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With computer generated imagery (CGI) sitting at the very height of animated fashion, various smaller companies have started to jump on the bandwagon. After Pixar set the industry standard with Toy Story, Pacific Data Images (Shrek), Blue Sky Studio (Ice Age) and DNA Productions (Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius) tossed their hats into the ring, each one creating very successful films for various studios.

Now, an effects company that was previously responsible for the visuals in movies like Dogma and The Faculty is producing what is reported to be "the most complex digitally animated film ever undertaken." Threshold Digital Research Labs is currently looking for a good distributor home for its currently-in-production Foodfight!, a movie about what really happens at the supermarket when the store closes down for the day.

When the people are away, the mascots of the products in the store will play, and they just happen to gather at the Copabanana, the hottest joint in town. Everything is hunky-dory for inhabitants like Daredevil Dan, but then Brand X arrives in town, bringing turmoil and trouble, but fortunately for the mascots, the great Dex Detective is up to handling the difficult job.

It’s easy to understand the intricacy involved in the production of the film when noting that there will be thousands of characters used on hundreds of different sets. In addition to the fictional creations like Daredevil Dan, Brand X, and Dex Detective, a slew of real-life mascots will be featured as peripheral characters. The very long list of these includes Starkist’s Charlie the Tuna, Cheetos’ Chester Cheetah, Trix’s Silly Rabbit, Super Sugar Crisp’s Honey Bear, The Alpha Bits, Chef Boyardee, the Chiquita Banana Lady, the Cocoa Puffs bird, the Honey Nut Cheerios bee, the Lucky Charms elf, Mr. Clean, Mr. Pringle, Mrs. Butterworth, Twinkie the Kid, and Uncle Ben.

Production on Foodfight! started back in 2000 and is being completed on a reported budget of $50 million. So far, no distributor has picked up the rights to the film, but rumors have it that MGM is very interested. The concept is certainly fun and would almost certainly have so much recognition that it would have a strong built-in audience, but with rumblings that CGI is going to grow stale down the line, they’d better hurry or it could suffer the unfortunate consequence of falling by the wayside as something less special or unique. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Foodfight! Main Cast Charlie Sheen, Eva Longoria, Wayne Brady Supporting Cast Chris Kattan, Christopher Lloyd Director Lawrence Kasanoff Screenwriter Brent W. Friedman, Rebecca Swanson, Sean Derek Official Site http://www.foodfight.com Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Foodfight!
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Finding Nemo	5/30/03	70.25	70.25	3374	20821.00	20821.0	339.71	339.71	4.84
Monsters, Inc.	11/2/01	63.48	67.75	3237	19611.00	20131.6	255.87	273.09	4.03
Toy Story 2	11/24/99	57.39	68.39	3236	17735.00	20248.6	245.82	292.94	3.05
Ice Age	3/15/02	46.30	48.13	3316	13966.00	13966.0	176.39	183.39	3.81
Shrek	5/18/01	42.35	45.20	3587	11805.00	12118.4	267.65	285.66	6.32
Bug's Life, A	11/25/98	32.83	42.20	2686	12223.00	15115.9	162.79	209.29	3.56
Toy Story	11/24/95	29.14	40.39	2457	11860.00	15813.3	191.78	265.84	4.90
Antz	10/2/98	17.20	22.11	2449	7023.00	8685.2	90.71	116.62	5.27
Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius	12/21/01	13.83	14.76	3139	4407.00	4524.0	80.86	86.30	5.74