Kaxan plan mixes figures, programs, pix

'Secret in the Jade Medallion' is seen being an exercise run for 'Lucas.'MEXICO CITY --Getting a clutch of progressively ambitious videogames and animated features inside the pipeline, Guadalajara-based Kaxan Media Group is quickly as being a key industry presence in the region. Founded within the month of the month of january 2010 beneath the leadership of Boss Ricardo Gomez, Kaxan has produced three subsidiaries: Kaxan Games, Kaxan Art galleries and Kaxan Campus. The art galleries will release their first toon, the $3 million, The the spanish language language-language feature "Secret in the Jade Medallion," in 2012. Gomez known towards the pic, which doesn't have distribution, just like a dry-visit train his team for Kaxan's initial project, presently referred to as "Lucas," that's allotted at $25 million. Pic notifies the story from the youthful boy who's gone to live in some world where in the trees to animals and cars are built with recycled materials. That project will probably be British-language, and Kaxan is trying to find U.S. voice talents, trading nearly half your financial allowance to fill the roles. Gomez noted the film will probably be funded usually by private traders, all whom reside in Guadalajara, however the organization has began to attain towards the relaxation of Mexico and beyond in the search for investment finance. According to him the business is at talks with assorted majors of a distribution deal for your U.S. It won't have a very telemarketer. Gomez stresses that Kaxan is pursuing any wide, worldwide release for "Lucas," which he's a sizable believer laminator tl901 office way ahead for figures. "Worldwide, they've created 3,000 films every year, in addition to people, 30 are animated, but of last year's top-10 films, five were animated," Gomez states. Kaxan is pursuing "Lucas" being completed for just about any 2013 release. Both it as well as the company's next animated feature, "Bruno" -- a great awkward boy who discovers he's special forces -- will probably be launched at the same time as videogames and mobile programs. Gomez states such mix-platform adaptability is an element of Kaxan's 360 IP strategy, which places intellectual property in vidgames, films, TV series, digital content, merchandise and print. By March 2011, the games unit required over as first company in South Usa to win developer certification in the new the new sony, Producers and Microsoft for your Ps, Wii and Xbox 360 360, correspondingly. Their first game being released for individuals three platforms will match towards the "Lucas" pic, by getting an thought $4 million in development costs elevated from private traders. In August, the business acquired prestige inside the gaming world while using relieve "Taco Master" for your iTunes Application Store "Taco" wasn't any. 1 for ten days in Mexico and South Usa, hit No. 5 in India and broke to the top 40 most downloaded programs inside the U.S. When asked for about "Taco Master" as well as the potential profit of those programs, Gomez thinks if this involves market positioning strategy. "What you would like to setup might be the smoothness as well as the story to make sure that the planet reaches know them," according to him. "Taco Master" might be the to start four programs developed together with Electronic Arts and Chillingo, onetime author of "Angry Wild wild birds." Two more games have since emerge for your Application Store beneath the deal -- "Torture Bunny" and "Finger Shoes" -- with "Fly or Die" along the way. Round the console front, Kaxan Games is planning the launch of household party game "El Chavo del Ocho" for your Wii in March 2012. Suggested since the first 100% Mexican videogame, "El Chavo" is founded on the kids' Tv program from Televisa of the title, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The sport is an element from the massive advertising campaign matched up by Televisa beginning early next season, which will include parades together with an active-action show tour in urban centers across South Usa as well as the U.S. The show can be a staple in nations to date as South usa, where it's known as "Chavez," and contains fans in the united states together with the U.S., where it's moved by Univision. Gomez states nearly $3 million went into the development of the sport, which for the moment is originating on Wii only. The sport will probably be compiled by Mexican game author Slang, that is handling nearly all Kaxan's future game distribution, according to Gomez. The Kaxan Campus project, where plenty of recruits obtain a stipend to help cover expenses while studying, actively works to help train local animation talent -- an activity Gomez began before he founded the business. Gomez labored for IBM in Guadalajara for 18 years in many positions, finally heading the sales division for western Mexico. From 2007 to 2009 he held the presidency in the National Chamber of Telecommunications and understanding Technology (Canieti). He began to uncover the CG industry through his role with Canieti, meeting business leaders in Guadalajara -- which calls itself "The Plastic Valley of Mexico" -- and watching the critical mass of multimedia firms and burgeoning talent. In 2008, when Gomez was utilized by Canieti, the federal government referred to as round the org, along with Mexico's film institute, to develop 52 animated shorts to celebrate this year's bicentennial of Mexico's war for independence and 100-year anniversary in the Mexican Revolution. That project began by getting a wide open demand youthful animation talent, with no software capabilities needed, and the introduction of the multimillion-dollar Chapala Media Park, a greater-tech infrastructure initiative funded through the health of Jalisco and federal gold gold coin. Throughout that training, Gomez aided make the Creanimax animation festival and introduced numerous instructors like Ricardo Curtis ("The Incredibles") while others from companies including Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney, Lionhead and Ubisoft. According to Gomez, about 30% in the 250-plus students who've been through training ongoing to professional careers in animation, many jumping aboard with Kaxan if the opened up up. Gomez went onto establish ties while using classical Mexican film industry, involved in programs similar to this year's Morelia Lab producers workshop in October. "We give (the students) total creative freedom," Gomez states. "Many of them have recently spent three years animating every day.In . Consequently, the business is now offering roughly 100 progressively seasoned employees whose average age is 23. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

