McCay's hometown of Spring Lake, Michigan, will be holding a day in his honor at the Spring Lake Heritage Festival on June 17, 2008. McCay was a pioneering comic strip artist and animator who created Little Nemo in Slumberland and Gertie the Dinosaur. The festival will include screenings of McCay's films and discussions of his works.
New Wanted Trailer Hits Hard!
Filmz.ru alerted us that they've posted a new international and R-rated trailer for Wanted, opening June 27. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the fantasy-thriller stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie.
This one's definitely worth a look. Check it out here!
Venture Bros. Returns To Adult Swim
THE VENTURE BROS., the hit Adult Swim series from creator Jackson Publick III, returns with its third season on Sunday, June 1 at 11:30 p.m. (ET, PT). When the second season left off, the wedding of The Monarch to Dr. Girlfriend brought together arch enemies and friends alike, until the ceremony was crashed by The Phantom Limb, who was determined to have Dr. Girlfriend all to himself. What has happened to everyone in the aftermath?
Viewers were introduced to Hank and Dean Venture in August 2004. The twin brothers living in a high-tech compound where their father, the world-renowned Dr. Venture, carries out his scientific experiments, are all-American boys oddly out of place in today's world. But it's not all reading, sports and goofing around in dad's lab for these fraternal twins.
Once the boys leave home, they inevitably find themselves in danger. Doc Venture's work takes the family everywhere from a space station to the Bermuda Triangle and the slums of Tijuana. But when your father has enemies like The Monarch, there is bound to be trouble. It's a good thing that muscle-bound Brock Samson, the family's bodyguard, is around to deliver his brutal form of vengeance.
The third season of THE VENTURE BROS. promises to explain how The Monarch came to be a supervillian and how he met his wife, Dr. Girlfriend. Also in store are more of Dr. Venture's fruitless attempts to get money for Venture Industries while avoiding the evil doings of familiar villains like The Phantom Limb and Sergeant Hatred.
THE VENTURE BROS. is a 30-minute animated adventure-comedy series created by Publick, who has left his mark on such animated fare as THE TICK, KING OF THE HILL and SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY. THE VENTURE BROS. is produced by the New York-based World Leaders Ent.
Heroes to Return September 22
ComingSoon.net has posted NBC's fall series premiere dates, which of course includes "Heroes":
The eagerly anticipated return of "Heroes" launches with three hours in primetime on Monday, September 22 (8-9 p.m. ET) with an hour-long compilation show that will lead into a spectacular all new, two-hour premiere (9-11 p.m. ET).
You can view all the shows' dates here.
Nina Paley Talks Sita
A terrific interview in Film & Video with filmmaker Nina Paley, who completed a full-length animated feature by herself…on a Mac…for $200k. Making an animated feature isn’t easy, and there’s a lot of costs associated with one that the average person doesn’t even consider. Take, for example, the problems she describes with making film prints:
“Its world premiere was at the Berlinale. And Berlin only shows 35mm, at least in the section I was programmed in. I wanted to do a DCP [digital cinema package], and I was looking forward to doing a DCP, but they couldn’t show a DCP at Berlin. So suddenly I had to make a 35mm print, and I had no money. So I posted on my blog that this had happened: “The good news is, I’m going to Berlin. The bad news is, I need $30,000.” I actually ended up raising about $15,000 from strangers — some of them were friends, but people donated $15,000 that month. That was really freakin’ exciting. I also got a freelance job around that time, and I borrowed money from friends and family. So I was able to make a 35mm negative and get the sound done, and we got a print.
“Now there are three prints circulating. One of them is about to become a French-only print, because it’s getting French subtitles burned into it for Annecy [the International Animated Film Festival, in Annecy, France], which only accepts 35mm prints with subtitles. It’s all very expensive for an independent filmmaker. I am out of money and in debt and I have about $13,000 in bills coming. And I just have no idea how I’m going to pay for them.”
