Sat., July 5th, 2014 is "Sailor Moon Day" at 2014 Anime Expo

VIZ MEDIA CELEBRATES SAILOR MOON DAY AT 2014 ANIME EXPO

Mark The Return Of The Legendary Anime Series With A Special Series Of Events And Activities At North America’s Largest Anime Convention

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, celebrates the triumphant return of the SAILOR MOON anime series with a host of fun activities for SAILOR MOON Day, taking place on Saturday, July 5th during the 2014 Anime Expo.

The 2014 Anime Expo is North America’s largest anime convention, attracting more than 61,000 fans and attendees annually, and will be held July 3rd –6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Full details are available at: www.anime-expo.org. VIZ Media will be located on the main convention floor in Booth #1601.

VIZ Media marks its acquisition of the iconic fantasy anime series with a SAILOR MOON Official Panel on Saturday morning at 10AM in LP1. Hosted by the company’s Senior Manager of Animation Marketing, Charlene Ingram, and SAILOR MOON Associate Producer, Joshua Lopez, the panel will reveal for the first time the brand new cast for the freshly produced English dub and premiere the first two dubbed episodes. SAILOR MOON fans attending this official panel will get a special premium poster while supplies last! Following the Official SAILOR MOON Panel, there will be a special showing of subtitled episode one of the all-new series, SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, in Video 1 at 12:00 Noon. The series launches on July 5th in Japan, and fans in the United States may catch the simulcast on NeonAlley.com and Hulu, with new episodes debuting each Saturday.

Fans can also look forward to a special voice cast autograph session taking place at 1:00PM in the afternoon in the Anime Expo autograph area, and a cast photo opportunity with the official Sailor Guardian Cosplayers from American Cosplay Paradise at 2:45PM in the VIZ Media Booth #1601. To round out the day’s activities, be a part of the largest gathering of SAILOR MOON cosplayers and fans in North America at 3:30PM in the Main Events Hall (LP1, Petree Hall). Bring your Sailor Guardian finest and you just might end up a part of an upcoming SAILOR MOON video release!

If you can’t make the official Sailor Moon Day activities on July 5th, VIZ Media will also be running a special SAILOR MOON event at their Anime Expo booth for the entirety of the convention. Find one of the official Sailor Guardian cosplayers at booth #1601 for information on how you can get a limited premiere event memorial coin!

VIZ Media has licensed all 5 seasons of the original SAILOR MOON anime series (rated ‘TV-14’), spanning 200 episodes, as well as all three feature films. Included is the long-running show’s fifth and climactic final season “Sailor Stars,” which has never-before been licensed for North American release. As part of the return of the series, VIZ Media is producing a fresh and uncut English dub with an all-new voice cast, will present SAILOR MOON for the first time digitally, and also plans DVD and Deluxe Blu-ray edition sets for release in time for the 2014 holiday season.

Saturday, July 5th, 10:00am SAILOR MOON OFFICIAL PANEL
Room LP1 (Petree Hall)

Join Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media’s Senior Manager, Animation Marketing, and Joshua Lopez, Associate Producer, for the exclusive world premiere of the all-new, uncut English language premiere of the legendary anime series, SAILOR MOON! The session also will introduce the cast and screen the entire first two dubbed episodes of the newly re-mastered anime series. Immediately following the premiere, there will be a very special Q & A session with the animation team and the cast and a special premium poster for attendees, while supplies last!

Saturday, July 5th, 1:00pm - SAILOR MOON CAST AUTOGRAPH SESSION
Anime Expo Autograph Area

Stop by the VIZ Media booth and pick up your very own SAILOR MOON full-color poster, personally signed by the new Official English voice cast!

Saturday, July 5th, 2:45pm - SAILOR MOON CAST PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
VIZ Media Booth #1601

Fans can take photos of the talented new Official English voice cast for SAILOR MOON with the Sailor Guardian cosplayers from American Cosplay Paradise in a special session!

Saturday, July 5th, 3:30pm - SAILOR MOON Cosplay Gathering
Room LP1 (Petree Hall)

Bring your Sailor Guardian finest and be a part of North America’s largest SAILOR MOON cosplay and fan gathering!

VIZ Media is currently featuring SAILOR MOON (subtitled) on its free NeonAlley.com anime streaming channel and also via the Neon Alley brand supported media partners Hulu and Hulu Plus. Two new SAILOR MOON episodes premiere every Monday.  Visit www.NeonAlley.com and Hulu.com/sailormoon for more information.

The smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). 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!  

