Category: Press Releases

Vikings Offer up Season 4 Part 1 on October 4

Vikings S4-1VIKINGS: SEASON 4 VOLUME 1
Vikings returns for a gripping fourth season. Season 3 culminated with the extraordinary battle in Paris, where Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) seized victory from the jaws of defeat–but still returns to Kattegat dangerously ill. Thoughts of his death galvanize the forces who seek to succeed him as king, including his wife Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) and his oldest son, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig). Meanwhile, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) continues power struggles with her calculating, former second in command, Kalf (Ben Robson); Rollo (Clive Standen) betrays his Vikings heritage by remaining in Frankia and Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) is seized for his brutal actions to the Christian priest Athelstan.

Joining the stellar cast this season is Peter Franzén as King Harold Finehair, a complex character who seeks to be King of Norway and a potential threat to Ragnar; Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan The Black, King Harold’s violent younger brother; and Dianne Doan as Yidu a completely different character within the world of the Vikings who fascinates Ragnar.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award® winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, and Alan Gasmer. Jana Bennett and Arturo Interian are the executives in charge of production for HISTORY.

VIKINGS is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY broadcasts domestically in the U.S. MGM brought the series to the network and brings VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada. VIKINGS is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series also airs on HISTORY in Canada.

VIKINGS: SEASON 4 VOLUME 1 Special Features Include:

  • The Transformation of Rollo (Available on Blu-ray & DVD)
  • The Viking Seafaring Prowess (Available on Blu-ray & DVD)
  • The Sons Of Ragnar Interactive Piece (Available on Blu-ray)
  • Extended Episodes (Available on Blu-ray)

VIKINGS: SEASON 4 VOLUME 1
Street Date: October 4, 2016
Screen Format: 16:9 (1.78:1)
Audio: DVD: English DD 5.1
BD: English DTS-HD-MA 5.1
BD Extended Episodes: English DTS-HD-MA 6.1, Spanish DD 5.1, French (Parisian) DTS 5.1, Castilian DTS 5.1, Portuguese (Brazilian) DD 5.1
Subtitles: DVD: English SDH, Spanish, Quebecois
BD: English SDH, Spanish, Quebecois
BD Episodes: English SDH, Spanish (Latin) + txt, Quebecois, French (Parisian) + txt, Castilian + txt, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazilian) + txt, Swedish.
Total Run Time: 14:24:01
U.S. Rating: TV-14

Wolf Creek Spins Off 6 Ep TV Series for Pop

Wolf CreekLOS ANGELES, CA – July 27, 2016 – Inspired by one of the most terrifying, cult movie franchises ever released in theaters, named one of “The 25 best horror movies since 2000” (AV Squad), one of “The 100 Best Horror films” (Time Out), and one of “The 25 Best Horror Movies Since The Shining” (Vulture), the six-part television event, WOLF CREEK, is a psychological thriller premiering exclusively on Pop on Friday, October 14 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT.

In conjunction with Lionsgate Television and Zodiak Rights (a Banijay Group company), the WOLF CREEK television series on Pop stars John Jarratt, who reprises his movie role as the murdering psychopath Mick Taylor, wreaking havoc in the Australian Outback—except this time, things are different. The television series immediately turns the entire genre on its head when a 19-year-old American college student, played by rising star Lucy Fry, survives the massacre of her parents and little brother and sets out to hunt down the killer and avenge her family.

Based on true events, the original WOLF CREEK movie was introduced in 2005 at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals before achieving global box office success and cult film status among horror fans around the world.

“WOLF CREEK is holy !#@$! scary!” said Greg McLean, Executive Producer of the WOLF CREEK television series and the writer, director and producer of the WOLF CREEK movies. “The television series delivers the same pulse-pounding tension and terror of the films combined with a storyline that evolves into a suspense filled, character driven psychological thriller. In many ways, WOLF CREEK is more like a Western—set in the untamed, desolate landscape of the Australian Outback, with gritty characters and an immersive story of revenge and good versus evil.”

