Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Launches Groundbreaking Merchandising Program for the Year's Most Anticipated Film -- Avatar

Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Launches Groundbreaking Merchandising Program for the Year's Most Anticipated Film -- Avatar

James Cameron's Avatar(TM) Fuels Innovative Licensing Program With More Than 125 Product Introductions Across Four Major Categories: Video Games, Toys, Apparel and Publishing

CENTURY CITY, Calif., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 18th, Twentieth Century Fox will release Academy Award®-winner James Cameron's epic adventure - Avatar. To support the film, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox Licensing) will launch one of its most innovative merchandising campaigns to date introducing more than 125 products across four key categories: video games, toys, apparel and publishing. Partnering with industry leaders Ubisoft, Mattel, JEM, HarperCollins and Abrams, Fox Licensing's line will push existing boundaries to extend the movie experience as never before.

"Avatar is truly a game changer with its groundbreaking advances that deliver a uniquely immersive cinematic experience," said Robert Marick, Executive Vice President of Licensing and Merchandising. "We've taken inspiration from the film to develop one of the most expansive merchandising lines in Fox Licensing history. We have taken its cutting edge technology and tried to incorporate the same innovation into the entire line."

James Cameron's Avatar merchandising line was developed in collaboration with the key creative drivers of the film. The hands-on approach from both filmmakers and Fox Licensing has enabled a seamless entertainment experience that extends the story and vision of Avatar beyond the big screen.

Ubisoft's video game release, "James Cameron's Avatar: The Game", is a natural extension of the universe created in the movie. The game is available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wii system from Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and PC.

Along with the standard game, Ubisoft will also release "James Cameron's Avatar: The Game" (Limited Edition) for the Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Wii. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 versions will include two exclusive 6-inch Mattel action figures - Avatar Jake Sully and Na'vi Warrior Tsu'Tey - that will only be available by purchasing the limited edition game.

Beyond the video game, Fox Licensing's partnership with Mattel Inc. pushes the boundaries in product design by pioneering the latest technology in toys - augmented-reality - marking the first time this technology will ever appear in a retail toy product. Each action figure, vehicle and creature in the product line will come with a 3-D web tag, called an i-TAG, which consumers can "scan" using a home computer's webcam. Scanning the i-TAG will reveal special content onscreen unique to the corresponding product. Exact content varies for each item, but could include biographical information, additional images and animated models of the figures. When the i-TAG for deluxe figures, vehicles or creatures are placed under a webcam, animated 3-D models will "come alive" through engaging, evading or defending moves. Place two i-TAGs from the "Battle Pack" together and the 3-D images will interact with each other.

As a complement to the Mattel line, Fox Licensing signed Sideshow Collectibles to develop a line of collectible statues, maquettes, life-size busts and dioramas. Originally introduced at this year's San Diego Comic Con, the line already has fans buzzing in anticipation. In the new year, additional collectibles will be introduced from Gentle Giant Studios, Inc. and The Noble Collection.

In apparel, Fox Licensing has partnered with JEM Sportswear and Awake Inc. to create a line of t-shirts, sweatshirts and fashion tops for young men and older boys. The line will feature the amazing imagery and creatures that populate Cameron's world of Pandora. To expand upon the apparel line, Accessory Innovations has been tapped to introduce a line of backpacks and bags.

Fox Licensing will also extend the Avatar experience with five new books from Abrams and HarperCollins in time for the film's premiere. Abrams will introduce "The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure" which features a foreword by Peter Jackson and an epilogue from James Cameron. As the only book to visually document this totally new method of filmmaking, the reader will get a behind-the-scenes look at this unprecedented movie-going event through interviews with the film's art directors, visual effects designers and animators, and over 100 exclusive full-color images including sketches, matte paintings, drawings, and film stills.

HarperCollins' Children's Books will publish a selection of titles for the film's young fans including "James Cameron's Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook", "James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Sticker Book" and the movie-based chapter book -- "James Cameron's Avatar: The Na'vi Quest". Finally, HarperCollins' "Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora" is an indispensable field guide that provides highly detailed descriptions of the unique creatures and plants found on Pandora, the culture, language, and physiology of the native population, as well as Resources Development Administration (RDA) technology and weapons.

All products will be available at major retailers and specialty including: Walmart, JC Penny, Target, K-Mart/Sears, Hot Topic, Meijers and Nordstrom.

Twentieth Century Fox also recently announced major marketing and promotional partners for the film including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Panasonic and LG Mobile.

About Avatar

Avatar takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery, as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. The film was first conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, Avatar delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film, disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

The Avatar cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. Academy Award-winning visual effects house, WETA Digital, renowned for its work in "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy and "King Kong," will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into a world beyond imagination.

About Fox Licensing & Merchandising

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third-party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

Source: Fox Licensing

CONTACT: Cynthia Pascoe, +1-310-369-2492, Fox Licensing & Merchandising;
or Brian Reinert or Daniella Apfel, both of Bender/Helper Impact,
+1-212-689-6360

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