Variety reports that Sony Imageworks, known for their uber-realistic special effects and CG character animation, is giving back by opening 5 of their proprietary tools to open source.  The five tools up for grabs are OSL, Pystring, Field3d, Scala Migration, and Maya Reticule.

“Traditionally, in visual effects, the idea has been to have strategic advantage by using a lot of proprietary technology,” said Imageworks chief technology officer Rob Bredow.

“It was appropriate for the development of this business, but as the industry is starting to mature, open standards and the ability to collaborate between companies is as important as competitive advantage,” he continued.

Sony’s master plan behind this move is to transition from having permanent artists on payroll to hiring freelance artists per project, but to do so they need to make sure that everyone has access to the tools.  The engineers from Sony Imageworks will on hand at Siggraph to promote the launch.

According to AWN, Jeff Katz, comic author and feature producer, is working with Titmouse Animation to create four new animated feature films.  The first of the planned features is based on the short by Jared Tweedie and Thomas Phillips called SPECIAL DEAD - SOMETIMES HEROS RIDE TH SHORT BUS.  When a plague of zombies invade Camp Special, it is up a group of handicapped campers to band together to survive.

All of the features will be executive produced by Titmouse’s president Chris Prynoski and produced under Katz’s company American Original.

Jeff Katz stated, “I’m a longtime fan of alternative animation and am honored to be working with Titmouse, who are really in a class by themselves in this field. I greatly look forward to working with Chris Prynoski, Keith Fay and company to make some eclectic, commercial and — most of all — original material. We share the same creative wavelength and desire to try new things, so I’m beyond thrilled to get into some trouble with these guys.”

While both parties seemed excited about the new projects, there is still no news on titles or plots of the remaining three features; and though SPECIAL DEAD sounds deliciously twisted, we will have to see if  can win hearts.

The third installment of the Narnia series, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, has started shooting this week in Queensland Australia.  According to VFX World, Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media have picked up the fallen franchise after Disney let loose and is now in production of the Narnian odyssey.  This time we follow Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustance Scrubb on a nautical journey to the home of Aslan to save Narnia once again.

Veteran filmmaker Michael Apted (the 007 epic “The World Is Not Enough,” “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) is at the helm of the new Narnia venture. Returning as the Pevensie children are Georgie Henley as Lucy and Skandar Keynes as Edmund. Ben Barnes (”Easy Virtue,” “Dorian Gray”) reprises the role of Caspian. Cousin Eustace will be played by UK native Will Poulter (”Son of Rambow”).

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is slated to hit theaters during Christmas 2010.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has decided to take on the classic children’s book “Rats of NIMH” by Robert C. O’Brien, and turn it into their offering for the CG/live action market.  With audiences loving Remy (RATATOUILLE), Reepicheep (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN), and now the team from G-FORCE, Hollywood has rediscovered the rodent.


Paramount is in talks with the director of THE ILLUSIONIST Neil Burger, and producer Cary Granat to head the new adaptation.

“NIMH” would be Burger’s first foray into family fare. The CAA-repped writer-director’s previous work includes the Ed Norton period magician tale “The Illusionist” and the Tim Robbins post-Iraq pic “The Lucky Ones.” He’s also on board to write the “Bride of Frankenstein” reboot at Universal.”

This won’t be the first time the book has made it into theaters.  THE SECRET OF NIHM was Don Bluth’s first major animated film after claiming his independence from the Disney Company.  THE SECRET OF NIMH was first released in 1982 and blazed the path for Don Bluth’s other animated films such as THE LAND BEFORE TIME, ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, and AN AMERICAN TALE.

Variety reports that the Nintendo classic video game, CASTLEVANIA, is next on the Hollywood live-action remake list.  Konami, the publisher of the game, is in final talks with director James Wan (of SAW fame) and script writer Ian Jeffers.  James Wan recently talked to the Bloody Disgusting Website, home of all things horror, in an exclusive interview.

“I’m very fresh on this project, so its early stages and I’m still trying to work things out, but the producers love my vision for it,” James Wan tells Bloody-Disgusting in an exclusive chat. “I’ll be working on the script with a writer to give it a new spin, different to the previous versions. This will have my stamp on it which Konami is very excited about.

The story is centered around the ongoing war between Dracula and the Belmont clan of vampire hunters and located, as the name states, in a huge castle deep in the Carpathian mountains.


This project has been on-again-off-again since 2005, but it seems that all lights are turning green on the project. Let see if 2009 is a lucky year for vampire hunters.

