Indiana Jones 4, Pixar's Lawsuit & 20 CG Heavy Films in 2007
Indiana Jones 4 Coming May 2008
( The Associated Press) George Lucas said Friday that filming
of the long-awaited Indiana Jones 4 will begin next year with Harrison
Ford set to star again. Lucas said he and Steven Spielberg recently
finalized the script for the film.
"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet," the
62-year-old filmmaker said during a break from preparing for his
duties as grand marshal of Monday's Rose Parade.
Exact film locations have not been decided yet, but Lucas said part of
the movie will be shot in Los Angeles.
The fourth chapter of the "Indiana Jones" saga, which will hit
theaters in May 2008, has been in development for over a decade with
several screenwriters taking a crack at the script, but it only
recently gained momentum.
Lucas kept mum about the plot, but said that the latest action flick
will be a "character piece" that will include "very interesting
mysteries."
"I think it's going to be really cool," Lucas said.
At the inaugural Rome Film Festival in October, the 64-year-old Ford
said he was excited to team up with Lucas and Spielberg again for the
fourth "Indiana Jones" installment. Ford said he was "fit to continue"
to play the title role despite his age.
Ford played Indiana Jones in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984's
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 1989's Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade.
Dreamworks Anim Poised To Squash Pixar in 2007?
(fool.com) There are many companies looking forward to
the next 365-day period, but DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) is one
business that is really jacked about it. That's because it has one
mean-green sequel on the way for the summertime box-office season.
When all is said and done, 2007 should really rock -- in comparison to
2006 -- for Jeffrey Katzenberg's crew.
Challenges in the year ahead
DreamWorks Animation is not alone. No doubt Katzenberg wishes he had a
monopoly over computer cartoons in the same way that Microsoft holds a
monopoly over operating systems. But he doesn't, and he will have to
contend with intense competition. Every studio out there -- like
Disney (NYSE: DIS), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX),
and so on -- wants to captivate audiences with stellar stories set in
the neat world of technically-advanced animation. And, perhaps more
importantly, each company wants to get people in the theaters with the
best marketing campaigns that money can buy.
This is a really big issue. DreamWorks Animation has to imbue its
releases with the most powerful storytelling engine possible, but if
it can't deliver an opening weekend bigger than the last picture it
released in a comparable timeframe, then all is lost. Well, that might
be a bit of an exaggeration, but the pressure will be on the studio
come next summer, because it will be up against Pixar's next project,
Ratatouille. It's difficult to say exactly how that film will fare,
but we all know that audiences are primed almost like Pavlov's dogs to
hand over discretionary dollars at the ticket window in exchange for
the right to view a Pixar property. That's okay, though, because
DreamWorks Animation has a pretty impressive ace up its corporate
sleeve.
Shrek is a mammoth franchise for DreamWorks Animation. It has brought
in huge business for the company since its debut in 2001. According to
Boxofficemojo.com, the first feature in the series grossed $42 million
in its opening weekend at the domestic box office and eventually took
in $484 million from theaters around the globe. The second film
grossed over $100 million in its opening weekend and wound up with a
worldwide cumulative gross of $921 million.
Ratatouille will certainly have its work cut out for it if it wants to
effectively compete with Shrek the Third next summer. Those numbers in
the previous paragraph are rather daunting if you ask me -- they are
especially daunting when you consider that Pixar's last project, Cars,
while a nice success in some respects, didn't pull the kind of grosses
that some might have expected. In fact, Cars performed quite weakly
when stacked up against past Pixar hits such as The Incredibles and
Finding Nemo -- those two grossed on a worldwide basis $631 million
and $865 million, respectively. Cars revved up $462 million globally.
Does the past box office dynamic of Cars tell us anything about the
potential of Ratatouille? Not necessarily. But it does show that
DreamWorks Animation might be poised for a very strong outing this
summer -- Pixar is putting out an original property as opposed to a
sequel in a very hot franchise, and its last three flicks define a
declining trend in worldwide box-office grosses. It's impossible to
predict what the box office will do at this early point, but looking
at those numbers, I'd say shareholders of DreamWorks Animation should
be excited.
