AWN Headline News

COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG has joined Cartoon Network Latin America's line up. The series chronicles the life of a terribly timid dog named Courage who must regularly defend his owners, an old couple living on a farm outside the small town of Nowhere, from paranormal elements that threaten their simple existence. Based on the character from the 1996 Academy Award-nominated cartoon short THE CHICKEN FROM OUTER SPACE, created by John R. Dilworth, COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG is the seventh Cartoon Network Original to make an exclusive appearance in Latin America.

Portuguese broadcaster RTP has begun airing the interactive gameshow STINKY AND BEAVER. The ITE property is created using Silicon Graphics software and 3D animation. The series introduces players to CGI characters who test the participants and serve as the show's hosts. The series is included in RTP's Interactive Hour next to ITE's successful HUGO series.

Time Warner Inc. reported operating income before amortization of intangible assets (EBITA) of US$1.17 billion on revenues of $6.55 billion for the first quarter of 2000. In the first quarter of 1999, EBITA was $1.24 billion on revenues of $6.09 billion. EBITA grew 13% for the first quarter when normalized for certain items described below affecting the comparability of operating results. Revenue grew 8% for the quarter on a normalized basis.

DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK, INC. (DEN), a privately held interactive entertainment Web site, announced that prominent entertainment industry veteran FRANK MANCUSO has joined its board of directors. With a distinguished career that spans over four decades, Mancuso most recently served as chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and remains a special consultant and member of its board of directors. Prior to joining MGM, Mancuso served as chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.

CINEGROUPE has named LUCE PELLERIN as the new director of business affairs and PAT PALUMBO as the new director of finance and administration. Pellerin joined CineGroupe's business affairs department in September of 1999 as legal counsel. Since 1988, Pellerin has specialized in entertainment law. She has served as head of business affairs for Behaviour Communications and Telescene. For the past 10 years, Palumbo has worked at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Montreal, both in entertainment and multimedia sectors. For the past few years, he has conducted CineGroupe's audits.

On May 27, 2000 in Europe, Turner Broadcasting will launch Boomerang, a brand new animation channel from the Cartoon Network stable. The new network will feature over 2,000 characters such as Top Cat, Wacky Races, Yogi Bear and the Hair Bear Bunch. The new channel will run from 6 am until midnight and will be available along with Cartoon Network and Cartoon Network Plus to all Sky Digital homes. Discussions with operators for digital cable and DTT carriage are also underway.

MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO VOLUME 3 beams onto video. Devastated by a Jovian ambush, the Nadesico flee across the dead surface of Mars. Now the crew's only hope may be a dangerous plan to use the enemy's own technology to transport the Nadesico back to Earth! The mission blasts off on April 25, 2000. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.98 and the Japanese with English subtitled version for $29.95.

GLO*RI*A 2 boards store shelves in April. The wealthy Gloria family has hired new handsome tutors for their young girls. Lessons that aren't taught in normal schools happen when a field trip ends in a fight for survival. The steamy story hits stores on April 11, 2000. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.98 and the Japanese with English subtitled version for $29.95.

Manga Entertainment to release Satoshi Kon's animated psychological thriller PERFECT BLUE on DVD. In the film, pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. However, a mysterious stalker, who knows all her personal secrets, accompanies her journey to fame. The film was nominated by The Motion Picture Sound Editors for a Golden Reel Award along with six other 1999 animated feature films including TARZAN, TOY STORY II, POKÉMON and PRINCESS MONONOKE.

DEVILMAN compilation comes to DVD. Manga Entertainment presents two animated volumes on one DVD featuring: a full screen version digitally re-mastered with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, a scene index, Go Nagai biography and filmography, photo gallery, original trailer, Manga video previews and Manga video Web link. Based on Go Nagai's best-selling manga comic book, DEVILMAN, EPISODE 1: THE BIRTH introduces a young high school kid named Akira, whose parents have mysteriously disappeared.