Kaxan plan mixes toons, apps, pix

'Secret of the Jade Medallion' is seen as a training run for 'Lucas.'MEXICO CITY --With a clutch of increasingly ambitious videogames and animated features in the pipeline, Guadalajara-based Kaxan Media Group is quickly becoming a key industry presence in the region. Founded in January 2010 under the leadership of CEO Ricardo Gomez, Kaxan has spawned three subsidiaries: Kaxan Games, Kaxan Studios and Kaxan Campus. The studios will release their first toon, the $3 million, Spanish-language feature "Secret of the Jade Medallion," in 2012. Gomez described the pic, which does not yet have distribution, as a dry-run to train his team for Kaxan's first major project, currently called "Lucas," which is budgeted at $25 million. Pic tells the story of a young boy who is transported to a world where everything from the trees to animals and cars are made of recycled materials. That project will be English-language, and Kaxan is looking for U.S. voice talents, dedicating nearly half the budget to fill the roles. Gomez noted that the film will be funded largely by private investors, all of whom reside in Guadalajara, but the company has already begun to reach out to the rest of Mexico and beyond in a search for venture capital. He says the company is in talks with different majors about a distribution deal for the U.S. It does not yet have a sales agent. Gomez stresses that Kaxan is aiming for a wide, international release for "Lucas," and that he is a big believer in the box office future of toons. "Worldwide, they make 3,000 films every year, and of those, 30 are animated, but of last year's top-10 films, five were animated," Gomez says. Kaxan is aiming for "Lucas" to be completed for a 2013 release. Both it and the company's next animated feature, "Bruno" -- about an awkward boy who discovers he has special powers -- will be launched simultaneously as videogames and mobile apps. Gomez says such cross-platform adaptability is part of Kaxan's 360 IP strategy, which places intellectual property in vidgames, films, TV series, digital content, merchandise and print. By March 2011, the games unit had become the first company in Latin America to win developer certification from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft for the PlayStation, Wii and Xbox, respectively. The company's first game to be released for all three platforms will tie into the "Lucas" pic, with an estimated $4 million in development costs raised from private investors. In August, the company gained notoriety in the gaming world with the release of "Taco Master" for the iTunes App Store; "Taco" was No. 1 for 10 weeks in Mexico and Latin America, hit No. 5 in India and broke into the top 40 most downloaded apps in the U.S. When asked about "Taco Master" and the potential profit of such apps, Gomez thinks in terms of market positioning strategy. "What we want to put in place is the character and the story so that the whole world gets to know them," he says. "Taco Master" is the first of four apps developed in conjunction with Electronic Arts and Chillingo, onetime publisher of "Angry Birds." Two more games have since come out for the App Store under the deal -- "Torture Bunny" and "Finger Shoes" -- with "Fly or Die" on the way. On the console front, Kaxan Games is readying the launch of family party game "El Chavo del Ocho" for the Wii in March 2012. Touted as the first 100% Mexican videogame, "El Chavo" is based on the kids' TV show from Televisa of the same name, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The game is part of a massive promotional campaign coordinated by Televisa starting early next year, which will include parades and a live-action show tour in cities across Latin America and the U.S. The show is a staple in countries as far as Brazil, where it is known as "Chavez," and has fans in Spain as well as the U.S., where it is carried by Univision. Gomez says nearly $3 million went into the development of the game, which for now is arriving on Wii only. The game will be distributed by Mexican game publisher Slang, which will be handling most of Kaxan's future game distribution, according to Gomez. The Kaxan Campus project, where many recruits receive a stipend to help cover expenses while studying, works to help train local animation talent -- a project Gomez began before he founded the company. Gomez worked for IBM in Guadalajara for 18 years in a variety of positions, finally heading the sales division for western Mexico. From 2007 to 2009 he held the presidency of the National Chamber of Telecommunications and Information Technology (Canieti). He began to learn about the CG industry through his role with Canieti, meeting business leaders in Guadalajara -- which calls itself "The Silicon Valley of Mexico" -- and noting the critical mass of multimedia firms and burgeoning talent. In 2008, when Gomez was working for Canieti, the federal government called on the org, along with Mexico's film institute, to develop 52 animated shorts to celebrate the 2010 bicentennial of Mexico's war for independence and 100-year anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. That project began with an open call for young animation talent, with no software skills required, and the creation of the multimillion-dollar Chapala Media Park, a high-tech infrastructure initiative funded by the state of Jalisco and federal coin. In the course of that training, Gomez helped create the Creanimax animation festival and brought a host of lecturers like Ricardo Curtis ("The Incredibles") and others from companies including Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney, Lionhead and Ubisoft. According to Gomez, about 30% of the 250-plus students who have undergone training went on to professional careers in animation, many jumping on board with Kaxan when it opened. Gomez has gone on to establish ties with the more traditional Mexican film industry, taking part in programs like this year's Morelia Lab producers workshop in October. "We give (the students) total creative freedom," Gomez says. "Many of them have now spent three years animating every single day." As a result, the company now has just over 100 increasingly seasoned employees whose average age is 23. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Liberty chief can't liberate from IRS

