Ratatouille Poster

Ain't It Cool News has posted the brand new poster for Pixar's "Ratatouille."



With Brad Bird directing, this should be a great film, just as "The Incredibles" and "The Iron Giant" were.

Ain't It Cool News' "Ratatouille" Info

Flushed Opens In Third

"Flused Away" opened in third place at the box office this weekend, bringing in $19.1 million dollars.



While a $19 million dollar opening is certainly nothing to laugh at, I have to assume that Dreamworks and Aardman would have liked to see much higher numbers from opening weekend.

Here is how "Flushed" stacks up against some other 3D Animated opening weekends. Be aware that some of these films may have opened on long Holiday weekends.

Opening Weekend:
Flushed Away - Opening: $19.1 million - Total to Date: $19.1 million
Everyone's Hero - Opening: $6 million - Total to Date: $14.4 million
Shrek 2 - Opening: $108 million - Total to Date: $441.2 million
Cars - Opening: $60.1 million - Total to Date: $244.1 million
Over the Hedge - Opening: $38.5 million - Total to Date: $155 million
Monster House - Opening: $22.2 million - Total to Date: $73.6 million
Barnyard - Opening: $15.8 million - Total to Date: $72.6 million
Ice Age 2 - Opening: $68 million - Total to Date: $195.3 million

Box Office Mojo's Animated Film Box Office Chart

Shrek the Third Poster

Hold the 'Fone has the new poster for "Shrek the Third" posted.



You'd think as a king that Shrek could get someone to make him a crown that fits.

Swing on over to Hold the 'Fone's site for plot details and and explanation of the poster.

Hold the 'Fone's Shrek Poster Preview

Happily N'Ever After Trailer

Animated News has the new "Happily N'Ever" after trailer up.



As I was wathing it, I couldn't help but think that it looked a lot like "Shrek," in terms of content. It basically takes various well-known fairy tales and turns them on their ear, in a similar fashion to how Shrek handled Pinocchio and other characters. Then I saw the tagline, "From the Producer of Shrek and Shrek 2," and I realized that I may in fact be the smartest man alive.

Happily N'Ever After Trailer On Animated News

Flushed Away Opens Today

Hitting theater screens across the States today is the Aardman/Dreamworks film, "Flushed Away."



Currently sitting at a very respectible 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Flushed" looks to be a winner in the eyes of the critics. Let's see if that translates into box office sales or if "Flushed" continues the trend of underperforming CG films.

Here are some quotes from the various reviews:

"Though it lacks "Wallace and Grommit's" charm, its mile-a-minute inventiveness is impressive." - David Ansen of Newsweek

"It's better than 90% of the animated fare of the last few years. It's refreshing not to have to qualify the movie's appeal by appending the words, 'for the kids'." - James Berardinelli of ReelViews

"Has more invention and laughs in its first 15 minutes than in Cars and Monster House put together." - Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Flushed Away lacks the action-contraption dottiness of a Wallace and Gromit adventure, but it hits its own sweet spot of demented delight." - Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly

Official "Flushed Away" Website

More "Flushed Away" Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Bee Movie Site Opens

The teaser site for "Bee Movie" is now up and includes the video preview that was included on the "Over the Hedge."



Once on the site, you can click a link which takes you to the Yahoo Movies site for the film. Once on that site you can watch an entertaining live-action trailer starring Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and others dressed as bugs on a giant car windshield. I thought it would be really lame, but it was actually pretty funny.

"Bee Movie" Official Site

Halloween McQueen

I know I'm a bit late on this one, but I wanted to show you Victor Navone's version of Lightning McQueen in a Halloween costume:



This is much better than my "Naked Richard Simmons" costume. I guess I just assumed that the giant wig would keep me warm all over.

Victor Navone's Blog

Mater and the Ghostlight Images

If you just can't wait until Tuesday to see a bit more of "Mater and the Ghostlight," which is the new short included on the "Cars" DVD release, swing on over to Animated News.



Here you'll find a nice collection of stills taken from the short, including the one you see above.

