Blending inspired whimsy with powerful emotion, the hugely successful feature film is an artistic and entertaining tour de force for the entire family. Up is available in a four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, and a two-disc DVD, which both include DisneyFile, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices, as well as enough bonus features that keep the fun coming.

Academy Award-nominee Pete Docter (2008, Best Original Screenplay, WALL•E; 2001, Best Animated Feature Film, Monsters, Inc.) directs one of the funniest fantasyadventures of all time featuring a gifted voice cast that includes Ed Asner (Elf), Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), Up co-director and writer Bob Peterson (Monsters, Inc.), Delroy Lindo (This Christmas) and John Ratzenberger (who has lent his voice to every Disney•Pixar feature film).

Up is the tenth in an unprecedented streak of critical and box office triumphs for Disney•Pixar that includes four Academy Award winners for Best Animated Feature— WALL•E (2008), Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles (2004) and Finding Nemo (2003)— as well as Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life and Toy Story. Up joined each of its predecessors in ranking #1 at the box office on its opening weekend.

Synopsis:

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.

Character Facts

Up has 330 characters and variants. The aviator cap is worn eight times in the movie.

Carl

In Up, Carl Fredricksen’s hometown is Bloomington, PD, which the sharp eye may be able to spot on Carl’s mail. The fictitious location is a nod to director Pete Docter (PD), whose own hometown is Bloomington, Minnesota. The distance from that part of Minnesota to Angel Falls is 3,268 miles. Carl Fredricksen’s last name came from relatives of director Pete Docter. Carl Fredricksen is so stylized that he’s only three heads high. Most people are about seven heads tall.

Director Pete Docter animated Carl in the last scene of the film.

Ellie

Ellie is named after and voiced by Pete Docter’s daughter, Elizabeth “Elie” Docter. She also drew some of the pictures in the adventure book.

Russell

One of Russell’s merit badges is the Luxo Jr. ball. He also has a badge for 2D Animation, Toe Touching, Knot Tying, and many others. Jordan Nagai was 7-years-old when he was cast as Russell.

Muntz

Muntz’s jacket is the first time in Pixar history where a cloth garment is made of fur. No CG animals were harmed.

Dug

Dug’s Greek dog pack name was Lambda. Dug is voiced by Up’s co-director, Bob Peterson.

Kevin

Kevin is 13-feet tall. Director Pete Docter voices some of the bird noises for Kevin.

Pixar created new feather technology just for Kevin, but it’s used three other places as well: Ellie’s parrot, a feather duster, and the feathers on Muntz’s wall. Kevin’s design is based on many birds, including an ostrich (legs), cassowary (feather shapes), Monal pheasant (feather iridescence), heron and other large birds (behavior), toucan, quail, and peacock (beak and “dongles” on its head).

Source Pixar

Once a year, the Gran Turismo Awards offer SEMA show exhibitors the opportunity to be included among the ranks of the famed Gran Turismo racing franchise, as one car is chosen to be added to a future Gran Turismo title and driven virtually by millions across the globe. Many entries were received for this year’s Gran Turismo Awards, but only one vehicle will be immortalized in Gran Turismo. After deliberation from the judges panel and Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself, the 2009 prestigious “Best of Show” was awarded to “Best Hot Rod” winner, Philip Koenen for his 1970 Ford Mustang “Trans-Cammer.”

“The Gran Turismo Awards continue to seek out and reward automotive enthusiasts who demonstrate passion for outstanding design and performance, while also celebrating a strong collaboration with the gaming industry,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of the Gran Turismo franchise and President of Polyphony Digital. “We have been very pleased with the high quality of vehicles vying for the award the past seven years, and look forward to having this 1970 Ford Mustang ‘Trans-Cammer’ join our list of distinguished past winners as part of the Gran Turismo franchise.”