For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com/sailormoon.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Ava DuVernay's "Selma" Gets Christmas 2014 Release

“SELMA” TO LAUNCH ON CHRISTMAS DAY

HOLLYWOOD, CA (June 20, 2014) – Paramount Pictures and Pathé announced that the feature film “SELMA” will have a limited release in the U.S. on Christmas day and will open wide on January 9, 2015. Directed by Ava DuVernay (“MIDDLE OF NOWHERE”), the film is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, Plan B, the producers of the Academy Award®-winning “TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE,” and Cloud Eight Films’ Academy Award®-winning Christian Colson (“127 HOURS,” “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE”).

Academy Award® nominee Oprah Winfrey joins the film’s cast as Annie Lee Cooper, an elderly woman and visible leader amongst the civil rights protesters in Selma who tried to register to vote and was unfairly denied by the sheriff.

The film is currently shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.

“SELMA” is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The film’s release will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the landmark legislation.

The film stars David Oyelowo (“INTERSTELLAR,” “LEE DANIEL’S THE BUTLER”) as Martin Luther King Jr., Tom Wilkinson (“THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL,” “MICHAEL CLAYTON”) as Lyndon Baines Johnson, Carmen Ejogo (“ALEX CROSS,” “PRIDE AND GLORY”) as Coretta Scott King, Andre Holland (“42,” “1600 Penn”) as Andrew Young, Omar J. Dorsey (“DJANGO UNCHAINED,” “THE BLIND SIDE”) as James Orange, Alessandro Nivola (“A MOST VIOLENT YEAR,” “AMERICAN HUSTLE”) as John Doar, Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife,” “Damages”) as J. Edgar Hoover, Giovanni Ribisi (“My Name is Earl,” “AVATAR”) as Lee White, Tessa Thompson (“Heroes,” “Veronica Mars”) as Diane Nash, Colman Domingo (“LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER,” “42”) as Ralph Abernathy, Stephen Root (“Justified,” “Boardwalk Empire”) as Al Lingo, Jeremy Strong (“The Good Wife,” “ZERO DARK THIRTY”) as James Reeb, with Tim Roth (“Lie to Me,” “THE INCREDIBLE HULK”) as George Wallace, and Oprah Winfrey (“LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER,” “THE COLOR PURPLE”) as Annie Lee Cooper.

Paramount is handling the film’s domestic distribution, Pathé is distributing in the UK and France and Pathé International will handle sales to the rest of the world.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, ParamountVantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Pathé
Pathé is one of the leading European film production and distribution companies with offices in both Paris and London.  It is involved in all aspects of filmmaking, from development and production through to international sales and distribution. Films produced/distributed by Pathé range from THE QUEEN to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and from THE IRON LADY to PHILOMENA.  Pathé’s upcoming releases include Matthew Warchus’ PRIDE starring Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton; and Sarah Gavron’s SUFFRAGETTE starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham-Carter, Brendan Gleeson and Meryl Streep.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites: June 15 to June 21, 2014 - Updated #6

NEWS:

From The Wrap:  Meryl Streep makes a move to television as she will play opera legend Maria Callas in a television film for HBO.  Director Mike Nichols is adapting the Broadway play, "Master Class," which tells the story of Callas' life.

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From Variety: The next "Bourne" movie, starring Jeremy Renner, has been moved from August 14, 2015 to July 15, 2016,  That film will ostensibly be a sequel to the Renner-starring The Bourne Legacy.

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From Variety:  Apparently the F. Gary Gray N.W.A. biopic will take Bourne's August 2015 release date.

From Cinema Blend:  Speaking of the N.W.A. biopic, the film reportedly has its actors to play the lead characters, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre.  O'Shea Jackson, Jr. will apparently play his father, Ice Cube, whose birth name is O'Shea Jackson.  At one point, Michael B. Jordan was eyed to play Cube, but his role in the Fantastic Four reboot may have squashed that.

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From Yahoo:  John Cusack and Adrien Brody join Jackie Chan in the Chinese-language film, "Dragon Blade."  It looks to be the most expensive Chinese-language made to date at $65 million.

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COMIC BOOK MOVIES:

From Marvel:  Rosario Dawson joins Marvel's Netflix series, "Daredevil," which is scheduled to debut in early 2015.

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From The Wrap:  Jon Spaihts who wrote Ridley Scott's Prometheus is apparently writing Marvel Studios' planned "Doctor Strange," movie, which would be based on the surgeon turned Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange a/k/a/ Doctor Strange.  Scott Derrickson, who directed the low-budget hit horror film, Sinister, is apparently directing the film.  Jared Leto and Benedict Cumberbatch are the top choices to play Strange.

