Animated Space Race in Theaters

Two animated movies set in outer space compete at the North American box office this weekend as Lucasfilm Animation’s Star Wars: Clone Wars squares off against the stereoscopic 3-D family film Fly Me to the Moon from nWave Pictures and Illuminata Pictures. Since Fly Me is a 3-D only release, it’s bowing in just 452 theaters through Summit Ent., while Clone hits screens in 3,452 venues. George Lucas’ first theatrical toon boasts one of the highest theater counts of the week, second only to Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight.

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, civil war rages through the galaxy and Anakin Skywalker and his new apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents will stop at nothing to ensure that they fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side. The movie serves as an introduction to a television series debuting on Cartoon Network this fall. Lucasfilm Animation’s studio in Singapore has animated more than 30 episodes. Fans can go to www.starwars.com to watch a series of web documentaries that chronicle the development of the show.

Directed by Ben Stassen of Brussels-based nWave Pictures, Fly Me to the Moon has three tween-aged flies decide they want to become part of the space program and hatch a plan to stow away on the 1969 Apollo II mission. Against the wishes of their mothers and with encouragement from a grandfather who missed his shot at becoming the first fly in space, the intrepid insects manage to get into the rocket and embark on an exhilarating and harrowing space adventure. The voice cast features Kelly Rippa, Christopher Lloyd, Nicolette Sheridan and Adrianne Barbeau, as well as real-life Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin in a special cameo role.

Stassen and Fly Me writer/producer Domonic Paris of Illuminata Picutres have reteamed to make Around the World in 50 Years 3-D, another stereoscopic adventure that will follow a sea turtle as he travels a world being changed by global warming. The voice cast will include Anthony Anderson, Ed Begley Jr., Pat Carroll, Tim Curry, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, Stacy Keach and Jenny McCarthy.

Despite the popularity of the Star Wars Property, the film that may finally knock The Dark Knight out of the top spot may very well be the DreamWorks/Paramount comedy Tropic Thunder, a heavily promoted pic starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black. Also opening in wide release is the 20th Century Fox supernatural thriller Mirrors starring Kiefer Southerland. Woody Allan’s latest, Vicky Christina Barcelona, is among several movies getting a more limited rollout this weekend.