More on "Batman Beyond" Live-Action, "Jackie Chan News...."
Rembrandt
Mon, 21 Aug 2000 08:47:44 EDT

Monday's Comics Continuum has news on the "Batman Beyond" live-action movie, as well as, "Jackie Chan Adventures."  Here's what the article read:

On the "Batman Beyond" live-action movie:
"Paul Dini, producer of the Batman Beyond animated series, told The Continuum that he will be writing a live-action Batman Beyond movie with fellow producer Alan Burnett.

"There will be an official announcement from 'the powers that be' -- i.e.,
Warner Bros., our respective agents -- very soon, probably the end of next
week," Dini told The Continuum.

Dini confirmed that Boaz Yakin - whose credits include Remember the Titans, A Price Above Rubies and Fresh - will be directing the movie. "Boaz is co-writing the script with us as well as directing," Dini said.

Dini and Burnett helped create the Batman Beyond concept, which features
Terry McGuiness as a teenage Batman in the future, learning under the elderly Bruce Wayne.

Dini is also writing a film, Million Dollar Heroes, for Platinum Studios and
New Line Cinema.

"Just one more time-consuming hassle to chip away at my day," Dini said of
the Batman Beyond movie. "KIDDING!!! I'm thrilled."

The Batman Beyond animated series is in its third season on Kids' WB!, and a direct-to-video Batman Beyond movie written by Dini, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, will be released by Warner Home Video on Oct. 24."

On "Jackie Chan Adventures":
"Jackie Chan Adventures, a new animated series from Sony Television featuring the Asian action hero, will premiere on Kids' WB! on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Thirteen episodes are planned for the first season, which will air at 9 a.m.
on Saturdays. Chan is an executive producer, will appear in live-action segments within the main title and body of the series and will voice key
elements of the show. 

Other executive producers are Jeff Kline, Richard Raynis, Willie Chan, Brian
Gersh and Solon So. Duane Capizzi, whose recent credits include Men in Black, Godzilla and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, is story editor and supervising producer.

Here's how the series is described:

"In each episode of the anime-style action/adventure comedy, Jackie teams up with his 11-year-old niece, Jade, traveling the globe in hopes of locating a
dozen magical talismans before the sinister Dark Hand does the same. Helping Jackie and Jade is Uncle, an antiquities expert and imperfect wizard who is as cantankerous as he is wise. 

"Though 'officially' Jackie works as an expert archeologist, in reality he
also assists Captain Black, leader of a covert police organization, Section
13. While on his quest for the 12 talismans, Jackie discovers that each has
unique mystical powers which are bestowed upon its holder. Each magical
talisman represents one of the signs of the Chinese zodiac, and when combined they are capable of unleashing ultimate darkness. 

"On their journey around the world, Jackie and Jade will have many different
adventures. They'll rely on Jackie's mental and physical martial arts skills
and ability to turn anything into a defensive weapon. Although Jackie will
rely heavily on his expertise and wit, he will also have access to high-tech
gadgetry and vehicles through Section 13."

The cast includes James Sie as the animated Jackie as well as Chow and
Shendu, two of Valmont's henchmen; Sab Shimono as Uncle; Stacie Chan as Jade; Julian Sands as Valmont, the leader of the Dark Hand; Noah Nelson as Tohru, Valmont's main enforcer; Clancy Brown as Captain Black, leader of Section 13, and Ratso, another of Valmont's henchmen; Adam Baldwin as Finn."