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Lawrence, Kutcher in Sony Cartoon
Thu Feb 19, 3:23 AM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Gregg Kilday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Martin Lawrence (news), Ashton Kutcher (news) and Debra Messing (news) will voice characters in "Open Season," Sony Pictures' first computer-animated feature.

Lawrence will voice Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear, who teams up with Elliot (Kutcher), a mule deer, when the two are stranded in the woods during hunting season. Messing will provide the voice of Beth, a forest ranger who rescued Moog as a cub and raised him.


The project is inspired by the work of syndicated cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers"), who will serve as an executive produder. "Season" will be directed by Jill Culton, with Anthony Stacchi serving as co-director.


"We just looked at a reel of the first act, and Jill and Tony had totally deconstructed it and cracked the story phenomenally well," said Sony Pictures Digital president Yair Landau, who oversees Sony Pictures Animation. "They have a great story sense, and that accelerated the process. Boog and Elliot are really compelling characters, and we just went after the two actors we wanted."


Sony Animation, which hopes to bring a new picture to the screen every 18 months to two years, is eyeing a 2006 release date for "Open Season."


Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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Lawrence Hoops Comedy Lands Director
Thu Feb 19, 2:15 AM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Chris Gardner

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Steve Carr has been tapped to direct "Rage Control," which stars Martin Lawrence (news) as a legendary college basketball coach who is forced to coach a losing junior varsity team after a public meltdown.

The Fox comedy is gearing up for an April start, sources said. Carr most recently directed "Daddy Day Care" and "Dr. Dolittle 2," both of which topped the $100 million mark.