AWN Headline News

DIC Entertainments CEO Andy Heyward is set to purchase DIC from owner Walt Disney Co. The deal backed by investment firms Bain Capital and Chase Capital Partners is valued in the nine digits. Disney acquired a majority stake of DIC in 1995 when it purchased ABC/Capital Cities. In 1986, Heyward purchased the toon house from France-based CLT and retained a small minority interest in the firm after ABC/Capital Cities obtained the majority share in 1993. DIC television properties include INSPECTOR GADGET (Disney co-produced a live-action feature version), G.I.

Quiet Man created the chip bouncing effects in the new Doritos commercial featuring Miami Heat basketball point guard Tim Hardaway. Phalana Dias was the lead visual effects artist on the spot. Entering a corner store, Hardaway is observed by an awestruck young fan, who watches the star purchase a bag of Doritos 3Ds, a new pyramid shaped chip. Following Hardaway into the street, the pair engages in a trick-shot-type competition, using chips instead of basketballs. "For Dorito's 3Ds, the chips were shot on rigs in the studio," explained Dias.

AtomFilms and German carmaker Volkswagens U.S. division have sealed a content deal which will send AtomFilms shorts to vw.com. Aardman Animations ANGRY KID will be among the shorts aired on Volkswagens Website. As part of the deal, Volkswagen will be one of the sponsors of AtomFilms upcoming college promotional tour. The deal marks a prime opportunity for AtomFilms to get mass offline exposure for its content and brand.

Anteye.com has signed an agreement with HBO, giving the pay cable channel exclusive rights to taking Anteye content to television. "Linking with Anteye helps us to stay in the forefront of talent discovery," said Chris Albrecht, HBOs president of original programming. "HBO will now get the first look at some of the Webs hottest filmmakers." Anteye CEO Matti Leshem said, "Theres no network I would want to be in the business with more.

The 2000 edition of the Ottawa International Animation Festival has come to a close with the announcement of this years winners. The winners were chosen by an international jury, comprised of acclaimed Canadian animator Suzanne Gervais, former ASIFA-Hollywood general manager and critic, animator and teacher Wendy Jackson Hall, Wild Brain co-Founder and creative director John Hayes, renowned Estonian animator Priit Pärn, and the head of the Shanghai Animation Studio in China Jin Guo Ping.

Scandinavias leading computer and video game developer, UDS (Unique Development Studios), has gained the computer gaming rights to Foxs hit series FUTURAMA. The three-year deal grants UDS the right to co-publish with Fox Interactive FUTURAMA games for all gaming platforms. Fox Interactive will publish the games in North America, while UDS will handle the rest of the world. The first game is scheduled for release in the first half of 2002. This co-production deal for such a well-known TV series marks a first for European gaming companies.

PI director Darren Aronofsky is set to helm the newest in Warner Bros. BATMAN franchise, BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Aronofsky will write and develop the screenplay with Frank Miller, writer of the graphic novel BATMAN: YO from which the film will be based. The noir-styled graphic novel was originally published by DC Comics in 1987 and chronicles the trials and tribulations of Bruce Waynes first year as Batman. Aronofsky as director is an interesting direction for Warner to take with the BATMAN movie franchise.