The GT Award winning vehicles from the past two years, Brian Filoteo’s high- performance Infinity G37 from 2008 and Marcel Horn’s HPA Audi TT from 2007, were both available for guests to test drive in the latest version of Gran Turismo 5® shown at the event. Previous Gran Turismo Award winners can now be raced in past installments of the Gran Turismo series, including Gran Turismo®5 Prologue, available exclusively on the PlayStation®3 (PS3(TM)) system.

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment America

The Opening Night film of the Festival is “CHAMELEON,” the Hungarian foreign-language submission for the 82nd Academy Awards directed by Krisztina Goda who is considered one of the pre-eminent Hungarian film directors of the current era.

Goda’s entertaining contemporary thriller chronicles a swindler who falls into his own trap when he meets a beautiful, intelligent dancer. Lushly photographed by award-winning cinematographer Tamas Babos, and featuring an impressive, highly touted performance from lead actor Ervin Nagy, “CHAMELEON” was one of Hungary’s most anticipated releases of 2008 before going on to become a hit at the box-office. “CHAMELEON” was also the first domestic film to be shot in Hungary’s recently opened Korda Studios. The film receives its North American premiere at Laemmle’s MONICA 4 Plex, Santa Monica on November 5th, 2009.

Opening Night Festivities will include the presentation of a Career Achievement Award to Hungarian-born, award-winning animation artist Gabor Csupo. Csupo’s career began in Hungary at the famed Pannonia animation studios before moving to Sweden where he contributed to the production of Sweden’s first animated feature. After relocating from Europe to Hollywood in 1979, he first worked at the legendary Hanna Barbera Studios before co-founding Klasky Csupo, a Los Angeles based multimedia entertainment production company and animation studio.

Continuing to break new ground, Csupo co-developed, produced and animated the phenomenally successful Rugrats series, the most popular children’s show in the United States, in addition to producing and animating such distinguished series as The Simpsons, Duckman and As Told By Ginger. Csupo’s feature film directing credits include Bridge to Terabithia; his feature producing credits include the Rugrats franchise (The Rugrats Movie, Rugrats in Paris, Rugrats Go Wild) and The Wild Thornberrys Movie.

In addition to his film, TV and commercial animation career, Csupo is an acclaimed musician, the founder of two record labels, a noted restaurateur and an engaged member of the arts community in Los Angeles. His documentary film Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita), a film festival favorite, will receive its US Premiere at the Hungarian Film Festival on November 13th.

SOURCE Raleigh Studios

Magic Lantern Entertainment has concluded a $10 Million development funding arrangement with TF2 Ventures via its Innovation Entertainment label for up to 20 motion pictures to be selected by Magic Lantern/Innovation Pictures for production over the next three to five years; it was jointly announced by Magic Lantern Entertainment President Jeff Segal and TF2 Ventures Principal Jamison Stewart.

The first of the films on the Magic Lantern/Innovation-TF2 slate is “Bad Kitty,” a blended media/CGI animated comedy-adventure based on the popular feline character Heathcliff. Now in active pre-production with a target release in 2011, the script is being written by fourteen-time EmmyR Award-winning animation writer Tom Ruegger, and will feature an original song score, a well known voice cast, and very high production values.

“Our primary criteria will be that all of the films in our slate are ‘pre-sold’ in the market – a remake, sequel, adaptation of a book, comic book, graphic novel, musical play, video game, toy property, whatever,” explained Segal. “The pre-sold quality of our titles mitigates our risk and jump-starts our marketing and promotional campaigns in support of each release.”

“Our films are being produced within rational budgets,” said Jack Crosby, Chairman of Magic Lantern/Innovation, “but will have the kind of quality, casting and original music generally seen only in films with much larger budgets. I have known the TF2 team for a number of years, and have found them to be totally reliable and methodical about everything they are doing. We hope to build a long-term relationship with TF2 and expand the venture into a wide range of films.”

Speaking for TF2, Jamison Stewart commented, “Magic Lantern/Innovation fulfills all of our requirements for funding: a professional and experienced management team with great track records picking commercial titles.”