Variety reports that Fremantle Media and Liquid Comics (formally Virgin Comics) have teamed up to create two new graphic novel properties.  First up is ANI-MAX about the adventures of a boy who “absorb the abilities and physical characteristics of any animal he touches.”  The plan is to develop this property further into an animated series.  Second, is FIRST FAMILY, the story of the children of the President who find themselves in the a harsh political arena, namely high school.

Both properties were created by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan, Liquid Comics co-founders and managing partners, who made the deal with FremantleMedia’s Jeff Tahler. The Liquid Comics principals said the FremantleMedia deal will allow them a faster track in their efforts to transform their graphic novels into platforms that include movies, TV and games.

This won’t be the first deal these two creators have made for main stream.  the have deals with both Warner Bros. for a movie adaptation of the comic GAMEKEEPER; and with Nicolas Cage for the film of VOODOO CHILD.

Animation Magazine reports that Konami and AdultSwim have teamed up to bring the Power of Metal to Playstation and Xbox Live Arcade.  In the game, players play the roadies of the metal band Dethklok and must save the band from their mutant killer fans.  Brendan Small co-created the animated series METALOCALPYSE and the game METALOCALPYSE: DETHGAME.

“We have gone above and beyond and found the biggest nerds in the industry to help develop and deliver what will without a doubt be the most successful downloadable cartoon death metal game in recorded history,” said Small. “I defy anyone to find another death metal cartoon that can claim the same. I think the most important thing to remember beyond the record-setting CD sales, and astounding ratings and growing rabid fans around the world, is that this game is going to be a blast to play. I am very excited to be a part of making video games metal.”

The game is slated to be released in Q4 of 2009.

The animated housemates of of the reality show DRAWN TOGETHER are making a movie… no, not that kind of movie.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Comedy Central has started production on THE DRAWN TOGETHER MOVIE: THE MOVIE! to be released on DVD in 2010.  The raunchy, twisted fun begins when Foxxy Love realizes that the housemates can now cuss without being bleeped, and finds out the show has been canceled.  It is up to the motley crew of animated characters to get the show back on the air.

“‘Drawn Together’s’ reunion with Comedy Central is like marrying an old ex-girlfriend,” said quipped creators, writers and executive producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser.

(Lauren Corrao of Comedy Central) lauded the duo’s “twisted sensibility that is completely uninhibited and admirable.” She added: “Without the constraints of producing for basic cable, this movie will showcase their chops the way fans of the show have been waiting for.”

As with everything else lately, THE DRAWN TOGETHER MOVIE: THE MOVIE! will have a panel at Comic-Con today.

According to AWN, Stan Lee and his company POW! has united with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to create a new digital comic.  TIME JUMPER is the story of Terry Dixon and genius father’s new invention, a mobile time transport device.  He becomes a reluctant hero after being recruited by a superhero organization to battle Charity Vyle and her group of super-villains.  This new comic blends the classic style of Stan Lee comics with multi-media editing, effects and sound to not only brings the story, but the comic media itself to life.

Time Jumper will first release as a ten-part series of 5-to-8 minute digital episodes made available for retail on iTunes at www.iTunes.com/timejumper. On July 24, Time Jumper’s first episode will premiere exclusively on iTunes for free, with additional episodes releasing through December 2009. Retailing for just $0.99 per episode on iTunes consumers will be able to easily download Time Jumper on their Mac, PC, iPod with video, iPhone and/or widescreen TV with Apple TV.

For those planning to attend the San Diego Comic-Con this week, you might want to check out Stan Lee and his “sneak peek” presentation tommorrow of TIME JUMPER’s new trailer and episode 1.  For more info on TIME JUMPER click here.

AWN reports that Mass Animation will be debuting its new short LIVE MUSIC, a collaborative effort of animation using an application on the Facebook Platform.  LIVE MUSIC was made by a collection of animators from around the globe whose work was submitted to Facebook and judged by the Facebook community.  Of course director Yair Laudau, producer of THE CHUBB CHUBBS, had the final say which shots made the cut for the final film.

The 5-minute computer-generated animated short is inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and early CGI films. Set in a musical instrument store, the story follows Riff, a rock ‘n’ roll guitar, who, as Landau describes it, “falls in love to the wrong song but ends up with Vanessa, the classical violin of his dreams.” The story is conveyed through the universal language of music, allowing the expressions and actions of the characters to be instantly relatable globally.

This new short will show with TriStar’s PLANE 51, the new animated film about an American astronaut that lands on the mysterious planet reminiscent of 1950’s America, but with little green men.  Both LIVE MUSIC and PLANET 51 are coming to theaters November 2009.