Friday, March 24, 2017

"Resident Evil" Vendetta" Hits Screens for One Night, June 19th

Highly Anticipated CG Animated Film ‘RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA’ to Hit Cinemas Worldwide, Including Exclusive North American Event on June 19, 2017

One-Night Theatrical Event Features Third Installment in the Animated Film Franchise

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Based on the worldwide video game phenomenon, the CG animated film “RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA” will hit movie theaters worldwide this year. The film will be released internationally on May 27, 2017, and in the U.S. and Canada on Monday, June 19, 2017 for a special one-night event from Fathom Events, Park Circus and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.

    .@Fathom Events News: Resident Evil: Vendetta hits North American cinemas on Monday, June 19 only #REVENDETTA

“RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA” is the third installment in the massively popular CG animated film franchise, following “Resident Evil: Degeneration” (2008) and “Resident Evil: Damnation” (2012). Derived from Capcom’s “Resident Evil™,” one of the bestselling video game franchises of all time (72 million + copies sold), “RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA” features the fan-favorite characters Leon S. Kennedy (Matt Mercer), Chris Redfield (Kevin Dorman) and Rebecca Chambers (Erin Cahill). The film is produced by Marza Animation Planet (“Space Pirate Captain Harlock”), executive produced by Takashi Shimizu (“The Grudge”), written by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho Pass”) and directed by Takanori Tsujimoto (“Bushido Man”).

  •     Tickets for Canadian screenings go on sale Friday, March 24 and can be purchased at www.cineplex.com.
  •     Tickets for U.S. screenings of “RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA” can be purchased online beginning Friday, March 31, 2017 at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.
  •     For information about all other territories, visit the Park Circus website.

“We are thrilled to bring ‘RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA’ to the big screen for its U.S. debut,” Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said. “This sequel is even scarier and more thrill-inducing than the previous titles, with mind-blowing CG animation that should be seen on 40-foot screens with the highest quality sound and visuals to further enhance the fan experience of this beloved franchise.”

Nick Varley, co-CEO of Park Circus, said, “We couldn’t be more delighted to be working with our colleagues and longstanding partners at Sony Pictures to be bringing ‘RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA’ to cinema screens around the world. We know that the thrills, adrenalin, action and incredible CG animation that characterize this long-awaited sequel will be welcomed with open arms by audiences across the globe.”


About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema with participating affiliate theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events such as live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions like the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live, sporting events like Copa America Centenario, concerts with artists like Michael Bublé, Rush and Mötley Crüe, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics film series and inspirational events such as To Joey With Love and Kirk Cameron’s Revive US. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 896 locations and 1,383 screens in 181 DMAs. For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About Park Circus
Park Circus Group is a leading all-rights sales agency and distribution company representing the greatest names in filmed entertainment. Our classic films distribution and sales divisions represent the major Hollywood and British studios including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing International, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and ITV Studios as well as a large number of independent producers and rights holders. Our contemporary division finances, sells and distributes arts, cultural and independent feature films. Operating worldwide, the company aims to enable audiences to experience classic and contemporary cinematic content on the big and small screen.

About Capcom
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™ and Devil May Cry™. Capcom maintains operations in the US, UK, France, Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com.

About Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to www.sonypictures.com. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions can be found on the World Wide Web at www.sonypicturesworldwideacquisitions.com.

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Thursday, March 23, 2017

"Sailor Moon R: The Movie" Blu-ray/DVD Combo Ready for Pre-Order

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOME MEDIA PREORDERS FOR SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE

First Feature Film Of The Legendary Anime Series Debuts In April As A Combo Pack; Standard DVD Edition Also Available

San Francisco, CA – Toei Animation Inc. and VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, announce preorders for the home media release of SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE.

Presented uncut and available for the first time in North America, SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE will be released on April 18th, 2017 as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (MSRP: $29.98 U.S. / $34.99 CAN) and as a Standard Edition DVD (MSRP: $19.98 U.S. / $24.99 CAN). Preorders are now available from a variety of leading outlets and online retailers.

The SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack contains a two-disc collection (one DVD & one Blu-ray disc), with beautifully illustrated variant O-card packaging and specialty foil printing. The Combo Pack also contains an all new HD-remaster, cast interviews, the exclusive animated short, MAKE UP! SAILOR GUARDIANS! and more. Blu-ray film & short are presented in 1080p HD video format.

