European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The television Flintstones after All has been seen by 300 million people in 80 countries and 22 languages. A the film is meant  enjoyed on differ Cut Levels by All audiences a says the director Brian Levant. Fred Flintstone and Barney rubble he. Adds a Are More than just cartoon  a they Are spokesmen celebrated figures in our culture a he continues. A you done to make a Pez dispenser out of just  Universal is certainly trying to Appeal to everyone with the film. It stars John Goodman from the hit to sitcom Roseanne As Fred. For the older crowd Elizabeth Taylor is being offered up in her first feature role in 14 years As Fred smother in Law Pearl Sla Hoople. Turner entertainment which owns All 166 episodes of the cartoon series is promoting it heavily on Tbs and the cartoon network. The movies dinosaurs and gizmos from Industrial Light and magic and Jim Henson a creature shop have inspired colouring books and toys part of a $100 million marketing Campaign. Mcdonald a is doing a huge Flintstones promotion. So Universal believes the Flintstones is a sure thing. But 15 years ago Paramount had another sure thing based on a cartoon. The $20 million Popeye which opened for Christmas 1980, had As its Star the gifted to comic Robin Williams of Mork arid Mindy and As its director Robert Altman. As it turned out critics used words like a a Peculiar and a a unbearable to describe the film which flopped in Heaters. Halle Berry gets on top of her secretarial work with John Goodman in the Flintstones. Univ Oral but along came the Addams family in. Which made More than $ 100 million and revived interest in films based on television series with Retro Appeal. And now Universal and ambling which last summer released Jurassic Park the biggest film of All time Are facing questions like do audiences really want to in the words of the marketing slogan a Yabba Dabba Doo it or will the response to this Stone age fantasy be a a Yabba Dabba done to for whom is the movie intended will it be another pop Yel the Story line revolves around a villainous Rock Quarry executive who tries to exploit the neanderthal brained Fred. Steven Spielberg the executive producer of the film considered the Beefy Goodman Ideal for Fred a a big Man with a big Mouth. Then again it was said that Robin Williams looked exactly like Popeye. And Goodman has never starred in a film that came anywhere near Box office Success / Rick Moranis popular in the Honey did some thing to the kids movies struck Many people As a logical Choice for Barney rubble. Casting for the a women a roles was less obvious Elizabeth Perkins whose career has taken her from dig to most recently Indian summer is Fred a snide Sharp tongued wife Wilma and Rosie of Donnell the Brassy come music which should Appeal to adult audiences As Well is by Elton John Academy award winning lyricist Tim Rice and composer Hans Zimmer. Animation is enhanced by a variety of computer assisted techniques which gives the lion King the polished  in an action movie. Repeating its strategy on Aladdin Beauty and the beast and the Little Mermaid Disney will release the lion King slowly. Theoretically the films word of Mouth will precede its arrival in most cities and positive reviews will become a Central component in  films release will be accompanied by a blizzard of Iron King trinkets and Memorabilia ranging from commemorative Candy bars to a children a lion toy that roars when petted. Burger King will pro Mote lion King in its fast food restaurants and on television. Merchandising experts say lion King product sales could surpass $1 billion challenging the expected toy Windfall for the Flintstones. A in an Early Effort to jump Start the movie s Buzz Disney showed some 4,000 theater owners 20 minutes of the film at the annual slowest movie convention last month. The sneak preview included a huge promotional party Complete with a live Giraffe Zebra and lion. A similar event Wras held in Early february on radio City music Halls stage for journalists. Before Aladdin Disney a Beauty and the beast in 1991 grossed $145.9 million and 1989 s the Little Mermaid took in $84.4 million. Earlier Disney animated films  and the seven dwarfs 101 dalmatians and the Jungle Book each grossed More than $100 million at North american Heaters and produced a Windfall of Mer Cha  White is set to come out in video this fall. When All the tickets Are counted will the lion King Rule at the Box office the smart Money says yes. Trailers Mem and 20th Century Fox have picked july 1 to open their big summer films. Since my my a blown away with Jeff Bridges and foxes True lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger Appeal to action audiences one film must eventually move to a new Date. Mem is betting a wisely it seems a that True lies will not be ready in time and will be postponed. By various accounts True lies is weeks behind schedule and could end up costing More than $100 million to produce. It would then rival Schwarzenegger a terminator 2 judgment Day As the most expensive movie Ever made. Dian is the pliant sexpot Betty rubble. Although the Flintstones cartoon series was sometimes dismissed As a rip off of that 50s to Staple the honeymoon cars it was in Many ways More sophisticated. The first cartoon to be broadcast in prime time it had a double edged humor that appealed to adults and children. Along with the silly names and sight gags there were also satirical shots at suburban life a the Hen pecked Fred and the droll Wilma a not unlike those taken by the Simpsons. No summer movie can become a blockbuster without children and in this the Flintstones seems to have overcompensated. Richard Blacklock the owner of exhibitor services in los Angeles which buys Moyies for Independent Heaters in the Southwest says of the film a a we be heard its aimed too Low and that its just a collection of jokes. That there a no real Story line to  As for the movies fortunes he predicts a a it a a front Load picture. It will have two Good weeks and then  the other hand if Universal has guessed wrong there is some Consolation. Even Fop Cyc went on to make $24 million on video. Eventually. Cafes has yet to Schoula the Flintstones on its a fruit. Cafes says the lion King will open july 9 on its circuit Walt Disney Rocky times for Little Simba in the lion King. May 22. 1904 sunday