Harry Potter....

Warner Home Video Debuts Monumental Box Set

for Devoted Harry Potter Fans 

HARRY POTTER WIZARD’S COLLECTION

New Limited and Numbered Collection Is Largest Ever for Warner Bros.

31-Disc Collection Features All Previously Released Content Plus More Than 4 Hours of Never-Before-Seen Exclusive Material

Boasts All Eight Movies in Blu-ray™ and DVD

All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ Digital Copy

Presented in Gorgeous Giftbox Packaging with Eight Must-Have Pieces of Collectible Movie Memorabilia That Can’t be Found Anywhere Else

Available from 10^th September

Burbank, Calif., March 22, 2012 – The magical film franchise that enchanted Muggles around the world is now available in a spectacular limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection, featuring all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia, will be available on 10^th September from Warner Home Video.

This new limited and numbered 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on
Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy and more than 37 hours of special features including all previously released materials and more than 10 hours of new to disc bonus content, and more than 4 hours of never-before-seen material. Witches and wizards that think they’ve seen everything will marvel at the all-new special features including the final two “Creating the World of Harry Potter” features titled “Story” and “Growing Up”. Many other, yet to be revealed, features are also included.

The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will also allow fans to conjure up every available version of all eight films. In addition to the theatrical release of every film, the collection also includes the extended versions of  Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Parts 1 and 2.

Beautifully packaged in a stunning gift box measuring 32.4cm x 26.4cm x 28.6cm and weighing 19 lbs, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is the largest collection ever released by Warner Bros. and contains eight artistic and authentic film memorabilia that are essential for anyone who has ever dreamt of being accepted to Hogwarts. The collectibles are exclusive to the set, and each item along with the rest of the contents of this epic collection will be revealed to anxious fans in an online campaign on www.harrypotter.com beginning today.

Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will be available for £259.99 RRP.

Films Included in Collection – All on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy

·         Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

·         Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

·         Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

·         Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

·         Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

·         Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2D and 3D Versions

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2D and 3D Versions

Special Features for Hours of Entertainment

·         Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection Bonus Disc

• Nearly 4 hours of features including:
• All New! “The Harry Potters You Never Met” – watch how thrilling stunts from the films were performed, and learn about the tricks behind the major stunts in the series
• Additional features to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Bonus Disc

• Over 2 hours of features including:
• All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story”
• And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Bonus Disc

• Over 4 hours of features including:
• All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up”
• All New! Extended “A Conversation with JK Rowling and Dan Radcliffe” - with 15 minutes of new footage
• And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

·         Exclusive Premiums

o   Exclusive memorabilia including a Map of Hogwarts, concept art prints, catalogs of props and posters, all designed by the graphic designers from the films will be revealed in detail onwww.harrypotter.com.

ULTRAVIOLET™ DIGITAL COPY

Warner Bros. is taking Digital Copy to a whole new level. The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection UltraViolet Digital Copy includes a Standard Definition Digital Copy of all 8 Harry Potter main feature films. Special features not included.  Limited Time Offer. Restrictions and limitations apply.  Go to ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details.

Zombies

Zombies set to take over the UK as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Game comes to life Augmented Reality Zombies coming to terrify the UK Taking over from Thursday March 22nd   -        Register: http://capcom-europe.com/reorc/

This March, a one of a kind augmented reality zombie experience is coming to the UK to celebrate the release of Capcom’s long-awaited Resident Evil:Operation Raccoon City game, with sign-ups open now.

From March 22nd, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City zombies will be bursting out of home consoles to be found walking the streets and haunting landmarks of some of Britain’s biggest cities as part of an interactive mass-participatory game. The narrative themes of Resident Evil will come to life in the real world - a must-play for all fans of the series.

The game will feature augmented reality zombies accessible by gamers with a specially built mobile app available on iPhone and Android from the Resident Evil microsite and Capcom’s Facebook page. A number of lucky gamers will be selected to take part in missions across Bristol, Manchester and London. Outbreaks have targeted locations in each city and all traces of zombies must be tracked down and eliminated in order to prevent any further contamination. As a further twist, London players will be treated to a live event, entering the challenge to hunt around the capital’s urban environments after a mission briefing from operatives in a zombie-free location.

The Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City UK takeover will bring the narrative, characters and moments of spectacle into the real world - a fusion of real-life and digital enhanced by the interactivity of the players involved.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is the latest game in the much-loved Resident Evil franchise and takes place during the events between the second and third instalments of the game. The action takes place in Raccoon City, where the inhabitants have been turned into zombies after an outbreak of the t-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella.

