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Thursday - October 11, 2001
- Visual Effects Movies Get "Sequel-Itis" in 2002
- Over One Million Snow White DVDs Sold First Day
- Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) Continues Massive FX Production
- News Link of the Day - Cinar Vote Includes Founders

Visual Effects Movies Get "Sequel-Itis" in 2002
(by digitalmediafx.com) The year 2002 may go down as the year of visual effects sequels as studios are discovering the power of a sequel to make more money that the original (i.e. The Mummy Returns, Rush Hour 2). Hollywood companies are now staking a lot of money that the trend of massive moneymaking franchises will continue. Here's a partial list of visual effects and animated sequels making the way to the big screen in 2002 (in order based on expected release date from soonest to furthest):

Peter Pan: Return to Neverland
Blade 2
The Scorpion King (Spinoff of The Mummy Returns)
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Men in Black 2
Stuart Little 2
Spy Kids 2
Rugrats 3
Star Trek: Nemesis
Lord of the Rings 2: The Twin Towers

And studios are already lining up a slate of sequels and sequels to sequels for 2003 (including Tomb Raider 2, The Matrix Reloaded, Mask of Zorro 2, Terminator 3, Harry Potter 3, Shrek 2, Operation Condor 3)...

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Over One Million Snow White DVDs Sold First Day
(by digitalmediafx.com) Tuesday's launch of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs DVD was huge, with over one million copies being purchased.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the jewels of the Disney vault and we couldn't be happier that the public has responded to the title in this way," said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Walt Disney Company. "The Snow White DVD is a breakthrough product for the industry that redefines DVD by taking the technology to a whole new level."

If the sales trend continues, Snow White could become the biggest selling DVD of the year. Like with most Disney movies, the DVD will only be available for a limited time before being put on hiatus for about 10 years in order to create a new sales cycle.

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Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) Continues Massive FX Production
(by digitalmediafx.com) Industrial Light and Magic was behind many of this summer's biggest movies. But that's in the past. ILM is hard at work on upcoming blockbuster potential films. Here's a partial list of movies that ILM is currently doing visual effects work for:

Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Men In Black 2 (2002)
The Time Machine (2002)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (sequel - 2002)
E.T. Rerelease (2002)
Minority Report (2002)
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
The Hulk (2003)

ILM is the largest visual effects production company in the United States, employing approximately 1,300 artists.

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News Link of the Day - Cinar Vote Includes Founders

According to The National Post:

"The board of embattled Cinar Corp., struggling to complete what has been a protracted sale process, is meeting in Montreal today to vote on a bid for the company. Cinar directors, including ousted co-founders Micheline Charest and Ronald Weinberg, are expected to be presented with an offer from London-based Gullane Entertainment Plc., according to sources.

The Gullane proposal, said to be in the $300-million range, may represent the last chance to sell Cinar as a unified concern before management is forced to consider an auction of the company's individual assets..."

Click here for the full story.

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