Paramount Digital Entertainment Announces Ten New Silverlight Enhanced Movies for Windows Phone 7

LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that it is launching ten additional movie apps of Paramount Pictures films exclusively for Windows Phone 7. The apps, downloadable from Windows Phone Marketplace, let users watch, clip, share and interact with popular Paramount Pictures movies including TRUE GRIT, ZOOLANDER and MEAN GIRLS.  Paramount's Enhanced Movie Apps offer the full movie, plus menus, bonus features and social networking capabilities, providing a unique, enhanced entertainment experience for Windows Phone users.  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110519/LA05197-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110519/LA05197-b)

Available starting today are hit films MEAN GIRLS and SCHOOL OF ROCK, updated with additional functionalities.*  A new movie app will launch every week including TRUE GRIT, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN," THE LAST AIRBENDER, ZOOLANDER, GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, BEOWULF and THE ITALIAN JOB. The apps will be available through Windows Phone Marketplace in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.**

"The apps offer consumers a truly interactive movie experience on Windows Phone 7," said Geremie Camara, Vice President Product Development for Paramount Digital Entertainment. "Using Silverlight technology and adding interactive and social networking features, the apps allow viewers to customize their movie viewing experience.  They can simply watch and enjoy the movie or use the clipping and social networking features to share scenes or trivia with their friends."

The movie apps have been built using Microsoft's Silverlight technology, which provides a framework for the delivery of rich interactive movie experiences that go far beyond any streaming experience today. Paramount's Silverlight Enhanced Movie apps offer users interactive and social networking features for a fun and engaging way to watch movies on the handset.  

Enhanced Movie App Features include:

• Clip Sharing: Users can create custom clips of favorite scenes and share with friends on Facebook, Twitter and email.
• Scene It? In-Feature Trivia Game: Test your movie knowledge with the Scene It trivia game and share results with friends on social networks.
• Movie Info: Access actor bios, music, historical information and even maps to film locations with this app feature.
• Chapter Selection & Bookmarking:  Allows viewers to jump to favorite chapters in a movie or bookmark select scenes and easily return to view them again and again.
• Search: Use keyword search to find items, products or people in the film.  Results are shown with a description and link to the scene.  

"Windows Phone 7 is backed by a rich developer ecosystem that is creating a variety of quality apps and games, like Paramount's Enhanced Movie Apps, that help users take advantage of the phone's dynamic design," said Todd Brix, senior director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. "With unique in-app features, like clip sharing via Twitter and Facebook, Paramount's Enhanced Movie Apps are great examples of the rich applications that people will find on Windows Phone Marketplace to get the most out of their phone," he continued.

Paramount Digital Entertainment developed the movie apps in collaboration with Digitalsmiths, Hypershow and Trailer Park.

The movie apps are available for download today from Windows Phone Marketplace www.windowsphone.com/en-us/cmpn/paramount-apps.aspx

* Customers who already purchased School of Rock will automatically receive an update.
**Not all titles are available in every territory.  Check Windows Phone Marketplace for availability.

About Paramount Digital Entertainment

Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, and emerging technologies.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands.  The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.  PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.

SOURCE Paramount Digital Entertainment