First Release under 'Reader's Digest Family Films' Banner Based on Popular
'Reader's Digest' Story
-- Dean Cain to Star; Principal Filming Begins this Week --
LOS ANGELES, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Reader's Digest Association,
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC and Peace Arch Entertainment
are joining forces to produce and distribute "Ace of Hearts," a full-length
motion picture based on a true story published by Reader's Digest in 2000
about a law- enforcement officer and his crime-fighting dog. The movie, the
first released under the new brand, Reader's Digest Family Films, is
scheduled to begin production this week and stars Dean Cain ("Out of Time,"
TV's "Lois and Clark," "Best Men") as the lead actor. Plans call for the
film to be released in early 2008.
Peace Arch Entertainment (Amex: PAE), a leading worldwide film producer
and distributor, will produce the film in association with Bogner
Entertainment Inc., headed by producer Jonathan Bogner. Peace Arch also
will distribute the film internationally. Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment LLC (TCFHE), a division of News Corporation's Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation, will handle U.S. marketing and distribution.
Reader's Digest Association will provide magazine, direct marketing and
online promotion. Reader's Digest is the country's largest magazine,
reaching nearly 40 million people, and is part of a network of 50 editions
worldwide. The company also publishes 26 other magazine titles, sells
millions of books each year and operates websites around the world.
Eva Dillon, President of RD Inspiration and Group Publisher of Reader's
Digest, said: "We are excited to team up with highly respected movie makers
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Peace Arch Entertainment.
Reader's Digest is one of the world's most trusted sources of
family-friendly information and entertainment. We look forward to building
Reader's Digest Family Films into a leading producer of family
entertainment through a series of quality movies and programs based on our
library of highly popular stories."
Steven Bersch, COO of TCFHE, said: "We're thrilled to be in business
with such terrific partners and one of the strongest brands in the world.
This true, triumphal and inspirational tale is going to make for a very
popular piece of filmed entertainment, and our world class marketing and
distribution will insure that it gets seen by families throughout North
America."
Peace Arch Entertainment President John Flock said: "We are very
pleased to be extending our U.S. distribution relationships to include Fox,
one of the pre-eminent distributors in the world, while at the same time
expanding our family entertainment business in this new venture with
Reader's Digest, a time-honored and highly valued brand that has defined
family entertainment in publishing for generations."
Ace of Hearts, with screenplay written by Frederick Ayeroff and
directed by David Mackay ("Route 9," "Ten-Inch Hero," "Black Point," "The
Lesser Evil,") follows the adventures of law enforcement officer Glen
MacKenzie (Dean Cain), his 13-year-old daughter, and Ace, his canine corps
German Shepard, as they match wits with a wily criminal bent on revenge
against the family and Ace.
Cain, 40, has appeared in more than 70 films and television episodes in
a career that has spanned 23 years. After flirting with an NFL pro-football
career, he became a familiar TV face on "Beverly Hills, 90210" in 1990
before getting his first big break as Clark Kent / Superman in the series,
"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" with Terri Hatcher in 1993.
William Morris Agency and the Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer,
Stiffelman, Gilbert-Lurie, Cook, Johnson & Wolf law firm put the parties
together and negotiated the deal with Frank Lalli on behalf of Reader's
Digest Association.
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (RDA) is a global publisher and
direct marketer of products that inform, entertain and inspire people of
all ages and cultures around the world. Reader's Digest Family Films
produces feature films based on popular stories published in Reader's
Digest magazine. RDA global headquarters are located near Pleasantville,
New York. For more information, please visit http://www.rda.com.
Peace Arch(R) Entertainment produces and acquires feature film,
television and home entertainment content for distribution to world
markets. Peace Arch is the owner of one of the largest libraries of top
quality independent feature films in the world. Through its subsidiary,
Peace Arch Home Entertainment, Peace Arch is also one of the leading
distributors of DVDs and related products in Canada. For additional
information, please visit http://www.peacearch.com.
A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company
for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray Disc
(BD) as well as acquisitions of original productions. The company also
releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each
year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it
services to retail outlets-from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to
specialty stores and e-commerce-throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox
Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film
Corporation, a News Corporation company.
SOURCE Reader's Digest Association
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Related links:
http://www.rd.com
http://www.rda.com http://www.peacearch.com
CONTACT:
William Adler for Reader's Digest,
+1-914-244-7585; or Steve Feldstein for Twentieth Century Fox,
+1-310-369-5369; or Roy Bodner for Peace Arch, +1-310-776-7208
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