Thursday, August 27, 2015

The Star Wars YouTube Channel to Present "The Unboxing"

The Force Awakens Around the World: Star Wars Fans Invited to Join Epic Global Event on YouTube

Toy unboxing phenomenon goes live globally for the first time ahead of ‘Force Friday’

Online event featuring talent from the Maker Studios network gives fans first look at film-inspired toys ahead of midnight madness at retail


GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Star Wars: The Force Awakens products are set to be unveiled in the world’s first-ever global live toy unboxing event. Unfolding over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries, the event will see highlights from the range of epic merchandise revealed in a rolling New Year’s Eve style celebration featuring top digital stars from the Maker Studios network.

    “Over the course of 18 hours, some of Maker Studios’ biggest stars will each be unboxing a new toy from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience live on YouTube”

“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the Saga,” said Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “They’ve inspired multiple generations to relive the experience of the movies and to create new adventures all their own. These spectacular Star Wars: The Force Awakens products will continue that tradition.”

Kicking off in Sydney, Australia on the morning of September 3, and continuing through Asia, Europe, Canada, and North & South America, selections from the new toy line will debut to global fanfare leading up to retailers around the globe opening their doors at midnight.

“Over the course of 18 hours, some of Maker Studios’ biggest stars will each be unboxing a new toy from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience live on YouTube,” said Leslie Ferraro, President, Disney Consumer Products. “We’ve seen tremendous excitement for these new products and can’t wait to see the global reaction from the Star Wars fan community.”

The Star Wars YouTube channel will host the live stream, which kicks off with the first unboxing in Sydney, Australia at 7:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015 (5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 2), with the grand finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 3. Each of the 15 locations will reveal a new product inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

These “unboxing” videos will feature online personalities sharing the excitement of opening the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys. Unboxing videos overall have captivated millions of Internet viewers and continue to grow in popularity. Eighteen of the top 100 most viewed YouTube Channels worldwide are dedicated to toys and toy unboxings. These 18 channels accounted for 8.1 billion views in Q1 2015.1

“We’re excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind initiative,” said Chris M. Williams, Chief Audience Officer, Maker Studios. “The unboxing world continues to expand rapidly as audiences around the world connect with digital creators who share their passions. This shared fandom helps attract billions of monthly views and consistently puts the genre at the top of the YouTube charts.”

The global unboxing event will incorporate traditional toy unboxers such as the popular EvanTubeHD, channels featuring families such as Bratayley, lifehack specialists such as ExpCaseros, gamers such as AlexBy11 and Star Wars fans from around the world, including Chris Pirillo, bringing with them a broad audience and appeal.

The full schedule is available at www.StarWars.com.

Several countries will join the live stream from YouTube Spaces (Berlin, Tokyo, London), with Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez hosting the event from the YouTube Space, Los Angeles.

Fans can tune in to watch live unboxings at home or on mobile devices, and also enjoy the latest trailers on the upcoming movie, commentary from special guests, fun product videos and demos, and footage from recent Star Wars events.

The global celebration culminates at midnight local time, when many retailers around the world will open their doors to fans to purchase Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys, collectibles, books, apparel and more. Visit starwars.com for more details on participating locations. Additionally, select Disney Store locations around the world will take part. More details are available at www.DisneyStore.com/ForceFriday.

Fans are encouraged to document their experiences around the event on social media using the hashtag #ForceFriday.


About Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that brings our company's stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps, books and console games. DCPI comprises two main lines of business: Disney Consumer Products (DCP), and Disney Interactive (DI). The combined segment is home to world class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, a leading retail business (Disney Store), artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

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.

About Maker Studios
Maker Studios is the global leader in online short-form video and the largest content network on YouTube. Maker specializes in reaching millennial audiences across multiple programming genres. Maker’s network includes 55,000 independent creators from more than 100 countries, attracting over 10 billion views per month, with a growing scale driven by its robust technology platform, direct-to-consumer distribution and data analytics. Maker is home to many of the world’s leading online talent and award-winning original programs such as “Epic Rap Battles of History.” Maker Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Los Angeles, with operations in New York, London and Singapore. For more information visit www.makerstudios.com.

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

1 Source: Tubefilter; Top 100 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide, January 2015 - March 2015; Data provided by Tubefilter, OpenSlate & YouTube

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VIZ Media Offers a Taste of "Komomo Confiserie"


VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES THE SWEET SHOJO MANGA CONFECTION KOMOMO CONFISERIE

New Manga Series About An Ex-Rich Girl Who Starts Working At A Pastry Shop And Finds Love For The First Time From The Creator Of S•A And VOICE OVER! SEIYU ACADEMY

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the release of its latest shojo manga (graphic novel) series with the launch of KOMOMO CONFISERIE on September 1st, 2015.

