Washington,U.S.A — Only months after the office of the U.S. Surgeon General warned that exposure to on-screen smoking causes young people to start smoking, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has spotlighted the U.S. movie industry’s failure to protect young audiences.

Reversing a five-year decline in movie smoking, from 2005 to 2010, four out of the six major Hollywood studios featured more smoking in their youth-rated (G, PG and PG-13) movies in 2011. Overall, tobacco incidents per youth-rated film climbed by more than one-third above 2010; in 2011, youth-rated movies delivered almost twice as many tobacco impressions to domestic theater audiences as in 2010, topping 10 billion. The three major studios with published policies addressing onscreen smoking — Disney, Universal (Comcast) and Warner Bros. (Time Warner) — saw the sharpest increases in the number of tobacco incidents per youth-rated movie.

“These data show us that individual policies that movie studios created in good faith to address this important public health problem do not stand up,” said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of Legacy, a national public health organization dedicated to reducing the tobacco epidemic in the United States. “The only way to ensure a substantial and permanent reduction in young people’s exposure to on-screen smoking is for the movie industry to adopt a uniform set of policies that apply to all producers and distributors and provide structural incentives for lasting change,” Healton added.

The Legacy-funded study “Smoking in Top-Grossing US Movies in 2011″ published today in the CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease found that the number of top-grossing, youth-rated movies that were tobacco-free dropped 17 percentage points from 2010 to 2011 among companies with policies, and the number of tobacco incidents in their movies climbed from an average of 1 in 2010 to 8.5 incidents per movie in 2011.

Across the industry, youth-rated movies accounted for 68 percent of all tobacco impressions delivered to theater audiences in 2011, compared to 39 percent in 2010. The review was conducted by Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! (TUTD), a project of Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails and the University of California, San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. (Tobacco impressions, an index of audience exposure, are estimated by multiplying the number of tobacco incidents in a film by paid admissions to the film)

“In 2011, the steady progress we had seen since 2005, led by three companies who each demonstrated that smoking in youth-rated movies could be all but eliminated, stopped and slipped backward. The stark difference in performance between those three major studios with policies and the three without all but disappeared last year,” said Stanton A. Glantz, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and lead author of the report.

“The result of this increase in the amount of onscreen smoking will be thousands of more kids starting to smoke,” Glantz added. “That’s why only a uniform, industry-wide R rating policy for smoking will protect kids from exposure to tobacco imagery. It creates a sustainable, voluntary incentive for producers to leave smoking out of films produced to be marketed to kids.”

The problem of smoking in movies is a top public health priority, as the U.S. Surgeon General, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have emphasized the importance of reducing youth exposure to on-screen smoking.

“The industry knows what these policies are, because they have been recommended repeatedly by health agencies and organizations, civic bodies, youth groups, and, earlier this year, by more than three dozen state attorneys general: the R-rating for future smoking, certification of no tobacco payoffs, strong anti-tobacco spots before any movie with smoking, shown in any channel, and an end to tobacco brand display in movies,” Healton said.

“How many more movies will it take for Hollywood to get the big picture and stop recruiting kids for Big Tobacco?” Healton asked. “When an actor lights up, so does a child. It is time for the media companies and their movie studios to take real, lasting action on this issue.”

To learn more about Legacy’s life-saving programs, visit www.LegacyForHealth.org or follow them on Twitter @legacyforhealth and Facebook www.Facebook.com/Legacy.

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On July 20, Twelve were killed and an estimated fifty or more were injured in a mass shooting at the midnight showing of ‘Dark Knight Rises’ in theater 9 of the Aurora, Colorado mall multiplex. According to inthecapital.com the attack is being called the “Batman Shooting.”

Twenty-four year old James Holmes, a native of Aurora, was arrested in the back of the theater holding a rifle and handgun and wearing a gas mask and bullet proof vest. Police spokesman Frank Fania stated, “he did not resist. He did not put up a fight.” Holmes’ mother reportedly called authorities from San Diego and told them they “had the right person.”

