|
Digital
Media FX News Archives
Friday
- October 5, 2001
- Square Pictures: "We're
Not Finished Yet"
- Janex International
Acquires Anvil Studios
- Failed Animated Movies Get
Early Release to Video
- News Link of the Day
- Cinar Courts European Purchaser
Square
Pictures: "We're Not Finished Yet"
(by digitalmediafx.com) Even though Square Pictures parent company
Square Company, Ltd. has cut off all funding, Square Pictures
says it is still alive and kicking. According to The Hollywood
Reporter, Square Pictures plans to try and convince studios to
fund new movie projects.
"Square
Pictures will continue to develop CGI projects funded by other
studios. Square Pictures president Jun Aida told The Hollywood
Reporter that Square Co. has no plans to sell the studio or close
it down."
The challenge
Square Pictures faces is trying to convince studios to pay for
all costs in developing new CGI projects when its first attempt
lost over $100 million. Square Pictures has already let go of
half of its staff, but says it can easily ramp up once a new project
is on the board and paid for by someone else.
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Janex International
Acquires Anvil Studios
(by digitalmediafx.com) Janex International, Inc. announced
today that it has acquired majority ownership of Anvil Studios,
Inc., a theatrical, television and convergence content company
specializing in classical and 3D animation. Anvil's client base
includes DreamWorks, Hyperion/Disney, Sony/Columbia and Warner
Brothers.
"With
the successful completion of large theatrical and television projects
for clients such as DreamWorks, Hyperion/Disney and a joint Sony/Columbia
-- Warner Brothers production, Anvil Studios has garnered a reputation
in the animation industry as having the ability to deliver a higher
quality product in shorter time frames than our competitors,"
claims Robert Dotson, Anvil President. "We look forward to
utilizing our experience, talent and technology to provide media
products to create robust value and exposure for Janex's existing
children's product lines."
Anvil currently
owns rights to a full-length animated feature film titled Hope
Canyon.
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Failed
Animated Movies Get Early Release to Video
(by digitalmediafx.com) Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
and Osmosis Jones, two of the summer's biggest box
office disappointments, are both making quick trips to video store
shelves. First up will be Final Fantasy with a release
to video and DVD on October 23 (see today's dFX newsletter for
more details). Osmosis Jones, meanwhile, will be close
behind with an arrival to stores on November 13, 2001. No release
date has been set yet for Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
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News Link
of the Day - Cinar Courts European Purchaser
According to the National Post:
"Troubled
animation producer Cinar Corp. is holding exclusive talks with
an unnamed European suitor in hopes of selling the company.
The prospective
buyer, said to be a publicly traded entertainment company based
in the U.K., was granted a 30-day window to perform due diligence
on Cinar's assets after two other parties removed themselves from
the bidding..."
Click
here for the full story.
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