FOCUS FEATURES - LAIKA AUCTION

The Art of LAIKA Offered For First Time By Heritage Auctions

Production Puppets, Models, Props and Original Handmade Art from Oscar®-Nominated Animation Studio to Be Auctioned on February 12, 2015; Portion of Proceeds to Benefit The Art of Elysium    Non-Profit Arts Group 

LAIKA, the visionary animation studio behind the Golden Globe and Annie Award-nominated The Boxtrolls and the BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, will open its archives for the first time for a limited auction of over 250 puppets, models, props and art in The Art of LAIKA, to be held by Heritage Auctions on Thursday, February 12, 2015, in Beverly Hills.

A portion of the proceeds of the auction will be donated to The Art of Elysium, a non-profit arts organization that works to make art a catalyst for social change by bringing creativity and inspiration to children, artists, and various populations in need.

“LAIKA is known for its artistry and revolutionary stop-motion animation techniques,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Animation Art. “The studio’s legions of die-hard fans regularly ask LAIKA for the opportunity to own some of the masterfully engineered puppets, props and other artwork used to make these beloved films. So the studio is finally offering a specially curated collection of items from its production archives. This is the chance that those fans, and animation and film collectors of all stripes, have been waiting for.”

“LAIKA’s films aim to promote thought, feeling, and connectivity through art, inspired by our shared humanity,” says Travis Knight, President & CEO of the studio and an Annie-Award-winning animator and producer. “We’re deeply gratified that the spirit of our work has resonated so strongly with audiences around the world. LAIKA’s artists and craftspeople are consummate creators, and each piece of this collection is a testament to their talents and imagination. These are beautiful, unique, and handcrafted works of art of the highest order. We’re so pleased to open up our vaults for animation fans around the world and to support The Art of Elysium, whose mission is so close to our hearts.”

Selected highlights from The Art of LAIKA will be on display in Dallas, Jan. 27-29, at Heritage Auctions (3500 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75219); Feb. 3-5 at Heritage Auctions Park Avenue (445 Park Avenue at 57^th Street); and Feb. 9-12, Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills (9478 West Olympic Avenue).

Some of the items in the auction include, but are not limited to:

● From Coraline

*  Coraline production puppet in her iconic blue-starred sweater

*  The Cat production puppet

*  Other Mother production puppet in her elaborately realized black dress

●  From ParaNorman

*  Norman production puppet in his baseball shirt outfit

*  Zombie Judge production puppet with fully articulated mouth and face

*Intricate large-scale production props such as Mitch’s Van and “Zombie Attack”  

  vending machine      

*Original hand-drawn Annie Award-winning character designs

●  From The Boxtrolls

                       * Eggs and Boxtrolls production puppets complete with their “Box” outfits

                        * Snatcher production puppet in his exquisite hand and laser-etched velvet jacket

                        * Snatcher’s Mecha-Drill, at over five feet, the largest prop ever created for a stop-motion film

Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world’s third largest, with annual sales of more than $900 million, and 850,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and receive access to a complete record of prices realized, with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.  Want to get the up-to-the-minute updates and breaking news stories about Heritage Auctions? Get them as they happen at: HA.com/Twitter; Facebook: HA.com/Facebook. To view a complete archive of Heritage press releases go to: HA.com/PR. To link to this press release on your blog or Website: www.HA.com/PR-2222.

Hi-Res images are available at  www.HA.com/7129.

About LAIKA

Fueled by the vision of its owner, Nike co-founder and Chairman Philip H. Knight, and its President & CEO Travis Knight, LAIKA (www.laika.com) is a Portland-Oregon based animation studio specializing in feature films.  Celebrating its 10^th Anniversary in 2015, LAIKA has begun production on its fourth film, Kubo and the Two Strings, being directed by Mr. Knight and set for release by Focus Features on August 19, 2016.  A sweeping, swashbuckling adventure set in a mythical ancient Japan, Kubo boasts a voice cast led by Academy Award winners Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey; Academy Award nominees Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, and Brenda Vaccaro, and Art Parkinson, who plays Rickon Stark on Game of Thrones, as Kubo.

