“Iron Man” and “Eddie Izzard: Live from Wembley” Underscore EPIX Viewer Promise: Movies, Music and Comedy
EPIX Launch Weekend Movies Eclipse $2.5 Billion in Worldwide Box Office
New York, NY, October 12, 2009 – EPIX™ unveiled today its October 30th launch weekend programming lineup featuring a powerhouse slate of movies with a worldwide box office value of more than $2.5 billion. EPIX’s opening weekend will debut with the worldwide television and online premieres of an exclusive two-hour special concert event, Madonna “Sticky & Sweet: Live from Buenos Aires,” Marvel’s blockbuster film “Iron Man,” and the exclusive comedy special “Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley.”
The “Sticky & Sweet” concert is the single most successful solo-artist tour of all time; Madonna entertained more than 3.5 million concert-goers in 32 countries generating nearly $500 million in total gate. EPIX captured her dazzling two-hour performance, live in Argentina at Buenos Aires’ River Plate Stadium with special surprise guests Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and Britney Spears seamlessly performing with Madonna via large screen. This will mark the first opportunity for audiences to see the sold out event following the live concert. The Sticky & Sweet Tour supported Madonna’s Grammy-nominated "Hard Candy," which debuted at number one on the charts in over 37 countries.
“Performances from artists like Madonna represent the kind of marquee talent who will perform on EPIX as part of our slate of monthly music and comedy events,” said EPIX President Mark Greenberg.
Kicking off opening night with Marvel’s blockbuster movie “Iron Man,” EPIX will debut a powerhouse line-up of movies over the course of the weekend: more than fifteen world television premieres representing a combined worldwide box office value of more than $2.5 billion include Oscar-winner “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Tyler Perry’s hit “Madea Goes to Jail,” family favorite “Pink Panther 2,” Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “Cloverfield” and “The Duchess” among many others.
In addition to movies and music, cutting edge comedy will headline opening weekend with “Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley.” Izzard performs at his inimitable best during this sell-out European tour, transcending labels with his stream of consciousness stories that captivate audiences as his characters evolve and situations become more absurd. Appearing in Oceans 12 and producing and starring in FX’s “The Riches,” Izzard is known for his intelligent improvisational style, capable of weaving together such disparate topics as the Greek gods and Medusa’s hairstylist, transvestites and superheroes, along with musings on the plight of rabbit-chasing greyhounds.
“There is no one like Eddie Izzard. He breaks the mold. He is smart, engaging and hilarious,” said Greenberg.
As for his involvement with the multiplatform channel, Izzard said, “I have always sought out new and innovative means for sharing my work with my audience; I am thrilled to be a part of the very early days of EPIX and their exciting new network.”
About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation multiplatform premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launching on October 30, 2009. EPIX will be distributed by Verizon FiOS on Channel 395 in SD and Channel 895 in HD and other partners. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of the partner studios, EPIX will deliver films from Paramount, Paramount Vantage, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies released theatrically on or after January 1, 2008 and MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate titles released theatrically on or after January 1, 2009, which will be available exclusively to its subscribers.
Providing a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service, EPIX will air new Hollywood titles plus classic feature films, original series, and music and comedy specials. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up on video-on-demand, online and on the linear channel. Further, EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available online to subscribers via its enhanced service EPIX Megaplex.
The joint venture controls all rights to EPIX’s programming and Viacom provides operational support, including marketing and affiliate services through its MTV Networks division.
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