Warner Bros and MTN Launch Holiday Classics Network
The Mall Television Network (MTN) and Warner Home Video have joined forces to present a unique family entertainment experience at shopping malls across the U.S. this Holiday season.
The “Warner Bros. Holiday Showcase” is comprised of three specials featuring highlights from the company’s new and classic Holiday DVD titles. Each of these specials culminates with a segment featuring talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage about the making of “The Polar Express,” Robert Zemeckis’ holiday masterpiece starring Tom Hanks that is being re-issued on DVD this Holiday season for a limited time.
Warner Home Video will also be showcasing other holiday family classics and new releases including “A Christmas Story,”"How The Grinch Stole Christmas,”"Toot & Puddle: I’ll be Home for Christmas,”"Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront,”"Bah Humduck: A Looney Tunes Christmas,” amongst others.
The Mall Television Network is deploying two large format plasma screens to participating “Santa Claus” photo franchise sites affiliated with the North Pole Network and Worldwide Photography. This ad-supported network covers a footprint of almost 400 malls in 46 states.
The “Warner Bros. Holiday Showcase” will run on these monitors, entertaining families with enchanting holiday programming as they wait in line between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006 to take their photos with Santa.
“Warner Home Video is providing the perfect family fare to keep parents and kids entertained as they wait to see Santa,” said Robert Harris, Chairman and founder of MTN. “With ‘The Polar Express’ as the anchor to this wonderful showcase, advertisers have the perfect opportunity to reach families during the most trafficked shopping season.”
The Mall Television Network, Inc., based in Norwalk, CT, provides relevant information, advertising and entertainment on broadband digital networks to malls across the nation. MTN currently has exclusive digital and interactive advertising rights in 41 regional malls.
“The Polar Express” — the dazzling classic and one of Warner Home Video’s all-time best-selling family DVDs — is back again for holiday gift givers on October 3rd from Warner Home Video and Shangri-La Entertainment. “The Polar Express” will be offered in two versions at a great price: $26.99 SRP for the Two-Disc Special Edition and $19.97 SRP for the movie-only version.
“The Polar Express” is based on the beloved Caldecott Medal children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg about a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. “The Polar Express” — which has sold nearly 7 million copies in print and ranked #2 on the National Education Association’s Teachers Top 100 Books for Children — was selected as “Critics Choice” by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA); won the Grammy(R) for Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and was honored with a Golden Globe(R) nomination for Best Original Song and three Academy Award(R) nominations including Best Original Song, Sound and Sound Editing.
Castle Rock Entertainment Presents, in Association with Shangri-La Entertainment, a Playtone / ImageMovers / Golden Mean Production of a Robert Zemeckis Film: Tom Hanks in “The Polar Express.” Directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Zemeckis & William Broyles, Jr., the film is produced by Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman and William Teitler and is based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke and Chris Van Allsburg are the executive producers. The production team includes directors of photography Don Burgess, A.S.C. and Robert Presley; production designers Rick Carter and Doug Chiang; and editors Jeremiah O’Driscoll & R. Orlando Duenas. Senior visual effects supervisors are Ken Ralston and Jerome Chen. Co-producer is Steven Boyd. Music score is by Alan Silvestri, and original songs by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri. “The Polar Express” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Soundtrack album on Warner Sunset/Reprise Records. This film is rated G by the MPAA. For more information, please visit www.polarexpressmovie.com.
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.
PRESS CONTACTS: Terpin Communications Group for Mall Television Network Inc Jackie Lacambra 310/821-6100 x108 jackie@terpin.com Warner Home Video Ronnee Sass 818/977-6439 ronnee.sass@warnerbros.com
SOURCE: Media Reach