TF2 co-manager Noel Tristan added, “We are very impressed with the MLE/Innovation team, headed by Jack Crosby, Segal and Steve Waterman, and have full confidence in their ability to pick the right titles and develop and produce films economically but with enduring quality.”

“The TF2 Ventures’ model is very simple and logical,” said Stewart, “anchored in the basic premise that film investment does not have to be wildly speculative. If you work with the right people, who know what they’re doing, have commercial titles and distribution, then risk can be controlled, if not totally eliminated,” he added. “We’re excited about ‘Heathcliff’ and think it’s a strong title that will successfully launch our Magic Lantern/Innovation venture.”

Source Magic Lantern Ent.

In Lucidity, players take a trip into the imagination of Sofi, a young girl who is filled with a persistent desire to explore new worlds and overcome all obstacles in her way. In this challenging puzzle platform game, players are tasked with keeping Sofi safe as she drifts deeper into the strange new world of her dreams. Through quick reaction and placement of randomly generated puzzle pieces, players must create a path through beautifully detailed dreamscapes to keep Sofi in perpetual motion and deliver her to safety.

“Lucidity comes from our effort at LucasArts to form several small internal development teams and give them the creative freedom to make games that surprise, amaze and inspire,” said LucasArts President Darrell Rodriguez. “The re-imagining of The Secret of Monkey Island and the development of the all-new Lucidity are just the beginning of this effort.”

Source LucasArts

Levy’s 21 Laps has produced Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Nelvana, known for its work in children’s animation (Babar, The Backyardigans, Max & Ruby), produced the animated The Berenstain Bears television series, airing on PBS.

Says producer Levy: “The Berenstain Bears is such a beloved book and television series, with a great blend of charm, wit and warmth. 21 Laps is thrilled to be collaborating with Walden and Nelvana in adapting and expanding it to the screen.”

This feature film will be a fitting tribute to the Berenstain family who decades ago created what has become a truly classic property, etched in the hearts and minds of children and their families the world over,” comments Doug Murphy, President, Nelvana and General Manager, Corus Kids “We are excited to be involved in this collaborative project which will see the delightful and entertaining tales of the Bears finally hit the big screen.”

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, The Berenstain Bears are the bestselling character-based children’s books in history with over 260 million in sales. Since their creation in 1962 there have been 250 titles and the family has been featured in three television series since 1979.

“My mother, Jan, and I are more than delighted that three outstanding names in the field of family entertainment, Shawn Levy, Walden Media and Nelvana, have come together to create a Berenstain Bears feature film,” says Mike Berenstain. “We are thrilled that their plans for an innovative and ambitious production will bring our family’s work to a new medium and to new audiences. I know that my father, Stan, who passed away in 2005, would have been tickled pink that his very own bears were going to be ’in the movies!’”

“The Berenstain Bears series has the heart, humor, and values that fit into the Walden library of family films. We look forward to bringing these treasured characters to life in a new way with 21 Laps and Nelvana,” says Walden Media CEO Michael Bostick.

Source Nelvana

Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the exciting tales-beyond-the-games will be distributed February 9, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray for $29.98 (SRP) and $34.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP) due date for all versions is January 5, 2010. The chapters will also be available On Demand and Digital Download.

Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the origin and historical events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. Halo Legends has been created in the same breakthrough format as The Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight with each individual episode imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator, including Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii, Hideki Futamura, Tomoki Kyoda and Yasushi Muraki. The stories are inspired and produced by the creative minds of 343 Industries, including Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor and managing editor Kevin Grace.

The individual episodes fall within Halo’s 26th Century mythology as the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies. The dramatic, action-packed stories feature characters and locales familiar to Halo fans, and episodes range in length between 10 and 17 minutes – resulting in nearly two hours of animated adventures.

