Win a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Interview Filmmaker Peter Jackson, Director Neill Blomkamp, and Star Sharlto Copley and Cover Comic-Con in San Diego in IGN's 'District 9' VIP Access Sweepstakes

Win a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Interview Filmmaker Peter Jackson, Director Neill Blomkamp, and Star Sharlto Copley and Cover Comic-Con in San Diego in IGN's 'District 9' VIP Access Sweepstakes

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- In IGN's District 9 VIP Access Sweepstakes, two moviegoers can win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, as well as District 9's director, Neill Blomkamp, and star, Sharlto Copley. The grand prize winners will get the unique chance to learn exclusive details about the highly-anticipated science-fiction thriller District 9 during a two-day trip to San Diego, California as they cover Comic-Con for IGN.com.

As special correspondents for IGN, the winners will cover District 9 events, including attending the District 9 panel and interviewing the cast and filmmakers. Jackson, who produced the film, is attending Comic-Con for the first time to support District 9. To enter the sweepstakes visit www.ign.com/d9.

District 9 will be released in theaters nationwide on August 14, 2009.

Commenting on the announcement, Dwight Caines, president, worldwide digital marketing, said, "We have previously offered sweepstakes that provided everyday fans unprecedented access to filmmakers on movies such as Spider-Man 3, and we know what this kind of unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity means to moviegoers and those making the trip to Comic-Con. This convention has become the pre-eminent fan appreciation event in the world and we are excited to be able to offer two lucky winners this extraordinary access to meet with and interview Peter Jackson, as well as our director Neill Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley and report on what they learned about District 9 for IGN.com."

The sweepstakes offers grand prizes to one male and one female winner. Each winner will enjoy a two-night/three-day trip to Comic-Con International: San Diego, including airfare, hotel, and passes to the world-renowned convention. For more information and the official rules (available at http://microsites.ign.com/d9/rules.html), please visit www.ign.com/d9.

About District 9

Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them.

Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare - they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens' awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA.

The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable - he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.

District 9 is directed by Neill Blomkamp. The screenplay is by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. The film is produced by Carolynne Cunningham and Peter Jackson.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

Source: Sony Pictures

CONTACT: Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia
TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142

Web Site: http://www.ign.com/
http://www.sonypictures.com/

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