“I am delighted to help launch new family movie franchises, based off of Hit’s characters and worlds,” said Pistor. “At the heart of all of Hit’s properties is rich storytelling, and in the case of Thomas, Angelina and Rainbow Magic, a robust publishing history.

This new division aims to make family oriented movies out of its library of children proerties. This new venture is also hints at Hit’s expansion of its well known properties like Thomas and Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina and Rainbow Magic across various platforms of entertainment.

Talkin about expansion Pistor said,”Using this storytelling tradition, mixed with the positive values and timeless lessons that each character stands for, Hit Movies will expand the essence of these properties and build on their long-term franchises.”

Hit has also signed with leading Beverly Hills-based talent and literary agency United Talent Agency. UTA will assist in establishing new brand extensions and corporate partnerships for Hit properties.

Jeremy Zimmer, co founder and board member of UTA, added: “We believe that Hit Movies, under Jeff and Julia’s leadership, is poised to be a major force in the growing family film genre.”

“Having the kind of brand equity they have in the world we’re in is extremely valuable. They have characteristics that help them go well beyond the preschool space.”  Jeremy Zimmer further added.

Hit was taken over by Apaz Partners in 2005 for $1 billion.It had total consumer products revenue, including homevid, of $2 billion in 2008. Now the first movie is ‘Thomas’ scheduled for 2010 release.

AR Rahman to host the Big Band reality show

“There is a huge audience of people who look beyond the typical Bollywood music. Music talents cutting across regions, languages, genres will be performing on the show. Considering the excellent reach of Doordarshan, we will launch the show soon on Doordarshan,” Phat Phish chairman Anand Surapur was quoted as saying at the promotion of the show.

Bands from seven countries will participate in the The Big Band reality show – India, Nepal, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

At the promotion of the Big Band reality show, AR Rahman said, “We have seen so many reality shows on the television. But what makes it different is that the show is not all about India alone, we have the idea of providing a common platform for all these guys from various places.”

“The Big Band is a unique stage that will give local bands a chance to dive deep into their true artistic depth and create original music, which transcends language and that is universally accessible. We want to present to India and the world at large the story behind what forms and binds a band and how they can be mentored to become world class talent,” he added.

The winner of The Big Band Show will get a three-year recording contract with Phat Phish Records, apart from Rs 10 million in cash, and artist management up to three albums and six music videos, and national as well as international tours and concerts.

Conditions for qualifying for the Big Band reality show

Bands can send their entries, across genres, for The Big Band reality show.

The bands that will take part in The Big Band reality show will need to have 2 – 10 members with at least one lead singer.

To qualify, the participating bands must submit three tunes. The first tune will need to be an original interpretation of a popular folk, regional, or Bollywood song.

The second tune will have to be an interpretation of a melody composed by AR Rahman specially for The Big Band show. The melody will be released on October 24, 2008.

The third tune that the bands participating in The Big Band Show must submit, should be an original composition.

The competing bands that are short listed will be called to take part in the first audition stage where they will be given a choice of three tunes by the judges, one of which they will have to perform.

The format of the Big Band reality show

The Big Band reality show will showcase Rahman’s travel through 15 states in India, scouring for original talent. The reality show series aims to find a few bands from across the sub-continent and nurture talent across different genres.

The Big Band reality show will also showcase the lives of the participating band members.

In another departure from typical reality shows, the Big Band show will do away with the SMS voting format and guest Celebrity judges, inviting laypersons like homemakers and young people to judge the show.

The Big Band show will be aired in the prime time slot by Doordarshan.

Applicants can log on to phatphishrecords.com to send in their entries. The last date for submitting applications is November 15, 2008.

Phat Phish has earlier launched artists like Rabbi, Avial and Da Saz, known for their distinctive music.

Princess Tiana in The Princess and the Frog

Disney seems to be in overdrive. Along with the announcement of the three disney movies Johnny Depp would star in, Disney has also revealed that Oprah Winfrey will do the voiceover for the character of Eudora in Disney’s forthcoming movie The Princess and the Frog.

Oprah Winfrey

On September 24, 2008, John Lasseter, the chief creative office at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, said that Winfrey will lend her voice to the character of Eudora, the mother of the lead character, Princess Tiana, the first African American disney princess. The voiceover for Princess Tiana will be provided by Anika Noni Rose in the Princess and the Frog.  Oprah has assumed other voice-over roles in the past, including Bee Movie’s Judge Bumbleton.  Earlier, Oprah has lent her voice to the Gussie the Goose character in live-action Charlotte’s Web, and Judge Bumbleton in Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie.

The Princess and the Frog still

The Princess and the Frog is about a young girl Princes Tiana who lives in the french quarters of New Orleans in the Jazz Age.

The Princess and the Frog will be directed and written by Ron Clements and John Musker. Clements and Musker have earlier worked together on Aladdin, Treasure Planet, and Hercules.

The Princess and The Frog will be released on December 25, 2009.

The Princess and the Frog is the first Disney 2D film after the 2004 The Home on the Range.

The Princess and the Frog

Disney has already courted controversy with the Princess and the Frog. The movie has been criticised for using New Orleans as the setting of the film and featuring a voodoo priestess as a fairy godmother.

Charlotte Observer columnist William Blackburn has been quoted as saying “This princess’ story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community. And then they throw in the voodoo theme [the fairy-godmother character is a voodoo priestess] and an alligator sidekick. When you put New Orleans, alligators and voodoo together, there’s no beauty there.”