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From Yahoo Celebrity: Ben Affleck buffs up for Batman role in Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.


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STAR WARS News:

From Yahoo:  Harrison Ford broke his leg, not his ankle.

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From Heat Celeb News:  More on Harrison Ford's injury on the set of Star Wars Episode VII.

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From GoSanAngelo:  Here is an interesting article about fans who spend much money and time to build their own Star Wars droids.  There is even a club, Astromech.net.

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MISC:

Surprising article from a few years ago:  I was a drunk teenaged wizard.

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From Yahoo: In this installment of Hollywood Time Capsule, the 1999 flick, Wild Wild West, gets a look-back via Entertainment Weekly.

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OBITS:

From the New York Times and Indiewire: Casey Kasem, the famous American disc jockey, radio personality, and voice actor, died Sunday, June 15, 2014.  He was 82-years-old.  Kasem was born Kemal Amen Kasem in Detroit on April 27, 1932 to Lebanese immigrant parents.

I remember Kasem for several reasons.  First of all, I was a big fan of his syndicated radio show, "America's Top 40." Beginning in 1970 and continuing for 24 years, Kasem played the top forty songs on Billboard magazine's weekly "Hot 100" singles chart.  There was also a syndicated television version of the show in the 1980s that showed the music videos for the top ten songs of the week on the "Hot 100" singles chart, and sometimes for songs on Billboard's other singles chart.

But I most treasure and love Casey Kasem as the voice of cartoon character, Norville "Shaggy" Rodgers, beginning with the animated series, "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" (1969) and continuing until 1997.  He also provided the voice of Robin on "Super Friends" and Alexander on "Josie and the Pussycats."

Negromancer sends condolences to Casey Kasem's family and friends.  R.I.P. Shaggy.

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From Yahoo Sports:  Former Major League Baseball player, Tony Gwynn, died today, Monday, June 16, 2014 at the age of 54.  He was one of the greatest hitters in the history of Major League Baseball and the greatest pure hitter of his generation.  He played with the San Diego Padres for 20 years (his entire career) and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.  He was named on 532 of 545 Hall of Fame voting ballots, for one of the highest percentages ever, 97.61.  Negromancer sends its condolences to Tony Gwynn's family, friends, colleagues, and teammates.  R.I.P. slugger.

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From the New York Times and Yahoo Sports:  I think I've stated before that the Pittsburgh Steelers are my favorite NFL team.  Well, I was saddened to learn that beloved head Coach Chuck Noll died Friday night, June 13, 2013.  Charles Henry Noll was born on January 5, 1932.  He was 82-year-old.

Noll built the "Steel Curtain" Steelers of the 1970s, one of the most dominant teams in NFL history.  The Steelers won the Super Bowls in the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons.  They were the first team to win four Super Bowls.  Noll coached the Steelers from 1969 to 1991 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility.

Rest in peace, Coach.  Negromancer offers condolences to Chuck Noll's family and friends.

Amazon Prime Instant Video Signs Deal with Aardman Animations

Prime Instant Video Becomes the Exclusive Subscription Streaming Home for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Other Top Series from Aardman Animations

Licensing deal gives Prime members exclusive access to stop-motion animation favorites for instant streaming at no extra charge to their Prime membership

New seasons of Shaun the Sheep, the Shaun the Sheep: Championsheeps special and two new Timmy Time specials join the Prime Instant Video collection

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon.com, Inc. today announced a U.S. content licensing agreement with Aardman Animations that will make Prime Instant Video the exclusive subscription streaming home for the beloved, award-winning television and short film series Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and classic animation Rex the Runt. Fans of the charming characters and their adventures now have access to this collection of Aardman content on hundreds of connected devices using their Prime membership. Those who are not already members of Amazon Prime can sign up at www.amazon.com/primeinstantvideo.

    “Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Rex the Runt continue to gain new fans, and we’re thrilled to offer them to viewers exclusively on Prime Instant Video”

In addition, new shows from the Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time series will be added to Prime Instant Video, including seasons 3 and 4 of Shaun the Sheep, the Shaun the Sheep: Championsheeps special and two new Timmy Time specials.

Created in Aardman’s distinctive stop-motion animation style, the lead characters in Wallace & Gromit won global recognition as icons of modern British culture. The series earned both widespread fan appreciation and critical acclaim, earning two Academy Awards for its short films. Wallace & Gromit inspired several spinoff series, including Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time, aimed at younger viewers. A full-length feature film based on Shaun the Sheep is scheduled to be theatrically released in the spring of 2015.