Games Company Thinks Big Screen
(The Hollywood Reporter) Japanese video game publisher Capcom,
which has licensed its original franchise "Resident Evil" to Impact
Pictures and Sony Pictures, recently stepped into the movie production
game with an original "Street Fighter" movie due in 2008. It is
partnering with Hyde Park Entertainment on a new film that focuses on
Chung Li, one of the most popular fighters from the game franchise.
The Hollywood Reporter says the company, after decades of creating
such original game franchises as "Devil May Cry," "Lost Planet," "Dead
Rising" and "Onimusha" (which has a film in development at Davis
Films), has hired Germaine Gioia to serve in the newly created post of
senior vp licensing in its Los Angeles office. She will liaison with
Hollywood to find properties that can work as Capcom games.
The "Resident Evil" movie franchise, with a third film in production,
is the second-most-successful franchise for Sony Pictures behind
"Spider-Man." With the film rights to "Onimusha" and "Devil May Cry"
already purchased, Gioia believes Capcom could work more closely with
Hollywood to release new games in these franchises around the launch
of theatrical or DVD releases of the films.
'Pirates' Helps Push 06 Tally Up 5 Percent To $9.42 Billion
(Hollywood Reporter) The theatrical boxoffice might be under
siege, but it fought back and actually gained some ground in 2006. As
the boxoffice year, which will conclude with the New Year's holiday
weekend, winds to an end, the total national tally is headed toward an
estimated $9.42 billion, which would represent an increase of nearly 5
percent compared with 2005's $8.99 billion.
Certainly, records were set along the way: The biggest cheers
surrounded the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest," which set both an opening-day and single-day record of $55.8
million when it bowed July 7, supplanting the mark established a
little more than a year earlier, when "Star Wars: Episode III -
Revenge of the Sith" debuted to $50 million on May 19, 2005.
"Dead Man's Chest's" opening weekend of $135.6 million also supplanted
"Spider-Man's" $114.8 million record set in 2002. It also took just
two days for "Dead Man's Chest" to pass the $100 million mark, another
first.
That helped set the tone for what proved to be a much more hopeful
year - at points during the summer, the year-to-date boxoffice was
running as high as 6 percent-7 percent above the comparable 2005
figures.
Some of those increases declined in the final months. Although
Hollywood opened a number of holiday offerings that turned into hits,
none was as big as 2005's crop of year-end blockbusters. This year's
biggest November/December release is "Happy Feet," with more than $165
million to date. By comparison, November 2005 unleashed "Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire," which conjured up $276.9 million by the end
of that year.
Next year's lineup includes several movies that could head into $400
million-plus territory - "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - and help to lift 2007's
boxoffice above 2006's level. If that does happen, then the boxoffice
revival will genuinely have taken root.
Pixar Under SEC Investigation
(news.toonzone.net) Daily Variety and the Financial Times of
London (paid subscription required) are reporting that two months
after Apple failed to find stock options irregularities at Pixar, the
Securities & Exchange Commission is double-checking their work.
According to the Financial Times, the SEC is believed to be
investigating whether the animation company backdated options issued
to Pixar executives John Lasseter and Ed Catmull during the years 1997
- 2000, a period before the company was bought by Disney.
Backdated options essentially allow an employee to receive options for
a date known to be a stock-price low, allowing the employee to benefit
from the stock's rise. They are not always illegal, but failure to
disclose them to the board or to investors can, in some cases, be
considered a criminal activity.
Catmull received 1 million options, while Lasseter received 2 million,
on Dec. 6, 2000, at the price of $13.25, according to SEC filings.
Both prices were the low for the period.
Lasseter also received options in 1997, shortly before the company
signed a deal with Disney that sent the stock skyrocketing.
If Catmull and Lasseter's options were backdated, they could have
automatically pocketed, on paper, as much as $12 million in Lasseter's
case and $6 million in Catmull's.
Though Pixar was not yet owned by Disney at the time in question,
Disney stated last month that its board was carrying out an
independent review after receiving inquiries from the SEC and the U.S.
Department of Justice, according to the Financial Times. Disney also
played down any likely financial impact from the issue.
It should be emphasized that an SEC investigation doesn't necessarily
indicate any wrongdoing. In fact, Pixar is in good company: The
options controversy has swept up nearly 200 companies, including Steve
Jobs' other company, Apple Computer.
Thursday, Apple restated earnings by more than $20 million over the
last three years because of the options issue.
In October, an internal Apple investigation found irregularities in
fifteen instances of options but said that CEO Steve Jobs did not
receive any, nor did he know their implications.
