Mainframe Entertainment, Inc.: The Weinstein Company Escapes From Planet Earth

Business Wire, Feb 14, 2006

NEW YORK -- The Weinstein Company Acquires the Rights to CG-Animated Project "Escape From Planet Earth"

The Weinstein Company has acquired the rights to "Escape From Planet Earth," a CG-animated comedy feature pitch to be written by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards, the talented duo behind the box office animated hit "Hoodwinked." Leech is set to direct the project and Preston Stutzman of Blue Yonder Films will produce it along with Jonathan Shestack ("Air Force One"), Brian Inerfeld and Gregory R. Little with animation studio Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. (TSX:MFE). Jeremy Stein of Jon Shestack Productions will co-produce.

"Escape from Planet Earth," an original idea by Leech, is a comedy about a prison break where the prison is actually Area 51, a mysterious government facility where the inmates are a rag-tag group of aliens from every corner of the universe. Gary, a neurotic alien hero must overcome his fears and self-doubt to lead a daring escape, not only from Area 51, but from the Earth itself where no alien dares to go as not a single one has ever returned.

Harvey Weinstein stated, "'Escape From Planet Earth' is an outstanding addition to the family films we have in the works. This magical pitch from the fantastic team of filmmakers we worked with on "Hoodwinked" is sure to capture and speak to a broad audience."

"We love this movie and plan to have a lot of fun helping Tony and Cory bring it to life with Mainframe's animation talent," said Little, VP, Development for Mainframe.

"I love how passionate the Weinstein's are about making great films, and I couldn't ask for better partners than Jon Shestack and Mainframe to bring what I think is a fun, heartwarming adventure to the screen," said Leech.

Edwards added, "This is a great story and we are really excited to make the movie with more resources than we had on 'Hoodwinked.' The Weinstein Company could see our vision for Escape From Planet Earth, and really stepped up to the plate to make it happen."

"Tony and Cory know how to tell stories that make people feel good. We have a great team here, and I'm happy to be part of it," noted Shestack.

Michael Cole, co-president of production for The Weinstein Company, and Eric Robinson, director of production, will oversee the project on behalf of The Weinstein Company, with Mainframe animating the film in its Vancouver studio. Cole and Barry Littman, executive vice president of business and legal affairs negotiated the deal on behalf of TWC. The Project was packaged by Gregory Little and Brian Inerfeld. Inerfeld and attorney Adam Kaller of Behr, Abramson & Kaller negotiated on behalf of the creative, producing, and animation teams. Mainframe Entertainment's C.E.O. Rick Mischel will serve as an executive producer.

"Hoodwinked" was The Weinstein Company's first CG-animated feature, and was written by Cory Edwards and Tony Leech, along with Todd Edwards, and was directed by Cory Edwards. Preston Stutzman produced. The team is currently working on a sequel, "Hoodwinked 2; Hood Vs. Evil," which will also be produced by Stutzman.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The Weinstein Company was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corporation 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.

Since launching on October 1, 2005, The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films have released the sexy psychological thriller "Derailed," starring Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen; "The Libertine," starring Johnny Depp and Samantha Morton; "Transamerica," starring 2005 Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe winner Felicity Huffman; "Mrs. Henderson Presents," starring Academy Award winner Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins; "Wolf Creek," the terrifying Australian horror film based on true events; "The Matador," starring Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan and "Hoodwinked," a CGI animated family film with voiceovers by Glenn Close, Jim Belushi and Anne Hathaway.

Upcoming releases include; "Lucky Number Slevin," starring Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, and Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman, and Sir Ben Kingsley; "Breaking & Entering," written and directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn and Vera Farmiga; "Decameron," starring Hayden Christensen and Mischa Barton; "Last Legion," starring Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley; "Young Hannibal," the prequel to the incredibly successful and legendary Hannibal Lecter series; "Scary Movie 4," the latest installment in the hugely successful and hilarious horror-parody series; "Sin City 2," the second installment in the franchise based on the electrifying graphic novels from Frank Miller, which will be co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Miller; "Pulse," a remake of a Japanese horror film starring Kristen Bell, Christina Milian, and Ian Somerhalder; "Passion of the Clerks," a new film from Kevin Smith; "Killshot," a film from Academy Award winning director John Madden starring Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke, Thomas Jane, Rosario Dawson, and Johnny Knoxville; "Awake," starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen; "School for Scoundrels," directed by Todd Phillips and starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder; and "Grind House," a groundbreaking film that will unite two of the world's most legendary filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.