REVIEW: The Adventures of Tintin Putt-Putts Plus a Terrier along with you

You'll find times when a lot of an optimistic factor and not enough meet half way and settle in to a comfortable middle ground. That’s the problem with Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin, which might be superior if it had been made using classical animation techniques rather than that performance-capture nonsense so when 3-D weren’t among its large selling points. But half way remains something, as well as the Adventures of Tintin is winning in the rousing, let’s-search-lower-a-treasure way, whenever you sort out — if you are in a position to — the Polar Express-style creepiness of animated figures who gaze through human-searching eyes. The look is modified within the graphic books of Herg, the pen title of Belgian author and illustrator Georges Remi (the pronunciation can be a playful turnaround of his initials), which trace the adventures from the ginger root root-haired cub reporter and, possibly much like importantly, the wriggly-butt high jinks of his fox terrier, Snowy. Part of the advantage of the books, the initial which came out in 1929, are their lo-fi visual clearness: Herg made his images in apparent yet soft colors layed out by fine but distinct black outlines, a comic-book drawing style that later found be known to as ligne claire. Type in Tintin comics is flat, but pleasingly so — there’s plenty of dimensionality inside the attendant particulars Herg clearly needed pleasure in adding (the drape from the cloth heavyweight coat, the soft wrinkle from the sock) and concept of motion and excitement moved over from frame to border. In the Tintin comic, Snowy’s tail is not still — you will not ever literally visualize it move, however, you simply know. Visually, The Adventures of Tintin isn’t everything ligne claire: Rather, it’s dimensional and rounded and shaded — even a lot more when compared to a movie designed to be seen only by 50 %-D might be. That is Spielberg’s first foray into 3-D, which he goes all to prove they can take action. But just what? Stuff that make Tintin enjoyable low on associated with that kind of technical prowess in comparison to Spielberg’s affection for your source material and also the obsessive eye for detail. (He and Healing For Healing For Peter Jackson, co-producers in the film, are usually long-term Tintin fans.) I started out disliking Tintin — I don’t care how technically smooth the performance-capture animation is anything made applying this hyperrealistic strategy is just pleading being held at arm’s length. However when I obtained over that Rosemary oil oil’s Baby, “What excuses perhaps you have used to his eyes?” feeling, and relaxed into what's essentially a cheerful (if your little manic) task of storytelling, Tintin increased being a lot more fun. The story here — modified from a number of Herg tales by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish — starts when Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) purchases one ship by getting an essential secret hidden inside. They are fully aware it’s important because dubious villain Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Difficulties) wants it, too. On the way of releasing that secret, Tintin and Snowy finish on the hi-jacked sea freighter, where they meet Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), a boozy old seadog who, incidentally, bears an uncanny resemblance to Walter Matthau. Together they trigger an on adventure that can them within the ocean (having its billowing, moving waves) as well as the desert (where people liquid surf is exchanged for rippling slopes of sand). Snowy tags along completely, either aiding or leading to problems, and frequently both. Tintin’s plot is made of minor scrapes and narrowly avoided problems, plus it scampers from land to sea to abandon to city by getting an abandon that only seems reckless: All things in The Adventures of Tintin is meticulous — this is often a Steven Spielberg movie, ultimately. Nevertheless it’s fun to think about in many the film’s particulars, specifically if you possess a passing understanding from the Tintin books: The means by which Tintin’s camel-colored coat gets the kind of hands-stitching a European coat in the 󈧢s may have the soft glow from the eco-friendly-shaded desk light lighting the sunday paper disseminate up for grabs the gentle “tik-tik” appear created by Snowy’s toenails while he trots along. As well as the wry humor in the books emerges intact: An obsessive wallet-stealer moans, “I’m not always a poor person. I’m a kleptomaniac!” The squabbling twin personnel Thomson and Thompson, utilizing their scrubbing-brush mustaches and bowler hats, also make several looks, their voices provided by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. Somewhat The Adventures of Tintin is just too perfectly perfect. Spielberg and also the team have checked out the means by which Herg moved the knowledge from panel to panel and copied it with utmost precision. It’s great to date because it is going. Nevertheless the movie fairly vibrates with this particular showing-off quality that Spielberg just can’t shake. Still, Tintin musters lots of enjoyable energy — John Williams’ jaunty score, particularly, is simply the type of soundtrack you’d want following you around for anyone who is a red-colored-colored-headed adventurer in tweed plus-fours, rooting around for secret treasure. Nevertheless it’s Snowy nobody won my heart: Delighted with the aroma from the sandwich or going through a camel the first time, he’s whatever you’d need a cartoon terrier being. His hobbies are passionate, but his attitude is casual. He’s the primary one factor inside the Adventures of Tintin that’s never trying too much. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Matt Damon Still Bourne - Or Desires to Be, Anyway

