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The American South is a hot mess of cultural contradictions, and while those contradictions have stoked the dumpster fire of U.S. politics for a couple of centuries, they also happen to be fueling some of the best music being made right now. And to be sure, the story of rock in 2024 is largely a story of Southern rock, in both classic-rock and indie-rock denominations.

On two of the year’s best records, Tigers Blood and Manning Fireworks, Katie “Waxahatchee” Crutchfield (Alabama) and Jake “Mj” Lenderman (North Carolina), respectively, made...

London (11/07/2024) – Embrace the call of the open road as Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition roars onto Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Launched by Green Man Gaming Publishing and co-developed by Road Studio S.A and Movie Games S.A, this extraordinary edition brings together all the DLCs previously released on PC.

This is not just a drive; it’s a battle for survival and a pursuit of glory. Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition invites players to navigate the sprawling Alaskan wilderness, weathering brutal conditions, and proving their worth in the world of trucking.

The game goes beyond the basics, combining survival and management aspects with the revered driving simulation genre. Players must safeguard both personal and vehicular health, manage resources, conduct emergency repairs, and contend with the harsh environment to etch their name across the massive 260,000 square mile game map and 6,000 miles of roadways.

Driving involves not only journeying through...

“The Nest” is a new digital broadcast network featuring re-runs that will replace Sinclair’s “Stadium” sports network later this month. (Courtesy image)

Sinclair Broadcast Group has signed an agreement with peer broadcaster Tegna to distribute its digital network The Nest in more cities across the country.

This month, Sinclair and Tegna will work together to bring The Nest to 35 stations, including major market affiliates of “Big Four” networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, the companies said in a statement.

Later this month, The Nest will debut on a digital sub-channel of the following Tegna-owned major-market broadcast stations:

Kare (Channel 11) in Minneapolis Kfmb (Channel 8) in San Diego Kpnx (Channel 12) in Phoenix Kusa (Channel 9) in Denver Kvue (Channel 24) in Austin Kxtv (Channel 10) in Sacramento Wcnc (Channel 3) in Charlotte Wkyc (Channel 36) in Cleveland Wtic (Channel 61) in Hartford Wthr (Channel 13) in Indianapolis Wtsp (Channel 10) in Tampa Wusa (Channel 9) in Washington, D.

The third round of finalists has been announced for the 20th Screen Producers Australia Awards, with voting now open across Documentary Program or Series Production of the Year and Feature Documentary Production of the Year.

Of the 18 titles named, there are 11 projects nominated for Documentary Program or Series Production of the Year and seven for Feature Documentary Production of the Year.

In Films is the only company to be represented across both categories, securing nods for television mini-series Revelation and documentary feature Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra.

However, it’s Wildbear Entertainment that is the most prominent in the Feature Documentary Production of the Year field, with Brock: Over The Top, Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story, and Hating Peter Tatchell all in the running.

Spa CEO Matthew Deaner said the organisation was “extremely proud” of the content that had come from documentary producers during the eligibility period.

“Over...

Brendon Connelly Mar 23, 2017

Since DreamWorks Animation got snapped up by Universal, it seems several films have been cancelled. So what's actually happening?

If we imagine that the acquisition of Pixar by Disney was some kind of seismic shift for the Emeryville animation house, then Dreamworks Animation, by comparison, must be living in the red-hot cradle of a hyperactive volcano.

Animated films take so long, from concept to production to release, that recent Dreamworks titles are making their eventual escape from a corporate context which bears little relation to where they were conceived.

The Croods is a particularly good example. It was, originally, going to be a stop-motion film produced at Aardman with a screenplay by John Cleese. Without it ever being cancelled outright, this project continued to evolve, as Dreamworks twisted and turned like a kaleidoscope around it, in to the final product. The plot was different. The characters were different.

Juliette Harrisson Published Date Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 11:00

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner is the second volume of short stories for children written by the young Terry Pratchett, following the release of Dragons At Crumbling Castle in 2015. The stories were edited and prepared by Pratchett shortly before his death, and the book includes an introduction from him that must be one of the last things he wrote.

Like the first volume, this book is illustrated throughout by Mark Beech, whose style is clearly influenced by Quentin Blake’s work, especially his work on Roald Dahl’s books – it work very well here, immediately signalling the tone and style of the stories to the reader. His portrait of a waving Pratchett for the Introduction is particularly nice, and his interpretation of a small man in a big black hat is also, touchingly, distinctly Terry-like.

The text is enhanced in places by...

Just a word or two about the time it sometimes takes to turn difficult times around...

Hello! If this is your first Geeks Vs Loneliness article, then welcome. The aim behind this series is to chat about some of the things that many of us face, and to try and offer some ideas that may help. Furthermore, we'd also encourage you to read and perhaps contribute to the comments below the articles. It's easy to write off the internet as an impersonal thing, but the truth is that every comment is written by another human being. If you just want to talk, then feel free to post.

So then, to this week's piece.