“WOLF CREEK is a binge-worthy, premium revenge tale that we are thrilled to bring fans at the perfect time of the year,” said Brad Schwartz, President, Pop. “To turn everything you expect from a horror film around and hunt the psychopath through a strong and singularly-focused female protagonist is thrilling to watch. It is probably the scariest series to ever premiere on basic cable and will have viewers hooked 13:40 minutes into the first episode.”

The story of WOLF CREEK begins when an American family is on holiday in Northern Australia and becomes the unsuspecting prey of Mick Taylor, a sadistic serial killer who hunts and kills tourists in the Outback. The sole survivor is Eve Thorogood, a college student, who vows to bring the killer to justice or die in the attempt. The story of WOLF CREEK reveals her complex and extraordinary journey, traveling every step of the way as she evolves from child to adult, from prey to predator. But can she triumph over Mick Taylor, evil incarnate?

John Jarratt is a television and film actor, producer and director from Australia. Jarratt is best known for his chilling performance as the iconic character Mick Taylor in the feature films Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2. His previous credits also include Peter Weir’s Picnic At Hanging Rock, Baz Luhrmann’s Australia and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

Lucy Fry is a film and television actress. Most recently, Fry starred opposite James Franco in the Warner Bros. for Hulu mini-series “11.22.63.” She is also known for her roles in director Joseph Castelo’s indie film The Preppie Connection and Mark Waters’ fantasy feature Vampire Academy.

A STAN original, WOLF CREEK is produced by Screentime (a Banijay Group company), in association with Emu Creek Pictures and financed with the assistance of Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation.

Graphix to Publish Debut Children’s GNs by Contest Winners

Graphix to Publish Debut Children’s GNs by Contest Winners

Scholastic_GraphixAppBanner_sm-959x225San Diego, CA—July 22, 2016—Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, has announced a contest to find talent to debut on its acclaimed Graphix imprint for children and teen readers. Graphix focuses on creator-driven books that bring exceptional art, rich content, and strong storytelling to realistic fiction, memoir, fantasy, and more. The Graphix imprint is committed to finding and championing new voices in the children’s graphic novel space. This contest will seek submissions from debut comic artists who are U.S. residents, 18 years or older, and who are unpublished and not currently under contract to publish a book with another publisher. Up to five winning entries will be selected to receive an offer to publish their work with Graphix and a $15,000 advance. The full contest rules and submission requirements, including information about what the Graphix editorial team looks for in manuscript proposals, can be found at the contest’s dedicated website: www.Scholastic.com/GraphixContest. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited.

“This search will expand our outreach beyond those already involved in the publishing world, giving us the opportunity to welcome new, innovative, diverse talent to our Graphix list,” said David Saylor, Vice President Creative Director, Trade Publishing, and founder and Editorial Director of Graphix. He added, “We look forward to receiving a variety of submissions across all genres, with strong storytelling and engaging art. Graphix is committed to publishing the next generation of graphic novels created just for kids and teen readers, and this nationwide contest is an exciting new way to attract submissions to the Graphix list.”

To help promote awareness of the contest, the Graphix editors will attend various conventions throughout the U.S. leading up to the April 1, 2017 deadline. They will appear on panels alongside some of the top graphic novelists published by Graphix. The first stop is San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 22nd at 12:30PM at the San Diego Convention Center in room 24ABC. The panel, titled You Can Be the Next Scholastic Graphix Artist, will feature bestselling and award-winning comics creators including: Jeff Smith, whose color editions of his epic BONE series launched Graphix in 2005; Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling creator of the Eisner-winning Smile and Sisters; and debut author/illustrator Ru Xu, whose full-color graphic novel NewsPrints will be published by Graphix on January 31, 2017. Joining these talented graphic novelists in San Diego will be Graphix founder and Editorial Director David Saylor, Senior Editor Cassandra Pelham, and Editor Adam Rau to discuss what they look for when acquiring new work.

Submissions will be accepted via the dedicated website through April 1, 2017, and up to five winning entries will be announced on or about June 20, 2017.

