Well, this was only a matter of time. Word emerged over a year ago that Disney was planning a live-action version of their beloved "Beauty And The Beast," and they had tapped "Trance" writer Joe Ahearne to pen the script for what was then simply going to be called "The Beast." A little bit has changed since the, but the project is still firmly a go, and now has a director in place. "Dreamgirls" and "The Fifth Estate" helmer Bill Condon will get behind the camera for this one, with spinoff veteran Evan Spiliotopoulos ("Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure," "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning," "Tarzan 2") writing the script. Of course, plot details aren't being revealed. But given the massive success of "Maleficent" over the weekend, the sorta live-action prequel to "Sleeping Beauty" and the arrival of the flesh and blood version of "Cinderella" next year, this is clearly...
- 6/4/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Golden Globe winners Chris Colfer ("Glee") and Ron Perlman ( Hellboy ) will lend their voices to Marza Animation Planet Inc.'s first original 3D CG animated film, RoboDog , to be directed by the Oscar-nominated Henry F. Anderson III ( Gnomeo & Juliet ), it was announced today by Marza's CEO, Masanao Maeda. Also revealed was a first look at the film's animated canine heroes, which you can check out at the bottom of this page. Written by Robert Reece ( The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning ) and William Schneider, RoboDog is produced by Paul Wang ( Astro Boy ) and will be edited by studio veteran Tom Finan ( Mr. Peabody & Sherman ). RoboDog is said to be a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldn't be more different. Kc...
- 1/28/2014
- Comingsoon.net
Between Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movies, the BBC's Sherlock, and the new CBS show Elementary, it's pretty clear that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective is experiencing a major comeback as of late. And since the character is technically in the public domain, there is nothing to stop someone else from launching yet another take on Holmes. This week Paramount has decided to throw their Deerstalker hat in the ring with a proposed remake of the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes. The original movie was directed by Barry Levinson and re-imagined Sherlock Holmes and John Watson as teenagers at a British boarding school who investigate a series of murders. It wasn't a success at the time, but could a remake fare better? According to The Wrap, Paramount is currently in talks with writer Evan Spiliotopoulos to pen a new version of Young Sherlock Holmes. In addition to writing a...
- 11/22/2012
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
News sure to unleash an unstoppable barrage of insufferable board-game-into-movie jokes on your Twitter feed, the Ouija movie continues to move forward in its quest to bring Satanic dalliances with evil spirits to your local cineplex. Luckily, since McG is onboard as director, we can be assured that there will also be a fair bit of explosions, likely also Satanic in nature.
There have been some shakeups in the film's creative team, however, as original writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Tron: Legacy) are reportedly going to be focusing on their television show Once Upon a Time. Their replacement? Evan Spiliotopolous, the writer of numerous Disney animated films.
Fingers crossed for an Iza Calzado cameo in the new flick.
When he's not teaching people how to spell his name, Spiliotopoulos keeps busy by working on mostly direct-to-dvd fare including Lion King 1 1/2, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning and other movies watched...
There have been some shakeups in the film's creative team, however, as original writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Tron: Legacy) are reportedly going to be focusing on their television show Once Upon a Time. Their replacement? Evan Spiliotopolous, the writer of numerous Disney animated films.
Fingers crossed for an Iza Calzado cameo in the new flick.
When he's not teaching people how to spell his name, Spiliotopoulos keeps busy by working on mostly direct-to-dvd fare including Lion King 1 1/2, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning and other movies watched...
- 4/20/2011
- UGO Movies
Filed under: Movie News
'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane's first live-action film, 'Ted,' is coming together nicely with the recent addition to the production of Patrick Warburton, a long-time member of the 'Family Guy' voice cast. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as John, a man who wishes his childhood Teddy bar would come to life -- and when it does, it turns into a pot smoking, booze-swilling slacker who gets in the way of John's relationship with his girlfriend, played by Mila Kunis. MacFarlane will voice the CGI-Ted. Warburton will play Guy, a sexually confused co-worker at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car front office where John works. According to Deadline, MacFarlane wanted Warburton for the role long before this casting; in the script, when Guy is first introduced, the character is described as "a burly Patrick Warburton type." Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale are also in the film,...