Adam Merrett, PR Manager at Capcom, has commissioned the game and explained: “We are all positive that Operation Raccoon City is going to be another successful branch to the franchise, enticing not only Resident Evil fans but also those new to the franchise.

“This real-world game is the perfect opportunity to bring the horror, drama and edge-of-the seat gaming out into the real world. Operation Raccoon City – UK Takeover promises to be one the most memorable weekend of 2012.”

Ben Mason from The Tom Sawyer Effect, who is staging the live action said: “If you've ever wanted to face the horrors of a zombie apocalypse for real Operation Raccoon City – UK Takeover is for you. The event will offer an unprecedented mix of mobile augmented reality and real world game-play... do you think you've got what it takes to survive, and win?”   

The augmented reality zombies are being built by Digicave, who said: “We are all about bringing another layer of digital information, entertainment and engagement to the real world. To do this with an all-time great gaming franchise such as a Resident Evil was a dream come true for the team here.

“The zombies are truly frightening, to see them popping up at locations around the UK – this is going to be something truly incredible, a perfect way to bring the terror of Resident Evil onto the streets and into the lives of gamers.”

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

There are six playable characters in the game, Vector, Spectre, Beltway, Four Eyes, Lupo and Bertha. Each have their own unique abilities;

·         Vector (real name unknown) is the team's recon expert and is equipped with a cloaking ability

·         Beltway (real name Hector Hivers) is proficient in the use of explosives

·         Bertha (real name Michaela Schneider) is the team's medic

·         Spectre (real name Vladimir Bodrovski) is the team's surveillance class and sharpshooter,

·         Four Eyes (real name Christine Yamata) is the scientist of the group with the ability to program the bio-organic weapons (BOWs)

·         Lupo (real name Karena Lesproux) who is an Assault class/Team Leader as shown in a recent trailer. Alongside the single-player mode, the game will also offer four-player co-operative gameplay, which pits the USS against the US Special Operations task force

The zombies in the game will be able to attack the player in a multitude of ways. A zombie that gets too close to the player will usually attempt to grapple the player, prompting the player to rapidly shake his analogue stick to avoid infection.

Players who are unsuccessful in doing this will be "invisible" to nearby zombies for a limited amount of time whilst they are infected before their death in game. If a player is successfully bitten and later runs out of time after becoming infected, the player will lose control of their character and begin attacking their former teammates until shot in the head, allowing the player to respawn.

The game also utilizes a bleeding mechanic, meaning characters that have been badly wounded will be deemed "bleeding out", giving their screen a blood red hue and making them a higher priority target to nearby infected than the others.

There will be additional enemy types in the game besides zombies. BOWs that can be confirmed from E3 are Hunters, Lickers and Tyrants. Furthermore, the player will be able to control them under certain circumstances.

Go Inside ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie with Groundbreaking New IE9 Site

The pages of the bestselling trilogy “The Hunger Games” introduced readers to a captivating set of characters living in a post-apocalyptic world, and on Friday the movie adaptation of the first book will bring that world to life.


Thanks to a partnership between Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team and Lionsgate, fans of The Hunger Games can dive in and experience the world of Panem and its opulent and oppressive Capitol city today.


Today, Lionsgate and Microsoft launch a “game-changing” Web experience that pulls visitors into the world of The Hunger Games from the moment they step off their train in the Capitol city. Visitors can do things like tour the Capitol, visit the Avenue of Tributes, and hear an address from President Snow.


“We wanted to make a breakthrough online experience for fans. We are so excited at what we were able to create with the team at Microsoft by tapping into the power of Internet Explorer and the investments they’ve made in their product to bring Web content to life,” said David Hayes, vice president of digital marketing for movie studio Lionsgate. “We’re thrilled to show off the Capitol Tour to Hunger Games fans around the world.”


The site, powered by HTML5 and CSS3, is animated, colorful and true to the style of the movie and the book, said Ryan Gavin, general manager for Internet Explorer. Visitors will see the city’s iconic skyline, with a breathtaking level of detail down to the twinkling stars and drifting clouds. They’ll see the highly fashionable Capitol citizens out and about in the city, and even cross paths with some of the iconic characters from the books and movie.


The sheer scale and complexity of the project required a crack team of creative and technical experts, including special effects experts from Lionsgate, members of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team, and creative experts from digital agencies Ignition Interactive and The Nerdery.




