60,000 People Pledge to See "WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN'"

60,000 People Pledge to See "WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN'"

First Book and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt donate an additional $100,000 worth of new books to schools in need - fourth benchmark met on WaitingForSuperman.com 'Pledge Progress Meter'

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 60,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" when it opens this fall, making it the fourth goal reached on the campaign's "Pledge Progress Meter." As a result, First Book and global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) will distribute an additional $100,000 worth of new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country. First Book and HMH initially joined forces at the 50,000 level by donating 250,000 new books in a similar fashion. The books will be generously provided by HMH and distributed through First Book's award-winning book distribution channels.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO)

"We're thrilled by the opportunity to continue our support of WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN,'" said Barry O'Callaghan, HMH's Chief Executive Officer. "Together with First Book, we can use this opportunity to put better educational resources in the hands of the nation's teachers and students."

WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding "Take the Pledge" campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids' lives for the better.

The "Pledge Progress Meter" launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools. First Book was the first organization to take the pledge.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media's Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/ or text "PLEDGE" to 77177

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman

What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.twitter.com/WaitingSuperman

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media

Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant's films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for "Superman."

About Walden Media

Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Nim's Island" and "Charlotte's Web." Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

About First Book

First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy - access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed 70 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities. First Book has offices in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.firstbook.org.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company that is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. The world's largest provider of educational products and solutions for pre-K-12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt develops and delivers interactive, results-driven learning solutions that advance teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Through curricula excellence and technology innovation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhpub.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO
Source: Paramount Pictures Corporation

CONTACT: Katie Martin Kelley, EVP, Publicity of Paramount Pictures
Corporation, +1-323-956-2821, KMK@Paramount.com; or Jeff Sakson, SVP,
Publicity of Participant Media, +1-310-550-5109,
Jeff.Sakson@ParticipantMedia.com; or Susie Hayasaka, VP, Strategic Marketing
of Walden Media, +1-424-202-6623, shayasaka@walden.com; or Mary Beth Fresh,
Director, Strategic Alliances of First Book, +1-202-639-0115,
mfresh@firstbook.org; or Justin Joseph, Manager, Corporate Communications of
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, +1-617-351-5020, Justin.Joseph@hmhpub.com

Web Site: http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/
http://www.firstbook.org/
http://www.hmhpub.com/

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