'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane's first live-action film, 'Ted,' is coming together nicely with the recent addition to the production of Patrick Warburton, a long-time member of the 'Family Guy' voice cast. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as John, a man who wishes his childhood Teddy bar would come to life -- and when it does, it turns into a pot smoking, booze-swilling slacker who gets in the way of John's relationship with his girlfriend, played by Mila Kunis. MacFarlane will voice the CGI-Ted. Warburton will play Guy, a sexually confused co-worker at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car front office where John works. According to Deadline, MacFarlane wanted Warburton for the role long before this casting; in the script, when Guy is first introduced, the character is described as "a burly Patrick Warburton type." Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale are also in the film,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Harley W. Lond
- Moviefone
James Michael Dooley, whose recent credits include Disney's direct-to-video The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning as well as the theahtrical thriller Obsessed, will do the music for the animated Dorothy of Oz, a family movie currently in post-production. It's directed by Dan St. Pierre, the production designer-turned-director behind Everyone's Hero and the upcoming Sheepish. Alpine Pictures produces for release next year. The voice cast includes Martin Short and Jim Belushi.
- 7/18/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (Mikael Carlsson)
- MovieScore Magazine
A couple of days ago we reported on Universal's choice to hire a writer named Evan Spiliotopoulos to work on the script for Wanted 2. However, Spiliotopoulos's only past writing credits include such Disney classics as Pooh's Heffalump Movie and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. Everyone I know has made fun of Evan for this, even though I try to remind people that he's probably just a writer working in Disney for the moment, but capable of so much more. Well, Wanted creator Mark Millar chimed in via his own forums today and states exactly what always I thought about Spiliotopoulos - he's got more in him. "Never listen to any commentators as they never know anything about who's coming back, etc. It's just speculation and 99% of the time these guys don't have access to the people who know. Wanted 2 is being made in a very tight circle at ...
- 4/21/2009
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
We have slipped into an alternate universe.
A link between Wicked and Wanted I can get. They may not be the same sort of cinematic beast, but they both have their appeal. However, if you take that Oz-filled family adventure and young it up a whole bunch, and turn it into the tale of a bear who loves honey, the link is lost. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Wanted 2 has found a screenwriter to whip up all that trajectory-bending action -- Pooh's Heffalump Movie scribe Evan Spiliotopoulos.
That's not all he's written. There's also The Jungle Book 2, The Lion King 1 1/2, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Okay, he also has a few crappy films that came with the deluge of family fare, and a pen in Terra, but how did this guy get picked?
He must have...
A link between Wicked and Wanted I can get. They may not be the same sort of cinematic beast, but they both have their appeal. However, if you take that Oz-filled family adventure and young it up a whole bunch, and turn it into the tale of a bear who loves honey, the link is lost. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Wanted 2 has found a screenwriter to whip up all that trajectory-bending action -- Pooh's Heffalump Movie scribe Evan Spiliotopoulos.
That's not all he's written. There's also The Jungle Book 2, The Lion King 1 1/2, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Okay, he also has a few crappy films that came with the deluge of family fare, and a pen in Terra, but how did this guy get picked?
He must have...
- 4/17/2009
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Photo: Universal Pictures and Walt Disney This is such a small story it hardly warrants its own post, but when you get such an unlikely scenario as this it makes for interesting reading as The Hollywood Reporter reports Evan Spiliotopoulos, co-writer of Pooh's Heffalump Movie and its DVD Halloween spin-off, is writing the script for Wanted 2. Come on, that has to give you at least a moment of pause even though it really doesn't mean much. Spiliotopoulos' resume is filled with Disney features including Heffalump as well as The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure and Tinker Bell: A Midsummer Storm. However, looking back in time it appears he did write a couple of violent TV actioners as well as co-writer credits on the 2002 direct-to-dvd feature Bare Witness, which was rated R for strong sexual content, some language and violence. So, he isn't all puffy...
- 4/17/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Evan Spiliotopoulos has been hired to write Universal's action sequel Wanted 2, based on a story by Chris Morgan. Like the original 2008 film, the in-development sequel is based on the comic series created by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. Spiliotopoulos comes from the animated world, having scripted Pooh's Heffalump Movie and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. He also wrote the CG adventure flick Terra, which, after being in release limbo for the last two years, is slated to open May 1. Morgan co-wrote the first film with Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. Wanted, which starred Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, grossed $339 million worldwide. The two stars are expected to return for the sequel. Wanted centered a young man who finds out his long lost father is an assassin. When his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father's old organization and trained by a man named Sloan (Morgan Freeman...