(thanks cartoon brew)
Marvel Dishes Captain America, Thor Details
If you stuck around for the end credits of Paramount’s Iron Man, you saw Samual L. Jackson as comic-book icon Nick Fury paying a visit to Tony Stark with the intention of recruiting him for “The Avengers Initiative.” The brief scene is meant to get fans excited about seeing some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes mixing it up in an eventual Avengers live-action movie. But first, Marvel has to introduce a couple more members of the team in solo outings.
While previewing footage of The Incredible Hulk at Universal Studios in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige unveiled that The First Avenger: Captain America would take place during World War II, according to SCI FI Channel’s Sci fi Wire. He also confirmed that part of Captain America’s shield can be seen in Stark’s laboratory in Iron Man, and denied rumors that Mathew McConaughey is up for the role of Captain America.
While sticking to the comic book and making Captain America a period piece may be a bold decision on the part of Marvel Studios, the company is playing it fairly safe with its upcoming Thor movie. Rather than trying to shoehorn the unconventional superhero into a contemporary setting, the filmmakers are reportedly keeping most of the action in Asgard, the mythical domain of Norse gods. Thor is slated to hit theaters on June 4, 2010, followed by The First Avenger: Captain America on May 6, 2011 and The Avengers on July 1, 2011. An Iron Man sequel is scheduled to bow on April 30, 2010.
Tommy Lee Gets Animated with Series
Following in the footsteps of fellow rocker Gene Simmons (My Dad the Rock Star), former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee is getting animated. According to Daily Variety, the tattooed bad boy will lend his voice to the title character in a half-hour animated television series in development at FOX. Loosely based on Lee’s wild life The Life and Times of Jimmy Jaxx is being spearheaded by Smart Ent. the company behind the hit comedy feature Blades of Glory.
Jimmy Jaxx is a rock star struggling to find harmony between the craziness of life on the road and his more stable home life. His efforts to balance maturity and immaturity are complicated by his own tattoos, which come to life and attempt to lead him astray. Lee has been regaling the writers with true anecdotes from his past to inspire storylines.
Lee will serve as a producer on the series, along with Zac Unterman, Carl Stubner and Nick Lawson. Exec producers include Smart Ent.’s John Jacobs, a consulting producer on Family Guy, and seasoned animation writers Steven Ilous (The Polar Express), Bill Rosenthal (Tripping the Rift) and Steve Freeman (Stripperella). Jacobs and Smart Ent. next have Beverly Hills Chihuahua coming out in theaters. The talking-dog comedy featuring the voices of Drew Barrymore, Selma Hayek, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin and George Lopez opens on Sept. 26.
Skunk Fu! Kicks to Cartoon Network
As further proof that Kung Fu-fighting animals are in vogue these days, Cartoon Network has picked up Skunk Fu! from Cake Distribution and plans to begin airing the animated series in the U.S. on Tuesday, May 27 at 10 a.m. (ET/PT). The show should benefit a bit from all the hype surrounding DreamWorks Animation’s feature film Kung Fu Panda, which hits theaters on June 6.
Created by Aidan Harte, Skunk Fu! is a series of 52 13-minute episodes that revolve around a young western skunk learning Kung Fu from a wise old Panda in China so that he can help the resistance fight against the evil Dragon and his army of Ninja Monkeys. The show features madcap humor and adventure themes aimed at kids aged 6-11
“The Cartoon Network broadcast will provide a fertile basis for the further roll out of Skunk Fu! in the United States,” coments Ed Galton, managing director of Cake Distribution. “We already knew from our first outing on the Kids’ WB! that our little Skunk has legs and this is the dream opportunity to see the series blossom further through much improved exposure to its target audience.”
Skunk Fu! is a Cartoon Saloon, Cake Ent. and Telegael co-production for TG4 in Ireland and Super RTL in Germany. The series is currently airing on the BBC, France 5 and Super RTL, among other international broadcasters. All audiovisual exploitation rights are controlled by Cake Distribution and all licensing and merchandising rights are controlled by Galleon Plc.