In the film, long before Mamoru found his destiny with Usagi, he gave a single rose in thanks to a lonely boy who helped him recover from the crash that claimed his parents. This long-forgotten friend, Fiore, has been searching the galaxy for a flower worthy of that sweet gesture long ago. The mysterious flower he finds is beautiful, but has a dark side - it has the power to take over planets. To make matters worse, the strange plant is tied to an ominous new asteroid near Earth! Faced with an enemy blooming out of control, it’s up to Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians to band together, stop the impending destruction and save Mamoru!

SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE features a renowned English language cast already familiar to fans from the VIZ Media-distributed SAILOR MOON anime series. Voice actress Stephanie Sheh reprises her leading role of Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon along with actor Robbie Daymond as Mamoru Chiba / Tuxedo Mask. Newcomer Ben Diskin will voice the role of the film’s villain, Fiore.  

The SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation! 

Fans are invited to enjoy the original, classic SAILOR MOON as well as the all-new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL anime series, which are available from VIZ Media as Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs as well as multi-disc Standard Edition DVD Sets.

For more information on SAILOR MOON, SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL and other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

"Pokemon: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel" Available as Manga and DVD


VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOME MEDIA AND MANGA RELEASE OF Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel

One Of The Greatest Battles In POKÉMON History Is About To Erupt In Ash And Pikachu’s Latest Cinematic Adventure

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, delights POKÉMON fans as it announces the upcoming home media release and the official manga edition of Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel this spring.

Fans can experience all of the excitement and adventure of the newest POKÉMON anime feature film in the POKÉMON X·Y series in both DVD and graphic novel form. POKÉMON THE MOVIE: VOLCANION AND THE MECHANICAL MARVEL was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and was originally released in Japanese theaters last summer.

POKÉMON THE MOVIE: VOLCANION AND THE MECHANICAL MARVEL DVD · Rated ‘TV-Y7’ for Viewers Ages 7 and Older ·  MSRP: $19.98 U.S. / $24.99 CAN ·  Available March 21st, 2017

In the latest adventure, Ash meets the Mythical Pokémon, Volcanion, when it crashes down from the sky, creating a cloud of dust - and a mysterious force binds the two of them together! Volcanion despises humans and tries to get away, but it's forced to drag Ash along as it continues its rescue mission. They arrive in a city of cogs and gears, where a corrupt minister has stolen the ultimate invention: the Artificial Pokémon Magearna, created 500 years ago. He plans to use its mysterious powers to take control of this mechanical kingdom! Can Ash and Volcanion work together to rescue Magearna? One of the greatest battles in Pokémon history is about to unfold! Catch all the action presented with dubbed English or subtitled dialogue options as well as 2.0 and 5.1 audio selections.

POKÉMON THE MOVIE: VOLCANION AND THE MECHANICAL MARVEL MANGA · Rated ‘A’ For All Ages ·  MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN ·  Available Now

Capture all of the action of the newest POKÉMON feature film in this single-volume official manga adaptation. Features story and artwork by Kemon Kawamoto.

POKÉMON is one of the most successful international entertainment franchises of all time. More than 279 million POKÉMON video games and over 21.5 billion Pokémon Trading Cards have been sold in more than 74 countries in addition to substantial publishing and merchandise sales. VIZ Media is the official North American distributor for a wide variety of POKÉMON home media releases including animated series and films and also publishes a variety of POKÉMON manga graphic novel series including Pokémon Adventures, Pokémon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Pokémon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl/PLATINUM, Pokémon Adventures: HeartGold & SoulSilver, Pokémon Adventures: Black & White, POKÉMON X•Y, and POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY & ALPHA SAPPHIRE.

For additional information on Pokémon anime and manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

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Amazon Announces "American Playboy" for April 7th

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story Launches Globally April 7, 2017 on Amazon Prime Video

Episode one will be available free of charge on Playboy.com on April 7 through April 13, and for all Amazon customers beginning April 7

Produced by the Emmy Award-winning Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, the Amazon Original Series draws from unprecedented access to Hefner’s archive of thousands of hours of footage and his Guinness World Record-holding collection of over 2,900 scrapbooks

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—The Amazon Original Series, American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories on Friday, April 7, 2017. The series tells the story of Playboy magazine’s charismatic founder, Hugh Hefner, who set out to disrupt the status quo and created one of the most recognizable brands in history. The docuseries combines archival footage, pulling from thousands of hours from Hefner’s personal archives; interviews with notable figures including Jesse Jackson, Gene Simmons and Bill Maher; and cinematic reenactments.