The October findings made no mention of any questionable activity at Pixar.
20 Things To Look Forward To In 2007
(animationmagazine.com) Yeah, we know, another year is over
and we'll all be one year older! But, hey, there are plenty of cool
things awaiting us in 2007—we hope! Time to put on those rose-colored
glasses and cross our fingers because no refunds are given on the time
we'll spend on these movies and TV shows!
Bridge to Terabithia.
Katherine Paterson's widely read fantasy becomes a vfx-laden
live-action feature, directed by toon veteran Gabor Csupo (Rugrats,
The Wild Thornberrys). The plot centers on the friendship between a
fifth-grader and the new girl in town who discover a magical kingdom
in a nearby forest. Don't forget your hanky for this one! [Opens Feb.
16]
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Movie.
Never before have we had so much love and admiration for a meatball, a
bag of fries and a milkshake. Yes, Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis'
[adult swim] faves make the leap to the big screen this winter. The
feature tackles the mysterious circumstances that brought Meatwad,
Frylock and Master Shake together and offers guest voices such as Rush
drummer Neil Peart, Jon Benjamin and Bruce Campbell. Reportedly, the
movie was a huge crowd-pleaser when it opened on Pluto last year.
[Opens February]
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.
Created by husbandand-wife team Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua,
this colorful new toon centers on a 13-year-old who has to figure out
whether to use his superpowers for good or for not so good! The look
of the show is inspired by both classic spaghetti Westerns and Latino
folk art! [Premieres on Nickelodeon in March.]
300.
Graphic novel guru Frank Miller says he was blown away by the first
footage of director Zack Synder's feature adaptation of his project
about the mythic Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Starring Gerard
Butler, Lena Headey and Dominic West, the vfx-laden epic promises to
be one of the visual spectacles of the spring season. [Opens March 9]
Meet the Robinsons.
All eyes are on the Disney CG-animation team this spring to see how
their follow-up to Chicken Little will fare critically and
commercially. Based on the popular children's book by William Joyce (A
Day with Wilbur Robinson), the retro-futuristic movie is directed by
Stephen J. Anderson, who has worked on a wide range of Mouse House
projects, including Tarzan, Brother Bear and Emperor's New Groove.
[Opens March 30]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Writer-director Kevin Munroe is bringing a darker edge to this
much-anticipated CG-animated adaptation of Kevin Eastman and Peter
Laird's comic-book characters. Animated by Imagi and distributed by
Warner Bros. and The Weinstein Co., the film finds Donatello, Raphael
and Michelangelo lost and directionless in the Big Apple until Master
Splinter and Leonardo unite the green pals against a dangerous tech
industrialist. [Opens March 23]
My Friends Tigger & Pooh.
A.A. Milne's honey-loving bear and his colorful collection of pals get
the CG treatment in Disney Channel's new preschool toon, which also
centers on a six-year-old girl named Darby—sorry, Christopher Robin,
you had your share of the limelight already! Veteran voice star Jim
Cummings does double duty as both Pooh and Tigger. [Premieres on
Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block in the spring.]
Persepolis.
Three cheers for Sony Pictures Classic for releasing this super-cool
adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed graphic novel. Directed by
Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the black-and-white 2D-animated movie
follows the coming of age of a spirited young girl during the 1979
Islamic revolution in Iran. The voice list includes Catherine Deneuve,
Gena Rowlands and Chiara Mastroianni. Produced by Marc-Antoine Robert
and Xavier Rigault of 2.4.7. Films, Kathleen Kennedy of Kennedy
Marshall and France 3 Cinema. [Opens in the spring.]
Spider-Man 3.
Could third time still be a charm for Tobey Maguire as angst-ridden
Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego? Directed by masterful
helmer Sam Raimi, this first entry in the summer blockbuster derby
finds Spidey bonding with a dark entity from another world, as well as
dealing with villains such as Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Eddie
Brock (Topher Grace). Kirsten Dunst and James Franco reprise their
roles as Mary Jane and Harry. Bryce Dallas Howard also stars as Gwen
Stacy. [Opens May 4]
Shrek the Third.