Regardless of the frustration and angst ventilation with the franchise’s erstwhile star, Matt Damon hasn’t quit hope of reprising his role as super-spy Jason Bourne: “I think if [Bourne Legacy] doesn’t work, we could just neglected and pretend it didn’t happen, which’d be fine. However expect that it's going to work and merely let us once we did another, that people’d enjoy.” With Paul Greengrass instead of Tony Gilroy, clearly, but anyway. Hang your hopes accordingly. [THR]

Pour a Proper Cup of Tea Today for Christopher Hitchens

He had divisive opinions and a rare mind, but the late, great Christopher Hitchens also, from time to time, deviated from politics, culture, and history to examine other important issues including film, filmmakers, and — importantly! — how to make tea. Pour one out for Hitch today — the proper way, no dunking — with his wise words from last year. “If you use a pot at all, make sure it is pre-warmed. (I would add that you should do the same thing even if you are only using a cup or a mug.) Stir the tea before letting it steep. But this above all: “[O]ne should take the teapot to the kettle, and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours.” This isn’t hard to do, even if you are using electricity rather than gas, once you have brought all the makings to the same scene of operations right next to the kettle.It’s not quite over yet. If you use milk, use the least creamy type or the tea will acquire a sickly taste. And do not put the milk in the cup first—family feuds have lasted generations over this—because you will almost certainly put in too much. Add it later, and be very careful when you pour. Finally, a decent cylindrical mug will preserve the needful heat and flavor for longer than will a shallow and wide-mouthed—how often those attributes seem to go together—teacup. Orwell thought that sugar overwhelmed the taste, but brown sugar or honey are, I believe, permissible and sometimes necessary.Until relatively few years ago, practically anything hot and blackish or brackish could be sold in America under the name of coffee. It managed both to be extremely weak and extremely bitter, and it was frequently at boiling point, though it had no call to be. (I use the past tense, though there are many places where this is still true, and it explains why free refills can be offered without compunction.) At least in major cities, consumers now have a better idea how to stick up for themselves, often to an irksome degree, as we know from standing behind people who are too precise about their latte, or whatever it’s called.Next time you are in a Starbucks or its equivalent and want some tea, don’t be afraid to decline that hasty cup of hot water with added bag. It’s not what you asked for. Insist on seeing the tea put in first, and on making sure that the water is boiling. If there are murmurs or sighs from behind you, take the opportunity to spread the word. And try it at home, with loose tea and a strainer if you have the patience. Don’t trouble to thank me. Happy New Year.” - Excerpted from “How to Make a Decent Cup of Tea” R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens. Leave your thoughts on tea making and other Hitchens concerns below. How To Make a Decent Cup of Tea [Slate]

