Paramount Pictures to Provide All Public and Private High Schools with a Copy of "Selma"

Every High School in the U.S. to Receive Academy Award®-Winning “SELMA” on DVD

Paramount Continues Successful “Selma for Students” Initiative Launched During the Film’s Theatrical Run

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In celebration of the home entertainment debut of director Ava DuVernay’s inspirational and Academy Award-winning epic “SELMA,” Paramount Home Media Distribution announced today that every high school in the U.S., both public and private, will receive a copy of the DVD free of charge. In addition, teachers can receive free companion study guides to help further illuminate the remarkable historical events depicted in the film.

    “The response from students and teachers to our ‘Selma for Students’ initiative was overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted to be extending the campaign”

“Our ‘SELMA’ filmmaking journey has had many highlights, but to me, the response from students and educators has been the most magnificent part of the experience. To think that this triumphant story of dignity and justice will be available to every high school in this country is a realization of many dreams and many hopes,” said director Ava DuVernay. “I applaud Paramount on this extraordinary effort, and salute the teachers who will provide classes and context on the work of Dr. King and his comrades to the young minds of our nation.”

“The response from students and teachers to our ‘Selma for Students’ initiative was overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted to be extending the campaign,” said Megan Colligan, president, Worldwide Distribution and Marketing, Paramount Pictures. “During the film’s theatrical run more than 300,000 young people were able to see the film for free. By providing DVDs to all of the high schools in the country, we hope to reach all 18 million high school students with the film’s powerful and inspiring story. With many of these students preparing to vote for the first time in next year’s elections, it is especially fitting that they witness the bravery and fortitude of those who fought to establish the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

Teachers who would like to receive a copy of the “SELMA” companion study guide can visit http://bazaned.com.

“SELMA” won the Academy Award® and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “Glory” by Common & John Legend. The film was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture and Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

From Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films, “SELMA,” a Plan B, Cloud Eight Films, and Harpo Films production in association with Ingenious Media, tells the incredible story of how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the epic march from Selma to Montgomery to secure equal voting rights in an event that forever altered history.

The film is produced by Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Oprah Winfrey. The film is executive produced by Brad Pitt, Cameron McCracken, Diarmuid McKeown, Nik Bower, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes and Nan Morales. The film is written by Paul Webb. “SELMA” is directed by Ava DuVernay.

“SELMA” is available now on Digital HD and will be available on Blu-ray™ and DVD May 5th, 2015.

For more information visit: www.Selma4Students.com

#Selma4Students


About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment, digital and television distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and distribution across worldwide digital and television distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

“ACADEMY AWARD®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Frank Miller Returns to Batman with "The Dark Knight III: The Master Race"

Superstar Writer/Artist Frank Miller Returns to Batman!

“THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE” Completes Trilogy in Legendary “Dark Knight” Saga

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DC Entertainment announced that bestselling, iconic Batman writer and artist Frank Miller will write the epic conclusion of the celebrated THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS saga.

    “THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE”

The “THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE” is the sequel to Miller’s 1986 classic The Dark Knight Returns – heralded by TIME Magazine as one of the 10 greatest graphic novels of all time – and its 2001-2002 follow-up series BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN.

Miller will be joined by acclaimed writer, Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, JOKER, and WONDER WOMAN,) on the eight-issue comic book periodical, to be published twice a month under the DC Comics imprint. Marking the 30th anniversary of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS original series, this periodical is slated for publication beginning in late Fall 2015.

“Batman remains my favorite comic book hero, and a sequel to Dark Knight is going to be daunting," said Miller, "but we’ll do our best.”

“We are thrilled to have Frank back home at DC writing Batman,” according to Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, Co-Publishers for DC Entertainment. “The story he and Brian have crafted is an astounding and triumphant conclusion to this seminal body of work which influenced and shaped generations of readers and creators alike.”

According to Azzarello, “It’s been an amazing experience collaborating with Frank these past six months. I think we have an epic story that these characters truly deserve.”

Artists for the project have yet to be announced.


About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the world’s largest English-language publisher of comics.

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Webcomics Update: Grumble #2, Page 1

Grumble Chapter Two, Page 1 is here: http://www.comicbookbin.com/grumbletwopage001.html

NOTE:  Last year, I printed some promotional copies of Grumble: Chapter One through a POD printer.  I will sign and number a copy of this "rare" comic book for $5 post paid, which you can purchase here or http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/p/i-reads-shopping.html

Dark Horse Comics to Translate Geof Darrow's "Bourbon Thret"

Pour diffusion immédiate: Darrow, C’Est Toujours Fou!

