November 27 - 30, 2000 News

Monday, November 27, 2000

New Animated DVDs Being Released Tomorrow
Here is a list of animated and anime titles being released to DVD tomorrow:

Creature Comforts (1990 - Shorts from Aardman Studios!)
Gasaraki - Vol. 2: The Circle Opens
Royal Space Force - Wings of Honneamise (1995)
Computer Animation Extravaganza (2000)
Santa and the Three Bears and The Little Christmas Burro
Tempest 3000 (DVD Game)
Merlin Racing (DVD Game)

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The Second Coming of Steve Jobs
A new book on Steve Jobs, titled The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, gives readers insight into Pixar's CEO. A Booklist review, giving insight into some revelations the author made, states, "Then he started Pixar, the animation company that created Toy Story. Although that company is successful and Jobs is still an owner, he lost a power struggle for control over the creative process at the studio." In addition, when Jobs took Pixar public in 1995 he was practically alone in the decision, which had few supporters. Yet taking the company public ended up being a huge success, making him an instant billionaire.

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

Box Office Results for Animated Films
Here are the Box Office results for last weekend's animated films:

Rugrats in Paris
$17.4 Million ($5,926 per screen average - 23% decrease)
4th at the Box Office (down from #2 last weekend)
Total to Date: $47.5 Million

CyberWorld 3D
$220,610 ($6,128 per screen average - 4% increase)
22nd at the Box Office (down from #21 last weekend)
Total to Date: $2.8 Million

Dinosaur
$34,794 ($313 per screen average - 47% decrease)
49th at the Box Office (down from #44 last weekend)
Total to Date: $137.6 Million

Digimon
$33,287 ($163 per screen average - 43% decrease)
51st at the Box Office (down from #47 last weekend)
Total to Date: $9.5 Million

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
$695 ($174 per screen average - 13% decrease)
#101 at the Box Office (up from #122 last weekend)
Total to Date (includes original release): $50.35 Million
Rerelease total: only $247,853

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The Women Behind the Boys Voices
According to The Ottawa Citizen:

"Close your eyes, and you swear you're listening to a genuine 10-year-old boy. Open them, and you're amazed to find yourself sitting opposite a trim thirty-something actress named Christine Cavanaugh.

'Yep, it's really me!' she grins impishly. Cavanaugh is a member of a small but select Hollywood circle. She makes her living supplying children's voices for animated movies and TV programs -- but she finds herself in particular demand because she sounds like a boy..."

Click here for the full story.

Wednesday, November 29, 2000

Sony Picks Up Zeros & One Web Animation Series
Zeros & Ones, Inc. today announced that its "Julius & Friends" animated Web series has been selected by Sony Corporation's online entertainment network to launch early next year.

The series, consisting of 28 "webisodes," features characters originally created by fashion designer Paul Frank and developed by Zeros & Ones under an existing media rights agreement.

"We're elated that a respected worldwide entertainment organization such as Sony shares our excitement for the viewer interest that we believe 'Julius & Friends(TM)' will generate," said Robert J. Holtz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Zeros & Ones. "Their interest in securing the series as part of their offerings is resounding testimony to the quality of the shows."

Holtz said the series is among a slate of entertainment projects for the Web and television going into production at Zeros & Ones. The agreement with Sony was negotiated on behalf of Zeros & Ones by Mondo Media, the leading independent syndicator of entertainment content for the Internet.

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Rugrats 'Parents' Keep Shared Vision Alive
According to the Los Angeles Times:

"Throughout their 20-year odyssey through Hollywood, Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo have remained fiercely independent artists with a sensibility so quirky it's the definition of cool.

Meet the Rugrats' real parents. Longtime partners, formerly married, Klasky and Csupo shunned the corporate trappings that would have turned their unpronounceable animation outfit (Class-Key Chew-Po) into a cartoon factory.

Instead, the dream hatched in a spare bedroom of their rented Hollywood duplex has grown to fill a sleek, blocklong animation studio in the heart of old Hollywood..."

Click here for the full story.

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President of Indiana University Anime Club Commits Suicide
Jason Schwab, a sophomore at Indiana University and the president of the school's Anime Club committed suicide last Tuesday, according to police. Schwab allegedly broke a secure window on the eighth floor of Ballantine Hall and jumped to his death. A suicide note was found on his computer. Schwab enjoyed Japanese culture like Japanese food and animation.

Thursday, November 30, 2000

Dragon Ball Z To Become Video Game Series
Infogrames, Inc., a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced it has licensed the successful children's property, Dragon Ball Z, from FUNimation Productions, Ltd. to develop a line of video games based on the story and characters. Fans everywhere can now help the forces of good battle evil with amazingly popular Dragon Ball Z characters such as Goku, Piccolo and Gohan.

Infogrames has gained the rights to the license from FUNimation, licensor and producer of the Dragon Ball Z cartoon series, which airs twice daily on The Cartoon Network. An average of 1.5 million viewers watch the adventures of Dragon Ball Z each day.

Infogrames plans to bring Dragon Ball Z to multiple platforms. Further details on the games will be announced at a later date.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with FUNimation to bring Dragon Ball Z to video game fans," said Paul Rinde, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames' WizardWorks division. "Dragon Ball Z is a favorite among millions of kids and is one of the most highly searched topics on Lycos. We're confident we can bring the characters into a new medium for its growing fan base to enjoy."

Dragon Ball Z, the animated series which originated in Japan in 1986 and launched in the US in 1998, was created by Akira Toriyama, one of Japan's most influential animation artists. Dragon Ball Z is the story of Goku, a brave warrior with incredible powers who is plunged into a mystical adventure that is played out in exotic lands with noble warriors, shape-changing monsters, armies of ruthless villains and a kooky old wise man. Goku, his son Gohan and his friend Piccolo travel through various adventures as they battle Frieza, Goku's nemesis who wants to conquer the universe.

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The Newest Australian Animated Feature Film
According to The Australian:

"A cranky pudding and a loyal and courageous koala searching for his parents were the quintessential bush characters that entranced thousands of Australian children.

But Norman Lindsay's 1918 tale of food and friendship, The Magic Pudding , has bypassed a generation, ending up not in the bedrooms of today's children but on the bookshelves of their parents.

Now The Magic Pudding will be introduced to a new audience when it is released as an animated feature film on December 14.

British comedian John Cleese will play the voice of the magic pudding, Albert..."

Click here for the rest of the story.

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