    “This series will offer the unprecedented, behind-the-scenes story of Hefner’s life and his fight to protect and advance essential American rights, including free speech.”

Episode one of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story will be available free of charge on Playboy.com at playboy.com/americanplayboy on April 7 through April 13, 2017. The episode will also be made available for all Amazon customers on amazon.com/americanplayboy starting April 7.

Produced by the Emmy Award-winning Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, American Playboy begins in post-war America and takes us through the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 and the next six decades of Hefner’s life and career. As he built his empire, Hefner became both a social justice advocate and a target of the conservative movement while becoming an outspoken defender of civil rights, freedom of speech, gay rights and, of course, sexual freedom. The series is the result of unprecedented access to thousands of hours of never-before-seen footage from both Hefner’s and the Playboy archives and Hefner’s personal scrapbooks, which number more than 2,900 and constitute a Guinness World Record. The 90-year-old Hefner has been deeply involved in the development and production of American Playboy, imbuing the series with rich first-person accounts and never-before-told stories.

Prime members will be able to stream all 10 episodes of the docuseries via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at amazon.com/americanplayboy. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. American Playboy will be a global release and available on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app or online at PrimeVideo.com in more than 200 countries and territories.

“At a time when civil rights are more in the news than ever, Prime members will be delighted to learn more about the Playboy brand and its contributions in that area,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “This series will offer the unprecedented, behind-the-scenes story of Hefner’s life and his fight to protect and advance essential American rights, including free speech.”

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is produced by the Emmy award-winning Stephen David Entertainment, a Banijay Group company, and Playboy Enterprises’ production company Alta Loma Entertainment, and executive produced by Stephen David (The Men Who Built America, The World Wars, The Making of the Mob, The American West), Peter Jaysen (You Me Her, Fired Up, Dateline NBC) and longtime Playboy executive Dick Rosenzweig (The House Bunny, The Playboy Club) with co-executive producers Shirley Escott (Shadow of Doubt, The Making of the Mob: New York) and Tim Kelly (NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed, American Genius).

Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

  •     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
  •     Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
  •     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
  •     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
  •     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About Stephen David Entertainment
Stephen David Entertainment (SDE) – a Banijay Group Company – is an Emmy® Award-winning, New York-based production company. SDE counts The Men Who Built America, The World Wars and The Making of the Mob: New York among its popular, hybrid documentary series. In the six years since its inception, SDE has developed numerous docudrama mini-series and select scripted projects, utilizing high-end production techniques and cutting-edge VFX. In 2014 and 2015, SDE was named to Realscreen’s Global 100 list of top production companies. SDE’s upcoming productions include American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story and Frontiersmen.

About Alta Loma Entertainment
Alta Loma Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company developed the successful series You Me Her, which has been picked up for three seasons by DirecTV’s Audience channel. Other credits include E!’s The Girls Next Door, NBC’s The Playboy Club, Columbia Picture’s The House Bunny, and the documentaries Why Be Good: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema and Gangland: Bullets Over Hollywood. Playboy is one of the most recognized and popular consumer brands in the world. The company publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and licenses foreign editions of Playboy around the world; operates Playboy.com, a leading men’s lifestyle and entertainment site; and creates content for distribution via feature films, television networks, websites, mobile platforms and radio. Through licensing agreements, the Playboy brand appears on a wide range of consumer products in more than 180 countries, as well as retail stores and entertainment venues. For more information about Playboy Enterprises, please visit www.PlayboyEnterprises.com.

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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Authors and Celebrities Head to the Los Angeles Times' Festival of Books 2017

Los Angeles Times Announces Lineup for 22nd Annual Festival of Books

Book Prizes to kick off weekend-long festival with Innovator’s Award to Ruebén Martinez

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Los Angeles Times today announced the lineup for the 22nd annual Festival of Books, the nation’s largest literary festival, April 22-23, 2017 at the University of Southern California. The event will feature more than 500 authors, celebrities, musicians, artists and chefs. On Friday, April 21, 2017, the 37th annual Book Prizes will honor reading and educational activist Ruebén Martinez with the Innovator’s Award, novelist Thomas McGuane with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and 11 outstanding literary works published during the last year.

    LA Times announces Festival of Books lineup. Program schedule for April 22-23 #bookfest @USC available now.

