Outlaw Productions and di Bonaventura Pictures Team to Bring Dick Tracy to Television

Outlaw Productions and di Bonaventura Pictures Team to Bring Dick Tracy to Television

LOS ANGELES, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Bobby Newmyer and Scott Strauss' Outlaw Productions and Lorenzo di Bonaventura are teaming with Tribune Media Services to bring Dick Tracy to the small screen.

The producers recently secured rights from Tribune Media Services (TMS), a division of Tribune Company, and will attach a writer over the next month. The plan is to pitch a modern take on the classic crime-fighting hero to networks this summer.

Since 1937, Chester Gould's Dick Tracy has thrilled millions with tales of good guys versus bad guys, while showcasing the latest criminology techniques and old-fashioned values. Tracy's knack for originality earned him a reputation as the quintessential detective who kept the streets safe. Through the years, Dick Tracy had numerous partners and sent thousands of rogues to the slammer (and many to their graves), but there was always more work to be done. The strip's innovative technology was popular, but it was the strange, weird and out-of-this-world villains (with their fun names and hideous faces) that gave the strip its huge fan base.

"Dick Tracy is a top international icon and has been a part of our company for 75 years, so we're very careful who we partner with on licensing," said Stephen Tippie, TMS Vice President, Marketing and Licensing. "We're extremely excited to be able to work with a team led by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Bobby Newmyer, and Scott Strauss to shape the Dick Tracy of the 21st Century. Lorenzo, Bobby, and Scott bring a very high level of creativity and a strong track record of creating both critically and financially successful projects."

Outlaw's recent credits include the now shooting PHAT GIRLZ, TRAINING DAY (Warner Brothers) and MINDHUNTERS (Dimension). Outlaw is preparing HANSSEN (Universal), SANTA CLAUSE III (Disney), and THE LOST BOYS OF SUDAN (Paramount).

Strauss initially pursued Tracy rights and partnered with di Bonaventura because of the former Warner Brothers President's experience in managing such franchises as THE MATRIX, HARRY POTTER, SCOOBY DOO and BATMAN. di Bonaventura is also currently developing TRANSFORMERS (Dreamworks, Paramount), and G.I. JOE. di Bonaventura's recent credits include CONSTANTINE (Warner Brothers) and the upcoming DOOM (Universal), DERAILED (Miramax), and FOUR BROTHERS (Paramount).

Strauss commented, "Dick Tracy is the original cop, whose name and image are synonymous with law and order. Also, Tracy's an edgy character, who believes the ends justify the means. We know the spirit of this character, as well as timeless and dynamic villains like Big Boy Caprice, Breathless Mahoney, Flattop, The Brow, and Pruneface, will translate seamlessly into a modern take for a popular television show."

Aside from the 1990 Disney movie, Dick Tracy enjoyed a successful run on ABC television as a live-action series from 1950-1952 and an animated series from 1961-1964.

Leigh Brecheen of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal & LaViolette, LLP, negotiated the deal on behalf of Outlaw and di Bonaventura.

About Tribune Media Services

Tribune Media Services (TMS) is a leading domestic and international provider of information and entertainment products for print, electronic and on-air media. It distributes television and movie listings and related editorial content under the TMS and Zap2it brands; syndicates and licenses comics, features and opinion columns; creates and syndicates a variety of online information products; licenses editorial content from national periodicals; and manages national advertising networks. Through its Knight Ridder/Tribune partnership, TMS also markets news and features, information graphics and multimedia content. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Glens Falls, N.Y., Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, Amsterdam, London and Hong Kong, TMS is a subsidiary of the Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB). For more information about TMS and its products and services, visit ( http://www.tms.tribune.com/ ).

CONTACT:
Scott Strauss 310-550-3864
Lorenzo di Bonaventura 323-956-5454

Kristy Bremer
Director of Media Relations
Tribune Media Services
(323) 660-9004
kbremer@tribune.com

Source: Tribune Media Services

CONTACT: Scott Strauss of Outlaw Productions, +1-310-550-3864; Lorenzo di
Bonaventura, +1-323-956-5454; or Kristy Bremer, Director of Media Relations of
Tribune Media Services, +1-323-660-9004, kbremer@tribune.com

Web site: http://www.tms.tribune.com/

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