Satrapi's Persepolis wins 2 top prizes at AniFest
France's film "Persepolis," directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, won both the Grand Prix and the prize for best feature-length film at AniFest 2008, held in Trebon in the Czech Republic.
The seventh International Festival of Animated Films drew about 35,000 to see programs in 14 different venues around the city.
"Stark graphic design and the real-life personal story evokes a powerful visceral reaction," jurors said in awarding Persepolis the Grand Prix. "The political situation is judged by the innocence from a child's perspective as she matures into adulthood. Persepolis comments on social political life and supports the ideal of freedoms that all people deserve."
The prize for best short film went to Franz Kafka's Country Doctor, by Koji Yamamura of Japan. "In the true spirit of Kafka, Franz Kafka's Country Doctor is inspired, expressive, original and demonstrates masterful storytelling and animation that is clearly an artist's work," jurors said.
Special mention of the jury in the category went to Hare and the Servant, by Elena Chernova of Russia.
For "very short film," the prize went to John and Karen, by Britain's Matthew Walker. "Brimming with understated humor, John and Karen demonstrates outstanding quality in its beautifully designed and executed animation while physically and psychologically contrasting differences in character and human behavior," jurors said.
The jury gave special mentions in the category to Sandbox, by Avi Ofer of Israel, and KJFG No. 5, by Aleksey Alekseev of Hungary.
The jury for original films comprised Bretislav Pojar; American producer Ron Diamond; and Israeli animator Rony Oren, head of the animation department at the Bezalel Academy. Selection committees chose 287 films for AniFest.
The jury for TV films, comprising British journalist Phillip Bergson, Korean director Moon-Saeng Kim and Italian animator Gabrielle Zucchelli, awarded the Prize for the Best TV Film or Serial to Tales of the Old Piano: Ludwig van Beethoven (Irina Margolina, Russia), the Prize for the Best Video Clip, Advertisement or Introductory Spot to the advertisement VW Phaeton Schattenspiel (Michael Reissinger, Germany).
The Prize for Internet Animation was given to Jaromír Plachý for The Clod. The filmmaker was also awarded the Trebon Prize by the AniFest audience.
The jury for Student Films, comprising József Fülöp, Krzysztof Rynkiewicz and Lucie Štamfestová, awarded the Best Student Film Prize to France's The Man with a Chicken Head (Sylvain Jorget, Axel Morales and Mathias Rodriguez; Supinfocom Valenciennes). A Special Mention was awarded to Lovesick (Špela Cadez, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln, Germany/Slovenia).
The Prize for the Best School Collection went to the French La Poudriére.
At the Closing Ceremony, a prize was also awarded to the winners of the International Competition of Films Made by Children for When Disaster Struck at Youth Club (made by children from the Grindale Youth Club, United Kingdom). Special Mentions went to Homo sapiens, a collective work by School HS 8 Wels in Austria, and Life, by František Sova of Private School Trnka in the Czech Republic.
Katzenberg opens animation academy in downtown LA
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will officially open the DreamWorks Animation Academy at Inner-City Arts, a learning oasis in the heart of Los Angeles' Skid Row, on Wednesday, May 28.
Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation Charitable Foundation is donating $500,000 to the non-profit arts education center, allowing it to expand its animation education program. The CEO will appear during a 10 a.m. presentation ceremony scheduled at the center, located at 720 Kohler Street (on the corner of 7th Street).
Katzenberg will be joined by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a longtime supporter of Inner-City Arts. Actors Lisa Kudrow and Kate del Castillo will co-host the event.
"Animation is one of the few art forms our students encounter in their everyday lives, so teaching them how to do it is empowering and helps them develop skills like collaboration, problem-solving and sequential thinking," said Inner-City Arts president and CEO Cynthia Harnisch, who will be at the opening ceremony as well.
Inner-City Arts, a non-profit arts education center founded in 1989 after a round of budget cuts decimated arts funding in public schools, invites Los Angeles Unified School District students to attend weekly classes in visual and performing arts.