Holmes attacked about thirty minutes into the film, breaking in through the exit door. He then threw two canisters of tear gas into the audience. After the canisters exploded he opened fire. “We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes into the movie and all you hear, first you smell smoke, everybody thought it was fireworks or something like that, and then you just see people dropping and the gunshots are constant,” witness Christ Jones stated. “I heard at least 20 to 30 rounds within that minute or two.”

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates stated, “Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire.” Oates has announced that authorities do not believe he had an accomplice. FBI spokesman Jason Pack claimed that there was also no proof to suggest that Holmes was connected to terrorism in any way.

Upon being detained by the police Holmes claimed that he had left an explosive in his apartment. Police quickly evacuated the apartment building but the finding of an explosive device has not been announced.

The youngest victim of the shooting, a three month old, was treated at a hospital and released. Ten individuals died on scene while two others died at the hospital. Six of the victims were treated at the Children’s Hospital in Colorado although their statuses have not been announced. Several victims were also treated for chemical exposure to the tear gas.

President Obama issued this statement in response to the shooting: “Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded.

As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.”

Warner Bros., the production and distribution company for the film, also issued a statement saying, “Warner Bros. is deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time.” Warner Bros. also cancelled the premiere that was scheduled to take place at midnight on July 20 out of respect for the victims and their families.

Aurora is Colorado’s third-largest city with 327,000 people. The theater where the shooting took place is about ten miles from downtown Denver.

Image Courtesy of  The Dark Knight Rises

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Burbank, U.S.A. - Warner Bros. Pictures and the Chrysler brand have teamed up to bring fans the opportunity of a lifetime surrounding the July 20th release of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, the much-anticipated conclusion to the blockbuster Dark Knight trilogy. June 15 marks the launch of the “Imported from Gotham City” contest, allowing fans to create an original co-branded TV spot featuring these two iconic brands. Director/writer/producer Christopher Nolan will select the winning spot, which will debut on television around the release of the film.

Contestants will have two weeks to create their “Imported from Gotham City” original commercial utilizing a suite of assets, including Chrysler 300 car footage, film footage and music stems from the trailer that contestants can remix for their spot. At the conclusion of the contest, a gallery of submissions will go live on Saturday, June 30, kicking off a four-day public voting period when fans can weigh-in on their favorite Gotham City collaboration.

The top three finalists will be announced online and Christopher Nolan will personally choose the winner.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to tap into the creative community online and allow those who participate to showcase their talent and passion. We look forward to seeing what unique spots people produce,” says Nolan.

The winning spot will be determined by a number of judging criteria, including public vote, originality, creativity, memorability and brand effectiveness. Warner Bros. and Chrysler will debut the winning commercial on national television the week of the film’s release — watch for specific date and airing details to be announced shortly. The winner will receive a trip to Hollywood to finish their spot alongside a professional editor before traveling to New York City to attend the red carpet premiere screening of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on Monday, July 16.

Playing off Chrysler brand’s “Imported from Detroit” advertising campaign, the contest pushes the realm of the user-generated contest to a new level, allowing fans to take to the driver’s seat and test their creative skills within the world of Gotham City.

Apart from the winning contest spot, Chrysler will unveil another 30-second, co-branded television spot titled “Imported from Gotham City” in celebration of the partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Stacy Wall, the spot was designed and shot to look and feel similar to the world of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Featuring a 2012 Chrysler 300, the spot will make its broadcast debut on Tuesday, June 19, on the NBC network. A 60-second spot will also run online. Once live, both spots will be available on the Chrysler brand YouTube channel.

“The 2012 Chrysler 300 featured in this marketing and advertising campaign was created intentionally to look as if it could be driven on the streets and fit in to the nightlife of Gotham City; it’s clearly a vehicle that stands out and makes one take notice,” said Saad Chehab, President and CEO – Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC.

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Osaka, Japan - Universal Studios Japan, in partnership with Warner Bros. and Universal Parks & Resorts, announced that they will be bringing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Japan, marking the global expansion of this wildly popular themed entertainment experience that started at Universal Orlando Resort nearly two years ago.