Captain America Statue Unveiled in San Diego

Captain America StatueGlendale, Calif. Since his creation in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Captain America has gone through numerous evolutions, but  always remains as one of the world’s most influential and inspiring Super Heroes. Kicking off a new phase of the year-long celebration of 75 years of Captain America, Marvel Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media have unveiled a slate of heroic activations taking place at San Diego Comic-Con and beyond to honor the First Avenger, along with a wide range of celebratory merchandise.

Headlining the Captain America 75th anniversary celebration, Marvel has collaborated with high-end collectibles maker Comicave Studios to create a one-of-a-kind Captain America statue that will be displayed at the Marvel booth #2329 at Comic-Con International on July 20. Comicave Studios worked closely with Marvel artists in New York and a Brooklyn-based sculptor to design the bronze tribute, standing at over 13 feet and weighing 1 ton. The statue will continue to stand tall on the show floor throughout San Diego Comic-Con for photo ops with fans, and 1/12-scale bronze replicas of the statue will be available for purchase. Plus, a custom comic book was created by Marvel Publishing writers and artists to integrate the statue into new storytelling.  This one-of-a-kind comic will be available in limited quantities at San Diego Comic-Con and future Captain America events.

Following SDCC, the commemorative statue will journey via truck across the country to Brooklyn, NY – the hometown of Steve Rogers – for a limited engagement in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Fans can follow the truck along its cross-country route through photos on social media sites like Marvel and StyledByMarvel Instagram. The statue will be on display in the Children’s Corner of Prospect Park for a two-week temporary installation, kicking off with a dedication ceremony and community event on August 10th from 1-3pm. In the evening, a special viewing of the recent blockbuster film, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, will take place in Prospect Park as part of the culmination of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams’ “A Summer Movie Under the Stars” program, which will be airing four Captain America-focused movies every Wednesday from July 20th to August 10th.

Comicave Custom Comic CoverTo the rest of America and the world, he’s Captain America; to us, he’ll always be Steve Rogers, ‘just a kid from Brooklyn,’” said Borough President Adams. “Brooklyn is proud to be the base of celebrations for Cap’s 75th anniversary, which will be capped by a larger-than-life statue traveling around our borough — befitting of this larger-than-life character. Prospect Park is the place to be this summer to enjoy the Captain America!”

After the half-month stop in Prospect Park, the Captain America statue will move to the plaza outside Barclays Center on Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues for September, during which several Marvel fan activations take place. From late October through the remainder of the year, the statue will adorn the soon-to-be-opened Bed Bath & Beyond® in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Fans of all ages will enjoy a specially re-designed statue base, for heightened interactivity and photo opportunities with Captain America, as well as see and shop for a variety of unique Marvel items, including limited quantities of scaled replicas of the bronze statue itself.

“Since 1941 Captain America has remained one of the most influential Super Heroes in comic book history,” said Paul Gitter, senior vice president, licensing, Marvel at Disney Consumer Products. “He has evolved as a character throughout the years, but remains constant as a moral compass within the Marvel Universe and leader of the Avengers. The tribute statue and other activations are the perfect way to honor 75 years of this iconic Super Hero and to celebrate the borough of Brooklyn in New York City.”

Also joining the 75th celebration at San Diego Comic-Con are Marvel’s leading merchandise partners including Hasbro, Funko, and Jakks Pacific who will be commemorating “Cap” through new collectibles. As previously announced, Comicave Studios will also be offering different scales of replicas of the bronze statue itself at San Diego Comic-Con.  Additional licensees including Mad Engine, Mighty Fine, Freeze, C-Life, Her Universe, What’s Your Passion, Nick Graham, Café Press, Jay Franco, Kiddesigns, HJC Helmets and more will all feature new Captain America merchandise at major retailers this Fall.  These collections will highlight Captain America’s iconic shield and cover categories including apparel and accessories for kids, women and men, home goods, electronics, and toys. There will even be new Brooklyn-themed artwork available for a range of apparel and accessories.

