THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 56 12/25/96 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr XMR is a periodic annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. For a free e-mail subscription send "subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. EDITOR STUFF: 1. Merry Christmas to our Christian readers! 2. I have over a hundred e-mails about IAXS and XMR I haven't gotten to yet. If you haven't heard from me, please do not despair! I'm going to pour myself a little more eggnog get to it! And now, to the news: [ a] 12-16-96 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 299 words. "Ani Hercules, Xena to video" By Scott Hettrick COMMENTARY: Press release about the straight to video Hercules and Xena animated feature length film currently in production. Said film to be released in Fall of 1997 with three original songs sung by Lucy Lawless. It will be aimed for towards children up to 9 years old. REPRINT: Universal Studios Home Video (formerly MCA/Universal Home Video) is preparing what it hopes will be the studio's next made-for-video franchise, an original, animated feature-length version of the "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" syndicated TV series. "Hercules and Xena: The Animated Movie," to be released in fall 1997, will feature the voices of the actors in the series, including stars Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless. It will also feature three original songs, with Lawless doing her own singing. Universal Home Video president Louis Feola said songs are a critical element of the made-for-video titles, such as the "Land Before Time" franchise. The third made-for-video sequel, "Land Before Time IV," was released last week. Feola said the four titles have had collective sales of well over 20 million units. Initial sales of each title not only came close to or exceed the original sales of 4 million units of the theatrical release, but each subsequent title released every December also revived sales of the previous titles. But while "Land Before Time" is aimed at very young children, Feola said the new "Hercules and Xena" feature, produced by Universal Cartoon Studios, will be aimed at children up to 9 years old. Two other installments of "Land Before Time" are already in the works and the studio hopes that the "Hercules" feature performs well enough to justify additional episodes. Feola said other made-for-video titles based on Universal characters are also being considered. The made-for-video category will be the biggest area of growth for the division in the sell-through market, Feola said. [ ] 12-17-96 PR NEWSWIRE. Tuesday. 670 words. "Universal Studios Consumer Products Group Announces Strategic Hires and Promotions to Spur Growth of Retail Licensing and Sales Divisions" COMMENTARY: Press release of Universal's new structuring of its retail and licensing and sales divisions. XWP is marketed and licensed by Universal worldwide. EXCERPT: ...The Universal Studios Consumer Products Group today announced a series of new hires and promotions in the retail licensing and sales divisions as part of the group's new strategic direction focusing on brand development, retail development and international expansion. In making the announcement, Cynthia Cleveland, President of Merchandising and Licensing said, "The hires and promotions in the sales and retail licensing divisions are tremendously important because they will help strengthen the group's commitment to building brand equity through marketing plans and strategic partner alliances. The sales division will increase the emphasis developing upscale apparel and expand that to the licensing of Universal brands to increase brand equity even further."... ...Universal Studios Consumer Products Group licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Universal Pictures, Universal Television as well as third parties. Some of these properties include Apollo 13, Babe, Casper, Jurassic Park, The Land Before Time, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Earthworm Jim, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, Woody Woodpecker and Friends and The Official Universal Studios Monsters. Universal Studios, Inc. is a diversified entertainment company and a worldwide leader in motion pictures, television, music, home entertainment and location based entertainment. Universal Studios, Inc. is a unit of The Seagram Company Ltd. (NYSE: VO), a global beverage and entertainment company... [ ] 12-17-96 LOS ANGELES TIMES. Tuesday. Page A1. 185 words. "Valley Newswatch" By Doug Smith. COMMENTARY: Burb about the Burbank convention for HTLJ and XWP on January 11-12, 1996. EXCERPT: ...Welcome, Hercules The Burbank Airport Hilton may be the new hot spot for that quintessentially Hollywood take on the business convention--the TV fan club conclave. . . . First came "Quantum Leap," then "The X-Files," "I Love Lucy," and "Hawaii Five-0." Now comes the loincloth set. Fans of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" will be there Jan. 11 and 12.... [ ] 12-18-96 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 12. 404 words. "Beefcake bonanza tipped in macho men ratings war" COMMENTARY: XWP is mentioned in passing in an article about Sinbad and Tarzan being shown on New Zealand's TV3. "TV2 HOPES to muscle in on TV3's Hercules fans next year with some action men of its own....The show closest in spirit to Hercules and Xena will be Sinbad." [ ] 12-20-96 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Friday. Page 15D. 827 words. "Sally Field's in a rush to set up 'Tree'" By Marilyn Beck. COMMENTARY: Big spoiler on an upcoming episode where Xena falls in love with Ulysses (hey!!! isn't he old enough to be her father???) EXCERPT: ...Love is in the air for that warrior princess among warrior princesses, Xena. Plans call for the Amazon leader of first-run syndication to fall for a fella named Ulysses, with whom she will journey back to the land of Ithaca, only to find that the wife he thought was dead, isn't. (Don't you just hate when that happens?) The brave Ulysses is supposed to be a consummate warrior of more than 6 feet in height and able to hold his own against formidable odds, so perhaps he'll be able to figure a way out of this sticky wicket...