The secret weapon in this third outing for the lovable CG ogre (voice
of Mike Myers) and his talented wife, Princess Fiona (the effervescent
Cameron Diaz), is the little bundle of greenish joy they add to their
family. Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy,
Larry King, Ian McShane, Regis Philbin, Rupert Everett, Amy Sedaris,
Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Cheri Oteri are all part of the royal
cast, directed by DreamWorks' Chris Miller and Raman Hui. [Opens May
18]
Surf's Up.
After their fall hunting world adventure last year, the team at Sony
Animation is offering a wonderful animated mockumentary about the
Penguin World Surfing Championship. The totally dudalicious cast is
led by Jeff Bridges, Mario Cantone, Shia LaBeouf, James Woods and
Zooey Deschanel. Ash Brannon and Chris Buck are at the helm of this
perfect summer offering. [Opens June 8]
Ratatouille.
What would the summer be without another clever, offering from the
brilliant boffins at Pixar? Co-directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava,
this seventh Pixar feature release tells the story of an eager rat who
dreams of being a chef at a Parisian bistro! Brad Garrett, Ian Holm,
Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo and Brian Dennehy round up the voice
cast. [Opens June 29]
Transformers.
Geek alert! Action auteur Michael Bay directs this anticipated
live-action version of the popular '80s toon. Produced by Steven
Spielberg, this one has major summer blockbuster potential. The
ubiquitous Shia LaBeouf plays the lead, and Peter Cullen returns as
the voice of Autobot leader Optimus Prime. [Opens July 4]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Harry, Hermione and Ron are older and wiser in this fifth outing for
the Hogwart wizards but their powerful adversary Lord Voldemort (Ralph
Fiennes) has also upped the ante by undermining their protective
headmaster, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Helena Bonham Carter and
Imelda Staunton join the cast as Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange and
the evil Dolores Umbridge. David Yates (HBO's The Girl in the Café)
takes over as director. [Opens July 13]
The Simpsons Movie.
You must have taken a sabbatical to the moon if you aren't aware of
this summer's hugely anticipated big-screen adventure of Springfield's
dysfunctional family. After 18 seasons on Fox, the clan (all voiced by
the original stars of the show) is finally ready for its close-up! The
heavily guarded plotline reportedly takes off when Homer is fired from
his job after poisoning the town's water supply and all the town folks
have to flee their homes. Minnie Driver, Albert Brooks, Kelsey Grammer
and Joe Mantegna are some of the guest stars; David Silverman directs.
[Opens July 27]
Igor.
The talented team at Exodus Entertainment have cooked up a tasty CG
animated treat for all of us who have a soft spot for the hunchback
assistants of evil scientists in B-movieland. Directed by Anthony
Leondis (Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch), the toon features the
voices of Christian Slater as the lead character, Molly Shannon as his
indestructible female monster creation. John Cleese, Steve Buscemi and
Jeremy Piven co-star. [Third Quarter, 2007]
Underdog.
Almost 43 years after the goofy rhyming superhero made TV audiences
fall for his canine charms, he gets his own movie in which he'll be
voiced by none other than Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl). The
liveaction/CG-animated movie is directed by Frederik Du Chau (Quest
for Camelot, Racing Stripes) and features Amy Adams as the voice of
love interest, Sweet Polly Purebred. Jim Belushi, Peter Dinklage and
Patrick Warburton are also on board. [Opens Aug. 3]
Tak and the Power of Juju.
The hit videogame becomes a CG-animated show about a jungle boy
(voiced by Hal Sparks) who acquires some magical powers thanks to some
of his friends in the Juju realm. Of course, his new abilities always
get him and his best friend Jeera and the Pupununu villagers into
trouble. [Premieres on Nickelodeon in Oct.]
Bee Movie.
The Internet is already abuzz about the clever live-action trailer
featuring lead voice Jerry Seinfeld. The famous comic stars as the
heroic bee Barry B. Benson who thinks there should be more to life
than making honey. Renée Zellweger supplies the voice of a New York
city florist who saves his life. The DreamWorks Animation project is
directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith. [Opens Nov. 2]
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass.
Philip Pullman's fantasy about a young girl with magical powers and a
shape-shifting animal soul (Yeah, we know, it's complicated!) who
fights evil in a parallel world in the far North has been begging to
be adapted into a live-action Narnialike epic. Next year's holiday
treat is directed by Chris Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie) and stars
Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig as two of the film's mystical
characters. To make comparisons with Lord of the Rings even easier,
it's the first part of a trilogy! [Opens Dec. 7]
( The Associated Press) George Lucas said Friday that filming
of the long-awaited Indiana Jones 4 will begin next year with Harrison
Ford set to star again. Lucas said he and Steven Spielberg recently
finalized the script for the film.