Google Play Books Introduces Bubble Zoom

Bubble Zoom 2Last year, Google Play made it easier to find and read your favorite comics on your phone or tablet, including a new vertical scrolling experience. We wanted to use our other superpowers, like machine learning, to improve the digital comics experience even further. Machine learning is the technology that makes the digital things in your life more useful, like finding the right image in Google Photos by searching for “hugs” to “dogs.” So what happens when we bring our machine learning capabilities to the world of comics?Whether it’s reading up on the origins of Justice League or enjoying a reboot like Invincible Iron Man, we love our heroes and villains at Google and there’s nothing more thrilling than flipping through your favorite comic when the battle is on — THWACK!

At San Diego Comic-Con 2016, we just announced Bubble Zoom: a new way to read digital comics on phones and tablets. It zooms into the speech bubbles of a comic book one-tap-at-a-time, making them super easy to read on your mobile device. It’s much easier to read digital comics one-handed as Bubble Zoom automatically identifies and expands each speech bubble for readability.  No more compromising the full-page experience or getting lost while panning around.“Justice League (2011) Origin – Vol 1.” and “Invincible Iron Man Vol 1.” read using Bubble Zoom.

Bubble Zoom 1Bubble Zoom will be available on the latest version of Google Play Books app for Android as a technical preview with all Marvel and DC collected volumes supported. We’re also celebrating this preview with a 50% off sale on select DC Comics and Marvel comics in the Google Play Store — just use the code SDCC2016 by July 24th, 2016.

Rolling out today, you can upgrade Play Books and provide feedback on supported comic volumes in the app as this exclusive experience is only the first step. As we continue to teach our machines to read more comic book styles, our goal is to eventually bring Bubble Zoom to all the comics and manga ever made.

By Odin’s beard… go read some comics!

Posted by Greg Hartrell, Head of Product, Google Play Books

Ash vs Evil Dead hits DVD August 23

Ash National 3D Combo PackshotsFrom the creators of The Evil Dead comes a new STARZ Original Series, Ash vs Evil Dead. The STARZ Original series is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film The Evil Dead.  The series is executive produced by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, The Grudge), Rob Tapert (The Evil Dead, The Grudge), and Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice, Oz the Great and Powerful, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness), the original filmmakers, and Craig DiGregorio who serves as executive producer and showrunner. Campbell reprises his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons – personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip. Bring the terror home on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 23, 2016.

Winter is Here and so is Game of Thrones Season 6 on Disc

GOT S6New York, N.Y., July 18, 2016 – Last year’s Emmy® Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and currently nominated for 23 2016 Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing Outstanding Supporting Actress (Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington), Game of Thrones is bigger than ever delivering “the power and pathos fans have come to expect” (Los Angeles Times).  The HBO drama has consistently been the top selling TV on DVD/BD for the past five years and now fans can get the most recent season earlier than ever when Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season debuts from HBO Home Entertainment on Digital HD on August 1, 2016 and on Blu-ray™ with Digital HD and DVD November 15, 2016. The set features all 10 episodes, plus extensive bonus content:

Digital HD Download

  • Bran’s Journey – A nine-minute feature delving into the shocking and revelatory journey Bran Stark took in Season 6.
  • The Dothraki World – Behind-the-Scenes featurette bringing viewers up to speed on the Dothraki culture, not seen since Season 1.
  • Inside Game of Thrones: Prosthetics – Behind-the-Scenes featurette detailing what goes into the show’s prosthetics creation.
  • The Game Revealed – Five-part series covering the creation of Season 6’s most epic set pieces and scenes.

Blu-ray™ with Digital Copy – includes all DVD features plus:

