Family entertainment leader Chuck E. Cheese's, Reel FX and Relativity announced today a partnership for the iconic restaurant brand to be featured in the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday animated comedy, "Free Birds." In turn, Chuck E. Cheese's locations will feature exclusive "Free Birds" merchandise as part of the company's fall in-store promotion. The film stars Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler and Woody Harrelson in the story of two turkeys from opposite sides of the track who must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history - and get turkey off the menu for good. Relativity will distribute the Reel FX-produced "Free Birds" in theaters across the country on Nov. 1.
The partnership includes:
"The opportunity to partner on a major motion picture is a first for Chuck E. Cheese's, and one that we are extremely excited about," said Scott McDaniel, chief marketing officer for CEC Entertainment, Inc., Chuck E. Cheese's parent company. "We've spent the last year introducing our new, contemporized mascot to all of our guests, and now we're ready for the silver screen. In Reel FX and Relativity, we've found partners whose goal to make families laugh and smile resonates with Chuck E.'s philosophy."
"With the timing of this release, we're getting into the part of the season when families start spending a lot of time together at the movies, going out to eat and playing games," said Joshua Pollack, president corporate and strategic partnerships and global brand management, Relativity. "By partnering with a well-known brand that's celebrated for family entertainment, we're able to bring the joy of our characters outside the big screen and into the everyday activities of parents spending time with their kids."
"Having worked with Chuck E. Cheese's on the development of their mascot's new look, we knew that they'd be a fun partner for our first feature-length animated film," said Dale Carman, founder and executive creative director at Reel FX. "Chuck E. has been well-received by a new generation of kids, and we're happy to join with Relativity to set him up on his biggest stage yet."
This partnership builds on the long-standing relationship between Chuck E. Cheese's and Reel FX, both of which are headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The two companies have previously partnered, along with The Richards Group, on Chuck E. Cheese's commercials and development of its new mascot. Reel FX launched its feature-length development and production slate in 2010 after almost 20 years of experience as an award-winning one-stop studio for the creation of animated content including films, special attraction/live venue projects, commercials and interactive projects. "Free Birds" is the biggest animated movie ever produced in North Texas.
For additional resources, exclusive video content and information about current promotions involving Chuck E. Cheese's and "Free Birds," fans can visit www.chuckecheese.com/wristbands or connect with Chuck E. Cheese's on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and foursquare. Fans can also gobble up all things "Free Birds" by following the #FreeBirds hashtag or visiting the movie's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.
About CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC):
For more than 30 years, CEC Entertainment has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where a Kid can be a Kid. The company and its franchisees operate a system of 567 Chuck E. Cheese's stores located in 47 states and eight foreign countries or territories. Currently, 514 locations in the United States and Canada are owned and operated by the company. CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its franchises have the common goal of creating lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play. Each Chuck E. Cheese's features musical and comic robotic entertainment, games, rides and play areas, as well as a variety of dining options including pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, a salad bar and desserts. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese's helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check.
Chuck E. Cheese's aims to promote positive, lifelong memories inside and outside of its stores. In addition to providing a fun entertainment experience for millions of families across the world, Chuck E. Cheese's has donated more than $10 million to schools through its fundraising programs. For more information, see the company's website at www.chuckecheese.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and foursquare.
About Relativity Media
Relativity (relativitymedia.com) is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including film production; financing and distribution; television; sports management; music publishing and digital media.
The studio has produced, distributed or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures, generating more than $22 billion in worldwide box office revenue and earning 73 Oscar nominations. Recent films include: Safe Haven, Act of Valor and Immortals, the latter both opening number one at the box office in their debut. Relativity's other films include the eight-time Oscar nominee The Social Network as well as Limitless and two-time Oscarwinner The Fighter. Upcoming films include Luc Besson's The Family, starring Oscar winner Robert De Niro, Oscar nominee Michelle Pfeiffer and Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones.
About Reel FX
Reel FX is a movie studio that develops and produces animated films. The company's feature slate includes Free Birds with Relativity Media which debuts in theaters on November 1st, 2013, The Day of the dead-themed project The Book of Life with Fox which will be released in theaters on October 3rd, 2014 and an adaptation of the Beasts of Burden comic book series.
Reel FX launched its feature length development and production slate in 2010 after almost 20 years of experience as an award-winning one-stop studio for the creation of animated content including films, special attraction/live venue projects, commercials, and interactive projects for companies like Dreamworks Animation, Fox, Warner Bros. and Universal Studios. The studio continues to do short form work including commercials, music videos and live-event animation.
Since starting the development and production of feature films, Reel FX has aligned itself with some of the most recognized and respected names and brands in the entertainment industry for its projects including Free Birds (Jimmy Hayward, Scott Mosier), The Book of Life (Guillermo Del Toro, Jorge R. Gutierrez) and the Beasts of Burden adaptation (Dark Horse Comics, Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner).
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