MaloneJohn Malone, the infamously tax-averse chief of Liberty Media, mentioned Tuesday the business pays $136 million to remain a dispute while using Irs over its 2010 taxes. It may need the hit in our fourth quarter.Liberty and former parent Liberty Interactive mentioned the sale resolves all outstanding disputed federal tax positions while using IRS through 2010.Malone, who freely abhors the tax code, has spent lots of energy trying to skirt it over time. He transformed Liberty from a great investment vehicle that only holds stakes in other people right into a practical company -- mainly to reduce their goverment goverment tax bill.This unique disagreement involved taxes connected with stock derivative positions taken by Liberty Interactive. Liberty mentioned it'll settle all outstanding share borrowing plans by year's finish by delivering the pledged shares found in the derivative deals with a counter party it didn't title. The settlement won't result in anymore taxed gain or loss.Liberty also needs its next quarterly financial statement to reflect a $240 million deferred tax benefit.Liberty's assets, spread through a maze of companies, include Starz, Sirius XM, Live Nation and Barnes & Noble and minority stakes with time Warner and Viacom. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

'True Blood' Star Joins 'The Lone Ranger'

One former "True Blood" star is headed to the Wild West in "The Lone Ranger," a new casting announcement for the upcoming Disney flick tells us. Meanwhile, Matt Damon readies his cast for his upcoming directorial debut, two more are courted for Spike Lee's "Oldboy," and the "300" prequel comes closer to finding its Artemisia. It's December 20, and you're tuning into today's Casting Call! "True Blood" Meets "The Lone Ranger" "True Blood" and "Tron: Legacy" star James Frain is transitioning from villain to villain's assistant for his role in "The Lone Ranger." The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the man better known as Franklin Mott, the vampire who traumatized Tara in season three of "True Blood," will be playing a tough foreman who works for baddie Tom Wilkinson in the upcoming Disney movie. It's unclear whether Frain will play an evil character himself, or if he just works for one. "The Lone Ranger" also stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and Helena Bonham Carter. The flick is set to begin production in about six weeks. Matt Damon Begins Casting Directorial Debut With Frances McDormand Matt Damon first announced his planned directorial debut back in October, and now the casting process has finally started. In an interview with The Business, Damon said the first actor to join himself and co-developer John Krasinski in the film is Frances McDormand. He said they're trying to round out the cast now with production tentatively set to start in the spring. The interview is an interesting look at why Damon felt the urge to direct. He is also lined up with Warner Bros to direct the film "Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses." More Flock To Spike Lee's "Oldboy" The casting is coming together for Spike Lee's upcoming remake of "Oldboy." Two more actors are being courted for the project, Splash Page reports. Clive Owen is in negotiations for the villain role Colin Firth recently turned down, while Mia Wasikowska has been offered the female lead which previously could have gone to Rooney Mara. So far Josh Brolin is the only actor officially attached to the project. Eva Green Headlines "300" Prequel Slowly but steadily, the casting for Noam Murro's "300: Battle of Artemisia" is taking shape. Splash Page reports that Eva Green is the latest actress to be courted for the project. She would play the titular goddess Artemisia. The film is likely to start production next year, and is the follow-up to Zack Snyder's "300." German Buyer Snaps Rights To Schwarzenegger Film THR has learned that German indie film buyer Splendid Film has snapped up the rights to several major upcoming action films. They have acquired distribution in German-speaking European countries and Benelux for Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Black Sands" and "Last Stand," Paul Walker's "Hours," Aaron Eckhart's "I, Frankenstein," and "Killing Season" starring Robert De Niro and John Travolta, among others. Could this be a good sign for American distribution on these upcoming films? Hopefully. Got any casting news to pass along? Let us know in the comments section and on Twitter!