'The Divide': Opening Scene From 'Heroes' Star Milo Ventimiglia's Thriller Released (Video)

Ray Mickshaw / FOX More tears flowed on Thursday's X Factor than any episode prior as Rachel Crow, the sassy 13-year-old from Longmont, Colorado, was sent home in what turned out to be a genuine season shocker.our editor recommends'X Factor' Results: Who Makes Semifinals? (Video)'X Factor' Redux: Why Josh Krajcik Will Win'X Factor' Burning Questions: What's the Deal With Josh's Sign Language? Did Marcus Get Death Threats Too?'X Factor's' Drew Ryniewicz Speaks Out on Death Threats to Judges Over Her Elimination'X Factor's' Drew Ryniewicz on Why She Was Eliminated: 'My 'Save Me' Performance Sucked' It wasn't the "save me" song that failed her, and Rachel never once visited the bottom two. No, it was America that sent her home, as the lowest vote-getter after Nicole Schrezinger tied up the score and forced a deadlock. Now, many were quick to blame Nicole for Rachel's exit, marking the second week in a row when the Pussycat Dolls singer felt the sting of harsh-as-hell criticism, but in speaking to reporters after the show, head judge Simon Cowell emphatically came to her defense. "[Nicole] didn't do this out of spite," said Simon. "What she was trying to do was to let Marcus [Canty] go with some dignity. No question, if she knew Rachel was going to be in the bottom, she would've gone the other way." PHOTOS: Get to Know 'X Factor's' Top 17 Finalists It's a refrain Nicole herself repeated not long after. She reasoned: "Marcus has been in the bottom two twice, this was his third time and Rachel's never been in the bottom so the probability was that America would've sent Marcus home. I wasn't going to be the one to send anyone home." The unexpected twist made for some great television, but the subsequent knee-drop breakdown by the usually poised Rachel was difficult for all too bear, especially Nicole. "When I saw that look on her face," she says, still wiping back tears. "That I let her down, like I dropped her when I could've been holding on. I didn't want to make the decision but if I had to do it all over again, I would've done the same thing. Because, how did I know? I have a big heart and I care so much, I feel it on me." Indeed, it was Rachel who had to console Nicole after the results were read. "She came to my [dressing] room and we talked and she said, 'Everything's gonna be OK,'" Nicole recounted. "This is new to me so I didn't expect this part was gonna be this hard.... Ultimately, America made the choice tonight." Simon added that, for Rachel, clearly something wasn't connecting. "This could be a good thing for her -- a wake-up call for Rachel and her career going forward," he said. "I've spoken to her and I said, 'Its' better to do this than be third in a weird way.' [Because] if we didn't know she was in the bottom and I thought she may have a chance at winning, that's a whole different ballgame. But being in the bottom, chances are she wasn't going to win this competition and Rachel said she thought she was." PHOTOS: 'X Factor' Behind the Scenes as The Top 11 Work Out the Week's Performances The head judge did, however, have a sense earlier in the day that something was off. He even tweeted as much. "I did have an odd feeling and when I was left with both girls, I was kind of torn. But when I heard Nicole say, 'I'm gonna give it to deadlock,' I actually sat back in my seat thinking, 'We're [going] through, no question or doubt.' Well, we all got the shock of our lives." And especially Nicole who was booed so loudly you could see the agony written all over the face. "I think Nicole felt shocked because when we are making the decision, we aren't thinking about the result," said Paula Abdul with empathy. And in an attempt to avoid last week's public outrage, which turned into death threats to some loyal Drew fans, Simon addresses that, too, "If there are death threats and stuff like that, it's crazy," he said. "Nicole is not a vindictive person." Added Paula: "What's great about this show is people are passionate about their contestants, but it's a competition -- someone's going home each week." And this week, Marcus stays, an accomplishment Nicole doesn't want to downplay. "God bless Marcus," she said. "He's surviving and he's earned his place to be here." Not surprisingly, Simon had a more blunt assessment. "I'll be disappointed if Marcus wins," he said. "I think Rachel is better than Marcus." Twitter: @shirleyhalperin PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Behind the Scenes With Simon Cowell's Right-Hand Woman Nicole Scherzinger Simon Cowell Antonio L.A. Reid Rachel Crow Drew Ryniewicz The X Factor