- 4/17/2009
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
Jim Dooley is doing the music for Obsessed, a Fatal Attraction-style thriller directed by Steve Shill for Screen Gems. Starring Beyoncé Knowles, Idris Elba and Ali Arter, the film tells the story about a man who is threatened by a temp in his office who reveals herself as a stalker. Film is scheduled to premiere on April 24 next year. Jim Dooley's recent scores include The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning and Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation.
- 12/19/2008
- by noreply@blogger.com (Mikael Carlsson)
- MovieScore Magazine
The International Animated Film Society, Asifa-Hollywood, announced nominations for its 36th Annual Annie Awards, recognizing the year's best animated features, TV productions, commercials, video games and short subjects and a host of individual achievements. DreamWorks Animation leads the way with a total of 27 feature nods, including 17 for Kung Fu Panda, followed by Walt Disney Animation Studios, which received 9 nominations, and Pixar with 8.
Nickelodeon leads the way with 12 television nominations.
The Annie Awards will be handed out at a ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall in La.
http://www.annieawards.org
Animated Feature
Bolt - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kung Fu Panda - DreamWorks Animation
$9.99 - Sherman Pictures/Lama Films
Wall-e - Pixar Animation Studios
Waltz With Bashir - Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films
Animated Home Entertainment Production
Batman: Gotham Knight - Warner Bros. Animation
Christmas Is Here Again - Easy To Dream Entertainment...
Nickelodeon leads the way with 12 television nominations.
The Annie Awards will be handed out at a ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall in La.
http://www.annieawards.org
Animated Feature
Bolt - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kung Fu Panda - DreamWorks Animation
$9.99 - Sherman Pictures/Lama Films
Wall-e - Pixar Animation Studios
Waltz With Bashir - Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films
Animated Home Entertainment Production
Batman: Gotham Knight - Warner Bros. Animation
Christmas Is Here Again - Easy To Dream Entertainment...
- 12/2/2008
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Photo: DreamWorks Animation The International Animated Film Society announced the nominees for the 2008 Annie Awards and Kung Fu Panda is leading the way with 17 nominations followed by Disney's Bolt with 9 and the Disney/Pixar feature Wall-e earning 8. Panda picked up a healthy amount of noms in categories such as Character Animation, Character Design, Music, Production Design, Storyboarding, Voice Acting and Writing. In each of those categories it was either nominated while Bolt and Wall-e were not or secured multiple nominations giving it the outright nomination lead by 8. Could this be a sign of a Panda-over-wall-e Oscar upset? The nominees are listed below and you can check out the official award site here. Best Animated Feature Bolt (Walt Disney Animation Studios) Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks Animation) $9.99 (Sherman Pictures/Lama Films) Wall-e (Pixar Animation Studios) Waltz With Bashir (Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films) Best Animated Home Entertainment...
- 12/1/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda" fought off stiff competition to earn 16 nominations -- the most for a feature -- for the International Animated Film Society's 36th Annual Annie Awards.
That includes a nomination for best-animated feature, a category that includes Pixar Animation Studios "Wall-e"-considered the frontrunner for the Oscar-which earned seven nominations. "Panda" and "Wall-e" also earned one additional nomination each in the best video game competition.
The top category is rounded out by nominations for Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Bolt," a 3-D release that earned five nominations; Sony Pictures Classics' "Waltz With Bashir," Israel's award-winning documentary, which took four nominations; and Sherman Pictures/Lama Films "$9.99," a stop-motion title that earned two nominations.
Blue Sky Studios' "Dr. Suess' Horton Hear as Who," a Fox release, also had a strong showing with five nominations.
All of these features are short listed by AMPAS for this season's animated feature competition.
Dwa earned a total of 27 nominations.
That includes a nomination for best-animated feature, a category that includes Pixar Animation Studios "Wall-e"-considered the frontrunner for the Oscar-which earned seven nominations. "Panda" and "Wall-e" also earned one additional nomination each in the best video game competition.