“Our customers love great kids shows and we are proud to be the exclusive subscription streaming home for these popular Aardman shows,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and the other Aardman shows have a wide-reaching fan base, and we know Prime members will enjoy watching these shows at no extra charge as part of their Prime membership.”

“Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Rex the Runt continue to gain new fans, and we’re thrilled to offer them to viewers exclusively on Prime Instant Video,” said Robin Gladman, Digital Content & Partner Manager at Aardman Animations. “As we get ready to release our Shaun the Sheep feature film next year, we know that Prime members will be eager to catch up on all the past adventures of their favorite animated characters.”

Prime Instant Video Exclusives
Prime Instant Video is the exclusive online-only subscription home for a large and constantly-expanding selection of hit series, making it the go-to destination for Prime members who want to stay up to date on their favorite shows. Popular choices include HBO classics The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Rome and Six Feet Under, recent HBO favorites Eastbound & Down, Enlightened and Flight of the Conchords, and select seasons of current HBO series True Blood, Boardwalk Empire and Treme. Other hit TV show exclusives include PBS series Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge, FX dramas The Americans and Justified, as well as 24, Orphan Black, Falling Skies, Hannibal, Grimm, Workaholics, Suits, Covert Affairs, Teen Wolf, Veronica Mars, CBS summer blockbuster series Under the Dome and later this summer, Extant. Prime Instant Video also offers an exclusive collection of kids shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. that customers won’t find on any other online-only subscription service, including favorites like SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Blue’s Clues, and The Bubble Guppies. Airing now, Amazon’s first original series Alpha House and Betas and first original kids series Tumble Leaf can be found exclusively on Prime Instant Video as well.

Customers can enjoy Prime Instant Videos on hundreds of compatible Amazon Instant Video devices, including Fire TV, Kindle Fire HDX, Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation and the Wii. Prime Instant Video is the only U.S. online subscription streaming service that enables offline viewing—on a plane, on vacation, and anywhere else where you may not have Wi-Fi. Customers can download tens of thousands of Prime Instant Video titles to their new Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX.

About Amazon Instant Video
Amazon Instant Video is a digital video streaming and download service that offers Amazon customers the ability to rent, purchase or subscribe to a huge catalog of videos. Customers can choose from more than 200,000 titles to purchase or rent—movies range from new releases to classic favorites, and Amazon Instant Video offers major television shows, entire seasons, or even day after air TV. Prime Instant Video is Amazon’s video subscription offer—it includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes selected from the full assortment available at Amazon Instant Video.

About Amazon.com
Amazon opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by three principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon

Disney Announces "Star Wars Scene Maker" App

Disney Publishing Worldwide Takes Storytelling to New Heights with Star Wars™ Scene Maker

Fans for the First Time Can Create and Share Their Own Star Wars Scenes; "Star Wars Scene Maker" Available Now on the App Store

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disney Publishing Worldwide today re-defines the storytelling experience with the release of "Star Wars Scene Maker," a new line of creativity apps that gives kids and Star Wars fans of all ages the tools to create, control, customize, capture and share their own 3D animated Star Wars scenes. Utilizing simple, intuitive commands, the apps give fans an unrivaled user-generated storytelling experience that allows them to re-imagine and re-create iconic scenes from the Saga.

    “At Disney Publishing, we are committed to reaching today’s consumers in deeper, more engaging ways through innovative and immersive storytelling experiences”

Featuring 3D models of characters, vehicles, and environments, “Scene Maker” allows fans to zoom in, pull back and explore each animated Star Wars scene. Users have the freedom to place characters and vehicles wherever they choose, and then customize them with a variety of weapons to create new storylines and dialogue.

Three movable cameras can be maneuvered and switched to different film modes, with options to rotate and adjust vertical heights to give scene makers complete creative control of how they film their scenes. Additionally, iconic music and dialogue deepen the scene making experience, while options to record original dialogue expand the level of customization. A save and share option provides opportunities for fans to socialize their content online.

“At Disney Publishing, we are committed to reaching today’s consumers in deeper, more engaging ways through innovative and immersive storytelling experiences,” said Andrew Sugerman, executive vice president, Disney Publishing Worldwide. “Star Wars Scene Maker allows us to put kids and fans of all ages in the director’s seat and provide them with ways to unleash their creativity and share their passion for the Star Wars brand in a new way.”

