Feature to Complement EA's Highly Anticipated Game, Taking Players
Into All Nine Circles of the Epic Poem's Depiction of Hell
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. & BURBANK, Calif., Mar 30, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Starz Media's Film Roman
announced today the start of production on an animated movie based on
the immortal epic Dante's Inferno(TM). The feature-length project
will expand on the story in EA's new, must-have game coming out for the
Xbox 360? video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION?3
computer entertainment system in 2010.
Just as the poem and game take players on a stunning journey through the
nine circles of Hell, the "Dante's Inferno" animated feature will also
follow Dante as he travels through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger,
heresy, violence, fraud and treachery in search of his true love,
Beatrice. Both are based on part one of Dante Alighieri's classic poem,
"The Divine Comedy," better known as "Dante's Inferno."
To give added distinction among each of the nine circles, EA and Film
Roman (co-producers on the "Dante's Inferno" project) are taking the
innovative step of commissioning unique visions from multiple studios
with experience creating some of the top anime in the industry to tell
this classic story. Film Roman's Joe Goyette ("Dead Space(TM): Downfall")
is the producer on the project, Victor Cook ("The Spectacular
Spider-Man," "Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron") is directing and Brandon
Auman ("Iron Man: Armored Adventures") is writing.
"This is like nothing else out in the marketplace right now - a visually
stunning project based on one of the most powerful stories ever told,"
notes Jay Fukuto, Head of Studio for Film Roman. "It could only happen
with a partner with the vision and creativity of EA. They were great
collaborators on 'Dead Space: Downfall,' and we expect another very
rewarding experience with this new feature."
"The animated feature will be a great companion piece to the game," said
Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer and Creative Director for Dante's
Inferno. "The feature will explore aspects of the poem that the game
does not, and will provide more insight into the characters and the
unique story adaptation that the game has established. It's a very cool
project, and we are having a blast collaborating with the talented team
that Starz has assembled."
"Dante's Inferno" marks the second such collaboration between the
leading video game company and the premier traditional animation studio.
In 2008, Film Roman produced "Dead Space: Downfall," an animated feature
prequel to EA's award-winning video game Dead Space, both of
which were both worldwide successes.
Starz Media will introduce the "Dante's Inferno" animated feature to the
international television community as it continues global sales of "Dead
Space: Downfall" at the MIPTV market, March 30 - April 3 in Cannes,
France. Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive worldwide home
entertainment distribution rights to "Dante's Inferno," while Starz
Media's Worldwide Distribution group will handle international
television and domestic syndication sales and Starz Digital Media will
be responsible for all digital distribution globally.
The Dante's Inferno game is being developed at EA Redwood Shores.
For more information about the game, please visit www.dantesinferno.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded
in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular
handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA SPORTS Freestyle(TM) and POGO(TM). In
fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27
titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online
game site is www.ea.com.
More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can
be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
About Starz Media
Starz Media, LLC, is a programming production and distribution company
operating worldwide. It includes the Film Roman, Anchor Bay
Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment brands. Its units create animated
and live-action programming -- including theatrical films -- and
programming created under contract for other media companies. It
distributes that programming, and programming acquired from outside
producers, through home video retailers, theaters, broadcasters, ad
supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless
video distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com)
is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to
the Liberty Capital Group.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, Dead Space and Dante's Inferno
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the
U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective licensors.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Andrew Wong, 650-628-7281
PR Manager, EA Games Label
anwong@ea.com
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223
Sr. Director, EA Games Label
tschachter@ea.com
or
Starz Media, LLC
Jonathan Taylor, 818-748-4032
Mobile: 310-592-3039
VP Public Relations, Starz Media
Jonathan.Taylor@starz.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009