Authors and celebrities scheduled to appear at the festival include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Margaret Atwood, Andrew Aydin, T.C. Boyle, Michael Connelly, Bryan Cranston, Ayesha Curry, Roxane Gay, Dave Grohl, Virginia Grohl, Hannah Hart, Chris Hayes, Tippi Hedren, Marlon James, Clinton Kelly, Rep. John Lewis, Cheech Marin, Danica McKellar, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Joyce Carol Oates, Kelly Oxford, Chuck Palahniuk, Nate Powell, Mary Roach, Luis J. Rodríguez, George Saunders, John Scalzi, Scott Simon, Nancy Silverton, Angie Thomas, Stephen Tobolowsky and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Additional festival highlights:

  •     10 outdoor stages: Acura Cooking Stage, Hoy Stage, L.A. Sound Stage, L.A. Times Central, L.A. Times Main Stage, Poetry Stage, Reading by 9 Children’s Stage, Travel & Wellness Stage, USC Stage and YA Stage
  •     Street-art-style mural installations curated by Branded Arts; finished murals will be donated to the Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School
  •     Center Theatre Group performance of songs from the musical “Into the Woods”
  •     Hundreds of exhibitors with books and merchandise for sale, giveaways and activities
  •     Musical performances, food trucks and more

At the Book Prizes, the L.A. Times will present the Innovator’s Award to Ruebén Martinez for his work that honors the contribution of Latino writers and expands the community of readers throughout Southern California.

“We are thrilled to recognize Ruebén Martinez with the 2016 Innovator’s Award for his contribution to the literary life of Southern California,” said Carolyn Kellogg, Times book editor. “By sharing books in his barbershop in Santa Ana he showed how books can be celebrated anywhere, and how essential they are to all our lives. Ruebén is a dedicated advocate for the love of literature wherever it might take hold.”

Martinez’s passion for reading inspired him to open a bookstore in his Santa Ana barbershop in the early 1990s. It quickly became a cornerstone of the community, evolved into a nationally renowned center of Chicano/Latino literature and art, and lives on today through the Centro Comunitario de Educación – Chapman University’s learning center which houses Martinez’s book collection. Currently a Presidential Fellow of Chapman University, Martinez acts as an ambassador to encourage Latinos to pursue higher education and lifelong learning.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC, and the Southern California Acura Dealers are the event’s platinum sponsor. The festival is free, open to the public and centrally located in the Downtown Arts and Education Corridor adjacent to Exposition Park. Beginning at 10 a.m. today the public can purchase Festival Passes (which provide advance reservations for up to 20 conversations) as well as tickets to the Book Prizes. Schedule, location, ticket and transportation information can be found on the festival website, Facebook page and Twitter feed (#bookfest).

Visit latimes.com/festivalofbook

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Skydance Enters a Patnership Deal with Ilion Animation Studios

Skydance Media Forms Multi-Year Partnership with Spain’s Ilion Animation Studios to Produce Slate of High-End Animated Feature Films and Television Series

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance, a diversified media company that creates event-level entertainment for global audiences, today announced that it has launched an animation division and formed a multi-year partnership with Ilion Animation Studios, a dedicated CGI feature animation studio based in Madrid, to develop and produce a slate of high-end animated feature films and television series.

    “In addition to being known as one of the very best homes for artists in all of Hollywood today, it is their great track record of making movies with wide global reach that attracted us to Skydance”

The slate will commence with two animated feature films currently in development, to be produced in Spain. The first, which will be released in 2019, is being written by Linda Woolverton (Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King). It tells the story of Elian, a teenager who comes of age using her magical powers to defend her family when the opposing forces of light and darkness threaten to divide her kingdom. Woolverton will serve as a producer on the film alongside David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Ilion’s Ignacio Pérez Dolset and Jose F San Román.

The second animated feature film, Luck (working title), is a comedy that pulls back the curtain on the millennia-old battle between the organizations of good luck and bad luck that secretly affects our daily lives. Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (The Kung Fu Panda trilogy, Trolls) are writing the script and will serve as producers on the film, alongside David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Ilion’s Ignacio Pérez Dolset and Jose F San Román.

“It is incredibly gratifying to see one of my deepest passions come to life as we enter the animation business with Ilion,” said Skydance Chief Executive Officer David Ellison. “Together we aim to bring together the most creative visionaries, the best-in-class production skills, and the highest degree of technological innovation in the service of great stories.”

“In animation the possibilities to create imaginative new worlds are limitless and we are thrilled to expand the Skydance family to include Ilion and some of the most talented artists working in animated film today,” added Skydance Chief Creative Officer Dana Goldberg, who will oversee the slate.