Pols battle in marathon piracy debate

The House Judiciary Committee's debate over a major piece of anti-piracy legislation extended into the evening on Thursday, as opponents sought to introduce dozens of amendments to legislation they argue would harm the architecture of the Internet and stifle free speech. Their opposition marked a marathon day of contentious, even absurd debate, as opponents also asked that the legislation be given additional hearings with technical experts and even a debriefing with national security officials. But House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), a chief sponsor of the legislation, vowed to shepherd it through the committee before Congress recesses for holiday break, perhaps aware that the bill could stall out if it drags too far in to an election year. Noting that Congress has long sought remedies to rampant copyright infringement, Smith said that he had "every intention of moving forward today, tomorrow, however long this takes." The legislation is backed by Hollywood studios, record labels and almost all of its major unions and guilds. A companion bill in the Senate passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously in May. Despite the long slog, there were indication that the legislation would have the votes to make it out of committee, based on those who voted against amendments introduced by chief opponents of the legislation. In a 22-12 vote, the committee turned back an effort by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to strip the bill of one of its most controversial provisions that would require some kind of blocking of sites on the part of Internet providers. Although Smith has changed the legislation to give Internet providers some flexibility in choosing what steps they take to block access to infringing sites, Issa still opposed it. Another amendment, also voted down, would have restricted the Department of Justice from combating piracy on behalf of pornographers. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) noted that because such a significant amount of Internet commerce is for pornography -- to underscore his point he introduced the Avenue Q song "The Internet is for porn" into the record -- companies that traffic in such sexually graphic material also are among the most aggressive in trying to enforce their copyrights. "It is truly a pornographer's wet dream," he said. But Smith said that such an exemption would make pornography even more prevalent online, and said that such decisions should be "left to the discretion of law enforcement." The legislation has polarized supporters and opponents -- not along partisan lines, but largely on those who seek broad Internet freedom versus those who seek stronger intellectual property protection. The bill is aimed at curbing so-called foreign rogue websites that traffic in infringing content, such as movies and TV shows but also other goods like pharmaceuticals and apparel. It would give the Department of Justice new powers to seek a court order to force payment processors and ad networks to cut off support for foreign sites, and for Internet providers and search engines to block access and links to such ventures. Another provision allows content holders to seek their own court action against foreign sites by getting payment processors and ad firms to choke off support. Internet companies, public Internet groups and orgs like the ACLU have said that the legislation is written too broadly, without enough safeguards in the event a site is falsely accused of trafficking in infringing content. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), another chief opponent, warned that the legislation would amount to the "Balkanization of the Internet," and said that as written it would give the U.S. government the same powers that countries like China and Iran use to suppress free speech. That drew a strong rebuke from Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who called such arguments "nonsense" and noted that what the bill would do would be akin to existing efforts to bock child pornography, malware and spam. Issa and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) have proposed alternative legislation that would use existing trade laws to combat infringement, with the International Trade Commission given the authority to adjudicate complaints over copyright infringement by foreign sites. But Smith said that those measures would be insufficient to combat piracy and would create a new bureaucracy. Debate was still going on as of 7 p.m. ET, nine hours after it started. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) suggested that members of the committee still had not analyzed the technological impact of the legislation, and called for engineering experts to give testimony. "Maybe we ought to ask some nerds what this really does," he said. But Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), a supporter of the legislation, accused opponents of stall tactics. One fear is that by dragging the debate too far into 2012, it will stall out during an election year. "If someone thinks a bill of this magnitude is going to stall because we got tired, they got the wrong thing coming," Conyers said. Easier said than done. At one point, the debate was consumed not by discussion about amendments, but the nature of the debate itself. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) raised objections when she was informed of a tweet that a fellow member of the committee, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) sent to his Twitter followers. It read: "We are debating the Stop Online Piracy Act and Sheila Jackson Lee has so bored me that I'm killing time by surfing the Internet." Jackson Lee called the tweet "offensive," a statement that itself garnered a rebuke from Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). Jackson Lee refused to withdraw the comment until Smith stopped the proceedings, huddled with her for a bit, and she agreed to change her criticism of King to "impolitic" and "unkind." Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com

