BY DF NEWS
On the heals of the debut of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Cartoon Network yesterday announced the debut of another new series, Atomic Betty (26 x :30m) will bow Friday, September 17, 9:30p.
Beginning Sunday, September 19, 9:30p, Atomic Betty will settle into its regular schedule, premiering new episodes on Sunday’s, with replays on Friday’s, 9:30p.
Atomic Betty follows the story of Betty, a young girl living the dual life of a smart earth kid and a space traveling galactic superhero, AKA: Atomic Betty Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos. Created by Atomic Cartoons and developed by Breakthrough Animation and Fresh Produce, Atomic Betty is produced by Breakthrough Animation, Atomic Cartoons and Teleimages Kids.
-- CYNOPSIS
BY DF NEWS
ICv2.com has word that Hero Video Productions will release Terry Moore: Paradise Found, a two-hour DVD documentary about the life and work of the creator of Strangers in Paradise. The DVD will be solicited in September Previews.
-- THOUGHT BALLOONS
BY DF NEWS
Bloody-Disgusting has a report from a recent screening of Alien vs. Predator which included a Q&A with the film's writer and producer Paul W.S. Anderson. Here's an interesting bit...
About the studio's cutting of the film, which he had no control over, he said, and I quote, "All of the best scenes were cut." Anderson was obviously very annoyed at the way the film was released. However, this was not purely because of the PG-13 limitation, which incidentally, the studio enforced THREE WEEKS before the release date! It was always going to be R until then. Part of the reason for the cutting was that some of the effects were not ready by the time the release date came around. The effects team had very little time to do anything.
As far as the content that was cut, apparently we see all those who die, die on screen, but he also said that there is a sub-plot that we will have to wait for on DVD. Yes there will be an R-rated Director's cut DVD although they don't know the release date yet.
-- SUPERHEROHYPE.COM
BY DF NEWS
Interactive entertainment products publisher & distributor, Majesco announced yesterday that it has secured the interactive entertainment rights to Universal Pictures' & Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975). Developed by Appaloosa, the video game is slated to be release for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PCs next summer 2005 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the film's theatrical release.
Based on Peter Benchley’s book, Jaws was directed by Spielberg and produced by Richard Zanuck & David Brown.
-- CYNOPSIS
BY DF NEWS
DC Comics and Powerade have teamed up for a Powerade Flava 23 promotional comic starring NBA player LeBron James and featuring 10 different covers by the likes of Damion Scott, James Jean, Udon, John VanFleet, Jock and Ariel Olivetti. Four of the covers will be available only through mail-in redemption, four only at Kroger grocery stores, one only at military commissaries, and one at retail and via mail-in redemption. Here's David McKillips, DC's vice president of advertising and custom publishing:
"DC assembled a talented team of comic book veterans and rising stars to create a universe of new villains, competitors and, of course, a new hero named King James that will appeal to athletes, sports fans and superhero fans. With ten different covers and three million copies in print, the King James project is the largest sports-related custom comic book DC Comics has ever created."
ESPN.com has more on James' $2 million endorsement deal with Powerade and Sprite, and makes mention of the King James comic:
"Both Powerade and Nike appear in the promotional cartoon, which could grow into something much bigger for LeBron, who, after seeing the first proof, requested that his character be portrayed with larger muscles."
-- THOUGHT BALLOONS
BY DF NEWS
New Line Cinema is being sued for over $20m by a former owner of the rights to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, reports Variety.
Saul Zaentz, the producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, claims that the deal he made with New Line entitled him to a percentage share of the gross profits, but they have calculated it on a net basis. As the trilogy has earned $2.9bn so far worldwide, Zaentz claims the difference is $198m, and his share is 10% of that, plus damages.
Zaentz bought the rights to Tolkien's novels in 1976 from United Artists. In 1997 he optioned them to Miramax who then cut a deal with New Line.
This isn't the first multi-Oscar winning movie that Zaentz has battled over - he previously entered into a dispute with Miramax over The English Patient, which he produced. He claimed that he and the actors in the film did not receive their profit participation.
New Line and Zaentz have apparently begun mediation in this case, but he claimed in a petition to an LA court that the studio "continues to fail and refuses to acknowledge its obligation."
-- THE GUARDIAN
BY DF NEWS
20th Century Fox has just announced some interesting titles for November. Look for Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Seventh Season and a Daredevil: Director's Cut, Tru Calling: The Complete First Season and Lost in Space: Season Two, Volume Two on 11/30.
Daredevil will include the 124-minute version of the film in anamorphic widescreen, audio commentary with Mark Steven Johnson and Ari Arad, the Making of Director's Cut featurette and both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio. Lost in Space will include original 1966 cast interviews.
-- THE DIGITAL BITS
