Fight Takes Flight: Virgin America Teams Up With DreamWorks Pictures to Launch "Real Steel" Plane

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the entertainment fan's airline of choice, has teamed up with DreamWorks Pictures to create a unique integrated marketing campaign surrounding the launch of the new major motion picture Real Steel.  Set to debut in theaters nationwide on October 7, 2011, and onboard Virgin America's Red™ in-flight entertainment system later this year, Real Steel is set in the near future at a time when the sport of boxing has gone high-tech: with 2000 pound robots having replaced human boxers.  With tech-forward amenities and touch-screen entertainment generations ahead of other U.S. airlines, Virgin America makes a few cameo appearances in the future-set film.  Virgin America is partnering on an online contest with Good Morning America, inviting viewers to win a trip to California to catch a glimpse of some of Hollywood's biggest heavyweights (and robots) on the red carpet at the film's premiere.   In addition, at Los Angeles International Airport today, the film's star, Hugh Jackman, unveiled a new Airbus A320 aircraft named "Real Steel" with a larger-than-life image of the film's "World Robot Boxing" contender "Atom" on the aircraft fuselage. The "Real Steel" plane enters commercial service today, so flyers across the nation will catch a glimpse of the aircraft.  For high resolution photos from the "Real Steel" plane unveiling go to:  http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/real-steel-plane-launch.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110923/AQ73946-a)  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110923/AQ73946-b)  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)

"I am so happy to inaugurate this 'Real Steel' Virgin America plane," said the film's star, Hugh Jackman.  "I can't wait for the fans to see the movie on October 7th."

Real Steel will make its mile-high debut on Virgin America flights later this year via the airline's Red™ seatback in-flight entertainment platform.  Members of the public can view the film's trailer and enter the contest to a win a trip to attend the film's premiere at: www.virginamerica.com/vx/booking/real-steel-promo.  The contest ends at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 26, 2011.  

"Virgin America is known for next generation amenities like a touch-screen entertainment platform that offers every flyer live TV, 35 films on-demand, interactive Google maps and more.  We're also known for taking on the sometimes larger competition with a lot of heart, so this film's story really struck a chord with us," said Abby Lunardini, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Virgin America.  "We're pleased to integrate with the film in such a unique way – and we know that when Real Steel makes its debut at 35,000 feet on our flights that it will also be a hit with our flyers."

Known for its hip, mood-lit cabins, touch-screen in-flight entertainment and innovative features like fleetwide WiFi and power outlets at every seat, the California-based Virgin America has captured a list of industry best-in-class awards since launching service in 2007, including "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards and Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.  The Red entertainment platform offers every guest a personal touch-screen entertainment center at their seatback – with 24 television channels, more than 35 on-demand films, a 3,000 MP3 library (with the ability for travelers to build their own playlist in-flight), a Kid's entertainment platform (with parental controls), videogames, music videos, interactive Google Maps that track a flight's journey, a seat-to-seat text chat system and more. 

About Real Steel:  A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.  DreamWorks Pictures presents Real Steel, directed by Shawn Levy, produced by Don Murphy, Susan Montford and Shawn Levy, with a screenplay by John Gatins, story by Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven, and based in part on the short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson. Real Steel releases in theaters on October 7, 2011.

About Virgin America: Headquartered in California, Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel.  In just over four years flying, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 World's Best Awards.  The airline's current base of operations is San Francisco International Airport (SFO).  In April 2011, the airline became an anchor tenant at SFO's new sleek and sustainable Terminal 2.  Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos, Cancun,  Chicago Puerto Vallarta (beginning December 2, 2011) and Palm Springs (beginning December 15, 2011)..  For more, please visit: www.virginamerica.com

SOURCE Virgin America