The top category is rounded out by nominations for Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Bolt," a 3-D release that earned five nominations; Sony Pictures Classics' "Waltz With Bashir," Israel's award-winning documentary, which took four nominations; and Sherman Pictures/Lama Films "$9.99," a stop-motion title that earned two nominations.
Blue Sky Studios' "Dr. Suess' Horton Hear as Who," a Fox release, also had a strong showing with five nominations.
All of these features are short listed by AMPAS for this season's animated feature competition.
Dwa earned a total of 27 nominations.
- 12/1/2008
- by By Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Monte Carlo -- When Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment decided to launch its straight-to-dvd feature "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" in Monte Carlo, no one quite expected the minimalist dress attire. But on Wednesday, the audience will leave the diamonds at home and strip down to bathing suits for the splashy premiere, held at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort.
To plunge the international press into a deeply authentic mermaid experience, French composer Michel Redolfi, will stage an underwater concert in a heated pool lined with state-of-the-art speakers and a live solo percussionist in full scuba gear for the floating audience.
Redolfi, 56, who has been creating sound installations underwater in swimming pools and oceans around the world -- including La Jolla, Calif., Sydney and Cannes -- for more than two decades, admits that the underwater landscape is not as silent as you might think.
"Besides the calls of the large mammals,...
To plunge the international press into a deeply authentic mermaid experience, French composer Michel Redolfi, will stage an underwater concert in a heated pool lined with state-of-the-art speakers and a live solo percussionist in full scuba gear for the floating audience.
Redolfi, 56, who has been creating sound installations underwater in swimming pools and oceans around the world -- including La Jolla, Calif., Sydney and Cannes -- for more than two decades, admits that the underwater landscape is not as silent as you might think.
"Besides the calls of the large mammals,...
- 9/9/2008
- by By Lanie Goodman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Well, in 1989 we saw the release of Batman, The Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 2008 we had The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Nuked Fridge and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning so it only seems appropriate we go back to the well one more time and bring back Ghostbusters since '89 was the last time we saw the protoplasmic ghost hunters on the big screen. Variety has done a little digging into a story that started at E! when Dan Aykroyd gave the following interview: The two writers he refers to are "The Office" co-exec producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and Variety seems to think the new film won't exactly be a Ghostbusters 3 as much as it will be a jumping off point for a new group to take over busting duties. That said it is believed original castmembers Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd...
- 9/5/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning streets on DVD today! If you've got little ones at home or a special place in your heart for the red headed mermaid be sure to pick this one up!
{sidebar id=1}For those of you who just can't wait, IESB has got five film clips from the film!
See how it all started for one of Disney's most beloved characters in the all-new movie, 'The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning.'
Imagine a time long before Ariel met Prince Eric and walked on land -- a time when music was banned from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. Torn between family duty and her love of music, Ariel must make the most difficult choice of her life.
With the help of her friends, Sebastian and Flounder and her six amusing sisters, will the young mermaid be able to restore music, friendship and love to the kingdom?...
{sidebar id=1}For those of you who just can't wait, IESB has got five film clips from the film!
See how it all started for one of Disney's most beloved characters in the all-new movie, 'The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning.'
Imagine a time long before Ariel met Prince Eric and walked on land -- a time when music was banned from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. Torn between family duty and her love of music, Ariel must make the most difficult choice of her life.
With the help of her friends, Sebastian and Flounder and her six amusing sisters, will the young mermaid be able to restore music, friendship and love to the kingdom?...
- 8/26/2008
- by Stephanie Sanchez <stephanie@iesb.net>
- IESB.net
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Disney, Family Films, Remakes and Sequels
Now here's a fun little scoop from IESB.net: Turns out that not only will Jodi "Ariel" Benson be returning to the Toy Story series to reprise her role as the legendary Barbie (such a doll) , but this time she'll be dragging her boyfriend into the story. And according to IESB, that Ken doll's voice will be provided by none other than Michael Keaton. So that's why you cover the press junkets for video flicks like The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning -- so you can score cool information like this.
Best known as Batman, Beetlejuice, Johnny Dangerously, and Mr. Mom, the always-cool Keaton is no stranger to the voice acting business. He recently did some fine work in Pixar's Cars, and his pipes can also be heard in certain episodes of King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Anime fans...