Across this series of articles so far, we've covered a range of topics that have one thing in common: however severe they may have been, they are affecting many people around the world. Be it loneliness, depression,...

A few words on the life, books and humanity of Sir Terry Pratchett - a man who was a cast iron example of how to be a human being.

The first Terry Pratchett book I read was Truckers. The first Terry Pratchett book I heard was Only You Can Save Mankind, which we'd got out from the library a few months earlier to listen to in the car. The reason I got these books was simply because I had seen my Dad sitting reading Soul Music on holiday, laughing his head off, and I wanted in.

So, first of all, thank you very much Terry Pratchett for saving me having to think of a Christmas gift every year. That sounds glib, and lazy, but every year you could be assured of buying something that he was guaranteed to enjoy. It's easy to take that for granted, but it's a gift in itself,...

When Mark Hall's death was announced, one of Britain's leading animation businesses put a message on Twitter: "Deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend Mark Hall. Our company would not be here without him." Hall neither founded that business nor took any part in it. But its directors learned their trade under his unique guidance and inspiration, and never forgot it.

In his long professional life, Mark had two consistent passions. One was for filming stories by great children's writers, in ways which would respect and amplify the original work. The other was for teaching the craft and technique of animated film. The company he founded with Brian Cosgrove was born in the 1960s, when UK animation was a failing cottage industry and even Disney was in the doldrums. So they daringly built their team of film-makers from scratch, bringing new young recruits out of art colleges...

Dreamworks is working on a new flick known internally as Boo U, about a ghost who is bad at his job and so has to go back to ghost school. Jon Vitti (The Simpsons Movie) is onboard to write the script. Tony Leondis will direct. The studio also has Puss In Boots, a third Madagascar, Terry Pratchett's Truckers and a caveman comedy, The Croods in different stages of development. Now, I don't know a damn thing about what the world wants to see but I would claim with confidence that this wasn't...

Last month, DreamWorks Animation announced their plans for the next three years. The animation studio was developing three possible projects for the November 12th 2012 release date: Chris Sanders' caveman comedy The Croods, Andrew Adamson's adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Truckers, and a Super Secret Ghost project which asks what ghosts think about humans. Apparently DreamWorks has settled on the ghost film, titled internally Boo U. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film tells the story of a ghost who is bad at his job and must return to ghost school. Jon Vitti, who was a writer on The Simpsons and King of the Hill, is working on the screenplay. And the film will be directed by Tony Leondis, the filmmaker behind the forgettable Weinstein Co animated comedy Igor and the not-so-great direct to video sequel Lilo & Stitch 2. Pixar had A Bugs Life, Dreamworks had Ants. Pixar released Finding Nemo,...

DreamWorks Animation must be spooked.

The studio is pushing forward with a new untitled ghost project that is competing for a fourth-quarter 2012 release slot.

The project, referred to internally as "Boo U.," recently picked up writer Jon Vitti ("The Simpsons Movie"), who will pen the screenplay. The story line centers on a ghost who is bad at his job and must return to ghost school.

The project will be directed by Tony Leondis ("Igor") and executive produced by Gil Netter and Courtney Pledger.

Another ghost-centric film, referred to as "Freakers," is being written by Joe Syracuse & Lisa Addario ("Surf's Up") and centers on a ghost story told from the ghosts' point of view, in their world.

A third ghost-related story idea is in the pitch stage.

In late May, Dwa CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose contract recently was extended to 2013, said a "supersecret ghost project" was on the books for a potential late-2012 slot.

Concept art for James Cameron's Avatar is in and it's further upping the anticipation factor.  The art was released by the website Market Saw.  They are a part of their forthcoming book "The Art of Avatar James Cameron's Epic Adventure." And what can I say they look "Epic."  These pictures have been confirmed by Fox as official concept art for the film.  There are no official details about what the pictures are of, except speculation that the top pic may be some kind of power suit and the second picture (below) may be of a futuristic helicopter. The film is set to be released on December 18th from Fox and it tells the story of a wounded ex marine reluctantly sent to help exploit a foreign planet for its natural resources.  He then crosses sides to lead the battle for the indigenous people's survival. Variety reports that Tom Cruise...

DreamWorks Animation has announced its slate of animated feature film releases through 2012. Take a look at the list below: How to Train Your Dragon (March 26th, 2010): Directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch) and Dean DeBlois (Lilo and Stitch), and will star Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig and Tj Miller. Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, the story centers around a teenager who lives on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. But when he encounters - and ultimately befriends - an injured dragon, his world is turned upside down. Shrek Forever After (May 21st, 2010): Directed by Mike Mitchell and will feature the original all-star cast, including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Oobermind (November 5th, 2010): Formerly titled "Master Mind." Directed by Tom McGrath (Madagascar...

DreamWorks Animation and its recently renewed CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg today unveiled big announcements for the studio’s animation plans through 2012, with new sequels for the “Shrek,” “Kung-Fu Panda,” and “Madagascar” franchises and parts for Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey in next year’s “Oobermind.” The flurry of announcements came during an investor’s call in which Katzenberg also issued an edict that all forthcoming Dreamworks Animation features will be produced in 3-D.

