> http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969291.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
>
> By ANNE THOMPSON
>
> After the rapturous Comic-Con unveiling this week of 20 minutes of
> Robert Zemeckis' performance-capture feature "Beowulf," Sony Pictures
> Imageworks, which pioneered the technique with "The Polar Express" and
> "Monster House," is developing three more movies using their
> proprietary Imagemotion technology.

> Paramount releases "Beowulf" on Nov. 16.
>
> Imagemotion is able to bring photo-realistic human characters to life
> in a wide range of fantasy environments. "The projects will range from
> photo-real to stylized," said Sony Pictures president of digital
> entertainment Yair Landau. "We can use this technology in the service
> of many different stories."
>
> Producer Avi Arad has optioned film rights to James Patterson's young-
> adult bestseller "Maximum Rise" with hopes of turning the property
> into a major franchise. (There are 12 books in the series.) Patterson

> has written 17 No. 1 bestsellers; his detective series have sold 12
> million copies in North America and 130 million worldwide. He is the
> creator of the Alex Cross detective series, which spawned the films
> "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls."
>
> Arad was able to convince the author that performance capture was the
> best way to bring "Maximum Rise," a fantasy adventure about six
> children who can fly, to the screen.

> "We want to bring this world to life in a way you've never seen
> before," said Arad. "With performance capture you are absolutely free
> to watch the heroes go anywhere and everywhere and manifest their
> powers onscreen."
>
> Sony Imageworks delivered the elaborate visual effects for the "Spider-
> Man" pics. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Seaside Prods. with Steven Paul will
> produce "Maximum Rise," and they are looking for a writer.

> Two other projects are being developed for Sony Pictures Animation.
> Director Jon Favreau and Jay Redd are developing the caveman comedy
> "Neanderthals," while Jerome Chen, the visual effects supervisor of
> "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf," is creating an untitled feature
> inspired by Japanese mythology. According to Landau, Chen's project
> will fall into the classic action realm of a film like "300."
>
> "The core of our business is imagination," said Tim Sarnoff, prexy of
> Sony Pictures Imageworks. "Developing Imagemotion was a lengthy and
> complex process, and we couldn't be happier with the results of our
> efforts as filmmakers embrace its possibilities."
>
> Sony Imageworks worked closely with Zemeckis on the innovative "Polar
> Express," "Monster House" and "Beowulf." Now Zemeckis is making
> performance-capture movies exclusively for Disney.
>
> "A lot of artists and technology are in place that were built to suit
> his vision," said Landau. "We used some of this technology on 'Surf's
> Up" and 'Spider-Man 3.' We're going to use it all on these upcoming
> three projects."
>
> The three films are targeted for release in 2010 and 2011. They will
> be released by Sony Pictures Animation or Columbia Pictures.