Now here's a fun little scoop from IESB.net: Turns out that not only will Jodi "Ariel" Benson be returning to the Toy Story series to reprise her role as the legendary Barbie (such a doll) , but this time she'll be dragging her boyfriend into the story. And according to IESB, that Ken doll's voice will be provided by none other than Michael Keaton. So that's why you cover the press junkets for video flicks like The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning -- so you can score cool information like this.
Best known as Batman, Beetlejuice, Johnny Dangerously, and Mr. Mom, the always-cool Keaton is no stranger to the voice acting business. He recently did some fine work in Pixar's Cars, and his pipes can also be heard in certain episodes of King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Anime fans...
- 8/25/2008
- by Scott Weinberg
- Cinematical
The former Batman depicter Michael Keaton is going to trade off his batsuit with a killer smile of the Ken doll. Words are the 56-year-old will be providing a voice to Barbie's boyfriend Ken in the third "Toy Story" movie, "Toy Story 3".
The scoop has been given out by Jodi Benson to IESB during an interview on Santa Catalina Island for the release of "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning". Voicing Ken will be Keaton's second animation film project with Pixar. Previously, he has lent his voice to Chick Hicks, the villain in 2006 Pixar's "Cars".
Apart from revealing the casting of Keaton, Benson, the actress who voiced Tour Guide Barbie and Barbie on Backpack in the second movie "Toy Story 2", also confirmed in the interview that her character, Barbie, will be back for this Pixar's 3-D animation. She also added that the movie will not see Barbie and Ken kissing,...
The scoop has been given out by Jodi Benson to IESB during an interview on Santa Catalina Island for the release of "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning". Voicing Ken will be Keaton's second animation film project with Pixar. Previously, he has lent his voice to Chick Hicks, the villain in 2006 Pixar's "Cars".
Apart from revealing the casting of Keaton, Benson, the actress who voiced Tour Guide Barbie and Barbie on Backpack in the second movie "Toy Story 2", also confirmed in the interview that her character, Barbie, will be back for this Pixar's 3-D animation. She also added that the movie will not see Barbie and Ken kissing,...
- 8/25/2008
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
IESB has new voice talent confirmation for the upcoming installment of the Toy Story franchise!
{sidebar id=1}Not much is known about Toy Story 3 with the exception of a short synopsis given to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year: .Woody the cowboy and his toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college..
It has also been revealed that Barbie and Ken would also be featured in the movie.
Jodi Benson best known for the voice of Ariel in Disney's Little Mermaid franchise revealed to the IESB this weekend during an interview on Santa Catalina Island for the release of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning that she is returning to the Toy Story franchise to voice Barbie. You may recall, she voiced Tour Guide Barbie and Barbie on Backpack in the second film.
But what's Barbie without Read more...
{sidebar id=1}Not much is known about Toy Story 3 with the exception of a short synopsis given to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year: .Woody the cowboy and his toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college..
It has also been revealed that Barbie and Ken would also be featured in the movie.
Jodi Benson best known for the voice of Ariel in Disney's Little Mermaid franchise revealed to the IESB this weekend during an interview on Santa Catalina Island for the release of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning that she is returning to the Toy Story franchise to voice Barbie. You may recall, she voiced Tour Guide Barbie and Barbie on Backpack in the second film.
But what's Barbie without Read more...
- 8/24/2008
- by Robert Sanchez <robert@iesb.net>
- IESB.net
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment presents the Rockin' Island premiere and Seaside Reception of "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning DVD.
Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Director Peggy Holmes, Parker Goris, Kari Wahlgren, Lorelei Butters, Tara Strong, Casper Van Dien and his family, Kevin James and his family, Noah Wyle and his family, Brooke Smith, Jennifer Stone and many others showed up to the blue carpet island premiere of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning DVD screening held at the Avalon Casino in Catalina Island.
Click on thumbnails below.
{zoomcat catid=754}
Read more...
Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Director Peggy Holmes, Parker Goris, Kari Wahlgren, Lorelei Butters, Tara Strong, Casper Van Dien and his family, Kevin James and his family, Noah Wyle and his family, Brooke Smith, Jennifer Stone and many others showed up to the blue carpet island premiere of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning DVD screening held at the Avalon Casino in Catalina Island.
Click on thumbnails below.
{zoomcat catid=754}
Read more...
- 8/24/2008
- by Richard Chavez <djchops@msn.com>
- IESB.net
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