A game master works in the Control Room to prepare for the Hunger Games.
Click for larger version.
Evan Dehaven, president and executive creative director of Ignition Interactive, said his company appreciated the opportunity to work on a project that is a true breakthrough for designing in HTML5.


“It’s such a great thing that Microsoft has fostered, through Internet Explorer 9, the idea that the Web is beautiful,” said Dehaven, who is currently working on Web experiences for nearly 30 films. “They want to bring things to life and allow people to tell stories through technology rather than telling people to live within these boxes and these rules while they’re making something. Now we’re just looking forward to fans and the world seeing what we’ve created.”


Dehaven hopes the Hunger Games site’s creative use of HTML5 will be a trendsetter for movie and television experiences online.


Microsoft approached Lionsgate last year about creating a “game-changing, one-of-a-kind” website for the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the bestselling book, Gavin said.




“They loved the idea. We had the opportunity to really dig into the universe of the Hunger Games and fundamentally change how people perceive what’s possible on the Web, all of which is best experienced in Internet Explorer 9,” Gavin said. “We wanted to create something that crossed the boundaries of books and movies, and we see this type of online experience as the next evolution in how Hollywood uses the Web.”


Typical movie websites mainly exist to house associated content – movie trailers and film clips, photos and electronic press kits. If there’s anything more, it’s usually an interactive game or social media connection.


Most movie websites are also designed using Adobe Flash, which means they can’t be accessed by people using other platforms and devices, Gavin said. The team set out to design the site using HTML5 and CSS3, which means the content is more broadly available across platforms, devices and browsers without the need for plug-ins.


Though the Hunger Games site is designed to work on all major browser formats, a chic hologram tour guide offers visitors this encouragement as they arrive at the Capitol train station, “The Capitol recommends you use Internet Explorer 9 during your tour for the best experience of our city.”


A little plot background, for those who haven’t read the bestselling trilogy: The Hunger Games is set in the future, and North America (now called Panem) consists of 12 districts that work to support Panem’s Capitol. As punishment for the districts’ past rebellions against the Capitol, every year one boy and girl from each district are selected to participate in the “Hunger Games,” in which they fight for their lives in an elaborate outdoor arena. The trilogy follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to compete in the games to spare her little sister, whose name was chosen to participate in the Hunger Games’ annual lottery.




The Welcome Center of the Capitol greets fans arriving for the 74th annual Hunger Games.
Click for larger version.
Team members behind the website project, many of whom are huge fans of the Hunger Games trilogy, thought of themselves not just as content creators but as careful stewards of the story. Gavin recently attended the Hollywood premiere of the film, and said he was thrilled at how well the movie represented the book, and also at how well the Web experience represents both.


Along with the Capitol Tour and the other Hunger Games experiences that launch today, the team will be adding even more in the weeks to come, including a training center where visitors can see Hunger Games competitors exercising and preparing for the games, and a memorabilia center where visitors can explore artifacts and weapons used in previous Hunger Games.


The memorabilia center is not found in the book or movie, but takes elements from both and brings them to life, but the filmmakers thought the center was in keeping with the story, and liked the idea of having such an exclusive experience for fans on the Web, Gavin said.


“Visitors will be able to look at items, rotate them, and see information about how they were used and what they do. It’s what a museum of the future will look like,” Gavin said. “It’s the perfect opportunity for uber-fans of the book series to go geek out on the history of the Hunger Games.”


To receive notifications about Hunger Games content updates, users should pin the site to their Internet Explorer 9 toolbar, he said.

ANGRY BIRDS SOAR TO NICKELODEON

 EXCLUSIVE SHORT FILM, “ANGRY BIRDS SPACE,”

PREMIERING FRIDAY 23^RD MARCH AT 6 P.M.

Brand-New Characters Revealed

London, 22nd March, 2012 - An all-new exclusive Angry Birds short film, “Angry Birds Space” lands on Nickelodeon on Friday 23^rd March at 6 p.m.

“Angry Birds Space” is a global exclusive to Nickelodeon and will also reveal six brand-new birds. 

This animated short tells the story of how the Angry Birds end up in space.  It begins on a day much like any other, but suddenly a cosmic vortex appears and brings visitors from another galaxy with some unfriendly intentions.  This means the heroic birds have to slingshot themselves into a new adventure - space.

Angry Birds are the most downloaded games ever, with over 700M downloads in the two years since they launched.  The Angry Birds Space game will be available worldwide on from today.