  • In-Episode Guide – Dig deeper into the show with this in-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations, and relevant histories.
  • Histories and Lore – Learn about the mythology of Westeros and Essos as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves in 18 history pieces.
    • The Old Way: narrated by Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk)
    • The Kingsmoot: narrated by Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk)
    • The Sunset Sea: narrated by Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk)
    • War of the Ninepenny Kings: narrated by Brother Ray (Ian McShane)
    • The Great Tourney at Harrenhal: narrated by Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick)
    • Robert’s Rebellion: narrated by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
    • Vaes Dothrak: narrated by Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen)
    • The Dothraki: narrated by Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen)
    • Northern Allegiances to House Stark: narrated by Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner)
    • Children of the Forest vs. the First Men: narrated by the Three-Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow)
    • Brotherhood Without Banners: narrated by Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye)
    • Oldtown: narrated by Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover) and Qyburn (Anton Lesser)
    • House Dayne: narrated by Young Ned Stark (Robert Aramayo)
    • The Little Birds: narrated by Lord Varys (Conleth Hill)
    • Knights of the Vale: narrated by Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish (Aidan Gillen)
    • House Tarly: narrated by Randyll Tarly (James Faulkner)
    • Riverrun: narrated by Brynden ‘the Blackfish’ Tully (Clive Russell)
    • Great Sept of Baelor: narrated by the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce)

GOT S6 Beauty ShotDVD:

  • The Battle of the Bastards: An In-Depth Look – Behind-the-scenes piece examining the production challenges of creating this epic event, including explorations of VFX, stunts, and interviews with key cast and crew.
  • Recreating the Dothraki World – Behind-the-scenes piece looking at the creation of Vaes Dothrak and its importance to Dany’s evolution.
  • 18 Hours at the Paint Hall –Follow all three shooting units as they converge in this behind-the-scenes snapshot of a day in the life of the largest show on television
  • Audio Commentaries – The most commentaries ever recorded for Game of Thrones, featuring:
    • Episode 601: Director Jeremy Podeswa, Director of Photography Greg Middleton, and Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne)
    • Episode 602: Writer Dave Hill, Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), and Ben Crompton (Dolorous Edd)
    • Episode 603: Director Daniel Sackheim, Production Designer Deborah Riley, and Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon)
    • Episode 604: Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont),  and Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm)
    • Episode 605 (2 commentaries): Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy), Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy), Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed), and Kristian Nairn (Hodor); Prosthetics Supervisor Barrie Gower, Camera Operators Chris Plevin and Ben Wilson, and Executive Producer Bernadette Caulfield
    • Episode 606: Director Jack Bender, Director of Photography Jonathan Freeman, John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), and Hannah Murray (Gilly)
    • Episode 607: Producer/Writer Bryan Cogman, Ian McShane (Septon Ray), and Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell)
    • Episode 608: Director Mark Mylod, Essie Davis (Lady Crane), and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)
    • Episode 609 (2 commentaries): Director Miguel Sapochnik, Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), and Kit Harington (Jon Snow); Director of Photography Fabian Wagner, Visual Effects Producer Steve Kullback, and Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Bauer
    • Episode 610 (2 commentaries): Executive Producers/Writers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister); Special Effects Supervisor Sam Conway, Camera Operator Sean Savage, and Producer Chris Newman
  • Deleted Scenes – Four deleted scenes.

The most-watched series in HBO history and a worldwide TV phenomenon, Game of Thrones returns with another power season. This year, after the shocking developments at the end of Season 5 – including Jon Snow’s bloody fate at the hands of Castle Black mutineers, Daenerys’ near-demise at the fighting pits of Meereen, and Cersei’s public humiliation in the streets of King’s Landing – survivors from all parts of Westeros and Essos regroup to press forward, inexorably, towards their uncertain individual fates. Familiar faces will forge new alliances to bolster their strategic chances at survival, while new characters will emerge to challenge the balance of power in the east, west, north and south.

Highlander 30th Anniversary Edition Announced

Highlander AnniversaryIn the end there can only be one Highlander 30th Anniversary edition, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD September 27 from Lionsgate. Starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery, relive the sci-fi epic that launched a TV franchise and captivated millions of fans worldwide! The 30th Anniversary edition features never-before-seen interviews with director Russell Mulcahy and actor Christopher Lambert, a brand-new “making of” documentary, deleted scenes, and audio commentary with director Russell Mulcahy. The Highlander 30th Anniversary Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.99 and $14.98, respectively.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the original cult classic that inspired movie and TV franchises! An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize.”