The first app in the “Scene Maker” series launches with iconic scenes from the original trilogy: “The Battle of Endor,” from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, “Cloud City Duel” from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and “Death Star Trench Run” from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. “The Battle of Endor” is free with download, and each additional content pack is $2.99, or $3.99 for both.

The “Scene Maker” apps will continue to feature content from the Star Wars Saga, with plans to expand to new content from the upcoming “Star Wars Rebels” animated series on Disney XD. Additional content packs will be released through app updates, and available through in-app purchase.

"Star Wars Scene Maker" is available now for free for iOS on the App Store. For additional Star Wars mobile apps updates and information, visit www.StarWars.com, www.DisneyStories.com, Facebook at Facebook.com/disneyreads and Twitter at @DisneyReads.

About Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books, magazines, and Apps, with over 700 million products sold each year. DPW consists of an extensive worldwide books and magazines licensing structure as well as vertically integrated publishing imprints, including Disney-Hyperion and Disney Press in the U.S. and Disney Libri in Italy. DPW's digital products include bestselling eBook titles and award-winning original apps. Disney English is DPW's English language learning business, which includes learning centers in China and a worldwide retail-licensing program. Headquartered in Glendale, California, DPW publishes books, magazines, and digital products in 85 countries in 75 languages. For more information visit www.disneypublishing.com.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks in the United States and/or in other countries of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paramount Pictures Lines Up Licensees for Summer 2015's "Monster Trucks"

Paramount Animation Revs up “MONSTER TRUCKS” with Spin Master Toy Deal

Summer 2015 New Movie Franchise Gaining Traction with Licensees at Expo in Las Vegas

HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paramount Licensing is headed down the road of a major consumer products launch for next summer’s “MONSTER TRUCKS” movie, based on Paramount’s original idea, with today’s announcement of a master toy license deal with toy innovators Spin Master.

“The partnership to develop toys around Monster Trucks is a match made in toy heaven!”

This marks the first licensee partnership publicly announced in support of the high-octane family film “MONSTER TRUCKS,” from Paramount Animation, set for release on May 29, 2015. The live action film, utilizing state of the art CGI animation, is based on an original concept. Produced by Mary Parent, directed by Chris Wedge, with a screenplay by Matthew Robinson and Glenn Berger & Jonathan Aibel and Derek Connolly, the movie stars Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Barry Pepper, Amy Ryan, Rob Lowe, Danny Glover, Holt McCallany and Thomas Lennon, and is currently in production in Vancouver, B.C.

To roll the movie into the toy aisle of retailers, Paramount has partnered with leading toy manufacturer, Spin Master Ltd., to serve as the global master toy licensee for the franchise. Spin Master, having recently won multiple Toy of the Year Awards from the Toy Industry Association, will develop an extensive line up of vehicle-based products that will launch alongside the film.

“Spin Master is known for their innovation,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products and head of Paramount’s Marketing Partnerships. “They are the ideal partner to bring the incredible abilities of our Monster Trucks to life with fun, must-have toys consumers have never seen before. This line will be a major presence at retail and a cornerstone of our licensing program across all major categories.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Paramount on such an exciting, adrenaline-packed movie which has great toyetic appeal,” said Craig Sims, Vice President of Global Licensing and Business Development for Spin Master. “The partnership to develop toys around Monster Trucks is a match made in toy heaven!” added Krista DiBerardino, Chief Marketing Officer for Spin Master.

Paramount will be providing current and potential partners a closer look at the new franchise at Licensing Expo. Interested parties can stop by booth #S141.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB) (NASDAQ:VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Spin Master Ltd.
A multi-category children's entertainment company, Spin Master has been designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer products for children around the world since 1994 and is recognized as a global growth leader within the toy industry. Spin Master is best known for such popular brands as boy's action phenomena and 2009-2010 Boy's Toy of the Year winner Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, and award-winning brands Air Hogs®, Aquadoodle™, Spin Master Games™ including the popular Hedbanz™, Tech Deck™, Zoobles™ and SpyGear™. The company has also marked an entry into children's media with the launch of Spin Master Entertainment, a subsidiary focusing on the design, development and production of television and other media properties. Spin Master employs over 900 people with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Munich, and Milan. For additional information please visit: www.spinmaster.com.

