I think we should just keep buying SYCD....one of these days it is simply going to explode...causing the mm's huge grief and making us a LOT of money...this is interesting:
(COMTEX) B: 4Kids Entertainment Expands Pokemon Franchise to the Big
B: 4Kids Entertainment Expands Pokemon Franchise to the Big Screen
NEW YORK, Jun 25, 1999 (BUSINESS WIRE via COMTEX) --
4Kids Inks Deal With Warner Bros. to Bring "Pokemon The Movie:
Mewtwo Strikes Back" to North American Audiences This Fall
The excitement continues to build for the tremendously hot property
Pokemon. 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIDE) licensing subsidiary
Leisure Concepts, Inc. inks a distribution deal with Warner Bros. to
Introduce Onscreen For First Time in Any Format "Pokemon The Movie:
Mewtwo Strikes Back," the first animated Pokemon feature film, to a
worldwide audience, excluding Asia.
The big-screen version of the immensely popular franchise will be a
Kids' WB! Presentation, and will open in theaters throughout North
America on Nov. 12, with distribution in the rest of the world to
follow. The announcement was made Thursday by Sanford E. Reisenbach,
Warner Bros. executive vice president of marketing and planning.
"The partnership with Warner Bros. Kids' WB! for both the six day a
week cartoon strip that airs in September and now this wonderful
addition of having them also involved in the distribution of the first
Pokemon film will add even more excitement to this very powerful
property, commented Al Kahn, chairman and chief executive officer of
4Kids Entertainment Inc. the company authorized by Nintendo to hold the
rights to the movie, television series, home video and merchandising.
"Pokemon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back" was produced in Japan by
Shogakukan Productions Co. Ltd. When the film was released there last
summer, it became the fourth-highest grossing film in Japan for 1998.
"Pokemon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back" is an epic adventure featuring
the debut of new, bio-engineered "Super-Pokemon," whose powers rival
those of the existing creatures, creating exciting new plot twists and
turns. The new Pokemon appears in this film for the first time in any
format; it cannot yet be seen on television or in any video game. For
the upcoming release of the film, the producers are adding a new
musical score.
"The Pokemon storyline combines a variety of appealing characters that
not only entertains kids but reinforces teamwork and cooperation,"
stated Reisenbach. "The interest and fervor for Pokemon, by both boys
and girls, is incredible. 'Pokemon The Movie' is family entertainment
that everyone will enjoy."
The Pokemon phenomenon began in Japan with a game for Nintendo's Game
Boy portable video game system, before capturing the attention of
America. Its huge popularity prompted the creation of a Pokemon
television series, which became a tremendous success in Japan. The
phenomenon spread to the United States, where Nintendo has now sold
more than 2.8 million units of the game, topping industry sales charts.
The "Pokemon" TV show now airs in the United States in syndication and
on Kids WB!, where it has emerged as the No. 1 kids' program. In
addition to the video games and TV show, Pokemon continues to entertain
millions of fans all over the world with a best-selling toy line, a
hugely popular card game and a multitude of licensed products.
Pokemon is set in a fantasy world populated by 151 different imaginary
creatures called Pokemon, each possessing unique, special powers or
abilities. In the Pokemon environment, human beings act as Pokemon
trainers, capturing as many of the creatures as they can. The Pokemon
then join the trainer's team and help capture other Pokemon, enabling
their human companions to become "Pokemon Masters."
In the feature film, Ash Ketchum, accompanied by his friends Misty,
Brock and Pikachu (a favorite, electrically-charged Pokemon), continues
his quest to become the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. The challenge
is greater than ever when Mewtwo, a bio-engineered Pokemon, creates a
strain of Super-Pokemon and sets the stage for the ultimate Pokemon
battle.
A 22-minute short subject, "Pikachu's Vacation," will precede the
feature. In addition to Mewtwo, four brand-new Pokemon will appear in
"Pikachu's Vacation." Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the
acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive
entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video
games worldwide, has created such industry icons as Mario and Donkey
Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon.
Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular
home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy - the
world's best-selling video game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary,
Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as
headquarters for Nintendo's operations in North America.
Headquartered in New York, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIDE) is
a vertically integrated entertainment company whose wholly-owned
subsidiaries include: Leisure Concepts, Inc., a leader in domestic and
international merchandise licensing and product development; 4Kids
Productions, film and home videoproduction company; and Summit Media, a
domestic and international television distribution, media buying and
planning company.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Due to the fact
that the Company faces competition from toy companies, motion picture
studios and other licensing companies, and the uncertainty of the
public's response to the Company's properties, actual results or
outcomes may differ materially from any such forward looking
statements.
Copyright (C) 1999 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
-0-
CONTACT: 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., New York
Joseph P. Garrity
Executive Vice President and CFO
212/758-7666
or
Public Relations:
Carlin C. West
Senior Vice President Marketing Communications
212/758-7666
WEB PAGE: businesswire.com
GEOGRAPHY: NEW YORK
INDUSTRY CODE: ENTERTAINMENT
COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
COMED
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET
PRODUCT
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