Blockbuster Offers Sneak Peak of 'The Great Debaters'

Blockbuster Offers Sneak Peak of 'The Great Debaters'

DALLAS, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blockbuster Inc. announced today an arrangement to offer movie lovers a specially edited preview of the anticipated film "The Great Debaters" before its release on Christmas Day.

The special preview, available only at http://www.blockbuster.com/thegreatdebaters, features scenes from the movie and an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the making of "The Great Debaters," featuring interviews with the cast and filmmakers including Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey. "The Great Debaters" will be released in U.S. theaters by MGM on December 25th.

Available free to the general public through Jan. 7, the preview offer is made possible through an alliance between Blockbuster Inc. and film studio The Weinstein Company.

"We're excited to present a special preview of 'The Great Debaters,'" said Joyce Woodward, senior vice-president for Blockbuster Inc. "Giving movie lovers special access to great entertainment is an important part of our mission at Blockbuster."

Through the alliance between Blockbuster Inc. and The Weinstein Company, Blockbuster will also have exclusive DVD rentals rights to "The Great Debaters" when it is later released on DVD.

About "The Great Debaters"
Believe in the power of words.

Inspired by a true story, "The Great Debaters" chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington), a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small African-American college in the deep south into a historically elite debate team. A controversial figure, Professor Tolson challenged the social mores of the time and was under constant fire for his unconventional and ferocious teaching methods as well as his radical political views.

In their pursuit for excellence, Tolson's debate team receives a groundbreaking invitation to debate Harvard University's championship team. The film is directed by Denzel Washington and stars Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Denzel Whitaker, and Kimberly Elise. "The Great Debaters" was written by Robert Eisele and produced by Todd Black, Kate Forte, Oprah Winfrey and Joe Roth.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI)(NYSE:BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 7,800 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at http://www.blockbuster.com/.

About The Weinstein Company

The Weinstein Company was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corp. in 1979. TWC is a multi-media company that officially launched on October 1, 2005. Dimension Films, the genre label that was founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, is also included under the TWC banner. The Weinsteins are actively working on the production, development and acquisition of projects for TWC.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: tami.cannizzaro@blockbuster.com

Source: Blockbuster Inc.

CONTACT: Tami Cannizzaro of Blockbuster Inc., +1-214-854-3190

Web site:

http://www.blockbuster.com/

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