"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet," the
62-year-old filmmaker said during a break from preparing for his
duties as grand marshal of Monday's Rose Parade.
Exact film locations have not been decided yet, but Lucas said part of
the movie will be shot in Los Angeles.
The fourth chapter of the "Indiana Jones" saga, which will hit
theaters in May 2008, has been in development for over a decade with
several screenwriters taking a crack at the script, but it only
recently gained momentum.
Lucas kept mum about the plot, but said that the latest action flick
will be a "character piece" that will include "very interesting
mysteries."
"I think it's going to be really cool," Lucas said.
At the inaugural Rome Film Festival in October, the 64-year-old Ford
said he was excited to team up with Lucas and Spielberg again for the
fourth "Indiana Jones" installment. Ford said he was "fit to continue"
to play the title role despite his age.
Ford played Indiana Jones in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984's
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 1989's Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade.
Dreamworks Anim Poised To Squash Pixar in 2007?
(fool.com) There are many companies looking forward to
the next 365-day period, but DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) is one
business that is really jacked about it. That's because it has one
mean-green sequel on the way for the summertime box-office season.
When all is said and done, 2007 should really rock -- in comparison to
2006 -- for Jeffrey Katzenberg's crew.
Challenges in the year ahead
DreamWorks Animation is not alone. No doubt Katzenberg wishes he had a
monopoly over computer cartoons in the same way that Microsoft holds a
monopoly over operating systems. But he doesn't, and he will have to
contend with intense competition. Every studio out there -- like
Disney (NYSE: DIS), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX),
and so on -- wants to captivate audiences with stellar stories set in
the neat world of technically-advanced animation. And, perhaps more
importantly, each company wants to get people in the theaters with the
best marketing campaigns that money can buy.
This is a really big issue. DreamWorks Animation has to imbue its
releases with the most powerful storytelling engine possible, but if
it can't deliver an opening weekend bigger than the last picture it
released in a comparable timeframe, then all is lost. Well, that might
be a bit of an exaggeration, but the pressure will be on the studio
come next summer, because it will be up against Pixar's next project,
Ratatouille. It's difficult to say exactly how that film will fare,
but we all know that audiences are primed almost like Pavlov's dogs to
hand over discretionary dollars at the ticket window in exchange for
the right to view a Pixar property. That's okay, though, because
DreamWorks Animation has a pretty impressive ace up its corporate
sleeve.
Shrek is a mammoth franchise for DreamWorks Animation. It has brought
in huge business for the company since its debut in 2001. According to
Boxofficemojo.com, the first feature in the series grossed $42 million
in its opening weekend at the domestic box office and eventually took
in $484 million from theaters around the globe. The second film
grossed over $100 million in its opening weekend and wound up with a
worldwide cumulative gross of $921 million.
Ratatouille will certainly have its work cut out for it if it wants to
effectively compete with Shrek the Third next summer. Those numbers in
the previous paragraph are rather daunting if you ask me -- they are
especially daunting when you consider that Pixar's last project, Cars,
while a nice success in some respects, didn't pull the kind of grosses
that some might have expected. In fact, Cars performed quite weakly
when stacked up against past Pixar hits such as The Incredibles and
Finding Nemo -- those two grossed on a worldwide basis $631 million
and $865 million, respectively. Cars revved up $462 million globally.
Does the past box office dynamic of Cars tell us anything about the
potential of Ratatouille? Not necessarily. But it does show that
DreamWorks Animation might be poised for a very strong outing this
summer -- Pixar is putting out an original property as opposed to a
sequel in a very hot franchise, and its last three flicks define a
declining trend in worldwide box-office grosses. It's impossible to
predict what the box office will do at this early point, but looking
at those numbers, I'd say shareholders of DreamWorks Animation should
be excited.
Games Company Thinks Big Screen
(The Hollywood Reporter) Japanese video game publisher Capcom,
which has licensed its original franchise "Resident Evil" to Impact
Pictures and Sony Pictures, recently stepped into the movie production
game with an original "Street Fighter" movie due in 2008. It is
partnering with Hyde Park Entertainment on a new film that focuses on
Chung Li, one of the most popular fighters from the game franchise.
