Ημερομηνία: 8/10/2007 1:09:00 μμ Περιοχή: Νέα Υόρκη ΗΠΑ Από: BW

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( BW)(CA-TORNANTE-COMPANY) The Tornante Company to Take Vuguru's 'Prom Queen' & 'Prom Queen: Summer Heat' International with Distribution Deals in France and Japan Prom Queen To Be Made Available For All Media Platforms and Countries Around The World Business Editors/Entertainment Editors BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 2007--The Tornante Company's new media studio for Internet production, Vuguru (www.vuguru.com ) announced today, two first-of-its-kind agreements to distribute the original and spin-off Prom Queen series. The first, with French company Cyber-Group Animation is to distribute the series dubbed in French for wireless mobile, broadband, TV, and home video. The Tornante Company is represented by Cyber-Group Animation at this year's MIPCOM. The second is a distribution deal that has been brokered with Japanese based Rights Entertainment to distribute the US series in Japanese and produce a localized version. Both deals, which were brokered by Douglas Miller representing The Tornante Company, mark the first time distribution rights to a fully-scripted and produced short form internet product is sold and reformatted for foreign audiences outside the United States. It is anticipated that Prom Queen and Prom Queen: Summer Heat will become available for Japanese and French audiences in 2008. "The international demand for Prom Queen is a testament to quality online content," said Michael Eisner. "These deals signify new and exciting opportunities for this evolving media landscape. We're excited to work with these companies and look forward to achieving great success together." Prom Queen and Prom Queen: Summer Heat, produced with the production company Big Fantastic, were originally created for internet exhibition only, but due to global demand for the series, were modified to allow for local language and multimedia distribution flexibility worldwide. "We are thrilled to be associated with Tornante and Michael Eisner in the international development of Prom Queen. Following Prom Queen's success in the US, this is a very exciting venture into the emerging form of entertainment on new platforms, of which we are only witnessing the beginnings today," added Pierre Sissman, Co-founder and CEO of Cyber-Group Animation. "It is a high quality program with good story and structure suited for new media such as mobile, online and others, with strong potential for cross media promotion, merchandising and distribution," said Martin Roberts, COO of Rights Entertainment. Prom Queen was viewed by over 15 million people during its original run. The series was such a huge success, it spawned a fifteen episode spin-off series, Prom Queen: Summer Heat which is approaching 2.5 million views in its initial run. ABOUT VUGURU Vuguru is a new media studio for Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company. The studio produces and distributes innovative story-driven content for current new media and emerging platforms. Vuguru's production of Prom Queen is the first of many shows developed and produced by the studio. Privately held, The Tornante Company makes investments in and incubates companies and opportunities in the media and entertainment space. Tornante, which recently acquired The Topps Company Inc., (NASDAQ: TOPP) holds ownership stakes in Veoh Networks and Team Baby Entertainment. RIGHTS ENTERTAINMENT Inc. Rights Entertainment Inc. is a new company to produce and distribute content to all media that was formed by key people with experience in advertising agency produced TV programs and related mobile content, NTT DoCoMo mobile content production/distribution, pay and free TV distribution of Hollywood product and commercial productions. Rights Entertainment was set up by Rights Trust Inc., one of first to receive a license from the Government to work in public funding for intellectual properties. CYBER-GROUP ANIMATION Cyber-Group Animation is an independent French production and distribution company targeting kids and teens with high-end animation productions in 3D and 2D and live action entertainment. Founded by former top executives of the Walt Disney Company in Europe Pierre Sissmann and Dominique Bourse and famous French TV host for kids Billy, Cyber-Group Animation develops audiovisual intellectual properties based on new or existing characters with an international appeal, maximizing their distribution potential, on all types of formats. CONTACT: Media for Vuguru: Dan Klores Communications Adam Schiff, 212-981-5216 adam_schiff@dkcnews.com or Dan Klores Communications Justine Sacco, 212-981-5180 justine_sacco@dkcnews.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKING INTERNET E-COMMERCE ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION/RADIO CABLE PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: The Tornante Company Copyright Business Wire 2007