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*

  • The Making of Highlander
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Interviews with Director Russell Mulcahy and Actor Christopher Lambert
  • Archival Interview with Actor Christopher Lambert
  • Audio Commentary by Director Russell Mulcahy

*Subject to change

CAST

Christopher Lambert               Mortal Kombat, Fortress
Roxanne Hart                          The Verdict, TV’s “Chicago Hope”
Clancy Brown                         The Shawshank Redemption, Starship Troopers
and Sean Connery                  Dr. No, The Hunt for Red October

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Year of Production: 1986
Title Copyright: ? 1986 Highlander Productions Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Feature Run Time: 116 minutes
Blu-ray Format: 1080P High Definition Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
DVD Format: Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
Blu-ray Audio: English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master AudioTM
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital

Philip Pullman Pens 1st Graphic Novel with art by Fred Forman

Philip PullmanNEW YORK, NY—July 14, 2016—Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, will publish Philip Pullman’s first original graphic novel, illustrated by Fred Fordham in 2017. The full-color graphic novel, The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship, for ages 8-12 will be published jointly by David Fickling Books and Graphix, both imprints of Scholastic, in North America in June 2017.

World rights for the book were acquired earlier this year by David Fickling Books in the UK, which currently is serializing the story in The Phoenix, a weekly children’s publication available in the UK via newsstands and by subscription. The serialized comic will be collected into the full-color graphic novel, to be published simultaneously in the UK, US, and Canada in June 2017.

John Blake is a story that’s close to my heart,” said Philip Pullman. “In Fred Fordham, John and the crew of the mysterious schooner The Mary Alice have found the ideal illustrator, and I’ve loved watching the story develop in his hands. The joy of the setting and the characters for me is that they’re capable of infinite variations. The Mary Alice can roam throughout time, past, present, and future, and anywhere on the oceans of the world. I hope readers will enjoy it as much as we have!”

Fred Forman“We are so proud and thrilled to be bringing Philip Pullman’s brand new hero and astonishing adventure, out of the pages of The Phoenix comic, to all the readers of North America,” said David Fickling, Publisher, David Fickling Books. “Can anything be better than to sail in the company of Fred Fordham, a blazing new comic strip talent, and to have Philip at the helm, The Captain of Story himself!”

“What an honor to welcome the brilliant storyteller Philip Pullman to the Graphix list. And to partner with The Phoenix and David Fickling Books—publishers at the forefront of creating acclaimed comics and books for young readers in the UK—makes this collaboration even more exciting,” said David Saylor, Vice President Creative Director, Trade Publishing, and founder and Editorial Director of Graphix.

About The Adventures of John Blake: The Mystery of the Ghost Ship

Trapped in the mists of time by a terrible research experiment gone wrong, John Blake and his mysterious ship are doomed to sail between the centuries, searching for a way home. In the ocean of the modern day, John and the crew rescue a shipwrecked young girl his own age, Serena, and promise to help.

But returning Serena to her own time means traveling to the one place where the ship is in most danger of destruction. The all-powerful Dahlberg Corporation has an ambitious leader with plans far greater and more terrible than anyone has realized, and he is hot on their trail. For only John, Serena, and the crew know Dahlberg’s true intentions, and only they have the power to stop him from bending the world to his will . . .

About Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman is the internationally acclaimed author of many books for children and adults. His trilogy His Dark Materials has been published in more than forty languages, has sold close to 17.5 million copies worldwide, and won innumerable awards and accolades. The Golden Compass (Northern Lights in the UK) was named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” by Entertainment Weekly and a “Top 100 Book of All Time” by Newsweek. In 2008, The Times (UK) named Pullman as one of the 50 greatest writers since 1945.

About Fred Fordham

Fred Fordham was born in 1985 and grew up in North London. He studied Politics and Philosophy at Sussex University alongside working as a portrait painter and occasional tutor. Here he discovered comics after reading Marjane Sartrapi’s Persepolis. This book sparked an interest in the form generally but particularly in the French Bande Dessinee tradition. His first graphic-novel, Nightfall, was published in France by Editions Delcourt and launched at the Salon Du Livre in Paris in 2013. He has also written and illustrated strips for David Lloyd’s online comics-art magazine, Aces Weekly, and worked as an illustrator for The Phoenix.