The episodes are animated by some of the world’s most respected studios and directors in anime today. The studios range from Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Batman Gotham Knight), Bones (Cowboy Bebop, Fell Metal Alchemist) and Toei Animation (Dragonball Z, Digimon) to Studio 4oC (The Animatrix, Batman Gotham Knight) and Casio Entertainment. The stellar roster of animation talent on Halo Legends is highlighted by creative supervisors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell); directors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed), Hideki Futamura (The Animatrix), Daisuke Nishio (Dragonball Z), Hiroshi Yamazaki (Karas), Toshiyuki Kanno (Black Lagoon), Koichi Mashimo (Blade of the Immortal) and Koji Sawai (Patlabor); directors/action designers Tomoki Kyoda (Eureka Seven, Evangelion 1.0) and Yasushi Muraki (Macross Plus, Vampire Hunter D); and writer Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop).

Halo is a centerpiece in the world of video games, selling more than 27 million units to a devoted legion of fans – including the latest hit Halo 3:ODST. The Halo franchise has driven more than $1 billion in revenue from its award winning Xbox games, New York Times best-selling novels and comics and a wide variety of other merchandise.

Halo Legends – 2 Disc Special Edition version will have several hours of incredible bonus features, including:

* The Making of Halo Legends – An introduction to Halo Legends followed by a making-of segment for each episode.

* Halo: Gaming Evolved – Explaining the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise.

* Audio Commentary with directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou

Source Warner Home Video

In addition to directing “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space,” Ramsey served as Head of Story on DreamWorks Animation’s “Monsters vs. Aliens” and has served as a storyboard artist on a number of live action feature films. Lindsay-Abaire was most recently nominated for a Tony Award® for his Book and Lyrics for “Shrek The Musical.” His Pulitzer Prize winning play, “The Rabbit Hole” has been made into a feature film, for which he wrote the script.

The project will be produced by Christina Steinberg and Nancy Bernstein and executive produced by Michael Siegel, Joyce’s manager. DreamWorks Animation acquired the property from Reel FX where the characters and the world of “The Guardians of Childhood” were developed in a partnership with William Joyce. Joyce will also serve as co-director. DreamWorks Animation’s “The Guardians” (working title) is scheduled to be released on November 2, 2012.

“The Guardians of Childhood” is a multi-story saga detailing the adventures of the immortal Guardians, who are sworn to protect children from the forces of evil. The books will be published as a series that features Joyce’s distinctive illustrations and chronicles the origins of several childhood mythic figures, including Santa Claus, Jack Frost, The Easter Bunny and The Man in the Moon. Each book will highlight one character and will serve as back stories for characters that will be the subject of the full length feature film version.

DreamWorks Animation Co-President of Production, Bill Damaschke, commented, “We are thrilled that David Lindsay-Abaire is joining director Peter Ramsey and the rest of the all-star creative team at DreamWorks Animation to bring William Joyce’s spectacular stories to cinematic life when the film arrives in theaters on November 2, 2012.”
Publication of the book series is set to begin in 2011 and subsequent books will be published in yearly installments thereafter.

Source Dreamworks

From now until Nov. 12, moviegoers will have the opportunity to win** one pair of tickets to an advance screening of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON in Atlanta, Chicago or Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 9:30 pm, respectively, which will include a special appearance and question-and-answer session by a cast member from the film.
AT&T will encourage interaction amongst fans by asking them to join in on the discussions about the TWILIGHT SAGA and post the “Create Ur Coven” badge on individual and friends’ profile pages through wall posts at AT&T Share on Facebook. In addition, AT&T has created a WAP portal for moviegoers to access full music tracks from the film’s soundtrack, ringtones, answer tones, film graphics and more from THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. Wireless customers of AT&T can access content by texting*** the word “NEWMOON” to 826709.

“THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON is arguably the most anticipated movie of the year, and AT&T is thrilled to be at the forefront of it all by delivering once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and exclusive content offerings via the mobile device and our social media properties,” said Chris Schembri, vice president, AT&T Media Services. “It’s just one more way we’re connecting people to their world, everywhere they live and work.”

