As most of you are well-aware, Pixar Animation has been on something on a sequel kick lately with the release of Toy Story 3, Cars 2 set to hit this summer, and the planned sequel to their 2001 hit Monsters Inc., which we now know will come next summer in 2012.

The Walt Disney Company, while at the CinemaCon convention currently taking place in Las Vegas, confirmed the release year as well as something that had been rumored since the beginning of January: that Monsters Inc. 2 would actually be a prequel (Read: Rumor For Your Thoughts: Will “˜Monsters Inc. 2″² Be A Prequel?).

The pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire, HBO’s new series set during 1920s prohibition, just premiered this past Sunday, and already the ‘net is abuzz about it.

The show follows Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), a Treasurer and “undisputed ruler of Atlantic City” who at the start of prohibition sees great opportunity to capitalize on the situation and make an awful lot of money. Almost immediately his plans are in motion, with a strong group of people backing him and nothing but profit in view. Naturally, when something like this is taking place, complications are sure to arise…and they do…leaving Nucky to protect what he’s attempting to do and stay on top of the game. Complications aside, Nucky Thompson and his people turn Atlantic City into “The World’s Playground,” a place where laws aren’t always so enforced and one of the few places someone could easily find a drink.

HBO has released another short preview trailer for their upcoming show, Boardwalk Empire. This has to be the best look that we’ve gotten of the new show so far, and absolutely the first to get me personally giddy about the show’s arrival since the project was first announced.

The new series is created by Sopranos writer Terence Winter, and it will make its debut this upcoming fall. Winter will also write multiple episodes and executive produce along with the legendary Martin Scorsese, who will be getting things going very strong by directing the pilot episode.

Head over to the other side to read the full synopsis and check out the new preview trailer.

HBO has been busy setting up their future in television lately.

The network recently ordered an entire season of the highly-buzzed about adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series called Game of Thrones, and just this week they debuted their new Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced World War II drama, The Pacific. To go along with these things, they’re also preparing the return of their most popular show ever, and the debuts of future series.

HBO has announced that their ultra-popular series True Blood has an official start date for Season 3. The show, which is about vampires who live amongst us and is set mostly in the deep Louisiana South, will return to the air on June 13, 2010.

Continue on over to the other side for more on HBO’s upcoming new shows and to see their trailers.

It’s being reported that HBO has given the greenlight to a new series called Boardwalk Empire. Eleven episodes of the show have been ordered to start the ball rolling. This is another in a slew of new shows that HBO is bringing to the table — a table that features, or has featured, some of the best shows on TV. Empire will be joined by another drama called Treme, which is set in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina and is from the creators of The Wire. If the much-talked about fantasy show Game of Thrones — based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — gets the full greenlight, then HBO will have one of the most exciting TV slates imaginable…if they don’t already have it.

Boardwalk Empire is a period show that’s based on the book of the same name by Nelson Johnson, which takes place in the roaring ’20s during prohibition. It follows Nucky Thompson (set to be played by Steve Buscemi), who acts as “equal parts politician and gangster,” while building a prosperous illegal alcohol selling empire.