The announcement was made by Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO, Universal Studios Japan; Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products; and Michael Silver, President, Global Business Development, Universal Parks & Resorts; as well as James and Oliver Phelps, who played the roles of Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series.

Governor of Osaka Ichiro Matsui was the guest of honor at the announcement, which also hosted more than a hundred excited fans dressed in Harry Potter attire who screamed with delight when the announcement was made.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan is the result of the creative teamwork and efforts by Universal Studios Japan in conjunction with Warner Bros., which produced and distributed the Harry Potter films, and Universal Parks & Resorts, which oversees Universal Studios theme parks, hotels and resorts throughout the world.

It will be as magnificent and as impressive as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.  Just as in Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will faithfully and authentically bring to life the stories created by J.K. Rowling in her books and captured on screen in Warner Bros’ films.

“I was delighted to experience and enjoy the attention to detail, creativity and superb craft that went into the first Wizarding World in Orlando.  I am equally delighted that the same level of expertise and enjoyment will translate to the new park in Japan,” said J.K. Rowling.

“Harry Potter, the most wonderful and amazing story of our time, is coming to Universal Studios Japan.  USJ is thrilled to be chosen to make the Harry Potter experience come alive for the people of Japan.  USJ is committed to being the world’s best Theme Park and by bringing this brilliant story to Japan and creating a fantastic experience is yet another validation of that commitment, “said Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO of USJ Co., Ltd

The themed area itself will be a fully immersive environment for the entire family that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful to the visual landscape of the films, including a majestic Hogwarts castle which will serve as the centerpiece of the land.

“Harry Potter continues to captivate generations of fans around the world and we are delighted to announce this partnership with Universal Studios Japan that will allow us to bring the magic of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Asia,” said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“Harry Potter allows fans to step into the magical world created in the books and witnessed in the films.  We think this is the perfectly timed next step in bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life for even more fans. ”

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will be similar to the spectacularly themed land at Universal Orlando Resort and will include Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade and multiple themed attractions.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will be created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same high level of talent and resources, including the creative leadership of Stuart Craig, Production Designer for the entire Harry Potter film series.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an entirely new level of themed entertainment that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life in incredible ways.

It will forever change tourism, not only in Kansai but throughout Japan.  We are thrilled to be bringing one of the most powerful themed entertainment experiences of our time to Universal Studios Japan, marking the global expansion of this incredible phenomenon, and we are confident that guests will want to return again and again to fully experience all that this fantastic environment will have to offer, ” said Michael Silver, President, Global Business Development, Universal Parks & Resorts.

In June 2010, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort opened and became an instant, unprecedented hit.  Since then, Warner Bros. and Universal Parks & Resorts announced that the themed area would be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood, and also that the Orlando location would be significantly expanded.  No specific details on either of these plans have yet been announced.

Image Courtesy of   Harry Potter

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. - The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of nearly 200 feature films, short films, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, music events and more. Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love will be Opening the Night as Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild were selected for the Galas section.

Returning to downtown Los Angeles and headquartered at L.A. LIVE for a third year, the Festival will run from June 14 to June 24 2012. Now in its eighteenth year, the Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema, and is produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards.

“There is nothing more satisfying than shining a spotlight on so many unique films from both seasoned and emerging filmmakers. Come experience the wonder of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Let Call Me Kuchu Break your Heart and Call you to Action, or simply be entertained by Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain.

“These are just a few of the diverse stories that bring us into new worlds or put a fresh twist on familiar ones. ‘Exclusively for Everyone’ isn’t just a tag line. It’s an invitation to experience both the specific and the universal, and hopefully come away entertained and enlightened. Enjoy!”

“We’ve got a marvelous mix this year that reflects the incredible diversity of world cinema and of Los Angeles itself. I’m excited to have such giants as Woody Allen, Steven Soderbergh and Andre Techine alongside some amazing first-time filmmakers whose names you’ll be hearing a lot in the future. We want to offer festival-goers stories and visions they haven’t seen before and a chance to meet the most creative minds working in movies.