Moviegoers also can download “Twilight the Movie Game” from RealArcade® Mobile via AT&T MEdia Mall. In this trivia-based mobile game, players can answer challenging photo and text questions based on the first film, test their movie knowledge and prepare themselves for the launch of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. A multiplayer mode enables two to four players to compete on the same handset and find out who is the most knowledgeable TWILIGHT fan of all. RealArcade Mobile, a division of RealNetworks®, Inc., will be supporting this game with extensive promotions around the film launch for AT&T customers.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON is directed by Chris Weitz and starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. In the film, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of — only to find herself in greater peril than ever before. Following Edward Cullen’s (Pattinson) departure from Forks, Washington, Bella discovers his image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. In time Bella’s frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob Black (Lautner) who has a supernatural secret of his own.

The action-packed, modern day vampire love story TWILIGHT, the first film in the series, was released in theatres on November 21, 2008 to a blockbuster reception. The third film in the franchise, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is due in theaters on June 30, 2010.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

The Jury gives this award to a film that gives voice to a segment of society that has long been rendered voiceless – while at the same time expanding the vocabulary of documentary film aesthetics. The Golden Dove award comes with a prize of € 5,000. The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – DOK Leipzig – is the largest German and one of the leading international festivals for artistic documentary and animated films.

Tying Your Own Shoes is an animated documentary offering a rare opportunity to hear the unique perspectives of four adult artists with Down Syndrome. Shira Avni follows her award-winning animation, John and Michael, with this auteur hybrid film in which Petra, Matthew, Daninah and Katherine discuss their pasts, relationships and ambitions, challenging widely-held stereotypes. While Down Syndrome is often discussed in terms of disability, Tying Your Own Shoes is an artful, four-way essay about ability.

Canada’s public film producer and distributor, the National Film Board of Canada creates social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, alternative drama and digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian perspective. In collaboration with its international partners and co-producers, the NFB is expanding the vocabulary of 21st-century cinema and breaking new ground in form and content, through community filmmaking projects, cross-platform media, interactive cinema, stereoscopic animation – and more. Since the NFB’s founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. In 2009, the works of NFB animation pioneer Norman McLaren were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Registry. The NFB’s new website features over 1,000 productions online, and its iPhone app has become one of the most popular and talked about downloads. Visit today and start watching!

Source NFB

Hayley’s 14-year-old brother is the geeky yet cocky Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who seems to be on the constant verge of puberty but can’t quite make sense of the opposite sex. The Smith household is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (Seth MacFarlane), the selfish and sarcastic space alien who lives in the attic and drinks like it’s always happy hour, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German guy who is always willing to vocalize his opinions even if no one is listening. AMERICAN DAD ranks in the Top 10 programs of the season among Teens, Male Teens, Men 18-34, Persons 12-34, Adults 18-34 and Men 18-49.

AMERICAN DAD is a 20th Century Fox Television production co-created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman. MacFarlane, Barker and Weitzman serve as executive producers alongside Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz.

Source FOX

Instavision of Venice, California is managing all digital distribution of the series in the US territory through multiple online and mobile platforms, including iTunes, YouTube (youtube.com/garfieldshow), and at www.thegarfieldshow.com. A new website devoted to the show will feature games, mobile downloads, video, and “The Catbox” featuring social networking aspects, including blogs by Dr. Liz (Garfield’s veterinarian) and Squeak the mouse, an authority on the world’s cheeses, and much more. The show’s characters can be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/garfield

While brand new to the United States audience, “The Garfield Show” has been delighting audiences worldwide since its debut on France 3 network in November 2008. It also currently airs in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, Philippines, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and is slated to debut in South Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern and Western Europe of Saturday, November 7th. Additionally, Cartoon Network Japan will begin airing the program in the summer or fall of 2010.

“Cartoon Network is the place for fun and innovative programming for kids, and “The Garfield Show” will be a perfect addition to their line-up. The show has been a delight to work on – the animation sparkles, and the stories are fun,” according to Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis. “In the United Kingdom, nearly half of the audience was over 15, so we’re relying on Garfield to entertain the whole family in the United States as well.”

Since its debut in France, the show attracted a record audience for the network. In the U.K., the debut show became the top rated show on the network. Since then, it has consistently been in the top three shows for the network.