Immediately after the announcement, 30 fourth-grade students from El Sereno Elementary School, who attended a 14-week animation class at Inner-City Arts, will be on hand as their short animated film is screened for Katzenberg, head of the company that made the Shrek movies and the soon-to-be-released Kung Fu Panda. A special student-animated tribute film will also be shown.
Also attending Wednesday's ceremony will be Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Jorge Camara, Inner-City Arts animation instructor and former student Ruben Esqueda, and El Sereno Elementary School teacher Brian Morita.
At Inner-City Arts, professional artists teach students in a real studio environment. Currently, it serves 8,000 of the city’s most at-risk students each year at no cost to the students. When the expanded campus opens in October, the program capacity will double.
Valet parking is available for the opening ceremony. For more information, call (213) 627-9621 or visit www.inner-cityarts.org.
Blog & concept art from "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" now online
Warner Bros. has also started the official "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" blog with the first post from director McG. McG already hints that the movie will live up to the "Terminator" franchise and has already spoken with "Terminator" creator James Cameron and former star Arnold Schwarzenegger about the project. In addition to the first blog post, the site has the first concept art image depicting a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.
Click here to check it out.
Wall•E on Movie Surfers
Disney’s official site features a new Movie Surfers video concerning Wall•E, Pixar’s upcoming sci-fi adventure. During the video, writer and director Andrew Stanton is interviewed, who sheds light on two of the film’s main characters. Several new clips from the movie are also shown. Wall•E opens in theaters on June 27th.
Animation Workshop Weekend Blitz
Animation Workshop Weekend Blitz
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
July 19-21, 2008
An animation workshop will be in Calgary this summer, sponsored by ChromaColour International. The instructor is Brian Lemay of Toronto, formerly coordinator of Sheridan College's Animation Degree Program in Oakville, Ontario. Lemay has worked in the animation industry for the past 26 years. He worked as an assistant animator on the feature film, ROCK & RULE, character designer on the original INSPECTOR GADGET series, and layout artist on STAR WARS: DROIDS, SMURFS, THE FLINTSTONE KIDS, LAZER TAG ACADEMY and PUNKY BREWSTER. He was the layout supervisor on THE CARE BEARS and THE ADVENTURES OF TEDDY RUXPIN, and an animator on Y'S THE MAGNIFICENT and other short films. Lemay has also worked as an illustrator for various advertising agencies whose clients included Kellogg's, Nestle, Mattel, McDonald's, and Burger King.
Three-day weekend blitz costs $525 and includes ChromaColour Portable Ink & Paint Disc, ChromaColour animation paper, pencils and an eraser. Any three-hour individual workshop costs $100 each.
There is limited availability, so register by June 27 by contacting ChromaColour at 250-5880 or 1-800-665-5829. More information: www.chromacolour.com.
Winsor McCay Day on June 17, 2008, at Spring Lake Heritage Festival in Michigan
Windsor McCay's hometown of Spring Lake, Michigan, will be holding a day in his honor at the Spring Lake Heritage Festival on June 17, 2008. McCay was a pioneering comic strip artist and animator who created Little Nemo in Slumberland and Gertie the Dinosaur. The festival will include screenings of McCay's films and discussions of his works.
New Wanted Trailer Hits Hard!
Filmz.ru alerted us that they've posted a new international and R-rated trailer for Wanted, opening June 27. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the fantasy-thriller stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie.
This one's definitely worth a look. Check it out here!
Venture Bros. Returns To Adult Swim
THE VENTURE BROS., the hit Adult Swim series from creator Jackson Publick III, returns with its third season on Sunday, June 1 at 11:30 p.m. (ET, PT). When the second season left off, the wedding of The Monarch to Dr. Girlfriend brought together arch enemies and friends alike, until the ceremony was crashed by The Phantom Limb, who was determined to have Dr. Girlfriend all to himself. What has happened to everyone in the aftermath?Viewers were introduced to Hank and Dean Venture in August 2004. The twin brothers living in a high-tech compound where their father, the world-renowned Dr. Venture, carries out his scientific experiments, are all-American boys oddly out of place in today's world. But it's not all reading, sports and goofing around in dad's lab for these fraternal twins.