It’s going to be a fun and mind-expanding ten days,” said Festival Artistic Director David Ansen. The Festival will end its festivities with the World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Magic Mike, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin. Set in the world of male strippers, the dramatic comedy follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film nationwide on June 29, 2012.

Dreamworks Pictures’ People Like Us will have its World Premiere amongst the Summer Showcase screenings. The film is directed by Alex Kurtzman, written by Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert. In a story inspired by true events, Sam (Pine), a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, is tasked with fulfilling his estranged father’s last wishes – delivering an inheritance to a sister he never knew he had. Dreamworks Pictures will release the film on June 29, 2012.

As part of the Los Angeles Film Festival’s free outdoor programming, there will be a Dirty Dancing Dance-A-Long at California Plaza on June 22 at 7pm to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film. Produced in cooperation with Dance Camera West and Grand Performances, there will be free salsa lessons by Contra-Tiempo, a screening of the film with special guests and a shadow cast consisting of performers from local dance companies to dance on stage below the screening during key scenes.

Image Courtesy of   To Rome With Love

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DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, revealed a new brand identity. The new identity is reflective of the company’s mission to fully realize the value of a rich portfolio of brands, stories and characters, distinguished by incredible breadth and depth across publishing, media and merchandise. A new logo for DC Comics was also introduced, closely aligning with DC Entertainment’s new mark.

“It’s a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company’s rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters,” stated John Rood, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for DC Entertainment.

“It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics – The New 52 and now it’s time to do the same for the company’s identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment.”

DC Entertainment worked with Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading brand consulting and design firms, to develop an identity that creates a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD and its vast array of properties as well as celebrates the power of the company’s stories and characters.

The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a “peel” effect – the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio.

“It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity. Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content,” explains Nicolas Aparicio, Executive Creative Director at Landor’s San Francisco office. ”The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms.”

The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment. The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March. Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.

“We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this.

In addition we were excited to update our identity, it’s not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment,” said Amit Desai, SVP of Franchise Management for DC Entertainment.

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LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company, and Sony Pictures Television have signed a major multi-year content deal giving LOVEFiLM members exclusive streaming access to new and forthcoming Sony Pictures titles during the second subscription pay TV window, as well as catalogue titles and TV series, from June 2012.

The milestone agreement with Sony Pictures Television is the latest in a line of exclusive content deals announced by Amazon’s LOVEFiLM in the UK in recent months, including deals with Warner Bros., Entertainment One, STUDIOCANAL, Disney, Momentum and Lionsgate.

LOVEFiLM members will be able to exclusively stream Sony Pictures titles including the Academy Award winning ‘The Social Network,’ action-thriller ‘Salt,’ starring Angelina Jolie, and sci-fi action blockbuster ‘2012’ via LOVEFiLM Instant at no extra cost and as part of their existing subscription.

The deal will also further bolster LOVEFiLM’s extensive range of kids TV-titles with modern cult, animation favourites like ‘Transformers,’ ‘Spectacular Spider-Man’ and ‘The Karate Kid’ – adding a raft of series to existing LOVEFiLM catalogue titles such as ‘Pingu,’ ‘Wallace & Gromit’ and ‘Fireman Sam.’

In addition, LOVEFiLM members will have exclusive streaming access during this pay window to a host of future releases from Sony Pictures including the No.1 box office hit ‘Arthur Christmas.’

The deal will see Sony Pictures’ recent and forthcoming releases, catalogue titles and TV series added to the LOVEFiLM Instant service – available on the PC or via Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Apple iPad and a growing number of Internet-connected TV sets and Blu-ray players.

Amazon’s LOVEFiLM will continue to rent Sony Pictures titles on DVD and Blu-ray via its LOVEFiLM By Post service.

Simon Calver, Chief Executive of Amazon’s LOVEFiLM, said:

“Our latest major content agreement means we’ll be able to exclusively offer our members world-class content from Sony Pictures. The number of recent high-profile deals we have secured means we are able to keep expanding the service, offering our members high quality films and TV and the ability to watch as much as they want for one low, monthly price.”

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