'Thor 2' Closing in on New Director and Writer (Exclusive)

Zade Rosenthal/Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures"Thor" Marvel Studios is wasting no time in getting Thor 2 back on track after shocking Hollywood by parting ways with director Patty Jenkins on Tuesday.our editor recommends'Thor 2' Director Patty Jenkins Exits'Pretty Little Liars,' 'Thor,' Charlie Sheen Are Top Twitter Topics of 2011 Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the company is looking at two director prospects: Alan Taylor and Daniel Minahan. Taylor's most well-known feature may be 1996's Palookaville, but he has become a huge cable TV helmer, directing episodes of HBO's Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos and AMC's Mad Men, among others. He also directed the pilot for NBC's Playboy Club. Minahan also is a big name in the TV world, working on Game of Thrones, True Blood, Deadwood and Grey's Anatomy. Marvel was also in the middle of hiring a writer when the Jenkins exit occurred. Don Payne had written a draft and Sheldon Turner was among those being discussed to work on the script, but the new shortlist of possible writers consists of John Collee, whose credits include Happy Feet and Master and Commander: Far Side of the World, Robert Rodat, the scribe who created the TNT show Falling Skies and wrote Saving Private Ryan, and Roger Avary, best known for sharing an Oscar with Quentin Tarantino for writing Pulp Fiction. Jenkins beat out several other contenders for the Thor 2 directing gig when Marvel announced her as its choice in mid-October. The move put the helmer on track to be the first female director of a Marvel movie and perhaps the only one to ever direct a big-budget superhero or comic book movie. That changed when word broke on Tuesday that she and Marvel were going their separate ways over the standard excuse of "creative differences." Marvel may be moving fast on the sequel to this past summer's hit, but it does have some time on its side: Thor 2 is slated for a Nov. 15, 2013 release. Marvel declined to comment. Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Kit Email: Kim.Masters@thr.com Twitter: @KimMasters PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'Thor' Premiere Pics Thor Thor 2

Erectile dysfunction Asner To Reprise Role From Original Hawaii Five- Within The Series CBS Reboot

EXCLUSIVE: Erectile dysfunction Asner is improving his status on Hawaii Five- from the guest star to recurring. In an exceedingly unusual series guest arc spanning 36 years, the multiple Emmy champion will guest star on CBS’ Hawaii Five- reboot early in the year, reprising the role of August March, that they performed within an episode from the original series in 1975. Inside a first for that new Hawaii Five-, footage in the original series is going to be featured in Asner’s episode. It will likely be in the actor’s first Hawaii Five- appearance within an 1975 episode entitled Wooden Type Of A Rat, by which August March (Asner) was an up-and-coming first class smuggler. Now a cool guy after serving 3 decades imprisonment for murder, March endures The island of oahu and it is contacted through the Five- to help on the smuggling situation. It's thrilling to, the very first time, merge the initial Hawaii Five- and our new show by getting the classic, versatile and award-winning actor Erectile dysfunction Asner reprise his role of August March, a personality Mr. Asner first performed 36 years back,” Hawaii Five- executive producer/showrunner Peter Lenkov stated. “There isn't any better way to create a bridge between our reboot and also the original series.

