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Digital Media FX News Archives

Tuesday - June 12, 2001
- Shrek Passes $175 Million - Atlantis 13th in Two Theaters
- Mr. Bill Becomes Commercial Icon
- Mac Alert: Beware of The Simpsons Virus
- News Link of the Day - Pixar's New Digs Coddle Animators

Shrek Passes $175 Million - Atlantis 13th in Two Theaters
(by digitalmediafx.com) Shrek passed the $175 million mark on Sunday, continuing to make big impressions at the box office. Shrek has reached the $175 million mark faster than any animated film ever, including those ahead of it in the Top 10 Highest Grossing Animated Films list. It's possible that the movie can reach $200 million by the end of next weekend... if it can survive Atlantis.

Disney's Atlantis, playing in only two theaters last weekend, grossed an amazing $329,011 to finish 13th at the box office last weekend. The strong showing is an encouragement to Disney, which opens the film nationally this Friday. The big weekend by Atlantis resulted in the movie having the highest per screen average of all movies currently in theaters.

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Mr. Bill Becomes Commercial Icon
(by digitalmediafx.com) Mr. Bill's next appearance won't be in a TV special, but rather as an advertising icon for Ramada, trying to convince people to stay at Ramada Inns. Mr. Bill will be featured in two TV commercials and as part of Ramada Inn promotions. Guests who stay at least four nights at a Ramada Inn will receive a Mr. Bill DVD. Kids will get a Mr. Bill activity set.

The commercials will begin running in a few weeks and will feature the antics of Mr. Bill and Spot at the expense of Mr. Hand. As part of the agreement there will be an additional two new TV commercials that will air this fall.

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Mac Alert: Beware of The Simpsons Virus
(by digitalmediafx.com) Animation enthusiasts who use a Macintosh computer system may be duped into opening a new email virus that promises "secretly produced Internet episodes of The Simpsons." Users who open the attachment, thinking they will get links to these never before seen episodes, instead unleash a virus that reeks havoc with the victim's email program.

The message is called "Secret Simpsons Episodes!" and when the attachment is open, it opens the victim's Outlook Express email program (not allowing the person to close it), deletes everything in the user's Sent folder then emails itself to everyone in the person's address folder.

The virus was first discovered last Thursday.

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News Link of the Day - Pixar's New Digs Coddle Animators, Writers and Tech Heads

According to the New York Times:

"Steve Jobs stood just inside the main entrance to Pixar Animation Studios, gazing across the broad atrium, flanked by sandblasted-steel bridges, that forms the main artery of the building. Dozens of Pixar's 550 workers - animators, computer technicians, writers, accountants - bustled around him, chatting, listening to music on earphones, some riding metallic scooters…"

Click here for the full story. (May Require Free Registration)

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