A production of Paws, Inc. and Dargaud Media, a Paris-based animation and publishing company, the show features the corpulent kitty and the world he lives in, including his owner, the dull but decent Jon Arbuckle, the happy-go-lucky pup Odie, the cloying “cutest kitten in the world,” Nermal, and Garfield’s permanent houseguest, Squeak the mouse. New characters include Vito, owner of the “world’s best pizza” parlor, Eddy Gourmand, an eccentric food critic, Harry, the ne’er-do-well alley cat, as well as assorted colorful characters from Garfield’s neighborhood and the occasional visitor from the world beyond. Through situations both fantastic and familiar, Garfield entertains with his unique point-of-view and his sarcastic wit.

The fully-animated half-hour television series features 26 episodes, each with two complete stories. The show is animated in CGI with 3D tools, and appears in High Definition. It is available in both English and Spanish languages. The show is produced in France under the direction of Robert Réa, Director General, and Philippe Vidal, creative director.

Source Dargaud Media

KI.KA has purchased 26 episodes of PEARLIE, co-produced with Australia’s Sticky Pictures, about a fairy less than two inches high who is small in stature but big on glamour and full of style. The series will air weekdays at 1:35 p.m. CET starting Monday, November 2.

Also on tap are 26 episodes of JANE AND THE DRAGON, a series co-produced with Weta Productions Ltd. of New Zealand, about the adventures of a 13-year-old girl who is a Knight in Training in Medieval times and her best friend, a giant green dragon. KI.KA will air the series weekdays at 5:15 p.m. CET starting Wednesday, November 18.

Nelvana Enterprises is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107.

Source Nelvana

What if your home had been the scene of a terrifying fire 100 years ago? Or your basement had been used for violent and deadly experiments? What if you discovered unexplainable bloody handprints on the walls around your baby’s crib? And what if you didn’t know these things had happened but the animals around you did? Welcome to the eerie world of THE HAUNTED, Animal Planet’s newest original, 10-part animation-powered series.

Premiering Sunday, November 22, at 10 PM ET/PT, THE HAUNTED takes an intimate look at stories of people whose animals act as mediaries to the afterworld. Often the subjects of the most intense paranormal hauntings, animals are commonly believed to be more sensitive to spirits than people. Think of them as canaries in the paranormal coalmines. But when spirits afflict pets, the animals aren’t the only victims. Owners also fall prey to paranormal activity and will often stop at nothing to rid their homes and pets of paranormal spirits.

When the hauntings become too intense, paranormal investigation teams are called in to examine and record the eerie and unexplainable events. The team members are experienced paranormal sleuths who study each haunting in order to make sense of and understand the strange smells, sights, sounds and behaviors. Investigators record voices and photograph odd presences using equipment ranging from ghost boxes to Electro Magnetic Field readers which record sounds and capture ghostly images so shocking they are hard to believe.

Episodes of THE HAUNTED include intense tales of bizarre behavior, records of disturbing disappearances and unexpected deaths. One frightening investigation leads a family to an exorcism in a desperate attempt to abolish the evil demons that afflict them and their family dog. In another harrowing tale, after months of mysterious behavior from the family dog, a mother and father discover unexplainable blood smeared on the wall in their infant’s room. What do you believe? And what would you do?

Beginning Sunday, November 22 through December 20, THE HAUNTED airs at 10 PM ET/PT. The series takes a break during the holiday season and resumes Sunday, January 3 through January 31 in the 8 PM time slot.

Source Supernatural

In this off-the-wall action adventure game, players will experience the wacky world of SpongeBob and some of its most humorous events from the last 10 years. The game also introduces a new and unique morphing capability that turns SpongeBob into unlikely objects like a spatula or sledgehammer. The game is rated E for everyone and is available at the suggested retail prices of $39.99 (Wii and Xbox 360) and $29.99 (DS and PSP system).