Also released by Focus Features, LAIKA’s current film The Boxtrolls has earned Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations for Best Animated Film and 13 Annie Award (the animation community’s Oscar equivalent) nominations, the most of any animated film this year. The company’s first feature, Coraline (2009), earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, PGA, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, GLAAD Media Award, PGA, and Academy Award nominations, won two Annies and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups.

About Focus Features

Focus Features (www.focusfeatures.com) makes, acquires, and releases movies from rising and established talent and filmmakers. The company is moving forward with a diverse slate of wide releases appealing to a range of moviegoers. Staying true to the company’s roots, the slate will also include several specialty films each year.

In addition to the Golden Globe and Annie Award-nominated The Boxtrolls, current and upcoming releases from Focus include The Theory of Everything, nominated for 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture; Black Sea, the suspenseful adventure thriller starring Jude Law for director Kevin Macdonald; the romantic drama A Little Chaos, directed by Alan Rickman and starring Kate Winslet; Leigh Whannell’s Insidious: Chapter 3, the newest chapter in the terrifying horror series; Tarsem Singh’s Selfless, starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Kingsley; Sinister 2, directed by Ciaran Foy; London Has Fallen, the sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen, starring Gerard Butler and directed by Babak Najafi; Juan Antonio Bayona’s visually spectacular drama A Monster Calls, starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, and Liam Neeson; and Stephen Hopkins’ Race, starring Jeremy Irons, Jason Sudeikis, and Stephan James as the legendary athletic superstar Jesse Owens.

Focus Features is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Inherent Vice - Official Trailer [HD] - IN THEATERS JANUARY 9, 2015

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES' 2015 MOVIES RELEASE DATES

Happy New Year from Disney Studios Motion Pictures as they give the scheduled release dates for their 2015 movies below:

JANUARY 23, 2015 - Strange Magic

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 - McFarland, USA 

MARCH 13, 2015 - Cinderella

APRIL 17, 2015 – Monkey Kingdom

MAY 1, 2015 – Avengers: Age of Ultron

MAY 22, 2015 – Tomorrowland

JUNE 19, 2015 – Inside Out

JULY 17, 2015 - Ant–Man

OCTOBER 9, 2015 -  The Jungle Book

OCTOBER 16, 2015 – The Untitled Steven Spielberg Cold War Spy Thriller

NOVEMBER 25, 2015 – The Good Dinosaur

DECEMBER 18, 2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Good Quality NWA Movie trailer #eazye

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN

JANUARY 2, 2015 - JANUARY 4, 2015

1. 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' $21,910,000
2. 'Into the Woods' $19,066,000
3. 'Unbroken' $18,358,000
4. 'The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death $15,145,000
5. 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' $14,450,000
6. 'Annie (2014)' $11,400,000
7. 'The Imitation Game' $8,111,000
8. 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' $7,700,000
9. 'The Gambler' $6,300,000
10. 'Big Hero 6' $4,816,000

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE'S DAY OF POSITIVITY

IN CELEBRATION OF THE UPCOMING “THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER” MOVIE, PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND NICKELODEON MOVIES DECLARE JANUARY 5, 2015 “THE DAY OF POSITIVITY”

 

TURNING THE WORST MONDAY OF THE YEAR – THE FIRST ONE AFTER THE HOLIDAYS – INTO THE BEST MONDAY EVER!

 

HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 4, 2015) – One month before its debut in theaters, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies have declared the first Monday of 2015 “The Day of Positivity,” to celebrate SpongeBob SquarePants’ upcoming film, “THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER,” in theaters on February 6, 2015.

 

Kicking off on Monday, January 5, “The SpongeBob Day of Positivity” will bring fans together to celebrate SpongeBob’s most admired quality – eternal positivity! The “Day of Positivity” will be filled with major events and first looks at exclusive materials from the new film, all in honor of the world's favorite optimist, SpongeBob SquarePants. 

 

“The Day of Positivity” highlights include:

 

·         An exclusive first look at SpongeBob's new music video, “Thank Gosh it’s Monday,” created in celebration of The Day of Positivity.

 

·         Viacom Networks (including Nickelodeon, MTV, VH-1 and Comedy Central) running exclusive and unique spots inviting viewers to celebrate this new and exciting holiday. 

