AWN Headline News

With three major releases this past weekend, Sony Pictures HOLLOW MAN was far from invisible at the U.S. box office, finishing in first place. The INVISIBLE MAN redux, with primary visual effects by The Ranch Entertainment, Tippett Studios and Sony Imageworks, grossed US$26.41 million, giving it the second largest August opening in history. Falling to second, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS dropped 58% from its debut weekend, with a gross of $18.17 million. The phat festival, with primary visual effects by Double Negative Ltd., has rounded up $76.7 million thus far.

Sources say that Vancouver-based film producer Lions Gate Entertainment is on the verge of purchasing Harvey Entertainment. As reported in VARIETY, Harvey chairman/CEO Roger Burlage has been shopping the home of Casper around to many companies. Last spring Burlage saved Harvey from acquisition by Artisans by securing US$17 million in funding from entertainment company Kushner-Locke and then-investment banker and current Lions Gate vice-chairman, Michael Burns. The funds came in the form of $11.5 million in cash and $5.5 million in Kushner-Locke stock.

Mondo Media has signed on to syndicate Honkworms FISHBAR. The series, featuring talking fish and a sassy Parisian lobster with an unnatural obsession with cows, was created by Honkworm founder Johan Liedgren and art director Janet Galore. Thus far there are nineteen completed Webisodes and Honkworm will produce 6 more so that Mondo Media will have six months worth of weekly programming to pitch to various Web sites.

Alias|Wavefront, a SGI subsidiary, announced four key senior management changes. Warren Pratt, the previous president of Alias|Wavefront, has been named chairman of Alias|Wavefront and senior vice president of engineering for SGI. Doug Walker, previously vice president of worldwide field operations and marketing, has been appointed president to fill Pratts place. Dave Wharry has joined Alias|Wavefront to fill the empty seat as vice president of worldwide field operations and marketing. Peter Mehlstaeubler has been promoted to vice president.

RETURN OF THE JEDI and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK producer Howard Kazanjian has joined Cornerstone Animation, Inc.s board of advisors. Kazanjian will serve as a production consultant on the companys major projects. "Needless to say, were thrilled to have someone of Howards talent, reputation and experience aboard," said Larry D. Whitaker, Jr., Cornerstones CEO.

Mattel Interactive has signed Scott Gorden (AN EXTREMELY GOOFY MOVIE) to write a live-action, made for television movie script featuring OREGON TRAIL characters from the successful gaming franchise. The script is scheduled for completion early this fall. THE OREGON TRAIL was originally introduced in 1971 as a text-based simulation created on a Teletype machine and mainframe computer, but has. Gordens other credits include SAVED BY THE BELL, MOONLIGHTING, A DIFFERENT WORLD and GOLDEN GIRLS.

face2face, a Lucent Technologies-owned facial analysis software developer, has named Kathleen Papera as director of business development and Rich Smith as director of marketing. In her new post, Papera will oversee face2face's marketing strategy, focusing on the gaming community. Papera will also be in charge of finding and managing relationships with complementary partners in the gaming industry, as well as supervising gaming customer's beta sites. "When I was first introduced to face2face's alterEGO, I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this venture," said Papera.