2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco Announces Anime Lineup

2014 JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES A THRILLING ROSTER OF NEW AND FIRST-RUN ANIME FEATURE FILMS DEBUTING IN CONJUNCTION WITH 2014 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL

The 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area, will present an exciting slate of first-run anime feature films as part of its second annual week-long cinema extravaganza. Set to open in conjunction with the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival on Saturday, July 19th and running thru Sunday, July 27th, the 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF) complements its roster of live-action programs with the announcement of 5 additional anime features, several to be presented as first-run U.S. premieres.

The JFFSF has partnered with leading anime distributors Aniplex, Nippon Television, Sentai Filmworks, and VIZ Media to offer a must-see line-up that includes theatrical screenings of Anohana The Movie: The Flower We Saw That Day, Berserk The Golden Age Arc III: The Advent, Garden of Words, Hunter X Hunter: The Last Mission and Short Peace. 

The 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco will take place at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the NEW PEOPLE J-POP entertainment complex at 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115. Tickets for anime programs are $13.00 each, unless otherwise noted. Film summaries, trailers, screening times and advance tickets are available at: www.JFFSF.org.

Special JFFSF Anime Screenings During 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival:

SHORT PEACE 

Sunday, July 20th, 2:45pm

The inspiring anime omnibus SHORT PEACE finds a lone traveler confronted by unusual sprits inside an abandoned shrine in the film, POSSESSIONS, while a mysterious white bear defends the village from a red demon in the brutal short, GAMBO. Men battle deadly robotic tanks in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo in A FAREWELL TO ARMS, and a spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan unfolds in COMBUSTIBLE. 

Additional Japan Film Festival of San Francisco Anime Screenings:

ANOHANA THE MOVIE: THE FLOWER WE SAW THAT DAY 

Monday, July 21st, 8:15pm

Don't miss the last chance to see Anohana the Movie on the big screen! The film is a tale of five childhood friends that have drifted apart from one another following the tragic death of their mutual friend Meiko "Menma" Honma. When "Menma" appears as a ghost and says that she cannot pass onto afterlife unless she is granted one last wish, time that has stood still begins to slowly move again.

BERSERK THE GOLDEN AGE ARC III: THE ADVENT – U.S. PREMIERE!!!

Wednesday, July 23th, 7:00pm & Sunday, July 27nd, 7:00pm

The horrifying conclusion to the Golden Age anime trilogy unfolds in a magnificently violent nightmare, signifying the birth of new era where darkness outshines the light. It’s been a year since Griffith’s imprisonment by the Kingdom of Midland. Once praised as the saviors of the Midland, The Band of the Hawk has been on the run and is on the brink of breaking apart. Much to everyone’s surprise, Guts returns to the Hawks and the search for Griffith begins!

GARDEN OF WORDS – S.F. PREMIERE!!!

Monday, July 21st, 7:00pm & Wednesday, July 23th, 9:15pm

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, this poignant film captures glowing moments from rainy season in Tokyo, unfolding a gentle tale of youth, love and unspoken words. When Takao, a 15-year old high school student who dreams of becoming a show designer, decides to skip school one day in favor of sketching in a rainy garden, he has no idea how much his life will change when he encounters a mysterious older woman named Yukino.

HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION – U.S. PREMIERE!!!

Saturday, July 26th, 12:00pm

Based on the bestselling manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi (creator of YuYu Hakusho), Gon and his friends visit the Battle Olympia tournament at Heavens Arena, where there's an unexpected raid by an armed group called the Shadow Squad. The group's leader, Jed, wants payback for the murder of his men by Netero."Death to all Hunters!" declares Jed as he captures Netero. In order to rescue his friend, Gon must defeat Jed and his powerful mind force to unveil the Hunter Association's dark secret!

NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com 

About JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO

Launched in 2013, Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film event for the SF Bay Area, will feature a colorful mix of narratives, anime and documentary film premieres and exclusive screenings with special guest appearance at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in SF Japantown from July 19 (Sat) through 27 (Sun), 2014. See more details and ticket information at www.jffsf.org

About J-POP SUMMIT Festival

Launched in 2009, J-POP SUMMIT Festival is an annual street fair held in San Francisco, CA that celebrates Japanese popular culture. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, film, art, fashion, gaming, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a prominent platform to showcase the latest pop trends and creative innovations from Japan.

The 5th annual J-POP SUMMIT held in July 2013 welcomed more than 80,000 attendees, making it one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. In addition to the original Festival held in Japantown, new attractions include the J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE concert in downtown San Francisco, the Bay Area’s premier dedicated Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, and sake-tasting and fine foods events at the POP GOURMET Food Festival, which have each further enriched the experience. Additional information about J-POP SUMMIT Festival is available at: J-POP.com.