The romantic comedy, created by Maki Minami, about a sheltered but determined girl finding her way in the world after her family goes bankrupt is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. KOMOMO CONFISERIE also launches digitally on September 1st via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. The series will be published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint with new volumes scheduled for release in print and digitally on a quarterly basis.

As a little girl, Komomo Ninomiya delighted in picking on Natsu Azumi, the son of her family’s pastry chef. Ten years later, when the family fortune is lost and she has no place to live, Komomo encounters Natsu again in her hour of need. Now that Natsu is a master pastry chef in his own right, he’ll help Komomo – but only if she works for him at his new confiserie!

“In KOMOMO CONFISERIE, Maki Minami has created a strong, unique heroine who tackles challenges in her own way including working hard for the first time in her life,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Senior Editor. “Be prepared for a lot of laughs as Komomo and Natsu learn to get along in this sweet new series!”

Manga creator Maki Minami is from Saitama Prefecture in Japan and debuted in 2001 with Kanata no Ao (Faraway Blue). Her other works include Kimi wa Girlfriend (You're My Girlfriend), Mainichi ga Takaramono (Every Day Is a Treasure) and Yuki Atataka (Warm Winter). Her series, S•A, (published in English by VIZ Media; rated ‘T’ for Teens), was serialized in Japan's Hana to Yume magazine and was also adapted into a popular anime series. Maki Minami also is the creator of VOICE OVER! SEIYU ACADEMY, which is published in English by VIZ Media.

For more information on KOMOMO CONFISERIE or other shojo manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit: www.viz.com.


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 ONE PIECE, 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.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Dylan Horrocks Tours for "Sam Zabel"


Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen Book Tour: Cartoonist Dylan Horrocks' Anticipated U.S. Tour

Critically acclaimed cartoonist, Dylan Horrocks bids farewell to his native New Zealand as he travels to the United States for his first convention appearance in over a decade on a book tour in celebration of the fan-favorite release, Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen. His first graphic novel since the classic, Hicksville, collected in 1998.

Sam Zabel is an exploration of the highs and lows of fantasy through the lens of Zabel, a popular, but creatively stymied, cartoonist. This provoking and thoughtful meditation on the comics medium as art, outlet, and industry leads the reader on an epic adventure with sex-crazed aliens, monks, pirates, and web-cartoonists. Horrocks approaches this one-of-a-kind tale with careful consideration for the artist, the reader, and of course, the story we all yearn to tell.

Tour Dates

September 18..........................Politics & Prose - Washington DC

September 19-20......................Small Press Expo - Bethesda, MD
Special Guest*

September 22.................................Desert Island - Brooklyn, NY
w/ Joan Cornella*

September 24.............................CCS - White River Junction, VT
Visiting Artist Lecture*

September 26......................Harvard Bookstore - Cambridge, MA

September 28.........................Magers & Quinn - Minneapolis, MN

September 30..........................Challengers Comics - Chicago, IL

October 2............................Cartoon Crossroads - Columbus, OH

October 5-7.................Sequential Arts Workshop - Gainesville, FL
Visiting Artist Workshop*

October 22..............International Festival of Authors - Toronto, ON
Special Guest*

Praise for Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen:

"A creator only knows if something succeeds once it's in someone's hands and, even then, there's no guarantee that feedback makes its way back to the place of origin. But, Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen shows that when the loop of creation to appreciation is complete-and better still if the creative energy spins out on its own unpredictable orbit-that the relationship between audience and artist carries its own sort of eldritch power."
-Evan Narcisse, Kotaku

"This is a complicated, rich story about confronting the sometimes-lurid or nakedly obvious wish-fulfillment aspects of comic books, but it's also about the ways Sam's distress with the world can't be satisfied by other people's ideas of paradise."
-Tasha Robinson, NPR

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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Archie Comics Characters Headed for Broadway

ADAM MCKAY AND FUNNY OR DIE JOIN ARCHIE COMICS TO CREATE A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL BASED ON THE CHARACTERS OF THE BELOVED COMIC SERIES ARCHIE.

Writer/Director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, You're Welcome America) and Funny Or Die have joined forces with Archie Comics, one of the most popular comics ever produced, to bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale gang to Broadway in an all-new musical.  McKay is slated to bring his singular brand of comedy to the musical, writing the book for the show, with a creative team and timing for a New York run to be announced at a later date.

Funny Or Die will serve as a presenting partner. CEO Jon Goldwater and CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee for Archie Comics. The partnership was packaged by Triptyk Studios (An American in Paris, You’re Welcome America, Xanadu) who will reteam with their You’re Welcome America partners for the endeavor. Tara Smith, B. Swibel and Adam Westbrook will oversee development for the company and present on Broadway.

Adam McKay said, “Archie represents a bygone era of America. And like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone. This will be a musical that deals with both those realities in a bright, colorful and slightly demented way.”

Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics CEO/Publisher, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Adam McKay and Funny Or Die to finally bring Archie to the stage. We’ve always thought that Archie was destined to be a big Broadway star – and now that moment has come! I’ve long admired Adam’s work and the pairing of Archie’s world with his brilliant humor and sensibility is the perfect fit. We look forward to developing this project together with this incredible team.”

Visit www.ArchieMusical.com for more information and to sign-up for updates.  Follow the development of the Archie musical on all social media channels @ArchieMusical


ABOUT ARCHIE COMICS:
Archie Comics is the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and the home to a wide array of the most popular humor, action-adventure and superhero characters in entertainment, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Afterlife With Archie, the Dark Circle Comics superhero characters (The Black Hood, The Fox, The Shield and more), Li’l Jinx and many more. Archie Comics have sold over 2 billion comics worldwide and are published around the world in a number of languages. In addition to comics, Archie characters have been featured prominently in animation, television, film and music. Follow Archie Comics on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Archie Comics Store.

About ADAM McKAY
Adam McKay is a writer, director, and producer who is best known for directing the Anchorman films, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, all of which he also co-wrote with longtime partner Will Ferrell. He is a former head writer of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade and the co-creator of the largest comedy website in the world, Funny Or Die. On Broadway, McKay directed the Tony Award-nominated You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.  Most recently he wrote and directed an adaptation of Michael Lewis’ bestseller The Big Short, starring Brad Pitt and Christian Bale and was credited as a writer on Marvel’s Ant-Man.

About FUNNY OR DIE
Funny Or Die launched in April 2007 and has grown into a premier comedy brand and production studio known for creating award-winning, high-quality content with a global audience of more than 70 million. Funny Or Die’s social media division produces content for over 15 platforms and is the #1 comedy brand on both Twitter and Facebook. Funny Or Die is the top destination for celebrity-driven comedy videos and highly topical political commentary. Funny Or Die's founders are Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy), and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Judd Apatow is also a principal partner.

About TRIPTYK STUDIOS
TriptykStudios makes works for theater, film, television, web and arts education, and is led by producer TARA SMITH and writer-producers B. SWIBEL & ADAM WESTBROOK.  Recent select theater work includes Tony-winning hit An American in Paris; the award-winning hit Xanadu; Broadway smash You're Welcome America from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay; the critically acclaimed revival of The Seagull starring Carey Mulligan; The Performers starring Henry Winkler; NY Times Critic’s pick My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer. Triptyk premieres Amelie, a new musical, starring Samantha Barks, at Berkley Repertory this summer, before seeing Xanadu make its London premiere this October. They recently announced the new Stevie Wonder musical, Freedom Run, with NBC/Universal Stage.

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Academy Announces Sci-Tech Achievements Under Consideration for 88th Academy Awards

20 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR 2015 ACADEMY AWARDS
The Scientific and Technical Awards Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 20 scientific and technical achievements, involving 11 distinct investigations, have been selected for further consideration for 2015 Academy Awards.

The list is made public to allow individuals and companies with similar devices or claims of prior art the opportunity to submit achievements for review.

The deadline to submit additional entries is Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 5 p.m. PT.

The committee has selected the following technologies for further consideration:

    A remote-controlled lens attachment that enables highly adjustable in-camera distortion effects     Prompted by Squishy Lens (Clairmont Camera)
   
    A remote-controlled lens attachment that allows viewable, easily manipulated, real-time image movement without displacing the camera
    Prompted by Image Shaker (Clairmont Camera)
   
    Portable, inflatable panels for on-location motion picture production
    Prompted by Inflatable Airwall (Aircover Inflatables)
   
    Displays that provide P3 color space for image review in motion picture workflows
    Prompted by Dolby Laboratories model PRM-4200 Professional Reference Color Monitor (Dolby Laboratories)
   
    Tools that are used for the creation and quality control of DCI compliant digital cinema packages for the motion picture industry
    Prompted by easyDCP Software Suite (Fraunhofer IIS)
   
    Rig-based solvers for tracking and animating deforming objects from image sequences
    Prompted by Geometry Tracker (ILM) and FACETS - Directable Facial Motion Capture (Weta Digital)
   
    Integrated computer solutions for collaborative, iterative review of cinema resolution shots and sequences within the visual effects and animation studio environment
    Prompted by RV Media Player (Tweak Software), Clip - A Comprehensive Playback, Editing and Review Suite (Double Negative), DreamWorks Animation Media Review Ecosystem (DreamWorks Animation), FrameCycler (IRIDAS), Global DDR (Rhythm & Hues), HiDef - Media Review System (Weta Digital), Itview Collaborative Review System (Sony Pictures Imageworks), WDAS Collaborative Enhanceable Image Playback and Review Systems (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
   
    Large-scale, massively parallel, distributed, multi-physics simulation systems
    Prompted by Odin: A massively parallel simulation environment (Weta Digital)
   
    Image compression coding and parameters that adhere to the specifications for the theatrical release of motion pictures
    Prompted by JPEG 2000 Digital Cinema and IMF Profiles (Fraunhofer IIS)
   
    3D texture paint systems capable of dealing with large texture sets for production assets
    Prompted by MARI (The Foundry)
   
    Rule-based frameworks for the art-directable creation of computer-generated structures and urban environments
    Prompted by CityEngine (Esri R&D Center Zurich)

After thorough investigations are conducted in each of the technology categories, the committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.