“We now have three very successful franchises, but we also want to tell new stories,” Dwa co-prexy of production Bill Damaschke told Variety. “Now, in addition to one or two sequels a year, we’ll have a new original as well.”

One of those new originals will be “Oobermind” (previously titled “Master Mind”), a story from Ben Stiller’s production company that will feature Downey as a supervillain who pines for the good old days after finally defeating his arch nemesis.

Photo: Dreamworks Animation Variety has published an article detailing the upcoming slate for Dreamworks Animation through 2012 and it includes the following features: How to Train Your Dragon: Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Den DeBlois and produced by Bonnie Arnold. It stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Johan Hill. Set in the world of Vikings and dragons, it centers on an awkward teen who befriends an injured dragon. Film is set for a March 26, 2010 release. Shrek Forever After: Directed by Mike Mitchell, produced by Teresa Cheng and Gina Shay and exec produced by Aron Warner and Andrew Adamson. Set for a May 21, 2010 release. Oobermind: Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey star in this one in which Downey will voice a supervillain who finds life a little dull after vanquishing good-guy rival Metro Man in the superhero-themed pic, based on a spec script (previously called "Master Mind") from...

The news that Slumdog Millionaire screenwriter Simon Beaufoy is set to direct a film called Truckers for DreamWorks Animation is exciting stuff, even though nothing's been confirmed about the storyline as yet. Why? Well, because we think we might know what it's about.If you remember a couple of months back, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle did a webchat here on Empire, and was asked about the fate of his once-mooted adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Bromeliad series. He said that he and his Millions screenwriter Frank Cotrell Boyce had been working on it for DreamWorks animation "but sadly no longer". Given that the first book of that series is called Truckers, and that Beaufoy worked with Boyle on Slumdog, isn't it possible that this is in fact the same project?The Bromeliad trilogy tells the story of a race of tiny people called nomes living in the nooks and crannies of a department store,...

The next feature film project for "Slumdog Millionaire" writer Simon Beaufoy won't be "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" sequel as what has been circulating for the past few days. The Oscar-winning screenwriter will instead adapt Terry Pratchett's novel for young readers, "Truckers", for DreamWorks Animation.

"Truckers" is the first of three books from Pratchett's "The Bromeliad Trilogy". The film, which is claimed by The Hollywood Reporter to be in the early stages, has been in development since 2001. Director Andrew Adamson was originally attached to write and direct, but he went on to helm "Shrek 2" and the "Chronicles of Narnia" series.

Before the news that he has been hired to pen "Truckers" surfaced, Simon Beaufoy has been rumored to pen the script of "Wolverine 2". The screenwriter was linked to the part after he was allegedly offered and accepted the offer during an appearance at the Bradford International Film Festival. While the...

Forget all those Wolverine sequel rumours – at least for now – Slumdog scribe Simon Beaufoy has scored his next writing assignment: adapting Terry Pratchett’s Truckers for DreamWorks. Yes, while he might have had chats about the Wolverine gig, he’s officially signed on to write the script for the animation department’s adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s kid novel. At least, we think so… Variety doesn’t have any word on the storyline, so this could be some completely unrelated project. But... .

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Danny Boyle may switch from zombies to fantasy as his next project may well be an animated adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Truckers. He will collaborate on the screenplay with Millions scribe Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Boyle told Coming Soon that Truckers, the first volume of the Bromeliad trilogy, will be done in association with DreamWorks, which acquired rights to the books in 2001. "[Animation is] a weird different discipline, it's very strange," Boyle told the website. "You're more like a ringmaster, kind of organizing this huge army of illustrators who can change the movie. It's really weird. They often do scripts and they have no gags in them at all, but then you see the finished film and it's full of funny gags, and they say that it's not in the script, that all comes through the process of the animators. It's like learning the skill of letting certain ones of them off...

Danny Boyle has revealed that he is planning to direct an animated adaptation of Terry Pratchett's popular children's book Truckers. The first part of Pratchett's Bromeliad Trilogy, Truckers focuses on a group of tiny people called "nomes" who live under the floorboards of a department store. Boyle told Coming Soon that his Millions collaborator Frank Cottrell Boyce will pen the script for the DreamWorks film. Discussing the differences between directing live-action and animation, (more)...

Coming Soon recently sat down and chatted with Danny Boyle about his future projects. Apparently, the director would like to develop an animated flick based on the children's book "Truckers" by Terry Pratchett.

The focus of the book is a outer-space race of small people who try to survive among humans. "Truckers" is part of a trilogy entitled "Bromeliad." Boyle said he would like to reteam with Frank Cottrell Boyce, screenwriter of Boyle's "Millions."

Boyle recently showed his latest flick, "Slumdog Millionaire," to audiences at the Toronto Film Festival. Click here to see what else Boyle had to say about this animated project.