Kris Humphries Felt Ambushed by Hello America Interview

Kris Humphries Kris Humphries states he feels ambushed through the rapid-fire type of questioning about his short-resided marriage to Kim Kardashian throughout his appearance on Hello America, TMZ.com reviews. Humphries made an appearance around the morning show Friday, where anchor Josh Elliot requested him about his separation from Kardashian. "For me personally, it is simply some things take place in existence plus you've got to maneuver forward," Humphries stated, getting increasingly more uncomfortable because the questions ongoing. Report: Kris Humphries wants an annulment calls marriage a fraud TMZ reviews that Humphries was aware he'd be requested concerning the relationship, but did not be prepared to be grilled. However, an ABC repetition demands, "There have been no guidelines." Do you consider Hello America was from line? Discover the shocking truth below and inform us within the comments section: video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

USA has high hopes for 'Moment'

USA Network, aiming to make an impact in reality programming next year, has high expectations for "The Moment."Series, from producers Charlie Ebersol and Justin Hochberg, will be hosted by former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and will focus on personal reinvention and life transformation. Warner, who ended up winning a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams and playing in another, thought his career was over in the mid-1990's when he was stocking shelves in a supermarket in Iowa before given a chance to play football again.Format for "The Moment" will be similar to CBS' "Undercover Boss," focusing on one individual for each episode.Pilot was shot in Los Angeles and USA Network is pegging to debut "The Moment" in the 2012 second quarter.Cabler, which has steadily relied on hourlong blue sky-themed dramedies to stay atop its entertainment competition in total viewers and the 18-49 demo in recent years, believes it needs to branch out to different genres to maintain that lead.In addition to "The Moment," net has plans for other reality series, including Shed Media's "The Choir" -- where a town transforms itself through music -- as well projects from Magical Elves ("Top Chef") and "The Hills" creator Adam DiVello. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Michelle Duggar Suffers Miscarriage

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Michelle Duggar learned Thursday she suffered a miscarriage during her second trimester, People reports. Duggar, 45, and her husband, Jim Bob, were at a routine check-up to learn the sex of the unborn child when their doctor was unable to find a heartbeat. The child would have been the reality TV couple's 20th. Duggars expecting 20th child "We had just been talking about baby names last night and [the children] were getting excited about naming a boy or a girl," the 19 Kids and Counting mom tells the magazine. "It has been a real sad disappointment." Michelle says that the family plans to name the child once they learn the sex and then hold a funeral service. "I feel like my heart broke telling my children," she tells People. "They have all been so excited about this baby and looking forward to April coming around and having a new little one in our arms. That was the most difficult." Duggar baby No. 19 released from the hospital Unfortunately, this is not the first miscarriage for the Duggars. Michelle miscarried during her second pregnancy. She was taking oral birth control at the time, and says this is one of the reasons she and her husband have since left the number of children they have "up to God." The Duggars' youngest child, Josie, also experienced medical problems when she was born three months prematurely in December 2009.