Animated News' "Mater and the Ghostlight" Images

Aardman Insects

Aardman has released a new "trailer" for the upcoming Wildscreen Festival.



According to the official website, the Wildscreen Festival is an "international wildlife and environmental film festival," which I had no idea my life was void of until just this morning. I'm thinking of filming my dog and submitting it, as there really isn't a greater display of natural beauty than a wiener dog pinching a loaf in my flower bed.

Aardman's Wildscreen Spot

The Wildscreen Festival's Official Site

The Always-Amazing RE-Animation Blog

Upcoming Dreamworks Animation

So we all know that Dreamworks is super busy of late, and it looks like that trend is going to continue. According to Coming Soon, they've got a slew of new films coming out, including a lead roll for everyone's favorite feline from the Shrek films, Puss in Boots:



Here is their current film breakdown:

2006: Flused Away
2007: Shrek the Third, Bee Movie, Madagascar 2
2008: Kung Fu Panda
2009: Monsters vs Aliens (working title), How to Train Your Dragon
2010: Shrek 4
TBD: Puss In Boots

If they can continue to keep the quality bar as high as they have, I don't mind Dreamworks popping out 2 or 3 films in a year. It gives me something to do while I'm waiting for the next "Saw" sequel.

Coming Soon's Dreamworks Release Article

Dreamworks Animation SKG

Cars DVD Review

The folks over at Upcoming Pixar (via Animated News) have put forth their review of the "Cars" DVD.



While I won't spoil the entire review (click the link below to read it), I will post the reviewer's take on "Mater and the Ghost Light," which is the short contained on the disc, starring the films towtruck, Mater:

Mater and the Ghost Light was absolutely fantastic! You are all in for a treat. I take my hat off to John Lasseter and the rest of the gang as this is short is up there in my favourite short films list. The storyline was great and the shots they used when cutting together was really cool. 10/10.

While the disc does seem short on bonus features, I'll have my copy in hand just as fast as the kid can stock it on the shelf of my local department store. Then he'll take me over and show me the brand new "washin' machines" they just got in, because apparently I live in the 1950s and still shop at something called a "department store."

Upcoming Pixar's Review of "Cars"

Animated News

Buzz Clips for YTV

Buzz has put up a collection of quick spots that they created for the channel YTV.



Frankly I have no idea what exactly YTV is, other than some kind of television station, and I'm too lazy to look up its origin. It really doesn't matter, as the spots are pretty neat one way or another, so I'm going to pretend that it stands for "Yam TV: All Yam All the Time!"

Buzz's YTV Commercials

RE-Animation Blog

Weekend Box Office

Well there's only one animated feature left in the top 50 spots at the box office, and it's "Open Season."



According to Box Office Mojo, the film took in an additional $6.1 million this weekend, bringing its five week total up to $77.4 million. This also moves it up to the #21 spot for all-time top grossing computer animated films, behind "Robots" (#18 with $128.2 million), "Antz" (#19 with $90.8 million), and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" (#20 with $80.9 million).

It's nice to see it slowly move towards the golden $100 million mark domestically, and worldwide it's already hit that mark. It should do pretty well in DVD sales as well, meaning that Sony will more than recoup their $85 million production budget, though I'm not sure how much was spent on advertising.

It's a good film, and has way more life than Sony's mo-cap films. If you haven't checked it out yet, you really should.

Box Office Mojo's Weekend Box Office Chart

Official "Open Season" Website

Meet the Robinsons Poster

Via Coming Soon, is the brand new poster for "Meet the Robinsons."



Let's see... aliens, creepy goth girls, dinosaurs, talking (and singing animals), superheroes, and robots. I'm pretty sure they couldn't cram another overused movie device into this film if they tried.

It actually looks like it might work though.

Lots more info after the jump, and more exclusive images.

Coming Soon's "Meet the Robinsons" Article

Flused Away Voice Actor Interview

Coming Soon has an interview up with Hugh Jackman and Andy Serkis, two of the stars of the upcoming "Flushed Away."