The 2015 Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

Claims of prior art or similar technology must be submitted on the Academy’s website at www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/apply.html.  For further information, contact the Awards Administration Office at (310) 247-3000, ext. 1129, or via e-mail at scitech@oscars.org.

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Monday, August 24, 2015

TwoMorrows Publishes Herb Trimpe Biography; Noted Hulk and Wolverine Artist


The late Hulk and Wolverine artist Herb Trimpe memorialized in a new biography from TwoMorrows

TwoMorrows Publishing is now shipping The Incredible Herb Trimpe, a new full-color hardcover which memorializes the late artist known for his groundbreaking work on the Incredible Hulk, and for drawing the first appearance of X-Men fan-favorite Wolverine.

Starting with his humble beginnings running the first photostat machine at Marvel Comics in the 1960s, no other member of the Marvel Bullpen had such a varied and remarkable career as Herb Trimpe. He drew licensed characters based on toys such as G.I. Joe, Godzilla, and Transformers, which went on to become blockbuster movies. He drew runs of super-heroes like Iron Man, Defenders, Captain Britain, and even Marvel’s flagship character Spider-Man. But he’s best known for his definitive eight-year stint drawing the Incredible Hulk, and the eventual debut of Wolverine in its pages.

This book, produced with Herb's full cooperation just prior to his passing last April, chronicles the life and art of Trimpe through his own voice, as well as the voices of friends and colleagues like Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco, Roy Thomas, John Romita, Bill Peckmann, Sal Buscema, Joe Sinnott, Larry Hama, Doug Moench, Eliot Brown, Len Wein, Ron Frenz, Steve Englehart, and his son Alex Trimpe. Their testimony to his talent and his legacy of artwork leave no wonder why he has been dubbed “The Incredible Herb Trimpe.”

"While Herb unexpectedly passed away before the book was released, he got to see the final proofs, and was as pleased with it as I am," recounts publisher John Morrow. "I grew up on Herb's amazing comics work, so when authors Dewey Cassell and Aaron Sultan pitched the book idea to me, I didn't hesitate to green-light it. Those guys knocked themselves out on it on this labor of love, and made Herb—and me—extremely proud. Every comics and super-hero fan should know about Trimpe's pivotal role in Marvel Comics' history, as well as his little-known humanitarian efforts as a volunteer Chaplain at Ground Zero following the 911 attacks. It's a most fitting tribute to a truly remarkable man."

This heavily-illustrated full-color hardcover is 160 pages long, and retails for $34.95. It is available now in both print and digital editions, through TwoMorrows' website (www.twomorrows.com), comic and bookstores through Diamond Comic/Book Distributors, on Amazon.com, and through the TwoMorrows Publishing app on the Apple and Android platforms.

The Incredible Herb Trimpe
(160-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $34.95
(Digital Edition) $7.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-60549-062-5
Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: APR151745

A free preview of the book is available at the publisher's ordering link: http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=133&products_id=1196

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Denise Di Novi's "Unforgettable" Begins Shooting in Los Angeles

Shooting Begins on “Unforgettable”

Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson star in the film, marking the directorial debut of Denise Di Novi

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic thriller “Unforgettable,” which is the first film in the director’s chair for veteran producer Denise Di Novi (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Focus”).

Katherine Heigl (“27 Dresses,” “Knocked Up”) and Rosario Dawson (the “Sin City” films) star in the film. “Unforgettable” marks a reunion for Heigl and Di Novi, who previously collaborated on “Life as We Know It.”

The main cast also includes Geoff Stults (TV’s “Zoo”), young actress Isabella Rice (“True Blood”), Simon Kassianides (TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Whitney Cummings (“The Wedding Ringer”), Robert Wisdom (TV’s “Chicago PD”) and film and television star Cheryl Ladd.

The film is being produced by Di Novi, Alison Greenspan (“If I Stay”) and Ravi D. Mehta (“Grudge Match”), from a screenplay by Christina Hodson.

Heigl stars as Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.

The behind the scenes creative team is led by multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Right Stuff,” “The Natural”), production designer Nelson Coates (“Flight”), editor Frédéric Thoraval (“Taken”), and costume designer Marian Toy (HBO’s “Ballers”).

“Unforgettable” will be lensed in and around the Los Angeles area.

The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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