When it was originally published in France in the 1980’s, Geof Darrow’s cult classic graphic novel BOURBON THRET was promoted by publisher Aedena with the tagline “Darrow C’Est Fou!” which translates to Darrow it’s crazy! Next year Dark Horse Comics will finally publish the first ever American edition of Darrow’s BOURBON THRET, which features the introduction of the chainsaw wielding Shaolin Cowboy. The book will be released in the same gorgeous oversized format as Dark Horse Comics’ recently released SHAOLIN COWBOY: SHEMP BUFFET hardcover.

“Darrow c’est fou,” confirmed Dark Horse President & Publisher Mike Richardson.  “ I couldn't be more excited to introduce the first ever Shaolin Cowboy adventure to an American audience next year.”

BOURBON THRET features the first appearance of the Shaolin Cowboy, whose ultra violent, ultra detailed and unforgettable zombie filled stories have been published by Dark Horse Comics . Darrow was living in France when he created Bourbon Thret, but his inspiration for the character’s name from traveling  in Japan where he saw t-shirts with phrases like “The Sunny Catches The Day.”

Darrow explains, “In Japan, they’d put random words on t-shirts or whatever because they liked the way the words looked together, just an odd combination of two things that have nothing to do with each other. And I just came up with this thing. Bourbon. Thret. It sounded odd and unexpected to me. I only changed his name later to the Shaolin Cowboy for his American debut after Frank Miller warned me to not to use the word cowboy. It won’t sell, he said. And that’s how Bourbon Thret became the Shaolin Cowboy.”

Almost the entire Dark Horse edition of BOURBON THRET will be recolored by the award winning colorist Dave Stewart. When it was originally published, BOURBON THRET was colored by a team of colorists and Darrow was unsatisfied with the look of the pages, with the very notable exception of the work done by Studio Herge (TIN TIN.) The Studio Herge pages are not being recolored for the new edition, but the rest of the material will be colored by Stewart.

Dark Horse will announce an official publication date for the book later this year.


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

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Dark Horse Announces Delay of Anticipated Comic Book, "Black Hammer"

LEMIRE & ORMSTON’S ‘BLACK HAMMER’ DELAYED

MILWAUKIE, OR—Due to an unforeseen health issue, Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s anticipated creator-owned series Black Hammer has been delayed until a future date.

“Black Hammer has been a labor of love for me. It’s a project that I’ve been working on in various forms for seven years,” series cocreator Jeff Lemire said. “And as excited as I am to share it, sometimes life gets in the way of comics.

“On March 26, my amazing collaborator Dean Ormston suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on the left side of his brain, which affected his whole right side,” he continued. “Dean is now at home and recovering. As a result, we have decided to postpone the launch of Black Hammer until Dean is able to work regularly again. I’d like to thank all the fans and retailers for their patience and understanding as Dean recovers and promise that Black Hammer will be worth the wait.”

“In essence, this is a dream project, and to top it all off, I get to have my art enhanced by colorist supremo Dave Stewart,” Ormston told Comic Book Resources. “Sadly, about a month ago, I had a bleed on the brain, so things have been put on hold until I recover and get back to drawing fully. I am tentatively getting back to drawing Black Hammer, albeit slowly, but the outlook is positive and I’m confident of a full recovery.”

Retailers will be notified of a new date for Black Hammer in a future communication.

“Dean’s made Black Hammer’s visuals his own, and none of us can imagine launching the book before he’s able to draw it uninterrupted,” said series editor Brendan Wright. “We’ll reschedule the launch as soon as we can, and Jeff and Dean’s work on the full issue is going to blow everyone away!”

The entire Dark Horse staff wishes Dean Ormston a smooth and speedy recovery and encourages fans and retailers to keep their eyes peeled for further updates as to when Black Hammer will debut.

To get a better idea of what’s coming in Black Hammer #1, check out an exclusive preview and further comments from the team over at Comic Book Resources (http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/dark-horses-black-hammer-delayed).


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

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Classic Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Coming to Nickelodeon

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in a photo portrait by Amy Troost

Nickelodeon Acquires Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen Library of Series, Movies and Specials

First Title So Little Time Debuts April 27 on Nick

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon is bringing the content library of beloved TV and style icons Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen to its screens through the acquisition of four series, seven TV movies and two music video specials starring the actresses. The first title from the library to debut, So Little Time, will air on Nickelodeon, Monday, April 27, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) with episodes airing every weekday. Following this linear launch, the Olsens’ catalogue will continue to roll out across Nickelodeon’s ecosystem of multiple screens later this year.