The Hollywood Reporter says the company, after decades of creating
such original game franchises as "Devil May Cry," "Lost Planet," "Dead
Rising" and "Onimusha" (which has a film in development at Davis
Films), has hired Germaine Gioia to serve in the newly created post of
senior vp licensing in its Los Angeles office. She will liaison with
Hollywood to find properties that can work as Capcom games.
The "Resident Evil" movie franchise, with a third film in production,
is the second-most-successful franchise for Sony Pictures behind
"Spider-Man." With the film rights to "Onimusha" and "Devil May Cry"
already purchased, Gioia believes Capcom could work more closely with
Hollywood to release new games in these franchises around the launch
of theatrical or DVD releases of the films.
'Pirates' Helps Push 06 Tally Up 5 Percent To $9.42 Billion
(Hollywood Reporter) The theatrical boxoffice might be under
siege, but it fought back and actually gained some ground in 2006. As
the boxoffice year, which will conclude with the New Year's holiday
weekend, winds to an end, the total national tally is headed toward an
estimated $9.42 billion, which would represent an increase of nearly 5
percent compared with 2005's $8.99 billion.
Certainly, records were set along the way: The biggest cheers
surrounded the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest," which set both an opening-day and single-day record of $55.8
million when it bowed July 7, supplanting the mark established a
little more than a year earlier, when "Star Wars: Episode III -
Revenge of the Sith" debuted to $50 million on May 19, 2005.
"Dead Man's Chest's" opening weekend of $135.6 million also supplanted
"Spider-Man's" $114.8 million record set in 2002. It also took just
two days for "Dead Man's Chest" to pass the $100 million mark, another
first.
That helped set the tone for what proved to be a much more hopeful
year - at points during the summer, the year-to-date boxoffice was
running as high as 6 percent-7 percent above the comparable 2005
figures.
Some of those increases declined in the final months. Although
Hollywood opened a number of holiday offerings that turned into hits,
none was as big as 2005's crop of year-end blockbusters. This year's
biggest November/December release is "Happy Feet," with more than $165
million to date. By comparison, November 2005 unleashed "Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire," which conjured up $276.9 million by the end
of that year.
Next year's lineup includes several movies that could head into $400
million-plus territory - "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - and help to lift 2007's
boxoffice above 2006's level. If that does happen, then the boxoffice
revival will genuinely have taken root.
Pixar Under SEC Investigation
(news.toonzone.net) Daily Variety and the Financial Times of
London (paid subscription required) are reporting that two months
after Apple failed to find stock options irregularities at Pixar, the
Securities & Exchange Commission is double-checking their work.
According to the Financial Times, the SEC is believed to be
investigating whether the animation company backdated options issued
to Pixar executives John Lasseter and Ed Catmull during the years 1997
- 2000, a period before the company was bought by Disney.
Backdated options essentially allow an employee to receive options for
a date known to be a stock-price low, allowing the employee to benefit
from the stock's rise. They are not always illegal, but failure to
disclose them to the board or to investors can, in some cases, be
considered a criminal activity.
Catmull received 1 million options, while Lasseter received 2 million,
on Dec. 6, 2000, at the price of $13.25, according to SEC filings.
Both prices were the low for the period.
Lasseter also received options in 1997, shortly before the company
signed a deal with Disney that sent the stock skyrocketing.
If Catmull and Lasseter's options were backdated, they could have
automatically pocketed, on paper, as much as $12 million in Lasseter's
case and $6 million in Catmull's.
Though Pixar was not yet owned by Disney at the time in question,
Disney stated last month that its board was carrying out an
independent review after receiving inquiries from the SEC and the U.S.
Department of Justice, according to the Financial Times. Disney also
played down any likely financial impact from the issue.
It should be emphasized that an SEC investigation doesn't necessarily
indicate any wrongdoing. In fact, Pixar is in good company: The
options controversy has swept up nearly 200 companies, including Steve
Jobs' other company, Apple Computer.
Thursday, Apple restated earnings by more than $20 million over the
last three years because of the options issue.
In October, an internal Apple investigation found irregularities in
fifteen instances of options but said that CEO Steve Jobs did not
receive any, nor did he know their implications.
