Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Awards Global Star Software the Worldwide License to Develop Videogames for Tim Burton's Film Adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Burbank, CA - September 2, 2004 - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has awarded Global Star Software, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. the exclusive worldwide license to develop, publish and distribute videogames based on the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton, and based on the classic Roald Dahl book.
The launch of the videogame is scheduled to coincide with the 2005 release of the film that stars Oscar nominated actor Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Twelve-year-old British actor Freddie Highmore takes on the title role of Charlie, with newcomers AnnaSophia Robb as Violet Beauregarde, Jordan Fry as Mike Teavee, Julia Winter as Veruca Salt and Philip Wiegratz as Augustus Gloop.
Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to the beloved Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka and Charlie, a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka's extraordinary factory. Long isolated from his own family, Wonka launches a worldwide contest to select an heir to his candy empire. Five lucky children, including Charlie, draw golden tickets from Wonka chocolate bars and win a guided tour of the legendary candy-making facility that no outsider has seen in 15 years. Dazzled by one amazing sight after another, Charlie is drawn into Wonka's fantastic world in this astonishing and enduring story.
Global Star Software will manage the game development for next generation consoles, handheld and PC. The console games will be developed by High Voltage Software, and the handheld and PC games by Backbone Entertainment.
"We are very excited to be working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on a videogame adaptation of Tim Burton's vision of the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," said Christoph Hartmann, Senior Vice President of Publishing at Global Star Software. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has entertained audiences around the globe for over forty years, and the bright and colorful settings, iconic storytelling and beloved characters are a perfect match for this medium."
"The unique nature of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory content offers a rare opportunity to create a great interactive extension of the fiction," said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Working with Global Star, we look forward to launching an engaging video game based on this extremely imaginative property."
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc., a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is a premier licensor and a developer of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including consoles, PC-based gaming and wireless applications.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox®, Nintendo GameCubeTM and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, Gathering and Global Star Software; and distributes products in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands) and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. This press release contains certain statements which are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Take-Two has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary significantly based on a variety of factors, as described in Take-Two's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2003 and on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2004. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and ® Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s04)