"At the beginning, he was more upper class, almost royal -- that aristocratic attitude. He had two hamsters who were his servants," Jackman told ComingSoon.net. "So, the whole thing, going down into the sewer, was more, 'Oh, you people.' It was a little bit removed and snobbish, which actually made him not very likable. And so, we changed it from being that to being more sheltered, basically. He lives in this pampered life. He doesn't think of himself as a mouse, he thinks of himself as a James Bond character. He's having the time of his life. And, he sings occasionally."

Wait... so does this mean that having two hamsters servants doesn't entitle me to being snobbish? I most certainly think it does, and to you I say good day, sir.

I SAID GOOD DAY.

Coming Soon's "Flushed Away" Interview

Over the Hedge Concept Art

Though I know the movie just hit DVD and is long since gone from theaters, it's a slow news day, so I thought I'd throw up a link to some concept art over on Yahoo's site for "Over the Hedge."



For anyone who has ever read the comic strip that the film was based on, it's pretty amazing to see the transformation the characters went through to make it to the big screen. If you haven't read the comic strip, it's sort of like the difference between the way Ashley Simpson looked before, compared to after, she "didn't" get her nose job.

Yahoo's "Over the Hedge" Concept Art

Monster House on DVD

Forgot to mention yesterday that "Monster House" officially hit DVD shelves around the nation.



I liked the film, but I would say rent it before you buy it. Additionally, if you want to watch it with the little ones, be prepared, as it can be quite intense at times.

Not a bad choice for a flick to watch on Halloween this year, right after "Topless Carwash Massacre" and just before "Topless Pancake House of Blood."

Penguins and Pandas get Pilots

According to Variety, both the penguins from "Madagascar" and the... well... pandas from "Kung Fu Panda" will be getting their own TV shows via Nickelodeon.



Both projects are in the early stages of development. Tom Martin ("The Simpsons") will pen the pilot script for "Panda." Paul Rugg ("Freakazoid!") is aboard to write the "Madagascar" offshoot, centered on penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private in a series of new adventures.

Teaming brings together two of the biggest brands in animation: Nick is still home to genre's top-rated "SpongeBob SquarePants" franchise, while DreamWorks Animation counts "Shrek," "Shark Tale" and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" among its feature hits.

CGI Animation on TV is a tough thing right now. People are used to what they see in theaters from Pixar, Dreamworks and the like, so when they see versions on the TV that were created on much tighter time and financial budgets, the shows just don't meet expectations. This is going to be the case even moreso with an established franchise, like "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda," as people will be even more acustomed to the level of animation for those characters.

I understand that, like the videogame industry, companies would rather take a risk on established franchises than on brand new IPs, but it just seems that this could really backfire for Nick and DW.

Variety Article on "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda" TV Shows

Surf's Up Character Posters

IMP Awards has three new posters up for "Surf's Up," showing each of what are expected to be the main characters and their boards of choice.



My board of choice turns out to be the Michigan Board of Education, for their fine display of academic advancement in the field of badger research and preservation.

IMP Awards "Surf's Up" Posters

Sony's "Surf's Up" Website

"Igor" Set to Release in 2007

Those crazy rascals over at the Weinstein Company are at it again. This time with a CG animated film titled, "Igor."



According to the Film Company's website:

Our Igor isn't like other Igors. Our Igor has big dreams; dreams of becoming a Mad Scientist himself, of winning the Evil Science Fair, and the heart of GRETCHEN, the local village vixen. That's impossible, though, because he's just a lowly Igor. But when DR. GLICKENSTEIN, Igor's cruel master, dies just two weeks before the Evil Science Fair, that's exactly what Igor sets out to do.

The cast currently includes Christian Slater, as Igor, along with Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jeremy Piven, and Molly Shannon. Not only that, but it's being written by Chris McKenna, one of the writers behind "American Dad," though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The film is also being directed by Anthony Leondis, who's directing credits include "Home On the Range," a film viewed by many to be one of Disney's most shallow offerings of all time.

So "Igor," has the makings of a hit, but also has the makings (including "The Weinstein Factor") of being a massive turd. It will be interesting to see what comes of this one.

Exodus Film Group