The October findings made no mention of any questionable activity at Pixar.
20 Things To Look Forward To In 2007
(animationmagazine.com) Yeah, we know, another year is over
and we'll all be one year older! But, hey, there are plenty of cool
things awaiting us in 2007—we hope! Time to put on those rose-colored
glasses and cross our fingers because no refunds are given on the time
we'll spend on these movies and TV shows!
Bridge to Terabithia.
Katherine Paterson's widely read fantasy becomes a vfx-laden
live-action feature, directed by toon veteran Gabor Csupo (Rugrats,
The Wild Thornberrys). The plot centers on the friendship between a
fifth-grader and the new girl in town who discover a magical kingdom
in a nearby forest. Don't forget your hanky for this one! [Opens Feb.
16]
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Movie.
Never before have we had so much love and admiration for a meatball, a
bag of fries and a milkshake. Yes, Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis'
[adult swim] faves make the leap to the big screen this winter. The
feature tackles the mysterious circumstances that brought Meatwad,
Frylock and Master Shake together and offers guest voices such as Rush
drummer Neil Peart, Jon Benjamin and Bruce Campbell. Reportedly, the
movie was a huge crowd-pleaser when it opened on Pluto last year.
[Opens February]
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.
Created by husbandand-wife team Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua,
this colorful new toon centers on a 13-year-old who has to figure out
whether to use his superpowers for good or for not so good! The look
of the show is inspired by both classic spaghetti Westerns and Latino
folk art! [Premieres on Nickelodeon in March.]
300.
Graphic novel guru Frank Miller says he was blown away by the first
footage of director Zack Synder's feature adaptation of his project
about the mythic Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Starring Gerard
Butler, Lena Headey and Dominic West, the vfx-laden epic promises to
be one of the visual spectacles of the spring season. [Opens March 9]
Meet the Robinsons.
All eyes are on the Disney CG-animation team this spring to see how
their follow-up to Chicken Little will fare critically and
commercially. Based on the popular children's book by William Joyce (A
Day with Wilbur Robinson), the retro-futuristic movie is directed by
Stephen J. Anderson, who has worked on a wide range of Mouse House
projects, including Tarzan, Brother Bear and Emperor's New Groove.
[Opens March 30]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Writer-director Kevin Munroe is bringing a darker edge to this
much-anticipated CG-animated adaptation of Kevin Eastman and Peter
Laird's comic-book characters. Animated by Imagi and distributed by
Warner Bros. and The Weinstein Co., the film finds Donatello, Raphael
and Michelangelo lost and directionless in the Big Apple until Master
Splinter and Leonardo unite the green pals against a dangerous tech
industrialist. [Opens March 23]
My Friends Tigger & Pooh.
A.A. Milne's honey-loving bear and his colorful collection of pals get
the CG treatment in Disney Channel's new preschool toon, which also
centers on a six-year-old girl named Darby—sorry, Christopher Robin,
you had your share of the limelight already! Veteran voice star Jim
Cummings does double duty as both Pooh and Tigger. [Premieres on
Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block in the spring.]
Persepolis.
Three cheers for Sony Pictures Classic for releasing this super-cool
adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed graphic novel. Directed by
Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the black-and-white 2D-animated movie
follows the coming of age of a spirited young girl during the 1979
Islamic revolution in Iran. The voice list includes Catherine Deneuve,
Gena Rowlands and Chiara Mastroianni. Produced by Marc-Antoine Robert
and Xavier Rigault of 2.4.7. Films, Kathleen Kennedy of Kennedy
Marshall and France 3 Cinema. [Opens in the spring.]
Spider-Man 3.
Could third time still be a charm for Tobey Maguire as angst-ridden
Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego? Directed by masterful
helmer Sam Raimi, this first entry in the summer blockbuster derby
finds Spidey bonding with a dark entity from another world, as well as
dealing with villains such as Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Eddie
Brock (Topher Grace). Kirsten Dunst and James Franco reprise their
roles as Mary Jane and Harry. Bryce Dallas Howard also stars as Gwen
Stacy. [Opens May 4]
Shrek the Third.
The secret weapon in this third outing for the lovable CG ogre (voice
of Mike Myers) and his talented wife, Princess Fiona (the effervescent
Cameron Diaz), is the little bundle of greenish joy they add to their
family. Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy,
Larry King, Ian McShane, Regis Philbin, Rupert Everett, Amy Sedaris,
Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Cheri Oteri are all part of the royal
cast, directed by DreamWorks' Chris Miller and Raman Hui. [Opens May
18]
Surf's Up.
