RIO DE JANEIRO, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, April 15, Universal Pictures and NowLive will bring fans a virtual world premiere of the latest chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed, Fast Five, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it was announced today.  The studio, together with the new interactive media company created to produce and stream entertainment's top live events, will stream the world premiere live across the web, mobile and iOS devices, as well as in 10 theaters across the United States.  Fast Five opens in the U.S. on Friday, April 29, 2011.

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The world premiere event sponsored by Dodge will stream live at www.fastfivemovie.com/premiere.  Additionally, it will reach numerous other Fast Five online destinations and fans, including the 4.5 million at www.facebook.com/fastandfurious.  From access to multi-camera controls and real-time polling and trivia to live chats and links for showtimes and tickets, fans will have more access to the franchise than ever before.  The world premiere event is also streaming live into 10 theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Denver and Detroit.  Thousand of fans in these cities will watch the red carpet action on the big screen before being treated to the first audience screenings of Fast Five.  

The 12 stars scheduled to appear at the star-studded premiere include: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky and Dwayne Johnson.  They will be joined by the film's director, Justin Lin.

"Fans of The Fast and the Furious franchise have grown closer to our characters with each successive movie," said Doug Neil, Senior Vice President, Digital Marketing, Universal Pictures.  "We want to thank the audience for their unflagging support with a global premiere event that brings the cast into the lives of any fan with access to the web."

"Our goal is simple: to power and stream the most premium live content on the web in the most entertaining way possible for the fans," said Sara Bordo, President and Co-Founder, NowLive.  "We are so excited to bring Fast Five across multiple platforms and in front of the true fans of the franchise."

Tune in on Friday, April 15, at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT for a live viewing of Universal Pictures' Fast Five world premiere at the following URLs: www.fastfivemovie.com/premiere; www.nowlive.com/fastfive; www.facebook.com/fastandfurious; www.youtube.com/fastandfuriousmovie; www.myspace.com/fastandfurious and www.Dodge.com/fastfive.

Fans may also view the world premiere via pocket BLU, a free Blu-ray app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, which allows movie content to be accessed on the go, anytime and anywhere.

About the Film

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in Fast and Furious 5.  In this installment, former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law.  Dwayne Johnson and Elsa Pataky join returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon and Don Omar for this ultimate high-stakes race.  

About NowLive

NowLive is a live event production and streaming company providing the entertainment industry with a solution for events such as red carpet premieres, awards shows, cast chats, concerts and original productions.  Comprised of a team of Hollywood digital alums, NowLive provides studios, networks and record labels an interactive platform, which allows fans a new way to experience and socially engage in live events.  For more information, visit www.nowlive.com

About Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com).  Universal Studios is part of 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 networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

SOURCE Universal Pictures