“SpongeBob’s Truth or Square provides the ultimate SpongeBob experience for kids, parents and SpongeBob fans of all ages,” said Randy Shoemaker, vice president, global brand management at THQ. “The game delivers innovative new gameplay features combined with a story that celebrates 10 incredibly fun and zany years of SpongeBob. Whether you’re an avid SpongeBob fan or a first-time gamer, you’ll want to join the top adventure this game offers.”

“For SpongeBob’s 10th Anniversary year, we’re excited to provide gamers with SpongeBob’s Truth or Square,” said Shaan Kandawalla, vice president, digital retail games at Nickelodeon. “Coupled with the celebrity-filled Truth or Square Nickelodeon television event in November, there is something for every SpongeBob fan this month.”

About SpongeBob’s Truth or Square

In SpongeBob’s Truth or Square, players must journey through memorable SpongeBob SquarePants locations to find the missing Krabby Patty formula in time for Krusty Krab’s Eleventy Seventh Anniversary. From Jellyfish Fields to downtown Bikini Bottom, players will run, jump, spin and hammer their way through 10 challenging levels. Each level will take players back to a happy SpongeBob SquarePants moment, such as when SpongeBob becomes a fry cook, gets into the Salty Spittoon or meets Sandy for the first time.

Source THQ

“We love Nick at COMEDY CENTRAL and even more importantly, our audience loves Nick,” said Corrao. “We’ve seen it in his movies, his stand-up, with his ‘Reno 911!’ character ‘Terry,’ and in the work he’s done developing Gay Robot. We can’t wait to expand his creative voice into a sketch series.”

“I’m very excited to be working with COMEDY CENTRAL,” said Swardson. “They are great people who understand me creatively. They also are very good looking … a lot of 8 and 9’s in the office, guys are probably in the 4’s.”

Executive produced by Swardson, Gianas (”Saturday Night Live,” “Human Giant”), Happy Madison and Sony Pictures Television, the fast paced live-action sketch show is a weekly series that centers around Swardon’s twisted comedic viewpoint. The series will include irreverent digital shorts, man-on-the-street segments and animation inspired by the internet sensation “Gay Robot,” which follows the life of a gay robot and his frat boy friends. Seth Cohen and Scott Landsman are the executives in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

Nick Swardson, a multi-talented actor, stand-up comedian and writer, was first recognized for his stand-up at the young age of 18. He has made numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” as well as “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Swardson taped a one-hour COMEDY CENTRAL stand-up special in Austin that aired on October 11 as well as two COMEDY CENTRAL half-hour stand-up specials, his first in 2000 at the age of 22 (the youngest ever to do so) and his second in 2006. He is also well-know for his recurring role as “Terry” in COMEDY CENTRAL’S “Reno 911!” In October 2007, Swardson released his debut album, “Party,” through COMEDY CENTRAL Records, and it has sold more than 135,500 copies. His second album, “Seriously, Who Farted?” was released on COMEDY CENTRAL Records this month.

Source Comedy Central

Homecoming: 8:30pm

A fearless teen trains to become a ninja while battling the demon who lives inside of him. Sequel to “Naruto,” a popular anime series. In the opener, Naruto returns to his home place after two-and-a-half years and receives his first assignment.

The Akatsuki Makes Its Move: 9:00pm

Naruto and Sakura challenge Kakashi to a survival test to show off their skills.

The Results of Training: 9:30pm

Naruto’s years of training pay off in a battle with Kakashi.

The Jinchuriki of the Sand: 10:00pm

An aerial battle takes place between Deidara and Gaara; Kankuro assembles troops to fight Akatsuki.

Source: Disney XD

Fun Facts:
• The Scrat Ice Sculpture will stand at 45 feet tall
• Over 133,000 lbs. of ice will be used, gathered across 4 states
• Months of preparation went into the logistics
• Artists from Blue Sky Studios developed the look of the model
• The current record for the Tallest Ice Sculpture is 40.28 feet and was achieved by Michel Amann (France) in Ski Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 20, 2006.

