A sign that we are all getting a little older…Chuck Jones, the influential animator who had a hand in the creation of Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Daffy Duck and an endless list of other cartoon staples , died as a result of heart failure. He was 89. Jones’ talent and vision encompassed over 300 animated films and won him an Oscar for in 1995 for lifetime achievement.
Queen of the Damned seduced moviegoers this weekend, taking in a deadly $15.2 million and topping last weekend’s John Q. which fell to number two with $12.5 million and a promising total of almost $40 million so far. Kevin Costner’s new film Dragonfly performed moderately well, opening in third place with $10.4 million, but only time will tell if the film will be another costly flop for Costner or a tier towards regaining profitable credibility.
Macaulay Culkin has signed on to star in Party Monster, an extremely bizarre and indulgent tale about the life of Michael Alig, a visionary party promoter in New York City during the early 1990s who helped catalyze rave culture and was later convicted of murder. The film will be based on the book Disco Blood Bath and will be the 21-year old Culkin’s first movie role since 1994’s Richie Rich.
With the success of Tomb Raider, and the lucrative video game business booming more than usual, film- makers have optioned the movie rights for two more games. The hit franchise “Tekken” has been acquired by Crystal Sky Entertainment with rumored plans for a $60 million adaptation, while “State of Emergency,” an upcoming riot game from the creators of “Grand Theft Auto,” has been picked up by the producer of the American Pie films.
Dance DJs Sasha and John Digweed will unleash an ambitiously thorough sound and lighting set up on their Delta Heavy Spring tour which kicks off on March 23 in Miami. The tour is being organized by Kevin Lyman, a previous organizer for Lollapalooza and the Warped Tour, and will feature lighting designs from the people behind the opening credits in the film Seven.