About David Fickling Books

David Fickling is an acclaimed editor and publisher based in the UK. Scholastic US welcomed David Fickling Books as a new imprint in June 2015. Over the years Fickling has published some extraordinary books like Phillip Pullman’s The Ruby in the Smoke and His Dark Materials trilogy, John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jenny Downham’s Before I Die, and Andy Mulligan’s Trash.

About The Phoenix

In 2012 David Fickling launched a weekly story comic for children called The Phoenix, filled with beautiful and original artwork, exciting stories, and featuring no advertising. The comic recently celebrated its 200th issue, becoming the first independent comic in the UK to do so since 1969. It has also been voted No. 2 in Time Magazine’s global list of “Top Comics and Graphic Novels.”

X-Men Apocalypse Arrives in Oct., SDCC Special Offer

X-Men ApocalypseSAN DIEGO (July 18, 2016) – Based on “one of the coolest superhero movies of the decade” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times), Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will debut the first ever “challenge room” at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).

The X-Men: The Tomb of Apocalypse X-perience (Booth #3529) will incorporate a series of challenges that fans will solve to defeat the world’s most powerful mutant, Apocalypse. The booth will be open daily, including Preview Night, July 20 – 24. Each morning, fans will have the opportunity to RSVP for “Tomb Time” until the day’s schedule is full.

The Tomb of Apocalypse X-perience:

  • Will allow fans to work through a series of challenges to defeat Apocalypse
  • Fans who complete the challenge receive a custom SDCC 2016 X-MEN: APOCALYPSE t-shirt, while supplies last, and a souvenir photo
  • Will feature original costumes from the film including Oscar Isaac’s “Apocalypse,” Evan Peters’ “Quicksilver” and Alexandra Shipp’s “Storm” – offering fans several photo opportunities

As part of the experience, fans will have a chance to pre-order X-MEN: APOCALYPSE which arrives on Digital HD on Sept. 9, 2016 and debuts on Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD & DVD Oct. 4, 2016. Exclusive to SDCC, fans who pre-order will receive a limited edition Dazzler vinyl cover while supplies last.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Synopsis
OSCAR® Winner Jennifer Lawrence*, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy lead a powerhouse cast in director Bryan Singer’s extraordinary follow-up to X-Men: Days of Future Past. After thousands of years, Apocalypse – the world’s first and most powerful mutant – has awakened to find a world led by humans. Intent on cleansing the Earth of mankind, he recruits a group of mutants to create a new world order. In a desperate race to save humanity, Professor X (McAvoy) leads the young X-Men in an epic showdown – against an unstoppable enemy – that will determine the fate of the world.

*Actress, Silver Linings Playbook, 2012
OSCAR® is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Blu-ray Special Features Include:

  • Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Introductions by Bryan Singer
  • Gag Reel
  • Wrap Party Video
  • Hour long documentary, X-Men: Apocalypse Unearthed
  • Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg
  • Concept Art and Photo Gallery

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Blu-rayDisc & 3D Blu-ray™ Disc
Street Date:                  October 4, 2016
Prebook Date:              August 31, 2016
Screen Format:            Widescreen 16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio:                           English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
English Descriptive Audio 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Subtitles:                      English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Spanish/French
Total Film Run Time:    Approximately 144 minutes
U.S. Rating                   PG-13

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 4K Ultra HD:
Street Date:                  October 4, 2016
Prebook Date:              August 31, 2016
Screen Format:            Widescreen 16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio:                           English Dolby Atmos
English Descriptive Audio 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Subtitles:                      English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Spanish/French
Total Film Run Time:    Approximately 144 minutes
U.S. Rating                  PG-13

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE DVD
Street Date: October 4, 2016
Screen Format: Widescreen 16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1,Spanish Surround Dolby Digital 2.0, French Surround Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Spanish/French
Total Film Run Time: Approximately 144 minutes
U.S. Rating PG-13