Once the boys leave home, they inevitably find themselves in danger. Doc Venture's work takes the family everywhere from a space station to the Bermuda Triangle and the slums of Tijuana. But when your father has enemies like The Monarch, there is bound to be trouble. It's a good thing that muscle-bound Brock Samson, the family's bodyguard, is around to deliver his brutal form of vengeance.
The third season of THE VENTURE BROS. promises to explain how The Monarch came to be a supervillian and how he met his wife, Dr. Girlfriend. Also in store are more of Dr. Venture's fruitless attempts to get money for Venture Industries while avoiding the evil doings of familiar villains like The Phantom Limb and Sergeant Hatred.
THE VENTURE BROS. is a 30-minute animated adventure-comedy series created by Publick, who has left his mark on such animated fare as THE TICK, KING OF THE HILL and SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY. THE VENTURE BROS. is produced by the New York-based World Leaders Ent.
Heroes to Return September 22
ComingSoon.net has posted NBC's fall series premiere dates, which of course includes "Heroes":
The eagerly anticipated return of "Heroes" launches with three hours in primetime on Monday, September 22 (8-9 p.m. ET) with an hour-long compilation show that will lead into a spectacular all new, two-hour premiere (9-11 p.m. ET).
You can view all the shows' dates here.
Nina Paley Talks Sita
A terrific interview in Film & Video with filmmaker Nina Paley, who completed a full-length animated feature by herself…on a Mac…for $200k. Making an animated feature isn’t easy, and there’s a lot of costs associated with one that the average person doesn’t even consider. Take, for example, the problems she describes with making film prints:“Its world premiere was at the Berlinale. And Berlin only shows 35mm, at least in the section I was programmed in. I wanted to do a DCP [digital cinema package], and I was looking forward to doing a DCP, but they couldn’t show a DCP at Berlin. So suddenly I had to make a 35mm print, and I had no money. So I posted on my blog that this had happened: “The good news is, I’m going to Berlin. The bad news is, I need $30,000.” I actually ended up raising about $15,000 from strangers — some of them were friends, but people donated $15,000 that month. That was really freakin’ exciting. I also got a freelance job around that time, and I borrowed money from friends and family. So I was able to make a 35mm negative and get the sound done, and we got a print.
“Now there are three prints circulating. One of them is about to become a French-only print, because it’s getting French subtitles burned into it for Annecy [the International Animated Film Festival, in Annecy, France], which only accepts 35mm prints with subtitles. It’s all very expensive for an independent filmmaker. I am out of money and in debt and I have about $13,000 in bills coming. And I just have no idea how I’m going to pay for them.”
(thanks cartoon brew)
Marvel Dishes Captain America, Thor Details
If you stuck around for the end credits of Paramount’s Iron Man, you saw Samual L. Jackson as comic-book icon Nick Fury paying a visit to Tony Stark with the intention of recruiting him for “The Avengers Initiative.” The brief scene is meant to get fans excited about seeing some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes mixing it up in an eventual Avengers live-action movie. But first, Marvel has to introduce a couple more members of the team in solo outings.While previewing footage of The Incredible Hulk at Universal Studios in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige unveiled that The First Avenger: Captain America would take place during World War II, according to SCI FI Channel’s Sci fi Wire. He also confirmed that part of Captain America’s shield can be seen in Stark’s laboratory in Iron Man, and denied rumors that Mathew McConaughey is up for the role of Captain America.
While sticking to the comic book and making Captain America a period piece may be a bold decision on the part of Marvel Studios, the company is playing it fairly safe with its upcoming Thor movie. Rather than trying to shoehorn the unconventional superhero into a contemporary setting, the filmmakers are reportedly keeping most of the action in Asgard, the mythical domain of Norse gods. Thor is slated to hit theaters on June 4, 2010, followed by The First Avenger: Captain America on May 6, 2011 and The Avengers on July 1, 2011. An Iron Man sequel is scheduled to bow on April 30, 2010.