Bradley Cooper Talks Paradise Lost

Exclusive: Satan shows his on-set snapsCertain people from the Empire office prefer to think they are buddies with Bradley Cooper. They are not, obviously, but after his Unlimited Webchat charm offensive back inMarch, you will naturally be considered a little smitten.You need to know this before you decide to watch our interview using the guy themself, as it is among individuals ramshackle-but-ultimately-worth-it amounts that may only exist following a Hollywood star has loved/suffered the Empire webchat experience.The job interview with "The SexiestMan Alive" was organised mainly to assist promote the DVDrelease from the Hangover Part II, but for the finish in our time with him he shared a couple of particulars about another thing she has approaching in the diary: Paradise Lost.For individuals not knowledgable / who were not instructed to study it in school, Paradise Lost is "a legendary poem in blank verse through the 17th-century British poet John Milton" - thanksWikipedia - which some would consider almost unadaptable cinematically.Not The Crow director Alex Proyas and the star, Cooper. Making sense, thinking about Bradley may be the mortal who'll play Lucifer, the angel sent lower to hell after angering the Large Guy Upstairs.Particulars overall project are few in number, so seeing Cooper demonstrated us a couple of button snaps of him "on set" via his Rim - it's being shot moving capture, incidentally - although mentioning a couple of odds and ends is really quite exciting.To prevent speaking with respect to Mr.Cooper, here's the guy themself speaking about how exactly he's planning for his approaching three month shoot Here (that's Australia, not hell, incidentally). Cooper seemed to be designed to come in a The Crow remake, therefore we also requested him about how exactly that found (not really) pass, particulars of which you'll find below. Returning to Paradise Lost as it were, what Cooper needs to say about his voice altering is particularly notable, with the thought of his tone "cracking" as Lucifer falls. Appears a neat idea - although not as neat as our British-to-American idea, obviously.Arranged for any 2013 release, Paradise Lost will even star Benjamin Master as Michael, Casey Affleck as Gabriel and Djimon Hounsou as Abdiel.But now you ask ,, despite the charm of Cooper behind it, do you enjoy Alex Proyas' motion picture interpretation from the story of Satan and also the temptation of Adam and Eve?Do you consider it'll focus on screen?And just how can you start adapting something as unique and remarkable as Milton's epic?Tell us within the comment box below.

Columbus discovers young Jesus pic

ColumbusNowrasteh'Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt'After helping bring Harry Potter and Kevin McCallister to life, Chris Columbus is looking to put another famous kid up on the big screen: Jesus Christ.Columbus' 1492 Pictures and CJ Entertainment have acquired the rights to the Anne Rice tome "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," which tells the story of a seven-year-old Jesus, who departs Egypt with his family to return home to Nazareth and discovers the truth about his birth, who he is, and his purpose in life.Cyrus Nowrasteh will direct from a screenplay he penned with Betsy Nowrasteh. Columbus will produce along with Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe through 1492 Pictures with Sean Lee, Patricia Chun and Keo Lee producing through CJ Entertainment.Rice came to Nowrasteh first and asked if he would take on the project after seeing his film "The Stoning of Soraya M." After agreeing to write and direct the project, Nowrasteh brought it to Columbus and Marnathan at 1492."This film has the potential to be a cinematic classic, a picture that will appeal to all ages, all around the world," Columbus said. "I am proud to be part of this incredible production."The Nowrastehs and Rice are repped by CAA. Columbus and 1492 are repped by WME. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com