After their fall hunting world adventure last year, the team at Sony
Animation is offering a wonderful animated mockumentary about the
Penguin World Surfing Championship. The totally dudalicious cast is
led by Jeff Bridges, Mario Cantone, Shia LaBeouf, James Woods and
Zooey Deschanel. Ash Brannon and Chris Buck are at the helm of this
perfect summer offering. [Opens June 8]
Ratatouille.
What would the summer be without another clever, offering from the
brilliant boffins at Pixar? Co-directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava,
this seventh Pixar feature release tells the story of an eager rat who
dreams of being a chef at a Parisian bistro! Brad Garrett, Ian Holm,
Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo and Brian Dennehy round up the voice
cast. [Opens June 29]
Transformers.
Geek alert! Action auteur Michael Bay directs this anticipated
live-action version of the popular '80s toon. Produced by Steven
Spielberg, this one has major summer blockbuster potential. The
ubiquitous Shia LaBeouf plays the lead, and Peter Cullen returns as
the voice of Autobot leader Optimus Prime. [Opens July 4]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Harry, Hermione and Ron are older and wiser in this fifth outing for
the Hogwart wizards but their powerful adversary Lord Voldemort (Ralph
Fiennes) has also upped the ante by undermining their protective
headmaster, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Helena Bonham Carter and
Imelda Staunton join the cast as Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange and
the evil Dolores Umbridge. David Yates (HBO's The Girl in the Café)
takes over as director. [Opens July 13]
The Simpsons Movie.
You must have taken a sabbatical to the moon if you aren't aware of
this summer's hugely anticipated big-screen adventure of Springfield's
dysfunctional family. After 18 seasons on Fox, the clan (all voiced by
the original stars of the show) is finally ready for its close-up! The
heavily guarded plotline reportedly takes off when Homer is fired from
his job after poisoning the town's water supply and all the town folks
have to flee their homes. Minnie Driver, Albert Brooks, Kelsey Grammer
and Joe Mantegna are some of the guest stars; David Silverman directs.
[Opens July 27]
Igor.
The talented team at Exodus Entertainment have cooked up a tasty CG
animated treat for all of us who have a soft spot for the hunchback
assistants of evil scientists in B-movieland. Directed by Anthony
Leondis (Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch), the toon features the
voices of Christian Slater as the lead character, Molly Shannon as his
indestructible female monster creation. John Cleese, Steve Buscemi and
Jeremy Piven co-star. [Third Quarter, 2007]
Underdog.
Almost 43 years after the goofy rhyming superhero made TV audiences
fall for his canine charms, he gets his own movie in which he'll be
voiced by none other than Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl). The
liveaction/CG-animated movie is directed by Frederik Du Chau (Quest
for Camelot, Racing Stripes) and features Amy Adams as the voice of
love interest, Sweet Polly Purebred. Jim Belushi, Peter Dinklage and
Patrick Warburton are also on board. [Opens Aug. 3]
Tak and the Power of Juju.
The hit videogame becomes a CG-animated show about a jungle boy
(voiced by Hal Sparks) who acquires some magical powers thanks to some
of his friends in the Juju realm. Of course, his new abilities always
get him and his best friend Jeera and the Pupununu villagers into
trouble. [Premieres on Nickelodeon in Oct.]
Bee Movie.
The Internet is already abuzz about the clever live-action trailer
featuring lead voice Jerry Seinfeld. The famous comic stars as the
heroic bee Barry B. Benson who thinks there should be more to life
than making honey. Renée Zellweger supplies the voice of a New York
city florist who saves his life. The DreamWorks Animation project is
directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith. [Opens Nov. 2]
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass.
Philip Pullman's fantasy about a young girl with magical powers and a
shape-shifting animal soul (Yeah, we know, it's complicated!) who
fights evil in a parallel world in the far North has been begging to
be adapted into a live-action Narnialike epic. Next year's holiday
treat is directed by Chris Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie) and stars
Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig as two of the film's mystical
characters. To make comparisons with Lord of the Rings even easier,
it's the first part of a trilogy! [Opens Dec. 7]