Tommy Lee Gets Animated with Series
Following in the footsteps of fellow rocker Gene Simmons (My Dad the Rock Star), former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee is getting animated. According to Daily Variety, the tattooed bad boy will lend his voice to the title character in a half-hour animated television series in development at FOX. Loosely based on Lee’s wild life The Life and Times of Jimmy Jaxx is being spearheaded by Smart Ent. the company behind the hit comedy feature Blades of Glory.Jimmy Jaxx is a rock star struggling to find harmony between the craziness of life on the road and his more stable home life. His efforts to balance maturity and immaturity are complicated by his own tattoos, which come to life and attempt to lead him astray. Lee has been regaling the writers with true anecdotes from his past to inspire storylines.
Lee will serve as a producer on the series, along with Zac Unterman, Carl Stubner and Nick Lawson. Exec producers include Smart Ent.’s John Jacobs, a consulting producer on Family Guy, and seasoned animation writers Steven Ilous (The Polar Express), Bill Rosenthal (Tripping the Rift) and Steve Freeman (Stripperella). Jacobs and Smart Ent. next have Beverly Hills Chihuahua coming out in theaters. The talking-dog comedy featuring the voices of Drew Barrymore, Selma Hayek, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin and George Lopez opens on Sept. 26.
Skunk Fu! Kicks to Cartoon Network
As further proof that Kung Fu-fighting animals are in vogue these days, Cartoon Network has picked up Skunk Fu! from Cake Distribution and plans to begin airing the animated series in the U.S. on Tuesday, May 27 at 10 a.m. (ET/PT). The show should benefit a bit from all the hype surrounding DreamWorks Animation’s feature film Kung Fu Panda, which hits theaters on June 6.Created by Aidan Harte, Skunk Fu! is a series of 52 13-minute episodes that revolve around a young western skunk learning Kung Fu from a wise old Panda in China so that he can help the resistance fight against the evil Dragon and his army of Ninja Monkeys. The show features madcap humor and adventure themes aimed at kids aged 6-11
“The Cartoon Network broadcast will provide a fertile basis for the further roll out of Skunk Fu! in the United States,” coments Ed Galton, managing director of Cake Distribution. “We already knew from our first outing on the Kids’ WB! that our little Skunk has legs and this is the dream opportunity to see the series blossom further through much improved exposure to its target audience.”
Skunk Fu! is a Cartoon Saloon, Cake Ent. and Telegael co-production for TG4 in Ireland and Super RTL in Germany. The series is currently airing on the BBC, France 5 and Super RTL, among other international broadcasters. All audiovisual exploitation rights are controlled by Cake Distribution and all licensing and merchandising rights are controlled by Galleon Plc.
Satrapi's Persepolis wins 2 top prizes at AniFest
France's film "Persepolis," directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, won both the Grand Prix and the prize for best feature-length film at AniFest 2008, held in Trebon in the Czech Republic.
The seventh International Festival of Animated Films drew about 35,000 to see programs in 14 different venues around the city.
"Stark graphic design and the real-life personal story evokes a powerful visceral reaction," jurors said in awarding Persepolis the Grand Prix. "The political situation is judged by the innocence from a child's perspective as she matures into adulthood. Persepolis comments on social political life and supports the ideal of freedoms that all people deserve."
The prize for best short film went to Franz Kafka's Country Doctor, by Koji Yamamura of Japan. "In the true spirit of Kafka, Franz Kafka's Country Doctor is inspired, expressive, original and demonstrates masterful storytelling and animation that is clearly an artist's work," jurors said.
Special mention of the jury in the category went to Hare and the Servant, by Elena Chernova of Russia.
For "very short film," the prize went to John and Karen, by Britain's Matthew Walker. "Brimming with understated humor, John and Karen demonstrates outstanding quality in its beautifully designed and executed animation while physically and psychologically contrasting differences in character and human behavior," jurors said.
