Summit Entertainment's RED 2 Inaugurates NBCUniversal's "Weekend Ticket" TV Launch With Featured Spots Across Vast Portfolio Of Cable And Digital Properties

NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NBCUniversal and Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF) company, today announced a partnership in which Summit's RED 2 will become the first feature film showcased on Fandango's digital movie recommendation show, "Weekend Ticket," as the show makes its television debut across NBCUniversal's cable entertainment networks USA Network, Syfy and E!.  In advance of RED 2's nationwide release on July 19, the inaugural "Weekend Ticket" 60-second televised vignettes will feature behind-the-scenes clips and original cast interviews with Bruce Willis, Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, and will encourage consumers to purchase tickets through Fandango.com. The campaign launches today and will continue through the film's release. Fandango is the nation's leading online and mobile ticketer and movie destination and is creating original content for this initiative.

"Weekend Ticket" hosted by Dave Karger, Fandango's Chief Correspondent, breaks down new movie releases and matches up consumers with their best film choices for the weekend. The RED 2-tailored "Weekend Ticket" segments will run throughout the cable networks' commercial pods, customized to incorporate each network's brand identity during their syndicated movie broadcasts.

"We have seen that viewers who watch movies on TV are more likely to go to the movies in theatres and the seamless integration of our network portfolio and digital platforms is a powerful way to encourage that activity," said John Shea, Chief Marketing Officer, Integrated Media, NBCUniversal. "The partnership with Summit Entertainment is a great way to kick off our new way of working with movie studios to offer them access to NBCUniversal's entire portfolio to develop unique, individual advertising segments and vignettes, in addition to driving ticket sales."

"We were looking for an innovative way to break through the summer clutter and highlight the incredible cast of RED 2, and NBCUniversal and Fandango were ideal partners with whom to explore some of these fresh initiatives," said Summit President of Worldwide Marketing Nancy Kirkpatrick.  "This promotion provided us with the perfect opportunity to reach moviegoers through the largest online ticketing site and a suite of targeted networks."

This original content partnership opens the doors to NBCUniversal's vast portfolio of 18 cable networks and more than 50 digital properties, as well as its powerful movie fan base to film studios to connect with consumers. In addition to "Weekend Ticket" premiering on USA, Syfy and E!, Fandango.com also will debut exclusive RED 2 marketing on its site with a video gallery featuring extended interviews with the film's stars and opportunities to buy advance tickets of RED 2.

RED 2 follows Frank Moses, a retired black-ops CIA agent, who reassembles his old team to thwart an army of assassins, terrorists and power-crazed government officials eager to get their hands on a new breed of weapon. The film stars Bruce Willis, Academy Award® Nominee John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Academy Award® Winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, Byung Hun Lee, with Academy Award® Winner Anthony Hopkins and Academy Award® Winner Helen Mirren.

Dean Parisot directed the project from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber, who wrote the script for the studios' first installment of the Golden Globe® nominated film, and is based on characters created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner.  Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian produced the film via di Bonaventura Pictures.

About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.

About Fandango
Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, sells tickets to more than 21,000 screens nationwide. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary, celebrity interviews and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. For many theaters, fans can print their tickets at home or receive them as a paperless Mobile Ticket on their smartphones. Fandango's top-ranking movie ticketing apps, with 34 million downloads, are available on the iPhone and iPad, Android, and many other platforms. Fandango is enjoyed by more than 41 million online and mobile visitors per month. Film fans find Fandango on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fandango and on Twitter @Fandango.

About Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® company, is a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio. The company handles all aspects of marketing and distribution for both its own internally developed motion pictures as well as acquired pictures. Summit also represents international sales for both its own slate and third party product.

SOURCE NBCUniversal