Los Angeles, CA - February 7, 2008 - Platinum Studios, Inc. (OTCBB: PDOS), an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 3,800 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, today announced a worldwide publishing deal for the "Cowboys & Aliens" graphic novel with the HarperEntertainment publishing imprint of HarperCollins.
The graphic novel mixes Western and science fiction genres and was the debut graphic novel from Platinum Studios Comics originally released in December 2006. The comic has since been purchased by DreamWorks, Universal and Imagine Entertainment to be made into a feature film.
"HarperCollins worldwide distribution of Platinum Studios' debut graphic novel, "Cowboys & Aliens," shows the strength of the concept and our ability to translate it successfully to different markets," said Sean O'Reilly, vice president of publishing and animation for Platinum Studios. "It is rare for an international publishing house such as HarperCollins to make a graphic novel available for international distribution. Comic fans around the globe will be able to read and experience this exhilarating action adventure of aliens crash landing on Earth in the late 1800s."
"This graphic novel mixes two easily defined and targeted publishing genres - sci-fi and westerns," said Mauro DiPreta, VP and Editorial Director of HarperEntertainment. "We believe there is a real potential to reach consumers with comic books and graphic novels, especially those that break genre conventions."
Set in the 1800s in Arizona, the graphic novel explores a skirmish between cowboys and the Apache tribe that is interrupted by the crash landing of a space ship. Aliens plan to tame the Old West and enslave the human population, but the cowboys and Native Americans have other plans.
The film version is being produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer along with Platinum Studios CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ("Transformers"). The script will be written by the writing team of Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby ("Children of Men"). Ervin Rustemagic and Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic will co-produce.
"Cowboys & Aliens" is one of a number of properties that Platinum Studios is developing across multiple media platforms including print, film, online, mobile / wireless, gaming, and merchandising.
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