The jury gave special mentions in the category to Sandbox, by Avi Ofer of Israel, and KJFG No. 5, by Aleksey Alekseev of Hungary.
The jury for original films comprised Bretislav Pojar; American producer Ron Diamond; and Israeli animator Rony Oren, head of the animation department at the Bezalel Academy. Selection committees chose 287 films for AniFest.
The jury for TV films, comprising British journalist Phillip Bergson, Korean director Moon-Saeng Kim and Italian animator Gabrielle Zucchelli, awarded the Prize for the Best TV Film or Serial to Tales of the Old Piano: Ludwig van Beethoven (Irina Margolina, Russia), the Prize for the Best Video Clip, Advertisement or Introductory Spot to the advertisement VW Phaeton Schattenspiel (Michael Reissinger, Germany).
The Prize for Internet Animation was given to Jaromír Plachý for The Clod. The filmmaker was also awarded the Trebon Prize by the AniFest audience.
The jury for Student Films, comprising József Fülöp, Krzysztof Rynkiewicz and Lucie Štamfestová, awarded the Best Student Film Prize to France's The Man with a Chicken Head (Sylvain Jorget, Axel Morales and Mathias Rodriguez; Supinfocom Valenciennes). A Special Mention was awarded to Lovesick (Špela Cadez, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln, Germany/Slovenia).
The Prize for the Best School Collection went to the French La Poudriére.
At the Closing Ceremony, a prize was also awarded to the winners of the International Competition of Films Made by Children for When Disaster Struck at Youth Club (made by children from the Grindale Youth Club, United Kingdom). Special Mentions went to Homo sapiens, a collective work by School HS 8 Wels in Austria, and Life, by František Sova of Private School Trnka in the Czech Republic.
Katzenberg opens animation academy in downtown LA
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will officially open the DreamWorks Animation Academy at Inner-City Arts, a learning oasis in the heart of Los Angeles' Skid Row, on Wednesday, May 28.
Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation Charitable Foundation is donating $500,000 to the non-profit arts education center, allowing it to expand its animation education program. The CEO will appear during a 10 a.m. presentation ceremony scheduled at the center, located at 720 Kohler Street (on the corner of 7th Street).
Katzenberg will be joined by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a longtime supporter of Inner-City Arts. Actors Lisa Kudrow and Kate del Castillo will co-host the event.
"Animation is one of the few art forms our students encounter in their everyday lives, so teaching them how to do it is empowering and helps them develop skills like collaboration, problem-solving and sequential thinking," said Inner-City Arts president and CEO Cynthia Harnisch, who will be at the opening ceremony as well.
Inner-City Arts, a non-profit arts education center founded in 1989 after a round of budget cuts decimated arts funding in public schools, invites Los Angeles Unified School District students to attend weekly classes in visual and performing arts.
Immediately after the announcement, 30 fourth-grade students from El Sereno Elementary School, who attended a 14-week animation class at Inner-City Arts, will be on hand as their short animated film is screened for Katzenberg, head of the company that made the Shrek movies and the soon-to-be-released Kung Fu Panda. A special student-animated tribute film will also be shown.
Also attending Wednesday's ceremony will be Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Jorge Camara, Inner-City Arts animation instructor and former student Ruben Esqueda, and El Sereno Elementary School teacher Brian Morita.
At Inner-City Arts, professional artists teach students in a real studio environment. Currently, it serves 8,000 of the city’s most at-risk students each year at no cost to the students. When the expanded campus opens in October, the program capacity will double.
Valet parking is available for the opening ceremony. For more information, call (213) 627-9621 or visit www.inner-cityarts.org.
Blog & concept art from "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" now online
Warner Bros. has also started the official "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" blog with the first post from director McG. McG already hints that the movie will live up to the "Terminator" franchise and has already spoken with "Terminator" creator James Cameron and former star Arnold Schwarzenegger about the project. In addition to the first blog post, the site has the first concept art image depicting a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.
Click here to check it out.
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