 

·         Cinemark Theaters offering the first 500 ticketholders on January 5 at each of its locations nationwide a coupon card for a free junior popcorn when seeing “THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER” on opening weekend, while supplies last.

 

·         Paramount-hosted events in cities across the U.S. and Canada.

 

In Detroit, Emagine Entertainment will be hosting a weeklong promotion to give back to the community with a special SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Pants Donation Drive. This drive will be taking place at six of the Emagine Entertainment locations in Metro Detroit. Movie goers that donate new or gently used pants, slacks and/or snow pants will receive a free popcorn voucher. Promotion will run from Monday, January 5^th through Sunday, January 11^th at Emagine Entertainment locations in Novi, Canton, Woodhaven, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak and Macomb.

 

The official SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Day of Positivity party in Detroit will be taking place on Monday, January 5th, 6pm at Emagine Novi. This party will include

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS games, giveaways and a special screening of the 2004 film, THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE. The party will be hosted by Hot

107.5 FM DJ UKNOWCELL and will include spinning from 10 year old Michigan whiz kid, DJ SuperClark. This FREE party/event is open to kids of all ages, but attendees

are encouraged to bring a pair of pants to donate. Seating is limited to theatre capacity and on a first-come, first-served.

 

SpongeBob’s fans can visit www.DayofPositivity.com to watch the “Thank Gosh it’s Monday” video, upload and share “Positive” selfies, and receive a special “Positivity” message from SpongeBob himself. 

 

From Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies comes “THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER,” an all-new 3D adventure that’s as wild and funny as its name. For the first time, SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet.

Produced by Paul Tibbitt and Mary Parent. Based on the series “SpongeBob SquarePants” created by Stephen Hillenburg.  Story by Stephen Hillenburg & Paul Tibbitt, screenplay by Glenn Berger & Jonathan Aibel and Paul Tibbitt and directed by Paul Tibbitt.

SELMA TO SCREEN FOR FREE FOR SELMA, AL CITIZENS

AVA DUVERNAY’S “SELMA” TO OPEN IN SELMA, ALABAMA ON JANUARY 9th


IN AN UNPRECEDENTED OFFERING, AND IN THANKS TO THE CITY WHERE THE FILM WAS SHOT, “SELMA” IS BEING SHOWN FOR FREE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY


HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 1, 2015) – Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), announced today that the Golden Globe nominated film “SELMA” from director Ava DuVernay will be shown for free to the town’s citizens at the Selma Walton Theater in the city of Selma, Alabama beginning January 9th.

“With deep gratitude to the people of Selma, Alabama, we are proud to share this powerful film depicting the historic events that took place there 50 years ago,” said Oprah Winfrey on behalf of the film's producers. “I hope generations will watch the film and share their stories of remembrance and history together.”

“The city and people of Selma welcomed the production with open arms this past summer and in celebration of the film’s national release on January 9th, we are incredibly excited and very humbled to be bringing Ava’s finished film to the community,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures.

“I’m so happy that the movie ‘Selma’ will be shown in Selma when it’s released to the nation. I’m so grateful of the fact that Selma has been blessed to have a movie named after it. I’m thankful to the producers, director Ava, and executive producer Paul Garnes for their leadership, and all of the cast for selecting Selma to produce this movie. We must keep in mind that the movie is just that, a movie and not a documentary. May God continue to bless Selma,” said Selma Mayor George P. Evans.

Citizens of the city of Selma, AL can get more information and showtimes at http://www.selmawaltontheater.com/

Directed by DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., “SELMA” has been nominated for 4 Golden Globes, including for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Song (“Glory” by Common and John Legend).

The film also stars Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper.”

Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films present “SELMA.” Produced by Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey, the film is executive produced by Cameron McCracken, Nik Bower, Diarmuid McKeown, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, and Nan Morales. The film is written by Paul Webb. “SELMA” is directed by Ava DuVernay.

“SELMA” is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “SELMA” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

Currently open in select cities, “SELMA” opens in theaters nationwide on January 9, 2015. To learn more about the film, go to www.selmamovie.com