    “Mary-Kate and I are excited to announce our video library will be available to the Nickelodeon community”

Spanning a decade of adventures (1994-2003) from Mary-Kate and Ashley, the titles acquired by Nick include the animated series Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!; live-action movies Winning London and When in Rome; and greatest hits music compilation, Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen: Our Music Video.

“Mary-Kate and I are excited to announce our video library will be available to the Nickelodeon community,” said Ashley Olsen.

“Nickelodeon has been at the forefront of kids entertainment for decades. We believe this is the perfect home for our library,” added Mary-Kate Olsen.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen’s video library to Nickelodeon,” said Keith Dawkins, SVP and General Manager, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Nick Jr. “The timeless content and style, relatable sibling dynamics and overall appeal of Mary-Kate and Ashley make this a great addition to Nick’s platforms.”

Nickelodeon has acquired the following titles in the Mary-Kate and Ashley library:

Series: The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley (11 episodes); You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's (10 episodes); So Little Time (26 episodes); and Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! (26 episodes).

TV movies: Mary-Kate & Ashley’s Fashion Forward; Our Lips Are Sealed; Winning London; Holiday in the Sun; When in Rome; Getting There: Sweet 16 and Licensed to Drive; and The Challenge.

Music specials: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen: Our Music Video and Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen: Our First Video.

Dualstar Entertainment Group, founded in 1993, originally focused solely on entertainment, producing a series of nearly 50 short and long form direct-to-video titles starting Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. Today, Dualstar Entertainment Group is a distinctive boutique global brand management company renowned for developing and owning lifestyle brands to fulfill market niches along the fashion spectrum including The Row, Elizabeth and James, and Olsenboye.

Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of April 19th to 25th, 2015 - Update #20

NEWS:

From TheVulture:  There will be an eighth film in the "Fast & Furious" franchise.

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From SlashFilm:  Denzel Washington's The Equalizer is getting a sequel.

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From YahooMovies:  First photos from Point Break remake.

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From io9:  New "Star Trek" movie may be titled, "Star Trek Beyond."

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From TheWrap:  Emma Stone and Steve Carell will play Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in a movie about their (in)famous tennis match.

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From Variety:  Meryl Streep has funded a screenwriting lab for women writers over 40.

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From Variety:  For the third weekend in a row, Furious 7, wins the weekend box office.  The seventh entry in the "Fast & Furious" franchise earned an estimated $29.1 million to top the April 17th to 19th, 2015 weekend.

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From TheWrap:  John Ridley won an Oscar for writing 12 Years a Slave and is the creator of the acclaimed ABC series, "American Crime."  Now, he's developing an unnamed Marvel Comics series for ABC.

From TVGuide:  So what is John Ridley working on for Marvel?  Here's some speculation.
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COMICS:

From THR:  Jared Leto's Joker revealed - with tattoos and metal.

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From CinemaBlend:  Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the hot dudes behind the 21 Jump Street movies and The LEGO Movie, are working on an animated Spider-Man film - reported CinemaCon.

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From CinemaBlend:  The search for the next Spider-Man is reportedly down to 5 actors.

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From YahooMovies:  Joss Whedon praises Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man" screenplay.

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From BleedingCool:   Sony email links may have spurred on Spider-Man's inclusion in "Captain America 3."


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From NerdReactor:  New Fantastic Four trailer, now with more Doctor Doom.

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From NerdReactor:  No post-credits seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron... hmm.

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From YahooTV:  Stan Lee throws some shade at DC Comics movies.

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From YouTube:  "Batman v. Superman" trailer.


STAR WARS:

From CheatSheet:  How to get your Star Wars fix before "The Force Awakens."

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From Variety:  The plot of "Star Wars: Rogue One" will apparently focus on a plot to steal the secrets of the Death Star.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  20th Century Fox debuts in the new Fantastic Four trailer.


OBITS:

From YahooTV:  The actor Sawyer Sweeten has died.  Sawyer and his twin brother, Sullivan, starred on "Everybody Loves Raymond."  Sawyer played one of the twin brothers, Geoffrey Barone.  Sullivan played Michael.  They were Ray Barone's twin boys.  Sullivan died of a suspected suicide on Thursday, April 23, 2015.

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From the HollywoodReporter:  The actor Ben Powers died April 6, 2015.  Powers, who was 64, played Keith Anderson, the husband of Thelma, on "Good Times," during the show's final season.

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From Variety:  The actor,  Jonathan Crombie, died at the age of 48 on Wednesday, April 15, 2015.  He was known for his role on the Canadian "Anne of Green Gables" miniseries, which was first broadcast in the United States in 1986.