Additional Highlights:
• World Figure Skating Champion Randy Gardner will perform to the “Walk the Dinosaur” song featured in the film
• The one and only acorn-loving Scrat will demonstrate his own skating abilities
• Skating for the entire family, including music and many more fun activities
• ICE at Santa Monica is an 8000-square-foot outdoor ice rink in Downtown Santa Monica

WHO:
A team of 14 skilled sculptors from Ice Bulb LLC will build the world’s Tallest Ice Sculpture over a 4-day period on the ice rink at the ICE at Santa Monica. A Guinness World Records™ adjudicator will be present to oversee the attempt.

WHEN:
Tuesday, October 27, final Scrat sculpture to be unveiled at 4:00pm
• Entrance is Free to the public
• From October 27 through January 31, 2010, the ice rink will be open Sunday through Thursday, 10am to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10am to midnight
• Admission is $10 and includes rental skates
* Stand-ups and in-progress check-ins available beginning Saturday, October 24

WHERE:
ICE at Santa Monica
1324 5th Street (at Arizona Avenue)
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Source 20th Century Fox

Family Tree features a stampede of over 50 classic Porsche cars accelerating across an open plain. Ever-shifting camera angles – from overhead panoramas to driver-seat views – capture the onward momentum of the pack as one car – the Panamera – weaves its way through. Interspersed with these ground-level angles is a birds-eye view of the entire collection etching tracks in the landscape to progressively create the branches of the Porsche family tree.

“Porsche is a company synonymous with excellence: they have an incredible history, universal brand recognition and extremely high-quality products. Working with C-K and @RadicalMedia to execute this grand vision for Porsche was a real honor,” noted Asylum EP Michael Pardee. “This project was a challenge on many different levels, but our team came together and produced something really special.”

Coordinating several vehicles in 57 separate shots presented a myriad of challenges for Asylum. Each scene needed to be camera tracked perfectly to provide exact camera data to create a realistic landscape. The cars had to be matchmoved and roto’d in every shot so that the tracks in the surface and the dust could be procedurally generated from each vehicle. The tracks laid in the surface were crucial to the story, allowing us to see where other cars had already been and, by curving the tracks away from the pack, suggesting the direction the cars moved to form new branches, giving credibility to the end reveal – the formation of the family tree. All previs were done to scale using satellite views of the set at El Toro Airbase to coordinate the action on the tarmac.

A realistic-looking desert plain, with tracks and dust trails from the speeding cars, had to be created in CG for the 50 live-action cars to live in. All the environments, tracks, dust and previs dynamics were done in Houdini for its scalability and procedural capabilities. Houdini’s Digital Assets allowed Asylum to modify the look of the terrain, tracks and dust in a single shot, quickly propagate the changes to all shots and handle pre-composites of certain elements prior to handing them off for compositing.

Most of the shots required adding additional cars and some needed cars removed and replaced with CG cars. A number of different techniques were utilized to achieve this task.

Live-action cars were roto’d from other takes, stabilized and retracked into new plates. Hi-res photos of each car were taken and relit before being animated to create certain shots and CG cars were modeled and animated to replace unwanted cars or to populate shots with too few Porsche models. Every car in the commercial, irrespective of being from the original shoot or being added digitally, was modeled and matchmoved so we had digital assets to generate tire tracks and dust. Animation and matchmoving the cars was done using Maya software.

Source: Asylum

The Little Prince tells the story of a philosophical little boy who hops from planet to planet and acquires simple truths along the way. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s once developed the concept for a 1980s anime TV series.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, La Fabrique d’Images, India’s DQ Entertainment, Germany’s ARD and Italy’s RAI Fiction are all in the mix for the production of the project.

In addition, Method and game producer MK2, via their MKO joint venture, will create a videogame tie-in.

PGS Entertainment has pre-booked the series on television stations such as France 3, WDR (Germany), RAI (Italy), TV2 (Denmark), TV2 (Norway), ABC (Australia), MTV3 (Finland) and TSR (Switzerland).

Source: Variety