Angelina Jolie to Star and Plan B to Produce 'A MIGHTY HEART' for Paramount Vantage

Angelina Jolie to Star and Plan B to Produce 'A MIGHTY HEART' for Paramount Vantage

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Vantage will produce and handle worldwide distribute for "A MIGHTY HEART" based on the book "A MIGHTY HEART: THE BRAVE LIFE AND DEATH OF MY HUSBAND DANNY PEARL" by Mariane Pearl and Sarah Crichton. The film will star Academy Award Winner Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl and will be directed by Michael Winterbottom ("WELCOME TO SARAJEVO," "24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE"). Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner of Plan B, Andrew Eaton and Revolution Films will produce. The announcement was made today by John Lesher, President of Vantage.

"I hope the film will serve as a lasting remembrance of Danny's life and the incredible journey Mariane endured to uncover the truth. I am tremendously proud to join Michael, Angelina, Brad, along with Mariane in sharing this courageous story with all those who have been touched by it," said Lesher. "Michael Winterbottom has given an authenticity to so many thought provoking films during his career and Danny and Mariane's story will be treated with the same respect and urgency he has brought to his considerable body of work."

The film is based on Mariane Pearl's account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death. "I am delighted that Angelina Jolie will be playing my role in the adaptation of my book," said Pearl. "I deeply admire her work and what she is committed to. I am also happy that Michael Winterbottom a versatile and talented director who genuinely loves truth will be working on this project as well." The story covers Danny's reasons for being in Karachi, Pakistan, the complete story of his abduction, the intense effort to find him during the weeks following his disappearance and his eventual murder. Mariane Pearl is an award-winning documentary film director who produced and hosted a daily radio show for Radio France International and has written for Telerama.

Picked up in turnaround from Warner Bros., the film was originally set-up at the studio by then Plan B partners Pitt and Brad Grey. Lesher commented "Brad Pitt's Plan B has proven to be first class creative partners and both Brad Grey and I are looking forward to developing numerous projects with them in the coming years."

Pitt stars, alongside Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal, in the upcoming Paramount Vantage release of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "BABEL." The film will be released by Vantage on October 27, 2006. In 2007 the studio will release Mike White's "YEAR OF THE DOG," a Black and White Productions film along with Plan B. Dede Gardner of Plan B is producing.

Jolie's upcoming projects include Universal's "THE GOOD SHEPHERD," directed by Robert De Niro and co-starring Matt Damon and Robert Zemeckis's "BEOWULF" for Paramount. She is represented by Media Talent Group.

About Paramount Vantage

Paramount Vantage is the specialty film division of Paramount Motion Picture Group, which is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIAB), one of the leading global entertainment content companies, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics.

Contact: Katie Martin Kelley

323-956-2821

Source: Paramount Vantage

CONTACT: Katie Martin Kelley of Paramount Vantage, +1-323-956-2821

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