EA Signs Licensing Agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to Create Video Games Based on Highly Anticipated Catwoman Motion Picture
CHERTSEY, U.K.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2004--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that EA has been awarded the worldwide interactive rights to develop, publish and distribute computer and video games based on the highly anticipated Catwoman motion picture starring Oscar(R) winning actress, Halle Berry, scheduled for release on July 30th.
Under the multi-year agreement, EA will publish games based on the upcoming Catwoman feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures based on the famed DC Comics property. The license grants EA the rights to develop game titles for all current and next generation video game consoles, handhelds and the PC.
"Catwoman is a great complement to EA's portfolio of global blockbusters and we look forward to delivering a great game based on the film," said Bruce McMillan, EA Executive Vice President worldwide studios. "We're also happy to extend our relationship with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics."
"As we have enjoyed successful ventures with EA, we are looking forward to continuing the relationship with Catwoman," said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "The action, adventure, storyline, and characters in the film offer fertile ground for the development of compelling games."
"The dynamic visuals of Catwoman in action present an opportunity for a uniquely styled videogame," said Paul Levitz, President & Publisher of DC Comics. "We look forward to seeing how the wizards at EA translate the visual excitement of the film into their medium."
Gamers will control Catwoman as they play the movie, utilizing her unique catlike skills, senses and cunning to defeat her enemies. Boasting incredible acrobatic skills, Catwoman can leap across roofs, run up walls, pounce on prey, utilize inimitable "cat senses," and avoid enemy bullets with feline grace. In addition, she can use her whip to swing through the air, and utilize the fully interactive enviroments to trap or knock her foes unconcious. The game will take players through numerous levels set in seven different locations from the movie.
A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Catwoman is the story of shy, sensitive artist Patience Philips (Halle Berry). When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy. In a mystical twist of fate, she is transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Produced by Denise DiNovi and Ed McDonnell and directed by Pitof, Catwoman also stars Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone and Lambert Wilson.
The screenplay is by John Rogers and John Brancato & Michael Ferris, from a story by John Rogers, based on the comic book characters in D.C. Comics' Batman publications. Catwoman was created by Bob Kane in the Batman series for DC Comics in the 1940's and has appeared in numerous Batman comics throughout the decades.
Catwoman is currently under development by EA's UK Studio and is produced by the team responsible for the best selling Harry Potter(TM) titles from EA GAMES(TM). In addition to Catwoman, EA also holds the rights to produce games based on Superman. The Catwoman game is scheduled for release alongside the motion picture in summer 2004 for the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube(TM), Nintendo Game Boy(R) Advance, and PC CD-ROM.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc., a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is a premier licensor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, MMPOG, PC-based gaming and wireless applications.
About DC Comics DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics' web site is located at www.dccomics.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of $2.5 billion for fiscal 2003. The company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under three brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA GAMES(TM), and EA SPORTS BIG(TM). EA's homepage and online game site is
www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at
https://info.ea.com.
Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and EA GAMES are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox is either a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries used under license from Microsoft. Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CATWOMAN, SUPERMAN, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, SANDMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and (C) DC Comics.