“The combination of our proven creative team and our production capabilities with the deep film industry knowledge from David and his team at Skydance is a formidable setup from which to launch this new partnership,” said Ignacio Pérez Dolset, President and Chief Creative Officer at Ilion Animation Studios. “In addition to being known as one of the very best homes for artists in all of Hollywood today, it is their great track record of making movies with wide global reach that attracted us to Skydance,” added Jose F San Román, Chief Executive Officer of Ilion Animation Studios. “Together with our exceptionally talented writers and the experienced team at Skydance, we cannot wait to get started on the production of these first two animated films.”


About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, and interactive platforms. Its feature films include Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Star Trek Beyond, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Terminator Genisys, World War Z, Star Trek Into Darkness, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Jack Reacher, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and True Grit. Skydance’s 2017 film slate includes Life with Sony on March 24th, Baywatch with Paramount on May 26th, Geostorm with Warner Bros. on October 20th, and Annihilation with Paramount. Skydance Television launched in 2013. Its current slate includes Emmy-nominated Grace and Frankie on Netflix, Altered Carbon on Netflix, Jack Ryan on Amazon, Condor on AT&T Audience Network, Ten Days in the Valley on ABC, and Dietland on AMC. Skydance Interactive launched in 2016, following the acquisition of leading game developer The Workshop Entertainment, to create and publish original and IP-based virtual reality experiences and video games. Skydance Interactive will debut Archangel – its first original VR title – this July.

About Ilion Animation Studios
Ilion Animation Studios, based in Madrid, creates state-of-the-art computer animated movies for worldwide theatrical release. Established in 2002 by the founders of the successful video game development company Pyro Studios, Ilion today is led creatively by Ignacio Pérez Dolset and managed on a day-to-day basis by Jose F San Román. The studio uses purpose-built cutting-edge technology to achieve a unique visual animation experience. Ilion’s first computer generated animation feature was Planet 51, released in 2009 by SONY in the US over 3,500 screens and subsequently in over 65 countries across the world. This feature length film represents the collaboration of 350 highly talented and experienced artists, program developers, high-tech engineers and other skilled professionals from over 20 countries. The second animated feature film produced by the studio was “Mortadelo y Filemón” based on the most successful comic ever in Spain, and released by Warner Bros. in 2014. The studio is a proud partner of U-tad, the first official-degree European university focused purely on the world of digital arts and technology with a current student intake of over 1,000 individuals. Today, Ilion has evolved into a multi-production studio, aiming to produce various feature films concurrently to cope with the growing worldwide demand for top quality digital content.

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 22, 2017

DC COMICS

JAN170226    ACTION COMICS #976    $2.99
JAN170227    ACTION COMICS #976 VAR ED    $2.99
JAN170241    BATGIRL #9    $2.99
JAN170242    BATGIRL #9 VAR ED    $2.99
JAN170348    BATMAN 66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN 77 #3 (OF 6)    $3.99
SEP160382    BATMAN ANIMATED NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES CATWOMAN AF    $28.00
SEP160383    BATMAN ANIMATED NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES RIDDLER AF    $28.00
JAN170235    BATMAN BEYOND #6    $2.99
JAN170236    BATMAN BEYOND #6 VAR ED    $2.99
DEC160380    BATMAN BY BRIAN K VAUGHAN TP    $16.99
JAN170249    BLUE BEETLE #7    $2.99
JAN170250    BLUE BEETLE #7 VAR ED    $2.99
DEC160371    CYBORG TP VOL 01 THE IMITATION OF LIFE (REBIRTH)    $16.99
JAN178347    DARK KNIGHT III MASTER RACE #2 (OF 9) 3RD PTG    $5.99
JAN178348    DARK KNIGHT III MASTER RACE #3 (OF 9) 3RD PTG    $5.99
AUG160368    DC DESIGNER SER SUPERMAN & LOIS LANE BY FRANK STATUE    $250.00
AUG160372    DC REBIRTH JUSTICE LEAGUE ACTION FIGURE 7 PACK    $100.00
JAN170255    DEATHSTROKE #15    $2.99
JAN170256    DEATHSTROKE #15 VAR ED    $2.99
JAN170259    DETECTIVE COMICS #953    $2.99
JAN170260    DETECTIVE COMICS #953 VAR ED    $2.99
DEC160406    DMZ TP BOOK 03 (RES) (MR)    $24.99
NOV160274    DOOM PATROL #5 (MR)    $3.99
NOV160275    DOOM PATROL #5 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
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